The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

The excruciating pain that could cause muscle spasms, along with the joy of no longer being crippled, flooded his mind, making him feel clearer than ever before.

"Just wait, Vito, you'll get what you want soon. But that's on the condition that the arm you provide doesn't have any unexpected after-sales problems."

"Oh, don't worry, I have a special plan for this."

Vito handed the tulip he had taken from the throat to Sinclair.

"If any unexpected problems arise, I'll use the method I just described to repaint your arm. However, the probability is very small. According to my tests, once a painting is connected to flesh and blood, it can absorb nutrients and maintain its health just like a real limb."

"Also, if your family asks you about the reason for your arm's recovery, you can show them this tulip, a relic full of vitality."

"Ah."

With his worries gone, Sinclair was no longer dejected. He put the tulips in his pocket and left the Salorio Tavern.

After he had completely walked away, Vito gagged and seemed to have been holding back for a long time before he began to speak.

"You little rascal, can't you carry a few storage boxes with you like a Hunter to store your paintbrushes and paints? Don't shove everything into my mouth. Although the Hunter's boxes are for storing heads..."

"I'm sorry, Professor Karmion."

"But as you know, only when stored with you are my paintbrushes and paints, which I cherish as my life, truly safe."

Vito sincerely expressed its apologies.

"Hmph, all you have to say is sweet talk..."

Carmine stopped pursuing that point and moved on to another topic.

"Do you really think that little brat from the Meredith family is capable of getting what you want? Although he's bound by the contract and won't betray us, he might still do something stupid, which would only increase the uncertainty in the end."

"Since it's a risk-free investment anyway, there's no harm in giving it a try. We should have some faith in the former first family of Norrington... although it seems to still be one now."

Vito gradually put away his paintbrush and palette, his eyes gleaming subtly in the dim light.

"Furthermore, I'd like to know what kind of finished product [Skin Painting] can produce using these self-proclaimed wolves as its medium. I imagine it will be much closer to my pursuit of beauty than those defective products from Marbein."

The contract strictly defines Vito and Sinclair; as parties to the contract, neither can harm the other or betray the other.

However… this detailed and comprehensive contract doesn’t seem to impose any restrictions on Karmion. He is one of the people to whom Vito swore an oath, but he is only responsible for Vito’s actions.

In short, he is not responsible for any of the terms of the contract for his own actions.

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soup!

Chapter Seventy: Waves, Splashes, Oblivion

"ha-"

In the bathroom of the Hunter's headquarters, Bebesa looked at Vivian, who was applying shampoo to her hair, with slight dissatisfaction, and at Raven Munin, who was perched on the latter's shoulder with a mocking gaze.

“Behave yourself, Bebesa. We agreed on bathing every three days in the summer and fall, and every five days in the winter. You can’t clean yourself just by rolling in the sand and licking your paws.”

Bebesa's understanding of the bathing facilities can only be described as tragic, and after accidentally touching something, she often resorts to rather violent solutions... For example, once she didn't know how to adjust the shower switch, resulting in her being drenched in icy cold water while still dressed.

This enraged her, and she immediately tried to dismantle the water pipes. Fortunately, Sister Haida arrived quickly and stopped her, preventing the common property of the Hunters Order from suffering an undeserved disaster.

In conclusion, Vivian has recently had to temporarily take on the role of zookeeper, teaching Bebesa how to clean her body in a more human-like way.

Intimidated by Sister Heda's power, Bertha did not refuse the arrangement, but she would express her dissatisfaction in her own way.

For example, she would secretly sharpen her claws on the wooden cabinet in the bathroom, and occasionally flick her hair in the shower, splashing Vivian with foam. Fortunately, they were essentially colleagues, and she had no intention of doing anything outrageous.

Looking at the clothes stained with foam and water, Vivian couldn't help but sigh softly as she rinsed Bebesa's clothes.

Isn't it only small felines with zero limbs that hate water? Saber-toothed beasts are supposed to be large felines, so how come they have this kind of behavior...?

Although I have experience raising animals, Muning is, after all, a bird, and one that is exceptionally intelligent among birds. Just give it a small pond with water, and it will bathe in it; it can even forage for food on its own, requiring absolutely no extra care from me.

While Bebesa appears no different from an ordinary human being, she seems to lack human self-awareness.

According to Sister Heda, once when she went to Bebesa's room to inform her to go to her routine training, the woman opened the door for her completely naked and acted as if it were perfectly normal.

Finally, with the last bit of foam washed off Bebesa, the arduous cleaning work was completed.

Vivian patted her shirt, then took a towel from the shelf next to her and carefully and patiently dried Bebesa's body.

Originally, Bebeza's physical development was around fifteen years old, barely qualifying her as a sub-adult. However, after being reshaped by Fran and Sigrid, receiving special training from Sister Heda, and being provided with saturated food supplies by the Order of the Hunters, her growth rate accelerated visibly.

In her current human form, she looks to be sixteen or seventeen years old. Although she is still in the sub-adult stage, her childishness has been significantly reduced.

