The defeated saint is also on the way to tame the evil god today

"If the hunting list you got at the Sunflower Baths indicates the owner of the Steam Man, then its owner can only be him..."

"Prince Austin..." Xingmo whispered.

...The list appeared at the Sunflower Underground Baths, and that night, the three people on it met the Steam Man...

...The Sunflower Underground Baths were proven to be a subsidiary of Prince Austin, and Prince Austin's name was not on the list of people to be hunted by the "Steam Man"...

...Bishop Frye's last destination was the Sunflower Baths, and his name was on the Steam Man's hunting list...

If all this is not a coincidence, then what Prince Austin is planning is very simple -

——Eliminate all the top leaders of the academy and gain control of the academy’s discourse power.

As for Bishop Frye's whereabouts... since he'd fallen into Prince Austin's trap, perhaps he, like the others on the hunt, had been dealt with by the Steam Man...

"Bishop Frye's whereabouts are no longer important," Lucius shook his head. "Since he disappeared in the South City, disappeared in the Sunflower Greenhouse Baths, then regarding the 'Angel's Tears'..."

"...It has been obtained by Prince Austin." Xingmo's hands trembled.

She recalled the details about the evil god's arrival in Mortiheim: If Prince Austin was the one who modified the alarm in the White Tower, causing Aurora's arrival, what would he do after obtaining the Angel's Tears?

Use the "Angel's Tears" to seal the godhead and then banish the evil god? No...

"He wants to obtain the power of God?" Xing Mo felt the cemetery was getting colder.

"The Imperials are always ambitious..." Mentor Lucius said, "In short, we must prioritize..."

That's right, the threat of the "Steam Man" is imminent. At this point, Aurora is not only not an enemy, but also someone who must be actively won over.

She had to be safe.

Although worrying about the safety of an evil god seems unnecessary...

"What is your relationship with her now?" Lucius asked.

"Very good, she can now take care of her own meals." Xing Mo let out a breath.

"It sounds quite cheerful," Lucius forced a smile. "Don't be too pessimistic. The police and the Bell Keeper have obtained key evidence. Prince Austin will be brought down soon, but we still need time to plan our operations in the South City to prevent his arrest from sparking a riot among the Imperials."

"But...won't Prince Austin escape? Now that the Sunflower Baths have been closed down?" Xing Mo was a little worried.

"Vivian has revised the reason for the seizure to 'bad gambling' rather than 'pagan string magic circle,'" Lucius smiled. "Anyway, he hasn't noticed anything unusual yet, and he'll be brought to justice soon."

"I hope everything goes well." Xingmo prayed.

"It doesn't matter. Even if it's not smooth, I will make it smooth."

At this time, rain seeped through the gaps between the layers of gray clouds and fell drop by drop into the ripples on the lawn.

Lucius looked up at the sky, the raindrops falling into his lake-blue eyes, creating ripples.

Those ripples were not waves on the lake, but huge waves on the raging sea.

He lowered his head, stroked Miriam's tombstone again, straightened his hat, turned around and smiled gently at Xingmo:

"I am a father, Xiaomo. If someone takes my daughter away, he must pay the corresponding price."

"Even the oldest old dog will fight for its pups, so why not me?"

After saying that, he turned around and walked into the distance on the lawn that was swaying in the drizzle and breeze.

Xing Mo watched his mentor leave. His steps were still a little weak, but his back was no longer hunched, but as straight as a mountain.

That's the back view only a father would have.

"..."

Xingmo turned her head and gently stroked Miriam's tombstone.

Feeling the cool touch of the stone tablet, Xingmo's mind suddenly echoed with Aurora's words:

"But you shouldn't be like that. I think if someone takes your best friend away, you should destroy him with your fire. Your fire is so hot that no one can stop you."

As if there was really a fire burning in her chest, Xing Mo murmured softly to Miriam's tombstone:

"Milliam, if it was Prince Austin who really killed you, I will avenge you."

After she finished speaking, she wrapped her hood around her and walked away across the lawn.

......

6) Steam, Whale Song (Part 3)

After leaving the cemetery, Xingmo took a carriage back to the North City area, and then wandered aimlessly on the streets.

The temperature difference in the academic city in September is quite large. It is very cool in the early morning and so hot at noon that formal clothes will be soaked. Therefore, most respectable gentlemen and ladies will avoid walking on the streets as much as possible to avoid being damaged by the temperature difference.

Xingmo didn't care. She always liked the feeling of wandering the streets alone.

Whenever you have nothing to do, go for a walk on the street.

What's more, there was a drizzle at this time. She bought an umbrella at a roadside grocery store, held the umbrella and walked in the drizzle, listening to the melody of the rain.

At the same time, Xingmo kept thinking about the "Steam Man" in his mind, trying to piece together the truth about the monster from all the clues.

A ghost that can appear in different places continuously in a short period of time, and can even sneak into the college without anyone noticing.

How did it do that? Fly through the air? There must have been witnesses, but there were no reports of it.

Walking in underground water pipes? This could explain the two appearances in the White Tower District, but there is a strait between Nefera Beta Magic Academy and the Citadel, so where does the underground water pipe come from?

"Sure enough, there aren't enough clues..." Xing Mo murmured.

