Chapter 34: The Choice of a Host

Chapter 34: The Choice of a Host

After a round of soothing, Allen Ceres and Wilma Gladys finally managed to calm the baby down.

Whew… Tall and thin Allen breathed out, straightened, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and nodded apologetically to his guest. After holding himself back for a few seconds, he finally organized his words:

“I’m sorry. Children are all like this.”

“Yes.” Klein smiled in response, indicating that he did not mind in the slightest.

Then he changed the subject and continued sharing what he had seen and heard in East and West Balam.

During this process, he once again used his Beyonder powers to make every ordinary person in the living room fall into an illusion. He himself picked up the unfinished ice cream from earlier, changed to a new silver spoon, and rose with a smile. Walking to the stroller, he asked gently,

“Will, do you want some?”

Without waiting for the plump fellow wrapped in silver silk to respond, his voice became even softer.

“You have already been born. You should be able to fold paper cranes now. That way, I won’t have to visit so often. You know very well that this easily arouses suspicion.”

Will Auceptin Ceres glared at him without answering.

Klein did not back down. He took a sheet of good-quality white paper from nearby and placed it into the stroller.

Then he bent down and scooped a little ice cream with the silver spoon.

“All gifts of fate have already had their prices secretly marked, have they not?” Klein moved the silver spoon in his hand as he spoke with a low laugh.

Lying inside the stroller, Will raised his left hand and wiped his tear-stained face. He muttered,

“For Beyonders of the Fate pathway, the things listed on the price tag are paid first. Only afterward do they wait for the gift.”

As he spoke, this chubby baby grabbed the sheet of white paper and, with somewhat difficult movements and a faint sob still in him, began folding a paper crane.

Klein stood before the stroller, keeping the silver spoon steady, smiling as he watched the scene.

…

A carriage set off from Pessote Street toward the area where Saint Samuel Cathedral was located.

When it passed 160 Böklund Street, Leonard Mitchell looked through the carriage window and glanced at that house. He seemed to speak to himself as he said,

“Dwayne Dantès is back too.”

Immediately, the slightly aged voice sounded in his mind:

“Fate will eventually converge.”

“Old Man, after waking up, you sound more and more like a charlatan.” Leonard could not help mocking him.

Pallez Zoroast laughed twice and offered no reply.

After arriving at Saint Samuel Cathedral, Leonard was led by a priest into the study of Saint Anthony, the Archbishop of Backlund.

Anthony Stevenson wore a black robe edged with red. His eyes were deep, and his face was beardless. Standing in the shadows cast by the cabinets, he was like an unknown existence watching everything from the depths of darkness, making people feel fear for no reason at all.

“Your Grace, what did you summon me for?” Although Leonard already had some expectations, he still performed a rather nonstandard bow.

Anthony nodded gently.

“You have already made sufficient contributions and may apply to become a Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock. However, your Requiemer potion has not yet been fully digested. Therefore, I have taken you out of Soest’s team and assigned you some individual missions.”

Leonard replied according to procedure,

“Please give your instructions.”

Anthony picked up a stack of papers from the desk.

“These are all incidents suspected to be hauntings. Investigate them one by one, focusing primarily on soothing rather than purification. If you need assistance, you may draw personnel from the Nighthawk teams in the relevant areas.”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Leonard would have taken the initiative to do similar matters even if Saint Anthony had not ordered him, so he had no objection to such an assignment.

After accepting the stack of papers, he casually…