Either way, his time wasn’t wasted. For Ulrich, it was a perfect opportunity to strap himself within the library of the sanctuary. As such, his knowledge regarding the world of mysticism has expanded greatly, even after accounting for Father Lorel’s lectures.
In fact, he was able to further consolidate his understanding of the various mystic matters, as well as phenomena that had clouded his mind previously.
A great example of this is the “Law of Contact”, mentioned by Victor, in regards to the ‘names’ of various entities that exist. The Law of Contact suggests that [objects] that have been in contact with each other once can remain ‘magically’ linked after separation. For this reason, [object A], despite being separate physically, can affect [object B].
[Objects] in this instant can be a lock of hair, or a drop of blood, and even ‘names’ of a certain being. As such, there is a taboo in the world of mysticism—Do not directly utter the name of any unknown entity.
This taboo applies to the Gods and Deities, as this was an act of disrespect and contempt for such divine beings. Despite ‘their’ benevolence, the status of a God cannot be sullied in the slightest.
The result of breaking this taboo corresponds to the nature of the entity. And if a mortal were to praise the Primordial Creator (Lord of Twilight), worshiped by the Twilight Order, it is most likely that they will degenerate into madness on the spot. If not, they will gradually deteriorate into a thing beyond human.
Normally speaking, a contact can be broken through various purification or cleansing. But, on the level of the Deities, it is impossible to break the contact. For these reasons, uttering the name of any malevolent entity of a certain level will seal one’s fate.
Fortunately, I never delve too deeply into the unknown world prior to joining the Ministry!
This single law also explains the principles behind ‘curses’, as well as their natural history and folklore.
It is no wonder curses like straw-dolls, hair locks curse, and nail clippings can be used as a medium for curses… Facing these startling revelations, Ulrich chuckled wryly as his hand subconsciously grazed his hair.
It also explains why Rosaline suggested he perform divination using Selena's items that were once in her possession. By using the Law of Contacts in divination, it faces less interference and obtains a more direct revelation.
At the same time, he felt the urge to shave his head, but quickly rejected the idea.
Being stressed about my hair falling off is better than being bald!
With those comforting thoughts, Ulrich buried his face into the stack of books in front of his desk.
By the time Captain Ottis returned, it was well past eight in the morning. He walked down the Sanctuary corridor, moving toward his office. However, his foot was caught in the air when he crossed the library door.
Someone left the light on? He didn’t give it much thought; after all, it was a rather common occurrence.
And so, he opened the door, not expecting Ulrich to greet him with a wave of his hand.
“You’re back?”
Captain Ottis's brows furrowed, his eyes glancing at the various books that filled the desk, to the point that even Ulrich's face was obscured.
After leaving last night, he’d expected Ulrich to go home or rest in the guest room. To think that the newcomer would rather spend the night in the underground sanctuary than rest elsewhere was inconceivable. And yet, here he was.
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“Were you here the whole night?”
Ulrich nodded and stood up from his seat, then walked up to the door.
“Did you find anything?”
“There was a fourth person at the scene. He appeared once and gave Albert the earring before leaving.” His expression darkened as he continued.
Fourth person?
“I thought we performed spirit channeling, how come there was no sign of this?”
Hearing this, Captain Ottis shook his head, then let out a sigh, “I had the same question. The only way this was possible is due to another cursed object that interferes with the spirit’s state, or this person never appeared personally to those two, only to Albert.”
With that said, he added, “Either way, the origin of the curse objects that caused Dulvis to mutate on the spot, as well as cursed Victor, must be from this person. Fortunately, through your divination, we were able to spot this, or else, it would have gone unnoticed by us.”
Finally, Captain Ottis raised his hand and patted Ulrich’s shoulder, “I need you and Victor to go back to Port Ratt, find the record of who owns that building. Clearly, this building was used as a hideout for Dulvis and the other two for some time. Through our investigations of their background, they cannot afford it legitimately. Someone must be funding their activities.”
Follow the money, find the source?
After Captain Ottis's order, Ulrich dragged Victor to the Eastern District. The downpour weather has cleared overnight, though the street was still wet with fresh dew. This left behind a lingering, earthy scent, mixed with the smell of coals and dirty mud.
As they strolled down the street, Victor’s ‘closed’ eyes attracted a few glances. However, no one seemed to question it, and apparently, such a sight was not uncommon. Either way, Ulrich was glad that they did not attract much attention.
By the time they made it to the dock of Port Ratt, everyone was busier than the first time they visited. Fortunately, when Ulrich flashed his badge, they were able to meet with Rufus Bradley once again.
This time, Ulrich took the initiative to perform the questioning rather than Victor. Regarding this, Victor did not voice his disagreement. When it comes to the matter of truths and lies, as well as questionings and inquiry, a Seer was incomparable.
At this moment, Ulrich stood in front of Rufus Bradley with Victor behind him. Both of his hands were tucked inside his pockets, one of them fiddling with the coins out of habit.
“Mr. Bradley, do you know about building unit 101?”
“Oh, that? I own that!”
What?
Immediately, Ulrich's hand froze, though his expression didn’t shift even the slightest. He maintained a pleasant smile on his face and raised a rather reasonable question.
“Do you happen to know who did or who is residing there?”
Rufus Bradley grew silent while scratching his sideburns. For a moment, he raised his head to stare at the blue sky, perhaps to help recall if there was someone who did live there.
After about a minute, he struck his chest and nodded, “I remember. There was a man who signed a three-year lease on it.”
Hearing this, Ulrich subtly urged him to continue, “Do you have the name of this client?”
“Terry Mondie, yes, I am certain of it—this man came to me and requested this unit specifically.”
Ulrich glanced at Victor. However, Victor merely tilted his head. Seeing this, Ulrich's smile almost dropped to the floor.
I forgot you can’t see… Helpless, he can only face Rufus Bradley and blurt another question, “Is there anything recognizable that you think is worth noting?”
Once again, Rufus Bradley stared at the sky in silence. Ulrich didn’t rush or interrupt him either.
After another minute, he shook his head and let out a deep sigh, “Not that I can think of. As a rather successful business owner, if there was something that stood out, I would certainly remember!”
With that said, Ulrich nodded and raised one final question.
“By chance, do you happen to have any items or objects relating to him?”
“What do you mean?”
Ulrich realized his choice of words was poor and elaborated further, “My apologies, I mean, something like a down payment. I’m sure some of your tenants would pay with things other than cash, correct?”
“No, this man paid the entire three years in cash. I was shocked at first, but who can turn away from money?”
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