~3523 words
After giving Kiyotaka some hot tea, the two Nighthawks finally settled down.
Daly was seated on the sofa to his left and Soest across the table in front of him. The two were looking at him with a strange expression.
"So, what is this about?" Daly was the first to initiate the conversation, while Soest just kept his attention at Kiyotaka.
"Some time ago, I had stumbled upon some kind of underground ruins underneath Unit 8 on Williams Street. The house belonged to Mr. Millet Carter."
"How did you 'stumble' on it? That sounds too convenient." Soest huffed.
"Millet Carter had bought the house off of a man named Rafter Pound. Upon the discovery of this ruin, he had hired a detective called Sherlock Holmes."
Kiyotaka turned his eyes towards Daly. "As you might know, he is a close friend of mine. We went there to investigate into it, but the wall over the entrance collapsed and we were unable to look deeper into it. However, before that happened, we had briefly come into contact with something that was akin to an evil spirit."
"An evil spirit? That is quite dangerous. However, how do you know that it was an evil spirit? You are a low-Sequence Beyonder. Escaping such an apparition should be impossible for someone like you." Daly interjected.
'It seems like they don't know. Is the surveillance over me getting lenient? But well, in the Fourth Epoch, Sequence 9 to Sequence 7 were considered low-Sequence Beyonders anyways, but since the standard began to fall due to potions being controlled by the Churches, Sequence 7 is now considered a mid-Sequence.'
"Let him speak." Soest waved his hand that had a red glove on it.
"Today, after attending a Beyonder meeting, I was chased by a group of thieves. After dealing with them..." Just as he said that, both Soest and Daly glared at him. "...I did not kill them. I just disarmed them. Regardless, when I ran away from them, I found myself on Sivellaus Street.
Rafter Pound's house is located on that street. When I stopped to catch my breath, I found Rafter Pound standing in front of me."
At this moment, Daly's face contorted into a grimace. "What?"
"His entire body was rotting. That said, it was not exactly Rafter Pound. There were at least two different consciousnesses inside his body. It asked me to gather blood of true descendants, however, it did not mention which ones to break its seal."
Kiyotaka turned his eyes towards Daly. "That should answer your question about how I was able to escape."
Soest stroked his hairless chin. "I see. You did good by reporting it to us. We will tend to the matter and a Bishop will soon see to the matter." He paused and then stood up after a while. "I have to go and receive another member that is coming from Tingen. Daly, can you escort him back to his house?"
Daly nodded weakly as Soest left.
After a few moments of awkwardly sitting in silence, the two of them heard the sound of rain falling on the roof. Kiyotaka finally broke the ice by squeezing his hat and rinsing the water in a small pitcher that was given to him.
"I can go by myself, so you can return home now."
"You don't get to decide that." Daly huffed. Putting her hands on her sides, she helped herself up. "I didn't mean to be rude, but don't let the past get in your head."
"I never thought about it after that night." Kiyotaka shrugged. "It was not your fault. Your emotions were stirred by the Desire Apostle and I was quite rattled by how things progressed as well. It's nothing I tend to think back at, so you should do the same."
"Hmm." Daly hummed and stretched herself. She had donned her usual dark makeup and was wearing a frilled piece of clothing that covered her from shoulder to her toes. The skirt had a fishnet as the top-layer.
Over it, she was wearing a cape with a hood behind it.
"Thank you for your help with the Oswald Renwick case."
Daly shook her head. "Despite how bad it looked for you, there seemed to be no evidence that suggested otherwise. So, I did nothing. If you are talking about taking you back home, it was the least I could do. If not formally, you are still somewhat a part of us."
Looking at the clock that showed ten, she stretched her body once more. "Let's leave. I have somewhere to be after this."
Kiyotaka simply stood up and walked after her.
****
After paying the fare for the carriage, Daly took her leave. The relationship between the two did not seem as awkward as before, and to an extent, she had more or less come to terms with what had happened.
Kiyotaka did not peruse after her either. After all, to him, she had no use other than being a point of contact with the Church of Evernight Goddess.
Not wishing to stay in the rain anymore than he already had, Kiyotaka turned around and ran inside. Just as his hand reached out to the door handle, a series of tired and choked sobs reached him through his enhanced hearing.
