Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 114 The Fool: Send!

"You...I..."

Audrey opened her mouth, hesitated, but finally couldn't help asking, "How did you do that?"

"No one was watching, so I just took it out without thinking."

Ember remained completely calm and said casually.

"What do you mean no one's watching?!"

Audrey's eyes widened, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Yu Jin had clearly been with her the whole time and had never left.

The manuscript was placed in an exhibition hall decorated as a study, and was monitored by security personnel from beginning to end.

Audrey also considered the difficulty of taking the bookmarks, but concluded that they simply had no chance at all!

Especially the security guard named Max, Audrey was certain he was an Extraordinary, and definitely not an ordinary Extraordinary, at least a mid-level one.

Before they left the exhibition hall, Max made a point of checking everything again before closing the glass case.

Even after they left the exhibition hall, Ember remained in her sight the entire time, never leaving her side.

How did he manage to do that?

When did you take the bookmark?

Could this be related to the extraordinary abilities of the apprenticeship path?

Even so.

Isn't that a bit too outrageous?

She was clearly there the whole time, but she didn't notice anything at all.

Audrey was somewhat discouraged, but then another serious problem suddenly occurred to her.

"wrong."

Audrey couldn't help but ask, "Why did you take the bookmark?!"

"Um?"

Yu Jin looked at the girl in surprise, "Didn't you tell me to do it?"

"When did I...?"

Audrey was full of questions, but then she suddenly remembered that she had given Ember a meaningful look while pretending to be sulking in the exhibition hall.

So, could it be around that time?

Audrey was both amused and exasperated. "But all I wanted to tell you was that I checked the bookmark," she said helplessly. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Should I return it?"

Yu Jin shrugged and said casually.

"..."

Audrey was speechless. How could she possibly return something she'd already taken?

Should we go back and let Mr. Fool's family steal it again?

Mr. Fool only wanted her to confirm the bookmark's status, but now Ember has gone straight to the point.

And it never aroused any suspicion from anyone.

Huh?

Audrey blinked. It seemed like this wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Although Mr. Fool thought they did not ask them to bring the bookmarks out.

But since we've already taken it, we've already exceeded Mr. Fool's expectations, right?

"Shall we now pray to Mr. Fool?"

Audrey glanced at Ember instinctively, then hesitated before saying, "That bookmark..."

"I don't care."

Yu Jin understood and casually placed the bookmark on the table.

But before that, he took another look.

The bookmark features a portrait of Russell, which is not a remarkable feature.

After all, portraits of Serre are ubiquitous in the commemorative exhibition, including the emperor's image and his still middle-aged appearance.

But Yu Jin wasn't looking at the bookmark itself, but rather at its internal details.

Bookmarks from Russell's Creative Manuscripts

[The bookmark that Emperor Roselle kept tucked inside his creative manuscript]

It can be used as a bookmark.

The bookmark seems to hold some hidden secret.

If found during the journey,

It will definitely be of great help.

Meanwhile, Audrey sat before her dressing table, devoutly whispering the name of the Fool:

"...As requested by your family, I slightly damaged that bookmark."

"It...it's reacting abnormally."

An abnormal reaction? It really does seem to be a "blasphemous sign"!

Upon receiving the reply, Klein, who had entered the gray fog, was initially delighted, then inexplicably astonished:

"Miss Justice's efficiency is just too high!"

"I only assigned the task this afternoon, and she finished verifying it this evening..."

"Moreover, this is clearly past the closing time of the Kingdom Museum!"

"Mind readers certainly don't possess infiltration-type extraordinary abilities!"

"Wow, her family's power is probably greater than I imagined!"

"Luckily, the verification didn't reveal anything strange, otherwise Miss Justice would have had to pretend to be innocent and hand over the cards."

This means I'm not destined for the treasure... Nothing is ever 100% certain...

"But now that it's confirmed to be a blasphemous card, I'd better start taking action tonight."

"Victory is simply getting the Blasphemy Card!"

As his thoughts raced, Klein heard Miss Justice's voice again:

"Mr. 'Fool,' Mr. 'Lover' also helped me with this operation. He returned to Backlund at 2 p.m. this afternoon, and happened to be visiting my house when your family made the request."

