He couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "Shit, why is it always so troublesome when I recruit crew members."
Thinking about Feren's previous hunting activities, he guessed that Feren might be short on money, so he cleared his throat and added:
"We don't have weekly wages or annuities, but as long as we find treasure or plunder wealth, it will be distributed according to rank."
"Normally, when luck is decent, even the lowest rank of sailor can get two to three hundred pounds a year. Depending on the rank, there are also different numbers of vacation days each month, but they can only be accumulated and taken at different times."
"And with your strength, if you perform well, you can at least become the Fifth Mate, second only to me. And the Captain will also teach you knowledge to help you advance."
After hearing this, Feren finally raised his head from his thoughts and looked at Danitz with some hesitation, saying:
"Thank you very much for the offer, but I'd like two days to consider before giving you an answer."
In the previous Chaos Council, he had already learned that the next Sequence 7 was called 'Voyager'. He had originally planned to go to sea himself to seek opportunities for digestion, but joining the Golden Dream, which had an excellent reputation, seemed like a better option.
However, out of caution, he still wanted to consult everyone at the Chaos Council on Friday, especially Mr. Beyonder, before making a decision.
Danitz frowned and muttered in a very low voice, "Shit, I hate trouble the most." He then looked at Feren and raised his voice:
"I can't stay here forever. I can give you two days. If you've thought it over and are willing to join, pack your things and come to the dock on Saturday to find the White Gull. I'll find you."
After speaking, he didn't wait for a response but put force into his feet, and his figure disappeared.
-----------------
Aaron stood by the French window, recalling the day's events, and rubbed his forehead with a slight headache. He had been careless.
After all, he hadn't expected to encounter Bernadette and even be noticed by her. In the end, he could only go to St. Samuel's Church to get rid of her tail.
Aaron's original plan was to set up a ritual in a room near the Kingdom's Museum.
Using the method of summoning himself and responding to himself, he would turn into a Spirit Body, sneak into the Kingdom's Museum.
Using Klein's original method, he would create a diversion, secretly enter the study, and as soon as he got the Black Emperor card, he would immediately end the summoning, return to the room, and then use Spirit World Teleportation to leave.
But after trying several methods with the dowsing pendulum in the Kingdom of Disorder to divine whether Bernadette was still in Backlund without success.
Out of caution, Aaron decided to modify his original plan. He would hold the ritual directly at home, reducing intermediate steps and making it impossible for Bernadette to investigate.
Moreover, the distance between the Queen's Borough and the West Borough was very short. Even at the slowest speed of a Spirit Body, it would only take 10 minutes to reach.
After obtaining the item that could merge with the Spirit Body, Aaron followed Archbishop Anthony's teaching and integrated the power of Concealment into it, roughly sensing the consumption of power.
With his Spirit Body strength, which far surpassed that of a normal Sequence 7, it was enough to provide 2 hours of Concealment effect, sufficient for the duration of the operation.
Under the protection of the Concealment effect, even if there were many High-Sequence powerhouses in Backlund or some peculiar Sealed Artifacts that could monitor certain areas, they would not discover his peculiar Spirit Body before the Concealment effect disappeared.
He thought for a moment, confirmed that there were no omissions in the plan, and glanced at the clock on the wall to check the time.
He walked into the partitioned area, took out the thin veil, set up the ritual, and began the ritual of summoning himself and responding to himself.
83Chapter 83 Tarot Divination
Aaron, using the spiritual wall that had not yet been lifted, very skillfully took out a candle mixed with sandalwood and placed it in the center of the desk.
Immediately after, he followed the procedure, using spirituality to light the candle flame and sprinkling in wisteria flowers symbolizing order, pure dew, and herbal powder.
Seeing the flickering flame repeatedly shift between dim and bright states, he smelled a tranquil and soothing fragrance.
Aaron stepped back two paces, looking at the candle on the desk, and softly chanted in ancient Hermes:
"I!"
"In my name, I summon:"
"The origin and shadow of order, the great Emperor of the Disorder Kingdom, the Lord of Order who holds the rules."
In an instant, the constantly flickering dim yellow candlelight and the tranquil soothing fragrance intertwined and merged into an illusory vortex, a vortex frantically absorbing spirituality.
