After brief consideration, she had made her decision.
"As I anticipated, delving deeper into the research of those perverts from the 'Black Cornucopians' school is still the most reliable approach."
...
Sigrid heard noises in the main hall and came out of the forge, walking through the corridor to Fran's side.
"Dr. Fran, you're back from your house call? You look a bit tired. Would you like some tea?"
"Just some mental fatigue from excessive dream-walking. It won't last long. As for tea... I'm not thirsty right now, thank you, Sigrid."
Fran maintained her face-down position on the sofa, waving a hand at Sigrid.
She then laboriously flipped over on the sofa like a seal and inquired about the research progress on the Spiritbone Colonizer.
"Although you've only been working with that instrument for a day, I'd like to hear your thoughts on 'Wraithbone.'"
Tapping a finger to her lips, Sigrid considered her answer.
"An incredible crystalline bone material."
"The second-category ritual [Molten Gold Ritual] has no effect on Wraithbone, proving it's not a metal. Its physical strength is very high, so conventional bone-crafting techniques are also ineffective."
"But it can be shaped within the Spiritbone Colonizer by consuming psychic energy. As long as one masters the technique, Wraithbone material possesses near-perfect plasticity."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but think of Adamantium, the main material of the power sword Nir.
Adamantium possesses unparalleled physical strength and stability. If not for the Sun-Forging system's rituals having conceptual effects targeting metals, altering its form would be nearly impossible.
Whenever she thought of that sword, Sigrid felt both loss and solace. Loss because the sword left her just after she finished reforging it... solace because Sister Haida was perhaps its best master.
"Time was tight today, but I managed to create a test sample."
Sigrid produced one Wraithbone scalpel, then another identical one. They were nearly indistinguishable.
"But I haven't started attempting further refinement yet. Hmm... that would probably take about half a month." She stuck her tongue out slightly, a little embarrassed.
Because the Molten Gold Ritual was ineffective, Sigrid couldn't use her familiar method to inscribe prayers onto the blade.
"Very good. Your sample has a high degree of completion."
Fran examined the two nearly identical scalpels. If not for one bearing her own psychic signature, she could hardly tell which one Sigrid had replicated.
Though she was always academically tolerant and patient, no one dislikes a capable student.
"If you can maintain this research pace, we should be able to complete the forging project within this year..."
Hearing Fran mention the "forging project," Sigrid raised her eyebrows slightly, unable to hide her curiosity.
The excitement in her molten gold eyes was almost palpable. If she had a tail, it would surely be wagging incessantly by now...
"Dr. Fran, what are you planning to forge? A new weapon?"
"Hmm... Nope, guess again?" Fran didn't answer directly. Instead, she curled her lips into a smile, teasing her.
"Armor?"
"Not that either." Fran shook a finger, rejecting the guess.
Sigrid thought for a moment, then came up with a new answer.
"Then it must be a talisman or accessory."
"Dear Sigrid, if you confine your thinking to 'implements,' you'll never get the right answer."
Fran pulled Sigrid, who was standing nearby, down onto the sofa to sit with her. Then, she leaned close to her ear.
"I need to forge a special 'spine.'"
"A spine?"
This unexpected answer left Sigrid momentarily confused.
Given Dr. Fran's familiarity with human anatomy, crafting a biological spine from Wraithbone using the Spiritbone Colonizer shouldn't be difficult for her.
"Of course, making a conventional spine isn't hard, but this one is 'special.' It must simultaneously be compatible with three different technological systems, possess practicality and modular design, and conform to my aesthetic sensibilities..."
"I'll try to draft the blueprints in the next few days."
She had actually had a similar concept long ago, and only recently had the required technologies fully matured.
Ideally, it should be capable of detaching from the main body for autonomous combat, dealing massive true damage, retain the self-repair ability of living metal, and follow the standardized form of a Haemonculi's coccyx...
---
Thud!
A muffled, heavy, and brutal sound of flesh impacting something hard echoed from the luxuriously decorated bedroom.
"You... who the hell are you! Do you know what you're doing?!"
A middle-aged man in a silk bathrobe was being pinned face-down against a desk.
He was large-framed, but mostly flabby, and was held completely immobile by a figure noticeably smaller than him.
Anger and fear twisted the man's expression grotesquely. The greasy fat on his face trembled incessantly.
Crimson blood welled from a fresh, red gash on his forehead. It dripped onto the expensive wool carpet, creating a sticky, bloody stain.
"Of course I know."
The responder's voice was crisp and youthful, yet... also carried a cold, murderous intent.
"This is the residence of Mr. Carney Meredith, an official in the City Hall Engineering Department. And you are the master of this house."
He let out a disgusted tch.
...The young man pinning Carney's head was none other than Black Banyan.
This notorious director of the Burial Court was also wearing a white silk bathrobe, revealing the pale skin of his chest.
Seeing Black Banyan's unnerving calmness, a chill spread through Carney's mind.
"You're not from a branch family of the Lois clan. Those upstarts who rose by clinging to the White Cup wouldn't dare defy us..."
Carney ground his teeth in helpless rage. The hand on his neck felt youthful, but its strength was no less than that of a grown man.
"So that's why they brought such a cute boy to the banquet and conveniently sent him to my bedroom... it was a trap! Goddammit..."
He had thought the beautiful youth before him was a "gift" from the Lois family.
Youthful, full of vitality, and possessing the bearing of nobility... a rare treasure, without a doubt.
Carney had been eagerly wanting to take him into a hidden chamber no one could find, crush his dignity, defile his body, and then savor his look of humiliation...
