Within the dreamworld.
Vast mountains and wide lakes nurturing luscious trees vibrantly liven in the background on which Selina stood and thinking.
Through the spirituality of Catherine right in front of her. She felt it was more refined and radiating than the rest of the people that have visited her, including Klein and Leonard.
Is this how I determine my believer's Sequence? But how about their pathways? Selina deduced Catherine's Sequence roughly, right now she's Sequence 7.
"Your grace. How do I relay the receipt and bank information to one of your admirers?"
Selina copied The Fool's wording of admirers. It sounded more refined than what she initially intended with special believers.
Having said that, Selina was at a rope of her abilities. She can't simply replicate what The Fool has been doing with the yellow-brown goatskin parchment!
However, through the body to which Catherine borrowed to enter the dreamworld. It does allow her to pry into her thoughts.
Even if it does not manifest into physical objects. As long as the person pictures them clearly within their mind, it would allow Selina to see and recreate a copy.
And so, that is what Selina instructed.
"Picture the bank information in my mind..." Catherine muttered in a languid voice. She then nodded right away and did as what she was instructed.
Her spirituality churned, and Selina felt another wave of an ocean body somewhere, allowing her to synchronize with Catherine's body, sharing her thoughts.
Mhm, that seems to be the Backlund Bank's receipt. She used Doctor Stone as an alias? added Selina inwardly with a mix of surprise.
At that moment, she lifted her left hand and her palm turned into a mud. The mud then melted and underneath the shedding of its layer are the details of the receipt and bank information.
It worked!
Catherine fell into a daze as she saw what was written and what the clay tablet formed. She was both amaze and terrified.
Now all I need to do was to present this to Klein. That way he can use Mindprint ritual to create an exact copy... Selina felt an uplift in her mood.
But considering his workload today, she quickly dismissed the idea of doing that today. After all, he had just gone off to do a favor for Mr. Azik and had yet to return.
Moving onto Catherine's reward, Selina simply dismissed her, since the saving used was from their allowance and received from her. She viewed it as enough as a compensation.
They still had to earn my full blessing with the pharmacy and their redemption... Selina tried to justify herself.
Now alone and still integrated into the ground. Selina has nothing left to do other than checking Klein and Leonard's status.
The former had just finished doing a ritual and was about to sleep, Selina saw it to be the hollowing ritual Klein was conducting. The latter on the other hand, was talking to himself while eating dinner.
"This late and he's still eating? I guess that's one of the perks of being alone..." Selina nodded in share of sentiments.
As she was about to wake herself up, severe her connection with the dreamworld. Suddenly, all her spirituality was alarmed.
...! Without her consent, the infinite horizon petered from a scene, a point of light that came from a door.
The image of the dreamworld fade and fizzled until Selina found herself in a room, and saw the doorknob being pried.
What? What happened? Selina tensed up and she felt an ache.
The dreamworld ejected me out? Out of my will? her eyes was glued onto the door. She sensed there was someone there.
She darted her gaze around just once and felt compelled to open it. Suddenly, she was parched.
I want water? Selina's confusion was increasing each moment.
She extended her hand, as if it was the appropriate thing to do, and opened it with a twist of the handle.
The wooden pane swung with her fingers on the knob. There it was, Dunn, in his dark windbreaker, cane in hand and a pipe in the other.
Captain? In my dream? What are you doing in my dream!? Selina was so stunned she failed to lift her head and look on Dunn's face. He was towering her.
Dunn simply casted his gaze down, that's what Selina felt.
He observed her with his gray eyes before proceeding to face away and helping himself in. He phased through Selina as if he was a phantom.
Is this what Klein has been experiencing? Captain, intruding in our dreams to digest his potion? Ugh, I'm parched... Selina couldn't hold a candle to her thought and she strode to find the nearest kitchen.
She discovered she's at the Moretti household, thus her travel was short due to familiarity.
I have to look over Captain! Or else he might find something he shouldn't, like Falacy! Selina hurriedly went up the stairs.
However, when she arrived on the guest room door, she realized. Right, I have to feign ignorance over Captain's intrusion, or else he'll find out I'm lucid!
She calmly twisted the handle, and let the door produce a creak.
Thud! Selina closed it on her way as if oblivious for the man in windbreaker who was reading a note on the desk.
Her daily notes!
AHHH! Selina almost gripped her hair in alarm, but she stayed indifferent.
With controlled steps, she wanted to take the chance to seemingly trying to resume the notes. Then, luckily, the paragraphs that were there, had yet to mention of Klein. It was still about the mysticism lesson she self-studied.
Phew. Selina was profoundly happy and was deeply relieved.
Then, she started writing again, resuming and diverting where her diary page is leading.
During that moment, Dunn hadn't left her seat, both of them were overlapping each other in an illusory refraction of colors.
Finally, Dunn seemingly had enough. He stood up and started walking around the room, inspecting even what little of her belongings.
Now, Selina gradually faking her writing. Inwardly, she was tearing with exasperation. Captain, please leave...
Only when Dunn was content did he occupied the edge of her bed. He sat there quietly, contemplatively, looking at Selina without a reason.
