In that fleeting moment of thought, Black Banyan saw Fran take out the bronze pocket watch from her pocket.
Although unclear about the method, relying on his years of experience, he immediately closed his eyes to guard against possible mental interference.
"Quick reaction."
Fran raised an eyebrow slightly, extended a hand, and the [Far Caress] on her wrist immediately shot out, binding the man and pulling him before her.
"Compared to mental hypnosis, I actually prefer physical hypnosis methods. I'm fortunate to get to try it out today..."
Black Banyan instinctively wanted to ask "What is that?"
But as Fran's hand struck his cervical vertebrae with precise force, the hunter's consciousness and thoughts plunged into darkness.
—
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?!"
Black Banyan woke up the next morning. Staring at his hands in astonishment, the corner of his eye twitched unnaturally.
What kind of change could shock this Secrets-Hunter division head who no longer even feared death?
"Head Black Banyan, the Medical Court is currently urgently analyzing the anomaly that occurred with you... There's only a preliminary conclusion so far. Would you like to hear it?"
Marian looked calmly at the frantic Black Banyan on the hospital bed, a hint of a smile on her face.
"Speak!"
Black Banyan held a mirror, urging her on, while constantly patting his cheeks to confirm he wasn't dreaming.
"The life force you lost due to S-923 'Death Banyan' has somehow returned to your body. That relic was almost symbiotic with you, so your aging has been reversed."
"But then I should have reverted to the same age as Alwin and Silver Wing Locust. Why have I become... so young?"
Black Banyan pressed immediately.
The Burial Court head was no longer the decrepit old man from before. His current appearance was that of a teenager in his teens, with ruddy lips, white teeth, and a delicate, youthful handsomeness. It was like a dream back to childhood... even the blue-and-white hospital gown hung loosely on him.
"Because 'Death Banyan' has been confirmed destroyed. Its remains are on your bedside table. The massive life force within the branches surged back into your body, including all that you previously drained from Evil Spawn and heretics..."
Marian put away her joking demeanor, touched the mole by her eye, her gaze taking on the clarity and chill of a researcher.
"So that's why I reverted to being a teenager?"
"No, of course not."
Marian deftly twirled her recording pen, frowning slightly, not hiding her puzzlement.
"Excessive foreign life force is completely incompatible with a normal human. Generally, your outcome should have been bursting. But the current situation is you survived, while the relic was destroyed..."
Black Banyan narrowed his eyes, calming down somewhat from the shock, and sorted out the logic from Marian's explanation.
If this relic truly had the effect of rejuvenating someone, it would never have ended up in his hands as a "weapon."
Marian took a scalpel from a delicate instrument kit and neatly sliced open the skin on Black Banyan's arm.
But the incision began healing almost the instant it was made. After closing, a small pale pink flower even grew from the wound.
"See? Even a Red Cup deacon's healing speed isn't as fast as yours now."
"By the God-Hunting God... What exactly happened yesterday? Why don't I remember anything?"
Black Banyan rubbed his forehead, feeling his memory was a complete haze. Only a faint, dull ache remained at the cervical vertebrae in his neck.
"The General Affairs Division has suspended your position as head. Rest for a while. Although a first-category ritual, [Oracle's Mouth], judged there's no latent threat on you... observation is still needed for a period to allow us to record clinical information."
Marian glanced at the wall clock and, confirming the time was about right, began explaining the precautions for the recuperation period.
"Hmm, that's as it should be."
Upon learning of his suspension, Black Banyan nodded slightly, showing no surprise.
The General Affairs Division's decision was flawless; that's exactly how it should be handled! Faced with an unknown change, caution and patience must always be the first principle. In this situation, letting him remain in his head position would be disrespectful to the lives of his Burial Court colleagues.
Marian had finished explaining many points and was about to leave. But at the door, she sighed and slowly spoke.
"Black Banyan, Silver Wing Locust said your commendation should arrive in the coming days. Seeing you arrive with only half a body, I can imagine how intense it was... Thank you for your dedication, excellent hunter."
When facing the "Cup's Servant" Yates, Black Banyan knew his physical capabilities made it extremely difficult to get close. So, from the start, he decided to feign death and lie in wait, hoping for a chance to launch a surprise attack. Whether successful or not, he would pay with his life...
