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

Chapter 194 Special Train

Perhaps because the corrupt Bishop Miller had been eliminated, Klein and the others did not encounter any monsters on their way back.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally saw the dock and the White Agate ship with candlelight shining through it.

Klein, carrying his blood-stained cane, stood guard below until everyone had boarded the ship, then he pulled and leaped back to the deck in a few steps.

Klein made no attempt to hide it, taking out a gold coin and muttering to himself:

"There is danger on the White Agate."

Ding!

The gold coin flew up, then turned and fell down, landing headfirst in Klein's palm.

This indicates a negative.

Klein was not at all relaxed, but he still nodded slightly to Captain Ellan without making a sound.

Airland breathed a sigh of relief, but just to be on the safe side, he summoned his subordinates, including the second mate, navigator, and gunner, and asked them to organize the sailors, adjust the cannons, and prepare to set sail at any time.

Although departing at night poses significant safety risks, it would be the best way to avoid danger should the situation deteriorate significantly.

As for why there was no first mate, it's because the first mate unfortunately died in the church.

Klein turned and went back to his cabin, politely declining the thanks and invitations from the others, citing the need for rest.

Under Danitz's strange gaze, he entered the washroom and performed another divination above the gray mist—

The results were mixed:

Bansi Island still harbors hidden dangers, and these dangers have increased from "not great" to "great," meaning they could be life-threatening for him.

But the White Agate is safe and there is no danger.

This finally allowed Klein to breathe a slight sigh of relief, and he decided to contact Ember to convey his experience to him through prayer. His encounter on Bansie Island instilled in Klein a strong sense of crisis; the island was far more dangerous than he had imagined, and he would never set foot on it again under any circumstances!

What Klein didn't know was that Ember was currently enjoying a dinner at the Hall family's luxurious villa.

Inside the restaurant, the Earl of Hall and his family sat around the table, while the maids busily set out dishes.

During a break in the banquet, Yu Jin slowly began to speak:

"Count Hall, I have to go on a business trip to the Republic of Intis in a couple of days, so I may not be able to continue performing my duties during this time."

Audrey frowned slightly and hesitated before saying:

"A business trip? Or to Intis? So sudden?"

At this moment, Yu Jin was cutting a medium-rare steak coated with black pepper sauce. It was placed on a porcelain plate, steaming slightly, and as the knife cut into it, the side still showing traces of myoglobin was revealed.

He forked a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. The dim light cast a warm glow on the artistic coffee table and exquisite tableware. The aroma of the grilled steak wafted through the air. This steak, from the Hall family's own ranch, tasted absolutely wonderful.

Upon hearing the girl's question, Ember briefly explained:

"It's an urgent mission. We'll depart tomorrow morning on the nearest steam train."

Earl Hall hesitated for two seconds, then asked:

"Approximately how long will it take?"

"About half a month."

"I see."

Count Hall thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Coincidentally, I also have some friends in Intis... Well, how about this, I'll write you a letter later. If you encounter any trouble in Intis, you can take the letter to Sucht Bank for help; they won't refuse you."

The reason he dared to say this was because Count Holm was not only the fourth largest shareholder of Backlund Bank, but also the third largest shareholder of Sucht Bank. In a sense, Sucht Bank could be compared to Backlund Bank!

In the Kingdom of Rune, a centralized system of clearing and settlement is used for interbank transfers within the same city. However, unlike their counterparts in the Republic of Intis, not all banks can join this system. The seven largest banks firmly control this right, hence they are known as clearing banks, leaving other banks dependent on them.

Backlund Bank is one of the seven major banks, and the largest of them!

The largest shareholder of the bank is the royal family, while Earl Hall is the fourth largest shareholder.

Taking advantage of the recent favorable conditions, Earl Hall has seized the opportunity to acquire a considerable number of shares. He is now the third largest shareholder, and there are even signs that he may become the second largest shareholder!

The fact that Sucht Bank could be compared to Backlund Bank, one of the seven major banks in the Kingdom of Rune, speaks volumes about its strength. As for the "friend" Earl Hall mentioned, he was actually a distant relative of the Hall family—

Intis and Rune often intermarried, and many nobles were related, especially the followers of steam.

Of course, although the two sides were relatives, they belonged to different countries, so their relationship might not be very deep. Therefore, Earl Hall did not suggest that Ember seek their help, as these people might not be as useful as the Suhit Bank.

"it is good."

Ember nodded slightly, without refusing.

Although he felt he probably didn't need Suhit Bank's help, it was still a token of their appreciation, and he wouldn't be ungrateful.

Ash.

Hilbert took a sip of the rich, creamy soup and said, "If you go to the Kingdom of Intis, try to avoid dealing with the followers of the Eternal Sun. They are not friendly to the followers of the Night."

Ember was slightly surprised and asked:

"Oh? Why? All I know is that the Eternal Sun Church and the Storm Church are enemies."

"I have no idea."

Hilbert shook his head and explained, "Perhaps it is because of the Church of Storms that the Church of Eternal Suns also harbors hostility towards the Church of Nights, which is also preaching in the Kingdom of Rune."

