Mystery: The Witch of Desire

“Let’s go to the corner and talk.”

Audrey's polite smile vanished, and she pointed to a corner of the side hall.

Fors and Hugh also stopped smiling, and the three of them gathered together at a coffee table in the corner of the side hall.

“I just met Baron Gramir, but he was different in some ways. For example, his perfume now has an amber middle note, whereas it used to be a base note, and so on…”

Audrey described in detail what she had just witnessed, then added with some concern:

“However, the Church of Storms saw Zilingus set sail from Port Pulis, so I’m worried that I might be overthinking things.”

Hugh said with a solemn expression:

“No, your concerns are not unfounded. The Punishers of the Church of Storms are crude and direct, and easily deceived by simple tricks. If Zilingus’s initial goal was to divert the attention of the official Beyonders, then it is clear that he has achieved his goal.”

"Then what was his purpose in going to such lengths to sneak into this ball? Could it be that he's fallen for some noble lady and wants to elope with her?"

Fors widened her eyes and analyzed it with the mindset of a romance novelist.

If Audrey hadn't been there, Hugh would have loved to punch Fors on the head with his little fists.

She spoke slowly and coldly:

"No, if there is anything that would make a pirate general go to such great lengths to plan and scheme, then there is only one thing at this banquet, and that is Duke Negan."

Duke Negan probably wouldn't want to be called something...

Audrey silently grumbled to herself.

Fors asked again, somewhat curiously:

"Why not the princes? Aren't their lives more important than Duke Negan's?"

Audrey, drawing on the knowledge of a seasoned aristocrat, explained:

"The Duke of Negan is the Prime Minister's brother and the de facto leader of the Conservative Party. His actual influence is greater than that of princes who only hold honorary titles."

“Miss Audrey, it never hurts to be cautious. Could you please take us to see Baron Gramir? I am the sheriff and have a photographic memory. If he really is Ziringus in disguise, I should be able to tell something.”

Xiu steered the conversation back on track.

Could you please remove the word "们"? I don't want to face Zillingus again, even if there's only a small chance...

Fors had intended to speak like that, but then she thought that she could also take a look at what the main hall looked like and add material to the depiction of high society scenes, so she followed Audrey and Hugh to the main hall.

The three men spotted Baron Gramir on the second-floor terrace. He was holding a glass of red wine, sipping it absentmindedly, his gaze occasionally drifting to the center of the ball, where Duke Negan and several other high-ranking nobles stood.

After observing for a short while, in order to prevent Baron Gramir from noticing, the three retreated back to the corridor connecting the main hall and the side hall.

"Well, Ms. Hugh, have you found the problem?"

Hugh said with a hint of regret:

"Unfortunately, no..."

Just as Fors was about to make a sarcastic remark about his best friend, Hugh continued:

"However, my sheriff's abilities detected a discordant note, though I can't quite put my finger on it. But for both a spectator and a sheriff to feel something is amiss is a serious matter, Miss Audrey. I believe this should be reported immediately to someone trustworthy and capable of handling the situation."

Upon hearing this, Audrey's expression turned solemn, and her mind immediately turned to her father, Earl Hall.

"I will go and tell my father, Ms. Hugh, and Ms. Fors that I would like to ask you to keep an eye on Baron Gramir's movements for the time being."

Immediately, Audrey turned and left, entering the main hall where she found Earl Hall talking with the chief secretary of the cabinet and others.

She flashed a flawless smile, walked over, took Earl Hall's arm, and said to the others:

"Gentlemen, may I borrow Earl Hall for a few minutes?"

“Beautiful lady, it is your right,” the gentlemen replied kindly.

Audrey pulled Earl Hall to the nearest balcony, found a quiet corner, and said to her middle-aged, overweight father:

"Dad, I have something to tell you."

Chapter 185 The Fool Who Frenziedly Calls for Help

Earl Hall, who had been wearing a doting smile, became serious upon seeing his daughter's earnest expression.

"What is it?"

Audrey recounted what she had seen and heard, attributing it to her keenness and attentiveness.

After describing what had just happened, she carefully added:

“I heard Viscount Grelint mention that ‘Hurricane Admiral’ Zilingus has the ability to change his appearance. Could he have returned to Backlund?”

Earl Hall listened quietly, his expression becoming unusually solemn.

But he quickly smiled and reassured his slightly flustered daughter:

“I’ll handle it. You go find your mother and stay with her. She’s in the lounge in this lobby.”

“Okay,” Audrey nodded obediently.

On her way to the lounge, she glanced back at her father and saw Earl Hall whispering something to a nobleman, his expression quite serious.

Audrey's heart sank again, feeling she had to do something to prevent her father, mother, and brother from getting hurt.

Looking around, she changed direction, left the restaurant, entered a corridor, and familiarly found the Duke Negan's small prayer room.

She pushed open the door, locked it behind her, and looked at the symbol of the Lord of Storms in front of her. Suddenly, she felt the restraint of a member of a secret organization in front of a true god.

She instinctively found a quiet, dark corner where the symbol of the Lord of Storms would be out of sight.

Audrey sat down with a sense of relief, leaned forward, and clasped her hands together in a prayer-like gesture, pressing them against her forehead.

Then, she murmured in Hermes:

“You are a fool who does not belong to this era. You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog. You are the king of yellow and black who holds good fortune.”

Daffodil Street, Tingen City.

Klein is discussing the popular play, "The Return of the Earl," with his brother Benson and sister Melissa.

Just as they were getting into the conversation, Klein suddenly heard a buzzing whisper in his ear, and his head spun for a few seconds.

