Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 200 Night Attack
Roger knew that there was only one thing that could make the Hanged Man Alger contact him.

That is the latest development of the Church of the Lord of Storms in its actions against the "Witch Sect"!
Roger had previously told Wellington, the senior deacon of the Mandated Punishers, the intelligence about South Wales in an almost explicit manner. There was no reason for the Church of Storms not to do something.

As expected, Roger soon saw the images sent by Mr. Fool.

In that scene, Alger, wearing a captain's uniform and with a blurred face, was sitting in the captain's cabin, praying respectfully:
"Dear Mr. Fool, please inform Mr. Wheel of Fortune that the Church of Storms is secretly gathering Beyonders and marching towards the southwest of Backlund.

“I don’t know the exact details, but based on my experience, they are very likely to launch a large-scale operation next week.

"I will further confirm the timing of the Storm Church's action. Praise you, Mr. Fool."

"Next week... so soon?"

Roger's mind moved slightly, and he was about to leave Mr. Fool's kingdom of God, but he found that the illusory layered sound did not disappear, but instead changed to another timbre.

"besides?"

He was stunned for a moment and found that as expected, another member of the "Tarot Club" had contacted him.

That's Miss Justice.

In the picture, Audrey Hall, known as "Justice," dressed in a beige long dress and dressed for home, is half-kneeling in a prayer room and praying devoutly:
"Dear Mr. Fool, I apologize for disturbing you, but please convey the following latest information about the parliament to Mr. Wheel of Fortune.

"According to reliable sources, conservative and new-wing lawmakers have been at loggerheads in the last two debates in parliament. This isn't just about energy reform and the labor benefits bill; even routine proposals, which normally would have been unacceptable to both parties, have led to a stalemate.

"Any draft proposed by either the conservatives or the new faction will be opposed by the other faction. Currently, the country's upper-level deliberation mechanism has almost come to a standstill. Some nobles are even worried that a coup may break out in the kingdom.

"I'm very concerned about this. If Mr. Wheel of Fortune has any insights on this, please feel free to share them."

After reading this message, Roger frowned even more tightly.

"Shutdown? Coup?"

Logically speaking, with such a big incident happening within the parliament, the major media outlets should have gone crazy with it.

Putting aside serious media outlets like the Backlund Daily and the Tussock Gazette, newspapers like the Backlund Post and the Sun should also publish some groundless gossip.

However, Roger, who had just read the newspaper, knew that there was nothing in the newspaper.

It was as if all the media had been silenced, as if they had been threatened in some way and had collectively fallen into silence.

On non-serious issues, the media can say whatever they want, but on truly serious issues, any wrong word they say may lead to serious consequences.

Controlling the media, the suspension of parliament, and the struggle between the two parties are all signs that a coup is about to happen!
Judging from the information Roger has, even if the cabinet resigns en masse and new elections are held, it will not fundamentally help the current situation.

What's more, it is impossible for the Conservative Party to do so.

As the largest party in Parliament, they have the advantage in numbers, but the New Party has the secret support of the King. Once the Conservative Party loses power, they are likely to be liquidated!

Duke Negan’s two experiences have clearly proved that he cannot retreat. He can only live standing up or die without a burial place.

As long as the church cannot find any evidence that George III did evil, they will not be able to expose their conflicts with the royal family.

Therefore, there is basically no room for easing the current situation.

Unless, at a higher level, the offensive and defensive relationship undergoes fundamental changes!

Thinking of this, Roger began to send a reply to Miss Justice:
"Thank you, Miss Justice, I have received the notice.

"Don't worry too much, this dispute will be over soon."

He didn't explain much, just comforted her.

After saying this, Roger exited the communication state, opened the bathroom door, and returned to the living room with a normal expression.

Queens, Earl Hall's Mansion.

Audrey Hall, who had just received a reply from Mr. "Wheel of Fortune", silently recited Mr. "Wheel of Fortune"'s reply to her in her heart.

"Don't worry...don't worry."

Suddenly, Audrey raised her head, and her confused eyes became clear.

"Mr. Wheel of Fortune is Mr. Fool's follower. If he says there's nothing to worry about, then there's absolutely no need to worry!

"But then again, Audrey, you're still so weak... you can't help Mr. Fool."

Audrey sighed slightly, but soon cheered up again.

She clenched her fists and encouraged herself, "Fortunately, I'm about to be promoted to Sequence 7..."

