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

Chapter 143 The Scheming Frog Keeps Touching Your Belly!

When Ember and Hibbert returned to Holga's luxurious villa from the suburban estate, they saw Audrey in the garden, playing a game of eagle catching chicks with two little girls surrounded by a group of maids—Susie was the eagle.

Although she was playing the bad guy, Susie seemed to be in a very good mood, wagging her tail wildly.

Hilbert called out softly, "Audrey!"

"Brother, Ash, what happened?"

The maids obediently stepped aside, and Audrey, leading the Kurara sisters, stepped forward and asked with some confusion.

Hilbert's expression was somewhat serious, but he still forced a lighthearted smile and said:

"Nothing much, just wanted to remind you to try not to go out these next few days."

"Okay." Audrey paused for a moment, then nodded slightly. She knew something must have happened to make Hippet uneasy, but she didn't ask.

Ash.

Hilbert turned to Ember and politely asked, "Could you please look after Audrey?"

"certainly."

Ember nodded slightly. Audrey glanced at the two of them, a thought flickered in her mind, and she said softly:

"Kurara, let's go back to the room. Susie, come with us."

"Woof!"

Susie responded and wagged her tail as she followed. Seeing this, Hibbert gave Ember a somewhat helpless look, but Ember simply shrugged and followed him upstairs.

Seeing Susie crouching in front of the door giving directions in the corridor, Yu Jin pushed the door open and found Audrey and Kurara inside.

Seeing Ember push open the door and enter, Audrey lowered her voice and asked:

"Ember, what exactly happened?"

Yu Jin closed the door behind him and shook his head, saying:

"We don't know exactly what happened yet. All we know is that the Archbishop of the Church of Storms personally took action, probably to hunt down some vicious Extraordinary. But it probably has nothing to do with us."

"I see."

Audrey nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and said, "Perhaps we can ask Mr. Fool?"

Ember stared at Audrey for a long while, and after confirming that she wasn't joking, he couldn't help but mutter:

"Do you think the Fool is Doraemon?"

"I……"

Audrey parted her lips slightly, about to speak, when she suddenly heard a dog barking in the hallway. It was Susie. Then, she heard light footsteps in the hallway, the rhythm of which belonged to her mother, Caitlin. The footsteps approached, finally stopping at the doorway. Audrey immediately swallowed back what she was about to say, replacing it with a faint smile, and asked curiously:

"I'd like to know more interesting stories about Emperor Roselle. Could you tell me some?"

Yu Jin hesitated for two seconds, then nodded slightly: "Of course."

Although he didn't know much about Roselle, anecdotes, after all, are just unofficial histories, right? He was quite adept at making up stories!

The sewage flowed into the sewers and ditches. Klein huddled against the damp walls and cold pipes, hiding in the darkness, waiting for his enemies to come to him.

There is no light here, and ordinary people who come here can only smell the pungent stench in the air and cannot see anything. But for Klein in his spirit form, none of these are obstacles.

And before him lay a corpse—a corpse as thin as a shadow, seemingly without thickness. This Sequence 5 Beyonder, who had successfully assassinated Duke Negan, had died silently in the gutter.

"I really don't want to get involved in these things."

Klein sighed inwardly. If he could, he would have preferred that the official Beyonders handle everything. But the divination showed that this 'Apostle of Desire' had successfully escaped the Night Watchers' pursuit. Having already survived an assassination attempt, Klein didn't want to be targeted by an enemy lurking in the shadows, so he had to eliminate this 'Apostle of Desire' here and now!

After waiting for a while, the extraordinary characteristics of the 'Apostle of Desire' emerged—it was something like black mist. But before he could examine it closely, a tall, heavy suit of silver armor rushed towards him.

Klein's heart tightened, and without hesitation, he enveloped the spirit and extraordinary properties of the 'Apostle of Desire' and ended the summoning.

Upon returning above the gray fog, Klein didn't rush into channeling. Instead, he left the mysterious space and entered his body in the real world. He skillfully collected the ritual items, such as candles, and quickly removed the last trace.

