"Teacher Sharon~ Why are you here?"
"To save you." Sharon's answer was as concise and to the point as ever.
"To save me—" Lorne repeated softly, then shook his head slightly, "Your injuries haven't fully recovered, have they? Yet you rushed over here."
He paused, "Aren't there Punishers nearby?"
His tone was slightly anxious, but the meaning was clear: he was worried about Sharon's safety.
To the Storm Church, whether you were from the Indulgence Faction or the Temperance Faction, you belonged to the Rose School of Thought and were an object to be captured and eliminated. Sharon taking such a great risk to find him could easily get herself implicated.
"Don't worry, I've mostly recovered." Sharon's face was expressionless, but her tone softened slightly, "Moreover, I conducted a detailed investigation and only came after confirming it was safe."
The Premonition of Disaster indeed had no reaction—the official's surveillance of me wasn't as strict as I imagined; they just regarded me as a minor character caught up in the incident.
Lorne shrugged and said nothing more.
Sharon glanced at Lorne, her beautiful blue eyes subtly moving: "Besides, I am your teacher now, and I have an obligation to ensure your safety.
"—" This made Lorne fall silent for a moment. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Are you serious?"
"Mm." Sharon nodded without hesitation, but this time, she didn't immediately shift her gaze. Instead, she met his eyes for a full two seconds before slowly looking away.
Hiss—
Lorne narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully scrutinizing her expression. But no matter from what angle he looked, Sharon remained calm and unperturbed. Even when their eyes met again, she still showed no additional emotion, like a delicate doll, possessing a natural, distant beauty.
Sure enough, the expression he saw that day was an illusion.
Lorne sighed inwardly, then forced a smile and changed the subject: "Then, Teacher Sharon, how did you know I was here?"
Seeing that Lorne stopped pressing, Sharon secretly breathed a sigh of relief, a faint blush flashing across her pale cheeks.
Temperance—must be temperate—she silently admonished herself, not to forget her teacher's teachings.
"After I mostly recovered, to fulfill my promise, I went to look for you but found you were missing." Sharon explained unhurriedly.
"So, Marich and I went to your firearm factory, where we heard some things."
"Mm." Lorne nodded, still feeling a touch of relief. The other party cared so much about his safety, even going specifically to investigate, which showed she truly regarded him as one of her own, not just a transactional relationship.
He then roughly recounted his recent experiences, deliberately omitting all content related to Queen Mystic Bernadette.
"You should have informed Marich and me."
"Having just been chased by the Indulgence Faction, I didn't want to cause you more trouble."
"We are friends—" Sharon stared at Lorne, a hint of reproach in her eyes. She felt that he didn't take her seriously.
"I—" Lorne's momentum weakened slightly, then he smiled helplessly, "Sigh—this whole thing was an accident, after all. I didn't expect to get caught up in such trouble."
"Do we need to go to Councilor Macht?" Sharon suggested.
"Him—" Lorne had considered asking him for help. But considering that he had misunderstood his relationship with Hazel, it seemed inappropriate to approach him at this critical juncture.
"We have those photos." Sharon reminded him, referring to the photos of Hazel being caught in the act.
"He must help."
"That would mean completely falling out with him, and the identity of Scott would be completely useless."
1
"It's worth it to get you out." Sharon's tone was gentle.
"Forget it—I'll still need his help for my future business." After thinking about it, Lorne still shook his head.
"Councilor Macht's influence might not even be useful. He's not a noble with real power after all."
He looked at Sharon, giving her a reassuring smile: "Besides, from the current situation, the lax security also indicates that this matter might just be that the higher-ups haven't yet decided how to deal with a minor character like me. I shouldn't be in any serious trouble."
"Teacher Sharon, I appreciate your kindness, but you should leave quickly."
"If you truly want to help me, why not help me look after my factory? Because of the stock market crash, all of Backlund is in chaos right now, and I'm afraid someone might take advantage of the situation."
"You seem—very eager for me to leave."
After hearing Lorne's words, Sharon unexpectedly uttered this, her voice still calm, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to carry another meaning.
"This—" This question stumped Lorne, leaving him momentarily unsure how to respond, "This is the official's territory after all, and accidents can happen at any time, so you should still—"
"I understand—" Before her words finished, Sharon's body rapidly became transparent. A few seconds later, Lorne could no longer sense her spiritual presence.
Hiss—
Lorne blinked, looking at the empty detention room.
"She, she just—was she angry?"
"Miss Audrey, we need your help."