"Come on, Audrey, you will get stronger!"

……

Time flew by and it was Saturday morning. Roger Abraham, dressed in formal attire and carrying an exquisite silver-inlaid cane, arrived at Backlund University of Technology in advance in a special car arranged by the Dework Art Marketing Company.

After meeting with the principal, vice principal and academic dean one by one, Roger went to an indoor lecture classroom.

The students who came to listen to the lecture and the media arranged by Mr. Edmund had already arrived. Roger, accompanied by Cecilia and the high-spirited Mr. Leppard, went straight to the stage and stood on one side of the podium.

There was a burst of discussion in the audience. Many students were seeing Balelu Jones, the famous musician and inventor in the Kingdom, for the first time, and they were inevitably excited.

"Everyone, be quiet."

After the Dean of Academic Affairs stabilized the situation, Vice President Vincent Simmons, Baron, delivered his opening remarks and welcome speech.

While listening to the speech of the man who was over fifty years old, Roger moved his eyes slightly and looked for Angelina Bartley in the crowd.

Soon, he found the capable girl in the middle back. Klein, who had used his "Faceless Man" ability to transform his appearance into a woman and wore a wide-brimmed hat to cover most of his face, sat behind her near the exit and made preparations in advance.

“…Next, we welcome Mr. Balelu Jones, the Kingdom’s renowned composer, inventor, and philanthropist, to the stage to share his insights and personal experiences with everyone!”

Amidst thunderous applause and the sound of media camera shutters, Roger walked onto the stage and bowed slightly:
"Thank you for the invitation from Backlund University of Technology, and thank you to all the students, faculty, and staff for coming.

"My journey to inventing the 'portable wind-up phonograph' began in an obscure little bar on the docks of Tingen, Ahowa County..."

It has to be said that Roger, who has summed up most of the role rules of "singer" and "composer", is indeed extraordinary in his speaking ability, because singing and speaking have many similarities, both of which are to awaken the audience's empathy and even empathy, so as to truly bring them into the situation preset by the speaker.

The audience erupted in applause, admiration and laughter inspired by Roger's humor from time to time.

Just like that, when the speech was almost halfway through, Angelina Bartley suddenly stood up, apologized to the classmate next to her, and then walked towards the exit with the audience in the same row making way for her.

Although she really wanted to continue listening to this wonderful speech, the sudden bloating in her lower abdomen told Angelina that she had to go to the bathroom first.

After seeing Angelina leave, a few seconds later, Klein, who was already near the exit, paused, pretended to be calm, stood up, and walked towards the door.

Because it was Saturday, Backlund Technical University was sparsely populated. Basically, only students and teachers from certain departments who liked Roger and his phonograph had come to the school.

Although the total number of these people was still quite large, they were basically all gathered in the venue at this moment. There was no one else in the corridor except Angelina and Klein, who was following closely behind.

The sound of Klein's women's short boots echoed in the corridor, but Angelina in front of him didn't notice anything unusual.

As he passed by a slightly reflective metal cabinet, Klein, who was limping a little, turned his head to glance at the cabinet door. Sure enough, he saw a figure wearing a black classical court dress and a small soft hat flash by.

Soon, Angelina Bartley came to the bathroom and hurriedly entered a cubicle. Klein also entered a cubicle without showing any abnormality.

About three minutes later, Angelina Bartley pushed the door open. Her expression was noticeably more relaxed, and she began to wash her hands at the faucet.

While washing, Angelina looked in the mirror and found that she looked a little tired, so she splashed some cold water on her face.

However, this behavior did not help to refresh her mind. Instead, it made her mind go blank and she fell into blind ignorance for a while.

In the reflection of Angelina's blank, unfocused gaze, the door of the compartment behind her opened silently.

Klein, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, held a black, Quaternary-style notebook in his hand, which was flickering with a rusty light. The magical chapters written in strange spells on the notebook were also fading rapidly.

"John's magic book!"

This sealed artifact corresponding to Sequence 6 "Recorder" was borrowed by Klein from Roger, and the chapter currently displayed on the magic book is exactly Roger's "Troublemaker" ability.

The next moment, Sharon's face flashed quickly in the mirror in front of Angelina Bartley.

As soon as this Sequence 5 "Ghost" appeared, it instantly crawled out of the mirror and leaned over Angelina.

