It was completely beyond Angel's expectation that the "Assassin" potion could be digested so quickly.
According to the information she got indirectly from other Nighthawks, it usually takes more than three years for a Sequence 9 Beyonder to fully "master the power of the potion in his body". This also requires a full understanding of the properties of the potion, as well as a little bit of talent and luck.
Most Beyonders even remain at Sequence 9 throughout their entire lives, finding it difficult to advance further.
Mastering the "acting method" is something else.
Madam Sharon taught Cole Granger the acting method without reservation, and also imparted to him a lot of knowledge about "Assassin" acting. Even so, it took Cole about half a year to go from a Sequence 9 "Assassin" to an "Instigator", and he played the role of an assassin and assassinated no less than ten people.
According to Mrs. Sharon, this can be considered a "gift".
And what about yourself?
Cole died in the early morning of June 28th. He traveled to this world around the same time and became Angel Granger, a Sequence 9 Assassin.
Today is July 12th.
In just two weeks, she digested the "Assassin" potion and was ready to advance to Sequence 8.
Angel had no doubt that if there was a potion of "Instigator" in front of her, all she had to do was drink it and she would immediately become an "Instigator".
Even with Cole Granger's experience as an "assassin", this was too fast.
She does not think this is the so-called "welfare of time travelers" and the problem is most likely with her own body.
Perhaps this body had already completely digested the "Assassin" potion once, or perhaps Cole's previous performance was still effective...
These possibilities all have traces, but they cannot be confirmed. Angel thought about them over and over again, but could not come to a definite conclusion, so he had to put these doubts aside.
Only then did she realize the importance of an occult mentor. Even if it was a Beyonder with ill intentions like Madam Sharon, a little guidance from Cole could benefit him greatly.
Among all the extraordinary people Angel has come into contact with so far, the only ones who can be consulted on these issues are the Night Watchmen, and his secrets cannot be exposed to them.
"Perhaps I can raise questions at the Tarot Club? Miss Justice has just become a Beyonder, so she may not be able to help. But Mr. Hanged Man looks like a knowledgeable person. Although he is very frugal with words, a proper exchange of interests should be able to impress him. No one in the Tarot Club knows each other, so even if we reveal our secrets, it will not affect our real lives…"
She murmured to herself.
"If all else fails, I can still trouble Mr. Fool…"
————————
Angel, who was full of questions, arrived at the Blackthorn Security Company the next day and ran into Backlund's Nighthawks who came out of the basement and were waiting in the reception room.
Borgia, still with the same indifferent look on his face as before, was carrying the iron box containing 2-049. The parts of the box that were damaged in the battle had been affixed with a crimson seal, and a complicated prayer was written on it in black ink. Since the ink was close to the background color, it was impossible to recognize what was written from a distance.
On his left and right stood a strange man, both dressed in the same uniform, wearing brown windbreaker suits, half-high hats, and bulging waists, probably carrying guns. The two men were like bodyguards protecting dignitaries, sandwiching Borgia holding the seal with a serious face. If they could wear a pair of sunglasses, they would definitely show more majesty.
Unfortunately, the arms raised in the flexion and extension exercise destroyed the serious atmosphere they created.
The two should be the night watchmen who came from Backlund to provide support yesterday. There are no steam trains running at night, so it is unknown how they got from Backlund to Tingen City.
Sequence 8 "Gravedigger" Lolota followed behind with a bored look on her face. She seemed not to have slept well last night. She was yawning, holding a small wooden box in one hand and flexing her arm with the other.
Seeing Angel walk into the reception room, she perked up, and with shining eyes, she walked around the other three and came to greet him.
"Good morning, Ms. Lorota, are you ready to leave Tingen City and return to Backlund?"
Angel took the initiative to say hello.
She noticed that Ms. Luo Yao was dressed in formal attire and followed several people. She also recalled the carriage she saw at the door when she went upstairs, and guessed that the other party was planning to use the carriage to send several night watchmen from other places to the steam train station.
After all, someone had to deliver the carriage back.
"Yeah, Backlund is in a hurry. After learning that the notes have been obtained, they asked us to take the earliest train back to Backlund. If there were no trains at night, we would have to leave overnight." Lolota replied, raising the small box in her hand, which should contain the Antigonus family notes found yesterday.
"Luckily, two more teammates arrived yesterday, otherwise I would have to borrow two more people from you to escort the Sealed Artifact together."
The characteristic of 2-049 is effective within a radius of about five meters. In public places, especially on crowded trains, it can easily affect nearby residents, so at least three people are needed to surround it to minimize the impact. Considering possible accidents along the way, traveling with four people is indeed the best choice.
