Waking up was not as painful as before as Kiyotaka didn't wake up early.
Since he no longer had a job, he didn't need to get up so early.
Once he was up, he immediately dropped and started doing pushups. Since his endurance and strength had vastly improved, he could see a lot of improvement. For starters, he could now do 50 standard pushups in a row and 50 diamond pushups.
Once that was done, he similarly walked to the door and unlocked it. Using the edge of the door frame, he hung from it. The frame creaked but it held strong. Once he confirmed that the entire wall won't fall on him, he tucked his elbows in and pulled himself.
Little by little, as sweat trickled from his scalp, between his brows and the tip of his nose, he was finally able to fully pull himself up.
This was his first ever full pullup in this world!
Kiyotaka wanted to feel a little accomplished, but there was a plaintive look on his face. After all, going from someone who could do as many pullups as he wanted to someone who wanted to celebrate over doing one proper pullup with a rather questionable form was quite depressing.
Regardless, there was something that gave him hope. It was his body's instinctual feel for fights. Back when he was attacked by the Sequence 9: Hunter—Meursault, as The Fool named him—he was able to react in time.
His fight sense and body's ability to react to what he was thinking was astonishing. It was attributed to his own countless years of experience, mixed in with Williams' abilities as well. No matter how much of a drunk person he was, Williams had a lot of connections into gangs and often got into fights.
Since he was born and raised in the poor streets of East Borough where even children had fought for the next meal, there was an ample amount of fighting experience engraved into Williams' body. While the fighting style was crude without any finesse, Kiyotaka's experience with multiple martial arts compensated for that.
In a sense, Williams' body was the most optimal for Kiyotaka. Despite the setbacks. Of course, as long as it came to fighting, as for other things...Kiyotaka couldn't help but sigh.
After doing 2 sets of 50 squats each, Kiyotaka went outside and started jogging. While jogging, he would often receive some strange glares from people as running was seen as an ungentlemanly thing to do. Of course, if one was in a hurry, it was pardoned, but it was clear that this fellow was not in a hurry to do anything.
While running, Kiyotaka took the route that went through the graveyard and into the Cherwood Borough. Once he was inside the Borough, he slowed his pace and walked slowly. Wiping the sweat from his face with the hem of his own shirt, he slowly took in the surroundings.
Cherwood Borough was much better than East Borough and as Xio had mentioned before, it had a lot of attractions. The people who lived here were mostly middle-class families. There was a certain distinction between middle-class families as well such as lower middle and upper middle-class families.
Cherwood Borough seemed to host the latter.
Xio and Fors Wall live together here. She had talked about finding me an apartment here... I do not want her to nag about me losing my job. Hmm... I can just say that I had found a house somewhere else. And due to renovations, I cannot invite her. Of course, I have to say the second sentence only if she insists on seeing it.
He quietly thought about various things. As he was about to leave, from the corner of his eyes he saw Xio standing against the wall of her building where her and Fors' apartment was. Kiyotaka briskly walked over to her and stopped.
"Good morning. The weather is horrible today." Kiyotaka greeted, adopting the usual quip and complaints about the weather the locals did when meeting someone.
"Oh, Williams! Good morning...what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
Kiyotaka pursed his lips. "I had taken a day off since I completed all my work. Better dedicate some time to me than sit on a chair for 12 hours. Everyday."
"That is good." There was an explicable alchemy of relief and horror over her face. She was sweating a little as well. "It is nice to see you taking care of yourself."
"Thanks." Remembering something, Kiyotaka parted his lips. "I had to ask, do you know of a cheap plot of land consisting primarily of soft ground that can be easily dug up. It would be better if it is at the outskirts of Backlund. As cheap as possible."
Xio narrowed her eyes on him. "Did you commit murder?"
"Of course." Kiyotaka spoke with a straight face.
"Was it the murder case the police have been investigating?"
"I was merely joking."
Xio's eyes didn't leave Williams. After a moment, she sighed. "I can do that. Although it is a shame. I had talked to our landlord. He was ready to lease out the room right next to mine and Fors'. Well, regardless, I will keep an eye out." Her last words slurred as she remembered something. "Ah yes, I had received your letter just an hour ago. So, you finally have a clear picture of what you want, huh?"
"Yes."
Xio pondered for a moment before talking. "Getting the Sequence 9: Seer potion is quite hard. It is kept by the Church of Evernight Goddess. You'd need to join the Church. I am telling you this, but you need to keep your lips shut tight. The Beyonders from the Church would chew me up if they knew I was telling things like this to a civilian."
"Do not worry about that." Kiyotaka wiped his sweat as he stood by the wall beside Xio.
