Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1410 The Principles of Heredity

This pickup line is so outdated! It's the kind of thing that would be rejected by readers after just one use in a novel... Christina looked the middle-aged man who called himself "Dominic" up and down and was surprised to find that he had well-defined features, a strong facial contour, and was quite good-looking. Moreover, he had a natural charm that attracted the opposite sex.

Although not as capable as Mr. Medici, who had looked after Dorothy and me at home several times, he was still far more capable than the average person… Tina’s expression softened unconsciously. Although a trace of wariness remained in her heart, she still greeted him politely:

"Hello, Mr. Dominic, I don't recall ever seeing you before."

“Of course, the one I met wasn’t you, because that was 20 years ago… no, 19 years ago.” Dominic, with his dark hair, nodded, unsurprised. “You look almost exactly like that lady from back then. If I’m not mistaken, you’re her daughter?”

He's seen my mother? Before I was born? Could it be...? Several plot points from various novels flashed through Tina's mind, but she immediately realized that the other party was probably trying to trick her. After all, it's perfectly normal for a daughter to resemble her parents. This Dominic might not have even seen her mother and was just saying it casually.

Although I do look exactly like my mother, Dorothy, who was born a year earlier, combines the characteristics of both of them, making her less frail and more scholarly... Tina glanced at her sister, who had been kicked awake by her and was also looking at Dominic warily. Seeing that Dorothy had already reached into her pocket for the "Mirror of Arrodes," she relaxed slightly.

At least we both have a "sealed artifact," so we don't need to worry too much about strangers approaching us. Besides, we're on a steam train; he can't possibly kidnap us, can he...? Tina muttered to herself for a moment before cautiously replying:
"I don't know if the person you met years ago was my mother."

Her overt wariness was conveyed to Dominic, who smiled slightly, moved a little further away from Tina to ease the tension between them, and said:
"Don't worry, I just asked because I saw a familiar face. If you feel uncomfortable because of this, I'll leave right away."

As he spoke, he looked around, as if genuinely searching for Tina's mother to be present. After a moment, his gaze settled on Dorothy, who was taking out a small silver mirror and wiping it with her fingers. He spoke in a voice both she and Tina could hear:
"This is your sister? No, she should be called your older sister. She has clearly inherited some of your mother's features, well, some..."

Why could he recognize Dorothy as the older sister at a glance? We're only a year apart, and I'm even a little taller than her… Tina felt a surge of anger rising within her because of his judgment. She shifted slightly in the soft chair and interjected, trying to change the subject:
"You've really met your mother? Then you should know her name."

“Name? I’m not so sure. Your mother definitely used a pseudonym back then, and more than one,” Dominic shook his head and said in a low voice, trying to sound mysterious. “But our first meeting was 19 years ago in Port Enmat. I sold her some things and she bargained down the price.”

He won't even say his name, this guy is definitely lying... And why would Mom use a fake name? Tina became increasingly distrustful of the man in front of her, and looked at Dorothy for help, only to find that the other woman had turned the "Arods" in her hand over so that the mirror was facing her, and used her body to block part of it, which just happened to obscure Dominic's view.

The mirror didn't reflect the scene inside the train carriage, but rather a dimly lit room. A woman with long, light blonde hair, who looked like she had just come of age, was talking to Dominic, who was also much younger and was wearing a cloak and acting furtively. Dominic handed her a thick wad of banknotes with one hand and took a blurry object with the other.

Was Dominic telling the truth? Did the young mother really buy something from him years ago? Tina was taken aback, then realized that Dorothy had been asking the question by writing on the silver mirror and had received Arrodes' answer.

This is the tacit understanding between sisters! She was overjoyed, but then felt puzzled. Her parents had joined "Black Thorn Security Company" when they were young, working on the search and protection of antiquities. Although they often traveled to other cities, they didn't seem like people who used aliases and secretly conducted transactions.

Could they actually be two-faced people, putting on one face in public and another in private...? Thinking of the sealed artifacts unearthed from the basement—the Mirror of Arrodes and the magic lamp—Tina's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but ask Dominic:

"What did Mom buy from you?"

"That's a trade secret, little girl."

Dominic answered, reaching out to pat Tina's head, but she dodged it. He could only smile helplessly and continue:

"In short, running away from home is not a good idea. Go home quickly. When you see your mother, please give her my regards and tell her that Dominic and Sonia will always remember her help."

After saying that, he got up and returned to his seat, seemingly no longer concerned about the sisters' problems.

