Chapter 142 “Inquiry and Treatnt”
The expression on Duncan’s face was very sincere, the kind that’s filled with confidence and resoluteness that if I open the door to sell imitation fakes, then I will have you die clearly with this truth in mind. Vanna was obviously shocked by this level of calmness and remained stunned for the longest ti before reacting: “Your honesty… is impressive indeed.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask about that fire?” Duncan didn’t care about the strangeness in the other party’s tone and bluntly asked with a relaxed expression, “I heard afterward that the entire museum was blocked off that sa day?”
“Actually, we highly suspect that there are supernatural factors related to the museum fire.” Vanna did not hide this from the man. In fact, she didn’t need to because the news had already been spread publicly by City Hall, appealing to the citizens not to approach the Museum Square in the near future. For those living in Pland, the existence of supernatural things wasn’t a secret at all, only that so truths and details are omitted when deed necessary by the authorities. “The fire subsided very quickly, far beyond common ans… Mr. Duncan, can you please recall what you experienced that day. Did you really not see or hear anything unusual after entering the museum?”
“…… No,” Duncan frowned, “in fact, I didn’t have the energy to pay attention to what was happening in the fire at all. I was just a normal person, not a trained guardian after all.”
Speaking of this, he paused and raised his eyebrows: “Does the church suspect that a few of us who escaped from the fire may be related to the supernatural factor behind the fire?”
“It’s my personal suspicion,” Vanna got all serious in her face. “I beg your pardon, but it is my duty as an inquisitor to be wary of all uncontrolled transcendent dangers hidden in the city-state. I am not implying you are the main culprit behind the fire, but whether the common individual like it or not, supernatural powers can contaminate a soul regardless of their will or awareness. My main concern today in coming is your safety.”
“I understand,” that made Duncan more at ease and frank now. To be honest, he couldn’t be angry, for the young inquisitor was only doing her duty. “Then have you noticed anything unusual from your observation? Any clues?”
“…… I didn’t find anything,” Vanna shook her head, “there is no remnant of unwanted powers here, and the distribution of auras flowing inside and outside the building is quite normal. I think… you should be just so ordinary people who got mixed up with that event.”
Duncan thought about it and couldn’t help but add: “If not… why don’t you check carefully again? What if there’s a shadow hiding in so obscure spot and you didn’t notice? This is for our safety after all….”
“I have confidence in my judgnt,” Vanna said without waiting for Duncan to finish. Then straightening her chest with extra confidence, she firmly spoke: “I have received the grace of the goddess, and my eyes are the most effective ans of detection, especially during the day when no heretical power or shadow can escape my sight. Even the most adept evil gods and demons are unable to escape my eyes during these hours!”
As soon as Vanna’s words ca out of her mouth, she heard another loud bang, the signal that Shirley had finally dropped the carving at the cabinet and shattered it.
“I… I wanted to see if I could put it in a safer spot…” Shirley ekly cried out from an out of sight place.
“Just spare those things for now! It’s okay if you just wipe the windows!” Duncan said helplessly, his hands spreading out like so pained boss lecturing a worker. Then turning back to Vanna, “… You’re right, I guess there isn’t anything more to investigate.”
“This kid looks like a hairy one,” Vanna said casually as she glanced up at Shirley’s skirt that was sticking out of a corner, “and seems… she seems a little nervous?”
“This is her first day at work today,” Duncan said truthfully, “not a formal clerk yet, but a friend of my niece coming here to learn and to subsidize her family’s inco. Children of the lower city must earn their keeps at a much younger age.”
Vanna nodded in agreent, thinking that this was normal. Then she seems to have rembered sothing else and landed her gaze on Duncan again: “In addition, I want to confirm another thing. After you all left the museum, did you feel any discomfort or have a nightmare?”
Duncan didn’t answer imdiately because soone did have a nightmare. In fact, it wasn’t just Shirley, but he too because he had dived into that dream world to explore with the girl. Sure, Vanna was an upright lady with a positive image, but there was no way he could reveal this fact. In the eyes of the church and authorities, they’re all heretics that must be burned at the stake.
“No, everything is fine,” Duncan shook his head, “but may I ask? What kind of nightmare will it be? If sothing similar happens to us in the past two days, I would like to confirm it as soon as possible and ask for help from the nearest church.”
“It should have sothing to do with the flas,” replied Vanna, “and the scale is imnse, with huge arcs erupting violently from a dark void. Considering the fact that you narrowly escaped from a near-death experience, it’s likely you have suffered a short-term trauma in so way or form. The shadow may manifest itself in the form of your dreams. Ordinary folks cannot judge the difference, but as a transcendent, I advise you to seek help as soon as you dream of sothing similar.”
Duncan frowned.
Erupting violently from the dark void, spectacular arcs of fla…
It didn’t sound like Nina’s dream, nor was it Shirley’s dream they experienced.
If I had to connect it to sothing, her description is more like sothing I know of…. The sun fragnt?
Duncan pondered for a mont, carefully adjusting the wording within the frawork of an enthusiastic citizen. “Let get this down… so this thing… is it related to the sun cultists that’s been plaguing the newspapers recently? Those cultists seed to be engaged with sothing related to the sun and such. I wouldn’t put it past them to set the museum ablaze in their crazy rituals.”
Vanna didn’t think much about the question since it’s common knowledge the church was tracking down the suntists after the recent sewer rituals. Then nodding: “We can’t rule out this possibility… but knowing is your limit, do not inquire too much about the matter. It’s dangerous for ordinary folks to dive deep into this topic.”
As a high-ranking mber of the church, Vanna knew all too well the dangers that ca with forbidden knowledge. rely knowing was enough to open a channel for those evil gods to seep into their world. By then, the host would beco nothing more than a walking bag of flesh to infect others regardless of one’s will.
Naturally, Duncan did not take the initiative to ntion his original reporting behavior if the suntists to the church either. rely through their conversation here, he was already able to discern the truth and confirm his guess about that being the sun fragnt.
Is that how a sun fragnt is supposed to look? A huge arcing fla, erupting violently in the dark nothingness…
This was completely different from what Duncan had in mind. In his original draft of imagination, sothing like a “Sun Fragnt”, which was chased by the suntists, should be sothing similar to an anomaly, a tangible and physical object or item that could be wielded.
Duncan tried hard to match the description to anything he knew from Earth. Eventually, he ca to the conclusion it mostly resembled what he knew as a “solar flare”.
The expression on his face did not change much there, but his thoughts were riding high in waves.
HOLY SHIT?! A SUN FRAGNT IS LITERALLY A SLICE OF THE SUN!!!
At the sa ti, in Nina’s bedroom on the second floor, Heidi had completed her regular questioning and guidance of the “patient”.
She has roughly confird that Nina’s dream was not an ordinary nightmare or a continuous dream caused by pure ntal stress, but whether this dream could be harmful requires further determination.
“We may need a short and moderate hypnotherapy,” Heidi picked up the athyst pendant in her hand and said to the girl in front of her with a gentle voice. “Don’t be nervous, just follow my guidance and answer so questions.”
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