Alastair took a pause, again. He let the statement sink in.
Aiden instantly remembered the incident which took place when he was heading towards aunt Hellen’s house. The incident when he learned about abilities and also gained one.
Could he be talking about that?
He thought to himself but didn't let any emotion seep into his face. From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of Cedric looking his way with narrowed eyes but he still gave no reaction. He really hadn’t done it.
But I am indeed very suspicious according to Cedric. According to him, I am good at finding conditions quickly, interested in knowing more about abilities at all times, and also put forward a rather dangerous idea of killing the supers to acquire abilities.
I need to switch out his memory too. I need to act before it’s too late, before he tells others. If he happens to spread it, I’ll really be too suspicious if we go purely by his memory.
It was the team from the Bureau who had intense reactions. They immediately bombarded Alastair with questions and other things, but he simply put up a hand to quieten them down. Seeing that no one really reacted to it from agent Hellen’s side, he resumed speaking.
“The Bureau just notified me that their agent in the Cult got some news. A famous super’s corpse was turned in just some time ago, marking an end to a rather popular mission among the Cult’s mission board.”
“Why are you looking at us like that?” Hellen asked in a snappy tone. Not at all did she miss the gaze with which Alasatair was scanning them.
Alastair wasn’t one to back down this time. With a raised voice, he replied to her.
“Do you understand when I said a super died here? Here! This town! Judging from the state of the corpse when it was turned in, the Bureau judged that his death happened recently. And we only just arrived yesterday. Surely you know what I am getting at? You, agent Hellen, are the only one who is capable of going against such a super.”
His sight fell on Aiden, before he smirked and continued sarcastically. “There is also this brilliant guy who is sharp with patterns. Doesn’t —”
A sound of footsteps was heard by everyone, causing him to halt his speech as everyone looked up at the figure exiting the door.
Lucas turned around, watching everyone look at him, and at the packet of chips in his hands. Feeling self conscious, he placed the packet in his pocket and descended the stairs to join the group.
He had heard the call but decided he should finish the cup cake before leaving the room, it couldn’t have been very serious, he thought. No one pointed him out to the smudges of chocolate on his lips. Alastair did, but not for the chocolate smudges.
His tone still held the previous sarcasm, just with more faith and stability this time. “How could I forget about your friend? A friend who just happened to head towards Aiden after miraculously knowing about the ghost. Are you sure it isn’t to help you guys murder that super?”
Lucas’ fists clenched as Aiden gave him a short overview. “A super has died, and he thinks we did it.”
He wasn't nearly as patient as Aiden. He was quick to refute the group leader of the Bureau team.
“It was Evander who let me know. What the fuck do you know huh? Stop going around blaming people without knowing anything.”
“Huh?” Scottus deliberately let out a laugh full of disdain.
“That wimp didn't return to the Bureau at all. You want us to believe he is still alive? Even the Bureau said his phone was last active in this town.
“It has been shut down ever since, it probably broke down while fighting the Crimson Devil. If he did the fighting at all, that is. I guess he simply hid in a corner.”
Lucas had lost all his composure, held back only by Aiden telling him not to make a move. Before he could reply in his clearly disoriented state, Hellen spoke first.
“The special phones given by the Bureau don’t break down that easily, so it should be the normal phone which broke down that day huh? And the special phone can only be connected to the Bureau, it’s useless even if you know someone else’s number.
“So he couldn’t have contacted anyone else, is that what you think? But do you know, there is this revolutionary method of asking a stranger for their phone and then calling? You can pay at the public telephone to make a call too.
“Evander genuinely cared for his friend, and this is why he asked for help so he could get Aiden out of here. Like Lucas said, stop blaming people.”
Alastair didn’t move an inch from his place, nor was there any indication on his face that agent Hellen’s words convinced him. He spoke rather quickly after a few seconds of thought.
“Aiden’s two friends just happened to be supers huh? Evander is from one of the Ancient families, he has no obligation to register under the Bureau, nor can the Bureau monitor him without sufficient reason or evidence.
“And this is Lucas isn’t he? A new super who didn’t even register in the Academy or under the task force of the Bureau. Now that I remember, I’ve heard something about him. It just didn’t click with me before.
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“Evander had openly extended his support some time ago, blatantly shielding Lucas from the Bureau’s mandatory procedure of new supers, ordering them to support him in doing anything he wants as long as he doesn’t cross the line.”
He spread his hands, looking around into everyone’s eyes before continuing.
“Doesn’t this feel suspicious? Both could be potential members of the Cult. Aiming to kill the rising star of the Academy.”
Aiden struggled to hold back from speaking about the murder. Alastair was speaking a lot, and he hoped to gain some more information he otherwise wouldn’t get.
For example, there was this new information about Evander. He had just learned about Ancient families from Cedric, and now Alastair told them his childhood friend was one of them.
Did he return to the main base of the Ancient family when he left the town that year?
He also got information about Lucas’ case. He finally knew why the crybaby got such support and help from the Bureau. It gave him immense relief to learn it was Evander who supported Lucas from behind the scenes.