In addition, perhaps due to some genetic advantage of saber-toothed creatures, even though Bebesa has not undergone real long-term physical training, her muscle curves still show a beautiful and full state, looking healthy, delicate, flexible and explosive.

Oh, her bust size seems to have increased slightly too, is it just my imagination...?

Vivian narrowed her eyes, looking at the still slightly awkward Bebesa, her thoughts drifting away for a moment.

Once Bebesa was completely dry, Vivian suppressed all her thoughts and then helped her change into a funeral maid's undergarment and a corset.

"Alright, let's go. Sister Haida has already gone to the reception room to wait. We'll have a special guest today. Remember to keep quiet when we get there, and don't say anything even if someone tries to talk to you."

After saying nothing, Vivian took out a small packet of dried cloves wrapped in oil paper from her shirt pocket and handed it to Bebesa as a reward.

Zero... are you treating me like a child?

Qi looked at the snacks offered to her, and Bebesa frowned, giving a barely perceptible purse of her lips. After less than a second of internal struggle, she gladly accepted them.

land--

The Reception Room of the Nine-Hunter Mystic Order.

On a wooden armchair carved with the emblem of the Hunter and the sword of a hunter, Haida sat solemnly and upright. She said nothing upon seeing Vivian bring Bebeza into the room, only nodding slightly to indicate that the two should sit beside her.

As a Secret Service agent, Vivian already knew the identity of the visitor, but she was slightly curious about how Sister Haida would treat the upcoming meeting.

Third, should one use forceful questioning, gentle reassurance, or a cold and objective statement of the situation?

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Lu heard a few light knocks on the door of the reception room.

"Please come in," Haida's voice rang out at the same time.

After receiving permission, the visitor pushed open the door and gracefully and steadily sat down opposite Haida.

This was an elderly woman dressed in luxurious and extravagant clothes, with a graceful demeanor, a kind expression, and completely white hair. Upon seeing her, one would inexplicably feel that she was smiling, yet her eyes were not upturned, and the corners of her lips were not curved; in fact, her features maintained a rather indifferent state.

"Good day, hunters. It is an honor to have you invited."

The old woman bowed very slightly as a gesture of respect. As she spoke, her eyes seemed to shimmer with a light, their deep, captivating luster reflecting a mesmerizing glow.

"If it weren't for the fire at the Drowned Theater, I might never have come here. At the same time, I can't help but feel fortunate that I first came to the Order of the Hunters because of that incident, and not for any other reason."

“No need for formalities, Ms. Polina.”

Skipping over polite small talk, Haida returned the greeting of a hunter and went straight to the point.

What do you know about the dangerous artworks that ended up in the Drowned Theatre?

"I know a little about it, that it's a little trick Sinclair Meredith plays in private, but that's about it. It's actually quite difficult for us to supervise someone who's not under our jurisdiction, a nominal person in charge, to earn some extra income through their own channels."

"After all, we are partners, and there should be an unspoken understanding and mutual respect between us."

The old woman named Polina lifted her floral porcelain teacup, took a sip, and explained with a helpless expression.

It wasn't that she was fearless; rather, she genuinely hadn't participated in the matter.

In fact, Polina went to Loretown two years ago because of an old matter, and only returned to Norrington two months ago. However, as the only fifth-tier mirror-wielder currently in Norrington for the Obscure Society, she cannot directly sever ties with the incident at the Drowning Theater.

Of course, this doesn't mean she knew nothing about it.

Heida remained noncommittal and did not express a clear opinion regarding Polina's statement.

"Judging from the timeline, Ms. Polina, you really don't have much of an opportunity to get involved in theater smuggling. And the Order's invitation to you is not for the purpose of holding someone accountable. In the past cases of the Hunters dealing with such dangerous incidents, 'invitation' is rarely used as a means of holding someone accountable."

"Indeed."

Polina expressed her approval.

As a high-ranking member of the elusive and unpredictable Misty Society, she was far from inclined to use such methods that easily left traces. For her, as long as a plan could be steadily implemented in secrecy, she would accept it even if it took decades, or even a century.

"It seems I have never seen a hunter choose peaceful negotiation when faced with fanatics whose stance is contrary to his. If you have determined that I have become a destabilizing factor that poses a clear threat to Norrington, then the people who should be coming to me are the purging force, several officers, and the levy attendant in charge."

"However, Sister Haida, the pressure you put on me is no less than the pressure from above."

When he first met Haida, the mirror-wiping man Sizhu had already tried to figure her out from many aspects.

The changes in her eyes, tone of voice, facial expressions, and the feeling emanating from her spirituality... most of the time, she can even discern a person's psychological characteristics and style of behavior based solely on these features, thus making prophetic predictions about their future fate.

Polina wanted to know how good this newly appointed conscription attendant was.

As the only heir of the chief hunter Yaheng, is his current status merely an accumulating title, or an external manifestation of his own abilities? It's no wonder that Polina has such doubts, after all, when she left Norrington, Haida seemed to have only recently left the Hunter's reserve force.