Klein's right eye twitched, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.

"After my verification, Mr. 'Lover' successfully stole the bookmark."

"..."

Klein opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

He just visited the Russell memorial exhibition this morning, and this afternoon he was just about to send Miss Justice to test the waters.

As it turned out, Ember returned to Backlund and even helped Miss Justice steal the bookmark.

What a coincidence!

the most important is.

Now that the bookmark is in Yu Jin's hands, will he want it back?

Klein felt a headache coming on.

Before he could even take action, his target had already been stolen by someone else. How could he possibly face that?

You can't force Ember to hand over the bookmarks, can you?

"..."

Klein's expression twitched; was he really going to do that?

He was afraid that the next time Yu Jin met at the Tarot Club, he would pull out a greatsword and slap himself in the face.

After all, in the other party's eyes, he was probably just a good source of firewood.

Fortunately, there's still the Black Emperor, the sucker, ahead of me, so it's not my turn yet.

Otherwise, if Ember really attacked him, he would have no choice but to reluctantly expel Ember from the Tarot Club.

Ok.

They also had to flee from Backlund overnight, otherwise Klein, who was a member of the Fool's family, would also be in danger.

Just then, Klein heard Miss Justice's voice again:

"Should I offer you this bookmark now?"

"Snapped!"

Klein suppressed the urge to slam his hand on the table and stand up, his heart filled with deep emotion.

Miss Justice is a good person!

"it is good."

Klein composed himself and spoke in a calm tone.

With the Fool's affirmative answer, Audrey no longer hesitated.

Chong Yujin blinked, and after receiving a nod of approval from the other party, he picked up the bookmark and began the sacrifice.

A short while later.

A magical door opened.

Audrey, already quite adept at this, simply placed the bookmark inside.

"Snapped!"

Klein placed the bookmark on the table, feeling both pleased and as if something was missing.

For example.

His original plan was to have Miss Justice verify the authenticity of the bookmarks before he personally stole them back under cover of night.

Now, this process is omitted, and the bookmark is given to her directly by Miss Justice.

"This is a good thing; it might be dangerous for him to go personally."

Klein shook his head, putting his slightly complicated emotions behind him.

He had previously consulted a divination, which predicted that his actions that night would be somewhat dangerous.

Although divination is not very dangerous, it's best to avoid taking risks if possible.

Yes, that's right, it's a good thing!

"very good."

Klein nodded in satisfaction; the Tarot Club had already begun to demonstrate its value to the "Fool."

Mr. Fool was very satisfied with this.

Great, you're getting better and better.

Klein thought to himself and picked up the bookmark again.

He gently stroked the surface of the cardboard, feeling a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

From the outside, this bookmark looks ordinary.

But he knew that this bookmark was quietly waiting for its "destined one".

Klein thought for a moment, then spoke in a low voice in Fursaur:

"One Piece!"

"The Pirate King".

"One piece!"

"Tsk."

Klein clicked his tongue in amazement. Aside from the extremely rare languages ​​of the mystical realms like Giants' Language, Elven Language, and Dragon Language, he had tried almost every common language imaginable: Fursak, Ancient Fursak, Rune, Intis…

But the bookmark didn't react at all.

But thinking about it, it makes sense.

A young Russell, fresh from his time travel and still full of passion, might use references to One Piece.

However, the creation of the blasphemous plaques should have occurred towards the end of his life, according to his diaries.

At that time, he was undoubtedly mentally unstable and desperate, but he also clearly displayed a perverse sense of humor.

This can be seen from the style of his diary entries—

Even when discussing serious matters, he couldn't resist boasting about Cao Bi's great achievements.

So.

What is the method to activate the Blasphemy card?

It's unlikely to be a reference to a past life, because this blasphemous card was prepared for the people of this world.

Therefore, the word used to activate the card of blasphemy must not be too "niche".

Anyone with even a slight understanding of Emperor Roselle should know this.

In other words, this term is very likely related to the experiences of Emperor Roselle himself.

