Mystery: The Last Shepherd.

Chapter 69 Reward: 1 Sealed Item

Luzer obtained Russell's diary from Greta, which was easier than he had expected.

To his disappointment, the other pages of the diary contained mostly trivial details, such as which noblewoman Rosell was having an affair with or what inventions he had copied. The only useful entry was the one he had seen earlier.

According to that diary, extraordinary individuals of similar sequences can indeed be converted. However, this conversion can only be achieved by reaching a higher sequence. For example, a Sequence 5 "Gatekeeper" from the "Death" pathway can not only directly advance to Sequence 4 of this pathway, but also advance to Sequence 4 of the "Night" and "War God" pathways.

But he's only Sequence 9, far from meeting the requirements for the transformation path. Furthermore, he doesn't know what a "similar sequence" is, or which sequence is similar to the Secret Prayer's, so he can only give up for now.

Let's go back and contact Mr. Azik to see if he has any other ideas.

he thought so.

......

The matter in Enmat Port was over. After attending the funeral, the three members of the Tingen team said goodbye to Ms. Daly, boarded the train back to Tingen, which they hadn't seen in a long time.

I'm finally back...

Stepping onto the platform in Tingen, Lu Ze sighed from the bottom of his heart. After spending time in the crisis-ridden port of Enmat, returning here even gave him a sense of belonging.

However, there seem to be lunatics here who summon evil gods, so it's not exactly safe...

Shaking his head to put those thoughts of complaining behind him, Lu Ze and the other two boarded a carriage and returned to the Blackthorn Security Company on Zotland Street to report for duty.

"...Edward faithfully fulfilled his duty as a night watchman and protected Enmat Harbor. May Goddess bless him."

Upon receiving the news, Dunn waited for them in his office. After hearing the whole story, he remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly.

May the goddess bless him.

The other three also drew a red moon on their chests and bowed their heads to pray for him.

"Alright, thank you all for your hard work on this business trip. I've applied for leave for you all, so you don't need to come back today or tomorrow. Get some rest and spend more time with your families at home." Dunn stood up and said to them, "Oh, by the way, Lu Ze, you can stay for a moment."

Why keep me here?

Lu Ze, who was thinking about picking up his younger sister from school, wondered aloud, and stayed behind after the other two left.

Dunn looked at him, and after a moment smiled and said, "Luze, you've done another great service by stopping the divine descent and protecting Port Enmat. Your merits have accumulated to a certain level, and I've already submitted an application to the sanctuary to increase your weekly wage from £6 to £8."

A raise? That's great!

Lu Ze immediately perked up, as he received a one-third raise, which was already quite generous given his high salary.

But when he looked at Dunn, it seemed like he still had something to say.

"Captain, is there anything else?"

He asked.

"Um."

Dunn nodded, paused for a moment, and then said, "With the merits you've accumulated, you're actually qualified to apply for a Sequence 8 potion. However, due to your sequence issue, you can't get the normal promotion. So after consideration, I've decided to make amends."

Compensation—what a beautiful word.

"Captain, what kind of compensation is it?"

"A sealed artifact."

Sealed artifact?

Lu Ze looked up at Dunn to make sure he wasn't joking.

"Captain, are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious."

Dunn's calm eyes showed no hint of a joke. "You often encounter various events alone, and your extraordinary abilities are geared towards support, so you do need external support. However, don't expect to get any powerful sealing artifacts. At most, I can only assign you one level 3 sealing artifact with no dangerous side effects... And it's not even yours; it's just for you to keep temporarily."

After hearing Dunn add so many restrictions, Lu Ze began to believe him somewhat.

That's true. Those precious Level 1 and Level 2 sealed artifacts have powerful effects but also dangerous side effects, so Dunn wouldn't just give them to him casually. As for Level 3 sealed artifacts... to be honest, it's a bit tricky. They're probably not as useful as Mr. Azik's bone flute, but it's better than nothing.

Lu Ze tried to cheer himself up.

"Okay, then I'll check the files on Level 3 sealed artifacts and pick out a suitable one... But, Captain, is what you're doing in accordance with the regulations?"

He remembered that the squad had a rule that even a level 3 sealed item could only be used when there were at least three people on the mission.

"I've reported to the Sanctuary with my squad leader authority. If the Sanctuary agrees, you can go and retrieve it... Given your contributions, it should be approved."

That's good.

Lu Ze nodded, said goodbye to Dunn, and walked out.

"Wait a minute, there's one more thing."

Dunn called out from behind.

Lu Ze had no choice but to turn around; after being away on business for several days, he had completely forgotten about Dunn's memory problem...

"What's wrong, Captain?"

"Regarding the human trafficking case, the military has completed its investigation. Their final conclusion was that some temporary employees were misled by the Aurora Society and colluded with external companies and local forces in Bairang to carry out human trafficking and sacrifice activities."

Temporary employee? That's classic.

"I don't believe it. Ms. M said they were just reselling."

Lu Ze shook his head.

"The church doesn't believe it either, but since the military has given an explanation and all other leads have been exhausted, the church can only temporarily suspend the investigation and wait for new leads to emerge."

Dunn said.

After this, the church will likely pay more attention to similar incidents. The military, or rather, the mastermind behind it, will probably also be more cautious. This matter is unlikely to be resolved in the short term.

"I see."

Luze had no way to influence the church's decisions, so he could only nod in agreement.

"By the way, Captain."

As he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something.

Turning back to look into Dunn's eyes, Luze said earnestly:

"Captain Edward told me to tell you not to be a coward, or he'll look down on you."

Then he saw Dunn, who had been calm all along, widen his eyes in an instant. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, he just silently took a deep breath and sat in the darkness without saying a word.

It was around three or four in the afternoon when Lu Ze walked out of the Blackthorn Security Company's gate. Looking up at the clear sky and bright sunshine, Lu Ze's mood gradually improved.

Let the bigwigs worry about those grand conspiracies; it's more important to take care of your family. Oh, and since I have a day off today, I should pick up my sister from school.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Outside the gate of St. Anne-La's Girls' School in Tingen.

This girls' high school is considered one of the better ones in Tingen. The students are mostly from upper-middle-class families, including daughters of minor nobles and wealthy merchants. Every time school lets out, these vibrant and elegantly dressed girls walk out of the school gates in groups of three or five, creating a beautiful and eye-catching scene in Tingen.

But today, these girls, once outside, lacked their usual liveliness and instead walked with the utmost ladylike decorum. A few of the bolder ones, while pretending to chat with their best friends, would steal a glance at the figure across the school gate.

There, a listless young man with dark hair leaned lazily against a carriage. He wasn't dressed formally, his arms were crossed, and his shirt collar was slightly open. So, on this early autumn evening, the girls on the street felt a gentle breeze, like that of early spring.

Where is my sister?

Luze's eyes swept across the girls until he spotted Cecilia, at which point he broke into a smile that captivated them. Cecilia, equally surprised to see Luze, quickly approached her brother amidst the envious glances of her peers.