Saying Alex was interesting was not a comment on his personality. Rather, Angel had discovered that Alex had a very peculiar aura about him. If aura could be likened to a halo, then while others were shrouded in a layer of dullness, Alex shone as bright and dazzling as the sunlight.
Because the only power Angel could currently use was Illusion Technique, he couldnât figure out why Alex had an aura so different from everyone elseâs.
Angel thus began to observe Alex more closely.
During his observation, Angel also noticed that Alex seemed to be able to see him. When other peopleâs gazes swept past him, they didnât notice him because of the blinding illusion. However, when Alexâs gaze swept over him, although he hid it well, the micro-reactions of his pupils betrayed him.
Could this Alex be a Transcendent? But he didnât quite look the part.
Angel had thought that Alex would pretend not to see him the whole time, but to his surprise, when everyone else in the church had left, Alex took the initiative to strike up a conversation with him.
âAre you a ghost?â Alex asked again.
Angel looked at Alex, this white-haired youth who seemed to be only sixteen or seventeen years old. Facing Angel, he had no other emotionsâno fear, no surprise, just simple curiosity.
If it were a four or five-year-old child, innocent and unknowing, it would be one thing. But it was clear that Alex had significant thoughts, yet they were not about others, but about himself.
His attitude towards external things, even strangers, was one of âequanimity in presence or absenceâ.
The fact that his appearance could evoke a hint of curiosity in Alex was quite an accomplishment.
âHave you seen a ghost before?â Angel asked in return.
âIt seems you are not a ghost,â Alex stated with great certainty.
âYou have a keen observation,â Angel said, neither confirming nor denying with a nod.
Alex continued to answer Angelâs previous question: âI donât know if I have seen a ghost before, maybe I have. My heart tells me so.â
âIs it because of amnesia?â Angel remembered that the priest named Bertrand seemed to have mentioned Alex had lost his memory.
âEavesdropping is not a polite behavior,â Alex said softly, not delving into or reproaching further, and continued: âIndeed, it is because of the memory loss. I donât remember what I have experienced, but my heart tells me that I may have seen ghosts in the past.â
Alex paused: âSo Mr. Pat, have you ever seen a ghost?â
âI have.â
Angelâs unequivocal assertion startled Alex a bit, causing him to mutter softly and distractedly: âSo, ghosts really exist. Itâs not just my imagination?â
Angel thought Alex would inquire further about the ghost, but Alex quickly collected his emotions, asked nothing further, and said, âIf Mr. Pat is not a ghost, what are you then? Why canât other people see you?â
Angel: âItâs quite normal that others canât see me. I think the question you should ask is: Why can you see me?â
Alex, without any hesitation and following Angelâs lead, asked: âWhy can I see you?â
âI donât know,â Angel answered with a smile playing on his lips.
Alex was taken aback by the malice-filled response, and despite his composure, the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
Angel indeed did not know, but he suspected it might have something to do with Alexâs lost memory; perhaps he used to be a Transcendent. After all, Transcendents had a strong spiritual sense, and the eye-blocking illusion that he had cast was actually very low-level, a mere application of illusion energy without touching on the âlawâ aspect. Most Talented Ones could sense something was off, and for a Wizard Apprentice, seeing him wouldnât be difficult.
Angel: âI am quite curious, you see someone whom others cannot, arenât you afraid?â
Alex: âIf you wanted to kill me, you would have had many opportunities; if you arenât going to kill me, why would I be afraid?â
After saying that, Alex even stopped paying attention to Angel, sat down, and began to record some text on paper.
âReasoning of Knight Ravenâs cause of death?â Angel read softly, murmuring to himself, âNowadays, the clergy have even begun moonlighting as detectives?â
Alex continued to hold the pen, rapidly scribbling on the paper.
The content, however, was very brief, simply listing the name of Knight Raven and then writing Fanniâs name on the other side of his, marked underneath with âFanniâs birthday presentâ.
After pondering for a moment, Alex crossed out all the characters and wrote a location name: Holy City.
âWhat is the Holy City?â Seeing Alex start to focus on the task in his hands, Angel decided to walk around the church, then leave, but he did not expect that Alex would write down a location name at the end.
Angel was looking for location information, so he asked outright.
Alex put down his pen and looked at Angel with a puzzled look, seeming somewhat surprised that Angel didnât know about the Holy City.
Alex fell silent for a long time, no longer asking about Angelâs origins but instead asked, ââŠWhy are you following me?â
âI wanted to ask you for some information,â Angel said, not hiding his intent.
