Chapter 749
Shattered Filthy Flesh and Blood
Before Christina left, Alistair thoughtfully had Mirror Demon find her a few new outfits and some jewelry. These would be useful when she transferred to the Spirit Tower. It was like this: “You eat the meat, and I’ll have some of the soup”—Alistair had gone hunting and didn’t want to bother with the treasure chest later, so she had Mirror Demon take all the valuable items for her.
“…What if someone discovers the Count was murdered, and his valuables were stolen… and the clothes I’m wearing happen to match?” Christina asked Alistair, her mentor, worriedly at the time.
Alistair casually replied, “It’s fine, no one will find out.”
Although Christina still didn’t understand Alistair’s logic, she chose to believe her. After all, Alistair had saved her when she was already dead. Strictly speaking, this life belonged to Alistair. *At worst, she could just keep them all and not wear them out.*
Alistair and her party were teleported back to Prince Xiardo’s residence by Mirror Demon. Prince Xiardo had previously assigned Alistair two guest rooms. Selene was fast asleep in her room—her sleepiness stemming from the bestial instincts of the Path of Love. However, whether it was because the Child of the Moon was special, or because Alistair herself was special, her sleepiness wasn’t very pronounced. Honey Badger, a Mistress of high-tier Path Adaptation, was more suited for nighttime activities. Their sleep schedules were compatible, so they shared the other guest room. Of course, according to Honey Badger’s explanation at the time, she was “personally protecting Alistair to prevent her from secretly escaping.”
She didn’t know then that Alistair was Eivass, so her concerns were understandable. Alistair looked like a scheming woman with her own ulterior motives. If the mission assigned by the Pope failed because of this, Alistair would be too negligent in her work. However, now, there was no need for close surveillance…
Because of this, Honey Badger wisely left on her own.
“You should go rest,” Alistair casually said. “With Mirror Demon here, you don’t need to guide me anymore. I can teleport directly.”
“…Yes.” Honey Badger responded with a complex expression. She suddenly understood the feelings of the crow perched on Alistair’s shoulder.
After Honey Badger went to rest, Alistair planned to open a few treasure chests before getting back to work. It was a pity, though… Count Dawn’s usual residence was not in Leipzig. Perhaps because he wanted to perform a grand ritual, he didn’t keep many supernatural items in his home to avoid interference. Instead, there were mostly ritual materials that Alistair couldn’t use and couldn’t take away. And Mirror Demon couldn’t reach things that were too far away.
Even so, Mirror Demon still helped Alistair find something good. It was a fragment of flesh and blood placed in a crystal ball using a special method. It looked like a liver but pulsed slightly like a heart. Numerous fine, vein-like black blood vessels extended from within, reaching the surface of the crystal ball.
“This is…” Alistair stared intently at the object, her brows furrowed slightly. She lightly caressed it but, surprisingly, no system panel popped up. *How was this classified?* Alistair frowned slightly, a faint doubt surfacing in her mind. However, even without a system appraisal, Alistair instinctively knew… this was a good thing. The moment Alistair touched it, her originally emerald-green pupils suddenly lit up crimson. This meant it was highly likely related to the Child of the Moon… or at least, it possessed a considerable adaptability for the Path of Love, and could at least be used as a ritual hub for the Path of Love.
“I remember you mentioned…” Alistair mused, “Red Phase wanted to make a move on him. Right, Mirror Demon?”
“—Yes, my lady.” Behind Alistair, the exquisite gold-rimmed vanity mirror now emitted an ominous black smoke. It had already sensed that the Bishop had entered Count Dawn’s villa—it even specifically helped open the door before returning.
“You mentioned, is it possible… Red Phase was targeting him for this item?” Alistair asked. “Do you think it’s possible?”
*You’re asking me? How would I know?* Mirror Demon thought to itself. But it maintained a respectful and serious attitude, carefully considering before replying, “That possibility cannot be ruled out. Because my previous master’s recent ritual was performed not long after he obtained this item. If Red Phase was hostile towards him to obtain this item, it would make sense.”
“What about the specific time? When did he get this crystal ball?”
“Late December.” Mirror Demon answered without hesitation. “About a week before New Year’s Eve.”
Converting that, it should be shortly after Eivass obtained the Book of Law and left Eagle Cape Village. Currently, it was not yet mid-March. This meant Count Dawn only spent about three months killing at least twenty young girls. Considering he needed some time to conceive this ritual, the time spent was likely far less. He still needed Christina as a broker, which indicated that the number of heads he needed was still far from enough…
“…As expected, Sherlock was right back then. No Demon Scholars are good people.” Alistair sighed from the bottom of her heart. *As for herself?* *Miss Alistair is already a Sin Scholar, what does that have to do with me?*
Alistair ultimately put away the crystal ball, which she couldn’t understand, and set up a simple ritual to isolate it, covering it up. It was already dawn. Although Prince Xiardo had been busy in the first half of the night, he had already fallen asleep. After all, Leipzig was full of demons and monsters… With Count Leipzig’s deterrence and the protection of the astrologer’s prophecy. If enemies who were not afraid of Count Leipzig’s “rules” and could bypass the prophecy of the Fourth Tier to pose a threat to him, then he wouldn’t be able to contend with them. It was like living in a high-rise building on an earthquake zone… running was useless, because one couldn’t run anyway.
Alistair’s gaze lowered, inexplicably filled with sadness. *Whenever Eivass suddenly thought of earthquakes, he would lose himself for a moment. Alistair was the same now. Even though the memories of her past life were vague and incomplete, the experiences were still etched in her bones.*
“As expected, the Hourglass wasn’t cleanly divided… Eivass wasn’t the only one with issues.” Alistair felt truly relieved upon realizing the true origin of the residual devotion deep within her heart. This was something she could not forget—the true underlying color of Eivass’s personality.
At this moment, news arrived from Eivass on the other side. The Bishop’s work was completed… meaning the Count’s soul had been sent to the Dream Realm.
“Barring any accidents, his soul should also turn into a demon.” Alistair looked at Mirror Demon and said meaningfully, “Although the Winter Demon has been sealed by me… the remaining part, fueled by his own sins alone, should also become an Upper Demon of no low Energy Level. For your safety—your contract should be ready, right? Let’s sign it.”
(End of Chapter)
