Mystery: The Witch of Desire

"No."

Audrey shook her head firmly.

I only told a being who is almost a god... she added silently in her heart.

“Hmm.” Earl Hall nodded slightly, said nothing more, and then said, “Zilingus is dead. He was murdered.”

"My God, who killed him?"

Audrey was both surprised and excited.

“We don’t know. We can’t even guess why the killer would kill Zilingus. It’s really hard to understand.” Earl Hall paused for a moment and said, “Maybe it was one person, maybe it was an organization, a secretive and powerful organization.”

Unable to guess their purpose... a secret, powerful organization... could they be followers of Mr. Fool? That beautiful and spirited lady! Audrey suddenly realized something.

Audrey's eyes darted around, her thoughts wandering, and she quickly analyzed many things:

Fors and Hugh remained inside the manor; they had neither the opportunity nor the resources to contact the outside world. I only told Father and Mr. Fool about Baron Gramir's alleged impersonation of Ziringus during the hurricane…

Although there were telegraph lines in Duke Negan's mansion, allowing intelligence to be transmitted promptly and help to be found, there was no need to hide it... Father's confusion indicated that the powerful figure who killed Qilingus was not one they had anticipated...

In conclusion, it is almost certain that the person who killed Zilingus was a follower of Mr. Fool!

Qilingus is a Sequence 6 "Wind Chosen One" and possesses the magical item Wriggling Hunger. Perhaps only a high-sequence powerhouse known as "demigod" could kill him so quickly under the noses of so many official extraordinary beings?

This is enough to show that Mr. Fool's retinue is exceptionally powerful... No wonder he is Mr. Fool!

Thinking of that beautiful and powerful Lady of Favor, Audrey suddenly felt a pang of envy: If only one day I could become like her…

Regardless, I've provided a clue, so Mr. Hanged Man has to keep his promise and give me the pituitary gland of the Rainbow Lizard!

And Miss Lover, she has always been very concerned about Qilingus's affairs. Now that Qilingus is dead, she must be very happy.

Thinking about how Miss Lover might sincerely praise her at the next tarot reading, Audrey unconsciously straightened her back with pride.

This should be considered our Tarot Club's first official operation, right?

As a result, Zilingus, one of the seven pirate generals, died!

Seeing his daughter's thoughtful expression tinged with excitement, Earl Hall coughed lightly and gave a rather serious warning:

“Audrey, I know you are very interested in the mystical realm, and I usually indulge you. But you absolutely cannot get involved in this matter, not even inquiring about it. Soon, the Queen will take you and formally introduce you to social occasions. As an adult, you should understand and remember that a terrifying extraordinary being, or a secretive and powerful organization, is often synonymous with danger, understand?”

“I know, Dad,” Audrey replied sweetly. “I was just a little curious.”

“Even curiosity is not allowed!” Earl Hall emphasized, then couldn’t help but smile affectionately.

"Mmm!" Audrey nodded obediently.

Anyway, I know the whole thing better than you do... she thought to herself, making a face.

Earl Hall thought for a moment, then smiled gently:

"Regardless, you are the hero of tonight, the savior of Duke Negan. At least half of Zillingus' death is due to you, as is the bounty. Of course, if no one admits to killing Zillingus, claims responsibility for the incident, and comes forward to claim the bounty, the other half will also belong to you, totaling 1 gold pounds."

"Yes, we can also send people to collect the bounties set up by countries and organizations such as the Republic of Intis and the Fusak Empire. That should amount to 2 gold pounds."

"The Duke of Negan just promised to give you his holiday estate in Dixie Bay, which is worth at least ten thousand pounds."

Audrey, who already possessed 30 pounds in assets, could be considered wealthy, but the reward of over 4 gold pounds was still a huge sum for her, an amount that many noble ladies did not even receive as part of their dowry.

"I never even considered the bounty..."

Audrey whispered from the bottom of her heart.

“This is what you deserve.” Earl Hall smiled indulgently. “By the way, I suggest you share some of this bounty with those two ladies. Make sure your men feel your generosity; that way, they will be more loyal to you.”

Audrey frowned slightly and pouted, saying:

“I will share them with them. Also, Dad, they are my friends, not my subordinates.”

Earl Hall said meaningfully:

“I will respect your choice, but please maintain a certain social distance from them. After all, they are extraordinary people, and you should not delve too deeply into their circle.”

Actually, your daughter is already extraordinary...