Klein thought for a moment, then tried some curses and hopes in various languages, including Gagufusak.

Unsurprisingly, the result was failure.

Then, he pondered what a powerful person on the verge of despair would be most reluctant to part with and most attached to.

Suddenly, he thought of Russell's diary and Zarathustra's prophecy:

"I asked Bernadette about her future one last time, and he suddenly became very serious. He said that she would hate me, despise me, and betray me, and that she would become a great figure in the mystical world."

"Sometimes, you really shouldn't ask about the results of divination. I find it hard to believe that my lovely, kind Bernadette, who loves her younger brother, admires her father, and cares for her mother, would hate me, despise me, and betray me. What is the reason for this? Did I do something wrong? Maybe she had a crush on someone I didn't like, and I killed that brat."

"Bernarde," Klein murmured in Intis after a long silence.

The bookmark is not responding.

Even though he switched to Rune, Highland, and Fusak languages, he still couldn't get the results he hoped for.

Ultimately, he was left with only one choice—

Ancient Fusak is said to be the source of the writing systems of the northern continent.

Klein sighed, and in a low voice, uttered the corresponding ancient Fussac syllable:

Bernadette.

The name echoed unremarkably above the empty, silent gray fog. Just as Klein was about to search for new inspiration, he suddenly felt the bookmark in his hand become heavier!

It immediately created an invisible vortex, frantically absorbing Klein's spirit.

A clear light gradually rose from the bookmark, and the image of Emperor Roselle on the outside was completely transformed.

He sat on an ancient stone throne, wearing a black crown inlaid with various jewels. He was dressed in black armor and covered with a cloak of the same color. He held a scepter in his hand and looked ahead with cold eyes.

In the upper left corner of the bookmark, a line of text appears formed from glittering starlight:

"Sequence 0: The Black Emperor!"

Klein's previously beaming expression of surprise suddenly froze, and his right eyelid twitched.

……

Inside the Hall family's villa.

Audrey sat at her dressing table, elbows propped on the surface, chin resting on her hand, and muttered softly.

"I really want to ask Mr. Fool what secret that bookmark holds."

"Then why didn't you ask just now?" Yu Jin asked in surprise.

That's so rude.

Audrey said softly.

The bookmark was in her hand. If she took this opportunity to ask a question, wouldn't it seem like she was taking credit for something?

That's Mr. Fool!

If you leave a bad impression on Mr. Fool, wouldn't it be embarrassing even if Mr. Fool doesn't mind?

"Ember, aren't you even a little bit curious?"

Audrey looked at Ember with some confusion.

"I've always been very curious."

Ember said slowly, "But the Fool once said that he believed in fair trade. As long as I can pay the price enough, I will eventually get the answer from him in the next Tarot reading."

Audrey's emerald green eyes were initially confused, but then they lit up.

Yes, she could have gotten the answer through an equivalent exchange, couldn't she?

She has consistently contributed a large amount of Russell's diary to Mr. Fool.

Although I don't know the exact value, I think it should be enough to get an answer in return, right?

If her contribution isn't enough to get the answer, then no one else can either.

After all, no one in the entire Tarot Club has made a contribution in this area that surpasses hers.

Even the Hanged Man couldn't!

"Hmm~"

Audrey's lips curled up slightly as she stood up and walked to the full-length mirror.

Her chin had an exceptionally beautiful curve due to being slightly raised.

Looking at the slightly proud blue-eyed girl in the mirror, Audrey gradually calmed down.

"No, Audrey! You need to remember you're a viewer; you can't do that again!"

Audrey patted her cheeks to calm herself down.

Just then, footsteps sounded again from outside the corridor; it was her personal maid.

Soon, there was a knock on the door.

"Miss, Master Hilbert has returned. Lady Caitlin asked me to inform you and Viscount Black to come downstairs for dinner."

"OK."

Audrey replied, "I'll be right down."

……

"The Black Emperor."

Above the gray fog, Klein placed the blasphemous card on the table and rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.

The Blasphemy Card contains a complete pathway, detailing all the potion recipes and rituals required for the Black Emperor pathway from Sequence 9 to Sequence 0, and even its corresponding abilities.

