I’m a man!

As soon as he saw the police station, he broke into a sprint and busted through the door falling dramatically. "Help! Help me!" Arthus yelled at the top of his lungs. "What happened to you? What's wrong?" asked the guard looking exasperated. "I've been assaulted and robbed! I need help!" Arthus repeated again.

"Calm down miss, can you explain what happened?" came a voice behind them. "I'm not a miss! I'm a man!" Arthus yelled at the man in a manly manner. "My apologies it's just — Uh, anyway I'm sorry, could you please follow me to formally file a complaint?" Arthus just nodded.

The fuck did he call me a miss for? He checked for his groin again while following the man and felt reassured. He was still a man! We soon reached the office and made their way in. Inside, the office was dimly lit by gas lamps mounted on the walls, their flickering glow casting long shadows that dance across dusty wooden floorboards. The scent of ink, wax, leather, and pipe smoke enters his nose.

Upon first entering he first noticed a heavy looking oak desk cluttered with stacks of yellowed paperwork, inkwells, blotters, and a mechanical typewriter. The man took a seat himself behind the table and gestured to Arthus to sit in the front. As soon as he sat the man introduced himself and asked for his name.

"My name is Aldwin Merrin, just call me Merrin. What's your name, boy?"

"I'm Arthus von Nachthelm!" Arthus replied with an arrogant tone.

Merrin had a shocked expression on his face which turned to doubt as he took a clear look again and finally said with a respectful tone "Na-Nachthelm! I'm sorry sir! I didn't recognise you before since it's nighttime and uh and—"

"There's no need for it. I just want this mess to be sorted as soon as possible" said Arthus, interrupting him impatiently.

"Yes! Of course sir! Could you start by telling me what happened leaving no detail out as minor as it sounds" said Merrin quickly in one breath and prepared the typewriter. 

"I was making my way home after visiting the church with my secretary who insisted that we take a shortcut through Harrow Lane. I didn't think much of it and started following her. Then just past the old bridge she took me to a dark alley and suddenly stopped" Arthus stopped to take a moment.

"And that's when the attack happened?" asked Merrin while still typing on the typewriter.

"Yes" said Arthus, nodding slowly.

"Yes. Three men rushed out of the alley surrounding me completely from all sides.

They then demanded that I hand over everything that I had on me to which I complied since I didn't want to lose my life over some change money and a watch. But then my secretary told me to hand over my ring" Arthus showed a ring on his hand with a blue sapphire gemstone that looked like it belonged to a woman.

"I was in a state of shock. I had trusted her with my everything ever since my mother had died, not only that but she was recommended to me by a trusted associate of my mother. And now this woman was colluding with these brutes to rob me! I did not want to accept such a possibility but the truth wounded me deeply as I came into terms with reality. You see, this ring belonged to my late mother so obviously I refused to part with it. Then the men suddenly started beating me for I don't know how long until my secretary stopped them and asked for the ring again." Arthus stopped for a moment again.

"She ordered me to stop this foolishness in wasting their time and that it was getting late. I of course was adamant on refusing since this is the only thing I have to remember my mother with. I offered them more money in exchange for letting me go. After hearing this my secretary started insulting me and everyone else just listened while I was looking for an opportunity to escape. She droned on and on and was not going to stop soon. One of the men yawned and I bolted away by pushing him as hard as I could" said Arthus solemnly.

"I heard the man falling and ran as if my life depended upon it. I heard my secretary screaming at the men to chase me, which they did. Though by the time they were about to reach me I had already left the alley. They stopped just after reaching the exit to the alley and cursed out loud, I didn't stop running until I reached here" said Arthus finally finishing his fabricated but plausible explanation of getting assaulted and robbed.

Merrin continued to type for a while before stopping and asking "What is the name of your secretary?"

"Elira Vayne" replied Arthus.

"Could you perhaps describe her appearance?" asked Merrin.

