At Backlund, Sherlock's Apartment.
The living room was compact and perfectly organized. A scuffed sofa sat flush against the wall, accompanied by a narrow side table. Stacks of case notes rested evenly on a low coffee table in the center of the room.
Near the entryway, a wooden rack held a couple of coats and hats.
Sherlock wore a simple white shirt, keeping his dark coat loosely draped over his shoulders so the heavy fabric would not press against his bruised chest. The fresh white bandages around his head and the rigid wooden splint on his hand stood out clearly. Opposite him, Fors wore her usual attire, a common Loen-styled dress.
"You really do not take on small cases, do you?"
Fors let out a soft chuckle at the sheer absurdity of the situation. "First it was human trafficking, and now it is a spy thriller."
Hearing Fors joke about his ridiculous luck, Sherlock let out a heavy sigh.
"Well... I don't want to talk about it." Saying that, he pushed himself up from his chair and walked over to a cluttered pile of junk tucked in the back corner of the room.
Fors chuckled softly again as she got the impression that Sherlock was pouting.
In the corner, Sherlock shifted a few boxes around and carefully pulled out a sturdy leather suitcase.
He carried it over and set the heavy case down on the low table. He awkwardly swept the scattered papers aside to make enough room. He reached for the brass latches, but his splinted left hand made the simple task incredibly frustrating.
Fors stood up and stepped closer. She then reached out. "Let me help you with that."
Sherlock nodded and took a step back, giving her the space to open it.
Fors unfastened the latches, and the lid popped open with a click.
The inside was meticulously organized, which was very out of place from the messy junk pile it came from.
The left half of the case was lined with padded slots holding small glass vials. They contained strange liquids in various unnatural colors. Some were thick and dark, while others shimmered on catching the light.
The right half held a small silver dagger and neat arrangement of animal materials and herbal powders.
"What exactly do you need to do?" Fors asked, looking down at the strange assortment of Beyonder ingredients.
Sherlock started to instruct her on what to do. Fors carefully followed his directions.
She set up the altar by placing the small silver dagger, three candles, extracts, essential oils, and herbal powders in the correct areas.
"What are we going to do with this?" Fors asked as she was fully curious.
'Is he going to pray to Mr. Fool again?'
But then she looked at the burning extracts, motherwort powder and drops of sweet vanilla and amber essential oils. They were completely different from the ones used before.
Sherlock replied calmly. "I am teaching you how to create a Healing Charm by praying to the Earth Mother."
Fors blinked in surprise. "But I am not a believer of the Earth Mother."
Sherlock shook his head. "That does not matter. We only need to borrow Her authority to start the process. The charm will be created from the interactions of the ingredients here."
He then instructed her to pull out two specific materials from the open suitcase. "Take the green bark of the Blessed Poplar and the core of the Water of Life."
Fors picked up the rough green bark and the glowing liquid core. Following his directions, she mixed both of these ingredients together in a small glass potion bottle and placed it right in the center of the altar.
She lit the three candles and sprinkled the motherwort powder over the flames. She dropped the vanilla and amber essential oils onto the dagger. A earthy fragrance immediately filled the room as it brought a deep sense of peace.
"Repeat after me." Sherlock said as he taught her the incantation in ancient Hermes.
Fors nodded after she memorized it. She kneeled down and pressed her hand together, then she recided the incantation.
"You are the Source of Life;
You are the Mother of All Things;
You are the Ultimate Destination;
You are the Propagation of the Fertile Land;
You are the Symbol of Fertility and Reproduction.
"I pray for your loving grace. I pray for your divine energy. Please grant your power to this mixture, and let the Blessed Poplar and the Water of Life form a charm of mending."
When the ritual ended, the earthy scent faded away. Fors looked at the altar and blinked. There was a small green glowing liquid sitting in the bottle in the middle.
"It worked?" she asked in amazement.
She looked closely at the glowing liquid. "Wouldn't this be considered a potion? Why did you call it a charm?"
"We got help from a Divine Entity to make this," Sherlock explained. "If I created this liquid entirely with my own Beyonder power, then it would fall under the potion category."
"I see." Fors nodded in understanding.
'It feels like I am an apprentice to an eccentric wizard,' Her mind suddenly imagined herself wearing the attire of a witch she once saw in a traveling circus.