By the time Aaron finished chanting the incantation, the vortex stabilized into a palm-sized ring composed of dark golden mist.
After examining it for a few moments, without the slightest hesitation, Aaron's consciousness quickly sank, returning to the Disorder Kingdom.
Immediately, he saw circles of dark golden light patterns rippling out from the throne deep within the palace, highlighting the complex pattern carved behind the throne, composed of scales representing order and a scepter symbolizing dominion, making it even more solemn and majestic.
Aaron took a breath, used meditation to stabilize his mind, and reached out to touch the target.
Almost simultaneously, he heard the summoning incantation he had just chanted and saw the surging spirituality and rippling light patterns meld and stretch out into an illusory door.
Feeling the consumption of spirituality, Aaron focused his mind and gave a strong push.
Once again passing through layers of dark golden mist and illusory whispers, Aaron opened his eyes again and saw his closed-eyed self sitting before the altar; in front of him was the ring composed of dark golden mist.
Aaron withdrew his gaze, raised his right hand, and activated his own spiritual body, which was blended with a bit of the dark golden mist's power.
Whoosh!
A slightly chilling wind blew up, circling and swirling in the bedroom; the black gauze cloth next to the altar, painted with the red moon symbol, flew up and melted into Aaron's spiritual body.
A slightly cold sensation quickly spread throughout his body, but it made his spiritual body more stable and his thoughts clearer.
Aaron thought for a moment, used the dark golden mist to condense a mask to cover his face, then without hesitation, he entered the mirror not far away and left the villa.
Finding an exit at random, leaving the mirror world, Aaron identified the direction and rapidly flew towards the Kingdom Museum in the West District.
On a street somewhere in the West District, a small boy sitting on the ground, thin and frail, at most 7 or 8 years old, raised his head, looked in a certain direction, and a silver light flashed in his eyes, as if illusory silver rings appeared.
A moment later, he mumbled softly, "So it's a Beyonder of the Night? Does a spiritual body dare to be this bold?"
Then, bored, he shuffled the tarot cards in his hand. A moment later, three tarot cards were laid flat on the ground, face up.
The one in the middle was the "Judgment" card, and to its left and right were the "Star" card and the "Wheel of Fortune" card respectively.
The small boy's eyebrows twitched slightly. He drew a fourth tarot card from under the "Judgment" card in the middle; the card face showed an emperor wearing a crown seated on a throne—it was the "Emperor" card.
Gently placing the "Emperor" card below the "Judgment" card, looking at the four tarot cards in front of him, the small boy mumbled softly:
"It's really getting more and more interesting."
King's Avenue No. 2, Kingdom Museum.
On the polygonal hip roof, four security personnel wearing overcoats stood, enduring the cold night wind and carefully surveying their respective directions.
Once someone approached the museum, even with the cover of trees and building shadows, it would be difficult to escape their eyes.
Inside the museum, the remaining security personnel were divided into four groups, following different routes and patrolling the various exhibition halls at intervals.
In the exhibition hall where Roselle's diary was kept, the captain of the "Machine Heart" team, Max Livermore, wearing a monocle that could directly see spiritual creatures like wraiths and phantoms, carried a lantern and conducted inspections back and forth, occasionally going out to other places to confirm the situation.
In a street corner near the Kingdom Museum, a spiritual body, slightly illusory with mysterious patterns appearing on its surface, appeared.
Aaron looked at the Kingdom Museum not far away, carefully sensing his own state and the surrounding environment. In his spiritual body state, Aaron could more clearly feel a certain place that was infinitely high and infinitely close had a subtle connection with him.
Spiritual intuition told him that as long as he followed this connection and gave a strong intention to end the "summoning," his spiritual body would immediately disappear and return to the ritual room.
Aaron consistently maintained a state of concealment, following the shadows and routes that were difficult to be noticed, passing through tree carvings and obstacles, and directly flying into the exhibition hall on the 2nd floor of the museum.
In the room where the "Machine Heart" team was located, a pile of colorful building blocks on a glass display cabinet nearby were assembled into a miniature representation of the museum's first floor.
This was a Sealed Artifact controlled by the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery. As long as those deformable building blocks were assembled into the corresponding building, it could establish a connection with the real object, and once someone trespassed, there would immediately be a miniature reaction on it.