Fors and Xio successfully contacted Audrey, agreeing to meet in a VIP lounge at a high-end shopping mall—
to meet.
"Did something unexpected happen?" Audrey asked curiously, noting their visibly troubled expressions.
"A friend of ours was unjustly imprisoned in the police station, awaiting his final judgment. I hope you can help him get out, no matter what it takes!" Xio said urgently, her small fists unconsciously clenching.
"He—" Audrey acutely noticed the pronoun Xio used, and Fors's face, equally filled with worry yet trying to maintain composure.
"What exactly is the situation? Can you tell me in detail?" She maintained her elegant posture, her voice gentle, attempting to soothe their emotions.
Fors and Xio exchanged glances, then took a deep breath: "It's like this—"
They briefly and concisely narrated how Scott got involved in the case, how he was arrested, and how they firmly believed he was innocent, repeatedly emphasizing that Scott was a gentleman of noble character, always willing to help others, and absolutely incapable of engaging in any illegal activities.
Fors and Xio's behavior was too flustered, completely inconsistent with their usual demeanor—Audrey listened, analyzing their emotions in her mind. She noticed that Fors was unconsciously tugging at her hair, while Xio kept shifting her folded hands.
Normally, Fors and Xio would appear more at ease in front of her. After all, in some Beyonder circles, they were the 'seniors' who introduced her, so both had always tried to maintain a senior's demeanor in front of Audrey.
But their appearance today was vastly different from before. The anxiety, fear, and unease were practically overflowing from them.
It seems James Scott is a very important person to them—Audrey had a flash of realization.
Thinking that Fors had also recently joined the Tarot Club, although the other party hadn't recognized her yet, Audrey was still very happy.
It's just that Fors's performance in the Tarot Club was strange; she seemed to distrust Mr. Fool, but Audrey believed that with time, she would definitely understand Mr. Fool's greatness and the Tarot Club's goodwill.
As a senior, she should help her.
"If what you say is true, I will find a way to help."
"So that's how it is, James Scott was actually—"
Meanwhile, Klein also arrived at the Logot Firearm Factory.
Initially, because he looked suspicious, lingering and peering around the factory gate, the vigilant Old Kohler mistook him for a dangerous individual with ill intentions. It was only by relying on his excellent eloquence, a logical explanation of his detective identity, and presenting the business card James Scott had personally given him, that he barely managed to convince the other party.
"Apologies, sir, the East Borough has been restless lately, and I got a bit agitated—"
"It's alright, I understand."
Klein clearly knew why the East Borough was so chaotic recently, and he couldn't feel any blame in his heart.
He also learned from Old Kohler that James Scott had been detained at the police station.
"Detective, do you have any ideas? Mr. Scott is truly a good person, and he gave me this job. I really don't want anything to happen to him."
I didn't expect him to actually get involved—Klein felt a little guilty.
He quickly analyzed the current situation. Capin's case involved many powerful figures behind it; if James Scott truly caught their attention, then it would be troublesome—
However, being merely detained at the police station and still allowed visitors indicates that he hasn't been taken away by the Punishers, and there's still a chance to salvage the situation."
"But what exactly should be done—"
This matter started because of him, and Scott was implicated for doing a good deed. Both emotionally and logically, he felt responsible to make amends and find a way to rescue him.
That's right, Miss Justice! She's a true noble, she must have connections and contacts in high society! I can completely use the identity of 'The World' in the Tarot Club to ask her to help inquire about the situation or exert some influence!" Klein's eyes lit up. The convenience of the Tarot Club became apparent at this moment.
"Excuse me, is this the Logot Firearm Factory?" Just then, a slightly hesitant and shy female voice interrupted his thoughts.
Klein and Old Kohler looked over at the sound, discovering that the newcomer was a figure wearing a mask and a hood, completely bundled up. Judging by her build, she appeared to be a young lady.
"This is it. May I ask who you are looking for, miss?" The Gatekeeper Old Kohler greeted politely.
"I—" Hazel was a little embarrassed, "I'm looking for James Scott."
"Looking for Mr. Scott?" Old Kohler was a little surprised. Why was another person looking for him today?
"Do you have something to discuss with Mr. Scott?"
"I—I—" Hazel lowered her head, nervously rubbing the corner of her clothes. She was a little too shy to speak.
She had come to discuss the 'investment' with Scott, hoping he could return the thousand-plus pounds she had given him last time. The reason for this was none other than the recent financial troubles of the Macht family.