How did he know...? Was it because we were traveling alone on the steam train and didn't have any luggage? Tina followed him back to the other side of the corridor with surprise and found that a woman who was probably called "Sonia" was playing with a copper penny in her left hand. The coin flew between her slender and nimble fingers, dazzling the eye.

Such agile movements… Tina’s gaze had just lingered on Sonia when the coin flew from her fingers, rolled along the edge of the table to the other side, and was caught by the black-haired boy sitting next to her, who looked to be only about 10 years old and was a size smaller than Tina and Dorothy, and returned to his mother’s hands.

As if sensing the gaze directed at him, the boy turned to look at Tina, then suddenly made a face, squinting and sticking out his tongue, his sculpted features inherited from Dominic scrunched up.

She felt an urge to beat the boy up to vent her anger... But she had to stay calm, stay ladylike... Tina clenched her fists, struggled to look away, and turned to look out the window. To her surprise, the steam train wasn't passing through the golden wheat fields on the outskirts of Tingen, but rather rows of low-rise buildings.

At the same time, an announcement with a crackling static came from the loudspeaker in the carriage:

"Passengers, this train will be stopping at Backlund North Station in two minutes. Passengers arriving at the station, please prepare to disembark."

Backlund... they've already arrived? Only about 10 minutes have passed!

Christina looked at Dorothy and saw that Dorothy's brown eyes were also full of surprise. Then, as if she had an epiphany, she reached for the golden lamp in her handbag.

The genie's eerie yet majestic voice immediately reached her ears:

"Don't talk to this family anymore, all three of them are extraordinary!"

Tina's smile, which had just appeared because of her quick arrival at her destination, immediately froze on her face.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Watching the two sisters, somewhat dazed and hesitant, leave the carriage, "The Reaper" Dominic's feigned smile vanished. He turned to his lover and asked in a low voice:
"Didn't the divination reveal anything?"

With her brown hair tied back, revealing her slender neck, the "faceless" Sonia shook her head, shook her head again:
“The coin divination failed, and the pendulum divination did not give a definite answer, so I did not dare to use dream divination.”

“Your caution is correct. Neither of the sisters seems to be extraordinary. That means they have a high-level sealed artifact that can reverse divination... Miss Angelica has been an angel for more than ten years. Her daughters most likely have some powerful protective items with them, which is why they dared to leave their parents and run away from home alone.”

Dominic let out a long sigh, casually patted his son's head, and said seriously:
"Did you provoke her just now? Didn't I tell you not to use your extraordinary abilities casually outside? That could cause trouble or even harm to ordinary people."

Because the child was conceived shortly after he had advanced to Sequence 5 using a "Reaper" trait, he inherited some of his extra extraordinary traits, making him essentially a half-"Provocateur" from birth. Two years ago, the child displayed innate extraordinary abilities, which both made him proud and worried.

"I'm sorry, Dad, but I don't know why, I just couldn't help wanting to get closer to that girl, so I made a face..."

The little boy lowered his head shyly and explained in a low voice. Hearing his son's words, Dominic's expression softened a little, and he continued:

"How old are you? How can you have such thoughts?"

"However, that girl inherited her mother's appearance, that of a powerful witch, and even without extraordinary characteristics, the path you are on and the 'witch' have a mystical convergence effect, which may exert a strong attraction on you... It was my fault for not teaching you this knowledge beforehand."

"I originally intended to get off at Backlund and secretly escort them for a while, but it seems that the powerful seal that prevents divination is enough to protect them. I should leave as soon as possible and avoid getting involved in other matters."

Listening to his father's rambling words, the little boy's face showed bitterness. He looked at his mother for help, and when he saw that she also had an expression of agreement, he felt even more desperate.

He suddenly remembered something and interrupted Dominic, saying:
"Dad, when I was 'provoking' that older sister just now, I had a strange feeling inside me."

"That felt like... the satisfying sensation of candy dissolving in hot water and then being swallowed in one gulp."

He gestured wildly, using metaphors.

Dominic and Sonia exchanged surprised glances, their expressions changing.

Both of them had experienced similar moments, which were signs that the "potion" had been completely digested.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Leaving the platform, which was still filled with a strange, foul odor, and entering the bustling Backlund station, Christina cautiously looked behind her. Not finding the family following her, she then spoke to Dorothy, who remained silent beside her:
"You had no idea how dangerous the situation was!"

If I hadn't handled Dominic so perfectly, we might have been arrested long ago...and locked in a dark room, or something like that... She puffed out her chest smugly, about to explain further, when she heard her sister calmly reply:

"Of course I know. Dominic should be a 'hunter' of a high rank, and Sonia is likely a fortune teller, but he does know Mom and has not shown any malice."