Audrey silently grumbled to herself, when suddenly, she thought of something: if she went to claim the bounty and spread her fame, the Hanged Man and Miss Lover would be able to easily determine who was the righteous one.

That won't do! As a member of the Tarot Club, I must maintain my secrecy! Audrey looked at her father, gathering her thoughts before speaking:

"Dad, I'm a little scared..."

"Why? What happened?"

Earl Hall asked with concern.

“If word gets out that I discovered Zillingus was impersonating Baron Gramir, I’m afraid his men will retaliate against me, and I’m afraid the person who orchestrated his assassination of Duke Negan will target me…” Audrey tried to make herself appear pitiful, weak, and helpless.

“I will arrange for someone to protect you,” Earl Hall replied first, then nodded slightly. “But there is really no need for you to take this risk. Hmm… I will tell Duke Negan to keep this a secret and have someone else collect the bounty, and then compensate you privately afterwards.”

At this point, Earl Hall said with a broad smile:

"As expected of my daughter, she easily earned 4 gold pounds, which is more than one-tenth of your current wealth."

Audrey was overjoyed. The £4 reward, her father's praise, the sense of accomplishment from causing the death of "Hurricane General" Zillingus and accomplishing something extraordinary, the pride of being a member of the Tarot Club, and the seven-colored lizard pituitary gland she would receive from the Hanged Man afterward made her happiness not just double, but triple, or even quadruple or five times!

I really want to report to Mr. Fool immediately and get his confirmation... No, I can't. A mysterious and powerful figure with unclear motives killed Qilingus. Now someone is definitely watching me in the shadows, looking for clues. I can't show the slightest abnormality... Bah! I'm not abnormal at all, as long as I don't try to chant Mr. Fool's name...

Hmm, if it was indeed done by Mr. Fool's retinue, he must already know the result and wouldn't need me to report it... Hmm... Should I share the reward with that retinue? No, 2 pounds, no matter how it's paid, will inevitably attract attention, and I can't take that risk...

Moreover, it was always the "Hanged Man" who asked the "Fool" for help, so he should be the one to pay for it. Hmm, he does claim to have a lot of Russell's diaries!

I'll try to collect more entries from the diary. I'm grateful that Mr. Fool answered my prayers; He certainly doesn't care for vulgar money...

Audrey quickly determined what to do next.

……

Inside the Duke of Negan's mansion, in his private study.

The obese, tall duke sat in a high-backed chair behind the table, smoking a cigar, and looking at the "Singer of God," El Snake, and the kingdom's prime minister, Agushid Nigan, and others across from him.

"Based on the intelligence that has been reported, it is currently impossible to confirm which high-ranking powerhouse did this."

Agushid had just returned from the king's place.

Archbishop Snake nodded in agreement:

"We have also confirmed it using extraordinary means. It is not one of the well-known high-sequence powerhouses, nor is it one of the members of the Spirit Cult."

"There is sufficient reason to believe that he is a mysterious and powerful figure whom we do not know. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that he used a dangerous sealed artifact."

Duke Negan, holding a cigar, said:

"Perhaps he's not just a high-sequence powerhouse; there's likely a secret organization behind him, one we don't know enough about. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to ambush Qilingus so precisely. Hmm, maybe one of the participants at tonight's ball is a member of their organization."

His brother, Prime Minister Agushid, said solemnly:

"Regardless of the possibility, we must be careful and find out the identity of that high-sequence powerhouse as soon as possible, find out his purpose in coming to Backlund, find out if he is simply hunting down Zilingus, and find out why he wants to kill Zilingus."

The fact that a high-sequence powerhouse who is not under our control is wandering around Backlund is enough to attract the attention of the Kingdom's government and the three major churches!

"The Singer of God" Ace Snake immediately stood up and said:

"I'll arrange it immediately."

“His Majesty the King will also have the military and intelligence agencies cooperate,” Prime Minister Agushid promised. He paused, then added meaningfully, “The Queen’s District has been quite turbulent lately. First, there were rumors of an evil tree spirit, and now a pirate general has even attempted to assassinate the Duke at a banquet… It seems necessary to carry out a thorough cleanup.”

Ace Snake said knowingly:

"I will convey your message to the Church of the Night and the Church of Steam. The specifics of how far things should go and how to handle the aftermath will require a comprehensive assessment from the government..."

……

Inside a hotel in the northern part of Backlund.

