Abandoned Manor

"How often do you contact Rena? Does she know about your curse on Xio?"

"We usually contact each other once every two or three months, so there's still time until our next meeting… She only cares about results and doesn't know the specifics of what I'm doing," Turner answered, his eyes blank and unseeing.

Hearing this, both Ebner and Xio relaxed. Xio figured that under the circumstances, it would be nearly impossible for the Theosophy Order to track her down. Besides, as a covert organization, they were unlikely to launch an investigation over the disappearance of a mere Sequence 8. Ebner, on the other hand, believed that even if they did trace it back to him, by then he would have no reason to fear them.

"I have a good rapport with MI9, the Nighthawks, and the Machinery Hivemind. After this, I'll hand over this 'Instigator' to them. I imagine a Sequence 8 criminal is worth a fair bounty. You two won't mind if I keep the reward for myself, will you?" Detective Isengard joked in an exaggerated tone.

Ebner knew that the detective's true intention was to protect him and Xio. After all, if the man were turned over to the authorities, the Theosophy Order or the Witch Sect would have little choice but to lay low, unwilling to openly confront an established Church.

Xio, realizing this as well, quickly expressed her thanks once again.

They then questioned Turner about a few other matters, but as only a low-level member in the Order, he knew little of significance. With the questioning concluded, Detective Isengard put the Instigator back under sedation and said, "Alright, let's divvy up his possessions, and then we can leave the rest to the authorities."

Saying this, he laid out the confiscated items before them. The haul included two badges, a three-sided dagger, a star crystal, and around 120 gold pounds in cash.

After a quick glance between Ebner and Xio, Detective Isengard took the star crystal and the Hermit of Fate's badge, smiling as he remarked, "The most valuable thing here is the Sequence 8 extraordinary himself, so since he's with me, I'll take these two items as well… No objections, I presume?"

Xio quickly shook her head. "Catching this man was your effort alone, Detective. Everything here rightfully belongs to you."

Ebner held the same sentiment, though he was curious to see what his teacher might pass on to him.

The detective then picked up the half-damaged cursed badge and handed it to Ebner, saying, "This badge is probably beyond repair, so it's of no value to me. But it should be good for one last use. You're not particularly suited for direct combat at your current level, so take this as a backup." He then pushed the pile of 120 pounds toward Ebner and added, "This should also cover some expenses for your mystical studies. Consider it an advance from me."

"Thank you, Teacher!" Ebner accepted without hesitation. Though he still had 350 pounds on hand, he knew that while this amount might be a fortune for ordinary folk, it was barely enough to sustain a mystic.

Detective Isengard then turned to Xio, who quickly waved her hands in refusal. "Please, don't worry about me. You both have already done so much to help me—I can't possibly take a share."

The detective laughed and, without further debate, pushed the three-sided dagger toward her. "Miss Xio, let's not stand on ceremony. You forget, it was your insight that helped us predict this Instigator's ambush at the bar. Take it—I inspected it earlier. It's a fairly ordinary weapon, just with a difficult-to-detect poison coating, so its value is modest."

Xio had initially wanted to decline but, realizing that any further refusal would be ungracious, accepted the dagger. She made a mental note to repay the kindness.

Once they had divided the "spoils," Detective Isengard used an ability unknown to them, lifting the Instigator, Turner, as if he weighed nothing at all. "I'll take him to the authorities now," he said. "You two should go home and rest."

Ebner was about to agree when he recalled something. Hesitating slightly, he said, "Teacher, you might hand him over to the Nighthawks or the Machinery Hivemind, but I advise against taking him to MI9."

Detective Isengard turned back, puzzled. "Why? Is there an issue with MI9?"

Thinking carefully, Ebner replied, "Some factions in the military seem to be involved in human trafficking. I fear they might complicate things for you."

"You're suggesting the military may have a hand in this matter?" Isengard frowned, confused. "But why would they do such a thing? And how do you know about this, Ebner?"

Ebner partially deflected, offering, "My mother was once among those trafficked… I've looked into it."

"I see…" The detective nodded in understanding.