Sherlock looked at her handiwork and praised her. "Good job."
Fors smiled warmly at the compliment. Suddenly, she felt something click deep inside her mind. A strange sense of clarity washed over her. She blinked out of pure puzzlement.
She looked at Sherlock and asked what this feeling was.
Sherlock observed her for a moment and gave a knowing nod. "You just digested your potion. It seems you have truly internalized yourself as an Apprentice."
Fors blinked again. "What?"
Sherlock started to explain the concept of acting method to her. "Think about how you create a character for your novels. Every character has a specific archetype, and they have to act according to their core personality traits.
The name of your Beyonder potion is the exact archetype for your acting. You have to embody that role to properly digest the power."
As Sherlock explained this, he picked up the bottle from the altar and drank the green potion. The severe wounds on his body visibly healed in seconds as his body glowed in slight green color. The heavy bruising on his chest faded away, and the nasty cut on his head sealed up without a scar. He let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Also, remember to stay grounded," Sherlock warned her with a serious look. "Do not get so deep into character that you forget your true self. Losing yourself is very dangerous."
Fors went into deep thought as she eagerly memorized everything he just taught her.
Sherlock unraveled the rigid wooden splint from his left hand. He flexed his fingers and moved his left arm around.
Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed from the front door.
Fors stood up and activated her Spirit Vision. Outside, the aura of a familiar petite figure stood patiently on the doorstep. It was Xio.
Fors walked over and opened the door.
Xio stepped inside the compact living room and quickly locked the door behind her. She reached into her jacket, pulled out a dark metal firearm, and handed it directly to the detective.
"I only managed to get one gun," Xio reported. "I went to see Williams at the Bar. He only had a single revolver available on such short notice."
"Thank you," Sherlock said as he took the weapon, flicked the cylinder open to check the chambers, and snapped it shut with a click. He raised the revolver and aimed it to get a proper feel for the weight and grip.
Xio turned her attention away from Sherlock, looked at the coffee table, and noticed the strange setup.
"What are both of you doing?" Xio asked as she crossed her arms.
Fors quickly brought her up to speed. She explained the healing charm, and the details of the acting method she had just learned.
A sudden thud interrupted them. A leather suitcase and a sealed letter appeared completely out of thin air and dropped onto the coffee table.
Sherlock instinctively pointed the gun at the mysterious luggage. Fors and Xio immediately stopped talking and froze in place.
Seeing no immediate threat, Sherlock lowered the revolver. He picked up the letter resting on top of the suitcase and started to read.
"What is this?" Fors asked.
Sherlock answered while reading the letter. His eyebrows were raised, as if he did not believe what he was reading.
"It is a Sealed Artifact named Deadly Sentencing," he said. "It was made from the Beyonder characteristic of Harras, the human trafficker."
Fors blinked out of pure puzzlement. When she finally understood what Sherlock meant, her eyes widened in shock. "How did you achieve that?"
Sherlock shook his head. "I did not. It was my mentor."
"Wait, you have a teacher?" Fors blinked.
Sherlock looked at her. "Did you think I learned so much about mysticism on my own?"
Fors blushed, feeling a sudden heat in her cheeks. "Well, you just seemed so capable."
Sherlock smiled and coughed into his hand. "Thanks for the compliment.
"But no, I did not decide on it. After I made Harras reveal the names of the people colluding with the human trafficking ring, I sent him to my mentor to be dealt with as he saw fit. He decided to turn the Beyonder characteristic from Harras into a Sealed Artifact and send it to me."
Sherlock then looked back at the letter. "Let me finish reading this first, and then you can ask questions. That way, I can explain it better."
Fors and Xio nodded and fell silent, both deep in thought.
---
After finishing the letter, Sherlock popped the latches and opened the suitcase. Resting inside was an ordinary-looking wooden gavel.
Xio leaned in and noticed the interior of the suitcase was very unusual. The inner lining was completely covered in tiny text.
"Why is there so much dense handwriting in there?" Xio asked as she looked closely.
"That is the strict method for keeping the artifact sealed," Sherlock explained. "It needs to be kept in a box of this exact size, and the inside must be lined with the written legal code of the kingdom we currently live in."
As he spoke, he reached into a side compartment of the case and pulled out a stack of official-looking papers.