Someone is praying to me...

He made an excuse to go upstairs to the second floor, locked the bedroom door from the inside, sealed the entire room with a spiritual wall, then took four steps backward, chanted a spell, and came up above the gray mist.

Inside the towering palace, which resembled the dwelling of a giant, his figure suddenly appeared at the head of the long bronze table, his eyes reflecting a deep red star that was constantly shrinking and expanding.

Klein raised his right hand, spreading his spirituality, and touched the star that symbolized Miss Justice.

With a bang, he saw a distorted and blurry image: Miss Justice, dressed in a beige court dress, sitting on a chair in a dark corner, her hands clasped together, pressing her forehead against her chest.

Meanwhile, a slightly immature and tense, sweet female voice, layered and echoing in a dreamlike manner, resonated in layers:

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

"You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog;"

"You are the king of yellow and black who holds the key to good fortune."

I beg for your attention;

"We beseech your ears;"

……

"At the ball hosted by the Duke of Negan, I met someone who resembled Zillingus."

"He disguised himself as Baron Gramir, but his purpose is unclear."

“I noticed some details that made me think of the extraordinary ability of the magical item, Zilingus, to change people’s appearance.”

“I have already sent two of my extraordinary friends to keep an eye on Zilingus, Mr. Fool. I beg you, protect my family and friends…”

……

Klein listened attentively and carefully considered the details, finally understanding what Miss Justice was describing:

Zilingus managed to sneak into Duke Negan's ball using his special ability, "Crawling Hunger"!

Wasn't he supposed to be gone? How did he end up at Duke Negan's ball? What's he up to? And what should I do? Tell the captain, and then the captain will inform the Night Watchers of Backlund? No, it's too late, and besides, I can't explain how I got this information...

Tell Miss Lover? But she's far away at sea and can't return to Backlund in time... Oh right, she mentioned she has a friend in Backlund who might be able to help.

After a frantic yet calm analysis, Klein swiftly touched the red star belonging to 'the Lover' above the gray fog:

“Miss Lover, Zilingus appears to have returned to Backlund and infiltrated Duke Negan’s ball. His purpose is still unclear. Two of Miss Justice’s friends are observing him further. I will keep you informed if there is any new information.”

After conveying the message to his 'lover,' Klein then pondered how to convey it to the Hanged Man.

Unlike Miss Lover, he still maintains an inscrutable image in front of the Hanged Man.

He pondered for several seconds, then suddenly had an idea. He materialized the image and sound of Miss Justice's prayer, turning it into a pixelated movie scene.

With a flick of his finger, Klein projected the repeatedly playing screen onto the deep red star that symbolized the Hanged Man.

……

The small prayer room in the Duke of Negan's residence.

Audrey prayed several times before finally stopping, straightening her clothes, and quickly walking towards the door.

She knew she couldn't disappear for too long, otherwise her father and mother would worry and misjudge the situation, making incorrect decisions.

Standing behind the door, Audrey took a deep breath and, with a mix of trepidation and unease, extended her right hand, clad in a white gauze glove, to unlock the door.

Leaving the small prayer room, Audrey walked down the corridor back to the lounge, when suddenly her vision blurred and she found herself surrounded by an illusory mist.

In the center of the thick, grayish-white mist was an ancient high-backed chair, upon which sat a mysterious being whose face and figure were obscured, looking down upon everything.

"Mr. Fool!" Audrey nearly blurted out in surprise.

Then, she heard a familiar, deep voice:

"I see."

The sound still echoed, the gray fog had disappeared, and Audrey's eyes were still on the corridor.

But no longer feeling uneasy or anxious, Audrey proudly straightened her back and walked lightly into the main hall.

……

……

Backlund, Joewood District, St. Wind Cathedral.

In a simple, unassuming room, Alger Wilson, the Hanged Man, is studying recent investigation reports, trying to find clues about "Hurricane Admiral" Zillingus.

Above and to his right was a stack of papers covered with distorted "symbols".

Just as Alger leaned back and rubbed his eyes, he suddenly found that his vision had become illusory, filled with a thick gray-white mist.

In the depths of this endless fog, there is a high-backed chair that seems to exist forever, and a faint figure sits on it.

Mr. Fool… Just as Alger had this thought, he saw a blurry figure in a long court dress appear in the hazy gray-white mist.

She remained in a praying posture, continuously recounting:

"At the ball hosted by the Duke of Negan, I met someone who resembled Zillingus."

"He disguised himself as Baron Gramir, but his purpose is unclear."

“I noticed some details that made me think of the extraordinary ability of the magical item, Zilingus, to change people’s appearance.”

……

Alger was startled at first, then his expression brightened with delight. He pressed his hand to his chest, lowered his head, and said:

"Praise be to you, Mr. Fool!"

Before he finished speaking, everything he heard and saw vanished, as if it had never existed.

Alger glanced at the desk where Russell's diary and investigation report were laid out, his pupils contracted slightly, and he once again felt the power of the Fool:

This is the Holy Wind Cathedral, the former headquarters of the Church of Storms. Although this happened over a thousand years ago, it doesn't stop believers from still regarding it as a holy site. However, Mr. Fool still descended silently and gave his response...

After a few seconds of silence, Alger picked up his belongings, turned around, and left.

He was going to find one of the cardinals of the Church of Storms, the archbishop of the Diocese of Backlund, the "Singer of God" Ace Snake!

For Alger Wilson, killing "Hurricane General" Ziringus with his own hands would be the best outcome, but if that wasn't possible, killing him with the help of others would also be acceptable!

……