Meanwhile, Xio kept talking. "Sequence 9: Marauder is interesting. However, I have not met a single Beyonder of that Pathway. Same goes for any kind of intel about the Potion Formulas. There is a suspicious lack of Supply-and-Demand when it comes to the Marauder Pathway."
'Is it because Marauder Pathway is the best Sequence Pathway to pursue amidst the three that were highly coveted by Emperor Roselle? It is possible that an extremely powerful aristocratic family is ahold of this Pathway, and they strictly regulate it.'
"I see. And..." Kiyotaka's words trailed, as if waiting for Xio to finish it.
"Yes, as for the Sequence 9: Apprentice potion, I know someone who has the Potion Formula. Since I know them personally, they can offer you some discount."
She took out the piece of letter from her pocket. "I was just going to leave to submit this in the postbox a minute away from here. Since you are here..." she tore the letter and handed him the piece of paper with the formula on it. "...here you go. Of course, I assumed that since this is the only one available, you will pick this Pathway."
Kiyotaka took the parchment and looked down at it. He arched his brows. "What made you think that? I could just be collecting intel."
"Well, you wouldn't ask those despicable thugs you call "friends" something as sensitive as this."
Kiyotaka nodded. "Quite right..."
I suppose I should just take it. Marauder certainly interested me a lot more, but if I dig too deep into it, who knows if I will alert some ancient and powerful family. I am literally walking on a tightrope. I should take as many cautionary steps as possible.
"How much would the formula cost?" Kiyotaka asked without fully looking at the paper.
"Well, the price for a Sequence 9 formula is £200, but since you are being referred to by me, you only have to pay £150. You can pay £200 for the formula and Supplementary Ingredients. The person who gave the formula had some spare on hand."
That means the person who gave her the formula is also an Apprentice Pathway Beyonder.
Kiyotaka looked down at the formula. Once he had fully read it, he looked at Xio. "Can I—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Xio beamed. "Of course, you can pay it next month. The person can wait. You can also choose to not buy the Supplementary Ingredients if you do not wish to choose the Apprentice Pathway."
"I know you just started earning in a stable manner. It would take some time for you to save. But given how Accountants receive regular bonuses due to their performance, a month should be enough for you to pay it out."
Kiyotaka's lips almost twitched. "Ah yes...that works optimally for me."
He then looked down at the words written in very pleasing writing. It looked like Xio was trained formally in the art of writing letters.
[Sequence 9: Apprentice. Main Ingredients include 1 Gem-Devouring Worm and 1 Illusion Crystal. Meanwhile Supplementary Ingredients include 10 drops of Goat's Beard Hydrosol, 90 milliliters of Ancient Well Water, 1 flower grown from a corpse and 5 grams of Spirit-World contaminated soil.]
Kiyotaka's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. "All these for £50?"
"Yes. Although you have to buy the Main Ingredients yourself. The main ingredient for a Sequence 9 might cost around £150 a piece."
This...I am too poor...
Kiyotaka had never realized the importance of money as direly as now. While he knew it was an important component of life, he never really worried about it. Not in the White Room and certainly not in ANHS. While there was the point system, the school had some mechanics that allowed one to obtain freebies even if one's class wasn't earning any points.
Kiyotaka looked back down at the letter that had a second page.
[I am also including another potion formula in this letter, if you wish to choose the Pathway. One of them is something I am very sure of being correct. The other not so much. The first one that I can confirm is Sequence 9: Arbiter and the one I am unsure of is Sequence 9: Lawyer. Consider these a gift from me.
Main ingredients for Lawyer are: 1 Tongue of a Silver Fox and 20 grams of Scales of a Labyrinth Lizard. Supplementary Ingredients include 10 grams of Inkcap Mushrooms, 5 grams of Powdered Raven Feather, 15 ml of Essence of Bitterroot and 100 ml of Aged Brandy.
Main ingredients for Arbiter are: 1 Heart of a Pack-Leading Wolf and 1 Tendon from a Swift Deer. Supplementary Ingredients include 12 grams of Dried Thornapple Seeds, 10 grams of Powdered Iron Ore, 6 grams of Crushed Eagle Feather and 100 ml of Fermented Mead.
Last of all, be careful while concocting and consuming the potion.
Xio Derecha]
Kiyotaka read the formulas and catalogued them inside his head. While his perfect memory was still far from being recovered, he was able to memorise this much.
"Thanks. I will return the money as soon as possible."
"I am sure you will." Xio gave him a narrow smile before looking back. She was sweating profusely.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I am... just..." She looked around sheepishly. "It's just that I recited a name yesterday. I feel like I am plagued by an evil god..."
"What did you recite?"
"It's nothing... Don't worry about it."
"You can confide in me to me." Kiyotaka spoke in a warm manner.