Huh? Tina's mouthful of words was instantly swallowed back, and she stared at Dorothy, speechless.

She actually knew all this, and I had just learned it from the "genie"... Tina's gaze lingered on the bulging pocket of "Arods" that was stuffed inside, and she guessed a possibility.

Perhaps during the many nights she spent communicating with this magic mirror, her sister had already learned about mystical knowledge such as "the twenty-five divine paths," "extraordinary characteristics," and "acting techniques." Compared to her own superficial understanding, Dorothy was more familiar with this knowledge, which is why she was able to determine Dominic and Sonia's paths based on some details.

But she definitely didn't know another crucial piece of information... Thinking of this, Tina smiled confidently again, approached the other person mysteriously, and whispered:
"Do you know that the little boy who is a few years younger than us is also an extraordinary one?"

This time, Tina successfully saw a look of surprise on Dorothy's face.

"You mean, his parents made him choose the path and drink the potion?" Dorothy's intellectual, scholarly face showed doubt, then she shook her head. "No, he's too young. No parents would do that... He inherited an extraordinary trait from his father or mother?"

She even knew that extraordinary traits could be inherited from parents... Damn Arrodes, how could he tell Dorothy all of this... Tina angrily touched the magic lamp through her handbag, as if it were the vessel for Arrodes.

But soon, another question lingered in Christina's mind, making her forget her verbal rivalry with her sister, and she asked instead:
"Dorothy, do you think your mom and dad might... also be extraordinary beings?"
“Look, Mom had contact with Dominic, that extraordinary being, before she gave birth to us. And there are two living, communicative sealed artifacts hidden in the basement of our house. The possibility that they are just ordinary people is too low, right?”

As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation, though she didn't even know what she was anticipating.

Dorothy shook her head and said:

"The probability is very low. According to the laws of extraordinary trait inheritance, extraordinary individuals with sequences 5 and 6 will naturally pass on some traits to their children. The probability is relatively low for lower sequences. However, neither of us has inherited any traits and has become a natural extraordinary individual. Statistically speaking, it is almost impossible."

Watching Dorothy speak eloquently, her expression increasingly resembling that of her father lecturing, Tina subconsciously pursed her lips, feeling a pang of jealousy that her sister had so quickly mastered the knowledge she had received from Arodes.

She racked her brains and finally found a loophole in the other person's words, and said impatiently:
"But there is another possibility: if both parents are high-sequence extraordinary individuals, that is, 'demigods' of sequence 4 or above, then they can choose not to pass on their extraordinary traits to us."

“I thought of that too, so I specifically asked Arrodes if Dad and Mom were high-sequence extraordinary beings.” Dorothy smiled as if she had expected it and said, “His answer was clear: no.”

This answer completely shattered Tina's hopes of entering the extraordinary world. She sighed, looked around, and took the lead in walking towards the passageway connecting the train station to the Backlund Metro system.

"Let's go, let's fulfill the 'genie's' wish first, maybe he can grant us both to become extraordinary."

She whispered.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As the capital of the industrial nation of the Kingdom of Loen, Backlund's subway system was upgraded five years ago from outdated steam locomotives to new electric locomotives powered by rails covering the entire line. This not only made the subway faster and quieter but also prevented the smoke that filled the entire underground, which amazed Tina and Dorothy.

On the three previous visits to Backlund by their parents to see Aunt Melissa and the Benson and Lily family, they had only traveled by hired carriage and had no chance to see the most advanced subway system on the continent.

But compared to the power of the "genie" that allowed the steam train to travel from Tingen to Backlund, more than 200 kilometers away, in just 10 minutes, the convenience of the subway was nothing... Stepping out of the subway station and onto the slightly chaotic streets of the East District, Christina touched her handbag and felt that supernatural power was much more interesting than the power of science and technology.

Next, she would have to go to the street the genie had mentioned, and she would probably still have to take a hired carriage... She looked around and just as she spotted a carriage waiting for passengers at the street corner, the bag slung over her waist was suddenly yanked, the fragile cloth strap draped over her shoulder snapped, and her body was propelled by a tremendous force, causing her to fall backward, flailing her arms and legs.

Dorothy, who was following her, quickly caught her sister, but the bag containing the "magic lamp" was already in the hands of a tall but thin man. He frantically pushed through the exiting pedestrians and disappeared into an alley in the blink of an eye.

(End of this chapter)