The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

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Detricia, being an insider, could serve as a guide in the search for the Six-Eyed Raven. And after she herself came into contact with the Order, she no longer needed the thief's help with other matters…

“That’s not difficult… The next gathering is tomorrow evening. According to our order’s custom, the specific time will be at the moment of moonrise during the full moon.”

With a strange sense of guilt, Detrick recounted the details of the cult's gathering.

However, this emotion was fleeting, and she didn't have many other feelings. Having lived in the lowest rungs of Foy since childhood, she had abandoned most principles such as integrity, turning instead to the purest pursuit of self-interest and avoidance of harm.

"Tomorrow?" Fran thought for a moment upon hearing this and quickly came to an answer.

"Hmm...because tomorrow is also a full moon. So it's settled then, I'll come find you tomorrow afternoon. As for Bartley, I'll leave him with you for now."

As she spoke, she looked up and glanced around the rather simple little house.

Although the furnishings and furniture looked somewhat old-fashioned, they weren't dusty, and the space wasn't too small. At least leaving Barthele here wouldn't feel too cramped.

"Detrika, do you usually live here?"

"Yes, this is the place the cult recommended to me. It's cheap and secluded."

At this point, the thief did not show any shyness because of the house's simplicity. After all, for someone like her, it was already extremely rare to have her own place to live in Foy.

“By the way, Ms. Vivian, um... if you are just going to retrieve something, please do not harm the other raiders of the Order. Some of them helped me a lot when I first joined.”

After carefully finishing speaking, Detricka quietly raised her head and observed Fran's expression.

In life-or-death situations, her own safety will be her top priority. Only under this premise will she attempt to advocate for the interests of those who have helped her.

Fran maintained his usual calm smile, his amber eyes gleaming like the faint light of a lamp, unfathomable.

"Of course. I never intended to use violence against your comrades."

“Violence and harm are direct and efficient methods. But to get what you want through these means is not ‘borrowing’; ‘robbery’ is a much more appropriate word. In most cases, I prefer to use gentler methods.”

Upon hearing this, Detrick breathed a slight sigh of relief, her expression showing a hint of gratitude.

“Thank you for your understanding…”

If Fran were to join another cult, this thief would never risk pleading for him.

But Six-Eyed Raven did provide her with some help when she was young, preventing her from falling into prostitution like some of the lower-class women in Foy Harbour, who relied on selling their bodies and sexuality for meager wages.

Detricka, however, had a strange obsession since childhood: she could not become like them. The reason was simple: her mother was one of those people.

"Oh, this is an advance payment. Consider it a bonus for saving Bartley."

As he spoke, Fran took a Norrington Central Bank bank draft, worth 300 silver dollars, from the pocket of his doctor's coat. This was the payment the General Affairs Department had given her for a previous house call, but she hadn't yet cashed it at the bank.

For those struggling financially, money is indeed the most effective and direct motivator. And Fran has never been stingy with his treatment of those who assist him.

Of course, she will consider the value provided by the other party when determining the scale of compensation, and is by no means extravagant without limits.

After all, this guy's saving habits are quite casual; he's often keen on collecting ancient coins that are practically non-circulating. It was only because the Hunter of Mysteries gave her several large consultation fees last year that her financial situation has improved somewhat...

When Derica saw the check bearing the image of the original Meredith, her gaze froze, and her breathing became slightly heavier. She only remembered to accept it after a moment.

"Thank you for your generosity, Ms. Vivian..."

"You don't need to be too polite when it comes to the rewards you deserve, do you?"

Fran gently placed his index finger between her lips, preventing her from continuing to express her gratitude.

Finally, all the tasks for tonight are completed, and I can go back to the Dream Flower Hotel to rest.

With a hint of weariness, she raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned, then left Detricka's residence with Mu Ning.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Stepping out of the hazy, ethereal gray mist, Fran emerged from room 408 of the Dream Flower Hotel.

After Foy established a branch, she was able to travel to every corner of the city through the Fog of the Door. However, it wasn't as convenient as in Norrington, as the ritual had only recently begun and was not yet stable.

As Ba walked back down the corridor to room 427, she couldn't help but recall some of the things Detrika had just mentioned.