Klein wasn't too surprised by the result.

Whether Sequence 0 is the sequence where the true god resides, or the Blasphemy Card contains the secret to becoming a god, these are all recorded in Emperor Roselle's diary, and Klein had already seen them.

But what he never expected was that it would be a "Black Emperor" card!

Is this a coincidence?

Or is it inevitable?

The starting point of Sequence 0 'Black Emperor' is Sequence 9 'Lawyer', which is not surprising.

Because the Hanged Man once shared his speculations at a Tarot reading.

However, he could only guess that the "Black Emperor" was Sequence 1, but he didn't dare to guess that it was the sequence where the "True God" was located.

The twenty-two blasphemous cards correspond to the twenty-two paths of this world.

This left Klein with mixed feelings of anticipation and disappointment.

He was hopeful because all he needed to do was find the blasphemous card representing the path of the "diviner," and he wouldn't have to worry about his future advancement.

The disappointment stemmed from the fact that the "Black Emperor" card was utterly useless to him!

The entire Tarot Club has 8 members: a diviner, an apprentice, a person seeking light, a sailor, an audience member, and an arbitrator, but conspicuously, no lawyer!

"No, you can't say that."

Klein consoled himself, "At least we still have potion recipes, right? These potion recipes can be used to exchange for other extraordinary items, and the knowledge about gods and sequences contained within them can also be used."

"Well, next time Ember asks about the Black Emperor, I won't be speechless."

"At the next Tarot meeting, we can use this information to exchange with Ember."

"but……"

Klein's expression was a little strange; it was Ember who had gotten this bookmark for him.

Is it a bit unfair of him to use the value of this bookmark to trade with Ember?

"No, you can't say that, after all, I was the one who activated the blasphemous card."

"Ember was unaware that the 'spell' he had activated was just an ordinary bookmark to him, temporarily 'stored' in his possession."

"What I've solved belongs to me, of course."

"He left those extraordinary creatures with me, and I didn't charge him any storage fees, did I?"

"At worst, we can just share the intelligence with him for free without charging him anything in return."

Klein stroked his chin and nodded imperceptibly.

Yes, that makes sense.

As expected of me.

However, it would be wise to inform Miss Justice of this information in advance.

After all, she took a risk by testing the Blasphemy card.

……

Queens, Earl Hall's residence, inside the dining room.

As is customary, Audrey was doing her pre-dinner prayers with her father, mother, brother, and Ember, who was a guest.

"Beautiful goddess!" She tapped her chest four times clockwise to end with this phrase.

As soon as she finished speaking, a thick gray fog filled her vision, which was obscured by her eyelids. In the gray fog, she saw a figure praying, a figure so blurry that it was almost invisible.

He said respectfully:

"Great Fool, please convey my gratitude to the verifier of this blasphemous card. For this, I am willing to increase the reward to 3000 pounds, deducted from the 4000 pounds that has not yet been paid, which is the share that the other party is entitled to."

"3000 pounds..."

Above the gray fog, Klein's eyelids twitched slightly; his heart was bleeding.

That's a whopping 3000 pounds! He really went all out this time!

"A blasphemous card?!"

The blue-eyed girl, Li, cheered inwardly with sparkling eyes, but she also clearly realized that now was not the time to show surprise.

Audrey controlled her excitement, and with a mixture of longing and pride, let the maid lay out her napkin.

But when Yu Jin looked over, she winked at him again.

He wanted to imply to him that he had received a hint from the Fool.

"Mr. Blake."

The young man sitting on the same side as Yu Jin also noticed his sister's subtle movements. His expression turned slightly unfriendly, and he asked almost imperceptibly, "What do you do for a living?"

Ember looked up at the young man and realized that he was Audrey's older brother, the Earl's eldest son, Hilbert Hall.

The Earl of Hall had three children.

The eldest son was Hilbert Hall, the second son was Alfred Hall, and the youngest daughter was Audrey Hall.

In noble families, no matter how many children there are, only one child can ultimately inherit the title.