Having done all this, he created another clone, took four steps backward, and arrived at the ancient palace above the gray fog. Here, he could communicate directly with the remaining spirits like a true "spirit medium," without needing to pray to anyone or even perform rituals. He had already verified this when he slew the "Puppet Master" Rosago.

Looking at the brown-haired, brown-eyed, and vacant "Apostle of Desire," Klein felt a surge of spirituality and asked:

"What exactly are you plotting?"

The spirit of the "Apostle of Desire" mumbled in a daze:

"Assassinate Duke Negan."

Duke Negan? It's him again? Who wants him dead? Klein asked, slightly taken aback.

"Did it work?"

"It's a success," the "Apostle of Desire" replied calmly, without saying anything else.

"Who ordered you to do this?"

The "Apostle of Desire" said in a completely calm tone:

"The Twilight Hermits' Gathering".

-

As evening fell, Earl Hall's carriage returned to the villa. He immediately summoned the others and gave them a stern order:

"Try not to go out these next few days!"

Audrey paused, realizing this was exactly what Hippet had said that afternoon.

"Daddy, what happened?" Audrey asked softly.

Earl Hall's expression was extremely solemn as he said in a deep voice:

"The Duke of Negan has been assassinated."

Audrey was momentarily stunned, feeling it wasn't real. Such a nobleman, such a flesh-and-blood duke who could talk and laugh, and who had even gifted her an estate, was just dead like that? Suddenly, she experienced the cruelty and coldness of the adult world.

And why is it Duke Negan again? Last time, Zillingus's assassination attempt was aimed at Duke Negan, and this time it's the same... Just who has Duke Negan offended?

Audrey understood why Earl Hall made this decision—although the assassination was aimed at Duke Negan, it couldn't be guaranteed that there was no threat to ordinary nobles like them. Perhaps someone else was taking advantage of the situation to assassinate other nobles.

And a prominent nobleman like Earl Hall, who is among the most distinguished in the country, could very well become a target for some unscrupulous individuals, so...

and many more!

Audrey's expression changed slightly, as if she had suddenly thought of something, and she abruptly asked:

"Father, have there been any other assassinations of nobles recently?"

Earl Hall paused for a moment, frowned, thought for a while, and then shook his head slightly:

"No, the most recent assassination attempt against a noble was when Duke Negan was assassinated by Lieutenant General Hurricane. Hmm, it was you who exposed Lieutenant General Hurricane beforehand, thus preventing his plot. It's just a pity that Duke Negan ultimately couldn't escape his fate."

Audrey took a deep breath, carefully composing herself, and then pressed on with the question:

"Who did it?"

"A Sequence 5 demon."

Earl Hall sighed, with a touch of melancholy, "However, he has already been silenced, so finding his mastermind is probably impossible. But such a big thing has happened, and there must be an explanation. The Prime Minister has decided to pin the blame on the Aurora Society."

The current Prime Minister, Agushid Nigan, is the younger brother of Duke Nigan. Both are, respectively, the most powerful nobles outside the King and the most influential figures in the council outside the King, wielding immense power in the Kingdom of Rune. Yet, even with such influence, they ultimately could not escape the assassination attempt of a Sequence 5 Extraordinary.

"dad."

Audrey feigned nervousness and lingering fear, lowering her voice to ask, "May I know the details of the assassination?"

Earl Hall paused, puzzled as to why Audrey had suddenly become interested in such matters. But after a moment's thought, he realized it might be because Duke Negan had gifted her an estate, making her want to help him find the murderer. Earl Hall couldn't help but chuckle, but he didn't refuse his daughter's naive request, instead sharing the information he knew with her in detail.

From Duke Negan's secret rendezvous with his mistress to his assassination attempt, and even the night watchman's arrival which resulted in the assassin's escape—no detail was overlooked. Earl Hall paused, then sighed again:

"In fact, the reason Duke Negan arranged for his mistress to live in the Jowood district is because it is close to the Cathedral of the Holy Wind. Lord Ace Snake, the 'Singer of God,' was there. He thought that the Singer of God would arrive in time to meet the assassination attempt, but the Singer of God was lured away by the enemy's bait, which led to the successful assassination of Duke Negan. The Prime Minister was furious about this, and the Church of Storms has already agreed to replace the Archbishop of Backlund Diocese."

