Nord wasn't entirely convinced, but I could see the ideas taking root in his mind: becoming the bad guys to do good work.
Of course, my system was by no means perfect, but if there is one lesson I will remember across lives, it's that with enough power comes the ability to change.
Nord was allowed back home, but before that, I placed a binding lock on his soul. It'd wear off in a few days, but until Nord got formalized, it'd make sure he wasn't squealing. The last thing I needed was to have the law on my ass.
Oshan would deal with everything later. He was a capable man who needed none of my help. I wasn't just dumping all my work onto, heaven forbid.
-----
I had some free time now, so I decided to go back over the safe I'd retrieved. I went back home to Grey after seeing Nord out.
Grey was happy to see me again but saddened when I mentioned I had some work. While old, Grey was still in the prime of his life and a working dog. Too much inactivity was terrible for these types.
As such, I promised to take him out later. The safe would only take an hour or two to crack. While it was sturdy, my body was studier. A little hand-sawing would get the job done fast.
With a body like mine, almost anything is possible. Reaching objects without moving and making weapons were just some of my many applications.
A little circular saw was great for this safe. I could get in from the top, knowing there were no physical detectors. I stripped away the magic protections, but the lock had a physical trigger to self-destruct.
The lock was the weakest part of any good build, so people would likely go for it. While crazy, these cultists weren't entirely stupid. Arclen wasn't also too technologically behind. It was just that magic made the class differences a lot bigger.
While magic was the main field of technology, sometimes the physical build was needed, and with the magic constructs as a guide and tool, skilled craftsmen could create 'magical' contraptions.
I wasn't well versed in the history of technology here, but I did know that this age could be compared to the 1700s of Earth in physical technology and the late 1800s in terms of magical ability.
Thinking about it now, Arclen had its steampunk version—it replaced the steam with magic. Many ancient civilizations had at least one technology like that at its peak, whether that be a magic city or a weapon of mass destruction.
Even Aeulus had Morian—the city of magic—the place where I was born. It had the best technology, knowledge, and skills. The hospital where my sisters and I were born was the best in the country.
"Woof," Grey barked out. It wasn't loud enough to break me out of my thoughts.
I looked at him and then the safe. I'd broken through already. The top was hanging on by an atom. I transformed my circular saw hand into a suction cup design. If it fell in, I wasn't about to fish out a heavy metal plate.
I fished out, albeit barely, but to my disappointment, that work was for nothing. Inside were nothing but metal chips and some letters. Even those letters were in code. While I was knowledgeable, I was no cryptographer.
The key was also not included in the cultist's memories. I double-checked and even manually combed over the memories.
Sighing, I decided to go on a walk with Grey. There were still parts of the city I wanted to visit, and maybe another visit to the cultist bases would reveal something. I know Grey was more than happy to get out.
Since we were going out, I decided to contact Oshan first. There weren't any valuables in the house, so I didn't bother with any special defenses. If thieves bothered with the B&B, they'd find 'nada.'
-----
When we arrived at the cultist headquarters, it was dark. Grey and I had a good time wandering around the city and enjoying all its thrills. For an outer city, this was a prominent place. It made sense since this was a hotspot for monster hunters and adventurers.
We'd also stopped by all the other cultist bases along the way but found nothing. This was my final hope before returning to headquarters. I'd stay here another week to help with adventuring stuff, but I wouldn't bother with the cultists much.
Grey and I walked down the dark street to the three-story building. There were lights, but they were scarce and far apart. As a residential/commercial area, people wouldn't be out much during the night.
As we got close, I started delving deep into my senses. My mana sense had already mapped out the whole building, and I remembered what it looked like, so there was no point in returning.
I was looking for something more subtle. An impossible breeze I never noticed could lead me to something—or, better yet, someone would be trying to contact the cultist.
I observed the whole house for a couple of minutes, playing with Grey in the street so as not to draw too much attention. Just standing in one place was suspicious enough; during the night, even more so.
As I was starting to gravitate away, I saw something out of the corner of my eye.
'That's weird.'
Why would I be seeing a person before sensing them? I should have heard a sound, breeze, or even a change in the mana, but again, 'nada.' As I glanced over, I saw it was a girl, a woman rather.
It was the same woman I saw before—a young lady, barely older than me, with a Mint core. She was primarily humanoid, with only a few distinguishing features that declared her a daemon.
At a glance, it would seem like she was just walking, but I knew better. She was scoping it out. I couldn't tell for what reason, but it didn't seem too friendly.
Was she a part of them? Someone from higher up, perhaps? Or from a rival here to scope out the competition?
Whatever she was, it bothered me. I whistled over to Grey. He came trotting back with the frisbee I'd bought at the market for him. It was an excellent purchase.
Grey heeled beside me as I walked to the building. I still had the keys on me. The woman was passing by voluntarily, so ordinarily, I wouldn't bump into her. Grey, however, was earning his keep.
Just 30 feet away from the woman, Grey threw out the frisbee. It looked almost accidental but was designed to attract the woman's attention. It landed at her feet, forcing her to look at it.
I rushed over to collect it.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Mam, my dog was just playing with his new toy." I explained as I ran over.
"It's no problem. I know how dogs are." The woman replied kindly.
She bent over to pick it up, accidentally showing her cleavage. It was not usually what I would pay attention to, but her fashion choices struck a cord.
She was wearing a woolen white sweater that was a bit oversized for her. Matched with dark blue denim-like pants, it was a familiar look.
I received the frisbee quickly and went on my way. I couldn't ascertain anything, but as I walked to the front door of the building and put in my key, the woman looked back.
Through the reflection on the glass screen of the door and Grey's own eyes, I saw a surprised look pass over her face.
I then went inside, waiting until I could go back to headquarters. It took almost me to be sure no one would notice getting me out.
With a girl like that, it was apparent she wasn't working alone. Anyone near this house could be working together to spy on me. I wasn't too keen on being found out, especially not on my terms.
-----
Grey and I walked home pretty late. I'd pondered the interaction for a while but still couldn't conclude.
On the way, we walked past a clothing store, and that's when it hit me. The woman's type of clothing had been a trend in Aeulus. Even my mom participated in it after Madam Louvange popularised it.
'But why is that trend here?'