Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 802 Two Meetings
In an apartment on Limestone Street in the East District, Sherman changed out of the clothes and cloak he wore when committing the crime in his safe house, burned them with black flames to remove any possible occult information, then threw them into the small fireplace, lit a fire, and watched the gray smoke float into the air and disappear at the top of the window.

Compared to half a year ago, Backlund's air quality has improved a lot. The release of new pollution made Sherman feel a little guilty, of course, only a little.

She changed into the dress that had been prepared here, put on the hooded cloak that could cover her long hair and half of her face, packed her belongings, and was about to leave this temporary resting place.

When passing by a mirror with several cracks, Sherman stopped and his eyes lingered on the face reflected in the mirror.

This female face that she had always dreamed of and now easily possessed now had a hint of melancholy.

After staying with Miss Triss for so long, I seem to have been infected with her emotions... Shaking his head, Sherman took a last look at himself in the mirror, turned off the gas light, and hurriedly left the apartment.

Walking along the narrow and cramped Limestone Street to the White Whale Street full of factories and warehouses, Sherman went straight to a factory where horse-drawn carriages were coming in and out from time to time.

When she passed the gate, she looked up and saw a brand new nameplate with the words "Black Bear Cannery" written on it. It also had a black bear paw with only four fingers. It used to be the symbol of the "Black Claw Gang", but now it has become the trademark of Backlund's canned fruit that is popular.

Entering the bustling factory area, Sherman looked at the boxes of colorful, appetizing canned goods in glass jars being loaded onto the carriages. It seemed to him that he saw gold pounds and stacks of banknotes flying towards him, and a bright smile appeared on his face under the hood.

Originally, he took over this canning factory just to find something for the gang members to do when order was gradually restored in the East District and the business scope of the gangs was shrinking. He didn't expect that after listening to Miss Irene's advice, he would make so much money by switching from cheap tin pickled fish cans to canned fruit in glass jars... She muttered silently, her eyes wandering around, and soon found Liv busy in the factory.

Not only did the poor people who joined the Black Claw gang out of desperation have a stable income, but even Liv could do some work within her ability but easier than washing clothes, which allowed Freya and Daisy to attend public elementary school instead of helping at home every day.

For Freya, who is close to adulthood and cannot continue her studies even after graduating from elementary school, this is just a chance to learn literacy and simple knowledge so that she can find a better job after graduation. But for Daisy, it may be an opportunity to change her destiny.

This may be the last thing I can do for them... Carefully avoiding Liv, passing through the production area filled with steam and all kinds of sweet fruit and sugar smells, Sherman came to the warehouse at the back of the factory and went up the stairs to the third floor to his own office, or rather Sherman's office.

In fact, after I became Sherman, this place belonged to Xiu. Unfortunately, she came here less often than I did. If there was no special person to manage it, this factory would have been in chaos long ago... She thought about it, opened the door with the key, and her sharp eyesight noticed that there was a person standing in the corner of the dim room.

She was wearing a black long dress, with a graceful figure and beautiful facial curves. When the curtains were drawn and only a faint light shone into the room, it looked like it was coated with a layer of gold, making her look both holy and charming.

"Ms. Triss."

Sherman greeted him and turned on the gas lamp, filling the room with warm light to dispel the melancholy and cold atmosphere emanating from the other person.

"I didn't expect your factory to be doing so well. I watched from the window for half an hour and saw three horse-drawn carriages carrying canned goods leaving."

Triss didn't seem to like the light, so she shrank into the corner and spoke in a joking tone.

"The profits are not huge, but they are enough for the gang members to support themselves and their families."

Sherman's serious answer startled Triss, and she slowed down her tone, no longer mocking:

"That's great... Was it your short friend who came up with this idea?"

"It was Miss Irene who suggested this. It was also her idea to switch from supplying cheap canned food to sailors to producing this kind of fine product. It seems to be working well now."

Irene Watson... Triss recalled the woman she had met several times before the great haze, a woman she almost regarded as her "comrade-in-arms" in Tingen City. It was difficult to associate that ordinary face with the "Golden Queen" Angelica Sage.

What's more, she never expected that the woman who looked a little stupid could come up with such a business plan.

"Heh, you should know that the focus right now is not on this factory..." After a while, Triss squeezed out a little laugh from the depths of her throat and said in an inexplicable tone, "How is your performance as a 'witch' going?"

"I only need to take care of two more targets to complete this large-scale role play, but the feedback I received was not as good as I expected... Maybe the authorities blocked the news, so the serial murder case was not widely spread and did not cause people to panic about me?"

Sherman frowned her beautiful eyebrows and muttered in confusion.