But he had to try his utmost. Success would buy his Burial Court comrades a sliver more chance of victory.
Marian then cleverly blinked, changing her tone, shedding the previously serious, almost cold attitude.
"However... now you'd better cherish your hard-won new life. Don't go thinking about sacrificing yourself so casually anymore, Jonsen~"
"You!"
Black Banyan was momentarily speechless. In his stunned moment, Marian had already left the room, leaving only the crisp click of high heels echoing in the corridor.
—
[The flesh ailments of Norlington citizens have been cured (10/10). The July routine house call task has been completed. Completion Rating: A. Your next monthly house call will be randomly triggered next month.]
[This session's fee: Unknown Artifact x1 (Common quality. Unidentified)]
[Your Parsing Rate changes: Xenology (33% → 33.5%).]
…
Fog Street Clinic, Fran's operating room.
"Six ordinary people, one White Cup teaching assistant, three Secrets-Hunters... Pity, no particularly special cases. Black Banyan's condition looked severe, but it was just limb loss plus relic side effects."
Fran listed off the cases from this house call, then gave a somewhat weary yawn. She wasn't necessarily truly tired, just felt somewhat unmotivated facing such repetitive work of low difficulty.
Haida had already returned to the cult. Although on vacation, she still needed to go to the Medical Court from time to time to cooperate with Ms. Marian for routine check-ups.
"A Common quality 'artifact'. Hope it gives me a pleasant surprise."
Fran, clad in a heavy white protective suit, gently rubbed her palms together and began the identification with careful caution.
[Damaged Power Sword]
[Quality: Common]
[Effect: An Executioner Greatblade used by 'Judiciars' and 'Silent Sisters'. The disruption field coating the blade is destroyed, the hardened silicon crystals have peeled off, the hilt guard decoration is missing. Blade integrity remaining: 78%.]
[Note: "It was shattered along with its wielder in the fiery winds of death and flame... yet it still yearns to awaken once more."]
—
"A structure of pure Adamantium... If undamaged, it should have been Fine quality."
Fran gently ran her fingers over the blade, eliciting a clear metallic hum.
"Great. A gift for Haida is settled."
She still remembered promising Haida a piece from her collection back in the Lands Between. But the items in her collection room were either not quite suitable as gifts or too dangerous to exist in this world... making a choice was indeed difficult.
This sword, however, was very suitable. Silent Sisters are sisters, Haida is also a sister, a perfect professional match.
Of course, before gifting it, Fran needed to perform some restoration work. Handing over defective goods directly went against her principles.
But this presented a new problem... She had no expertise in forging or smelting, one could say she was completely ignorant.
"Later, I'll go to the East District's Sun-Forgers cult. Those sun-worshipping brawny fellows should have rituals and secret arts capable of smelting Adamantium."
Fran immediately made up her mind and planned her schedule.
—
Norlington East District, Sun-Forging Spire.
This was the branch of one of the Four Major Orthodox Cults, the "Sun-Forgers", in Norlington. The cult's headquarters was in the Sand-Flow Nation Attilan. There, under the most scorching sun and amidst the most towering mountains, lay the holy land of the Sun-Forgers' "Fire-Chasers".
The tall spire resembled a massive forge, spewing flames and smoke from its peak.
Fran had been here a few times before to treat these guys for heatstroke. Each time, she felt the enveloping heat flow around her, quite uncomfortable. While not unbearable, she hated the sticky feeling of clothes after sweating.
"Hmm... Something's off."
Fran's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her amber-golden gaze sharpening. She didn't feel the usual warmth. This never-extinguishing spire... seemed to have gone completely cold.
"Hello? Is anyone here?"
Harboring a very ominous premonition, Fran pushed open the spire's door.
The vast main hall, which should have been full of craftsmen and receptionists, was now cold and deathly silent. Not a single forge was burning. The neat bluish-gray brick floor was inexplicably covered in pale gray ashes.
"Why does trouble always find me? I just came to reforge a power sword... Could using 'APTX-4869' on Miquella have given me the unlucky streak of that grade-school detective who brings death..."