For the nine esoteric disciples who had already climbed the five steps, a "year" was a rather short unit of time, merely a cycle of six seasons, or three or four hundred days and nights. Yet, in such a brief interval, the other party had already been promoted to a summons attendant, becoming a seasoned hunter capable of handling matters independently in the Funeral Court.

So, what conclusion has she reached since meeting her?

The answer is... there is no conclusion.

The nun before me showed not a trace of emotion in her expression or words, as if cast in iron. If one had to describe her, perhaps only the word "flawless" would be more fitting.

At the same time, her spirit was exceptionally restrained, to the point that even Polina could not discern its true nature without using the secret ritual.

But thanks to the mirror-wiping priest's extraordinary and perceptive nature, Polina was still able to glean omens and revelations from her own subconscious. It was a subtle and vague sense of foreboding, like a blind person standing at the feet of a dragon-shaped holy figure, reaching out to touch its scales but not knowing what it was.

"I have no intention of causing you any psychological burden, Ms. Polina."

Haida blinked slowly before stating her request.

"Therefore, we ask for your cooperation."

"My first question is, do you know the source of the smuggled goods from the Drowned Theater?"

"Not much attention was paid to it, after all, the theater was run by that kid Meredith for a long time. However, based on the changes in the accounts and some traces of personnel movement, I can say with certainty that the smuggled goods came from Malbein."

Polina seemed to have been prepared for this, and as soon as she finished speaking, she took a booklet out of her handbag and handed it to Heda.

"This is part of the Drowning Theater's private accounts. Although the alteration method is quite clever, it is not watertight. A more thorough inspection can deduce the source of the smuggled goods from the transportation channels."

"It's quite surprising that those dangerous goods came from Malbein."

Before the grand horns of destruction that ended the Age of Decay sounded and the Black Wasteland tore apart the land of Philanes, Marbein was a neighboring city-state not far from Norrington... However, a thousand years later, it seems that no one talks about that place anymore.

Marbe Zhong ≥ [Forwarded from: 1007 (¤6∥⊙9＄〓14「？叁”Lu Yin's name seems to have disappeared into history, hiding in a dusty corner.

It's not that it's truly inaccessible or difficult to find, but rather that the place is so desolate and dilapidated that it inspires awe. Even historians known for their curiosity and thirst for exploration have lost the desire to excavate this place over the past thousand years.

In his early years, Master Zoparros personally investigated Malbein, and his final assessment was, "We often say that danger and opportunity coexist, but in this godforsaken place, danger is the only thing left."

After that, formal reports and documents rarely mentioned Marbein again. But for some reason, it later became one of the preferred settings for horror and supernatural novels. It seems that no matter how bizarre or absurd the story is, as long as the author sets the location in Marbein, it gains a certain natural rationality.

Haida took the booklet but didn't look at it. Instead, she started asking questions again at her own pace.

"My second question, Ms. Polina, are you aware of the 'molting plague'?"

"The molting plague..."

Polina repeated the name, her eyes flickering, a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of seriousness passing through them. Her previously confident demeanor in answering questions revealed a momentary hesitation.

"The society does indeed have records of this term. It is a secret history held by the Moth Cult, and I am not a member of the Unification Faction, so I shouldn't know about it. But I happen to have a great interest in documents, so I accidentally came across this information."

"According to the notes left by a disciple of the Night Moth from a lost era, a natural disaster of unknown cause once struck Philanes. Some kind of malignant influence that caused people to peel off their own skin spread invisibly, to the point that later, in several cities, almost only skinless red flesh remained."

"But the notebook itself was half destroyed, and it was quite vague, not explaining the cause and process, only how the epidemic ended."

　[Listen]∩Select 7×≡粶∫〃亿私♀毶六蒐索： At this point, Polina raised her porcelain teacup again and took a sip.

Haida glanced at her knowingly.

"If the Secret Service's subsequent investigation proves that the Misty Society has no connection with the smuggling of dangerous goods, then this incident should come to an end. As for the Fallen Theater, although a fire broke out, the cause of the fire was unrelated to the theater itself, and there were no casualties."

"Therefore, the theater should resume operations after a short break, and we will also issue a statement to ensure that the theater's reputation is not unduly damaged as a result."

This is not a promise of benefits or a bargaining chip; it is simply a charter that conforms to established regulations.

However, Polina had no other needs. After learning about the Hunter's next move, she fluently explained why the molting plague had come to an end.

"The molting plague can be seen as a river bursting its banks. Under normal circumstances, its harm would undoubtedly be enormous and undeniable. However, in that grand destruction that swept through the era of decay, it was merely a splash of water beneath a tsunami, inconspicuous in comparison."

"The predecessors of the Hunters, the ancestors who worshipped the God of Hunting, systematically trampled over the areas where the molting plague had occurred, and then burned all the twisted red flesh that had been torn from their skin to ashes, along with all the survivors, the affected people among the Swordholder ancestors, and those cities."

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soup!