The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Page 148

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh.

Palitzer lowered his guard mainly because of Schmidt's status as a White Cup teaching assistant. He had initially thought the Star Chart Study would have the White Cup Order's private permission, so he went alone after careful consideration.

"This is consistent with what we already know."

After a brief introduction, Haida finally brought up what she cared about most.

"last question."

“Mr. Palitzer, please tell me the truth… what did you see that night?”

-

-

soup!

Chapter Forty-Three: The Hermit Lady

Haida's interrogation pace was fast, with concise and to-the-point questions, as if she was certain that the other party would answer truthfully.

Concealing the truth would indeed not benefit Palitzer at all.

The poet knew this well, and when the interrogator finally brought up the core issue of the interrogation, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he carefully recounted the specific events of that night.

"Originally, there were only two newcomers at this gathering: myself and one 'gardener'. After we realized it was a trap, we first tried to escape, but failed... and were eventually captured."

"They put some unknown parasite into my nasal cavity, after which I lost control of my body and was completely unable to move while sitting in a chair... but I remained conscious for a short period of time."

He shuddered as he recalled the incident.

My body is like a puppet, my spirit utterly withered, yet the sticky parasites deep within my nasal cavity feel incredibly clear. The whispers of death still echo in my ears, and no other thought arises in my mind except "I will die."

Heda listened intently to Palitzer's words, her grey-chestnut eyes calm and deep as she pondered their meaning.

At that time, Schmidt possessed at least three Cistanche deserticola plants. Although such mystical creations were not particularly precious, they still enjoyed the second-class superior mystical rank, and it was difficult for a regular assistant priest to possess so many at the same time.

From this perspective, the Crimson Cup High Priest, who had taken over this secret gathering, had indeed devoted a great deal of effort to it.

"please continue."

After a moment of silence, she spoke briefly, gesturing for the poet to continue.

Palitzer calmed his somewhat disordered breathing and gradually recovered from the fear he had felt.

"After that, a woman appeared. She was accompanied by a young girl who knew Schmidt. Judging from her attire and age, the girl should be a student at Norrington College."

"Her code name at the Star Chart Study was 'The Hermit.' She wore a velvet robe with both lamps and moths embroidered on it, and judging from her style, she belonged to the Unifying faction of the Obscure Society... and was a high priest."

Hearing this highly suggestive description, Haida's grey-chestnut eyes held a slightly complicated expression. It seemed Dr. Fran was particularly fond of using the identities of the four orthodox clergy…

Although her thoughts had drifted far away, her expression remained calm and composed, revealing nothing.

"High Priest rank...why do you think so?" Haida pressed.

Although she had already learned the general details of what happened on that night from Fran, hearing it from someone else offered a different perspective. What kind of image would Dr. Fran have in the eyes of others? She couldn't help but feel a little curious about it.

"The Hermit's power is undeniable. From the moment she appeared, her oppressive aura enveloped the entire meeting room. Afterwards, negotiations broke down and a confrontation ensued... and the lady almost ravaged the organizer of the seminar, utterly crushing him."

"The organizer and his accomplices totaled three people, all of whom were disciples of the esoteric sect at the level of assistant priests. Their desperate resistance was like child's play in front of her, making her feel powerless and ridiculous."

Speaking of this, Palitzer was half fearful and half relieved.

He was terrified by the woman's methods, but relieved that she wasn't his target. And it was precisely because of her arrival that he had survived a hopeless situation.

Heda wasn't surprised at all; in fact, it was exactly what she had imagined.

Although Dr. Fran habitually avoids combat, her power is undeniable.

Enemies at the level of ordinary priestesses would have virtually no chance against her. Even the mere mental disturbance from the oscillating heart bell would be enough to shatter the will of everyone in the Star Chart Study Group. Not to mention Sigrid was present…

"Did you see clearly what type of secret technique she used?"

“It’s hard to describe…” Palitzer’s voice carried a hint of uncertainty, as if even he, as someone who had witnessed it firsthand, found it difficult to describe the methods used by the Hermit Lady.

"At that time, my consciousness was already blurred, and I soon fell into a coma. I only saw some fragmented images."

"That 'hermit' lady probably didn't use any secret techniques. At the time, her spine detached from her body, resembling a feathered serpent, but with a metallic, steel-like texture, similar to some kind of forged weapon."