The child who inherits the title is usually the eldest son.

For example, the heir to Count Hall has already been determined to be Hilbert Hall.

Therefore, Audrey's second brother, Alfred, sought another path at a young age and joined the army. He is currently serving in a colony on the southern continent, and is said to have achieved considerable merit.

Even if he cannot inherit the title, the merits he has made may already be enough to earn him a hereditary title.

However, this does not mean that Hilbert Hall, as the eldest son, did not need to work hard.

Although he has been designated as the heir to the title, he still needs to achieve something to prove himself.

Prior to this, Hibbert had joined the Coal Smoke Reduction Association and the Flue Gas Reduction Association, and had been actively promoting the establishment of the Kingdom Air Pollution Investigation Committee.

This also meant that he rarely went home in the previous months, and naturally, he hadn't seen Yu Jin either.

It wasn't until the end of September that the bill to establish an "Air Pollution Investigation Committee" was finally passed in the legislature.

Even though the bill was passed at the end of September, it took Hibbert more than half a month to finally have the opportunity to return home.

Oh, by the way.

The reason why Ember was able to understand so clearly was because Miss Audrey herself had said all of this.

Just now, in the room.

"I……"

Ember gathered his thoughts and was about to speak when Earl Hall stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Viscount Black's family has considerable prestige in Wintershire and is currently serving at St. Samuel's Cathedral in Backlund."

"Viscount? Wintershire? Church of the Night?"

Hibbert's expression shifted slightly as he buried his head in cutting the tender steak on his plate, putting a small piece of steak into his mouth.

He was a border nobleman, but only a viscount; his status was not particularly outstanding.

However, he came from Winter County and worked for the Church of the Night.

Without a doubt, Viscount Black's relationship with the Church of the Night is far closer than his relationship with the Kingdom of Rune!

Hilbert wasn't stupid; he knew perfectly well why his father had spoken up for the other person.

"fine."

Hibbert swallowed the steak in his mouth and said, "Alfred also wanted to join the Church of the Night, but unfortunately he chose the military in the end."

Hilbert sighed, shook his head, and didn't continue.

Their family are all devout members of the Church of the Night.

Alfred's decision to join the army instead of the Church of the Night was also partly driven by self-interest.

Tell me about yourself.

Earl Hall smiled but remained silent, while Lady Caitlin teased, "Alfred's achievements in the Southern Continent are now enough to earn him a hereditary title. You, as his older brother, mustn't lose to him."

"Absolutely not!"

Hibbert looked up, his eyes sparkling, and said, "The Air Pollution Investigation Committee was established the day before yesterday, chaired by Sir Dessau, and I am the chief secretary! Meanwhile, in Parliament, bills concerning air pollution will be introduced one after another. From now on, smokeless coal and charcoal will become the mainstream!"

After a pause, Hilbert advised, "Ash, if your family can spare some spare cash, I suggest you invest in Coym Corporation! Although it's still a small company right now, I'm sure its stock price will soar over the next year! Trust me, this investment won't disappoint you!"

"sounds good."

Yu Jin nodded in agreement, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Then why don't you invest in it, brother?"

Audrey asked like a curious child.

"I cannot invest in it."

Hilbert shook his head, looking hesitant, as if he was thinking about how to explain it to Audrey.

Earl Hall tapped the table with his finger and said slowly, "Hibbert is the chief secretary of the Air Pollution Investigation Committee. He cannot get involved in commercial activities related to anthracite and charcoal."

"While this might earn us hundreds of thousands of pounds, it would seriously jeopardize Hippel's future!"

If he were an ordinary nobleman, he might choose 100,000 gold pounds.

But for the Hall family, which was not short of money, the career of their eldest son, Hippel, was clearly more important.

Yu Jin understood immediately, realizing that Audrey was actually asking the question on his behalf.

Unfortunately, he wasn't very interested in money.

Ash.

Seeing that Ember was not very interested, Hilbert advised, "You must not underestimate this investment. In fact, even if you don't invest in Coyme, I would suggest that you shift the family's focus from land to other industries as soon as possible."