As she was thinking, she found herself crossing Splash Street, where Miriam's apartment was located, and entering Frame Street on the edge of the north city.

This is a relatively remote street. Normal horse-drawn carriages and steam railroad routes do not pass through here, so there are almost no people.

However, many aristocrats and wealthy businessmen like to purchase assets in this area, and occasionally come here for vacation to enjoy the unique tranquility of the northern city.

Of course, it is the kind of tranquility that is only open to the rich.

Xingmo walked on Fram Street, letting her thoughts drift.

When she passed by a shop with simple decoration, she suddenly caught sight of the sign at the door:

"Sea of ​​flowers."

As if some memory was awakened, Xing Mo stopped and looked at the store.

This is a coffee shop. It is not big, but the decoration is simple and exquisite. The sign above the door that says "Sea of ​​Flowers" looks like a small blackboard with a white flower drawn on it with chalk.

This store...do I have an impression of it?

Xing Mo was thinking about it, and when he reached into his pocket, he actually touched a black hard card.

She took it out and looked at it, and found a line of address written in beautiful gold-stamped handwriting:

No. 69, Flam Street, Beicheng District, a sea of ​​flowers.

Oh...it's the cafe recommended to me by the lady I met at the breakfast shop earlier...

Xingmo looked up at the sign again, thoughtfully.

I actually carry this card with me all the time?

The lady seemed to say that if you encounter any troubles, you can talk to her?

Xing Mo thought that there was nothing to do in the morning, so she put away her umbrella and pushed open the door of the "Sea of ​​Flowers" cafe.

"Jingle Bell--"

The sound of wind chimes rang out, and the light fragrance of flowers wafted over, making Xingmo feel like she was bathing in the spring breeze.

After entering, the first thing that catches your eye is the bar, on which stands a small vase with two small white flowers in it.

"Welcome, who are you looking for?"

The one who greeted Xingmo was the maid behind the bar. She had ice-blue eyes and soft pink hair tied into low-key twin ponytails. She looked gentle and wise.

"Um... hello?" Xing Mo took out the small card. "This is a card the lady who runs this place gave me. She told me... if you have any troubles, come and talk to her."

The maid took the small card from Xing Mo's hand, looked at it, and then chuckled:

"She prefers to be called Miss Store Manager."

She returned the card to Xingmo and pointed to the corner of the cafe:

"The store manager is over there, writing something. I'll bring you coffee later."

"Okay, um...how much?" Xingmo was about to take out his wallet.

"No charge, we don't have a menu here." The maid blinked her ice-blue eyes.

Xing Mo was stunned for a moment and couldn't help feeling a little strange. Don't you need income to open a cafe?

However, she felt that the matter seemed a little delicate, and felt that it was pointless to say more, so she thanked him and walked towards the corner of the cafe.

At the end of the cafe, Xingmo found the store manager——

——She was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and writing something in a notebook.

When she heard Xingmo coming, she gestured to Xingmo with her eyes to sit opposite her, and then continued writing.

Xingmo did not disturb the store manager, but just sat down quietly and waited politely.

About five minutes later, the store manager raised her head from the pages of the book and smiled at Xingmo:

"Are you having troubles? Miss Xingmo?"

Xingmo blinked:

"How do you know my name?"

It even became the girl's previous name! Instead of Xingmo's current pseudonym "Xingsheng"!

The store manager smiled slightly:

"A lot of people know your name, can't you have one more?"

"Not really...no..." Xing Mo felt that this statement was weird.

The store manager closed the book, took a sip of coffee, and then stared at Xingmo with her blood-red eyes:

"So, what's the trouble?"

Xing Mo hesitated for a moment. She didn't know whether she should tell the store manager in front of her about the "steam man". On the one hand, this fact was really scary and might scare her. On the other hand, Xing Mo felt that the owner of a coffee shop would not know about these extraordinary knowledge.

I still run a coffee shop in the North City District, and I tell people that there is a scary "steam man" in the North City District. What if I scare them away?

As she was thinking this, the store manager seemed to see through Xingmo's thoughts and said with a smile:

"It's 'Steam Man', right?"

"How do you know?" Xing Mo blurted out again.

"It's written in your eyes," the store manager pointed out. "The missing 'Bell Keeper' has returned to the Citadel, accompanied by a tiny evil god. He's scrambling to figure out what to do, while the entire Citadel is thrown into chaos by the 'Steam Man.'"

"You're thinking of a solution, but the September fog is getting thicker."

After the store manager finished speaking, Xingmo's mouth opened slightly and she almost stood up.

How did she know so much? From my true identity to Aurora's existence?

Who is she and why does she have such power?

Seeing Xingmo so surprised, the store manager just picked up the coffee dignifiedly and drank it while staring at Xingmo.

Under the bright lighting of the cafe, the girl's blood-red eyes seemed to be shining, like stars, or like lights at night.

Looking into those bloodshot eyes, Xing Mo swallowed his saliva and said carefully:

"Who are you?"

"The girl who runs a cafe." said the store manager.

"What I'm asking about is...the real identity..." Xingmo sighed.

She had never heard of such a person in the Citadel—hiding in a cafe, yet knowing all sorts of secrets.

The store manager put the coffee back on the saucer and said softly:

"a friend."

6) Steam, Whale Song (Part 4)