"It possesses unimaginable physical strength, capable of withstanding rifle bullets at close range, and can shatter a human body with a flick of its tailbone."

Before Palitzer completely lost consciousness, the last thing he saw was the blood and gore raining down as goalkeeper Guns' entire upper body was smashed to pieces.

His entire vision was bloodshot, his nostrils filled with the strong smell of blood, and he had almost given up hope of survival. But the result was... he survived. (Wu)

The inlaid spine "Sphinx"... Heda's eyes narrowed slightly, gaining a deeper understanding of Fran's appearance that evening. Qi

Seeing the interrogator deep in thought, Palitzer appropriately remained silent.

A moment later, after the Secret Service agent had finished taking notes, Haida spoke again.

“I have a general understanding of the details, Mr. Palitzer. You are also a victim in this incident. You can leave after signing the statement. However, please do not leave Norrington for 15 days. If the case changes, we may ask you for more details.”

"Okay."

Seeing the Hunter so readily release him, Palitzer's previously anxious heart finally settled.

His hands, which had been tightly clenched, loosened slightly, and his palms were already damp with sweat.

In some countries, the reputation of funeral home hunters can even stop a child from crying in the middle of the night. Some of his colleagues have also repeatedly warned him not to be targeted by those paranoids... so it's understandable that he's a little scared at this moment.

……

Meanwhile, Vivian was interrogating "The Gardener" Karim in another interrogation room.

The gardener had delicate features and a slender build, and was dressed in a neat gardener's uniform.

"Mr. Karim, how are you feeling now?"

Vivian's face was hidden in the swaying shadows, her expression unreadable. Her voice was calm and steady, as if she were simply having a casual chat with a friend.

"I still have a bit of a headache, but compared to having that thing burrow into my head, this aftereffect is nothing. I never imagined that being alive could feel so wonderful, like a dream..."

Karim chuckled softly, a hint of rapture in his eyes.

The burst of spirituality seemed to have a certain degree of activation... Vivian calmly analyzed the state of the gardener in front of her and quickly came to a conclusion.

To some extent, Karim is a "beneficiary" of this incident. The path of the Flower of Creation is inherently about pursuing the unattainable dream, and when even living becomes a luxury, escaping death provides extraordinary enlightenment.

"Tell me, why did you participate in the Star Chart Study Group meeting that day?"

“I knew the organizer, Nicholas, from my time in Golmouth. After arriving in Norrington, I was invited by him and decided to go and see him.”

At this point, the look of ecstasy in Karim's eyes faded slightly, replaced by a hint of complexity.

"At the time, I thought he had already entered the second tier, and I assumed he had gained something in Norrington over the past three years. I never expected... that he would die here. Even his body was desecrated, turning into a lifeless flesh puppet."

"How did he die?"

Vivian followed up on his words and began to ask questions.

Compared to Heda's clean and direct questioning style, she is better at extracting fragmented information from the interrogator bit by bit. Although this makes the process a little longer, the content of the other party's account becomes more detailed.

After all, before being assigned to Haida's group, she was a genuine Secret Service agent and one of the Ravens of the Secret Service.

Whether dealing with a relatively cooperative and mild-mannered person like this, or a die-hard who refuses to comply, she can handle each situation with appropriate methods. Of course, dealing with the latter is probably less humane, and it's difficult to describe directly...

After a moment's thought, Kariming gave his judgment.

"The real cause of death was the 'Cistanche deserticola' from the Crimson Cup. The man I met was merely a living corpse. However, this secret technique is classified as a high-level second-class technique, and it is generally only cultivated by high priests. Logically speaking, Schmidt, as an assistant priest, should not possess such a large quantity."

After a moment, he regained his composure and continued his story.

The florist was not as talkative as the poet, but his burst of inspiration made him willing to share his own understanding.

"As for the formal cause of death... that's much more interesting. The woman who called herself 'The Hermit' joined the gathering and then started a fight. Nicholas was stabbed through the chest, Schmidt was shot down, and the gatekeeper's upper body was completely destroyed."

“I thought the high priest of the Church of the Lamp would do nothing but leave prophecies in strange places, but the ‘Hermit’ has been displaying the purest violence from beginning to end.”