The captain of the "Machine Heart" team, Max Livermore, walked back carrying his lantern, stood beside Roselle's diary, his brows furrowed tightly.
Just now, a faint sense of unease suddenly arose in his heart. He looked back at the Sealed Artifact on the display cabinet, and after staring at it for a moment and finding no abnormality, he withdrew his gaze.
Aaron silently entered the second floor, passed through wall after wall, and flew towards the restored study. Standing at the doorway, feeling no other presence, he floated in through the door, taking in the scenes in every corner of the area into his sight.
"Everything is normal..." Aaron mumbled, semi-flying, he landed before Roselle's desk, which was covered by glass.
He glanced around, and without hesitation, simultaneously extended his hand, directly reaching for the bookmark inside the "Creative Manuscript." Only after touching the bookmark and enveloping it within his spiritual body did the study undergo a change.
Waa! Waa! Waa!
Loud and piercing infant cries suddenly echoed throughout the exhibition hall.
It was so illusory, as if coming from a very, very distant place.
Black slits opened one after another, and strange eyes protruded into mid-air, one after another. They were densely packed, staring at Aaron indifferently and mercilessly.
Pea vines hung down from the ceiling, one by one, intertwining to form a dense forest, submerging the original study.
Bernadette, wearing a white shirt with lace and ribbon flowers on the upper body, beige long pants with black leather boots, and an old-fashioned black soft hat, sat on a swing entwined with pea vines.
Her chestnut hair fell naturally, and her pair of azure and deep eyes stared intently at the display stand where the bookmark had disappeared, staring fixedly at the seemingly empty display stand where no one was visible.
#84Chapter 84 Black Emperor Card
Bernadette pursed her lips, and strange runes appeared in her azure eyes, which became even deeper. This was the 'Eye of Peeping' used by a Sequence 3 'Prophet'.
In the deep, dark void, enduring the slight stinging sensation in her eyes, Bernadette stared intently at the empty space, finally seeing a strange spiritual body wearing a dark golden mask.
Aaron watched Bernadette activate her 'Eye of Peeping', but he didn't panic. The Blasphemy Card was already in his hands, and he could end the summoning and return to his room at any moment, giving him confidence in facing Bernadette.
Moreover, his spiritual intuition, apart from the instinctive warning against high-sequence powerhouses, did not sense any killing intent. He also wanted to establish contact with Bernadette, reach an agreement, and maintain tacit understanding on certain matters.
Aaron shifted into a more comfortable position, concentrating most of the remaining dark golden mist power and secretive power within his spiritual body onto the mask, ensuring that the 'Eye of Peeping' couldn't see through it in a short time.
Then, to show sincerity, Aaron voluntarily lifted part of his secretive state, revealing his form.
Bernadette narrowed her eyes as she watched the strange spiritual body appear before her. She stared at the dark golden mask on its face for a while, but gained nothing except an intensifying stinging sensation.
Being in Backlund, she didn't dare to activate her Mythical Creature form to further enhance the ability of the 'Eye of Peeping'. After gaining nothing, she no longer dwelled on it.
Looking at the strange spiritual body before her, which was casually posed and seemed fearless, Bernadette frowned almost imperceptibly. Her gentle but emotionless voice sounded:
"Why did you take that bookmark?"
"Who is behind you?"
Seeing that Aaron did not respond, her voice sounded again, this time with a hint more sternness mixed with the gentleness.
The bloodshot eyes surrounding them rapidly expanded, seeming to want to occupy the entire space.
"Why did you only take the bookmark? How did you know to take the bookmark?"
Aaron used the special nature of his spiritual body to alter his voice, using a slightly neutral tone to ask in return instead of answering: "Bernadette Gustav?" Although it was a question, his tone was full of certainty. Then, he paused and said three words in Chinese: "Huang Beibei."
Upon hearing the first part of the sentence, Bernadette was merely surprised, until she heard the three strange words with peculiar pronunciations that followed.
A memory hidden deep within the ocean of her mind surfaced. This was exactly the same as the three pronunciations her father often muttered when she was young, but which he stopped mentioning after she reached adulthood.
It was only after she became a demigod that she used her abilities to retrieve these syllables from her memory and firmly etched them into her heart, making them a place of belonging.
