Mysterious: The Innate Sacred Body of Destiny

Chapter 401 Lorne: Damn, she can't be...

"No major incidents are expected in Backlund in the next few months —"

Lorne sat behind his desk, muttering the divination phrase to himself. After finishing, he habitually picked up a coin and tossed it gently into the air.

He knew, in truth, that such vague divination, lacking any clear beginning or end and sufficient pre-existing clues, wasn't very useful for predicting the future. To some extent, he was simply seeking psychological comfort.

"Clatter".

Surprisingly, he failed to catch it this time. The coin slipped from his fingertips, fell to the floor with a dull thud, and rolled under the table.

"strangeness----"

Lorne frowned, squatted down, and reached under the table to pick up the coin.

The coin is facing down.

"Am I overthinking it?"

"Backlund just had such a big accident, and the three major churches haven't let their guard down yet. It shouldn't be too soon for any other major trouble to happen."

The factory gate.

"Excuse me, miss, who are you?"

Old Kohler, the gatekeeper, poked his head out of the gatehouse and stopped Tracy, who was about to barge in.

"I'm here to discuss business; I'd like to speak with James Scott."

Tracy stopped and replied in a cold tone.

"Uh, do you have an appointment?" Old Kohler asked dutifully.

"A reservation?" Tracy frowned slightly.

"Yes, miss. Without an appointment, you can't just come in," Old Kohler explained patiently.

"You have this kind of rule here?"

"It wasn't like that before. But ever since Mr. Scott became famous, so many people have been coming to see him every day, so—"

"Such arrogance," Tracy thought to herself, clenching her gloved hands slightly.

She was already impatient, and now she felt even more irritated. If it weren't for finding clues about Brando, she would have already—

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind.

"Ms. Cassie, slow down!" Hazel came running up, panting.

"Miss Macht?" Old Kohler clearly recognized her. He looked at the two of them with some surprise, pointed to Tracy, and asked, "Is this your friend?"

"Uh—" Hazel didn't know how to answer for a moment. She wasn't really close to him, but they had just been together.

I guess so.

"Since she's your friend, then perhaps—"

Before old Kohler could finish speaking, Hazel's eyes lit up as if she had suddenly thought of a good idea. She looked at Tracy and said sincerely, "Ms. Cassie, since you don't have an appointment, you should go back first."

"Do you have an appointment?" Tracy asked in return.

"I—I've already used my appointment for today." Hazel rolled her eyes and told a lie.

Actually, she didn't need an appointment at all. Old Kohler knew her well and knew that she was helping Scott manage the foundation, so he usually just let her through.

Old Kohler was well aware of this, but seeing the slightly strange atmosphere of the conversation between the two ladies, he wisely chose to remain silent and not expose them.

Just as the atmosphere became somewhat awkward and tense, another set of footsteps approached. A middle-aged man dressed in a well-tailored suit, with his hair neatly combed, walked over.

"Old Kohler," Ted greeted.

"Good afternoon, factory manager," Old Kohler greeted him quickly.

Factory manager? Upon hearing this title, Tracy turned slightly.

"It's Miss Macht, and this lady next to her is—" Ted also noticed the two people at the door and looked at the elegant stranger next to Hazel with some confusion.

"Her name is Cassie, and she is—"

"I'm here to discuss a big business deal," Tracy said confidently before Hazel could finish her sentence.

"Business?" Ted was taken aback.

"Hmm. My family's caravan is currently preparing to expand and needs to purchase a large number of weapons, so I'd like to come and discuss cooperation—" Tracy remained calm, her every move exuding the composure that only those who have long been in a position of power possess.

Family, caravan, and this aura—is she the daughter of some great noble or merchant family?

As a businessman, Ted immediately realized that this could be a big deal.

"Uh, this lady is looking for Mr. Scott, but she doesn't have an appointment," Old Kohler added quietly, dutifully reminding the factory manager.

"No," Tracy turned to Ted, "it's just a simple business deal, and it's fine to talk to you, the factory manager—"

She was prepared to adopt a roundabout strategy.

"You shouldn't need an appointment, right?"

"I--"

For some reason, when he met those eyes, Ted felt a little dazed. Even though the atmosphere here was a bit off, he still nodded subconsciously.

This is a big deal, and for the sake of the factory's development, I have no reason to refuse.

Yes, that's right.

"Someone's come to discuss business and wants to see me?"

Sitting in the large boss's chair, Lorne put down his pen and looked at Ted across from him with some surprise.

"If it's just about buying and selling products, can't you, as the factory manager, handle the negotiations yourself?"

Lorne is no longer just a small arms factory owner, but the controller of a nascent arms conglomerate with several factories under his control.

Therefore, he didn't need to do everything himself. For routine arms sales like this, Ted, the experienced factory manager, had the authority to make the decisions himself.

Logert Arms Factory was originally bought from Ted, and since Ted had been busy helping him during the time he was arrested, Lorne trusted him a lot and delegated a lot of authority to him.