Earl Hall did not speak, but he tacitly agreed with his eldest son's explanation.

The seven major orthodox churches are also divided into different factions, which can be seen from the countries in which they are located.

For example, the Church of the Night and the Church of the Storm have the best relationship, followed by the Church of Steam, so these three churches can openly preach in the Kingdom of Rune. The next level is the Church of the Earth Mother, which can preach in Rune, but can only maintain a small number of churches.

On the other hand, the relationship between the Church of War and the Church of Night can be described as irreconcilable.

Of course, the same applies to the Church of War.

The Church of War God has the best relationship with the Church of the Earth Mother, followed by the Church of the Eternal Sun, while the Church of Night Goddess is hostile. Furthermore, perhaps due to a sense of shared hatred, the relationship between the Church of War God and the Church of Storms is also rather strained.

Of course, this could also be because both sides are hot-tempered guys.

This also applies to the Church of the Eternal Sun, which is allied with the Church of War and hostile to the Church of Storms. This means that the Church of the Night is both an "enemy of a friend" and a "friend of an enemy" to the Church of the Eternal Sun.

With this dual identity, one cannot expect the Eternal Sun Church to be particularly friendly towards the Night Church. Although they won't be treated as cultists in the Kingdom of Intis like the followers of the Storm Lord, the Night Church followers will certainly face discrimination and targeting.

Similarly, don't expect the Eternal Sun Church to receive any better treatment from the Night Church—

In the Kingdom of Rune, followers of the Eternal Sun are also treated as heretics!

Audrey suddenly asked with some curiosity:

"Perhaps there are also doctrinal reasons?"

The name of the Eternal Sun contains the phrase "Undying Light," which directly contradicts the name of the Goddess of Night.

"Perhaps."

Hilbert shrugged, indicating that he didn't know the answer either.

How could a Sequence 9 who had only recently become an Extraordinary be aware of the secrets of the two major churches?

Hippel solemnly instructed:

"In short, in the Republic of Intis, everything must be done with caution."

Ember nodded slightly, then continued, "Count Hall, I have a friend who is also an outstanding Extraordinary. While I'm away on business in Intis, she might be able to teach Audrey for a while."

Hilbert's expression immediately turned strange:

"A friend? Her?"

Earl Hall fell into thought; it was indeed a good idea. Ember was not only Audrey's teacher, responsible for teaching her about the extraordinary world, but also her personal bodyguard, responsible for her safety.

And Ember's friends are probably not too bad in strength either, and can protect Audrey's safety.

"The Republic of Intis..."

Audrey murmured the word to herself, a sudden surge of emotion welling up within her, and whispered:

"Um, can I come along too?"

"Where to?"

Hibbert didn't react for a moment, then realized she was referring to the Republic of Intis.

"Nonsense."

Hibbert frowned and rebuked, "It takes at least four or five days to travel from Backlund to Trier, the capital of the Republic of Intis, making it ten days round trip. Ten days spent on a steam train—can you handle that?"

"Besides, who knows what might happen along the way? What if we encounter danger?"

"Isn't Ash there?"

Audrey blinked, a sly glint in her eyes. "He'll protect me, or do you not trust Ash, brother?"

"I..." Hilbert paused for a moment.

Earl Hall also frowned, clearly hesitant.

On the one hand, Audrey was an adult and had the right to do what she liked.

On the other hand, Audrey was, after all, his daughter, and in his heart, she was still a little girl who never grew up and needed her parents' protection. His rationality told him he needed to let go, but his emotions felt that Audrey should stay by his side for safety.

But honestly, could he really protect Audrey's safety? Being with him was actually less safe than being with Ember.

After all, he was just an ordinary count, while Ember was a powerful extraordinary being.

As for danger? Does staying in Backlund mean there's no danger at all?

Even if we return to the family's fiefdom, there will still be dangers. It would be safer with Ash's protection.

After a long silence, Earl Hall slowly spoke:

"If you want to go, then go."

"Father."

Hibbert frowned, while Audrey looked delighted.

Count Hall noticed the look in his eldest son's eyes, shook his head slightly, and sighed:

"Audrey has grown up and should go out more to broaden her horizons."

After a pause, Earl Hall chuckled and added, "Of course, that is, provided you don't mind bringing her along, Ash."

Upon hearing this, Audrey immediately cast a hopeful and expectant glance at Ember.

When Ember met the girl's gaze, he shrugged helplessly.

"Of course I don't mind."

"Yay!"

Audrey clenched her fist and waved it excitedly.

Overwhelmed by the incredible surprise, she almost lost control of her emotions and nearly jumped up in excitement. Although she restrained herself out of consideration for her ladylike image, her fair and delicate feet swayed gently in the air, revealing her true feelings.

"Hmph~"

Audrey hummed a cheerful little tune softly, feeling quite pleased with herself.

Although she's a spectator, a Sequence 7 intermediate extraordinary individual about to advance to Sequence 6, she's also the noblewoman Audrey. It's perfectly reasonable for her to occasionally act a little willful in front of her father and brother, isn't it?

