Free Web NovelChapter 476: Chapter 476: The Unreliable Man_1
Without a doubt, that officer had become a follower of Mr. Magic.
It was not just reverence for Mr. Magic that had been instilled in him through the "Betrayal" power, but he had further offered up his absolute faith to Mr. Magic through the "Sacrifice" power.
His soul had been branded with the mark of the sacrificial offering, and no matter how Lamia drugged, led, or hypnotized him, he was unwilling to give up on his loyalty to Mr. Magic.
Naturally, these brainwashing methods relying on drugs and techniques were no match for the authority under the Throne of Spirit.
In the end, Lamia could only give up and dispose of the officer.
Mr. Magic was still continuing his infiltration of the base, and indeed, as they had anticipated, his efficiency was far superior to theirs.
"The warden said he would take action, but so many days have passed without any contact, should we take the initiative to ask him?" Qiqimora said, playing with the token of the Great Witch.
"You’re still counting on that man?" Lamia scoffed, "Qiqimora, when did you become so naive? That man is unreliable right now."
"Don’t you think your words and actions are a bit contradictory? It wasn’t long ago that you were actively currying favor with that unreliable man." Qiqimora was somewhat displeased by Lamia’s mockery.
"Still making excuses for him? What I mean is not that he lacks the ability, but rather that he most likely won’t help with this matter anymore." Lamia replied, "He’s a man of his word, you know that better than anyone, which is also the reason I wanted to collaborate with him. But for things he hasn’t promised, he’s just as self-interested as us. Remember, our goals are different, thus we only agreed on sharing information. The fact he hasn’t continued contacting us after saying he’d take action means... he doesn’t need us for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Qiqimora thought for a moment and added, "Or it could be that his goals have diverged from ours, so he’s trying to avoid further communication with us to prevent embarrassment."
"So now we can probably only fend for ourselves, and even if we continue to exchange information, it won’t be of much use since we will all be holding back. If we run into some conflict in the future..." Lamia paused, letting out a sinister, hoarse chuckle, "we might just have to wrong him a bit, I’m afraid. You’ll have to put aside your personal feelings for the greater good, Qiqimora."
"Enough, we’re old enough as it is, stop with these childish jokes!" Qiqimora cursed, crushing the finished cigarette with a casual grind, turning it instantly into powder.
"We are not yet fossils ready for the coffin. We’ve managed to extend our lives and maintain our vibrant, young bodies. Why live so restrained?" Lamia continued to laugh, "That fellow is a good man indeed, not exploitable but suitable for deals. Look how broad-minded the witches are, yet their principles are so traditional... Very useful, and amusing. It’s been a long time since I’ve met a man that piqued my interest, if you really don’t mind, why not let me have a taste?"
"You’re being too unrestrained with your life," Qiqimora glared at her companion.
...
Meanwhile, in the Golden Lake District, residential area.
Aiden, disguised as the avatar of the Goddess of Revenge, was loitering outside the gate of a detached residence.
This was the address of the person on the list, unoccupied for most of the year—and it seemed to be the same now.
The Royal Secret Police had once posed as government officials from other departments to investigate, had visited his neighbors, and the maid providing domestic services for the house, then pieced together some vague information.
The man living here was named Katch, moved here two years ago, lived alone, and seemed to be a retired linguistics university professor. He returned home to focus on literary creation, often going out for inspiration—though his neighbors thought he was just fond of traveling.
The image of Mr. Katch reconstructed from the neighbors’ description looked somewhat like Professor Dodge in age, although there were differences in appearance—considering Professor Dodge’s expertise in dark magic knowledge, on par with professional wizards could change his appearance; this was the main reason the Royal Secret Police put him on their list.
However, this suspect had a "demerit" in the eyes of the secret police: he kept a dog as a pet and seemed to care for it greatly.
Aiden understood their way of thinking; Professor Dodge was a fugitive in the Empire, eyed the Empire’s secret military projects in Gistas. How would such a man have the spare time or emotional investment to care for a pet?
But in Aiden’s view, this item was an unequivocal "merit." He guessed that Professor Dodge’s son might have merged with a possessing demon and needed to reside in a human body or large animal to survive properly.
If there were witnesses to Professor Dodge, then such a host should also have been observed near him.
Aiden lingered outside the residence for a while and spent some time shadowing before finally confirming that the owner had left.
Aiden began to seriously consider the methods of further investigation.
Ask his neighbors again? frёewebηovel.cѳm
No, the Royal Secret Police had already asked in great detail, and Professor Dodge wouldn’t easily leave out key clues related to his identity for predictable contacts like neighbors to detect.
Break into the estate to take a look?
That would be inappropriate; to risk the crime of illegal invasion, there had to be some certainty that the target was indeed Professor Dodge. After all, those ideas about Professor Dodge’s son were based on a guess, and Aiden didn’t expect to find the right target on the first attempt.
Continue the stakeout?
He didn’t have enough time and didn’t know when the other party would return. If the other party became aware, they might never show up. His mission in Sunset City was limited to a few days. Any longer would be too risky.
At that moment, Aiden sensed someone approaching from behind and whirled around.
"Madam, please be kind. I haven’t eaten in three days!" a beggar approached wretchedly, extending his hand toward Aiden.
In his eyes, Aiden’s current guise was just a young woman.
Do you all have only this one line? Aiden thought, casually handing him a coin.
There were no other beggars nearby, so he didn’t mind using some coins to send the man away.
After accepting the money, the beggar didn’t leave, but instead kept staring at Aiden.
Aiden noticed his gaze and said, "I don’t expect any real gratitude, but at least don’t bemoan the amount given, right?"
"No, no..." the beggar grinned, showing yellowed and missing teeth, "I was thinking, if you could give a little more, madam, perhaps... I could tell you some things about the owner of that house over there."