Aiden suspected that aunt Hellen was staying quiet for the same reason if not for something better, else she would have already begun defending them. There was after all plenty of proof about what they had been doing all these days before the Bureau’ team popped up.
The internal thought process only took a fraction of the moment, during which Alastair let his speech sink in before resuming.
“The Cult exists only to destroy Humanity. We’ve been reminded about this time and time again. The rest of the rogue supers who don’t register with the Bureau mostly all gather there. They might not have the same intention as the founding members of the Cult but merely completing their missions to earn money and other things counts as supporting them too.
“Mark, the super who died, was particularly threatening against ghosts even if he was just a novice like us. Ghosts are the main threat to humanity, an unintentional ally of the Cult. Anyone who is powerful against them is an enemy of the Cult. It all makes sense if you guys are from the Cult.”
Alastair took a few steps back, pushing back his team along. All the supers sensed aether gathering within him as a sword manifested in his right hand.
“Stay back!” He announced to agent Hellen, putting up his sword in front of them. His eyes narrowed as another clue clicked in his mind.
“Is that also why you stopped collaborating with the Bureau? So that you could join the Cult?”
Confirmation Bias.
Once a person has formed a belief or opinion, they are more likely to notice and give weight to information that supports it, while dismissing or overlooking evidence that contradicts it. This can lead to a distorted view of reality and reinforce false or unfounded beliefs.
Aiden looked at aunt Hellen, who was about to speak. Thinking it was better to expose the murder before she did something irreversible, he opened his mouth before she could.
“I saw the murder.”
Everyone’s focus was suddenly shifted to Aiden.
“I wasn’t sure back then if it was the same guy you are talking about. But two people stood beside the corpse, which I am pretty sure is not anyone I recognise. Surely not aunt Hellen.
“With thoughts of ghosts swirling in my head, I didn’t bother speaking about it to anyone else. But matching the time when that murder took place, it’s very likely that the corpse on the ground was of Mark.
“Do you happen to know information about his ability? There were some things the two people said which might make more sense if it was related to his ability.”
Alastair sneered coldly. “Once you know the information, you can make up any kind of dialogue they had between them. Do you take me for a fool?”
Aiden wasn’t bothered, he simply shrugged. “I can tell you what they said, verify it yourself then?”
Cordelia interfered suddenly, making a valid point. “It still doesn’t rid you of the suspicion if we assume you were the ones who killed Mark, or are in collaboration with the Cult members who killed them. You would obviously know about his abilities and speak accordingly.”
Hellen snapped as soon as she finished, exasperated by the Bureau’s team. They were simply building castles in the air.
“Nothing we say is going to convince you if you are hellbent on making us out to be the culprits. Listen to Aiden first, you can blabber all you want after he’s done.”
Aiden was honestly feeling a bit irked too. The people from the Bureau were used to thinking they were right and disregarding everyone else. It didn’t help that they might be the strongest organization in the world.
That’s assuming if the vampires are a part of them too. Hmmm, but from what that vampire talked about that day, it seemed that he, or rather the vampires, lived hidden from the eyes of humans? And they even called supers something else? Who is stronger, humans or vampires?
“Aiden?”
Hellen shook Aiden who seemed like he had spiraled down his thoughts again. The young man shook his head, removing those thoughts from his head as he focused on the matter at hand.
“They talked about how it was mentally taxing to kill the person. Of course, the me at that time thought something different. Looking at it now, it might have been related to his ability probably? I only went there because I heard some sounds. As soon as I took a look at the corpse I left that place as soon as I could.”
Cedric smiled, “Indeed, his ability is particularly annoying to deal with if you are to fight him. There is a reason he was a rising star. His ability involved manifesting short sharp weapons, like short swords, knives, shurikens, daggers and other such things.
“Of course, this is not the annoying part. There is no information about side effects of his ability but the condition of his ability was well known, the annoying part. It was simply the idle mental capacity of beings around him. There should be a range of distance to it, but I don’t know that deeply about him.
“It was one of the abilities which exhibited stronger powers if the condition was fulfilled in surplus. He would at most be able to manifest a short sword if he used his own idle brain capacity, but with more people around he could manifest a lot more. It was one of the conditions which was the easiest to fulfill.
“This is also why he was so powerful against ghosts. Ghosts have no consciousness, they can’t think. Which meant there was an abundance of idle mental capacity whenever he went against a ghost.
“Of course, his aether limited him due to being at Novice rank. But when you can simply throw loads of sharp objects at the heart without stopping, then demanifest them, you won’t consume all your aether.”
While he was talking, Aiden once again began thinking deeply as he recollected information about the ability he got.
/Ability - manifest a weapon./
There is no specification as to what kind of weapon, and indeed, I’ve summoned a baseball bat and a spear. Both of them definitely do not come under the range of ‘short sharp weapons’.
Aiden’s heart skipped a beat as he came to a realization.
I can copy AND upgrade abilities.