"No, boss, this isn't an ordinary customer." Thai said excitedly, even somewhat excitedly.

"This Miss Cassie wants to buy weapons to arm her family's fleet. It's a huge ocean-going merchant fleet!"

'

"She said she was the daughter of an aristocratic family and wanted to make a name for herself, so she used her family's connections to start a shipping business—" Ted vividly described the story Tracy had fabricated.

"Moreover, she is in international trade, her mother is from Intis, and she has access to those channels."

"Intis? International trade?" Lorne raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, she claims to frequently travel between Rune and Intis to transport goods."

Is it believable?

"I think it's believable," Ted nodded. He then recounted the stories Tracy had told him to increase credibility, including her observations at sea and the unspoken rules of various ports.

"Hiss—that's something." Lorne nodded slightly. He had spent some time at sea and even served on the Golden Dream, so he had some understanding of the situation at sea.

The intricacies Ms. Cassie described were indeed the kind of knowledge only an expert would know, not something a naive aristocratic young lady with an adventurous spirit who had only seen the ocean in books could have concocted.

"Unless she is genuinely helping her family manage their business and is constantly at sea, there's no reason why such a beautiful woman would be so knowledgeable about this monotonous life at sea."

"Boss, this is our chance to enter foreign markets!"

He paused, then added a sentence.

"Furthermore, this Ms. Cassie has also donated to your charity fund—"

Oh, it's her. No wonder the name sounded familiar. — Lorne remembered. Hazel had indeed mentioned a mysterious lady named Cassie who donated 200 pounds and wanted to see him.

However, Ted is being a bit too noisy today. Even if he has closed a big deal, isn't he a little too excited?

To be honest, Lorne didn't want to see any guests right now. He wasn't feeling well today; a certain palpitation was lingering in his mind.

However, this guest named Cassie did pique his interest.

After all, although the chances are slim, this is indeed an opportunity for him to get his weapons into foreign markets and even open up channels with Intis.

Moreover, if he were to establish his own shipping company, he would greatly need these overseas channels and connections.

Most importantly, the other party had also donated money to the foundation, and they had even made a special trip to the factory in the East District. If I were to avoid them, it would indeed be rather ungentlemanly.

"They're in the reception room, and Miss Macht is chatting with them."

Ted walked ahead, while Lorne followed behind him, preparing to approach Ms. Cassie.

hum-

Halfway there, a feeling of extreme incongruity suddenly surfaced in Lorne's mind again.

"Ted, you go first." He stopped. "I'm going to the restroom and change my clothes. I think it's better to be a little more formal."

"No problem, boss. Take your time."

Ted didn't think much of it, nodded, and walked towards the reception room on his own.

Inside the reception room.

"Ms. Cassie, are you really that eager to speak with Scott in person?" Heyle sat on the sofa, looking at the alluring woman opposite her, her tone carrying an undisguised eagerness and inquiry.

"It's just business, Miss Macht, don't overthink it."

Unlike Heyole's anxiety, Tracy was in a relatively good mood, even somewhat cheerful.

Her roundabout strategy worked; she successfully fooled the seemingly shrewd factory manager with an inspirational story she fabricated about a "fallen noblewoman wanting to revive her family business."

Of course, she wasn't entirely a fraud.

She did indeed have her own fleet, though it was a pirate fleet that struck fear into the hearts of many, but it was still a fleet, after all.

She did indeed need a large number of weapons, although they were intended to arm the pirate crew to plunder merchant ships, but they could still be considered "armed".

Well.

She did indeed run a busy shipping business, transporting slaves from various places, but it was still real "transportation".

"But I think it would be the same to talk to Ted about this deal," Hazel tried to dissuade him. "Scott is really busy, and he may not be as clear about the specific business details as Ted."

"No, some things are only up to the boss," Tracy replied calmly, taking a sip of her tea. "Besides, I'm also very interested to see what kind of person this legendary 'commoner hero' really is."

"You—you really just want to talk business?" Hazel sensed something was off about Tracy. "I've heard that some people with ulterior motives approach Scott under the guise of business—"

"Oh? Miss Macht, are you worried about me?" Tracy put down her teacup, looking at Hazel with a half-smile. "Or are you worried that I'll steal your 'hero'?"

"You!" Hazel's face flushed instantly, stung by the revelation. "I was just showing concern as a friend!"

"hehe"

Tracy remained calm, even somewhat enjoying Hazel's girlish reaction.

This is a decent way to relax.

Just then, Ted pushed open the door and entered, breaking the previously tense atmosphere.

"Ms. Cassie, the boss has agreed to the meeting. Please wait a moment, he will be here shortly."

Scott agreed to see her—Hazel pursed her lips, somewhat displeased.

Tracy nodded slightly, mentally planning the procedures for their upcoming meeting and how to probe their conversation.

After all, she had already wasted too much time, and it was only with great difficulty that she had made this little bit of substantial progress.

"That figure—why does it look so familiar?"

Outside the reception room, Lorne didn't go in directly, but instead cautiously observed the situation inside through the slightly ajar door.

