"St. Wind Cathedral is just outside the subway station. Let's go there!" Xio, still recovering from her emotional turmoil, suggested to Ebner as they ran.
Ebner nodded in agreement. Neither of them were followers of the Lord of Storms, but it was clear that the Tyrant god posed a greater threat to evil forces. With their assailant hidden and unknown, the cathedral was the safest choice. Why would a railway from East Borough to St. George's District pass by Jolwood's St. Wind Cathedral? Because subway lines tend to loop around!
The two raced to the exit. Though they caught the curious eye of a few people on the platform, most assumed they simply had something urgent to attend to. Only one man crouching near the station's control room seemed to take any real notice. Dressed in a flat cap and holding his head in his hands, he glared in agony at Xio's retreating figure, beads of sweat streaming down his face. A severely cracked badge lay by his hand, though strangely, no one around him seemed to notice his distress.
St. Wind Cathedral was less than a hundred meters from the subway exit. Outside, Ebner could finally take in the thousand-year-old headquarters of the Church of Storms. As they reached the courtyard walls of the church, both he and Xio breathed a sigh of relief. Unless the one who had cursed Xio had lost their mind, they wouldn't dare to attack so close to the cathedral; any attempt would likely result in them being reduced to ashes by a Tyrant's bolt of lightning.
Instead of entering the church itself, Ebner and Xio stopped just outside to catch their breath. They were, after all, unaffiliated Beyonders and 'wild' ones at that. If they exposed themselves here, the Justiciar would likely detain them for interrogation.
Leaning against the cathedral wall, Xio finally spoke. "Thank you, Ebner. Without your help, I might've fallen deeper into those strange emotions and lost control..." She looked at him with genuine gratitude and newfound trust.
Ebner waved it off casually, then asked, "Xio, who exactly did you offend to end up cursed?"
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this!" Xio first lowered her head in apology before recounting, "I followed up on your analysis and started investigating that adviser, Hick. After questioning several of Rosen's former subordinates, I found that he was indeed problematic. Not only does he excel at persuasion and eliminating rivals, but he also constantly urges Rosen to issue high-interest loans filled with traps, leaving many families destitute. And there's more—he's tied to slave traders and has a hand in abducting the family members of bankrupt households..."
"Hearing this, Hick doesn't sound like a 'Swindler' at all. He's more like a 'Instigator' from the Witch pathway. After all, the essence of the Swindler lies in conducting fraud oneself, not through others. And his ties to slave traders..." Ebner mused aloud, frowning as a sudden realization dawned on him. A flash of inspiration connected details from the novel with the current situation, bringing several things into sharp focus.
"If Hick truly is an Instigator, then he's likely connected to the Witch Sect, which has close ties to the Loen royal family, supplying the would-be god-emperor George III with sacrificial offerings. Could this be part of George III's grand scheme to become the Black Emperor? In the novel, Klein managed to uncover the slaver Kapin, but such an immense plan would surely involve more than one subordinate. This small-time mobster's loan shark operation must be part of some peripheral arrangement..."
Having pieced it all together, Ebner felt a chill. The implications of the discovery were far beyond the influence of a lowly Sequence 9. The only small relief was that Hick himself likely played a minor role, unworthy of the higher-ranking players' attention.
"Did you figure something out?" Xio asked, her face etched with concern as she noticed Ebner's expression change.
Ebner glanced at Xio. In the novel, her investigation of this case led her to injure Rosen so severely that she was imprisoned. With the knowledge he'd shared with her, she'd uncovered even deeper secrets, which had now drawn a curse upon her.
"In a way, it's my meddling that's gotten her into this..." Ebner thought, feeling a twinge of guilt. He hesitated, debating whether to share the truth. In the end, he decided against it. Xio was, after all, another victim of George III's twisted quest for divinity, but revealing too much might only confuse her, especially given the source of his information.
"I suspect that Hick is an 'Instigator' rather than a 'Swindler,' connected either to the Witch Sect or the Secret Order." Ebner shared part of the truth, before steering the conversation toward a more immediate concern. "But right now, the real issue is removing the curse's demonic mark from you. Unless we purify it, the attacker could use it to throw you into another fit of madness."
Xio nodded, her face creasing with worry. "Earlier, you dispelled the curse... Ebner, did you figure out what kind of curse it was? Also, what's with your white eyes?"
