Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

"Boss, there's a good catch among them… I can't see her face clearly, but her figure is far better than the ones we've caught before!"

A man in his thirties with a vicious expression stared intently at one of the three girls walking through the alley. She was wearing gloves, and his eyes gleamed with greed.

The man he called Boss wore a gray-black flat cap, a thick cotton coat, and had a red birthmark on his face. Hearing his subordinate's words, he squinted at the girls and nodded excitedly.

"Indeed… judging by her posture, she might have been a rich young lady once. Excellent. Take her back, and Mr. Kapin will surely reward us."

"Boss, Mr. Kapin doesn't like us calling him 'Boss'…" the vicious man reminded cautiously.

"Shut up! Get moving!" the boss snapped in irritation, then stood up, readying a handkerchief soaked in chemicals. He signaled to his men to encircle the three girls.

On the other side of the alley, the three young women walking through were none other than Xio Derecha, Hazel Macht, and Freyja, who was leading them.

Under Xio's guidance, they had earlier visited one of the Hillary Gang's leaders and learned that the kidnappers were backed by powerful Beyonders—possibly with official connections. They were far beyond what a gang controlling just a few streets could handle.

The gang leader didn't know the specifics but mentioned that their boss and several gang leaders had tried negotiating with the kidnappers, only for the talks to fall apart. They were then instructed not to provoke those people.

However, the kidnappers operated with a semblance of rules, rarely entering gang-controlled territories to abduct people. Most of their operations happened at the borders between gang territories, so the gangs hadn't retaliated too aggressively.

Hearing this, Hazel was left stunned. Do the kidnappers fear the gangs more than the police? Does that mean the gangs are the real enforcers of order in the East Borough?

How could such an absurd thing happen?

But for Xio, this was business as usual.

In the East Borough, her title as the long-absent Arbiter carried more weight than the police.

After failing to gather more clues, Xio had Freyja lead them to the scene of Daisy's abduction. They planned to follow the direction the carriage had taken and trace Daisy's whereabouts.

However, as soon as they arrived, Xio, using her Sheriff abilities, immediately noticed a carriage parked just outside the alley and three men lying in wait at the entrance.

Narrowing her eyes, she discreetly shielded Freyja behind her while slightly slowing her pace, allowing the distracted Hazel to walk ahead.

Just as they were about to step into the street, the three men burst out from their hiding spots. The man with the red birthmark lunged at Hazel, aiming to press the chemical-soaked handkerchief over her mouth and nose.

The other two men moved in perfect sync, preparing to grab Hazel's legs once she passed out.

But before the handkerchief even got close to Hazel, the red-marked man felt a sudden emptiness in his hand—it was gone.

Before he could react, he was lifted by an immense force and slammed violently into the ground.

The handkerchief reappeared, now pressed firmly against his own face. His head spun, and his vision grew blurry.

Meanwhile, the other two men trembled violently, their knees giving way as they collapsed to the ground.

A sharp pain struck the back of their necks, and they slumped into unconsciousness.

Xio grabbed the two men by their collars, glanced at the carriage parked nearby, and said to Hazel:

"Drag that leader onto the carriage as well. I need to interrogate them.

"And… maybe stop pressing his chest with that hand. You might actually kill him."

Xio had heard from Ebner about Hazel's heroic feat of catching a chandelier weighing hundreds of pounds with one hand. She knew how dangerous that arm could be.

Hazel snapped out of her daze and looked at the man she had instinctively pinned to the ground. Then she noticed her other hand, which was now holding money, a cigarette case, a lighter, and a box of safety condoms invented by Emperor Roselle. Her face immediately turned crimson.

She quickly withdrew her hand and handed everything over to Freyja, who was standing behind her.

Freyja, unfamiliar with such situations, only realized what was happening after accepting the items. She stared at the three men being dragged along the ground by Xio and Hazel, a mix of fear and hatred in her eyes.

"Are these the ones who took my sister?" she asked with trembling lips.

After tossing the two unconscious men into the carriage, Xio clapped her hands and replied,

"Maybe… but we'll need to interrogate them to be sure."

She turned and looked at Freyja, who was biting her lip nervously, then said thoughtfully:

"Can you keep watch near the carriage? If anyone approaches, let me know."

Interrogations were messy affairs, not something an ordinary girl like Freyja should witness.

"Okay!" Freyja agreed without hesitation.

Xio nodded and hopped into the carriage. Just as she was about to wake one of the captives and use her Interrogator abilities to extract information, Hazel suddenly raised her gloved arm and warned:

"It's telling me… something was done to their spirits. Any interrogation or communing methods might trigger a reaction…"

Xio's golden eyebrows furrowed as she halted her abilities. She trusted Hazel's arm, which housed an ancient alchemical spirit, to detect such things accurately.

To be sure, Xio took a golden mask from her bag, put it on, and carefully observed the three men. After a moment, she confirmed Hazel's warning.

"It feels like… the use of Judge abilities. But at a high Sequence… even with my Judgement Mask, I can't undo the Law binding them… Is there at least one Sequence 5 Disciplinary Paladin backing them?"

This is bad… As a formal member of MI9, my actions might alert them. They could destroy evidence, and Daisy's situation might worsen…

After a brief moment of contemplation, Xio made a decision. She looked seriously at Hazel and said,

"I need to use some special methods to interrogate them. Please step out for a moment."

Caught off guard by Xio's sudden authority, Hazel instinctively nodded, got out of the carriage, and shut the door behind her. Only after she was outside did she realize how easily she had been persuaded. She stomped her foot in frustration but didn't return inside.

Inside the carriage, Xio sealed the space with her spirituality. Then she clasped her hands in prayer and murmured reverently:

"Fool who does not belong to this era;

Mysterious Ruler above the gray fog;

King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.

"I beseech your help;

"I beseech you to allow me to meet Mr. 'Tower' in the hall above the gray fog…"

Yes, in this urgent situation, Xio's simplest and most effective solution was—to ask Ebner.

...

Minsk Street

Klein had just finalized arrangements with Lawyer Jurgen regarding a "doctor" who would visit Mrs. Doris the next day. As he stood up to excuse himself and borrow the washroom, he heard a faint and ethereal prayer.

He ascended above the gray fog and responded.

...

Bayam, Fragrant Manor's Workshop

In the workshop, Ebner had just finished crafting two more mystical artifacts using spiritual materials purchased at the Fragrant Leaf Tavern. He finally let Helene go rest after hours of grueling work.

As for the "werewolf" characteristics that Jane sent over by messenger, Ebner did not touch it for the time being... Such a valuable thing requires more practice, and only take action after being certain.

As a reward, he had promised to take her shopping—something explicitly written into their contract.

Just as the exhausted and relieved Helene left the basement, Ebner, still examining the two newly crafted artifacts, was suddenly surrounded by an endless gray fog.

(End of Chapter)