A surge of suppressed emotions welled up. The bloodshot eyes immediately showed signs of abnormality, even beginning to shatter. The aura ran rampant, and the Mechanical Heart team stationed below finally detected the anomaly and rushed up.
Sensing the commotion downstairs, Aaron offered no explanation or response to the previous questions. Instead, he softly chanted in ancient Hermes:
"The source and shadow of order;"
"The great Emperor of the Kingdom of Chaos;"
"The Lord of Order who wields the rules."
Bernadette's gaze slightly condensed as she chewed on this honorific name. Her eyes darkened, and she quickly said:
"The Holy Spirit who pursues knowledge;"
"The lighthouse of the mysterious world;"
"The eyes that peer into destiny;"
"The king above the seas;"
"The holy Bernadette Gustav."
Aaron nodded slightly, performing a standard ritualistic bow. He communicated with the Disorder Kingdom with his will, ending the ceremony.
A vast and terrifying suction force came, and Aaron's transparent, almost invisible figure instantly vanished from the material world, along with the disappeared bookmark.
Since she had been exposed, Bernadette no longer hid. Pure white, illusory feathers condensed on her back, revealing her incomplete Mythical Creature form. She fully activated her 'Eye of Peeping', trying to see the direction the spiritual body had gone.
A few seconds later, Bernadette, having found nothing, shook her head in disappointment. Her figure vanished without a trace, and the surrounding vines and eyeballs also turned into colorful bubbles and disappeared.
Captain Max hurried to the study door, gritted his teeth, and had his teammates stand back to report the matter to the church while he pushed open the door. Inside, however, it was empty.
-----------------
Inside the magnificent palace shrouded in dark golden mist.
Aaron's figure suddenly appeared on the throne. The mask on his face gradually disappeared, and a bookmark depicting Emperor Roselle appeared in his hand.
A satisfied smile appeared on Aaron's face. In a low voice, he uttered the corresponding ancient F usak syllables: "Bernadette."
The bookmark in his hand sank slightly, generating an invisible vortex that frantically absorbed Aaron's spirit. Above the bookmark, a clear light gradually rose, and the image of Emperor Roselle on the outside was refreshed.
He sat on the ancient stone throne, wearing a black crown inlaid with various gems on his head. He was dressed in black armor, covered with a cape of the same color, holding a scepter in his hand, his eyes looking forward with indifference.
In the upper left corner of the bookmark, brilliant starlight condensed into a line of text:
"Sequence 0: Black Emperor!"
The Black Emperor card floated in the air, slowly rotating. The surrounding dark golden mist seemed to be drawn in, gradually gathering to form a small vortex. An uncontrollable impulse rose in Aaron's heart.
He grabbed the Black Emperor card. As soon as it connected with his spiritual body, the boundless dark golden mist seemed to gather into waves, into strong winds, forming a majestic armor on his body. A black crown appeared on his head, and a long cape of the same color was added to his back.
Lines containing divinity immediately appeared on the armor. A feeling never experienced before emerged, and the connection and control over the Disorder Kingdom were stronger than ever.
Aaron opened his eyes, his pupils a mixture of gold and black. He slightly raised his palm, and the dark golden mist gathered in the palace to form a magnificent dark golden figure.
Pair after pair of huge black wings covered with golden patterns grew from the back of that dark golden figure, twelve pairs in total!
And on each pair of wings were feathers inscribed with numerous mysterious symbols, alternating between light and dark.
Gold and black formed a stark contrast. Under Aaron's command, the huge figure spread its pairs of wings, covering the vast dome of the majestic palace.
-----------------
Inside the Kingdom Museum, in the restored study.
"Mechanical Heart" team leader Max Livermore reported with a serious expression: "Confirmed that only one bookmark was stolen."
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at the important figure standing in front of the desk, with his back to him.
It was an old man wearing a white priest's robe and a clergyman's soft hat. He was the head of the Church of Steam and Machinery's Backlund diocese, a member of the Council of Saints Before God, Archbishop Horamick Heydn.
His hands were clasped behind his back, holding an ancient patterned silver mirror. On either side of the mirror were eye-like decorations with black gems as the base, which looked deep and captivating.
Max's pupils contracted slightly. He recognized this infamous Sealed Artifact, "2-111".