Klein quickly stepped forward and collected spiritual materials from the girl that could be used for "dream divination."

……

More than twenty minutes later, Roger, who was working with Mr. Leppard to introduce the structure of the portable wind-up phonograph and the new elements added to the improved hybrid phonograph, saw Angelina Bartley return to the lecture hall with a dazed look on her face and sit back in her seat.

He knew this was a sign that Klein and Sharon had succeeded.

"...As I just said, the improved phonograph has more convenient features. At the same time, we also took economic issues into consideration, so the original clockwork mechanism was still retained.

"This phonograph will complement the wind-up phonograph, creating a convenient, affordable, and reliable environment for the development of a content ecosystem based on records..."

……

After the lecture, Roger accepted interviews from the media, signed autographs for teachers and students, and held a raffle for ten latest-model gramophones. Then, somewhat exhausted, he said goodbye to Mr. Emerson and other school staff and walked out of the main teaching building.

Klein and Sharon were already waiting for him in the carriage outside the school. Roger got into the carriage, pulled down the curtains, and made sure no one was eavesdropping before asking:
"How about it?"

"She didn't carry the sealed artifact with her. Instead, it was stored in the warehouse of the Bartley family's old house in Ant Town, northwest of Backlund." Klein, who was still wearing women's clothing, had now restored his appearance. However, due to Miss Sharon's presence, he was unwilling to change back into his clothes in the carriage.

He told Roger the exact location of Bartley's old house, and then said:

"As you expected, the Sealed Artifact is at Sequence 5 of the 'Apprentice' Path. It's called 'Philemon's Bell.' Its specific usage and side effects are still unknown, but based on the limited information available, it's speculated that it can trigger its own Beyonder abilities by making sounds when shaken.

“It is noteworthy that Angelina Bartley’s memory does show a strong connection to the Church of Steam.

"Although there were no other people present at the scene when Miss Sharon and I were carrying out the mission, it is not ruled out that the Steam Church may have known about Angelina's influence through some seal or other channels."

After listening to Klein's report, Roger nodded slightly:
“Thank you for your hard work.

"I'll go to Bartley's old house tonight to see if I can find the seal."

"I will go with you."

Klein spoke quickly.

In his opinion, since the Beyonder family's warehouse usually has a lot of good things, and coupled with the relationship between the Steam Church and Angelina, it is not ruled out that they will have a dedicated person, or temporarily send someone to help protect the Bartley family's old house warehouse after realizing that Angelina is in trouble.

"it is good."

Roger nodded without any hesitation.

Then he saw Miss Sharon's face appear on the car window again. The beautiful lady nodded slightly to Roger, indicating that she was willing to go with him.

"You two are really dedicated."

Roger smiled, and then agreed with Klein to take the steam train to Ant Town after lunch and try to get the sealed artifact within the day.

Soon, the three of them returned to 15 Minsk Street and picked up Sam at Woston Gardens along the way. After arriving home, Klein prepared a simple meal for everyone, and then he and Roger got dressed and prepared to go out.

"Sam, keep an eye on Alister and Perseus. They don't have classes tonight, so you can stay home and do whatever you want. But don't go out casually. The security in Loen after dark is still quite worrying."

Before leaving, Roger did not forget to give instructions.

"Don't worry, cousin. I'm at home."

Sam smiled. Roger patted his shoulder and then, together with Klein, hailed a horse-drawn carriage and headed towards Backlund Station.

When he arrived at the station, Roger found the ticket window, but hesitated for a moment about how many tickets to buy.

"Ms. Sharon?"

"Two tickets will be enough... The Wrathful Soul doesn't need a ticket."

After Roger called out softly, Sharon's voice soon rang in his ears.

The "heterogeneous" approach really saves money...

Roger couldn't help but feel emotional in his heart. He nodded slightly and went to buy two first-class anonymous tickets to Ant.

Backlund and Ant were very close, and the roaring steam train arrived in Ant Town about an hour later.

Because it was still early, Roger and Klein found an open-air cafe on the Tussock River, ordered a cup of Dipsy coffee and a cup of sweet iced tea respectively, and ordered some snacks. While eating, they looked out at the passenger ships and pedestrians passing by on the other side of the river, as well as the valley area further behind.

According to the information Klein obtained from Angelina Bartley, the Bartley family's ancestral home was located on the hillside of a mountain in that valley.