As he spoke, Hilbert shook his head and sighed, "Ever since the Grain Act was repealed, life has become increasingly difficult for nobles."

"Corn Bill?"

Yu Jin frowned slightly.

For some reason, the entire development process of the Kingdom of Rune gave him a rather familiar feeling.

In particular, the so-called "Grain Act" gave him a strong sense of déjà vu.

Although he hadn't deliberately looked into it, Ember knew that the core of the Grain Act was to protect the prices of domestic agricultural products, and the biggest beneficiaries of this were the traditional landed nobles of the Kingdom of Rune.

However, after the Grain Act was repealed, food prices plummeted.

For ordinary people, the repeal of this law is undoubtedly a good thing.

Because their cost of living has decreased significantly.

But at the same time, a large number of ordinary farmers and even minor nobles went bankrupt as a result.

Moreover, it is foreseeable that food prices will continue to decline in the future.

"Yes."

Hibbert shrugged. "You know the Duke of Negan? He's the most landed nobleman outside the royal family, boasting over 1200 million gold pounds worth of fields, pastures, and forests. Last year, his rent income reached a staggering 130 million pounds! This year, however, all foreseeable rent income will not exceed 85 pounds, a decrease of a full 45 gold pounds!"

"And keep in mind, it's been less than four months since the Grain Act was repealed!"

"45 pounds?"

Audrey gasped and muttered, "That's more than all the inheritance I could have received."

"Hahaha."

Earl Hall chuckled. "My dear Audrey, you must trust your father. I guarantee you will receive far more than this."

"Really? Thank you, Dad."

A smile of surprise appeared on Audrey's face.

Hilbert looked at his sister with a hint of helplessness. Although she was taking away his future wealth, Hilbert had no complaints about it.

Because this was, after all, their own sister, and she could neither inherit the title like them nor achieve the same success as Alfred. Therefore, the only compensation they could offer was to grant her a larger share of the inheritance when she came of age.

Moreover, Earl Hall is one of the top three bankers in the entire Kingdom of Rune, with a fortune of tens of millions. There are not many people in the entire Kingdom of Rune who are richer than him.

A few hundred thousand gold coins is just a small amount of money.

With Audrey's witty remarks, the atmosphere at the dinner table was incredibly harmonious.

Even long after dinner had ended, when Ember took his leave, Hilbert was still somewhat reluctant to part with him.

"I'll see him off."

Audrey said softly, her face slightly flushed.

Lady Caitlin was taken aback for a moment, then gave a teasing smile.

Audrey escorted her a long way, until her maid was well behind her, and until she was sure that the extraordinary beings inside the villa could not eavesdrop at this distance, before suddenly whispering, "That's a blasphemous card."

Yu Jin glanced down at the girl and immediately realized she was referring to the bookmark.

It must have been during dinner that she received the Fool's message.

"There's one more thing."

Audrey asked softly, "Could you prepare a potion recipe for me using the apothecary path?"

Viscount Grelint had been asking her this question for two whole months, and even Audrey, who was just an "audience member," was getting a little annoyed by it.

"Can."

Ember nodded slightly. It was just a potion recipe; it wasn't a big deal.

"Thanks."

Audrey breathed a sigh of relief.

But after she finished speaking, her cheeks suddenly flushed slightly, and she ran towards the villa as if shy.

Anyone who didn't know better would have thought she and Yu Jin had discussed something embarrassing.

Back at the villa, as the girl entered the living room to greet her family, the teasing looks from her parents and brother seemed to make her blush and retreat without a word.

"Thump thump thump!"

In the living room, Mrs. Caitlin heard footsteps coming from the stairs, her expression a mixture of indulgence and a touch of helplessness.

"Really."

Back in her room, Audrey's expression returned to normal. Slightly troubled, she said to the large golden retriever beside her bed, "Do Dad and the others really want me married off like that?"

It's exhausting to have to pretend in front of my parents every time.

Susie's lips moved, vibrating the air to make a sound, "I can't give you a definite answer. I can't even fully understand what love means, after all, I'm just a dog."

Upon hearing this, Audrey was speechless for a moment.