Xio's lips parted as she started speaking in Loenese instead of Hermes. Kiyotaka's eyes went wide as he heard the three lines:
"The Fool that does not belong to This Era,
The Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog
The King of Yellow and Black who wields Good Luck."
Since languages like Hermes, Ancient Hermes, Jotun and Elvenese often invoked forces of nature, she avoided using that language.
Evil God huh...I wonder what your reaction would be if you were to know that he's a normal human like you...
"That certainly does sound like an evil God. It can be a good one as well, but it is better to not take any chances. Did you perform a purification ritual?"
Kiyotaka wanted to know if she did anything and then pry into Sherlock's matter by indirectly asking him if he had suffered some setbacks. If that was possible, then it means he could hurt him indirectly using charms and rituals directed at other gods if Sherlock decided to ever start hunting him.
"I did...it was an exorcism from the Sun domain. I feel like the influence is gone but as a byproduct, the man told me I would feel hot for 2 days. The reason why I am sweating so much."
"Oh...I'll make sure to avoid it in the future."
"You definitely should!" Xio clenched her jaw. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked back. "I have to go. There's something important I need to do."
"Sure. Have a good day, Xio."
Xio smiled simply before turning around. A wave of something washed over Kiyotaka as he watched her run away.
She is quite strong. I wonder if the past me can fight an Arbiter.
*************
Once he had the formulas in his mind, Kiyotaka walked back to his room. When he was there, he picked up a change of clothes and a soap from there and went down to the shared bathroom. Like clockwork, he first relieved himself of the ramblings of his stomach, and then this carnal desire.
Just like dependency on alcohol, the body was quite used to the touch of a woman. Kiyotaka was quite paranoid about the fact that Williams' extremely weak state might be because of some kind of STDs. If that was the case, he was truly doomed. Unless becoming a Beyonder cured that.
After a few seconds of stroking it, he finally let out a satisfied, stifled groan.
It really does feel like some kind of a joke... Of all the people I could have transmigrated in, this is the one I actually did... Sigh... On a second thought, there could be worse options, like the Street Girls. I certainly wouldn't want that as a male. Not to mention transmigrating as one of the poorest people in East Borough, that could've been quite disastrous as well.
After inhaling a heavy amount of Copium, Kiyotaka thoroughly washed himself with soap. Since he didn't have any shampoo, he just washed his hair with the same soap that he used to scrub himself. The smell of the soap was like cloves and cinnamon-sticks, however, it was rather faint, like it was being diluted again and again.
The scribblings that he had done while calculating different things left a very faint mark, but it was not visible until one was very close, or one looked at it with the intent of discovering it.
Once that was done, he changed into his new set of clothes that was the white buttoned shirt and black pants. Alongside that, he wore a long coat and held his half-top hat in his hand, since his hair was still quite moist.
Instead of styling it with his comb that had chunks of hair from this roommate, he combed it with his fingers. Ever since the thought of having STDs had crossed his mind, he had been extra careful to not use things that could transmit diseases, such as combs, nail cutters and other similar things.
He was quite helpless when it came to food eaten from outside. So, whenever he would order, he would order it as takeaway while taking his own bowl to the restaurant. That way he didn't have to worry about the utensil at least.
Although if someone was pushing their unwashed hands and feet in his food, he couldn't do anything about it.
Focusing on the agenda at hand for today, he made a mental map.
First, go above the Gray Fog and have The Fool divine the authenticity of the formulas he had gotten from Xio.
Second, ask The Fool about the formulas and which one is the most optimal one. The one he decides as least optimal would be his choice.
Third, go to Inventory Leppard's house before 3pm and sign the ownership of shares with him.
And fourth, start working on the distillery. While he had told Xio to find a place for him, this was going to be his second choice. He was first going to ask Inventor Leppard if he could use his backyard as a distillery. If he agrees to it, it will save up on a lot of costs.
If Inventor Leppard had the required tools, they wouldn't even need a smith as Kiyotaka could do it himself.
Nodding to himself, he looked at the four-pointed symbol on the back of his hand that reacted to his will. Kiyotaka made a mental gesture.
Meanwhile Klein, who was still asleep after he had tried to look for a bodyguard the other day and was rejected by Maric, suddenly woke up. His expressions were sour and there was obvious anger on his features that broke through his Clown control.
'This f*cking guy man!'
He stood up, took four steps counterclockwise and broke through the illusory murmurs and ravings before arriving in the serene ambiance of the Gray Fog.
After about 2 minutes, Gray Fog flooded Kiyotaka's vision and inside it, he could see The Fool sitting on the high back chair of the seat of honour at the head of the table. Klein reached out to the connection and expressed his "consent" as Kiyotaka's soul was pulled into the castle that felt like it belonged to giants.