A tall man with a bronze complexion and a mole near his ear sat under a gaslight, gazing at a glove placed in front of him.

The glove was so thin and light that it seemed to be made of human skin, and it appeared that if it were filled with flesh and blood, it could turn back into a hand.

The man stared for a long time, then suddenly revealed a pained and contorted expression, muttering to himself:

"I think, I think I've worked with them before..."

"And that witch, the witch...it feels so familiar..."

……

Klein didn't sleep well all night because he hadn't received any reports from Miss Justice, Miss Lover, or the Hanged Man, nor had he received a reply from Mr. Azik. He was still worried about the outcome of the incident involving General Zilingus during the hurricane.

It must have caused quite a commotion, making them hesitant to contact me again... But Miss Lover should be at sea, why isn't she contacting me? Hmm, she had me materialize the mirror in Miss Justice's room and even asked Miss Justice to go and guide her, could it be that she was teleported directly from the sea to Backlund? Impossible, that's too far-fetched, she must have had her friend in Backlund teleport to Duke Negan's mansion through the mirror.

Perhaps her friends didn't have time to tell her how things turned out, so her lover didn't pass on the news to me...

Perhaps Mr. Azik hadn't replied? Was he not involved, or had something happened to him? Was he injured by Zilingus? Klein covered his mouth with his hand, yawned, and boarded the trolleybus heading to Zotland Street.

"Breaking News! Breaking News! 'Hurricane Admiral' Zilingus has been killed in Backlund!"

"Breaking News! Breaking News! 'Hurricane Admiral' Zilingus has been killed in Backlund!"

……

Just as the carriage was about to depart, Klein suddenly heard the voice of a newsboy—an invention of Emperor Roselle.

After a moment's hesitation, Klein quickly pulled out a penny, handed it out the window, and bought a copy of the Tingen Morning Post. Many other passengers made the same choice.

Klein unfolded the newspaper and immediately saw the headline:

The great pirate Zilingus was killed in Backlund.

Zillingus is dead? The killer's identity is unknown?

Was it made by Mr. Azik? Or by Miss Lover? Klein fell into deep thought and muttered to himself:

As the mastermind behind this whole affair, I only found out the outcome from the newspaper...

……

……

Liviel opened her eyes and felt the warm sunlight outside the window, which was especially precious on this late autumn morning, making her feel as if she had slept very soundly last night.

Just then, Livre felt something soft wrap around her arm. Turning her head, she realized that Fors and Hugh were lying on either side of her, half asleep.

Fors seemed to be using her arm as a pillow, hugging it tightly to her chest.

Finally, we met again...

Livre smiled slightly and waited quietly for a moment before Hugh opened his sleepy eyes:

"Miss Marilyn Monroe, you're awake."

Chapter 188 The Three Reunited

Hugh said, somewhat surprised and delighted:

“When we came back last night, Fors and I were shocked to see you lying in bed! We gently shook you, but you really didn’t want to wake up, so we let you continue sleeping.”

So you guys did wake me up...? I didn't feel a thing. Oh my god, I'm so tired, I'm completely drained...

Liviel sighed inwardly, feeling a pang of self-pity. She'd gone to so much trouble, only to end up with nothing but spoils and no bounty from Qilingus… No, she had to make Klein make amends…

At this moment, Fors was also awakened by their conversation. As soon as she opened her sleepy eyes, she exclaimed in surprise:

"Miss Marilyn Monroe!"

She pounced on her joyfully, pressing Livr, who had already sat up, back down.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't do that! Fors, have you gained weight...?"

Livre was overwhelmed by such enthusiasm and felt a little breathless.

"Miss Monroe, why did you suddenly return to Backlund?"

"Miss Monroe, was that short-haired woman at Duke Negan's mansion yesterday you in disguise?"

Fors and Hugh eagerly asked questions, and Livre smiled knowingly. It seemed that they had already guessed the identity of the short-haired woman who had rescued them yesterday.

“That’s right, do you like my short hair?” Livre said with a smile. “As for why I suddenly returned to Backlund, it’s because you were in danger. Otherwise, why would I have come all the way back from the sea!”

Fors said with some surprise:

"Miss Monroe, how did you manage to appear so timely? Did you know we were in danger?"

Livre replied vaguely:

"When I learned that you were going to investigate Qilingus, I guessed that you were going to be in danger. After all, a pirate general is not so easy to deal with."