He turned the door handle and to his surprise, it was not locked. As he walked inside, water dripped from his body and clothes alike, filling the welcome rug with water.
Sitting on the couches in the main hall were Liv and her daughters. Daisy was curled up with her head in Liv's lap while Freya was standing behind the couch, clutching her mother's head and gently pressing it.
Before Kiyotaka had entered, Freya's eyes were already on the door and now at him. She picked her hands up from Liv's forehead and bowed towards him. Her eyes were puffy and from her hair it looked like Ada's death had taken quite a toll on her.
"Good...evening." She sniffled.
Liv stood as well, straightening her dress and wiped a tear off her face. "Good evening, Sir."
"Miss Ada is dead." Freya was the one who began to talk. If it was her previous self, she'd have let her mother talk to him, however, things were different now. "Some people who said they knew you had arrived about three hours ago. They took Miss Ada to the local cemetery."
'I never told—'
"I see. We can go and pay our respects to her grave tomorrow." Kiyotaka dismissed as he took his coat off.
Liv walked with heavy steps towards him and took the weighty coat from his hands. She then proceeded to take his hat and waist-coat from his as well, leaving him in a soaked white shirt and pants.
She looked back at Freya. "Bring Sir's clothes once he's done changing."
Liv turned her attention towards Kiyotaka. "Sorry Sir, I had gotten quite close to Miss Ada over the past few days. Freya will tend to your needs." She motioned with her hand and Freya's lips tensed into a line.
"It's ok. You can go back to your room."
Kiyotaka excused the haggard woman who scooped Daisy in her arms before taking her back upstairs, to the top floor.
Meanwhile, Freya, who was left behind with Kiyotaka suddenly shuddered. Looking up, she saw Kiyotaka's pale eyes staring into her soul with a surprising intensity.
She lowered her head and trembled.
"Is there anything to eat?" Kiyotaka asked as panic flashed over her face.
"I am sorry... I will cook something now... I am really sorry... We were busy giving Miss Ada a final bath before handing her over to the people." Freya explained.
Kiyotaka simply nodded as he followed Freya into the kitchen and sat on one of the seats around the smaller table.
Freya began to fumble between different things, as if deciding what she could make quickly and something that would satiate him as well. Her shoulders shuddered as she heard his voice come from behind.
"Were you rattled? When you used Spirit Vision on Ada?" Kiyotaka asked, playing around with a knife. He was pressing his finger on its tip and was using his other hand to make it spin — or at least tried to. The pressure from the top was not allowing the knife to spin for more than 1 rotation.
He knew Freya was someone who would use Spirit Vision on Ada.
Freya turned around slowly, like a puppet whose joints had rusted. She gulped and nodded her head. "Yes... I mean, I have seen people die before such as my aunt. However, seeing it through this lens was... fascinating."
Kiyotaka looked up and she suddenly averted her gaze. "I mean, it was strange. The world is dyed in so many colors, and every person as well, but still, seeing an empty husk devoid of the bright colors was very strange."
Freya explained her experience, setting a hefty bone-in cut of beef on the counter. The meat had a mediocre marbling — according to his standards which were built in Japan — beneath a pristine cap of pale fat.
This also ignited an idea in his mind to open a farm with meticulously grown animals, however, such a project could only be done if he had quite a lot of cash lying around.
"How would you like the meat cooked, Sir? And would you like to eat something with the meat?"
"Just some boiled potatoes." Kiyotaka answered. "So, what was the cause of her death?"
Freya's thin and jutting out shoulders worked up and down as she gripped the knife which was thicker and bigger than her arm. However, she was using quite a lot of precision and control. After all, an Apothecary gains enhancement to their physique.
"Natural reasons. There was some lingering Spirituality around her, however, it could be because I often go to meet Miss Ada and I am special now."
Freya omitted taking Kiyotaka's name. It was her way of telling him that even subconsciously, she'd never associate his name with Beyonders or special powers. "I provided her Milk of Poppy and some other Medicines and Potions as well, so that could be the reason too."
Freya threw two knobs of butter into the pan and was about to sear the gigantic piece of meat when Kiyotaka stopped her.