The Six-Eyed Ravens' headquarters is nicknamed "Oak Shadow Nest," which is quite intriguing. This is because the deity they worship, according to ancient epics, resides in an oak tree, suggesting a close relationship between the two.

From Qi's perspective, Karmion's "convergence theory" can even find some historical basis. After all, there was indeed widespread imitation of the gods worshipped among esoteric Buddhist followers.

While she was thinking, Fran arrived at the door of room 427. She easily opened the locked door and entered the room.

Vivian had already gone to sleep after taking a bath, while Haida was still reading the book "The Silence of Proverbs".

The nun had now removed the robes that had been covering her with heavy armor, leaving her only with a thin and simple inner lining, through which the black patterned undergarments could be faintly seen.

"Haida, aren't you resting yet? You should keep up your good habit of going to bed early."

Fran took off her doctor's coat and placed it on the coat rack beside her. Munin, who was on her shoulder, also returned to Vivian's bedside very consciously.

"My study of the [Mechanized Spirit Body] has reached the final bottleneck stage, and I still need to consolidate some content."

After seeing the doctor, Haida put down the Ashes Bible and turned her gaze to her.

The nun's nostrils twitched slightly as she sniffed the air, as if sensing the discordant, strange scent in the atmosphere.

"Dr. Fran, you smell of blood."

"The ritual array that summons the gray mist requires a lot of blood, so it's normal for it to be tainted with some of its aura..."

Fran glanced at him briefly, seemingly trying to gloss over the topic.

"No, it's not yours."

Heda slowly walked up to Fran, sniffed her ear a few more times, and finally her gray-chestnut eyes gradually became certain.

"Mixed and chaotic, it's the scent of a 'moth'."

"Oh...that's very perceptive. It seems some additional treatment should be done after the diagnosis."

Seeing that Haida had given a definite answer, Fran decided not to hide it any longer.

In fact, the reason she didn't intend to tell Heda beforehand was mainly to create some surprise for the nun. It was purely out of a wicked sense of humor, without much other deeper meaning.

However, this nun possessed a psychic profiling talent, making her exceptionally perceptive in certain aspects.

Fran walked to the coffee table by the floor-to-ceiling window, sat down slowly, and began to recount what had happened that night.

“I just encountered a disciple of the Moth Cult on the street who was being corrupted by the remains of a Holy Heir. Out of humanitarian considerations, I helped her recover her health… Look, this is the medical waste she cut off.”

As she spoke, she took out a grotesque piece of mandible from her medicine box. It looked like the chewing mouthparts of some kind of lacewing.

Some blood can still be faintly seen on this piece of carapace.

"It is indeed the remains of the Holy Heir..."

If Vivian saw this thing, her level of shock would definitely increase rapidly. But Heida, as Fran's most senior head nurse, has an extraordinary capacity to withstand such a sight.

After a brief moment of surprise, she took it and examined it closely.

The mouthparts were full of sharp, conical teeth, and even in death, they seemed to still possess the power to chew flesh and blood. The bloodstains splattered on them were partly transparent and partly a strange mustard yellow.

"Shelled species, the moth family of the Dust Order Era."

Seeing Haida's serious expression, Fran began to explain the origin of this piece of debris.

“Crimson is the color of life flowing, while these guys’ blood tends to be golden. As for why this guy’s blood is a dull mustard yellow, it’s probably because the fusion wasn’t complete…”

Looking at this gruesome dismemberment, Haida could hardly imagine what the person who had received treatment was in now...

"Oh, right. Bartley was attacked by this guy and will probably need some time to recover."

With that, Fran casually put the bloodstained jawbone back into the medicine box.

Haida was puzzled for a moment upon hearing this, and then asked for more information.

"The owner of this wreckage had a conflict with Mr. Bartley? But... what was the reason?"

"I was probably hired by someone. I was too focused on the treatment at the time to pay attention to this aspect."

Fran sometimes showed little interest in matters outside her own goals. Moreover, she had just exhausted a large amount of blood to draw the ritual array, and her mental state was somewhat poor, so she didn't question her in too much detail.

At this moment, Haida also noticed that the doctor's face was unusually pale. He seemed sickly, and his eyes were slightly dark.