The woman sitting with her back to the door, though wearing a veil, had a captivating figure and unique charm that gave him a strange sense of familiarity.

Moreover, his spiritual intuition began to warn him, and the feeling that something was wrong grew stronger and stronger.

"Well?"

Just then, Tracy, who was sitting inside, seemed to sense a certain gaze and subconsciously turned her head to look in the direction of the door.

Their gazes met for a fleeting moment through the narrow crack in the door.

Although it was only for a brief moment, Lorne still clearly saw a pair of deep blue eyes.

The moment Lorne saw those eyes, his mind went blank for a moment.

"Azure blue eyes, black curly hair, a charming demeanor, and those experiences at sea —"

"Could it be? No way!"

"Depend on!"

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he instinctively took a step back, his heart pounding violently.

Through the crack in the door, the figure seemed to sense something, and slowly stood up, walking towards the door.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

Back in his office, Lorne quickly locked the door and leaned against it, panting heavily.

"How is this possible—why would she come to Backlund?"

"Are you really that unwilling to let me go?!"

"How could this happen?!"

"Could something have happened to Danitz and the others? That shouldn't be the case. I just exchanged letters with them."

"No, now is not the time to think about this. I need to quickly figure out what to do next—"

Refusing to meet outright—no, you've already agreed, and suddenly going back on your word and refusing now would make you seem guilty and more likely to arouse the other party's suspicion.

Saying I have to leave suddenly—that won't work either—

She seemed to have noticed me peeking through the door. If I run away now, it would be an admission of guilt.

"Calm down, calm down————"

"He might not be Tracy; perhaps I've just mistaken him for someone else—"

He clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white, then relaxed it.

"But this is my factory, and there are so many workers here—"

If a fight were to break out, the clash between two Sequence 5 warriors would inevitably result in innocent casualties. And as for the combat abilities of the "Monster" pathway—

He couldn't be sure whether Tracy had been promoted.

"No, she might not actually be sure of my identity—"

Lorne forced himself to calm down and analyze the situation.

"This is Backlund, not at sea. And with James Scott's current reputation and good relations with various churches, she wouldn't dare do anything to me."

Previously, it was suspected that a witch came to investigate me, which is very likely an organization trying to test me.

Even if she really is Tracy, she might just have happened to be assigned this task.

Otherwise, if she were simply seeking revenge, there would be no need for her to go through all this trouble, and she certainly wouldn't have come to me openly.

Whatever her purpose, she probably wasn't entirely sure of my identity.

As long as I don't give myself away, I can get away with it.

Having realized this, Lorne acted swiftly.

He took off his coat and took out a white formal suit from the closet that he had never worn in public before, which he had prepared for the banquet, and put it on.

This style is completely different from his usual deep and low-key attire.

He then put on a white top hat, pulling the brim down slightly. He then took out some men's cologne and sprayed it on himself twice.

"Well----"

After hesitating for two seconds, he took out the monocle from his personal storage space and used it to cover his face.

Although there were some cracks on the lenses, they were not very noticeable and did not look too out of place.

After the transformation, Lorne looked at himself in the mirror and found that he had completely changed his style.

At least, he has changed a lot from Monkey Brando.

He had completely lost the naivety he had when he first started out at sea, and now appeared arrogant and cold, with the air of someone in a superior position.

Finally, he took out the ring that could force people to calm down and put it on his left thumb.

As a cool breeze flowed through his body, the man in the mirror, who had initially appeared somewhat tense and anxious, gradually became calm and indifferent, his eyes becoming deep and unwavering.

Lorne nodded.

"It's alright, you shouldn't be able to tell now—"

"call--"

He let out a long sigh, straightened his tie, and opened the office door.

However, before he could take more than a few steps, he saw Hazel walking towards him with heavy steps.

When she saw Lorne in his white suit and monocle, she stared in surprise, her eyes widening for several seconds before she recognized him.

Why are you dressed like that?

"There's a party tonight, so I changed into a different outfit beforehand."

Lorne lied without batting an eye.

"Besides, when it comes to business, you always have to appear formal and leave a lasting impression on the other party."

"Oh, right, I have business to discuss later, so perhaps you could leave now?"

"You really want me to leave?" Hazel retorted instinctively.

"Well?"

Meeting Lorne's gaze, Hazel hesitated slightly, but still puffed out her chest and lowered her voice, saying, "I—I feel that there's something wrong with that woman named Cassie."

"She didn't seem like she was there to discuss business, and there was something about her that made me very uncomfortable."

"Wasn't she someone you recruited?" Lorne suddenly retorted.

"This—" Hazel was momentarily speechless, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Judging from your tone, you really want to sit in on this?" Lorne observed her worried yet curious expression.

"Ah—I—" Hazel's cheeks flushed red. Instead of denying it directly as she usually did, she bit her lip and nodded directly.

"Ha—" Lorne sighed.

"Okay, come with me."

"Today, I'll let you be my temporary secretary."