After Ebner came out of the cafe, he first went to the police station in Cherwood Borough and informed Sergeant Faxin that Dr. Leonardo was involved in a Beyonder incident that had been handed over to professionals.
The sheriff frowned and looked worried. He was not worried about the doctor's safety, but his wife and the unborn child.
Fortunately, Ebner's visit had brought him a solution.
After hearing that an apothecary might be able to help him, Sergeant Faxin was overjoyed and thanked him profusely.
Ebner hesitated for a moment before exhorting, "It's just that… that apothecary's words don't sound good… You have to be more forgiving." Don't catch him in a fit of anger.
"Not nice?" Sergeant Faxin asked curiously.
"You should know how Aetris usually talks to people, right? This apothecary is twice as much as she is!" Ebner commented, unable to bear to look back.
Hearing this, Sergeant Faxin was so shocked that he opened his mouth. How could he not know his son's character? Every word of his could drive him to his grave… Now, this apothecary sounded even more outrageous than his son… Would it be dangerous for Martha to go there for treatment?
However, the sheriff had no other choice. After thanking Ebner again for his reminder, he also gave him a pass with a handwritten letter. With the pass, he could access the files of the Cherwood Borough police department that were not confidential, and he could also use the police department's underground shooting range for free.
Ebner was rather happy about this. After bidding farewell to the sheriff, he went straight to the police department's archive room to look up information.
From the various dossiers, the security in Cherwood Borough was much better than in the bridge area. They were all regular cases.
Ebner watched all morning and found that there was only one thing that was slightly worthy of his attention:
The Grant clothing store had been bought by a company in the factory district and was undergoing renovation. Many workers were digging deep into the foundation of the store. The noise was loud and disturbed the neighbors around them, so they called the police.
This seemed like a normal event, but Ebner had a feeling something was wrong.
It was not like he had never been to the Grant family's clothing store before. It was already a three-story building. Even if it was renovated, there was no need to dig deep into the foundation unless they wanted to build a big building… However, building a tall building surrounded by one or two-story residences… was very difficult to approve.
After all, it was already very difficult to see the sun in Backlund. If the residential area was covered by tall buildings, wouldn't the nearby residents protest? Most of the people who lived in Cherwood Borough were middle-class, so they had quite a lot of power when united.
I'm afraid he's using construction as a cover. He wants to find something underground in the Grant family, right? This might be one of the reasons why the Grant family is valued by so many big shots… While Ebner was guessing, he was wondering if he should check it out after the party. However, he thought of another possibility.
"The aura of a demigod was triggered in Grant's clothing store last month, and Jane's whereabouts are unknown. Logically speaking, she should still be under the surveillance of the Church of Storms, right? In that case, the person who dug up the items was either sent by the Church of Storms or the Mandated Punishers were waiting for the results to come out before closing the net…"
At this thought, Ebner turned his attention to the name of the factory district company that had bought Grant's clothing store: Winston's Labor and Services Company.
Secretly checking on Grant's clothing store might be noticed by the Church of Storms, but secretly checking on this company shouldn't be a problem. After all, it was a labor and service company. From the name, he knew that there should be quite a number of customers and employees. Most of them had gang connections, making it difficult for them to be completely monitored… Furthermore, be it partners or competitors, they could secretly investigate its background. His actions weren't abrupt.
After some deliberation, Ebner felt that as long as he acted cautiously, there shouldn't be any danger. He secretly decided to get Xio to help him gather information about this company tomorrow. She had connections in East Borough, the dock area, and the factory district. It shouldn't be a problem for her to obtain some superficial information.
"I hope that this investigation will allow me to find some principles that the Knowledge Keeper plays… I also hope that there are no coveted secrets on Jane…"
…
"No!" Lina let out a shrill cry, awakening from her nightmare.
She looked confused at first, but then she remembered that she had been bluffing with the disgusting Lieutenant Belner after she had sensed that she had been drugged. She had been looking for an opportunity to escape.
In the end, she took advantage of the moment when the other party was so pleased with herself that she jumped out of the window and walked away. On the way, she bumped into a carriage… and she recognized the emblem on the carriage.
It was a vertical sword with a red crown on its handle.
"The 'Sword of Judgment' of the Augustus family. I was actually saved by a member of the royal family?" Lina thought back to the last scene she saw before she lost consciousness.
She got off the bed and looked around. Suddenly, she realized that this room was a little familiar, so she quickly walked to the French window and looked out.
She was greeted by the sight of a vast expanse of lawn and exquisite statues standing around the lawn. In the distance, there was a river that skirted around the hills that were covered in all types of vegetation and converged into a rather large man-made lake.
A gentle breeze blew across the water, sending ripples across the surface. It also brought back memories of Lina.
"Red Rose Manor…" She muttered to herself.