She simply sighed, her expression quite helpless.

So, why did things turn out like this?!

-

"Hibbert".

In the drawing room, Earl Hall picked up the Queen's Tea offered by a maid, took a sip, and suddenly asked, "What do you think of Viscount Black?"

"very nice."

Hibbert considered his words carefully before speaking, "Viscount Black is quite humble, and he doesn't have the arrogance and swagger of other young noblemen. To be honest, I've always wanted to be friends with someone like Viscount Black."

Earl Hall nodded slightly and said slowly, "His family comes from Wintershire, and their members have served in the Church of the Night for generations. I think you understand what that means."

"certainly."

Hilbert nodded slightly.

The rank of a noble title does not represent everything, a fact that Hippo himself deeply understood.

Just as their family only held the title of Earl, their wealth far surpassed that of most established dukes and marquesses. In fact, they were even wealthier than the Duke of Negan.

Although Ash was only a viscount, his relationship with the Church of the Night elevated his status far above that of ordinary nobles. After all, in the presence of the Church of the Night, not only nobles, but even royalty had to obediently step aside!

Earl Hall took another sip of his black tea and said slowly, "As you can see, he is an extraordinary being, and so is Audrey."

"Audrey?!"

Hilbert's expression changed slightly. "But..."

"I know what you want to say."

Earl Hall interrupted him, shaking his head. "She's always been searching for something related to the extraordinary world; it was only a matter of time. Besides, you know her personality well enough to know that you can't stop her."

After a pause, Earl Hall chuckled again, "At least we should be thankful that Audrey neither followed in Alfred's footsteps nor joined the Church of the Night, shouldn't we? For us, becoming a 'wild extraordinary' might be the best option."

Hippo's eyes flickered slightly; was his father implying something?

However, it's not wrong if we look at it literally.

The biggest problem for wild extraordinary individuals is a lack of money and resources.

But they were nobles and big bankers, so they had no shortage of money.

In fact.

Hilbert had considered becoming an extraordinary being.

But he ultimately chose to give up.

After all, becoming an extraordinary being carries the risk of getting out of control, and that risk is not low.

He is still young and can easily inherit the title; there is no need for him to take the risk of becoming an extraordinary one.

Just like Count Hall back then, he did the same thing.

Just as he was thinking this, Hippo suddenly heard his father's voice again.

"Hibbert".

Earl Hall spoke slowly, "Ash is currently Audrey's occult teacher. I've already spoken to him, and he'll come to teach Audrey whenever he has free time. My suggestion is that you stay home as much as possible these next few days. When Ash comes, take the initiative to contact him and find an opportunity to ask him how to become an Extraordinary."

"An extraordinary being?"

Hilbert's expression was somewhat subtle.

To be honest, he didn't really want to take any risks.

"Don't worry."

Earl Hall chuckled and said, "If I'm not mistaken, he must possess some method to reduce the risk of things getting out of control, and this method might be a closely guarded secret of the Church of the Night, known only to those who have served the Church of the Night for generations."

"Once you master this method, you can become an extraordinary person relatively safely."

Earl Hall looked into Hilbert's eyes and said earnestly, "Your mother and I are old, but you are still young. It's not wrong to want to advance further in politics, but at least I hope you can have some ability to protect yourself."

"Like Duke Nigan, who is the highest landed noble in the entire Kingdom of Rune besides the king, and also the leader of the Conservative Party and the brother of the current prime minister, isn't he also an Extraordinary?"

"it is good."

Hilbert paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I'll talk to him."

"Um."

Earl Hall patted his eldest son on the shoulder, his expression one of satisfaction.

But amidst this excitement, a deep-seated worry lingered in his eyes.

Their family is a top noble family in the Kingdom of Rune, but they are also devout followers of the Goddess of Night.

As the current Earl, he cannot and will not easily take sides; he can only 'invest'.

Audrey was already deeply involved, but it wasn't enough.

Therefore, he needs to increase his investment, and Hilbert, the next Earl, is a good choice.

As for the royal family, the count had already placed his bet—

The second son, Alfred, is still serving in the military, which is a form of "loyalty."