"Mid-twenties, maybe I never asked her age. Pale, porcelain skin that was almost too pale, like she never saw sunlight. Dark auburn hair, always pinned neatly under her red hat. She was… beautiful, I suppose, but not in a warm way. The sort of beauty that makes you hesitate, like you're not sure if you're admiring a person or falling into a trap. Always wore gloves, long ones, even indoors. Said she had a condition" said Arthus remembering everything he could.

Then he hesitated for a moment but decided to say it anyway "I noticed some strange things about her. Once, I caught her staring into a mirror when she didn't know I was there… whispering something I couldn't hear. She had a habit of doing that which I found creepy but gods, I didn't think she'd turn on me" Yes this was true and yes it would get the church involved but I chose to say this after deliberate consideration. 

As I've mentioned before, I remember her talking into the mirror. I also remember from my past life how the Demoness sect works. That bitch Elira most likely has a superior who she reports to who will obviously have a higher sequence than her. If Elira is a sequence 7 witch, then her superior at the very least would be sequence 6 or sequence 5 and even if that's the case then that superior also has to report to their own superior who will most likely be a Saintess of a colour. So basically that means I'm cooked, deep fried and burned so the best decision would be to involve the church for my own safety. I'd rather be under constant surveillance than be 6 feet under ground and that's me being positive.

Merrin after hearing this contemplated for a while and then muttered to himself "This should fall under the jurisdiction of the Nighthawks"

Arthus pretended not to hear him and asked "What did you say?"

"Nothing! I just finished writing your full statement. Don't worry sir! We will definitely find your maid and those thugs who robbed you. Come with me, I'll escort you to your house" said Merrin in a professional and warm tone.

"She is not my maid! She was my secretary and now no more. She's no different than those brutes. And no I don't just want you to escort me home, I also require protection!" exclaimed Arthus.

"You're asking for… a guard detail?" Merrin asked, his brows rising.

"Obviously! Yes I want patrols outside my house. Armed men. Someone watching the street, day and night. North Borough isn't safe anymore, not until with her still out there. I want patrols until all those involved are apprehended!" replied Arthus as if it were a given fact.

"Mr Nachthelm, we can't assign a full detail based on suspicion alone. Resources are stretched thin half the force is —" Arthus interrupted Merrin's sentence and shouted questioning loudly "Suspicion! Suspicion? Are you alright in your head? Do you think I'm lying? Can't you see my condition? I barely survived! I want a full detail to escort me home!"

"I'm afraid it won't be possible with the —" Arthus interrupted Merrin again "How much?" asked Arthus.

"Pardon?" said Merrin.

"I asked how much do I need to pay you for the full guard detail? You know what I'm paying you 500 gold pounds. What do you say?" offered Arthus. He doesn't really need this since he knows the Nighthawks will be involved but what if Elira attacks him before they can get involved. He is getting this to act as a deterrent to prevent the Demoness sect from making any moves. Better safe than sorry.

Merrin instantly changed his demeanour and replied "Very well sir! I'll authorize a pair of constables to patrol your street this week. Quietly. No promises beyond that unless there's further escalation."

"That is fine by me" to be honest a week is too much since the Nighthawks will probably take action by the time I reach my home. Late to late they may take action tomorrow but as I said earlier, better safe than sorry.

"Please wait here for a moment! I'll gather my men to prepare the escort team. I'll be right back" said Merrin as he hurriedly walked out of the office.

Now I need to prepare for the Nighthawks when they enter my dreams to question me. I should be safe since I'm currently not a beyonder as the assassin pathway beyonder characteristics were extracted from me by Elira when she killed Arthus. I can claim that I was groomed and tricked by Elira but when I learned the fact that I had to turn into a woman at sequence 7 I refused the assassin pathway.

But there's another problem, I will not be lucid in my dreams like Klein so I'm basically gambling that they ask the right questions. But this is the best choice at the moment that I can think of, at the very worst they may remove my memories of this incident but that is not a concern as I will have my past life memories to deduce where I am and what to do. I doubt the questioning would lead to the memories of my past life but if they do then I guess I'm cooked. 

As he was lampooning, Merrin returned to the office.