Sherlock quickly read over the file, picked up a pen, and signed his name at the bottom of the page.
He set the papers aside, picked up the ordinary-looking wooden gavel, and did a few quick tricks. He spun the wooden handle easily through his fingers to test its weight and balance.
Then, he casually tossed it across the room. A split second later, the gavel vanished in midair and instantly reappeared right back in his grip.
"Whoa!" Xio exclaimed. "Can I use it?"
"Unfortunately not. To actually use it, the wielder needs to file an official application of ownership with the kingdom's government and get it recognized by the authority." Sherlock held up the file. "In the letter, my mentor told me to sign this application document he provided."
Sherlock showed her the paper he had just signed. He then proceeded to explain to them how the artifact worked.
"It creates a temporary courtroom.
"When I activate it, the surrounding area becomes a strict jurisdiction and violence becomes completely prohibited inside."
"So it just traps your enemies?" Xio asked as she tilted her head to the side.
"That is only the first part.
"It summons an entity called the Judgeman to act as a blind judge. I play the role of the prosecutor. The enemy becomes the defendant. The artifact then generates a sealed case file with evidence about a crime the target committed."
"What kind of evidence does it give you?" Fors asked.
"That is the major advantage. I gain instinctive knowledge of what is inside while the defendant has absolutely no idea," Sherlock smiled and tapped the gavel on the table. "They have to make their defense without knowing what is inside the file beforehand. The target then makes a plea. They can confess, deny the accusation, or stay silent. If the hidden evidence proves they are lying, the Judgeman finds them guilty."
"And what happens when they are guilty?" Xio asked. She looked at the wooden gavel with deep curiosity.
"This gavel transforms into a massive Executioner's Sword," Sherlock said. "Any strike from that blade delivers instant death to the person guilty."
Fors stared at the small wooden tool in slight awe, while Xio did the same.
He paused and looked at the wooden tool. "I can use this thing safely three times."
Xio blinked. "Why?"
"It has a major drawback," Sherlock explained. "Using it creates a separate personality inside of myself. A prosecutor through and through. The more I use it, the more powerful that personality becomes. Three times is the safe limit for this artifact."
Then, he looked through the envelope once more and noticed another folded piece of paper hidden inside. He took it out and read it.
He raised an eyebrow. "Also, my mentor told me to give this to you."
He handed the paper to Xio. She looked at it, and her eyes went wide. It was the complete set of potion formulas from Sequence 9 to Sequence 5 of the Arbiter pathway.
Sherlock coughed into his hand and explained, "He said you two agreed to give your share of the loot found in Capim's vaults to the affected girls. That was very noble of you, so he decided to gift you with this."
Fors and Xio were completely speechless.
When the three of them went to Capim's vault, Sherlock was the one who proposed they donate all of it to the churches so they could care for the girls affected by the human trafficking ring.
He offered them a deal to make this happen. They did not need to pay his commission or compensate him for the Card of Blasphemy he had to offer Mr. Fool, as long as they gave up their shares of the loot to fund the donation. Despite their own financial struggles, they empathized deeply with the rescued girls who had nothing left. They both agreed without hesitation.
"Good deeds are always rewarded, huh?" Fors said to Xio with a genuine smile.
Xio simply nodded, fully stunned. She did not have to worry about finding potion formulas in Beyonder gatherings anymore. She got them all for free. Xio spoke absentmindedly. "I feel like getting kidnapped was the best thing that ever happened to me."
Sherlock then knocked at the desk to get their attention. "After getting this sealed artifact, the plan has changed. We are going to create as much evidence as possible for the Sealed Artifact to use. Here is what we need to do…"
---
They arrived at a quiet corner of East Borough near a hidden sewer entrance.
All three of them held hands. Fors activated her Apprentice powers to make them phase straight through the solid wall. Ever since she experienced that mental click and digested her potion, she discovered she could successfully phase with two people instead of only one.
Ten seconds later, their boots touched the sticky, wet ground below.
"Is this the place?" Fors asked as she readied the heavy portable camera in her hands.
"Yes. Previously, I could not manage to do anything here before I got attacked." Sherlock answered as he started to walk deeper into the sewers.