"It's so beautiful..."

The gardener raised his hand to his chin, lost in memories.

"That's not quite right. Her robes are embroidered with both lamps and moths, so perhaps the moth ...

six……

Karim's interrogation didn't yield much new information, as what he saw that night was no different from Palitzer's. Furthermore, both men were in a state of semi-consciousness at the time and lost consciousness completely shortly afterward.

Before long, Vivian finished all the interrogation procedures, pushed open the door and walked out of the room.

4. Haida was leaning against the corridor outside the door, clearly having been waiting for some time.

"You didn't encounter any problems, did you, Vivian?"

“Don’t worry, Team Leader Haida. I’m a professional… and the person being questioned is very cooperative.” Vivian replied easily.

This level of interrogation wasn't even a warm-up for her, because it didn't require the use of torture "tricks," so it wasn't much different from casual conversation.

"Ah."

Heda was well aware of this; Vivian came from the Secret Service and was far more professional than her in interrogation.

"By the way, Dr. Fran asked me to pass on the secretarial documents she mentioned last time to you."

As she spoke, she took out two parchment books adorned with black feathers. They were "The Secret of Black Feathers" and "Night Ballad of Mistia".

Vivian took the book, her dark blue eyes flickering slightly.

Dr. Fran's efficiency was unexpected... The two secret manuals contained profound and mysterious spirituality, and they also had a spiritual attraction on a Vivian's part as she studied the Raven Feather Secret Arts, as if she were being summoned.

"...Please convey my thanks to her."

After a moment of contemplation, Vivian spoke solemnly.

-

End of March.

In previous years, Norlington would start to warm up in April, but temperatures would begin to rise as early as March. This year, however, things are different.

Although the chill of deep winter wasn't as biting as it used to be, the snow seemed to last much longer. Today, the sun was hidden behind gray clouds, and a light snow was drifting outside the Fog Street Clinic, with a few frosty flakes forming on the windowsill.

"Na."

Luara lay on her side on the velvet sofa, her reindeer-like body embracing Sigrid affectionately. She occasionally stuck out her tongue, attempting to lick Sigrid's cheek.

Clearly, the maid was finding it difficult to handle the mythical creature's friendly manner; her eyes blinked slightly, and she appeared somewhat reserved.

The colder the weather, the more popular Sigrid becomes...

Although Luara can be communicated with through human language, she still retains certain deer-like behaviors. For example, she likes to stick out her tongue to detect lingering scents in the air.

At least now she's learned how to dress herself...

Sigrid silently comforted herself, then heard the sound of the door opening and closing.

Fran wore a white doctor's coat over a well-tailored blazer, with a fleece scarf visible at the collar.

She picked up her medicine box and then glanced at her brass pocket watch.

"Hmm...it's almost time."

"Is Dr. Fran preparing for a house call?"

3 Sigrid comforted Luara, who had her head resting between her legs, and then asked the doctor who had entered the main hall.

"To be precise, it's a 'business trip.' This is a cross-disciplinary outpatient visit in the first quarter of this year. These types of outpatient visits are scheduled for a fixed time, on the last day of each quarter," Fran explained succinctly.

"Will it take a long time?" Sigrid wondered.

In her memory, Dr. Fran rarely traveled far from home for extended periods, and it was even rare for him not to stay overnight at the clinic.

"For me, this will be a long time, maybe a few months, maybe longer... but for you, it will probably only be about ten minutes."

Fran's amber eyes flickered slightly as he patiently recounted his story.

The flow of time is different... In other words, Dr. Fran's "cross-border medical consultation" destination is not within this world?

Sigrid slightly opened her eyes, a hint of surprise appearing in her molten gold eyes.

Fran pursed his lips, suppressing his smile. Then he raised his hand and straightened Sigrid's clothes, which Luya had ruffled.

"Unfortunately, Sigrid. This time it's a solo call... I'll take you with me next quarter."

She withdrew her hands, rested her cheeks on her palms, and looked at him with a hint of regret.

After speaking, Fran pushed open the wooden door of the clinic and stepped into the misty, gray snow-covered street. His thick-soled leather shoes crunched through the snow, and his slender figure gradually disappeared into the howling, cold fog.