The two of them ate and talked, and Ms. Sharon's figure appeared from time to time on the reflective objects around her, as if she was quietly listening to their conversation.

But she herself did not say anything and remained silent.

As dusk approached, Roger dusted off the peanut peels on his hands and stood up.
"Let's go."

"it is good."

Klein also stood up and followed Roger towards the flood embankment below.

Since the town of Ant is divided into two halves by a tributary of the Tussock River, there are passenger ships running back and forth between the two banks of the river from 12 a.m. to a.m. every day, with a trip every fifteen minutes or so.

Roger and Crane bought boat tickets and listened to the roar of the steam engine as they gradually moved away from the east bank of the Tussock River and soon arrived at the west bank.

The sun was about to set, but the three of them still had to trek a little further.

Fortunately, the journey was smooth. According to the map they had prepared in advance, they arrived at a mountain trail leading to Bartley's old house just as it got dark.

"From here, it's about a 20-minute walk to the destination..."

As Klein spoke, he pulled out a citrine pendulum he had just bought a while ago and began to perform divination.

"The Bartley family's old house is in danger..."

As he silently repeated the divination several times, the topaz pendulum began to swing clockwise.

The speed is moderate, but the amplitude is not small!

"Some places are obviously dangerous, but it also depends on luck..."

Klein made a quick judgment.

"A significant danger..."

Roger repeated it silently, then nodded calmly and walked towards the mountain trail first.

Although the Bartley family does not have a prominent historical position like the Abraham family, it is still a family of extraordinary people that cannot be underestimated. It is very normal that their old house is in danger.

After all, Roger had encountered self-propelled armor that was suspected to be made of high-level seals of the "Red Priest" in Abraham's fortress. Later, he asked Sam about the origins of those armors, but to Roger's surprise, his knowledgeable cousin did not know either.

As the two approached their designated location halfway up the mountain, Roger suddenly heard voices talking.

This was an ability given to him by the Composer's excellent hearing. He grabbed Klein and gestured to him to keep quiet.

"Ms. Sharon, could you please investigate the situation?"

Roger whispered.

"it is good."

Sharon appeared and nodded.

She obviously heard those voices because of her special ability as a "vengeful spirit".

After answering, the beautiful lady quickly disappeared, and after about five minutes, she reappeared.

"There are two Beyonders from the Church of Steam outside the door, their strength no higher than Sequence 7. There should be more inside the house, probably between two and three."

"For the 'Mechanical Heart' in the Backlund region, this is considered a low-level guard force.

"But even so, considering Ant's remote geographical location, I suspect that our actions to spy on Angelina Bartley this morning should have been known to the Steam Church.

"On the other hand, this situation doesn't match the divination results just now, so I suspect the Beyonders inside the old house are not simple."

Klein, who had worked in the Nighthawks and had dealt with the Church of Steam in Backlund, immediately gave his own judgment.

Although the combat power configuration of the Nighthawks in Tingen City was still far behind that of Backlund, Klein had communicated with Ms. Lolota and other Nighthawks members from Backlund and knew the general situation.

Since the overall strength of the three major churches is not much different, the situation of "Mechanical Heart" should be similar to that of "Nighthawk".

"Klein, go and lure away the members of the Mechanical Heart outside. Get them as far away as possible.

"Ms. Sharon, please come with me into Bartley's old house. I will use the abilities of the Rose Bishop to help you divert the attention of the Mechanical Heart.

"You two buy me some time. I'll go get the seal from the warehouse and come back. We'll meet at the dock.

"But remember, don't harm the official Beyonders."

"it is good."

Klein answered readily, and Ms. Sharon beside him nodded slightly.

……

five minutes later.

Two male members of the "Mechanical Heart" were sitting bored at the door of Bartley's old house, looking at the stars in the sky and chatting.

"I don't know what's wrong with the captain, calling us from Backlund to Ant Town on the weekend." A bespectacled member of the Mechanical Heart yawned.

"I heard that something seems to have happened to someone that Ms. Vivian is responsible for protecting... Wait."

Another very thin and tall young man suddenly stopped answering.

"What's wrong, Andy?" asked the young man with glasses with some confusion.

"Over there, there seemed to be something just now."

The tall and thin young man named Andy calmed down:
"I just saw four balls of fire suddenly appear over there, but they flashed and disappeared."

(End of this chapter)