The overwhelming feeling of filth caused fine goosebumps to pop up across Fors arms and body. She forced herself to endure the discomfort. The three of them continued walking forward, venturing deeper into the dark sewer tunnels while following Sherlock's directions.
A hidden fork in the road appeared ahead. A pungent stench wafted over from the shadows.
In the dark corner, Fors directly saw a rotten corpse that had been bitten to pieces. Xio held her breath, her stomach turning as she nearly vomited from the sight.
It was an incredibly gloomy corner where the ground sloshed with raw sewage. A man with short brown hair, a white shirt, and a torn brown vest leaned heavily against the damp wall. He was completely surrounded by a dense mischief of scurrying gray rats.
The scene was gruesome. Half of the man's lips had been chewed away, revealing yellowish teeth and rotten gums. His nose was stained with dark blood and stray animal hairs. The flesh on his face had disappeared piece by piece, exposing the stark white bone beneath. His throat seemed to have been the victim of some wild beast. At least half of it was entirely missing.
Sherlock pulled out a small vial and offered it to both of them to inhale. They took a breath and immediately felt a wave of relief.
"What was that?" Xio asked, blinking as a refreshing scent completely replaced the foul stench from before.
"It is called Quelaag's Oil," Sherlock explained quietly. "It is a special mixture that Beyonders from the orthodox churches use when they have to investigate dead bodies."
Sherlock gestured with his head toward the corpse. Fors lifted her heavy portable camera and started taking blurry pictures of the scene.
The first thing Sherlock did was try to channel the spirit. He closed his eyes and began to whisper his divination statement.
"The cause of Zreal's death.
"The cause of Zreal's death."
...
As he recited the words, Sherlock's eyes turned completely black. His pupils and the whites of his eyes disappeared into a dark void. He used his Cogitation technique to smoothly enter a dreamlike state.
A moment later, Sherlock opened his eyes. He frowned slightly as he made his final judgment.
"The channeling failed.
"Someone has already dealt with Zreal's spirit."
Next, he took out his gloves from his coat pocket and wore them.
He then knelt down in the filth and began to physically examine the body. He verified that Zreal had died from strangulation before the scavengers found him.
As Sherlock picked up the corpse's right hand, he noticed a vital clue. There was a tiny piece of flesh trapped under the fingernails. It looked exactly like a piece of human skin.
'Interesting,'
Before he got his hopes up, he carefully pinched the skin and pulled it free. The tiny fragment had a noticeably dark shade to it.
Sherlock pointed to the hand and looked at Fors. "Take a picture of this fragment as well, if you can."
Fors nodded and quickly snapped a close-up photograph of the clue.
With the skin sample secured, Sherlock prepared to perform another divination. He held the fragment in his hand, closed his eyes, and used the physical medium to track the identity of the killer.
While he focused on his divination, Xio stood completely vigilant. Her ears perked up as she monitored the dark tunnels as she listened closely for any approaching threats or sudden movements in there.
Once the divination concluded, Sherlock stood up and dusted his trousers. He looked at both of them with a confident expression.
"I know who the killer is," Sherlock said firmly as he removed the gloves from his hands. "Let us go."
---
Fors gave the portable heavy camera to Xio and immediately grabbed both of their shoulders without needing a reminder. She focused her newfound Apprentice powers and smoothly phased the three of them through the thick stone wall.
They emerged into a damp alleyway, finally escaping the suffocating stench of the sewers. Fors took a deep breath of the relatively cleaner East Borough air.
'I am really getting the hang of this,' she thought to herself, feeling a warm sense of accomplishment. She then took the camera from Xio and carefully packed it into her satchel.
Xio quickly scanned the alleyway to ensure no one had seen them step out of solid brick. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she turned her attention to the detective.
"Who did it?" Xio asked.
Sherlock carefully disposed of the skin fragment by placing it into a small paper pouch. "The divination pointed to a gang leader. I also met him once on the train. His name is Meursault. He has a distinct dark complexion, which perfectly matches the skin fragment we found."
Xio narrowed her eyes. "I know that name. "executioner" Meursault, He works for the Zmanger gang."
She rested her hand naturally on the grip of her new revolver. "What is the plan?"
"First, we need to locate him.
"Xio, you know the local gangs better than I do. Where does Meursault usually spend his time?"
