After Natalie informed the carriage driver, they set off toward the North Borough in search of the criminal.
Since the carriage ride was going to take some time, Jace settled in and looked out the window to see the world passing by.
As someone who was more attuned to the modern era, Jace didn't quite know what to feel about carriages and horses.
The current Victorian-esque setting was quite fascinating to him, but he still missed the convenience of cars and train rides.
Though he had read about the bus-like carriages drawn by horses and even seen them here, they didn't impress him much.
What did impress him were the trains.
Here in Backlund, he had seen them from afar but hadn't had the opportunity to travel in them yet.
The train transportation had started in Backlund about 20 years or so ago, but what he did know about them was the fact that they were incredibly loud and released plumes of thick, black smoke, which made him reluctant to travel in them.
He sighed, the rattle of the carriage wheels against the uneven cobblestones echoing in his ears.
Turning to look before him, he saw that Natalie, too, was looking outside, but there was nothing on her face—just a mask of professional stoicism.
Looking at her, Jace realized why Natalie hadn't digested the 'Provoker' potion.
It was likely because she was too quiet and reserved.
A Provoker had to be talkative, saying things, adding clever insults, and stirring the pot.
But Natalie, being who she was, likely stayed the way she was, unaware of the acting method.
So when she advanced to Sequence 7, she had few problems.
Sensing Jace's eyes on her, she turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow, as if asking, 'What?'
Jace gave a small smile and shook his head, signaling, 'It's nothing.'
'Well, look at that, you can talk without opening your mouth,' Jace chuckled at their interaction inwardly.
——
The rest of the ride went smoothly, with both of them staying quiet as the city transitioned into the slightly more affluent streets of the North Borough.
After half an hour or so, they were at the location Jace had dream-divined about.
But the 'criminal Hobert' they were looking for was obviously not here, since it took them a significant amount of time to get here.
Natalie got out of the carriage for a moment and surveyed the area, air brushing against her sharp features.
Jace looked at her from the carriage window. "I don't suppose you have any of his personal belongings?" he called out.
Natalie looked at him and shook her head before getting back into the carriage, taking the seat before him.
Jace thought about it for a moment and then said, "Well, we can try anyway."
With that, he brought his cane forward—which had been kept near—and held it in his hand with a loose, practiced grip.
Then he muttered, "Direction of Hobert Rowen," seven times.
He was performing a 'dowsing rod' divination with his cane.
Klein had performed it in his early days as a Nighthawk, but he had a medium related to the target so he was able to perform it quite easily.
Jace had no medium, but he figured it would be fine, since he was a Sequence 7 and had already performed a dream divination about the target.
It worked.
Within a few seconds of muttering, the cane vibrated against his palm, lifting slightly before pointing firmly in a certain direction.
Jace looked at Natalie; her response was immediate as she called out to the carriage driver and had him drive in the particular direction.
They followed the lead for about 10 minutes or more until the cane pointed toward a narrow alleyway where the carriage could not go.
So, they got off and followed on foot.
Within a few minutes, they reached a place that seemed quite different from the rest of the North Borough.
The buildings here were cramped, with grime-streaked brickwork and laundry hanging limply from lines above the alley.
It was likely an area for the working class to live.
Jace and Natalie were both cautious and pretty discreet about the whole thing, so they slowed down, taking a proper look around.
That was until they spotted 'Hobert' the criminal walking out of a three-story tenement building.
They stopped right there and didn't continue to follow him, and waited for him to leave.
Natalie moved first; she walked to the building and spoke to some people around, while jace started performing spirit pendulum divinations right there to confirm their suspicion.
Natalie walked back to him slowly and said, "He lives on the second floor, in the corner room."
Jace stayed quiet for a moment while thinking; Natalie, too, seemed to be in thought.
"Ok," said Jace. Natalie turned to him. Jace continued, "According to the result of the divinations I performed, Hobert will be back here within an hour or two.
So why don't you wait for him to come back down here, and I will be in his room waiting for him.
When he enters the building, you follow him. When he enters the room, why don't you let me handle him, You can step in later if you feel the need."
Natalie took a moment to think this through and eventually decided it was the best thing to do, so she said, "Ok."
Jace chuckled, "You don't speak much, do you?" he asked with amusement.
Natalie shrugged, "There is no reason to," she stated.
Jace shook his head and then said, "Do you know the abilities of a Sequence 8 from the Lawyer pathway?"
Natalie thought for a second and shook her head, "Not really," she said.
Jace nodded and explained, "Well, Sequence 9 Lawyers—they are eloquent, proficient in laws, and skilled at finding ways of going around them.
As for Sequence 8... they are just physically strong, breaking the 'rules' of the normal human body. That's all there is to it, really," he said.
Natalie nodded and started looking around for an optimum place to wait for the target, and she seemed to have found it near the entrance of the alley.
She turned to look at Jace. "Let's get into position," she said, and left.
Jace watched her figure disappear into the shadows of the alley and then turned toward the tenement.
He started walking.
The interior was shabby; It was likely cheap, Jace thought.
He climbed the creaking staircase to the second floor. There were only five rooms on the floor. Jace turned right and walked to the room that was in the corner, as that was what Natalie had told him.
As soon as he reached the door, he put his hand on the cold, rusted handle and turned it.