Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Testing_1
"Rebecca?" Aiden was slightly surprised.
Rebecca’s expression also stiffened, and then, as if realizing her own lapse, she sighed, "I’m sorry, I was too loud. But Presia was an important criminal that we had caught with great effort. To let her die so easily feels a bit... You surely don’t intend to just let her die of neglect, do you?"
"Of course not, why would you think that?" Aiden sighed, preparing to explain, "Actually..."
At this point, he suddenly stopped.
From the moment they met, he could sense a very unnatural sense of restlessness in Rebecca’s facial expressions and behavior—a level of professional acumen he still possessed.
An investigative thought naturally emerged in his mind, and after a brief consideration, he said, "Actually, we’ve already taken emergency measures, and her condition is quite stable. The hospital has been contacted, too, so you can be assured."
"Really?" Rebecca seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
After a brief silence, Aiden called out her name, "Rebecca."
"What is it?"
"Do you have any impression of this?" Without warning, Aiden took the diamond-shaped black crystal from his jacket pocket, keeping his eyes firmly on Rebecca’s face.
In an instant, he caught the slight widening of her eyes and the subtle changes in her pupils.
"This thing, I..." Rebecca paused briefly, then answered, "I seem to have a little impression of it..."
"Oh?"
"But I can’t remember," Rebecca shook her head again, "I definitely have a sense of déjà vu, but what exactly is this thing?"
Aiden watched Rebecca’s face closely. He lied about contacting the hospital and suddenly produced the credential because he had become suspicious.
Just now, in the moment he took out the object without her being prepared, he truly saw an internal shock in the subtle shift of her eyes.
If at that moment, Rebecca had claimed to have no knowledge of what the object was, he was prepared to be certain that she was lying.
But the answer Rebecca gave was still somewhat plausible. She didn’t recognize the object but felt a sense of déjà vu, which could also barely explain the change in her expression just now.
He hadn’t gleaned much from his test, but that unnatural feeling still lingered.
"This object does have a little to do with you, but it involves some secrets, so I’m not at liberty to discuss it at the moment," Aiden answered vaguely, "I will hand it over to the Heresy Tribunal later. You can find out more when you get there tomorrow."
"Secrets... I understand," Rebecca didn’t insist on pushing the matter, "So do you need to hand it over now?"
"No, I can’t leave the prison just yet," Aiden replied calmly.
Presia’s condition had just stabilized and she should be observed for a few more hours. During this time, it was necessary for him to remain at the prison.
"Then, how about I deliver it to the tribunal for you?" Rebecca suddenly proposed.
"That won’t do, it’s not in accordance with the procedure."
"What’s not in accordance with procedure? I am a senior Judge, after all..."
"But you’re not now, you’re convalescing, and this isn’t an emergency situation; you don’t have law enforcement authority. Don’t overstep your boundaries, Rebecca," Aiden reminded her.
"But..." Rebecca seemed to still want to insist.
"Is it necessary to be so insistent?" Aiden squinted doubtfully.
"No..." Rebecca hesitated for a moment, "I just feel that this thing... maybe it could be a clue to recovering my memory."
"There’s no need to rush; I’ll hand it over tomorrow. I will handle Priesia’s matter properly. You should go back for today," Aiden decisively started to show her out.
A moment of silence, and finally, Rebecca compromised: "Alright, then I’ll trouble you with this..."
"Mm, take care."
Aiden watched Rebecca rise from her seat and leave the room, his gaze never leaving her.
Minutes later, Aiden returned to his office and took out the pendant again for another look.
The unexpected visit from Rebecca made him feel an even more apparent sense of incongruity than when they had met that morning.
From the probing just now, whether Rebecca was telling the truth or a lie, one thing was certain—Rebecca must indeed have seen this "Great Witch’s Credential."
That meant that Priesia must have forcibly swallowed this when Rebecca had driven her to a dead end, and after both were influenced by the memory loss magic to varying degrees, this matter had been dragged on until it was discovered when Priesia fell ill in prison—a timeline that presently made the most plausible sense.
So why exactly had Priesia swallowed this thing? To prevent this Great Witch’s Credential from falling into the hands of the Inquisition?
Something wasn’t quite right...
Such behavior, in itself, made no sense.
Even if Rebecca forgot the pendant’s existence due to the memory loss magic, it would only be a matter of time before the Inquisition discovered it once she was under their control.
It was impossible for a fugitive of Priesia’s level to be thrown into the Inquisition without undergoing a thorough body search, including a rectal examination. If the pendant hadn’t got stuck in her intestines, it should have exited her body quickly—making it easy for the Inquisition to find.
The reason the Inquisition hasn’t found it yet is mainly because the pendant got stuck inside Priesia. Of course, this also led to her being tormented to death today. Once she fell ill, whether it was the Inquisition or the prison responsible for providing treatment, the pendant hidden inside her would be discovered sooner or later. Even if she died, an autopsy would reveal it during the investigation of her cause of death.
From this perspective, the act of swallowing the pendant seems more like protecting the pendant and then handing it over to the Inquisition...
Great Witch Priesia, to not consider such a thing and suffer for nothing?
Or was it, at that time, she didn’t have the luxury to think about it calmly and swallowed it in a rash moment of distress?
After considering it for a while, Aiden ultimately decided to put aside his thoughts on this matter—for such an issue, it was still more appropriate to report it to the muscle-bound old man of the Inquisition to handle. Whether it was Rebecca’s abnormal behavior or the piece of evidence, both fell within the scope of the Inquisition’s responsibility. His responsibility lay with the prison and its inmates, and for now, he had to wait until Priesia’s condition stabilized.
Thinking this, he prepared to stuff the pendant back into his pocket.
But just then, the pendant unnaturally vibrated at his fingertips.
Aiden stopped his movements, staring blankly at the pendant in his hand.
The grey mist sealed within the pendant suddenly exploded outwards, engulfing him completely.