âWhat information?â
âGeographical information.â Angel pointed to the words âHoly Cityâ on the paper in front of Alex, âI want to know where this place is, what and where the Holy City is, and the name of this continent.â
Alexâs eyes moved slightly at Angelâs series of questions, âFrom your tone, youâre not from this continent?â
âI donât know,â Angel shrugged, âArenât I waiting for your answer? Once youâve answered, I can confirm whether I am from this continent.â
Alex watched Angel quietly, always feeling that this odd person was filled with a mysterious unknown.
âThis is Gust Town, which is said to be southeast of Holy City. Holy City is one of the fortified towns of the Kruya Divine Court and also the closest city to Gust Town.â
Angel: âSaid to be? Havenât you been there?â
Alex shook his head, âAt least in my memory, I have not been there.â
Angelâs gaze unintentionally shifted to the paper, where âHoly Cityâ was clearly visible, and he casually asked another question: âIf you have never been to Holy City, what then do you mean by writing âHoly Cityâ? Or do you think, the death of Knight Raven, has something to do with Holy City?â
Alex shook his head again, âThere is no evidence to indicate any connection, butâŠâ
Alex fell silent mid-sentence suddenly.
Angel was here in search of geographic information, not to solve a case, and he was indifferent to the answer. He was about to continue his geographical inquiry when Alex resumed the previously unfinished topic.
âBut I think itâs not only Knight Raven, the cases of Miss Camelot, Uncle Mainiâs family⊠This series of cases seems to share a common characteristic.â Alex had secretly studied the cause of death of these people, and although he couldnât find the culprit, he had noticed something peculiar. However, for some reason, he had not told Father Beren Lang or anyone else.
Now that Angel had inadvertently brought up this topic, to Alex, Angel was a stranger both to Gust Town and to him.
So, after pondering for a moment, he let out his long-suppressed desire to confide, speaking slowly.
âKnight Raven had a lady he had long admired, named Fanni. He once told me he planned to confess to her on her birthday. Later, I heard Fanni tell her friend that if she could listen to a divine chorus at the Chorus Hall on her birthday, she would die without regrets.â
âThe Chorus Hall is in Holy City. I believe that Knight Raven must have known this and with Fanniâs birthday just a few days away, he decided to go to Holy City alone; tragically, his head was found on the bridge pier on the way to Holy City.â
Angel wasnât interested in hearing the analysis of the case, but Alex himself was completely immersed in it.
âKnight Raven isnât an isolated case; many cases before him also ended with only a severed head remaining. The sheriff says the murderer kills indiscriminately, but I disagree, Iâve noticed a pattern: they all died because they were going to leave Gust Town.â
âMiss Camelot wanted to visit a relative in Holy City she hadnât seen for many years, Uncle Mainiâs family was moving to Holy City⊠and itâs highly likely that Knight Raven was going to Holy City to buy tickets for the Chorus Hall for Fanni.â
âItâs always the same, all the victims were planning to leave Gust Town, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and as soon as they stepped outside the bounds of Gust Town, they died.â
âThe whole of Gust Town is like a birdcage that no one can escape.â
âAs soon as the birds try to fly away, they are caught by an unknown hand that breaks their wings.â
Initially, Angel was not concerned with Gust Townâs cases, but as he listened to Alexâs account, he began to take an interest.
If Alexâs deduction was correct, and all the deaths occurred because people were attempting to leave Gust Town,
then this series of cases was indeed not simple.
After all, itâs impossible that everyone would inform others of their destination, yet all without exception ended up dead. This clearly wasnât the work of an ordinary murderer, especially since Alex had analyzed one of the victims; her death was likely the result of a quarrel with her husband that very night, which made her decide to leave Gust Town. Even a Wizard with the ability to read minds couldnât perfectly grasp othersâ movements; human hearts are fickle, changing every second with countless possibilities.
Which âmurdererâ could flawlessly track every individualâs movements, capturing even those who leave in the wake of a sudden quarrel and killing them?
Therefore, after hearing this, Angel felt it might not be a normal case, but perhaps the work of the Transcendent.
âAnyone who thinks of leaving Gust Town ends up in an accident. So, what do you think is the reason?â
After releasing his inner urge to confide, Alex returned once again to his calm demeanor, âI donât know.â
âDo you study these cases out of curiosity?â
Without hesitation, Alex shook his head, âI am not curious.â
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