January 10, Backlund train station.

Woo! Woo—!

A steam locomotive, puffing out large plumes of smoke, pulled carriage after carriage into Backlund station with a clang, gradually coming to a stop from its fast pace to a slow one.

With his hair disheveled, Ikonser and several members of the Mechanical Hearts entered carriage number 3, which was filled with luxury suites, and each found their room according to their tickets.

Knock knock knock~!

Iconsel put away his luggage, but shortly after the train left the platform...

He quickly left the room and knocked on the door of the VIP room marked with the number 1.

"Please come in."

A girl's cheerful voice came from inside the house, but Ikonser did not push the door open and enter.

The next second, a maid pushed open the door to the private room and respectfully invited him in.

Upon entering the private room, Iconsel immediately spotted the three people inside—

A maid in a black and white maid outfit opened the door for him.

Wearing his unchanging formal attire, Yu Jin sat on the long sofa by the aisle, flipping through today's newspaper while eating snacks.

And a noblewoman dressed in a beige court dress, sitting on a single sofa chair by the window, maintaining an elegant posture, holding a cup of red tea in both hands, taking a sip from time to time.

She was gazing out the window at the scenery, and a large golden retriever was sitting obediently beside her shoes adorned with ribbon roses.

Iconsel glanced at the golden retriever with a hint of envy.

It's not that I envy it for being able to sit at a young girl's feet like a dog, it's mainly that I envy its price—

A well-trained hunting dog costs between £450 and £700.

Although this amount of money is nothing to a butler, Iconsel's weekly wage is at least a hundred pounds, which is not low.

But that didn't stop him from feeling the pinch at the price of the dog; he certainly wouldn't buy one anyway.

Yu Jin put down his newspaper and asked with some confusion:

"What is it, Deacon Ikonser?"

Iconsel withdrew his gaze and explained:

"Here's the thing, it takes about four or five days to travel from Backlund to Trier, the capital of the Republic of Intis. Along the way, we'll pass through Akhova County, Intersea County, and West Velas County in the Kingdom of Backlund. When we reach Conston and Delis in the Republic of Intis, we might need to stop for a day each to take care of some matters. Will you stop and wait for us then, or will you proceed to Trier ahead of us?"

"If we go ahead, I will send a message to Trier so that they can prepare in advance."

After Ikonser finished speaking, he looked at Ember and stood there waiting for his reply.

Ember didn't say anything, but looked at the girl by the window and asked:

"Audrey, what are your thoughts?"

Audrey blinked and said seriously:

"It's just a one-day stay, right? Let's go together. I was also planning to spend a day in Constance and Tillis. But..."

Audrey thought for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Annie, does Constance have any properties that belong to me?"

Anne is Audrey's personal maid, and after she comes of age, she will also assume the duties of other housekeepers—as an excellent maid trained by the Audrey family since childhood, Anne is fully capable of serving as a housekeeper.

Anne thought about it for a moment and gave a serious answer:

"Yes, Miss Audrey. Earl Hall is the second largest shareholder of the Constance Coal and Steel Corporation. He also owns some subsidiary properties, which were transferred to your name after you came of age."

"I see."

Audrey nodded thoughtfully. In fact, she owned quite a lot of businesses, and she rarely bothered to list them all.

Iconsel's eye twitched slightly as he once again felt the injustice of the world.

Although he was already a high-paid individual as a mid-level extraordinary being and a deacon of the Steam Church, he was still far inferior to a true nobleman.

For example, Earl Hall was a renowned nobleman!

Conston is the capital of the Sea County, also known as the Wind City. It is a region with an extremely developed coal and steel industry, ranking among the top three cities in the Kingdom of Loen.

Conston itself is one of the most famous heavy industrial cities in the Kingdom of Rune. In order to defend against the Fusak Empire in the north, it not only has a complete shipyard and coastal defense fortifications, but also a naval fleet that is permanently stationed in Conston, making it as solid as a rock!

The Constance Coal and Steel Community controlled almost all of the coal and steel industry in the region, and also monopolized military orders.

Whenever there were new orders for the naval fleet or coastal defense fortifications, they would invariably be placed with the Constance Coal and Steel Community. As the second-largest shareholder of this behemoth, Earl Hall's influence in Constance was evident.

Although Audrey could not inherit the position of the second largest shareholder, the assets left to her by Earl Hall alone were already terrifying enough!

Seeing that Icons seemed a little embarrassed, Ember spoke up to defuse the situation:

"Deacon Ikonser, you don't need to worry about us. You can go about your own business."

"Okay, then I won't bother you any longer."

Relieved, Ikonser gave a slight bow and backed out of the room.

Audrey suddenly asked:

"Annie, could you go and get me some snacks?"

She glanced at the table full of snacks in front of Yu Jin and added, "Hmm~, the kind for Susie, she's been craving them."

"Woof?"

Susie tilted her head in confusion, her tail wagging gently. Was she craving it?

Actually, I wasn't that hungry.

She was simply curious about the trip.

"OK."