"Season it with at least salt and pepper first."
A little embarrassed, Freya opened the top cabinet and took out salt and pepper. She took a few handfuls of pepper and wrapped them in a cloth before pressing her hand on it. The peppers let out cracks as they were crushed underneath the base of her palm.
Unfolding the piece of cloth, Freya sprinkled it on both sides and corners before searing it in the pan. Since the gas was not as fast as it used to be in the morning — it was also caused due to the over usage of gas by people since it suddenly began to rain and the temperature had considerably dropped — she left the steak and began slicing potatoes in cube shapes.
Once they were chopped, she placed them in cold water and alighted the stove. As they were boiling, Freya changed sides on the piece of meat.
"How is your progress with making medicines?"
Freya, who was waiting for some time to pass on the steak, turned around. She was wearing a simple black cotton shirt with a high collar and long sleeves that was tucked inside a skirt which reached to her ankles.
Over it was a crisp white apron that covered the front of her dress, paired with a matching cap that kept her light hair neatly tucked away. Underneath the skirt she was wearing warm black leggings, long woolen socks and coat-shoes.
"It's progressing steadily. I am able to make medicines that can increase bodily functions, metabolism. At the same time, I can make medicines, which when directly ingested, can result in opposite effects. I was also able to make a medicine which can turn into gas with some heat. It will put people into a deep sleep for one hour."
Freya listed off her discoveries. "However, no matter how many vials I make, I do not have the same feeling as I did when Sir drank my potion..."
Her words trailed off into silence and her attention was pulled back as smoke began to waft from the steak. She turned around and changed its side once more before adding some more butter.
'Her language is becoming better every day. It seems like books related to botany, zoology and medicine are not the only thing she's reading. Which is good in its own way. I can finally talk to her in the same way as I would with any decently educated person without having to explain every word I use.
That said, I can kind of tell why she isn't feeling that particular sensation — in particular, Digestion of her potion. The inherent act of Acting can only be done in the presence of an actor and an audience. Without an audience, the acting by the actor is for naught.
Hence why when she received feedback from someone who was a higher Sequence than her, it was enough Digestion for her to tangibly feel it. Which means that she needs to feed her potions to different people and gain feedback from them.'
Meanwhile, while he was busy thinking about all this, Freya took the steak off the searing pan and picked up the pot in which the potatoes were boiling. Draining the water in the basin, she threw the cubed potatoes into the same remnant butter in which the steak was cooking and sprinkled some salt and pepper on them before adding some more butter.
Due to her enhanced memory and intelligence, she was able to learn recipes from Ada after looking at them once and then recreate them with different measurements. This did not particularly involve a Beyonder power.
Flipping the cubed potatoes around in the butter for enough time to let them brown and crisp up, she finally turned the gas off and plated everything on a porcelain white dish.
Since the steak had rested enough, she worked the giant knife through it. The slices were thick and uneven here and there, but Kiyotaka was not in the mood to nitpick. He was hungry, and honestly, at this hour, he could even make do with a glass of milk.
Freya neatly arranged the plate in front of him before placing the cutlery around the plate.
She heaved a sigh of relief and placed the dishes in the basin and began washing them at the same time.
Meanwhile, Kiyotaka forked the steak and some cubed potatoes before lathering them with soft butter and began eating.
The steak was Medium-Well and it tasted... alright. He could not find anything to complain about. As he ate in silence, he saw Freya drying her hands after arranging the dishes in their correct places.
She stood with her hand in front of her. "I hope you enjoy your meal, Sir. Should I leave now?"
Kiyotaka chewed slowly and looked outside through the window. Lightning streaked through the dark sky and once again, the sound of heavy rainfall began to patter over the house. Through the thin pane of the kitchen window, Kiyotaka saw trails of raindrops and the blue lightning streaking inside them.
"No. Stay for a while." Kiyotaka answered as his jaw began to work again.
Freya did not say anything and stood obediently with her hands clasped in front of her while Kiyotaka kept eating. Once he had finished the plate, he pushed it a little forward and placed his utensils down.
Wiping his mouth with a tablecloth, Kiyotaka cleared his throat. "I plan on sending you to an apothecary or something of the like. It will help you gain that feeling again. In the meantime during which I search a pharmacy, I want you to make as many vials of medicine enhancing bodily functions as possible.
However, none of them should be your finest products."
Freya's brows knitted. "Do you wish for me to dilute them?"
"More or less. If the demand is there for your medicines, it will help you Digest your potion and also prove as a side income-source. Additionally, in the future, you can make them less dilute and sell them at a premium. That said, the formula for your potion was not exactly that expensive to obtain.
So expect a lot of competition."
Freya's eyes lightened up. "I will try my best."
Nodding, Kiyotaka stood up from his seat. He wanted to visit the garden but the unbearably cold downpour made it impossible to go out at this hour.
Upon drinking the Sequence 9: Apothecary Potion, Freya was able to attain some attributes and 2 New Abilities.
The attributes, as showcased before, were enhanced physical abilities and a boost to their Spirituality plus Spirit Vision.
The abilities she had gained were Medicinal Concoction and Taming. However, much to Kiyotaka's dismay, the taming part referred to plants and not animals. But all was not lost, since if she were to advance to Sequence 8: Beast Tamer, then it would be quite possible.
A little dejected that Kiyotaka would not be able to have a Beyonder animal any time soon, he gave up on the idea of looking at the plants in his lawn. The idea behind checking up on them was that according to Freya, she had not felt the potion digest.
However, as per her, she had planted a few plants. Which means that merely planting them was not the crux of an Apothecary.
Since he really wanted a Beyonder animal, Kiyotaka was quite invested into the Apothecary Pathway and wished to really accelerate her advancement. There were some other reasons behind saving Freya as well, however, they were not worth ruminating at the moment.
All in all, creating a close knit circle of exploitable and dependent people was a contingency he wished to make for the future. After the knowledge imparted to him by the Black Emperor Card of Blasphemy, he knew he needed this.
"Good." Kiyotaka acknowledged her enthusiasm. Then, as if remembering something, he stopped walking away. "How did Liv and Daisy take the news of Ada dying?"
"Daisy cried a lot. She had become a grandma to her, and somehow, mom found her own mother in her as well." She explained.
"And you?"
Freya's lip quivered as she steeled herself. "If I cried or had become sullen like them, then who would've taken care of them? Someone has to stay sane... when times become so... sordid."
"Sordid. A bold choice of words."
Freya smiled slightly. "The books you had blessed me with were quite helpful, so thank you, Sir." She bowed her head until the ponytail behind the headcap flipped over.
Not responding to that, he instead undid the top two buttons of his shirt. "Take my clothes away. I want to sleep now."
"Yes Sir." Freya followed Kiyotaka to his room and stood in the doorframe until Kiyotaka emerged back from the bath. He had changed into his pajamas and handed the clothes over to her.
Once the meek girl was gone, Kiyotaka closed the door and jumped on his bed. The soft mattress greeted him as his body sunk into it.
Despite having done almost nothing, he was tired to his bones.
'It was a good choice to pick her. She has strict priorities which could be exploited and lacks aversion or at least, reaction to death on top of being very skeptical of people. Despite her thankful and friendly demeanor, she still does not trust me — at least not fully.
Hmm... that aside, I can more or less infer the Acting Method of Briber now.
Thinking at the core theme of Acting Method for Lawyer and Barbarian, guessing it has been quite simple. As a Briber, I should not throw bribes at just anyone — I am not a Barbarian anymore. The core essence and theme of Pathways truly start at Sequence 9.
Which means that instead of wasting time and effort on bribing every person I could set my eyes on, I have to find exploitable individuals in areas of power and then bribe them to get the desired outcome.
I should test this tomorrow... As for the information regarding the Conspirer, I need to ask Sherlock to accompany me. Taking Freya with me would be madness as she is of no use as of now. Which reminds me that I need to train her in combat too...
...anyways, for now, let's just sleep. I will pay the triangulated area a visit tomorrow.'
Kiyotaka was about to sleep when suddenly he felt as if two pairs of eyes were looking at him. The gaze was predatory, like a sly hunter quietly closing in and readying to brandish its fangs.
A cold shiver ran down his spine as he pulled his blanket up, but kept his senses alert and active.