Right at this moment, there was a knock on the door. Recovering herself, Lina habitually said, "Please come in." Then, she saw a familiar figure walk in with the butler and guards.
"Edessak?" Lina looked at the young and energetic face and subconsciously asked.
Prince Edessak raised his brows when he heard that before nodding with a smile. "Ma'am, you do know me."
Lina looked at the prince with a troubled expression, unsure how to begin.
Prince Edessak was puzzled when he saw the strange expression on her face. However, after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Ma'am, if I may be so bold as to ask, are you the illegitimate daughter of Earl Lorena?"
Then, seeing her eyes widen in surprise, he quickly explained, "Ma'am, don't misunderstand. I don't mean to dig into your identity. It's just that you look a lot like my old friend Leland. Even his two sisters look more like him."
"Leland mysteriously disappeared three years ago. I sent many people to search for him, but they couldn't find him… And Earl Lorena's attitude towards his disappearance was very strange, as if he didn't exist… So when I saw you previously, I felt that you might have clues about this matter, and perhaps I could use this to find my friend's whereabouts."
The prince spoke calmly, but the worry in his tone was genuine. Lina's body trembled as she listened. Hesitation, fear, struggle, hatred, and many other emotions appeared on her face. Finally, she sighed and seemed to be more relaxed.
She calmed herself down and looked at the prince who had been waiting for her. She said with mixed feelings, "Edessak… I didn't expect you to think about me and worry about me when my father and brother had already given up on me… Hehe, of course you think I look like Leland now… Because I'm Leland Lorena!"
Prince Edessak had seen the change in Lina's expression and thought that this girl would tell him some secrets regarding Earl Lorena. Who would have thought that he would hear such an even more explosive news?
He stared at Lina in shock for a long time before saying, "That's impossible… A doctor and a maid examined you before. You're a real girl!"
Lina smiled sadly and lowered her head. "That's because I drank the Assassin potion under my father's arrangements, and this potion Sequence is the pathway of a Demoness!" With that said, she began talking about the past that only she and the prince knew to gain his trust.
"Demoness… What do you mean?" Prince Edessak was even more shocked and said in disbelief.
"It's just as you think. This Sequence 7 is called Witch. It will make a person really become a woman." Lina turned her head, not wanting to see the contempt and disgust in her friend's eyes.
However, Prince Edessak didn't have any negative thoughts about Lina. He frowned and asked in puzzlement, "Why did Earl Lorena make you a Demoness?"
"I'm not too sure about the details… But you should be able to guess that Father is a Palace Earl and is absolutely loyal to the royal family. As for the Demoness, she's almost under the control of the Demoness Sect… I'm probably just a means for them to test each other before they come into contact with each other. Of course, it might also be a bargaining chip that involves some transactions." Lina walked to the window and looked at the picturesque scenery outside as she replied.
"I see…" Prince Edessak's pupils constricted when he heard that. He circled the room with a solemn expression before his brows gradually relaxed, as though he had figured something out.
However, the prince did not continue this sensitive and dangerous topic. Instead, he asked, "Woman… No, Leland, what happened to you today? Why were you drugged?"
This question made Lina feel a little embarrassed and angry. She said angrily, "What else could it be? My superior from Demoness Sect, a Demoness of Afflictions who has just advanced. She wants to give me to MI9's Lieutenant Berner… Although I can accept becoming a woman, I have no intention of doing that with a man!"
"MI9… From the looks of it, there's a portion of the military involved as well." Prince Edessak had just sighed when he suddenly thought of something. His expression changed as he anxiously said, "That lieutenant should've seen you get on my carriage, and you're also a Demoness… Leland, it's not safe for you to stay here. I'm afraid the military's Beyonders will come knocking soon!"
Lina also realized what was going on. As a former noble, she naturally knew that although the prince had a noble status, he had no autonomy in many matters. As such, her expression became determined. "I'll leave now!"
Prince Edessak thought for a moment and got his maid to bring a few clothes that weren't too eye-catching to Lina. He said, "I'll get someone to arrange for you to leave through the manor's secret passage. There's probably someone watching outside."
"Thank you… Edessak." Lina was very touched. She really didn't expect her former friend to treat her this way after knowing the truth.
"You're welcome, Leland. We used to be good friends!" Prince Edessak sighed when he said this. They were originally best friends, but what were they now? Her best friend?
After simply changing her clothes, Lina was about to leave under the lead of a servant when she suddenly turned her head and said seriously to Prince Edessak,
"Edessak, I'll give you a few pieces of advice before we leave."
"Firstly, all Witches have bloody hands. No matter how pure and cute they look, their hearts have long been corrupted."
"Secondly, the Demonesses of the Demoness Sect… Other than a few exceptions, they are all men before they become witches!"