"Dr. Fran, you don't look well... have you used up too much spiritual energy?"

Her expression showed a hint of concern.

Although Fran herself is the best doctor, precisely because of this, she never seems to take good care of her body. She is always keen to throw herself into some extremely dangerous tasks.

"Hmm. The ritual for setting up the Fog Street is one that requires a lot of spiritual energy... I do need to rest for a while now. Goodnight, Haida."

"Good night," Haida replied simply.

After saying that, Fran stretched out his arms and legs like a feline, and then began to take off his clothes and put on the thin bear pajamas.

Yes, she really did keep pajamas in her first-aid kit, and more than one set...

After completing the simple preparations, Fran lay down on the soft velvet bed at the Dream Flower Hotel and casually pulled the blanket over his shoulders.

As her long eyelashes closed and closed, the sound of even breathing quietly began... A moment later, she fell into a deep sleep.

……

In my dreams.

Fran felt that the pillow under his neck was a little too soft, and had a slightly intoxicating warmth. Besides that... it seemed to have a life of its own, as if it were slowly pulsating with the rhythm of his breathing.

But she didn't pay attention to the unusual sensation and continued to lie in a comfortable position.

Under normal circumstances, this doctor doesn't need sleep to restore her physical and mental energy. But when she truly feels exhausted and resolves to take a nap, any disturbance will irritate her…

After some time, when Fran opened his eyes with satisfaction, he found himself in a dream. And that unusually soft "pillow" was actually Luya's belly covered in fine white down.

"Na."

Luya gently licked Fran's cheek, as if asking her if she wanted to sleep a little longer.

Leaving aside other areas, let's focus solely on "sleep." Few mythical creatures seem to understand this better than Luara. In the dreams she creates, even the speed of spiritual recovery appears to be accelerated.

"What's wrong, Luya?"

Fran gently stroked the fur around Luya's neck, and she could feel the fatigue from setting up the gray fog ritual quickly dissipating.

However, she probably didn't summon me simply because she needed a sleeping partner. It's likely related to the silver mirror containing fragments of the Gate of the Deer.

"Na!"

Luya tilted her head back, showing the doctor, who was still resting on her, the scene before her.

It was a towering and rugged staircase, constructed of blades and shards of glass. On one side, a vast and desolate blank space stretched out, like an unpainted blank page.

"The door is broken, and so is what's behind it..."

Fran gazed at the desolate scene, lost in thought.

"The era of 'Mansu' before it disappeared is too far in time, and the relevant content needs to be carefully recalled. Let me think, the scene around Deer Gate, apart from the 'Blade Staircase'... seems to be the 'River in a Painting'."

"Hmm... this river is gone. Was it lost in the destruction, or was it stolen by someone?"

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In transition. (Seeking votes at the end of the month!)

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Star Suspect

Noon the next day.

After agreeing to Fran's request, Detricka didn't sleep well all night, her emotions a mix of excitement and fear.

The excitement stemmed from the thought that the lady from the Secret Court might be plotting some earth-shattering case; for the followers of the Six-Eyed Raven, the prospect of participating in such a thing was indeed thrilling... As for the fear, it was a concern about the potential dangers that might arise during the process.

Will I be used as a pawn? What will happen after it's all over?

Even if she were hunted by the Six-Eyed Raven Order, Lady Vivian could simply return to Norrington; generally, no raider would dare to venture into a hunter's city and invite trouble. But would she be punished as a traitor?

But now that things have come to this, Detricka understands that she has no way out.

Now that the payment has been received, there's no choice but to go all the way... If you try to run away halfway, the consequences could be even worse.

After all, most hunters are well-versed in the art of pursuit, and given his two lengthy encounters with Ms. Vivian, he might have already been marked.

"At worst, I'll just do this job and run away. 300 Norrington silver and an ancient gold coin are enough for me to move to another city..."

Derica licked her lips, finally calming her thoughts.

"Speaking of which, how is that uncle doing?"

She thought about it. Now, Ms. Seven Vivian was her employer, and the hunter uncle was her employer's colleague. Based on this relationship, she and he could at least be considered to be on the same side.