Xio thought for a moment. "There is a pub a few streets down called the Red Rose. The Zmanger gang members use it as a gathering spot. He might be there right now."
They walked briskly through the foggy streets of East Borough.
When they reached the street corner opposite the Red Rose pub, they stopped in the shadows to observe.
The tavern was loud. Rough laughter and the harsh smell of cheap alcohol spilled out into the street every time the swinging doors opened.
Sherlock adjusted his collar. "I will go in first and flush him out."
Xio and Fors nodded.
Sherlock walked casually across the street and pushed the tavern doors open.
Xio and Fors stood outside vigilantly. The street was quiet for a few seconds. Suddenly, the loud sound of breaking glass and heavy thuds came from inside the tavern. Someone shouted in anger, followed by another sharp crash.
Xio gripped her revolver as she was ready to rush in and help.
Before she could move, the tavern doors swung open as Sherlock walked out calmly while dragging a slightly drunk man by his collar. The man looked completely dazed and had a fresh bruise forming on his cheek.
"This gentleman agreed to take us to his boss,"
They walked further down the street. The drunk gang member stumbled along and babbled complete nonsense, which both Fors and Xio entirely ignored.
Fors leaned closer to the detective. "How did you convince him?" she asked in a whisper.
"I just told him we had business with Meursault and he agreed to take us to him," Sherlock replied with a completely straight face.
Fors felt her lips twitch. 'You clearly beat him up first,'
The drunk man took them to an undisclosed building tucked away in a narrow street. He knocked heavily on the front door.
A burly guard opened the wooden door and glared at them. "What is this?"
The slightly drunk man pointed a shaky finger at Sherlock. "They are here for business."
The guard looked at Sherlock's neat attire and opened the door fully. He gestured for them to step inside and pointed towards a set of wooden stairs.
As Sherlock and the ladies went upstairs, they stepped into a spacious office that served as a makeshift headquarters. The second floor was surprisingly organized. A large old desk sat in the center of the room.
Meursault was waiting for them behind the desk. He had dark skin, a lean and hardy build, and deep recessed eye sockets that gave him a naturally fierce look. He watched them enter with a predatory gaze.
"What do you want?" Meursault asked, his muscles completely tense.
Sherlock stepped forward and pulled the fresh photograph of Zreal's corpse from his pocket. He placed it on the desk.
"You killed him?"
Meursault looked down at the photograph of Zreal's corpse on the desk. He then stared Sherlock directly in the eye. "What if I did?"
"Why did you do it?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Who ordered you to kill him?"
...
Fors and Xio stood near the right wall and noticed their conversation was going nowhere. The tension in the room was reaching a breaking point.
Suddenly, Xio pinched Fors on her right side. Fors looked down at her. Xio subtly gestured for them to leave the area. Fors looked back at the confrontation between the two men and promptly realized they were going to fight.
Fors grabbed Xio's hand. She used her Apprentice abilities and smoothly phased them both straight through the solid wall into the adjacent hallway.
A split second later, a loud crash echoed from the office.
Fors went closer and touched the wooden wall. The surface rippled like water and created a small, transparent rectangular door. This allowed Fors and Xio to watch the battle safely without getting hurt.
Inside the office, Meursault had sent the heavy desk flying toward the detective. Both of them started to fight.
Meursault caught up quickly behind the flying desk. He kicked out his legs, launching heavy strikes one after another. He was like a giant bear with the gift of agility and had zero weaknesses.
Fors signaled to Xio. Xio raised her revolver and pointed it at Meursault through the transparent window. She looked closely for an opening to shoot, but the two men were moving too erratically.
The battle was incredibly one-sided. Since Meursault was a Sequence 9 Beyonder and Sherlock was a Sequence 7, the gap in their physical abilities was massive.
Sherlock casually stepped aside to avoid the heavy kicks. He started to use his new wooden gavel. He swung the weapon and hit Meursault hard in the ribs making the executioner stumble. Sherlock swung again and hit him squarely on the shoulder. He then vanished the gavel, stepped past Meursault's guard, and punched him directly in the face.
Meursault staggered backward as blood dripped from his nose.
"Who hired you to kill him?" Sherlock asked about the case while pressing his attack.
Meursault did not answer. He tried to throw a desperate punch, but Sherlock easily deflected it. The enforcer was getting beaten hard.