"What is it this time?" Klein asked impatiently.
"What's the hurry?" Kiyotaka quipped, making Klein's features almost twitch in anger, however, he used the Clown's ability to not show it on his face.
Seeing the silent "Deity," Kiyotaka cleared his throat and then willed three formulas from his memory on a sheet of paper. With some deliberation, the pieces of paper landed in front of Klein.
His eyes went a little wide. How did he obtain three Sequence 9 formulas? Not to mention he secured an Apprentice formula as well. Very impressive!
"Do you want me to divine the right one for you? Or...just the authenticity?"
"Authenticity would do." Kiyotaka replied with his arms crossed. Due to using his memory to conjure pieces of paper, he could already feel a drain on his Spirituality. While every human had some of it, it was nothing when one was above the Gray Fog.
Klein took out a topaz pendant and let it hang over the parchment. After mumbling something that wasn't audible even in the deathly silence of the Mysterious Space above the Gray Fog, Kiyotaka saw the topaz pendant spinning clockwise.
This is the first time I am seeing something Supernatural...well, Xio's authoritative aura and Meursault's trap do not count.
Klein opened his eyes and pushed the page back. "They are all authentic." He rapped the edge of the table. After 3 seconds he spoke again. "Have you decided on which one you're going to pick?"
Kiyotaka crossed his arms. "Any suggestions?"
"Lawyer would fit you. Arbiter as well. While Emperor Roselle talked about Seer, Marauder and Apprentice in a wistful manner, I am not sure of the context. It could be possible that he wrote it when he started going mad." Klein explained.
Kiyotaka's lips pursed into a straight line. His expressions were utterly unreadable, despite the Grey Fog thinning around him. "Alright, thanks. I will not bother you until the next meeting now."
Klein chuckled. "It is not an issue. As for the Beyonder Characteristic that you gave me, I had found an Artisan for it through a connection. It would cost around £50 to make."
Didn't you say you will do it, and I have to provide a service or a favour to you—your adorer in exchange?
"When can it be ready?"
"In about a week. I can make the payment, but you have to honor the deal we made."
Kiyotaka breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Sure. That is not a problem."
Then he stood up and readied himself for the descent back to reality. Before he could descend, he wanted to say Goodbye, for now, Sherlock, but instead, he replied: "See you soon, Mr Fool."
Klein gave him a rather jaundiced smile. "Likewise, Mr Emperor."
As soon as he descended back to the real world, Klein heaved a sigh. 'I don't want to clash with him in the future. I hope either Seer and Apprentice aren't interchangeable in the future or he just doesn't choose Apprentice in the first place.'
In Iron Gate Street, Kiyotaka drank some water in a teacup before sitting straight to eat his rye bread with poorly seasoned chicken gravy. He hummed. 'Well then, I suppose I should start hunting for the materials for this Pathway.'
He thought while looking down and tapping at the formulae of the Pathway he chose.
Apprentice Pathway it is.
**********
Kiyotaka locked his room, placed the key inside his long coat and left his small flat. In his hand was a bag that had another piece of paper and a pen. In the smaller pocket were around 12 bullets. Meanwhile, tucked in the back of his pants was his revolver that was loaded with 6 bullets.
It was concealed in a way that did not hinder a quick-draw shot.
I really hope I do not have to use it any time soon...
As he took a turn to avail a shortcut to Leppard's home, shadows that lingered here and there moved. Before he could take another step, 3 men emerged from the corner. They had a rather exaggerated look of fury over their face.
The one in the forefront was a middle-aged man with a receding hairline. It had receded so much that it made Kiyotaka worried for his own future.
I can probably place a glass mug on it...
"You. You took it, didn't you?" The man with the obnoxiously receded hairline spoke as the other two goons took out metal rebars.
'I truly have some rotten luck...that said, I do recognise these men. They are from Zmanger Gang. The Zmanger Gang's exact origins are not really known as no one can tell which exact Highlander started it, however, it appears to be a homegrown Backlund underworld syndicate, emerging from the city's underclass amid the industrial revolution's social upheavals, poverty, and corruption of various sorts.
Their main source of income is smuggling, extortion, and hired muscle for higher powers. And since all of these are in high demand in Backlund...'
Suddenly, "£" signs started to glow ecstatically in Kiyotaka's eyes as all thoughts of investments and white bread with beef flooded his mind.
All he saw in front of him was quick stacks of cash. Suddenly, the lanky disposition that "Williams" exuded vanished into oblivion.
At that moment, the man in the front suddenly frowned.
It felt like he was in the presence of a voracious hyena that had not eaten in ages.
******
Chapter 12: Possessed coming out shortly after this upload.