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

Chapter 161 How do you expect me to cooperate?

June 28th, morning.

Above the gray fog, inside a palace that resembled the dwelling of a giant.

Mr. Fool is listening to the new member, Emlyn the Moon, recount the history of the vampires.

Emlyn became increasingly proud and self-assured as he spoke, transforming from a reserved and cautious man into a talkative and eloquent one.

He looked intently at Klein and said:

"Dear Mr. Fool,"

Do you still have the time to listen to me recount the life and deeds of the Blood Moon Queen and the glory once possessed by the vampires? It is a heavy tome composed of pages of glorious chapters, and I can recount every part of it.

Klein was about to answer when his expression suddenly shifted. His gaze fell upon a shimmering, deep red star, and he immediately smiled:

"That's enough. I like equivalent exchanges. I won't let you make statements without gaining anything. In the future, when there's an opportunity, you can use the corresponding history to exchange for what you want from me."

"Okay." Emlyn was still a little disappointed. This was the first time he had the opportunity to tell other beings about the glory of the vampires.

After seeing Emlyn off, Klein turned his gaze to the side and saw the crimson star corresponding to 'Justice' constantly expanding and contracting, emanating spirituality from it. The voice of 'Justice' suddenly became clear:

"Dear Mr. Fool, I beg for your help. I request a private conversation with Mr. 'Lover'!"

Klein thought to himself, "As expected," guessing that something had happened to Miss 'Justice'. This was also why he had refused Emlyn's offer; although he wasn't lacking in interest in history, time didn't allow him to listen to her long-winded explanation.

After hearing 'Justice's' plea, Klein directly transmitted Miss 'Justice's' request to the flame corresponding to the embers. Then, he pulled the two figures above the gray mist.

"Mr. Yu... 'Lover'."

Seeing the familiar, magnificent hall and the mottled bronze table, as well as those two familiar figures, Audrey breathed a sigh of relief. She even almost called out Ember's real name in front of the Fool—although the Fool already knew.

"It seems that Miss 'Justice' is in quite a bit of trouble."

Klein secretly wondered whether Miss Justice was an audience member or a Sequence 7 psychologist. Logically, she should have been able to remain calm even in the face of a collapsing mountain, and her previous performance had proven her excellence. But even Miss Justice couldn't control her emotions; it was clear she was truly anxious.

Ember asked softly and reassuringly:

"Miss Justice, what happened? Don't rush, tell me slowly."

Audrey calmed down a bit and mentally reviewed the events of the previous night, saying:

"Mr. 'Lover,' I discovered during dinner yesterday that my father was being hypnotized."

"Last night? Then why are you only asking me for help now?"

Klein was initially surprised and puzzled, but quickly realized the crux of the matter—

Miss Justice realized that if her father was hypnotized, it meant her other family members and servants might also be hypnotized. The person hypnotizing them might even be secretly monitoring them, and if she rashly pleaded with them at home, she would inevitably be discovered. Furthermore, Miss Justice couldn't even be sure if she herself had been hypnotized.

However, the fact that Miss Justice has now arrived above the gray fog means that she herself has not been hypnotized. Otherwise, she should have been able to realize that she had been hypnotized the moment she arrived above the gray fog, just like the previous two times Little Sun had experienced this.

Ember clearly realized the same problem and asked directly:

Whom do you suspect?

"The Royal Family!"

Audrey replied without hesitation, "Only the royal family has the motive and the ability!"

Yu Jin frowned: "Because of me?"

"No."

Audrey shook her head and said quickly, "It's because of my brother."

Ember immediately recalled what Audrey had mentioned before: her second brother, Alfred, had been transferred by the royal family to carry out a secret mission. Earl Hall, worried that something might happen to him, secretly asked the Prime Minister to help investigate Alfred's transfer order.

Discovering these facts would undoubtedly trigger a reaction from the royal family. Audrey had assumed the royal family would send someone to explain the situation to Earl Hall, but to her surprise, they directly sent someone to hypnotize him—

Of course, it is also possible that the royal family's attempt to persuade Earl Hall failed, so they resorted to hypnosis.

Ember hesitated for two seconds, then slowly said:

Where are you now?

Audrey said softly:

"At the Viscount Grynt's house."

Using a quarrel with Earl Hall as an excuse, she "ran away from home" early this morning to go to Viscount Grelint's pre-New Year salon. To avoid potential surveillance, she deliberately complained to her maid Anne the whole way about how Earl Hall didn't care about her.

"I'm coming to find you right now."

Yu Jin nodded slightly, and the next moment his figure disappeared.

Klein's lips twitched slightly. Suppressing the urge to facepalm, he waved Miss "Justice" away from the gray fog. "You took things from my house without asking, and now you're leaving without even saying goodbye? I'm 'The Fool'! Can't you at least show me a little respect?"

……

Inside Viscount Grynt's luxurious villa in Queens.

In a washroom on the second floor, Audrey regained consciousness. Just then, she heard a knock on the door.

"Who?"

"it's me."

Viscount Grelint's concerned voice came from outside the door, "Are you alright, Audrey? Would you like a cup of Fenneport Saint-Denis coffee? Or a cup of Queen's tea?"

"I'm fine."

Audrey responded softly, walked to the door, and gently opened it.

Outside the door sat the dutifully guarded golden retriever, Susie, with Viscount Grelint standing beside her. However, he wasn't looking at Audrey; instead, he stared at Ember with astonishment and disbelief. Just moments before, Ember had silently appeared beside him!

"call!"

Seeing the embers, Audrey breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Grelint, could you please arrange a quiet room for us?"

"Okay, no problem!"

Upon hearing Audrey's voice, Grelint immediately reacted. While readily agreeing, he excitedly asked, "Viscount Black, what extraordinary ability did you just use? Teleportation? What method did you use? Can I learn it?!"

Audrey, who had been feeling a little nervous, was both amused and exasperated. She sighed and said:

"Grelint, you've already chosen the path of the Sleepless, haven't you?"

"All right."

Grelint immediately became dejected, filled with regret. He should never have chosen the Sleepless One!

Although her thinking was a bit erratic, Grelint was still very reliable and immediately arranged a room for Audrey. And Susie, the golden retriever, remained faithfully guarding the door as always.

"Ember, I..."

Audrey called out softly, but seemed to hesitate, as if she wanted to say something more.

Ember shook his head, interrupting her, and said:

"There are five extraordinary individuals in the villa, all of whom are Sequence 9 trained by Slytherin. There are no monitors."

Upon hearing that Ember hadn't been monitored, Audrey instantly breathed a sigh of relief, then added with a hint of amusement:

"It's Grelint!"

Yu Jin thought seriously for two seconds, then pondered and said:

"I'll ask him later if he wants to change his name. I think Slytherin is a good name. People with this name are sure to become great people in the future! Hmm, I suggest he can raise another snake, preferably a supernatural creature, which would suit his image better."

Audrey rolled her eyes, but her mood unconsciously lightened, and she couldn't help but chuckle when she heard Ember's serious teasing tone.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you."

The girl smiled gently, and the complex emotions she had accumulated seemed to dissipate instantly, making her feel much more relaxed.

Ember asked, "What are your plans next?"

Audrey was silent for a moment, then said softly:

"I'd like to check on Hippel's condition first."

If she wasn't hypnotized, then it's unlikely her mother and Hilbert were either; the only one affected would probably be Earl Hall. But it's always better to be safe than sorry, so she had to personally confirm whether they had been hypnotized before drawing any conclusions.

The Earl and Countess of Hall were busy preparing for the New Year and were likely to have dealings with the royal family, or even be under their surveillance. Therefore, starting with the less-discussed Hippo was the best option.

Ember hesitated for two seconds, then asked:

Where is he now?

Audrey regained her composure and quickly said, "Hibbert is the chief secretary of the Air Pollution Investigation Committee. He's been handling related matters these days, so it's easy to find him. However, we'll have to take a carriage."

"it is good."

Yu Jin nodded slightly.

Audrey was worried that Hilbert was being watched, and that their teleportation might be discovered. But if a wronged noblewoman went to her brother to complain, it wouldn't arouse any suspicion.

Of course, they couldn't go to Hilbert right after Ember arrived. So they waited until the afternoon, after having lunch and afternoon tea, before bidding farewell to Grynt. With a slightly regretful goodbye from Grynt, they departed by carriage.

-

Above the gray fog, Mr. Fool personally performed a "blessing" for the new member, Emlyn White. While dispelling the psychological suggestion that the other party did not exist, he also caused the vampire "Moon" to writhe in pain under the purification of the "sunlight".

After dealing with this matter, Klein removed the citrine pendant from his left wrist cuff and used it to divine his next move.

"This afternoon is a good time to visit the Red Rose Manor."

After silently repeating it seven times, he opened his eyes and saw that the pendulum was still there, not spinning.

Divination involving level 0 sealed artifacts or corresponding powerful beings is too difficult and cannot yield effective insights.

Klein sighed, roughly understanding the reason. He then tried to divine whether tomorrow afternoon was auspicious for visiting the Red Rose Manor, only to be disappointed again.

It's always been said that divination isn't a panacea, and now that's proven true... I have to make my own decision... I have to take this step, otherwise there's no way to leave the stage and go behind the scenes without attracting attention... The sooner the better, I can't delay, otherwise things might get out of control... With his thoughts in turmoil, Klein made his decision.

He immediately returned to the real world, put on a double-breasted long dress and a half-high silk hat, and walked out of 15 Minsk Street, his destination being Prince Edsack's Red Rose Estate.

-

West Wing, the building housing the Air Pollution Investigation Committee.

On the road outside the building, a carriage was parked by the roadside. The carriage bore a prominent noble crest, highlighting the nobility of its owner. Passersby stopped, either willingly or unwillingly, not only because of the Hall family crest on the carriage, but also because of the young woman who stepped out of it.

The girl had blonde hair and blue eyes, and was exceptionally beautiful. She wore a pair of white silk gloves and a pair of small, pretty emerald earrings. Her temperament was pure and elegant, like an angel descended to earth.

At that moment, many men felt they had fallen in love. However, their passion, which had not yet begun, quickly faded.

Because there was a young man accompanying the beautiful girl, the girl took the initiative to hand her soft little hand, which was wearing a white silk glove, to the man next to her. He then led her out of the car and they entered the building together.

The two had barely entered the building when a young man with short brown hair and dressed in a suit hurriedly came out to greet them respectfully:

"Miss Hall, I'm Ethan Henry. How may I help you?"

Audrey recognized him immediately; he was one of Hibbert's secretaries. Indeed, as the chief secretary of the Air Pollution Investigation Committee, Hibbert also had three other secretaries to handle various tasks for him. Of these three, Ethan was the one Hibbert trusted most. This was not only because of his exceptional abilities, but also because he was a servant of the Hall family; his father was the butler of Hibbert's estate in the suburbs.

For this reason, Ethan was not only Hilbert's secretary, but also one of the extraordinary individuals that Hilbert had cultivated.

Audrey didn't hesitate and asked directly:

"Is Hippel here?"

Ethan glanced up at Ember beside Audrey, his expression somewhat subtle, but he still nodded slightly.

"The lord's office is upstairs. Please follow me."

Ethan knew Ember and was aware of his complicated relationship with Miss Audrey. Audrey, at the moment, gave the impression of a spoiled young lady who, accompanied by her boyfriend, aggressively confronted her brother.

But this was a private matter for the Hall family, and his secretary naturally had no right to interfere.

"Bang bang bang!"

Ethan led the two to an office on the second floor and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Hilbert's response came from inside the house. Ethan respectfully stepped aside, watched the two enter the house, then closed the door for them and stood guard at the entrance.

Hibbert, who was handling official business, looked up at Audrey and the other person who had appeared before him, and asked in surprise:

"Audrey, is something the matter?"

Audrey glanced at Ember beside her, and seeing him nod slightly, she took a deep breath and said:

"Brother, I have something very serious to tell you!"

Hilbert immediately realized something and asked in a low voice:

"Is it about your father?"

"Um."

Audrey nodded gently, a sense of relief washing over her; it seemed Hibbert was alright.

Hibbert glanced at the embers beside Audrey, his eyes revealing understanding, and said:

"No wonder you reacted so strongly last night."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hippel immediately became serious and asked, "Audrey, what's your plan? How do you need my cooperation?"

(End of this chapter)