Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 64 The Instigator (Second Update, Please Vote)

After giving instructions to the golden retriever Susie, Audrey paced back and forth a few times, seemingly still not at ease, because she was unsure whether anything strange would happen during today's ritual magic.

"How about this..." Her gaze calmed, and she examined the envisioned process with the attitude of an observer, quickly coming up with a new arrangement.

Audrey locked the bedroom door and said to the golden retriever:

"Susie, you stay here. If Annie and the others try to force their way in, go to the bathroom and let me know immediately."

To guard against any unforeseen circumstances, her personal maid possessed a key that could unlock the doors.

Susie gave her a long, meaningful look and wagged her tail three times.

"Very well, I'll let you choose your lunch today!" Audrey clenched her fist and shook it gently.

After giving her instructions, she entered the bathroom and saw that the square bathtub, which was three or four meters long and wide, was already filled with clear water, with white steam rising and a misty haze.

Audrey tidied up the rectangular table that had been covered with bottles and jars, then went back to the outer room and brought in candles, offerings, and a white robe.

She then closed the bathroom door.

Having done all this, Audrey breathed a sigh of relief and picked up a palm-sized, light blue, translucent bottle from beside the four candles.

The cylindrical bottle shimmered with a dreamy luster under the light, containing the ritual essential oil she had distilled and extracted yesterday. As a lover of mysticism, she had studied similar things extensively and had many homemade hydrosols, flower essences, balms, essential oils, and incense at home. Therefore, she quickly completed the preliminary preparations according to the Fool's description.

"Moonflower, golden mint, deep sleep flower, citronella and rock rose... a strange formula..." Audrey muttered to herself. "Hmm, before ritual magic, one must cleanse the body and calm the mind. This is a sign of respect for the gods, um, the object of the prayer."

After reviewing the process, she placed the ritual essential oil on the edge of the bathtub and reached out to untie her light home clothes.

One by one, pieces of silk fabric drifted into the laundry basket. Audrey tied up her long hair, first tested the water temperature with her hand, then tiptoed in carefully, sinking her body into the warm embrace.

"Phew..." She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling warm and relaxed all over.

I really don't want to move a single finger... Audrey forced herself to cheer up, grabbed the light blue semi-transparent bottle next to her, and dripped a few drops of ritual essential oil into the water.

A fragrant aroma wafted out, a subtle sweetness hidden in the tranquility. Audrey took a few breaths and nodded in satisfaction.

"It smells nice, very good."

"This is so relaxing, it feels so good..."

"I don't want to move at all, I just wish I could lie here quietly..."

"Quietly, quietly... peacefully... still..."

After some time, Audrey suddenly heard dogs barking.

She suddenly opened her eyes, looked around in confusion, and found that Susie had opened the door and come in at some point, squatting outside the bathtub with a rather helpless look in her eyes.

Rubbing her eyes, Audrey felt the water temperature drop considerably.

"I...I fell asleep?" she asked instinctively.

Susie looked at her, without barking or wagging her tail.

"Haha, that bottle of ritual oil works really well, um, really well!" Audrey chuckled twice, explaining cheerfully.

She stood up, grabbed a bath towel, and while wrapping herself in it and drying herself, said to the golden retriever:

"Susie, keep watch and don't let Annie and the others in!"

After the golden retriever left, she quietly stuck out her tongue, tossed aside the bath towel, and put on the clean white robe.

After closing the bathroom door, Audrey carefully reviewed the ritual she had recorded.

She picked up four candles and placed them in the four corners of the table.

"White bread in the upper left corner, Fennebot pasta in the upper right corner, smells so good, but it's a little cold... No, this isn't the time to think about these things! Seafood rice in the lower left corner, Dipsy pie in the lower right corner..." Audrey carefully arranged the altar according to the Fool's description, shaking her head twice in the process.

Having prepared, she lit four candles in turn, picked up a silver knife, and inserted it into the pile of coarse salt.

After reciting the Hermesian sanctification incantation, Audrey took out the ornately patterned knife and placed it into a glass of water.

Gathering her strength, she withdrew the silver "sacred blade" and meditated on the scene of spirituality spreading and bursting forth from the tip of the blade.

An invisible force surged forth. Audrey, holding a small knife, circled the altar and felt that a spiritual wall had indeed been erected around her, excluding all impurity and interference.

She maintained her "spectator" status, preventing her excitement and joy from affecting the ceremony.

She put down the silver knife, picked up the light blue crystal bottle, and dripped a drop onto each candle.

Noisy!

A delicate fragrance wafted through the air, and Audrey felt a sense of peace in her body, mind, and soul.

She took a deep breath, bowed her head reverently, and began to recite the formal incantation in Hermes:

"A fool who doesn't belong to this era;"

"You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog;"

"You are the king of yellow and black who holds the key to good fortune."

"I beg for your help."

"I pray for your favor."

"I pray that you will grant me a sweet dream."

"Deep Sleep Flower, herb of the Red Moon, please transfer your power to my incantation."

"Golden Hand Orange, herb of the sun, please transfer your power to my incantation."

