LOM: Lord of Mysticism

Klein ended the ritual and dispelled the wall of spirituality. He took out a piece of paper and wrote a statement: "The source of the sense of familiarity."

Seven times later, his pupils became darker. He fell asleep with the help of Cogitation and started conversing with his own spirituality.

In the hazy, contorted world, Klein saw a carriage and a young lady who was shivering unnaturally.

The image flickered once again. The lady was in the underground market, squatting and conversing with someone.

The dream receded quickly, and Klein woke up, but now he knew why the image he saw in the mirror was so familiar.

Klein set up the ritual once again and asked for the help of the Goddess to sketch the portrait of the person from his memory.

"Have you met her before?" Dunn asked.

Klein answered, "Yes. I saw her at the public carriage stop on Daffodil Street the night when you were going after the Instigator."

Leonard asked, "Don't any of you feel that this portrait is very familiar? She looks a lot like Instigator Tris."

Klein studied the portrait carefully. "Yeah, they look very similar." 

Dunn guessed, "She could be the Instigator's sister. Maybe just like her brother, she joined the Theosophy Order or the Demoness Sect."

Leonard sighed. "I have another idea. I think that this person is Instigator Tris."

"Do you mean that Instigator Tris is actually female or a male who's pretending to be a female? But I already confirmed that she's female." Dunn said.

Klein, who had been exposed to many creative and ridiculous plots after, took another look at the portrait. "Could it be that Instigator Tris was turned into a female?"

"Are there a considerable number of women in the upper echelons of the Demoness Sect that used to be men?" Dunn asked. "It may be possible... Perhaps it's a unique characteristic of their potion."

Klein felt that the potion of the Demoness Sect was a trap!

"Let's hope that a similar potion doesn't exist in the pathway of the Seer." Klein subconsciously started praying to the Goddess.

"Can potions accomplish such a thing?" Frye asked.

"Even a mid- to low-sequence potion can cause unimaginable changes. After all, they all originated from the Creator." Leonard said.

"Try to divine where the target will appear next," Dunn said.

"Alright." Klein picked one of the dresses with mixed emotions.

Recalling the target's features and relevant information, he began to recite in his heart. "Tris's... no, Trissy's whereabouts."

Wind started to blow around Klein. His left hand released his cane, allowing it to wobble, but it failed to fall.

"There's an interference..." Klein said.

An interference implies that their assumptions were correct and that lady just now was likely Instigator Tris, no, Trissy.

"They live up to the reputation of the Demoness Sect, which has been active since the last Epoch." Dunn sighed. "We can search for her through different means, such as where these clothes came from or the owner of this house. We can also get the police department to patrol the train stations and piers.

Leonard, head to the police department and gather a group to wrap up things here. Klein, you can go back now."

"How would you have handled this evening's mission? Assume that I, Leonard, and Frye are the only members on your team." Dunn asked.

Klein replied, "I'd first use divination to ascertain if the ritual would take effect soon. If the answer was negative, then I would stick to observing and not approach and then notify the police department to deploy personnel around the area, as well as gather at least five cannons to bombard the entire building where Trissy was hiding. I would station you and the rest at different spots in case she attempts to flee amidst the cannon fire."

"The premise is that we have to confirm that a forceful destruction of the altar wouldn't create a more disastrous outcome. As longtime Nighthawks, we're accustomed to relying on ourselves, our powers as Beyonders, and guns in all circumstances. We're not used to allowing normal people to come into contact with supernatural incidents." Dunn said.

...

Klein returned to Daffodil Street. He arrived at his front door and adjusted his clothes before he opened the door.

Melissa and Benson were in the living room, quietly doing assignments and reading books, respectively, under the light of the gas lamp.

"I now understand the price behind a handsome salary," Benson said.

"There's a price for everything in this world. There's something we must give before we can gain anything in return," Klein said.

"That's something Emperor Roselle said, right?" Melissa looked up.

The Tingen Technical School was different from universities and public schools. There was only two weeks for summer break, from late July to early August. Their lessons resumed the moment the hottest days were over.

"Is that so? I don't remember..." Klein replied. He took off his hat and headed upstairs but suddenly felt hungry.

The note that Klein left said that the security company would provide food, and he intended to pretend that he was full.

Melissa turned and pointed to the kitchen. "We left a small piece of lamb chop and a bowl of vegetable soup for you. There is some bread left too."