"I'm back."
Adrian Abraham stepped into the manor, casually addressing the shadows beside him to signal his return. A bloodied, indistinct figure swiftly emerged from the ground, coalescing into a humanoid shape in midair.
This was a Rose Bishop on duty, empowered by the True Creator's gifts to extend their vision beyond the manor's walls, monitoring for suspicious intruders at the Aurora Order's stronghold.
"Understood, Your Excellency Favored," the Rose Bishop said deferentially to Adrian, who, despite sharing the same sequence, held the esteemed status of a divine Favored. "I'll inform Mr. Z."
"Hm, why?" Adrian asked, puzzled why his return with groceries prompted this sentinel Rose Bishop to notify Mr. Z, the overseer.
"Oh, it's Mr. Z's orders," the Rose Bishop said, promptly throwing Mr. Z under the bus. "Mr. Z said to notify him when Your Excellency Favored returns with groceries."
Adrian: "…"
After a perfunctory hum, Adrian climbed the stairs. Passing the kitchen, he set down the fresh pork and spices he'd bought, then headed toward Klein Moretti's room.
The Beyonder characteristic left by that Hunter was still in his pocket. As for the consequences of its origin, Adrian didn't dwell on it. At worst, it involved an ambassador and a Sequence 5 Marionettist—minor forces that couldn't stir much trouble against them. Still, Klein could use some practice, so Adrian considered passing this task to him.
Mulling this over casually, Adrian pushed open Klein's door.
Klein was still buried in a grueling battle with tomorrow's lesson plans. The sound of the door snapped him out of his work-induced torment, and he instinctively glanced toward the entrance.
Seeing who it was, Klein's face lit up. "Old Adrian, you're finally back?"
"Took a while," Adrian said with a smile, approaching Klein and pulling a red, jelly-like substance from his pocket, placing it beside him. "This is for you."
"They've already invented jelly in this world… huh?" Klein grinned, picking up the "jelly" to pop it in his mouth, only to pause, sensing its Beyonder aura. He shuddered, examining it closely, then said in surprise, "This is a Beyonder characteristic? Old Adrian, where'd you get it?"
"Some overconfident Hunter," Adrian said flatly. "He tried to ambush me while I was buying groceries, so I killed him. Hmph, I bet his gang will investigate who did it. So, Klein, how about I leave this non-Beyonder task to you? It'll hone your skills in this area."
Klein nodded without suspicion. Adrian smiled faintly. With Mr. A now en route to the South Continent, Mr. Z's ambassador assassination here wouldn't cost extra. Still, there was room to fleece a bit more from Miss Audrey… After all, that 10,000 pounds didn't need to be paid in cash.
The Aurora Order not only had to function normally but also cover Mr. A's lavish tycoon persona.
Thinking this, Adrian headed to the kitchen. Notably, while cooking, Mr. Z lingered in the manor under various pretexts, determined to mooch a meal off His Excellency Favored. In the end, Adrian reluctantly agreed to Mr. Z's request.
Was the food just that good, or was Mr. Z just that shameless…?
Since Klein had his first class tomorrow, he couldn't drink. After a satisfying meal, the two retired to their rooms to rest, preparing for the next day. Mr. Z returned to his office, resuming Aurora Order affairs.
The next morning, as Klein, dressed formally, adjusted his collar in front of the mirror, Adrian pushed open the door, bleary-eyed, and scrutinized him. Klein wore a black tailcoat, leather shoes, and a silver pocket watch tucked into his waistcoat, exuding refinement and elegance.
Adrian studied Klein, who'd styled his hair differently and sported a curled beard on his chin. The disguise wasn't flawless; colleagues like Leonard or Dunn might still recognize him.
Rubbing his chin, Adrian pulled out a silver-rimmed monocle, sanitized with High-Dimensional Overseer Sefirot, and placed it on Klein's left eye. He instructed, "Don't wear the monocle on your right eye."
"Why?" Klein asked, curious.
"Bad things will happen," Adrian said offhandedly, not ready to mention Amon. Klein nodded, cautiously heeding Adrian's advice, not eager to tempt fate.
Adrian stepped back, giving Klein a thorough once-over. Satisfied no one would recognize him, he nodded. "Good. Perfect."
Klein gave a shy smile, lightly tipping his top hat. "Old Adrian, I'm off to work then?"
"Go ahead," Adrian said with a nod. "After you're done, I'll take you to investigate that Hunter's background. His gang won't let it slide, so we need to strike first."
Klein nodded.
"Also, you've fully digested your Clown potion, right?" Adrian paused, continuing. "The Aurora Order doesn't have your next sequence potion in stock. You'll need to attend some Beyonder gatherings to collect materials for your next potion."
…
South Continent, East Balam, Silents Port.
Mr. A walked with heavy steps toward the Aurora Order's local outpost. Unlike the Loen Kingdom, the atmosphere here was oppressive and somber. People with bronze skin shuffled through dilapidated streets like walking corpses, as if their souls had abandoned their bodies.
The climate was far hotter than Loen, but for Mr. A, a Sequence 4 Unshadowed, it was negligible. Numerous prying eyes sized him up, but amid gazes that would terrify an ordinary person, Mr. A strode forward with confidence.
"Right here…" Mr. A muttered, heading farther. A group of gaunt, lifeless vagrants sprawled on the ground exchanged glances. Confirming Mr. A was moving toward the outskirts, they quietly rose.
Their eyes gleamed with ferocity, and flashes of cold steel glinted on their bodies.
These jobless yet vicious vagrants were a fearsome presence in East Balam. Ruthless and predatory, they scattered like roaches at the sight of a gun but swarmed with curses and blades if you were unarmed.
Too cowardly to confront the elites who'd cost them their livelihoods, they eagerly turned their knives on defenseless kin. Clearly, Mr. A, dressed in worn clothes and with altered skin tone for disguise, was pegged as an easy robbery target.
They'd judged from his cautious posture that he wasn't a confident Beyonder.
(End of Chapter)