"That was the effect of a special Beyonder artifact," Ebner replied evasively, before sharing his deduction. "The curse attacks through emotions. This suggests it's Abyss pathway magic, likely the power of a Sealed Artifact."
He had reasoned this out on their run to the cathedral. The Pure White Eye had restored Xio's mind, not by lifting the curse directly, but because when she'd looked at him, the caster had tried to extend the curse through their line of sight. Unfortunately for them, the Pure White Eye's higher authority rejected it instantly, breaking the curse's hold and likely reflecting the energy back to its source. That was why they had made it to the station without further incident.
The involvement of a Sealed Artifact rather than a high-ranking Beyonder was likely, as such an attacker would have needed to be nearby. Otherwise, a high-authority backlash like that would have killed or driven them mad. And the fact that the subway station and carriage hadn't shown any signs of abnormality suggested that their assailant was only indirectly harmed by the Sealed Artifact's recoil. Even so, they probably didn't escape unscathed.
"'Abyss pathway'? I've never even heard of it..." Xio murmured, looking a bit lost.
"It's commonly known as the Demon Sequence. They're infamous for manipulating emotions and enticing people to fall." Ebner gave her a brief explanation.
Xio nodded, accepting the information, though she didn't question his assumption that it was a Sealed Artifact. Instead, she asked hesitantly, "So, how do we get rid of it for good?"
If the Fool were around, a quick prayer to Him would bring his Paper Angel to resolve this... But, alas, the Fool wouldn't arrive for another month, so they'd need to find a Beyonder from the Sun pathway or borrow a relevant artifact.
Ebner snapped out of his thoughts and, combining his knowledge from the novel with the curse mark he'd observed, made a suggestion. "It's not a particularly high-level curse, so an exorcism ritual should work."
"An exorcism... Do you know how to perform one?" Xio asked, hopeful.
I've only been here four days—I wish! Internally, Ebner sighed, but he kept his composure and asked, "Don't you have contacts in the Beyonder circles?"
"Unfortunately, there's no meeting in the Beyonder circles for at least another week or two..." Xio said, disheartened. Her experience told her that the curse user had likely been harmed by his spell, meaning he wouldn't attack again for a few days, but she doubted he'd be down for much longer than that.
Given that his interference had partially led to Xio's predicament, Ebner felt compelled to help her further. After a moment's thought, he said, "I know someone with a useful artifact that might help, though I'm not sure I can reach him. I'll give it a shot."
"Thank you, Ebner! You really don't owe me anything..." Xio's spirits lifted, and she looked at him with sincere gratitude.
"No need to thank me. Let's go." Ebner hailed a carriage from the street and instructed the driver to take them to Iron Gate Street in the Bridge District.
As they sat in the carriage, Xio glanced over at him, hesitant. "Weren't you planning on going to the Riverside shooting club today?"
"Today's plan is out the window. I'll have to try again tomorrow. Hopefully, Mr. Deef won't mind." Ebner chuckled wryly.
Xio weighed her words before finally saying, "You know, you don't have to pay for lessons there. I know a secluded, free spot for practice. I'm an excellent shooter and could even coach you if you'd like. I also have practice rounds to share." She clearly felt indebted to him and wanted to repay the favor.
Ebner's eyes lit up. Xio's offer made sense, and, looking over her knight's practice gear, a new thought struck him. "Xio, how's your hand-to-hand combat?"
"I've trained as a knight from a young age," she replied, puzzled by the question.
"How about this, then—I'll hire you as my firearms and combat instructor. Your fees will cover what I owed for that information and analysis from before. How's that sound?" Ebner proposed, shamelessly.
"Deal!" Xio seemed genuinely relieved by the arrangement, not liking to be in anyone's debt.
Just then, the carriage reached Iron Gate Street. Ebner led Xio into Braveheart Bar and found Kaspars without any trouble.
Kaspars looked at the pair in mild amusement before asking, "You're back already? What's the problem this time?"
"I'd like you to pass along a message to the old gentleman who organizes the gatherings. Tell him I've completed his assigned study and would like him to bring the Sun Brooch to help with a little problem. I'll pay in the form of knowledge about Fourth Epoch secrets. Preferably tonight."