#85Chapter 85 Arrodes
Horamik had a very gentle and benevolent face, looking like a learned elder. At this moment, he also showed no sign of anger. He withdrew his gaze and looked around, saying,
"Moreover, there was more than one person here last night, at least two, divided into two opposing sides."
"One of them might even have a higher Sequence than me, while the other side strangely fled."
"Although I cannot fully restore the scene, some things can still be 'seen'."
"Things are more complicated than we imagined."
Speaking of this, he handed the silver mirror in his hand to the deacon Ykonser Bernard next to him, then sighed:
"I also know why they stole the bookmark. We've been deceived by Roselle for over 150 years."
"There's no need to ask about the bookmark's whereabouts anymore. You can ask who the opposing parties were."
Ykonser Bernard's brown hair was always messy, stubbornly sticking out, and even wearing a hat couldn't hide it.
He took the silver mirror with a slightly stiff expression, nodded, then, unwilling to give up, glanced back at his teammates who were lowering their heads and pretending not to hear. He sighed and raised the silver mirror in his hand as if resigned to fate.
He looked at the silver mirror in his hand, stroked the surface three times with his right palm, paused for two seconds, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice:
"Respected Arrodes, my question is, who were the participants in what happened in this place just now?"
The surrounding darkness suddenly became hazy, and ripples of water appeared on the surface of the silver mirror.
Soon, a scene emerged within the silver mirror:
In the restored Roselle's study, thick green pea vines hung everywhere, and bloodshot eyeballs emerged from black cracks.
The figure of a lady wearing a white shirt with lace and ribbon flowers on the upper body, beige trousers, black leather boots, and an old-fashioned black soft hat appeared. Opposite her was a figure so ethereal that only a blurred outline could be seen.
The water ripples fluctuated. Just as the members of the Machine Heart team were preparing to see the next scene, the original image suddenly disappeared and no image appeared again. The few people looked at each other with blank expressions.
Just as Ykonser was about to ask for the opinions of the surrounding team members and Archbishop Horamik, several lines of crimson, blood-like ancient Feysac words suddenly appeared on the silver mirror:
"According to the principle of equivalence, it is my turn to ask a question."
"If you answer incorrectly or lie, you will be punished."
These words were crimson like blood, as if still dripping liquid!
As a deacon who frequently used the Sealed Item "2-111", he was well aware that this mirror had a living characteristic and possessed a considerably high level of sentience.
And just from the color of the font, he felt the mirror's anger. Not understanding why, he only attributed it to the Sealed Item's occasional madness.
Ykonser's facial expression twisted for a moment, then became unusually solemn.
Immediately after, the silver mirror's surface rippled, and a new line of blood-red words appeared:
"Who is the object you gave your all to please, only to end up being discarded?"
Ykonser was instantly stunned, feeling the gazes of all his teammates turn towards him. Even the benevolent Archbishop Horamik inadvertently glanced over.
With a buzzing sound, Ykonser's face first lost color, then turned crimson.
This question not only pierced the hidden wound deep within his heart but also left him at a loss.
If he said who it was... Ykonser swallowed with difficulty, thinking of the possible scenarios. He closed his eyes in pain and said in a tragic tone:
"I choose punishment."
A bolt of lightning immediately struck, but unlike before, it was no longer silver-white, tinged with a hint of crimson.
It struck the top of Ykonser's head, causing his hair to stand on end and reflecting the color of the lightning.
He shook violently like a rolling dice, as if he had been given a hallucinogenic drug.
Archbishop Horamik sighed, closed his eyes, recalling the previous scene, and murmured to himself:
"'Queen of Mysteries' Bernadette, and an ethereal, strange figure."
The captain of the "Machine Heart" team, Max Livermore, looked at Deacon Ykonser, who was still trembling, his expression clearly struggling. Finally, he stepped forward.
After all, regardless of whether a high-Sequence expert had intervened, the church had lost an important item this time, and he was partly to blame. He was also willing to contribute to the investigation.
Taking the mirror from Deacon Ykonser's trembling hands, Max stroked the surface three times with his right palm, paused for two seconds, swallowed hard, and said in a deep voice:
"Respected Arrodes, my question is, who was the ethereal figure in front of that lady just now?"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was no text or image on the mirror surface. A silver-white lightning bolt materialized out of thin air and struck Max on the head.