But before he could even taste his prize, this seemingly harmless boy had bared his fangs.
"I know you're an assassin. But you'd better think carefully about the price of killing a 'Meredith.' If you change your mind... I can offer double."
Carney's voice trembled slightly. Though hope was slim, his only recourse now was to invoke his family name to intimidate the other.
"Assassin?" Black Banyan repeated the word, then showed a playful expression.
"I'm no 'assassin.' ...I'm here to settle accounts with you."
Carney felt his heart stop for an instant. If not for his family's etiquette training, he might have wet himself...
"Are you... 'Blood Kin'?" he asked cautiously.
In Carney's understanding, only the flesh-and-blood secret arts under the Red Cup system could so flawlessly disguise one's appearance and build.
If this youth was a believer sent by the Red Cup, then there might still be a way out... He was probably here to eliminate witnesses regarding the recent "Plum Moon ritual" incident. Perhaps they wanted to erase traces of their collusion with City Hall, or had some other purpose.
Those fanatics who even welcomed death were nearly inscrutable; anything they did was possible.
But he had already received Mr. Sines's blessing. As long as he could offer a higher price, surely they would accept...
"Blood Kin? Wrong. I'm a 'hunter.'"
Black Banyan's words rang in his ear like a thunderclap.
Under Carney's utterly despairing gaze, Black Banyan forced his mouth open and pressed his upper teeth against the hard solid wood tabletop.
"Clench your teeth. This might hurt a bit."
With one swift, forceful elbow strike, Carney's mouth was left with only blood, scattered broken teeth, and an empty upper gum.
"Hounds of the Secrets-Hunters... cough... I thought we'd been discreet enough. The Confidential Division's crows really are everywhere..."
Due to the excruciating pain and missing teeth, his speech became slurred and fragmented.
In his dazed state, Carney felt his life draining away with the warm blood, and death quietly approaching. So much fine wine untasted, so many beauties unenjoyed. Was his life really ending here?
Furious, unwilling, he wanted to roar but could only open and close his lips like a dying fish.
Suddenly, Carney felt his body grow lighter.
All restraints and shackles were broken. He no longer felt pain and immediately began running wildly, trying to escape the devilish youth.
"No matter how many times I see it, I still find this secret art of turning into a bug that crawls out of the head disgusting."
"Blessing? Just an inferior curse... Look, this is what you all scramble and fight over."
Black Banyan narrowed his eyes, then casually picked up a pen from the desk and brutally pinned a flesh-worm trying to escape to the floor.
---
Fog Street Clinic, Dining Room.
A sharp silver carving knife sliced through a neat piece of meat, revealing a tender, pink cross-section oozing with juices.
Fran placed the small cut piece into her mouth, her soft lips closing gently, then began chewing her dinner with evident enjoyment.
"Dr. Fran, what kind of meat is this?"
Sigrid sniffed the air, scented with roasted fennel, and asked curiously.
The dish on the plate looked very appetizing, but it didn't seem to be a common type of meat.
The fat from beef and lamb produces a distinct aroma when cooked at high temperatures, easy to identify. She had tasted pork ribs many times these past few days and wouldn't mistake them.
Poultry? No, the bone structure clearly wasn't poultry.
"Rabbit."
Fran swallowed the food and replied leisurely.
"These little hoppers have relatively low fat content, and the meat quality isn't the best... so they require very careful preparation. Compared to being a main course, they're more suitable as a snack with chili and chili oil."
As she spoke, she seemed to recall some interesting past event and revealed a meaningful smile.
"However, my first venture into cooking started with rabbit meat. Those were nostalgic times..."
"The recipe book from my beginner days is on the bookshelf, fifth row, thirteenth column. You can take a look when you have time, Sigrid."
Sigrid nodded earnestly.
During her time at Fog Street Clinic, she had been striving to perform her duties as a maid well. But her culinary skills were indeed somewhat lacking... In contrast, Dr. Fran possessed what could be called master-level expertise in cooking.
Even just while washing and chopping ingredients, her methodical movements exuded a sense of calm, unhurried elegance.
This inexplicably ignited a competitive spirit in Sigrid.
Even if she couldn't reach Dr. Fran's level in cooking, she would strive to get closer... Starting with not damaging the kitchen while cooking!
...
Dinner ended quickly. As Sigrid was clearing the dishes, Fran returned to the main hall.
Although [Drive Away Dust and Filth] could quickly clean the plates, putting them back in their proper places still took some time.
Fran sat relaxed and leisurely on the sofa, extending a hand towards an empty space beside her.
A haze of cold, pale mist gathered silently above the main hall. Then, a fresh copy of the "Norlington Evening News" dropped into her hand.
[October 5th. Mr. Carney Meredith, an official in the City Hall Engineering Department, was found deceased at home. After an on-site investigation by City Hall police, preliminary findings indicate accidental death. Furthermore, investigators discovered a large quantity of custom-made 'male intimate apparel' and an entire room of erotic pictorials in his residence. The depicted subjects were mostly underage males... How utterly repulsive!]
[Details are still under police investigation.]
[Representatives of the Meredith family stated they were unaware and strongly condemned Carney's actions.]
"Hmm, 'Engineering Department'... the department responsible for the city's pipe and sewer systems... So Carney was the target of the Secrets-Hunters' purge. But the hunters chose a secret execution this time instead of a public trial."
"This indicates the corruption he suffered was deeper than imagined, perhaps on the verge of becoming an Evil Spawn." Fran pursed her lips slightly, her expression tinged with disdain.
+++
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