Fors and Xio watched in slight awe from the hallway, seeing how Detective Sherlock handled the battle with such ease and precision. This was the first time they saw Beyonders fight like this.
Sherlock resummoned the gavel into his hand. He stepped forward and hit Meursault for the third time, striking him firmly in the chest.
Instantly, a massive black dome erupted from the gavel. The dark barrier expanded outward in a flash and surrounded both of them in an instant, completely blocking the office from view.
Xio and Fors exchanged worried glances. Seeing the fight hidden away, they fully phased back into the room.
Minutes later, the pitch-black dome shattered like glass and dissolved into the air. The wooden gavel in Sherlock's hand suddenly radiated a blinding golden light. The wooden handle stretched and morphed rapidly into a sword made of light.
Sherlock stepped forward and pressed the glowing blade directly against Meursault's throat. The gang enforcer froze completely and did not dare to move a muscle.
"You can have a retrial," Sherlock said in a calm and steady tone. "If you reveal who ordered you to murder Zreal, you do not have to die. Your sentence can be lessened to only confiscation instead of the death penalty. Do the smart thing. Just say I demand a retrial."
Fors and Xio stood by the wall and watched in total confusion. They realized Meursault and Sherlock must have had a long conversation inside the black dome.
Before either of them could ask what was going on, Meursault swallowed hard. He looked at the golden blade near his neck.
Whatever happened inside that dark space was enough to leave him entirely spooked. His previous confidence and ferocity were completely gone.
Meursault spoke in a shaky voice. "I-I demand a retrial."
The moment the words left his mouth, the thick black bubble appeared around them once more in the blink of an eye, instantly swallowing both men back into the dark domain of the Sealed Artifact.
After the spiritual dome broke again, Sherlock walked up to them and said, "We got enough evidence."
They left Meursault alive on the floor and quietly made their way out of the Zmanger gang headquarters. As they walked, Sherlock explained what he had just figured out.
"I managed to get a full testimony from Meursault.
"He confessed about who gave him the instructions to kill Detective Zreal. It was a man named Rosago. He works directly for the Ambassador of Intis."
Both Xio and Fors stopped walking for a second. The shock was clear on their faces.
'Ambassador of Intis? a powerful country in the Northern Continent!'
"Do not worry," Sherlock reassured them. "I can use Meursault's testimony as the evidence for the Sealed Artifact. It will trap Rosago in a way he cannot possibly get out of without getting the death penalty."
They continued walking until they reached a busy carriage stand where transport could be hired to other parts of the city. Sherlock paid a driver and helped them get into a carriage heading to the edge of the East Borough.
"You guys need to return home and wait," Sherlock told them as they sat down. "It would be too dangerous if he makes you both marionettes."
Sherlock suddenly stopped talking. He reached into his coat, took out a folded piece of paper, and handed it to Fors.
"What is this?"
"It is an honorific name in ancient Hermes.
"If I do not return in twelve hours, you can contact my mentor."
Fors gripped the paper tightly. "What if we contact him right now and ask for his help?"
Sherlock shook his head. "He will not help me. He would tell me that this is a chance for me to grow. He would help you since both of you are not related to this incident anyway. It was my selfishness that got you both in trouble."
Sherlock stepped back and bowed his head slightly. "I am sorry."
Xio leaned forward and looked at him. "Are you worried that you will lose?"
Sherlock smiled widely. "No, I will win."
He closed the carriage door, and the driver snapped the reins. The carriage started to move down the cobblestone street.
Xio looked over at Fors. Fors looked right back at her. They exchanged a long glance and instantly realized they were thinking the exact same thing. They could not just go home and leave him to fight alone. They were going to follow Sherlock and see if they could distract Rosago when the fight started.
"He already taught us how to deal with a Marionettist," Xio whispered quietly so the driver would not hear.
Fors nodded slowly. "Right. If we stay a hundred meters away, they cannot notice our spirit threads. And they need to be five meters close to actually take control of them."
Xio gave a determined look and grabbed the door handle. "So we just need to be at a hundred meters distance from the Marionettist and we would be fine. Let's go."
AN: What did you think about the Sealed Artifact? We'll see it's uses more on the next chapter. Also, who do you think Sherlock's enigmatic mentor is?
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