Fran gently pressed her forehead, letting out a sigh full of dismay.
She slowly crouched down, extended a slender, sutured index finger to touch some of the pale gray ash, and gave it a slight sniff.
"Fresh bone ash."
She wiped the residual ash from her fingertip and began examining each pile of ash on the floor.
"Each pile is from a different person... Burning bones requires over 900 degrees Celsius, and this isn't a sealed crematorium environment. Meaning, the actual temperature these people experienced was even higher."
"But the entire main hall environment shows no damage at all, only the original soot stains from the forges."
Fran thought for a moment, then put on pristine white rubber gloves to avoid contaminating the scene.
"First, check for survivors. And by the way, visit the Sun-Forgers cult's library to appreciate their forging techniques... Although I don't like blacksmithing, given the situation, commissioning them isn't realistic now."
After some time, she arrived at the Sun-Forgers cult's library.
The originally heavily guarded depths of the spire were now completely empty. The corridors held only pale ashes drifting in the wind.
"Although the Sun-Forgers cult has been declining in recent years, and this is just a branch... their foundation remains. They shouldn't have died out so quickly and silently."
Fran was certain this branch's demise happened within a day... likely last night.
The bone ash on the floor could still barely maintain its shape, not yet scattered by convection winds. Moreover, it smelled dry and fresh, not yet tainted by much morning dampness.
She quickly scanned the many metal bookshelves, picking through forging techniques, and finally found a somewhat tattered book titled Smelting Ritual Studies. It recorded some second-category rituals capable of smelting relic metals.
After a few minutes, Fran quickly flipped through the entire book, then returned it to the shelf in its original state, indicating she had completely understood.
"The metal melting problem is solved. Now I need some books on sword forging... Though a crash course will probably be tricky."
Muttering to herself, she wandered the spacious library and found the bookshelves at the far end of the room toppled over. Piles of yellowed record papers were stacked up like a small hill. And buried within, three unconscious people groaned unconsciously.
"There really are survivors... Judging by their attire, they should be Sun-Forgers Fire-Chasers. Hopefully, one of them knows how to forge swords."
Fran stepped forward slowly and confirmed the three had stable vital signs, requiring no emergency treatment.
"But... the real culprit couldn't be among them, could it?"
At this thought, Fran's eyes grew somewhat subtle. Suddenly, a strange desire to recite a certain famous line welled up.
"Flowing water has no shape, drifting wind leaves no trace. The reasoning of any case depends on the heart. The only one who uncovers the truth is someone who appears to be a young girl but possesses wisdom surpassing normal people—"
Ahem! Ahem!
At that moment, one of the survivors suddenly coughed twice, showing signs of regaining consciousness.
Fran immediately stopped, quickly patted her cheeks to manage her expression, and put on a friendly yet not fawning customer-service smile.
—
At the entrance of the Sun-Forging Spire, a person in a police officer's uniform opened a car door, bowed slightly after helping the occupants out.
"Ms. Silver Wing Locust, Sister Haida, Agent Vivian. Thank you for your trouble."
The police department belonged to the Norlington City Hall, maintaining only basic public order, somewhat a lower-tier substitute for the Secrets-Hunters cult. But as the City Hall's control over Norlington weakened in recent years, most ordinary cases also ended up being handled by the Secrets-Hunters.
Silver Wing Locust nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then led Haida and Vivian into the massive, furnace-like spire.
"Head Silver Wing Locust, can you tell me why I was specifically asked to participate in this mission?"
After confirming they were away from the city hall police, Haida asked Silver Wing Locust, quite puzzled. Strictly speaking... she was still on vacation and had the right to refuse any extra overtime outside regulations.
"Tsk. As if you didn't want to come."
Silver Wing Locust took out a slender lady's cigarette, lit it with Alwin's kerosene lighter, took a light drag, and exhaled a wisp of mint-scented smoke.
"The person who reported the case requested to see you. I figured you were probably bored out of your mind, so I brought you along."
"What about me?" Vivian asked timidly.
"Oh... Vivian, when did you get here?"
Silver Wing Locust raised an eyebrow, showing a surprised expression.
+++
T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL