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

Chapter 168 Classic Temporary Worker

Sodrak Palace.

Audrey, dressed in her finest attire, stood gracefully beside Ember and introduced him:

"This is the ballroom, where the King and Queen will be present, and all the nobles will gather here to celebrate the New Year. And I will also come of age here."

Audrey's face held a mixture of anticipation and pride, yet also a hint of nervousness. This expression drew knowing smiles from the other young noblemen and women around her, who seemed to understand perfectly well why Audrey was behaving this way.

Many noble youths felt regret and even heartache, because they didn't even know when Backlund's most dazzling jewel had been taken. Because of this, many of them looked at Ember with hostility.

Unconcerned about the stares of others, Yu Jin asked with interest:

"Where will His Majesty the King come from?"

"there."

Audrey blinked and pointed in a direction, explaining, "We're currently in the inner palace of Sodrak Palace, while His Majesty the King handles state affairs in the front palace during the day. Once he's finished, he'll come over from there, and we'll have the honor of meeting the greatest king in the history of the Kingdom of Rune!"

Audrey's face showed an expression of reverence, and anyone who saw this would have no doubt that she was a staunch supporter of George III.

The Queen, who was directing her servants to set up the New Year's Eve party not far away, also heard her voice and came over to the two of them with a smile on her face:

"Audrey".

"Ah, Your Majesty!"

Audrey gasped, seemingly flustered, then, as if worried that Ember might slight the Queen, pulled him along to bow.

The Queen smiled and said:

"No need for formalities. You've arrived a bit early; there are still some things I haven't finished setting up. Have Earl Hall and Hilbert arrived?"

The queen's voice was very soft, without any airs of a queen, but rather like that of a kind older sister next door.

The Queen's gentleness seemed to have a ripple effect on the young girl, easing Audrey's nervousness. She winked playfully.

"Dad and the others still have some things to take care of, so Ash and I sneaked over."

"Your Majesty, do you need help?"

The Queen smiled at Audrey, who was clearly worried about being scolded by Earl Hall, which was why she had come to her. Because if the Queen said she needed Audrey's help and had specifically sent her ahead of time, Earl Hall, even if he was unhappy, wouldn't reprimand Audrey.

Furthermore, the Queen was aware that Earl Hall's relationship with the Royal Family had recently soured due to some misunderstandings, and as Queen, she had a duty to share the King's burdens. Therefore, if Audrey could act as a mediator to have a proper talk with Earl Hall, clear up the misunderstandings, and restore harmony, it would be a good thing for the Royal Family.

As her thoughts wandered, the Queen chuckled softly:

"Okay, Audrey, you can stay by my side then, but you're not allowed to complain about being tired!"

The Queen looked at Ember beside her and asked, "Viscount Black, would you like to come along?"

She knew that this nobleman from Wintershire, though not of high rank, had a very ancient lineage and was a devout follower of the Church of the Night. This conflicted with the interests of the royal family to some extent, but it did not affect his status as a nobleman and his existence within the shared interests of the royal family. Therefore, the Queen spoke with a gentle and kind tone.

Yu Jin nodded slightly and bowed.

"I'd be happy to help."

Audrey smiled faintly. As long as they stayed by the Queen's side from beginning to end, with the Queen as their guarantor, they would have a perfect alibi.

Not far from them, the unnoticed, lifelike teardrop silently glanced at Audrey, then quietly left the ballroom and headed towards the front palace. Along the way, there were many servants busy with the party's preparations, and occasionally, guards from the palace. But no matter who she was, no matter how close or far away, even if they brushed past her, no one noticed her presence.

[Transform into nothingness]

One of the night magic techniques in the magic town of Seria.

The performer will be difficult to identify.

When riding a horse, the effect will extend to the entire mount.

It can be moved around to perform its functions.

The magic used by Seria's assassins—

They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

Her mission was to find George III, but Sodrach Palace was simply too large.

So even if she was certain that George III was in the front palace, and even if she had a map of the entire palace in her mind, finding George III in this vast palace was still not an easy task.

Of course, the situation is completely different if someone leads the way.

But as an assassin, the Imitation Tear obviously couldn't find anyone willing to guide her.

Just then, a figure suddenly walked towards me and brushed past me.

He was an elderly man, dressed in a shirt, vest, three-piece suit, and striped blue-gray trousers, with a dark red bow tie. His hair was completely white but still thick, and he exuded a gentle and refined air. He had a pair of blue eyes that seemed to hold a wealth of wisdom and knowledge, and apart from deep forehead wrinkles, he had very few wrinkles elsewhere.

The guards along the way all showed him the utmost respect, bowing their heads slightly as he passed. The head guard respectfully said:

"Mr. Lambis, is there anything I can do to help you?"

The old man waved his hand and chuckled:

"No, no need. I just came from His Majesty's place, I was just taking a stroll and was heading to the ballroom."

The head guard had no suspicions, but kindly cautioned, "Please be careful, many nobles will be coming to the palace today. Most of them know you, but some of them are not very well-mannered."

The old man smiled kindly and said, "Don't worry, many of them are my students, they won't do anything to me."

The imitation teardrop stopped a short distance away, quietly watching the old man's figure.

This is one of the goals, but not the primary goal.

Furthermore, she obviously didn't need to worry about the direction the other party was heading.

After a moment's thought, the teardrop-like figure abandoned its immediate target and headed in the direction the other party had come from—Herwin Lambis had just returned from George III's place, which meant that the direction he came from was where George III was.

Herwin Lambis was clearly oblivious to the bio-tear that passed by him, much less aware that he had nearly lost his life. He simply walked toward the ballroom with his usual amiable smile after a brief conversation with the head guard.

As a royal advisor, he will also attend tonight's New Year's Eve gala.

And he will reach an "out-of-court settlement" with Earl Hall here, based on His Majesty the King's wishes.

Earl Hall harbored resentment over being hypnotized and had been actively rallying nobles to seek justice. His Majesty, however, wanted to preserve the royal family's reputation and didn't want to escalate the matter, so the best option was an out-of-court settlement.

If Earl Hall, the person directly involved, gives up the collusion, then the other nobles will naturally have no reason to persist.

As for how to give Earl Hall an explanation, it wasn't difficult—just hand over the 'culprit' who hypnotized Earl Hall. This wasn't a difficult task, because Herwin Lambis had enough 'apprentices' under his command who could 'take the blame'.

"Are you even capable?"

In a villa near Sodrick Palace in Queens, a young woman with a round face and a sweet, gentle demeanor sat at her dressing table and asked somewhat impatiently.

Edsack, who was adjusting his suit, loosened his tie and asked in return:

"Don't you know whether I'm capable or not?"

The gentle and sweet Triss scoffed, "Don't forget, I used to have one that was bigger than yours."

"As Emperor Roselle once said, a true hero doesn't dwell on past glories, and you are a woman now."

Edsack, with a serious expression, corrected her misconception, telling her not to dwell on past beliefs. He paused, then added, "A genuine woman!"

Triss stared intently at him, sneering repeatedly:

"That doesn't change the fact that I used to pull out one that was bigger than yours."

Edsack sighed and didn't continue arguing with her. After all, as Emperor Roselle once said, a good man doesn't fight with a woman.

"I'm serious."

Seeing his expression, Triss frowned and said, "Don't talk about offering your father a magnificent act of rebellion, only to end up not even being able to enter the palace. Besides, we can't hide for long."

As she spoke, she glanced at the unconscious aristocratic couple lying on the bed. They were the true owners of this villa; she and her husband were merely usurpers. On this special day, they figured someone would soon notice their 'disappearance.'

Edsack grinned wildly. "Triss, you still don't understand. I'm not the same person I used to be!"

Triss remained silent for a long time, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards the garden outside the window.

Under the bright lights, the tall knights clad in furnace armor, wielding swords and shields or spears and shields, appeared majestic and imposing, exuding an awe-inspiring aura. Triss knew that each of these furnace knights was at least equivalent to a Sequence 4 Saint.

Edsack had a total of five such knights under his command!

Even the Aurora Society, one of the more powerful secret organizations, only has five Saints in total!

Triss knew all too well what such strength meant.

But right now, Edsack is dealing with the Royal Family of Rune, and a royal family of such stature cannot possibly be unable to produce even five demigods.

Moreover, the royal family may very well have angels.

While the five saints are indeed an incredibly powerful force, attempting to use them to fight against the Royal Family of Rune is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—a futile and overestimating effort.

Triss desperately wanted to dissuade Edsack from seeking revenge against the royal family. But what reason could she possibly have? What reason could she possibly have to dissuade him?

Moreover, whether or not to seek revenge against the royal family is not something they can decide.

Triss touched the ring on her hand and sighed softly:

"Whatever you want."

At worst, they'll die together in the palace; they were people who deserved to die anyway.

It's not a bad thing to make a big scene before you die, is it?

Triss's lips curved slightly, and her sweet smile revealed two small dimples.

Sodrac Palace, ballroom.

Audrey was following the Queen, busy preparing for tonight's party.

Just then, an elderly man dressed in a shirt, vest, three-piece suit, striped blue-gray trousers, and a dark red bow tie stepped forward, a kind smile on his face, and bowed, saying:

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Audrey."

Audrey smiled slightly and greeted him with impeccable manners:

"Me too, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lambis."

Herwin Rambis smiled and nodded, then looked at Ember and smiled again:

"Viscount Black, I've heard of you."

"Huh?"

Audrey feigned surprise at the opportune moment, "Mr. Lambis, have you met Ash?"

Herwin Lambis chuckled:

"No, this is our first meeting. But Viscount Black, as the nobleman who captured the heart of Backlund's most dazzling gem, has already made his name known throughout Backlund. Even I have heard of Viscount Black's reputation."

Audrey's cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at Ember beside her with a mixture of shyness, reproach, and anger.

Ember's gaze fell on Herwin Rambis, glancing at the top of his head out of the corner of his eye.

Herwin Lambis, the Pride

Herwin Lambis stopped there, not continuing the conversation, and instead smiled and said goodbye:

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, Miss Audrey, Viscount Black, I must take my leave."

Goodbye, Mr. Lambis.

Audrey bid a polite and well-behaved farewell, and together with Ember, watched Lambis leave, a faint smile on her face, until Lambis disappeared from sight.

Audrey suddenly whispered:

I don't really like him.

Although the other person acted like a kind old scholar, Audrey always felt that his attitude was somewhat, well, arrogant.

Audrey knew this was likely due to her stereotypes, because she knew Herwin Lambis's true identity and what he had done, so she couldn't help but feel that he had ulterior motives...

"What a coincidence, me too."

Yu Jin shrugged, his right hand swaying slightly as if he were holding something.

But upon closer inspection, there was nothing in his hands.

Combined with his shoulder-shrugging gesture, it was truly difficult to suspect him.

[The Invisible Blade]

One of the night magic techniques in the magic town of Seria.

It can completely eliminate the appearance of the right-hand weapon.

It can be moved around to perform its functions.

The magic used by Seria's assassins.

He can disguise himself as an unarmed magician.

Herwin Lambis, who had already walked quite a distance, frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed.

He didn't know where Audrey's malice towards him came from, but she had clearly misunderstood the Saint's hearing. But it didn't matter; a Saint like him had no need to fuss over a noblewoman.

"She really is a girl who doesn't know how to hide her feelings."

Herwin Lambis chuckled, shook his head, and walked away into the distance.

What he didn't notice was that it was right behind him.

A tall, sexy woman, shrouded in a cloak and light armor, followed closely behind.

She stood just a step behind him, as if he could see her if he turned around.

Neither Herwin Lambis nor anyone passing by noticed her presence.

In her hand, she held a short sword with several winding barbs, its body gleaming with a cold black light.

[Black Knife]

[In the past, on a night of conspiracy in the darkness.]

The short swords used by the assassins who killed "Gold" Godwin.

Through the ritual, the winding, peculiar blade...

It harbors the power of the stolen runes of death.