"Of course, even if the official Beyonders don't think you're acting, they at least know that the murder case with obvious characteristics has some kind of religious meaning, so they will definitely block the news to prevent it from spreading and causing panic... You have to change your strategy and conduct the last two assassinations publicly, allowing a large number of passers-by to witness their deaths and complete the acting."

Triss recalled the method that Mitis taught her in Tingen, and passed it on to the "junior" in front of her.

Hearing this, Sherman's brows became even more melancholy, and he asked carefully:
"Will this... attract the attention of the night watchmen stationed in the East District?" "Oh, you've already attracted their attention," Triss sneered, leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest. Her black hair and black dress almost blended into the darkness of the corner. "I came here this time because your Miss Irene asked me about the serial murders in the East District and whether it was done by the 'Witch Sect'... How do you want me to answer?"

Sherman, who had learned from many actions that he did not belong to the "Witch Sect" and guessed that Miss Irene might have a certain official background, opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

At this moment, she was extremely glad that she followed her inner thoughts and chose targets who were full of evil. Otherwise, Miss Irene would have rushed to the East District, dragged her into the mirror, and thrown her into the church for trial.

"In short, you should complete the last two performances as soon as possible and then leave the East District to avoid being caught by those Beyonders. Even if you kill guilty people, they will not think you are innocent..."

Seeing Sherman remained silent, Triss shook her head and gave instructions, then quickly changed the subject:

"Get changed and come with me to the West End. There's less than three hours left for my date with Viscount Stratford tonight."

Sherman sighed silently when she realized that the "mystic mentor" in front of her had suddenly turned into a "housekeeper" who arranged all her activities. She found a light blue dress that was full of youthfulness in the lounge attached to the office, took it off in front of Triss, and changed into it.

This guy doesn't avoid me at all. I remember when I first became a "witch", I didn't dare to change clothes in front of Mitis... Triss curled her lips and looked away.

A trace of doubt suddenly arose in her heart: Why was she, a "witch" who had never forgotten her male identity and was extremely resistant to the female body, chosen as the vessel of the "Original Witch" and even given the name "Chik"?
Could it be that my resistance and contradiction towards my identity makes me closer to that god?
----

After a not-so-long wait, Angel met Sander again in a private room of a cafe opposite the East Balam Veterans Club.

Without much greeting, the retired officer, who was over fifty but still full of energy, personally opened the suitcase that Angel brought, checked the 7000 pounds that belonged to him, and then closed the suitcase with satisfaction and laughed:

"I had originally prepared for many twists and turns in our first cooperation, but I didn't expect Miss Theresa to deal with our useless arms so smoothly... Hehe, I heard that the Gargas Islands are very lively recently. I hope the Feysac people can handle it."

"Unless more troops are sent, they will soon have to retreat to Nas City. The outer areas will probably be occupied by the rebels and pirates."

Stuart on the side interjected, glancing at Angel from time to time as if showing off.

But he soon noticed the ring on Angel's left ring finger on his knees, and showed undisguised surprise.

"Christine, you, you are engaged?"

He hesitated, but finally asked the question.

Sandel, who was obviously more informed than the major, glanced at the young man behind him and said with a playful tone:

"At the ball at Senator Macht's house three days ago, Miss Theresa and Mr. Dantes had already become the focus of everyone's attention. I'm just a little curious, are you and that gentleman who also came to Backlund not long ago really as rumored, uh, in love?"

Is he asking whether Klein and I are together because of interests or because of true love?

Angel quickly understood what the other party meant, glanced at Stuart, whose expression had collapsed, covered his mouth and chuckled, and replied:

"When I first attended the Macht family's ball, I was attracted by Dawn's mature temperament and elegant manners. The subsequent contact proved that he was a more suitable partner than those ostentatious young people... Of course, the same interests between us are also an important bond."

Feelings and interests are equally important, and this is also in our interest. After all, both of them are important "business partners"... Sander narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment, then smiled even more, nodded and said:
"In that case, I look forward to attending your wedding." Then, he changed the subject, "In addition, a military leader wants to meet you secretly recently. Please be prepared at any time. I will notify you in advance."

Seeing Angel frowning subconsciously, Sander laughed and added:
"Don't worry, she's a woman."

This is not what I'm worried about... Angel muttered, pretending to be relaxed, and nodded:

“I am looking forward to meeting this lady.”

After that, she stood up and said goodbye gracefully. Finally, she took a reluctant look at the box containing a huge sum of 7000 pounds, which was almost equivalent to the production cost of the magical item "Iron Knight". She left the cafe, leaving behind Sander with a smile on her face and Stuart, who was expecting something and breaking his defense without permission.

(End of this chapter)