……

As soon as Audrey finished reciting the incantation and was about to meditate on her prayers, she felt a breeze blowing within the sealed spiritual wall, and saw the deep red stars on the back of her hand swirling around.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly closed her eyes, carefully sketching out her lines, making a sincere request.

When it was all over, she looked around with a slight sense of doubt, but found nothing else strange.

"Is this all you need?" Audrey frowned slightly and murmured.

…………

"The King of Yellow and Black who holds good fortune... a fool who does not belong to this era..." In the captain's cabin of the "Azure Avenger," Alger Wilson, dressed in a storm robe, silently recited the three descriptions he had heard that afternoon, seemingly trying to find clues about the other party's identity.

He shook his head, got up slightly annoyed, but ultimately did nothing.

Alger wasn't entirely at ease with the "Azure Avenger," an ancient ship left behind by the Tudor dynasty. Although he had taken control of it, a hunch told him that the ship held many secrets, just like the Blood Emperor.

Therefore, he would use the ship to test the Fool's abilities, but he would not attempt any unknown ritual magic on board.

After pondering for a few minutes, Alger left the captain's cabin, went to the deck, and addressed the few crew members present:

"We are about to arrive at the Roside Islands and will stay there for a day."

The crew members immediately cheered and shouted:

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Because ghost ships don't need sailors and have very few crew members, they never worry about supplies and can enjoy fresh food and water every day. However, the day-to-day sailing and the almost unchanging scenery still make their bodies and minds feel tired, as if they are always suppressing something and enduring something until they can no longer control themselves.

The Roside Islands were a well-known colonial settlement in the Sunia Sea, with thriving commerce and various industries.

"I simply can't wait any longer!" one of the "sailors" shrugged, letting out a knowing chuckle that all men understand.

…………

On the public carriage heading to Zotland Street, Klein, who was leisurely reading the newspaper, suddenly froze, as if he heard a series of illusory shouts.

The invisible whispers echoed in his mind, making his forehead throb uncontrollably.

The call, whose meaning was unclear, came quickly and went quickly, disappearing without a trace in just ten seconds. Klein pinched his forehead, fighting against the throbbing pain that seemed to come from deep within his brain.

"The inexplicable whispers Old Neil mentioned? Is it because of his heightened inspiration?" As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein suddenly noticed four black dots that had appeared on the back of his right hand. They looked like tiny, naturally occurring moles, very inconspicuous.

This is because the four black spots from the transfer ceremony quickly settled, faded, and disappeared.

Klein stared at it blankly, and another guess came to mind regarding what had just happened:

"Did 'Justice' or 'The Hanged Man' attempt the ritual magic I gave them?"

"Was my thinking really correct?"

"Those three descriptions could indeed pinpoint me precisely through the mysterious space above the gray fog?"

"But I am far from powerful enough to hear the prayers clearly... I wonder if any messages have been 'remaining' above the gray fog..."

"Okay, let's go in tonight and confirm."

Klein was both nervous and excited. He quickly held up the newspaper to cover his face so that others could not see the changes in his expression.

He soon arrived at Zotland Street and entered Blackthorn Security.

Before he could even greet Rosanne, Klein saw Captain Dunn Smith come out, holding a piece of paper with a portrait on it.

"Take a look at this internal wanted poster too. A very vicious and cruel extraordinary individual has entered Tingen." Dunn, wearing a black trench coat and no hat, glanced over and handed over the paper.

Klein took it and looked at it; the first thing that caught his eye was a sketch.

The person in the portrait has a round face, a friendly demeanor with a touch of shyness, and is not too old, probably only eighteen or nineteen.

"Triss, suspected of being an Extraordinary Being, initially assessed as a Sequence 8 'Instigator,' with the possibility of originating from the 'Gnostic Society,' the perpetrator of the Clover massacre... Witnesses testify that he went to Tingen after leaving Enmat Port, and his current whereabouts are unknown..."

Tris... the Clover... was it actually an Extraordinary being who committed the crime? Klein suddenly remembered the dream interpretation from yesterday afternoon, and Joyce Meyer's description, and immediately said:

"Captain, I know someone involved in this case; he might be a very important witness."

"I know, Joyce Meyer. I was asked to help out by the 'Mechanical Heart' team last night. I saw you in Joyce's dream and confirmed from many details that Triss was responsible for the Clover massacre." Dunn's gray eyes were expressionless as he chuckled lightly.

How boring, Captain... Luckily, yesterday was my day off, not my time to play the "fortune teller" during work hours... Klein thought to himself, feeling a sense of dread that he had almost been caught slacking off by his boss.

He asked instead:

"Which sequence pathway does the instigator follow? And what kind of organization is the Gnostic?"

Is instigating others to kill each other Tris's way of eliminating the potion's hidden dangers, or is it a necessity for advancement?

Dunn thought for a few seconds and said:

"Perfect timing. It's time for you to get your hands on information about extraordinary individuals and secret organizations. Stop letting old Neil always order you around looking at historical documents."

Captain, wasn't your reason for hiring me just to have a "history expert"? Klein didn't dare point out the problem and nodded seriously.

"OK."

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(End of this chapter)