Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 75 Mask
The sky gradually turned from blue to bright, and the warm sunlight drove away the cold tones of the morning.

There was silence in the carriage.

After a while, Claire pursed her lips and said:
"A large area of ​​housing has been renovated on Ikasim Street in the university district, and more and more university students are choosing to rent there, most of whom need to wash their clothes... You might consider working there. If you're looking to rent an apartment, the price of a cubicle there isn't much different from here."

Erica looked up at Claire cautiously and blankly, her forehead furrowed with deep wrinkles.

"I..." She murmured.

She didn't know whether what Claire said was good or bad.

It sounded like well-intentioned advice, but the change was too great for her.

Too big to comprehend.

Although it’s hard work now and I often don’t have enough to eat…

But she was more afraid that if she chose to change, they would lose even their current insignificant home.

They will be forced to starve, stand on the streets, and die in some rat-infested corner of the city like those more miserable women.

Erica was speechless for a long time and finally fell silent again.

Arriving at Teacher Gao Wen's residence, before Erica got out of the car, Claire sighed and said, "Think about it. You can come find me at 20 Ikashim Street in the University District."

Gawain, with his blond hair and white temples, was standing there guiding Klein through his steps. Seeing Claire's arrival, he looked surprised. "I thought you'd at least rest for a few days."

Claire organized her words, intending to talk about more advanced medical methods.

But Gao Wen immediately added: "No need to explain to me."

It seems that Teacher Gao Wen vaguely knows the specialness of police officers like her.

After all, Gawain would train Beyonder police officers like her, and he also had connections with the Black Arena on Swain's side.

Then comes daily training.

After finishing the basic moves, Gawain said to Claire, "Starting today, let's practice the Stry style that focuses on footwork. It gives you more options in different situations. Whether you want to stand firm and attack, or advance or dodge..."

Gao Wen first talked about the training ideas, and demonstrated the movements while talking, especially giving experienced guidance on the changes in pace.

Time passed quickly because of his fulfilling schedule. After Klein had practiced for a sufficient amount of time today, he cleaned up in the bathroom, changed his clothes, and left on foot to find the public carriage that was more than ten minutes away.

After Klein left, Gawain served as a sparring partner to help Claire familiarize herself with the practical effects of the Sterry style.

Just then, a galloping carriage stopped in front of the iron gate.

The noise startled Gawain. He stopped training and smiled stiffly as he looked at the carriage over there.

Claire saw that the driver was the curly-haired young man who was guarding the private room of the Dragon Bar last night.

The burly Swain, wearing a tattered naval officer's coat, walked down from the side door of the carriage.

The curly-haired young man stayed at the door to watch over the horses.

Gawain went to meet him.

Swain tossed a small, open bag tied with a string toward Gawain.

Gawain raised his hand to catch it and opened his mouth.

Claire, who was standing not far away, could smell the ink from banknotes.

Is it money? Is it the money you get from defeating Swain? Can you really get money by defeating Swain?
Questions popped up one after another in Claire's mind.

Gawain took out three one-pound notes from his bag and handed the packet to Claire.

Claire saw that there was a 9-pound note in the small bag.

Swain looked at Claire, who was wearing her knight training uniform, and said in a gruff voice, "You've recovered well, little girl. Do you want to join the ring in the next two days, tomorrow night or the night after tomorrow?" Claire smiled modestly like a lady and said, "Tonight is fine."

"Okay." Swain, who had fought with Claire before, agreed readily without any hesitation.

"Then get used to this first." Swain handed Claire a paper-thin mask.

Claire took it and it looked a bit like a facial mask.

Swain smiled and said, "Stick it to your face."

Claire didn't move.

Swain scratched his head. "Team Seven is really cunning."

Swain took the thin mask back from Claire and put it on his face. The mask seemed to dissolve into his face, making Swain's face rounder and the corners of his mouth pulled down.

Finally, it turned into the face of a middle-aged man with a gloomy look.

Swain glanced at Gawain and explained to Claire, "This is a disguise mask. It makes it easier for us to appear on the stage."

Gawain turned silently and walked further away.

Watching Gawain walk away, Swain explained in more detail: "The downside is that it limits some of the wearer's Beyonder powers. It's a replica of one of our Mandated Punishers' prison instruments specifically designed for Beyonders. But this downside happens to help us newcomers better train in the arena."

As he spoke, Swain took off the metal wine flask at his waist and poured some wine into his palm.

Swain rubbed his alcohol-soaked palms against the edges of his face and rubbed the mask off. The mask was tattered when he rubbed it off. "This mask is a disposable consumable, but fortunately the materials are relatively common. To remove it, you need to get some alcohol on it."

After the demonstration, Swain took out another one and handed it to Claire.

This time, Claire put the mask on her face. The mask was absorbing her spiritual energy, but at the same time, she felt that she could control the changes in the mask.

After finishing, Claire took out her pocket watch and used the small bronze mirror inside to see her changed appearance.

A featureless face of a woman in her thirties.

Exactly the same effect she wanted.

In addition, Claire also felt that not only was her spirituality suppressed, but even her physical fitness, which had been enhanced after drinking the potion, had declined to a certain extent.

Claire's eyes flicked to Swain.

Swain laughed. "Want to give it a try? Come on, this time I'll really stand there and let you hit me."

Claire switched to the more skilled Stry style, but all her attacks, whether palms or fists, were blocked by Swain, who was unable to move his feet even a little.

Her physical fitness was nearly half as weak during the day, and wearing a mask made her combat power during the day less than one-third of that at night.

After the test, Swain tossed the wine flask to Claire. Claire poured out some wine and took off her mask. She felt the pleasure of being unsealed, as if every cell in her body was opening up to breathe.

Swain said, "I'll release a preview of tonight's match when I get back: the mysterious female knight versus the 'sea monster.'"

"Sea monster?" Claire thought it was a supernatural creature.

"He's one of our Mandated Punishers. His nickname in the ring is 'Sea Monster'. Your title has also been decided: 'Knight'. Hey, that old guy Gawain has finally come to his senses."

"Is Teacher Gao Wen short of money?" Claire asked.

"He's never going to spend all his money... He's sponsored an orphanage for over twenty years. Back when there weren't many people, he only took in the orphans of his comrades. He could make some money in the ring back then, so he was able to keep things going pretty well."

"Later, as he took in more orphans and grew older, he felt a bit overwhelmed. If it weren't for the fact that the children he had taken in before had some conscience and provided financial support from time to time, his orphanage would have closed long ago."

"But those children also have their own difficulties, and I can't help them much. That's why he's so anxious now..."

"Don't look at me like that. Everyone suffers in this crazy fucked-up world. I'm a drunkard, but I can't help a pushover like him."

(End of this chapter)