Ugh, this is a nightmare! Selina exclaimed.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
At that moment, three consecutive knocks rang from the closed oriel window. A shadow of a feline was casted by the crimson moonlight from the outside.
Falacy? How? Selina was forced to check, walk over and open.
The cat with a peculiar form similar to a Persian cat, with green pupils jumped in. Dunn quickly saw this and was curious.
After snuggling in her embrace. Selina closed the window again and brought the black cat to her lap. She was in full adrenaline and she was writing gibberish in her notes hoping Dunn wouldn't suspect.
Then, she heard the creak sound of the bed, hinting that Dunn had stood up.
Please don't come here, please don't come here... and yet Dunn was already next to her.
Captain I hope this got you very far into digestion... Selina sighed out of resignation in her heart.
She sensed that Dunn kept on scrutinizing the feline as it softly wags its tail and seating a loaf position.
Surprised I had a cat? Falacy isn't actually my cat you know? He's a stray and I doubt he wants to be my pet... I'm just someone whom he can get stable food from... Selina remarked in self-deprecation.
Well, to me he's similar to a family...
Dunn finally stopped inspecting. Instead, he extended his hand, to which Selina caught from the corner of her eye.
Captain? Are you trying to pet Falacy? Selina's body stiffened.
Wait, now that I think about it, Tingen City had little to no cats around the streets. They might've been adopted? By wealthy people? If that so then perhaps this is the first time Captain has ever seen one...
But the street vendors saw Falacy and did not had any fiery reaction. Maybe once in a while a stray cat is around but was immediately captured?
If you think that way... Ugh, this time I'll get you to stay!
Selina was so deep in her thoughts that it didn't occur to her that Falacy left her lap. It was only when her hand fell did she snapped.
Falacy?
She looked in a panic, but immediately saw Dunn holding Falacy up, inspecting the feline closer.
Seeing that there was no harm in the interaction. Selina, slowly closed her eyes in relief and calmly returned to writing.
After five, ten, fifteen minutes. She finally felt it was the time to burn the paper she had rewritten, as per her routine.
Dunn was now holding the cat, embracing it in his arms after placing his cane over the chair.
Seeing Selina ignite the paper to be smoldered inside the lamp and walking over to her bed, covering herself with its sheets. It seems he noticed the cue, lowering the cat and watching it leap away, Dunn donned his top hat and picked up his cane.
Selina half-closed her eyes and held her breath, sensing that Dunn was leaving.
Once he was gone, she took a breather, relief etched on her face.
Phew... When everything returned to normal, Selina let out a breath.
What a nightmare!
...
Backlund, West Backlund, Philip's Department Store.
Philip's was one of the top-end department stores in the Loen Kingdom. It only opened to nobles and wealthy people who were qualified to be members.
There was always luxurious carriages parked outside with different emblems printed on them. Not only was it a safe place for shopping, it also became a popular social venue due to the strict restriction on members.
Audrey brought her maidservant, Annie, and her golden retriever, Susie. Under the ushering of an eagerly attentive attendant, she got off the carriage and walked through the entrance.
Along the way, she saw daughters of viscounts, countesses, or maidens with parents of high social status.
She maintained her elegance and greeted them all gracefully. She communicated with different nobles on different topics. For instance, when she faced a particular countess, she would compliment the fittings of the countess's dress and when she greeted a particular baroness, she would praise the outstanding performance of the baroness's husband in the House of Lords.
Audrey hadn't been good at that previously; she was too stubborn and too arrogant. But now, she didn't even need to put in much effort to respond perfectly.
In a Spectator's eyes, most of the emotions and thoughts of the female nobles were written on their faces.
Arriving at the second floor, Audrey turned into a shop that sold ready-made dresses.
The attendant in the shop was a petite maiden. She wore a black and white dress and had shoulder-length blond hair. She was the Arbiter, Xio Derecha.
Audrey gave Susie a look without changing her facial expression. The dog understood what her owner meant immediately and ran to another counter.
Maidservant Annie went after Susie to try to drag her back.
Well done! Audrey complimented inwardly and walked next to Xio Derecha, pretending to look at the variety of dresses.
"... Why did you arrange to meet me here for?" Xio inquired with a whisper while she loudly introduced the dresses.
Her voice was tender, just like a child's.
"Where's the original attendant?" Audrey asked in reply instead of answering her.
Xio looked around and said, "I convinced her. She was happy to rest for the morning."
Audrey looked at the different styled dresses while she took out a piece of neatly folded paper from her lamb leather handbag and secretly passed it to Xio.
"Rear Admiral Hurricane, Qilangos, has snuck into Backlund. This is his portrait. I hope you can find him for me. Oh, and don't alert him."
Xio received the piece of paper and unfolded it to take a quick glance. She saw that it was a lifelike portrait of a man in his thirties that had a unique broad chin.
I was once constantly praised by my art teacher... Audrey stole a glance at Xio and lifted her head.
She added, "The Kingdom offers a reward of ten thousand pounds for Qilangos. If he were to be arrested, even the person that only provided clues would definitely be awarded with a few hundred pounds."
Just as she finished her sentence, she saw Xio's eyes beam with joy, as she had expected.