Zzzzzt, Max's hair stood straight up, and his body fell down with a thud, with some black smoke rising.
However, the mirror did not fall with him. Instead, it floated up by itself and landed on the table.
Shouldn't it show the scene first, then answer the question, and finally punish? The surrounding members of the "Machine Heart" team looked at each other in confusion and hurriedly helped their captain to a nearby chair.
After two seconds, Max shakily stood up, supporting himself on the chair, trembling and panting.
Archbishop Horamik's eyes narrowed. He beckoned the silver mirror over and questioned it himself, but the silver mirror no longer reacted, like a dead object.
As the person in charge of the Backlund diocese, Horamik knew this magic mirror well. It was a living Sealed Item that, although it had a bad temper, would follow its own rules and answer questions normally.
Unless, the question touched upon the existence of certain extremely high-level beings, causing the magic mirror to choose to passively resist.
Horamik was silent for a while, then handed the magic mirror to Deacon Ykonser, who had recovered his composure. The latter quickly covered the magic mirror with a black cloth and placed it inside a box inscribed with complex symbols and entirely made of gears.
What no one noticed was that after the box closed, the magic mirror, which had looked like an ordinary mirror, showed three lines of pale text on its rippling surface:
"The origin of order and shadow;"
"The great emperor of the chaotic kingdom;"
"The Lord of Order who controls the rules."
Immediately, a faint dark gold mist emerged on the mirror surface, covering and concealing everything.
-----------------
Backlund, West District, East Vilas Street No. 9, Count Mistral's residence.
Red moonlight streamed through the window. Under the bright lamp, a black-haired, red-eyed lady sat at her desk, carefully reading the book spread before her — "A General History of the Fifth Epoch of the Northern Continent".
This book was personally recorded and written by a certain important figure within the Blood Race. The copy before Louise Sears was naturally just a reproduction, but even so, it could only be borrowed within the Count's residence. Ordinary Blood Race members could not see it at all.
Chapter 86: Battle of Oath Breaking
The "Fifth Epoch History of the Northern Continent" provides a relatively detailed record of the major events that have occurred in the various countries of the Northern Continent since the Fifth Epoch.
It begins with the rule of the Northern Continent by the seven orthodox deities and the four nations of Loen, Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter, and ends in 1198 when Roselle was assassinated and fell in White Maple Palace.
It records events including the Twenty Years' War between the Kingdom of Loen and the Feysac Empire, and the War of the White Rose between Loen and the Intis Empire.
As well as the conflict that involved all the nations of the Northern Continent, with each side accusing the other of violating the "Sacred Oath" from the end of the Fourth Epoch, leading to this five-year conflict being known as the War of Betrayal.
It chronicles events all the way up to Roselle's reforms as Consul, his establishment of the Empire and declaration as Emperor, until his fall.
The section with the most content is the War of Betrayal. As a Bloodkin born in the Kingdom of Feynapotter, Louise often heard about Bloodkin being forced to join the Church of the Mother Goddess.
Because of this, she held some hostility towards the Church of the Mother Goddess, always feeling that the Mother Goddess was encroaching upon the Ancestor's authority. Despite her dislike, she was also extremely interested in the War of Betrayal, in which the Church of the Mother Goddess directly participated.
Also thanks to the significant increase in her spirituality after advancing, Louise silently memorized several pages of content, planning to share her knowledge at this week's Chaos Assembly.
On Friday evening, Aaron sat upon his throne. The Black Emperor card lay face down on the left armrest of the throne. Aaron discovered that as a Blasphemy Card corresponding to one of the two pathways of the Kingdom of Disorder, even without merging with his spiritual body, he could use it to elevate his status and mobilize more dark gold mist.
Feeling that the time was right, Aaron returned to the position where Mr. Servant should be. With a raise of his right hand, four figures instantly appeared on the stone chairs below.
After the usual greetings and salutations, Ferrin Eddas was the first to speak, exchanging 750 pounds for the Beyonder characteristic formula for Sequence 7 "Voyager". He quickly glanced at the manifested parchment, reading, "Main ingredients: 100 ml of Ghost Shark blood..."
After memorizing the formula, Ferrin quietly waited for the discussion phase, contemplating whether to follow Danitz and join the Golden Dream.