"Dad, I'm not feeling well, I'll go back to my room first," Audrey said softly after listening silently.

Earl Hall had no suspicions, assuming that Audrey was upset upon hearing about Duke Negan's assassination, and comforted her:

"Go on, get a good night's sleep, everything will be alright tomorrow."

Audrey went upstairs in silence, with Susie following behind. Uncharacteristically, Susie didn't wag her tail and seemed quite downcast. When they reached Audrey's bedroom, Susie instinctively wanted to go in and comfort her mistress, but Audrey suddenly turned back and whispered:

"Susie, stand guard outside the door."

Susie was startled for a moment, then immediately realized what was happening, barked once, and gently wagged her tail as she sat down in the corridor.

"call!"

Inside the room, Audrey locked the door and took a deep breath.

She discovered something, but she couldn't share it with her family; it would put them in danger. So her first thought was of Ember, but Ember had already left before dinner, and Audrey didn't want to wait until they met the next day to discuss it—by then it might be too late. Therefore, Audrey decided to seek help from Mr. Fool.

Audrey sat on the edge of the bed, closed her eyes, and whispered a prayer to Mr. Fool in ancient Hermes:

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

"The Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog;"

"The King of Yellow and Black, who holds the key to good fortune."

After reciting the name of the Duke, Audrey briefly described the assassination of the Duke of Negan, and then she continued:

"Mr. Fool, I request to speak with Mr. Lover alone."

-

15 Minsk Street.

Hearing the illusory, layered prayers that suddenly reached his ears, Klein skillfully ascended above the gray fog and saw the crimson star symbolizing 'justice' constantly expanding and contracting. He immediately extended his spirituality and made contact with it.

After hearing Justice's plea, Klein did not hesitate at all. He once again extended his spiritual power to the flame that represented the embers, conveying Justice's plea to her.

He didn't rush into action, but only pulled him onto the gray fog after confirming that he had heard the response from the embers.

Inside the magnificent hall, in front of the ancient and mottled bronze table, two figures, a man and a woman, quietly appeared.

"Mr. Lover."

Audrey breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the familiar figure, but quickly recounted in detail what she had heard from Earl Hall. Finally, she paused and asked, "Do you remember what Miss Islant said?"

"What?" Yu Jin pondered who Islant was, and didn't react for a moment.

Audrey pointed out, "Miss Islant said that she first met Herwin Lambis at Hilbert's house. And the reason Herwin Lambis went to Hilbert's house that day was to ask Hilbert to help assassinate a nobleman."

Ember immediately understood and asked:

"You suspect that this 'noble' is Duke Negan?"

"right."

Audrey said seriously, "In the past few months, only two nobles have been assassinated: Duke Negan and Baron Gramir."

"Baron Gramir was assassinated because Ziringus was going to impersonate him to assassinate Duke Negan. Therefore, the nobleman Hilbert assisted in the assassination was very likely 'Duke Negan'!"

Klein's thoughts stirred slightly, but he remained silent, maintaining the aloof and superior demeanor of the 'Fool,' and did not interrupt.

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Jin slowly said, "Tell me your analysis."

Audrey thought for two seconds, gathered her thoughts, and quickly said:

"First of all, there must have been a traitor within Duke Negan's inner circle who provided the 'assassin' with his detailed itinerary. That's why the Sequence 5 demon was able to use a diversionary tactic to lure Lord Singer of God away at the precise time, while he himself took the opportunity to successfully assassinate Duke Negan."

"The situation was similar last time. Although many nobles attended the Duke of Negan's ball, it was not easy to obtain a place among them. Not to mention, one had to select a noble like Baron Gramir, who lived alone, was inconspicuous, and was also a good target."

"There must be a huge organization behind this helping Zilingus and that Sequence 5 demon provide intelligence. They provided specific information about Baron Gramir to facilitate Zilingus's replacement and assassination of Duke Negan. They also reported Duke Negan's detailed itinerary, which made it difficult for him to escape the assassination attempt."

"The Psychological Alchemy Society fits all of this perfectly; their top brass are royal advisors. And Miss Islant's group has always been dedicated to developing members among the relatives and families of nobles. Even Lady Norma is one of their members."

