Lord of Mysteries: Taiyi

Hearing Hugh's tactful question, Kurt touched his "divine gift," which was no longer covered by gloves, and said:

"It shouldn't be a problem. I can hide the effects of the full moon in a certain area. If you need this service, you can get my help by paying a reasonable fee."

Hugh Deercha nodded with some pleasure upon hearing this, and said excitedly:

"Okay, but I don't need it right now..."

Fors's curse only takes effect during a full moon, so Hugh wasn't in a hurry. She would first consult Fors, and only if Fors agreed would she ask Mr. Kurt for help.

Seeing that Kurt showed no abnormality, Hugh breathed a sigh of relief and said:

"What kind of compensation do you need?"

She saw Kurt take out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth and responded with a light laugh:

"Blood or gold, and perhaps some commissions afterward, which will certainly not go against your wishes."

"A very reasonable request..." Hugh nodded silently, his shock and confusion gradually replaced by a sense of joy and unreality.

Kurt finished the last sip of his coffee and said:

"If you are later captured by extraordinary beings from other churches, you can reveal your identity. Of course, it's best to be careful in general. You might be cleaved into pieces by the Punisher or blown to dust by the Mechanical Heart, or you might die quietly in your dreams..."

Hugh nodded in agreement. She naturally understood these principles; she wouldn't let her status change the caution of a wild, untamed extraordinary individual from the lower classes...

……

At one o'clock in the morning, Hugh returned to the rented apartment she shared with Fors.

Hugh, who had been tiptoeing, opened the apartment door and saw that the living room was brightly lit.

He saw Fors, still in her pajamas, hurriedly sit down on the sofa, and pick up a novel to read as if she hadn't seen Hugh.

After Hugh had fully entered the living room, Fors slowly looked up, as if only then noticing Hugh, and exclaimed in surprise:

"Why are you so late? I thought you were asleep."

Hugh removed the trident from his waist, grabbed a handful of his messy blond hair, and plopped down next to Fors, asking wearily:

"There was a bit of an accident when we escorted Mr. Kurt back today. What about you? Why are you still reading so late?"

She sensed that Fors was acting strangely today. In her memory, Fors would only stay up this long on a few nights when she was rushing to finish her manuscript, and also on a few full moon nights.

Fors's languid eyes flickered slightly as she responded:

"The aftereffects of the Full Moon Curse... What happened? Are you alright?"

Hugh finally perked up, straightened his back, and said excitedly:

"Fors, you'd never guess what happened today, it's like a dream."

Fors also put down the book he had been holding upside down and began to speculate with great interest:

"What happened? Could it be that Mr. Kurt is actually a woman? Or has he abandoned his lover and fallen for some commoner woman from the East End?"

Hugh was already used to her friend's somewhat eccentric thinking, so she shook her head and told Fors everything that had happened that day. Fors had taken off her slippers and was sitting cross-legged on the sofa.

After hearing Hugh's description, and recalling the things that appeared on her body during the full moon and the pain she endured, Fors couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion...

When Kurt returned to 36 Evalland Street, it was nearly two o'clock.

Kurt yawned, quickly washed up, took off his coat, and crawled into bed.

Thinking about how tomorrow he not only has to go to church to study, process Hugh's identity, deal with the matter of Carter's mother's body, attend a tarot meeting, order a microscope in the afternoon, deal with Bill to find out the location of the key in the evening, act out a role-playing game at school, and make preparations for a home visit... the day after tomorrow he also has to go house hunting with his teacher and explore his deceased father's room... he almost forgot—he also has a proper job.

Kurt covered his face with the blanket and sighed, "How did things suddenly become so busy!"

A crimson moon hung silently in the night, like a velvet curtain, and tonight Kurt remained dreamless...

The next day arrived as promised. Kurt got up at 7 a.m. sharp, washed up, ate breakfast, and then took the steam subway and transferred to a horse-drawn carriage to go to the police station next to the Harvest Church.

After inquiring, he learned that Carter's mother's body had been found. Kurt paid for the cremation and urn expenses, and seeing that Carter's matter was finally nearing its end, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. As for what would happen next, he planned to leave it to Mrs. Salitz and Father Utravsky; he didn't want the child to have too many ties with him...

At 9:30, Kurt arrived at the church and found little Carter tidying up in a corner with a small broom. Kurt didn't go over to greet him, but instead went to the bishop's side and quietly reported Hugh's situation to him.

The muscular bishop, who looked like a giant, seemed slightly surprised, as if asking: Who taught you all this?

However, he nodded nonetheless. Knowing that Hugh was a follower of the Goddess of Night, he said he would send a telegram to the Church of Night. Kurt was now essentially a high-ranking "informant" for all three churches, so he had that authority.

After thanking the giant bishop, Kurt headed towards the study area and saw Melanie, whose spirits had clearly improved but whose body was trembling slightly. Her baseball cap was casually placed on the table, and she was mixing a potion.

Kurt raised an eyebrow, instinctively assuming Melanie was concocting a Sequence 5 potion, but realized she wasn't preparing the necessary ritual for the promotion from "Potions Professor" to "Crimson Scholar":

Under the full moon's glow, metals, gems, and the blood of extraordinary beings representing different moons were gathered...

Kurt didn't disturb Melanie, quietly returning to his seat. Melanie glanced at Kurt with her bright red eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses. Then, she completed the final step, her thin lips moving slightly in a nasal tone as she spoke:

"You're here early today? Achoo..."

Melanie was speaking when she took out a handkerchief and sneezed.

"Is this... a cold?" Kurt's eye twitched. He glanced at the red medicine bottle and asked uncertainly, "..."

"Do you have a cold?"

Melanie remained calm, put the herbs back in her bag, nodded quietly, and then drank the "cold medicine."

Could it be that they've encountered the Witch of Pain...? Kurt thought with a heavy heart. That teacher is quite strong, managing to escape from a Sequence Five expert. Or perhaps it's a negative effect of an extraordinary item? Kurt glanced at the small golden apples hanging on Melanie's rather ample chest...

Melanie finished her medicine and felt much better immediately. She then explained:

"I caught a cold. I was hanging in a tree outside all night yesterday. I guess I underestimated the chill in Backlund."

She looked up and saw the shock in Kurt's eyes, and chuckled softly:

"Excessive sun exposure makes me more susceptible to illness."

"However, I have a feeling that the weather in Backlund will greatly boost my immunity... but I'm likely to develop mental health issues."