Xio glanced at Ebner with sympathy, surprised to learn of this unfortunate part of his past. She hadn't realized that her friend had also been affected by such a tragedy.

Isengard nodded, seeming reassured. "Noted… Don't worry, Ebner. Your teacher knows how to handle things with the authorities."

With a wave of his hand, the detective hoisted Turner and, with a swift leap, disappeared into the dark alleyway with surprising agility for an older man.

Xio and Ebner waited for a moment before taking a different exit from the underground pathway. With public transportation already closed for the night, they began walking home.

Xio's rental was in the Bridge District, so they soon parted ways.

Watching Ebner leave, Xio turned to find herself nearly face-to-face with a woman standing eerily close—a young lady in a beige high-neck dress with slightly curled brown hair, observing her in ghostly silence.

"Fors! Are you jumping out from doors again? You almost gave me a heart attack!" Xio let out a breath of relief upon recognizing her friend.

"One whole day and night without coming home and without a single note. Do you know how worried I was? And here you are, out on a date with a man! Tell me everything—who was that?" Fors scolded, though her playful expression revealed her true intentions. She knew Xio had been off handling serious matters, but couldn't resist teasing her friend a bit.

Instead of retorting, Xio remained serious, shifting the topic. "Fors, that was Ebner, a friend. And if he hadn't been there tonight, I don't think I'd have come home…"

Fors, taken aback by Xio's grave tone, quickly asked, "What happened?"

"It's a long story… Let's talk while we walk," Xio sighed, relieved her tactic had worked, and gave Fors a rundown of the last two days' events. She left out certain details, like Detective Isengard's identity and his teacher-student relationship with Ebner, only mentioning that Ebner had called on a powerful ally to capture the attacker.

"Xio, we're best friends! Next time, you have to let me know about things like this. If I'd been with you, even if we couldn't take down that Instigator, you know I could've used this," she gestured to the bracelet on her wrist, "to get us out of there safely. Once we were far enough, that cursed badge's influence would've lost its power."

Fors was visibly worried, though she swiftly turned the conversation to something lighter with a mischievous look. "Still, it sounds like Ebner handled things perfectly. Do you think he's interested in you?"

Xio shook her head, firmly. "I'm sure he doesn't have such intentions!" She was certain her intuition as a Judge wouldn't mislead her.

"Then why would he go out of his way to help you? From what you've said, you've only met him a couple of times," Fors asked, now more intrigued.

"I don't know… but sometimes it feels like he's known me for a long time," Xio said thoughtfully, though she was certain Ebner's actions held no ill intent and decided not to press further.

...

After a night of deep sleep, Ebner returned to the East Borough's train station, where he found Xio waiting.

"Hope I didn't keep you long," he apologized, feeling a bit guilty given that he lived closer.

"No worries—let's set off. The place is on the north outskirts, a bit of a trip. We'll take the train to the North District and then a carriage," she replied briskly.

About forty minutes later, they stood in front of a large, abandoned manor surrounded by overgrown vegetation.

Ebner took in the dilapidated surroundings, which looked like something from a horror film. He asked, slightly hesitant, "This is the shooting range you mentioned?"

Xio nodded, "There's a practice field in the backyard… I also have a key to the back gate."

"Even if it's falling apart, this is still a manor outside Backlund. Wouldn't it have a caretaker?"

"Originally, this was my family's vacation estate. When my father fell from grace, it was sold to a wealthy merchant. But soon after, every resident here started experiencing strange accidents, leading to rumors of hauntings and its current state… Only one caretaker remains, a deaf and mute servant who once worked for my family. My father treated him well, so as long as we don't enter the house, it should be fine."

Ah, so he wouldn't even notice gunshots, and if he did hear them, he'd likely look the other way for her sake. Not bad, Xio—a noble family in decline, yet still maintaining some useful connections. Ebner quickly pieced together the implications.

Meanwhile, Xio saw through Ebner's reaction, confirming her own suspicions:

He knows who my father was!

He's known me all along!

And it seems he knows far more secrets than he lets on!

So, could he know the real reason my father was framed?