Stray

     Godwin's words sounded like a question, but the tone was about "please get out of the way". And Nemo really didn't have any reason to block him at the door - so Nemo turned his head to look at Oliver, who was trying to focus all his attention on the bagel, and gave way out of the way with regret.

    Godwin walked into the house without looking sideways. When passing by the tea table, he glanced at Oliver who was holding a bagel, the corners of his mouth twitched a few times, and then he looked away.

      "I'm Godwin Lopez, head of the Horizon Mercenaries. If it's convenient now, I'd like to talk to you."

    "...You're not here to see a doctor, are you?" The old man took out his glasses with trembling hands and put them on with great effort. She was stunned for a few seconds and turned her face to Oliver who was still struggling with the bread stuck in his throat. But she didn't dwell on those two too similar faces for too long, the witch Nadine's focus was elsewhere.

    "Lopez," she whispered. The gentleness in his voice was completely gone, replaced by a dry, emotionless, flat tone. "What do you want from me, Mr. Lopez?"

    "Your hallucinations are pretty big." Nemo poured a glass of water and handed it to Oliver, who was still coughing. "Do you mind explaining, what is your relationship with the head of Horizon?"

    "I'm the only child." Oliver gulped a few sips of water, his expression still a little dazed. "…At least I thought I was. No, that's not the problem. Nemo, the horizon is coming—"

    "We took a Witch Hunting commission by the way, and that commission was for you." Godwin said straight to the point, "You are the Eastern Witch, aren't you?"

    The old lady in the rocking chair looked at the young man in front of her through the thick glasses and nodded slowly. Nemo had just picked up a bagel when his hand shook and nearly fell to the ground. Oliver silently helped him catch it.

    "So you came to kill me?" Her voice was calm, even with a slight smile. "Mr. Lopez...always Lopez, always Lopez."

    Godwin seemed to ignore the witch's muttering: "Not for now. The next topic may involve your privacy, if you mind, those two black seals over there— "

    He glanced at Nemo and Oliver at the tea table—they were frozen in place, listening intently.

    "It's okay." Nadine coughed twice, rubbing the unopened pudding bottle with her right hand. "One of them is my patient, and he can't leave. And I don't have any 'privacy' to hide. Sit down, Mr. Lopez."

    "I hope you can give back Charlie Howard's life." Godwin sat very upright, his tone was serious and serious, with the unique command flavor of a superior. "If you agree to do that, I will persuade his parents to rescind the assignment."

    "You are so kind." The old witch said calmly.

    "Your voice is not old, and if I am not wrong...Ms Nadine, you should have no descendants." Godwin continued, "That only means one thing—until now So far, you are being unilaterally taken out of your life by your mother."

    The witch stared at him silently.

    "You haven't really hurt human beings." Godwin paused for a few seconds, "I respect your resolve and wanted to talk to you—I've heard of Caleb Village The memory witch will collect lifespan, and I am afraid that you have lived to the present on the lifespan that the patients voluntarily surrendered."

    "This practice...if people don't protest, we usually don't interfere. But if someone proposes a crusade, we have no reason to refuse. It's an 'evil' act after all, hope you can understand."

    "So you want me to return the 'consultation fee' of the last patient, it's a peace of mind, right?" She rolled her eyelids wearily, trying to keep them open.

    "Yes."

    The witch gave a difficult smile: "But I don't think I did anything wrong. If the other party doesn't open up, I can't take away my life. My patients know this very well."

    "Charlie's memory has indeed recovered, and according to his parents - your 'hands-on' will shorten their son's life by five years, which they cannot accept."

    "And they brought their son to me personally, and they knew the price from the beginning." The witch replied quietly. "Hands up? That's the curse of the voodoo wood. I'm pretty sure no one can solve their son's problems but me... I'm not going to give back my life, Mr. Lopez. As you can see, I'm possible every day now. To die. To be drained by my biological mother, or to be killed by you, makes no difference to me—I don't want to bow my head to a vexatious idiot before I die."

    "...that's your answer?" Godwin sighed with a look of regret.

    "Yes." Nadine coughed again, she didn't seem to be used to talking too much in one breath, her shriveled chest heaving violently.

    Godwin raised his hand, his speed extremely fast. Before Nemo could react, the brilliance of the magic circle had melted into the sunlight—the small magic circle directly hit the old lady's chest in the rocking chair, but she had no special reaction and was still breathing hard.

    "Then I'll give you two days to deal with the unfinished business." Godwin stood up. His voice was still calm, not cold - as if he was speaking not of a death announcement, but of ordinary greetings among strangers. "I will kill you later."

    Nimo suddenly felt that the air was a little colder. This man didn't look like Oliver at all, even though they looked alike, they were completely different things in their bones. He recognized the look, the look Godwin Lopez gave Nadine—it wasn't a look at a "person." The head of Horizon looked at the old lady indifferently, as if he had just completed a task that must be done, and lying in the rocking chair was just a weak beast that lost its teeth.

    "If I can live to that time." Nadine grinned weakly, "Also, I have a question for you."

