"Wait a moment," Audrey couldn't help but speak up, "Mr. Lovers, was it you who caused the incident at Kapin's villa?!"
She stared intently at Ashes, trying to discern any clues from his obscured expression.
"Yes," Ashes admitted frankly.
"But didn't you just say it was the work of the Rose School of thought?" Audrey was confused.
"I never said that," Ashes denied without hesitation. "Your father mentioned that a werewolf was responsible for the case. A werewolf is indeed a Sequence 7 of the Prisoner pathway, which the Rose School of thought controls."
"You…" Audrey pouted, muttering to herself. She could understand keeping such important information from her parents, but why deceive her?
Klein's expression turned odd. While the previous Tarot Club meetings had suggested that Miss Justice and Mr. Lovers knew each other, their recent conversation indicated their relationship might be closer than he had imagined. It was clear Ashes had met Audrey's parents and was currently at her home. Klein's expression became more peculiar, though fortunately, the gray fog concealed his face.
Alger's expression was also strange, clearly sharing Klein's thoughts.
"By the way," Alger changed the subject to prevent the conversation from dragging on, "Mr. Lovers, how did you determine Kapin's connection to the royal family?"
He added, "I can pay for this information with other intelligence."
"No need," Ashes shook his head. "This information can support your investigation, so no payment is required."
Ashes continued, "I confirmed Kapin's connection to the royal family because he was protected by four Beyonder individuals from the Arbiter pathway, including one Sequence 8, two Sequence 7s, and even a Sequence 6 'Judge.'"
"A Sequence 6?" Alger was startled, quickly understanding why Ashes associated Kapin with the royal family. Such an obvious clue meant even a fool could deduce Kapin's ties to the royals!
"In addition," Ashes paused, "there was also at least one Sequence 5, possibly even a Sequence 4 demigod who arrived at Kapin's house later to destroy evidence."
"A demigod?!" Alger was incredulous, and Klein was equally shocked.
"How could a human trafficker be connected to a demigod?"
"No! It's precisely because a human trafficker is involved with a demigod that it proves his unusual relationship with the royal family."
"Or rather, the trafficker's importance to the royal family is extraordinary."
"But since the demigod appeared afterward, it indicates they weren't providing constant protection. It makes sense; a demigod wouldn't be idle enough to guard a human trafficker. However, the fact that a demigod got involved shows how crucial Kapin was."
"But what does this have to do with the Black Emperor? How did Ashes confirm this?"
Klein sorted through his thoughts but quickly found more questions arising.
"Mr. Lovers," Alger hesitated before asking, "may I inquire about your current Sequence? Of course, you can refuse to answer."
"No problem," Ashes replied casually. "I'm currently a Sequence 8 'Trickmaster.'"
"Sequence 8?" Alger looked at him as if he were joking.
A Sequence 8 capable of killing a Sequence 6? Absurd! But after considering it, Alger realized Ashes had no reason to lie. If that were the case, why tell such an easily debunked lie? Unless...
"Did he rely on those Beyonder items to achieve it?" Alger hesitated, finding it plausible. After all, he knew someone who roamed the seas using Beyonder items.
Among the present members, only Klein believed Ashes was truly a Sequence 8. In Klein's view, Ashes and he had crossed over simultaneously, and it had been less than two months. Advancing to Sequence 8 recently was normal. Klein himself had only recently fully digested the Seer potion and applied for the Clown potion three days ago. This rapid progress was thanks to Ashes revealing the acting method to Dunn and the others, making Klein's month-long digestion reasonable. Otherwise, he would have struggled to prove his complete digestion to Dunn.
Comparatively, if Ashes had advanced to Sequence 6 or even Sequence 5 within a month, Klein would have found it incredible. As for defeating a Sequence 6, that wasn't surprising. An immortal killing a Sequence 6 was no big deal, especially since Ashes was hunting the Black Emperor to kill him for fuel.
"I have another question," Alger hesitated before asking, "how did you know Kapin was connected to the royal family?"
"He said so himself," Ashes replied, "and there was evidence of his dealings with the royal family in his home."
"No," Alger corrected, "I mean, how did you know before you acted?"
"I didn't," Ashes admitted. "Before acting, I only thought I was going to kill a human trafficker. I had no idea he had four Beyonder individuals at his house, so I killed them too. As for the one I suspected to be a Sequence 4, I never faced him directly, but I know he was bitten by a corrupted hound I left behind."
"And the fact that he has survived until now strongly suggests he's a demigod."
"What do you mean 'survived until now'?" Audrey muttered softly. That was a demigod! Are you implying that if he weren't a demigod, he would already be dead?
"But this happened just last night!" Audrey exclaimed.
"Just a bite could kill even a Sequence 5? Is it poison? Or a curse?" Alger found it incredible, yet Ashes had no reason to lie. With such a 'pet,' a Sequence 8 killing a Sequence 6 was explainable. But he was still puzzled. Why did Ashes, a member of the EverNight Church, choose the Apprentice pathway?
Klein was also curious. Did Dark Souls have such methods of keeping pets? No, right? This wasn't Pokémon; could defeated enemies be summoned to fight?
Klein's curiosity deepened. The royal family was incredibly unlucky. Ashes merely wanted to kill a trafficker but stumbled upon numerous clues. However, Klein had another question. If Ashes initially only knew Kapin was a trafficker and didn't know his royal connections, then what was the true purpose of the 'He' who gave Ashes the Black Emperor hint?
PS: In the original story, Klein had already digested the potion, but to explain the acting method better, he delayed by half a month and hinted to Dunn about the acting method during this time. Only after doing all this did he apply for the Clown potion, making it seem less abrupt.
(End of the Chapter)
50 Power stones = Extra Chapter
read ahead 10+ chapters on my P@treon.com/Lives954