Audrey paused, then said solemnly, "Although Lady Norma's husband is only a hereditary viscount, Lady Norma herself is the sister of Duchess Della Negan! In fact, Duchess Della may even be one of them."

Klein's expression was a mixture of shock and confusion. It had to be said, Miss "Justice's" analysis was indeed very rigorous, logical, and convincing. But the problem was that Klein had personally killed the demon, and the organization that had instigated it wasn't the Psychological Alchemy Society…

Klein thought for a moment and decided to reveal this information to the two of them. He then gently tapped the edge of the ancient long table with his index finger, drawing their attention, and slowly began to speak:

"The Twilight Hermits' Gathering".

"Huh?" Audrey was taken aback.

Klein glanced to both sides and said in a low, soothing voice:

"My family is on the scene; he is searching for the organization that directs the apostles of desire."

Audrey was completely dumbfounded. So the organization that commanded the Apostles of Desire was actually the Twilight Hermits? Then all her previous analysis was for nothing? No, not only was it for nothing, but it would also make her look incredibly stupid!

Audrey whispered, "Then, then forget I said anything."

"Not necessarily."

Ember hesitated for two seconds before slowly saying, "Hilbert received orders from Herwin Lambis to assassinate nobles, and they have certainly already taken action; that's a given fact. And the only one who has recently been assassinated is Duke Negan, so the Psycho-Alchemy Society is very likely involved."

"The Twilight Hermits are the masterminds, but that doesn't mean the Psychological Alchemy Society is innocent. Their relationship is likely similar to that between a witch cult and the Gnostic."

Audrey's eyes lit up, but she remained calm and analyzed the situation rationally:

"You mean, the Psychological Alchemy Society is a subordinate organization of the Twilight Hermit Society? The Twilight Hermit Society issues missions, the Apostles of Desire carry them out, and the Psychological Alchemy Society provides intelligence support. Hmm, it's the same relationship between the royal family and MI9 and the military."

Audrey thought about it more and more and felt that this was indeed the case. Although there was a little bit of stubbornness in her not wanting to admit that her analysis was useless, it was mostly because the possibility of this guess was indeed very high.

Thinking this, Audrey subconsciously turned her gaze to the 'Fool,' since it was the 'Fool' who revealed the existence of the Twilight Hermits.

"Don't look at me! How would I know!"

Klein felt somewhat helpless. He had only recently learned the name "Twilight Hermits." How could he possibly know the relationship between the Psychological Alchemy Society and the Twilight Hermits? But now, facing Miss Justice's gaze, he couldn't remain silent.

After a moment's thought, Klein leaned back in his chair and casually reminded him:

"Do not mention the name of that organization outside of the organization, nor write it down."

"Why?" Audrey blurted out, quite taken aback.

Klein responded calmly:

"Every word spoken will be known."

"Will everything that is spoken be known?"

Audrey glanced at Mr. Fool subconsciously, as if he were emphasizing something.

Mr. Fool means that as long as one is not in His divine kingdom, not speaking to Him, and mentioning or writing the name "Twilight Hermits," they will sense it through some means or object... That's probably what he means... What an extremely secretive and highly personal organization! In some ways, even more terrifying than the Church of the Seven Gods...

Klein suddenly had a thought, a bold idea forming in his mind:

If an organization like the Twilight Hermits were to actually take action, they would send someone to assassinate Duke Negan, but it's unlikely they would personally plan the assassination in detail. This coincides with Ember's speculation—the Twilight Hermits are only responsible for issuing the assassination order, while the actual execution is carried out by the Psycho-Alchemy Society.

If Ember and Miss Justice's guesses are true, does that mean they can work their way back from the Psychological Alchemy Society to find the Twilight Hermits? It would be a lie to say Klein isn't interested in the organization the Emperor once joined. However, he knows he's not yet qualified to contact them, but if it were Ember… well, he might be able to crush them all, depending on whether the Twilight Hermits' 'hermits' are enough for him to handle.

After a moment of imagining what was going on, Audrey asked hesitantly:

"My lover, what do you think?"

(End of this chapter)