If it were before, Earl Hall might not have been in such a hurry.

However, due to Ember's contact with Audrey, he couldn't help but investigate Ember and his family in Wintershire with some selfish motives.

And this investigation did indeed lead him to discover some clues.

Earl Hall's intuition told him that the situation might change dramatically in the next few years!

Before long, a storm will sweep across the entire Kingdom of Rune.

To survive this storm, they must prepare in advance.

……

"The Blasphemy Card".

Walking the streets of Hillston, Ember pondered Audrey's parting words.

The fact that the bookmark was a blasphemous card was quite unexpected.

Despite his surprise, Yu Jin didn't feel much regret.

The bookmark clearly requires a corresponding 'password' to unlock, and since Ember doesn't know the password, keeping the bookmark in his hands would only be a waste.

not to mention.

He didn't have much need for the blasphemous card.

So far, his only impression of the blasphemous card has been the so-called "oracle"—

A certain deity wanted him to collect all twenty-two blasphemous cards, especially the Moon and Mother cards.

But Ember did not intend to act according to the so-called "divine decree".

Suddenly, Yu Jin's nose twitched as he smelled a strong stench of blood.

Yu Jin frowned slightly and looked up, only to see a woman lying on her back in the living room ahead.

The woman's expression was full of pain; she had a large wound on her abdomen, and it seemed that all her internal organs were gone.

At the same time, Ember heard the sound of "Hehehe".

It looks like something is eating.

Upon closer inspection, a large black dog was crouching to the side of the female corpse. Its mouth was half-open, revealing sharp, piercing white teeth that made one tremble. On each tooth, there were dark red, rust-like marks, which seemed to be the result of long-term grazing on flesh and blood without regular cleaning.

At this moment, bloody intestines were still wrapped around the teeth of the large black dog, surrounded by bits of torn raw flesh.

Its head moved closer, and its magma-like eyes reflected the image of the embers.

"Serial murder case."

Yu Jin immediately thought of the corresponding case, but he only felt it was absurd.

The so-called serial killer was actually a dog?

However, the extraordinary beings of the entire Backlund searched for more than two months but still failed to catch the dog.

Yu Jin chuckled, shook his head, and turned to leave.

"He!"

The large black dog let out a defiant growl.

Suddenly, the black dog's body rapidly expanded, transforming into a monster two or three meters tall. Behind it,

A pair of enormous bat wings slowly unfurled, while ram horns covered with mysterious patterns grew beside the ears.

Within its moist, glistening fur, bursts of crimson and blue flames leaped forth, releasing a strong smell of sulfur, making it resemble a demon!

Ho!

Another low growl echoed from the shadows.

Before the demon hound could pounce on the embers, a decaying wild dog with bloodshot eyes darted out of the shadows and bit the demon hound's neck.

This was not a fatal injury.

This is especially true for demons with strong physical bodies.

However, between its teeth, the crimson decay that had once slain gods spread throughout its body.

In the blink of an eye.

The demon hound's ferocious body collapsed limply, its massive, swollen body covered in a striking crimson stain!

As for all of this, Yu Jin didn't even bother to glance at it.

He simply strolled calmly through the streets, returned to 117 Burningham Street, and went inside.

"How many times have I said that?"

Sitting on the sofa, Fors, with her arms wrapped around her fair legs, complained, "Open the door! Is it really that hard to open the door?"

"I'll definitely do it next time."

Ember shrugged dismissively and asked, somewhat puzzled, "You guys aren't asleep yet?"

"I've been waiting for you!"

Fors said angrily, "We didn't even have dinner, just waiting for you to come and cut the cake together, and you came back so late!"

Ember glanced at the unopened cake on the table and fell silent.

"It was my fault."

Ember looked up and said seriously, "It won't happen again next time."

"I'm not taking you to my next birthday party!"

Fors gave a soft snort to express her dissatisfaction.

"Okay, okay!"

Hugh, however, smiled and said softly, "Now that everyone's here, let's cut the cake."

……

"It's so big, how can anyone eat it all!"

"It's okay, you two can eat together."

(End of this chapter)