But to do this arm flexion and extension exercise from Tingen to Backlund... She looked at the other three people flexing their arms with a calm expression, and suddenly felt a little fortunate.
Fortunately, they have enough people!
"Then how did you get here?" She suddenly remembered that when she met them yesterday, there were only Lorota and Borgia, and asked curiously.
"Of course, we escorted the Sealed Artifact in a group of three. However, as soon as we arrived in Tingen City, the Holy Temple sent an urgent telegram to call El Hassan away. I heard that there was an emergency in Enmat Port that needed support. If you were not also short of manpower, you might have asked the Tingen City team to send people to support you."
Enmat Harbor?
Angel noticed this place name, which he had heard several times. The "Psychic" Daly Simone was a member of the Nighthawks team in that port city. The "Hanged Man" also said that there was a "craftsman" he knew well, and he could buy extraordinary weapons from there.
Backlund is located southeast of Tingen City, and forms a roughly equilateral inverted triangle with Enmat Port, which is due east of Tingen. Is it because Backlund is more short of manpower or because there is something special about this Al Hassen?
She did her usual brainstorming, but she had too little information to come to any useful conclusions.
"It's a pity that we have to go back after only one day in Tingen. The coffee here is quite good, and they can make all the popular flavors. But the maids are not very relaxed. In this regard, the coffee shop in Backlund is better." Lolota seemed to be recalling something when she talked about "maids", and even the swinging of her arms slowed down.
Worried that she was under the influence of 2-049, Angel reached out to help.
"Ah, no, I'm not affected by the seal..." Lolota came back to her senses, smiled and shook her head, "See you later, thank you for your hospitality, come to Backlund when you have time, and be sure to contact me then..."
Seeing that the other three Backlund Nighthawks had already reached the door, she hurriedly added a sentence, waved goodbye, and took a few steps forward.
"Goodbye!"
Angel only had time to reply before the Backlund team disappeared from behind the door.
She heard the rubbing sound of the hinges of a wooden door opening and closing, as well as slow footsteps. She turned around and saw Leonard, the "Midnight Poet", poking his head out from behind the partition.
"They left?"
Seeing that Angel was the only one left in the reception room, he walked out from behind the partition, put his hands in his pockets, and smiled frivolously.
"Fortunately, the captain sent a telegram to Backlund yesterday and asked them to send two more Nighthawks for support. Otherwise, I would have to raise my arm on the train and be stared at by other passengers. Damn, my arm is still sore now."
After yesterday's battle, Angel knew that this poet, who was dressed slightly frivolously, was a very serious and calm Beyonder in battle, so he didn't pay attention to his tone and replied cooperatively:
"Perhaps it would be nice to go to Backlund with Ms. Lorota. We can just consider it as a funded trip. I haven't been to the capital of the Kingdom of Loen yet. I heard that city has a population of over a million."
"The newspaper said that the population has exceeded five million," Leonard corrected. "It's the largest city in the Northern Continent, and perhaps the same in the Southern Continent as well. Its area is larger than ten Tingen cities combined. It's definitely worth a visit - if you don't mind the bad air there."
"But Lolota..." He stared at Angel's upper body with his green eyes for a few seconds, and then continued: "You know what? Yesterday the captain talked to me about Ms. Lolota. She said that she went out to inquire about the coffee shop in Tingen City as soon as she recovered from her injury, because she liked three things the most: sweets, coffee... and maids."
"Maid?"
Angel repeated in confusion that Lorota had mentioned the cafe before saying goodbye, and something like "Tingen's maid can't let go", she just thought that she had encountered something unpleasant in the cafe, and didn't investigate further. At this time, Leonard mentioned this word with a strange look on his face, which made her a little confused.
"Yeah, you know the maid cafes... that's the kind, and she likes them best... with big breasts."
After standing there for several seconds, Angel realized that Leonard had something else in mind.
Could it be that Ms. Lorota, who usually looks lazy and is known as a sharpshooter but is more accustomed to close combat in battle, is...
Before Angel could react, Leonard, with a smirk, had already walked past her. He took a few steps and then seemed to remember something, then turned back and spoke.
"I'll go call Luo Shan and the others down from the third floor... Oh, by the way, there's one more thing. The captain said that if you come, you should go to his office. It should be about yesterday's battle. It seems that there is a bounty to be claimed."
Bounty?
Angel was stunned again as he watched Leonard walk towards the stairs.