    Godwin, who had stood up, turned his head and raised his eyebrows.

    "What's your relationship with Flint Lopez, Captain of the Tin Soldiers?" she asked softly, "Of course, if you don't mind telling me."

    "He's my uncle." There was no emotion in Godwin's tone, he opened his legs, but didn't head towards the door - he went straight to Oliver. "What a coincidence, I wanted to ask the same question—but to this one."

    "...I don't know him." Oliver stared at the other person's face erratically, not very imposing.

    "What's your name?"

    "Oliver Ramon."

    "Mr. Ramon." Godwin suddenly raised his hand and patted Oliver on the shoulder. "...good to meet. It was an interesting encounter, wasn't it?"

    Oliver looked in Nadine's direction, then pushed the hand away decisively. "I don't think it's interesting." He looked up and said firmly.

    Two pairs of almost identical green eyes stared at each other for a moment. The atmosphere didn't mean any relaxation, instead it was a little tense. After the initial shock, the two found denial and vigilance in each other's eyes at the same time. Godwin withdrew his hand, glanced at the two of them unkindly, and walked straight towards the door.

    "It seems that the head of Horizon hates the black chapter." Nemo said, completely losing his appetite. "He just looked like Mr. Delaney... Ollie, are you really not from the Lopez family?"

    "I don't know." Oliver said solemnly, "I'm not so sure now."

    The two of them were silent for a while, then looked in the direction of the witch together.

    "The seal just now..." Nemo spoke first.

    "It's a locating marker for the prey." Nadine explained lightly, "Of course, I'm not stupid enough to think I can escape from Horizon. It seems that you will be my last Sick, Mr. Wright."

    "You just... accept it?" Oliver frowned slightly.

    "Death? I was already mentally prepared." She groped for her crutches, struggled to stand up, and arched her back even more. "I'm a doctor, and I know my body. There's no solution to this situation. I've already been a pile of debris. Wait a minute, I have to get the last few bottles of medicine ready... I still have a lot of things to deal with, I'm afraid I won't. Law takes care of you, Mr. Wright."

    Nimo didn't move, neither did Oliver.

    "Are you sympathizing with me? I don't need it." The witch's voice was a little lower, "This is my own choice. There is no grievance, no unwillingness... My time has come."

    "No." Nemo said hurriedly, "It's just that you said that there are still a lot of things to deal with, is there anything we can help? After all, your body is a bit reluctant." He hesitated for a while. "...Miss Nadine."

    Oliver's breathing stopped for a moment.

    The witch let out a good laugh. "That's what I love to hear," she said, not looking at Oliver somewhat deliberately. "When I'm dead, you can choose a bunch of flowers in the yard. Anything."

    "...that question you asked just now." Oliver apparently noticed the witch's evasive gaze, "You know Flint Lopez?"

    "Yeah." Nadine finally turned her gaze back to Oliver's face, "Respectable Flint Lopez, Commander of the Great Tin Soldiers—my enemy , my benefactor. I actually thought you were a bit like him at first, Mr. Ramon, especially your smile."

    "He killed my father." She sighed, "...Innocent and incompetent father, my last relative. It's a complicated matter."

    "Your father." Oliver spoke suddenly, speaking very slowly. "Is it... very fat, with a heavy body odor. Bearded, speaking with a southern Alban accent?"

    "Yes, how did you—"

    "Did he get killed by a swordsman...then the soldiers found the Emblem of the Eastern Witch on him and confirmed his innocence?" The last lesson his father taught him, he Absolutely can't remember wrong. He also talked to Ann about this during the Black Badge test. Oliver clenched his fist subconsciously, his throat tightening with the sudden tension.

    "Yes." Nadine staggered to Oliver on crutches. She raised her head and looked up at the young man in front of her expressionlessly. "I was using a tracking charm to find my father. The soldiers didn't let me see the scene, but I knew—Flint Lopez killed him." She tapped the ground with her cane. "They told me, I remember very well... They said he was hit in the chest with a sword."

    "And he was wearing a dark brown vest with square buttons and a huge patch on his right chest. The shirt was yellow, or a dirty white," Oliver added.

    Nimo looked at Oliver in surprise - after getting the witch's affirmative answer, Oliver closed his eyes and his face was a little pale.

    "I can answer that question now, Nemo." Oliver calmed his breath and whispered, "Flint Lopez..."

    He seemed to get caught up in what he was about to say next, and took a while to speak again.

    "Flint Lopez may be my father."

    Other side of Caleb Village.

    Ignoring the crowd of onlookers, Godwin Lopez returned to the hotel room. He opened the hand that had patted Oliver's shoulder, and a light brown hair lay perfectly in his palm. The head of the horizon put his hair into a slender glass vial, and decisively activated the communication crystal.

    "Victor, check all the information on Oliver Ramon. A snake-level black badge shouldn't be difficult." He calmly ordered, looking at the vial with hair in his hand. "In addition, let Miss Wright come to me, I need her blood identification spell."

    (m..=)