Syd Watson had just advanced to "Gravekeeper" last week. Chuck Wald had just crossed the Berserk Sea, and knowing that a demigod was following him, he didn't dare to easily use the Sacrificial and Bestowal ritual. He could only participate in the meeting by being passively pulled in this manner, and therefore had no urgent needs.
Seeing that no one else was proposing a transaction, Louise thought for a moment and spoke, sharing the content about the War of Betrayal from the "Fifth Epoch History of the Northern Continent", excluding the parts related to Bloodkin secrets.
This successfully captured everyone's attention. Although Aaron knew the general content and outcome of the War of Betrayal, this was the first time he had learned about that war involving the nations of the Northern Continent from over 600 years ago in such detail.
Listening to Louise's account, which subtly revealed her prejudice against the Church of the Mother Goddess, Aaron couldn't help but chuckle. He hoped this lady wouldn't be too embarrassed when Lilith revealed her identity. However, upon reviewing the War of Betrayal, many doubts also arose.
Publicly, the "War of Betrayal" in the Fifth Epoch was claimed to be caused by a dispute between the Church of Knowledge and the Church of the Mother Goddess for certain reasons, and the nations believed the reason was the competition for believers.
However, this reason is a bit far-fetched. The Church of Knowledge only accepts top students, or at least those who are relatively intelligent. It's unlikely they would have a conflict over believers that absolutely needed to be resolved through war.
Furthermore, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom and the Mother Goddess are not from similar pathways and have no fundamental conflict. Even the Kingdom of Loen can accommodate the propagation of three orthodox churches, let alone the Kingdom of Feynapotter, which originally only had two.
After all, the Earth and Wisdom pathways don't require a life-and-death struggle. War would also cause instability in their anchors, leading to problems for the true gods' states.
Under these circumstances, the fact that they could still go to war indicates that the benefits this war brought them were far greater than the short-term impact. That's why the two major orthodox churches acted that way.
Combining this with the world war that happened a few years later, after Feynapotter declared war on Loen, they instead directly attacked Lenburg.
Assuming Lenburg hadn't gained independence from the War of Betrayal, then without a doubt, the two major orthodox churches of Feynapotter would have joined the side attacking Loen.
Loen would have been attacked from both the north and the south. The fence-sitting God of Steam and Machinery would have switched sides even faster, leading to a divine power imbalance of 5 against 2.
With such a significant disadvantage, even with Lilith disguised as Omebella as a fallback who could turn the tables at a critical moment, there might not have been an opportunity to use her.
But after the War of Betrayal, Lenburg became independent. Feynapotter's main force was immediately diverted to Lenburg, and it even incidentally tied down Intis.
Loen only had to face Feysac and Intis, and the balance of power among the true gods was not disrupted. They remained in a stalemate until the God of Steam and Machinery switched sides, causing a visible imbalance in divine power, which finally triggered the ultimate battle of gods.
And the fact that the God of Steam and Machinery and the Eternal Blazing Sun did not appear on the final battlefield most likely means they were up against the Lord of Storms and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
Therefore, combining the developments in the following years and the analysis of the god battle, Aaron believes that the War of Betrayal was likely a collaboration between Herabergen and Lilith, staged specifically for the God of Combat, as a preliminary arrangement for the world war that would follow.
And that Herabergen, as a member of the Dragon race, could survive the Ancient Sun God's purge of the ancient gods and even become one of the eight Kings of Angels, the "Cherub", fully demonstrates His cunning and strategic mind.
After the "fall" of the Ancient Sun God, Herabergen went further to become the "God of Knowledge and Wisdom", in charge of omniscience, insight, and prophecy.
Thinking of this, Aaron recalled more details, his brows slightly furrowing.
When The Sun, Derrick Berg, and The Moon, Emlyn White, were debating the origin of the City of Silver's faith, The Hermit, Cattleya, provided crucial information: "Omebella is suspected to have fallen in the late Second Epoch".
And this information was clearly obtained from the Hidden Sage. Since the Hidden Sage, who holds the authority of prying into secrets, knows a part of the secret, it means this secret is not so hidden that only the Evernight Goddess and the Mother Goddess know it.
Besides Adam, only the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, who holds the authority of omniscience, insight, and prophecy, could possibly know.
As for why the God of Steam and Machinery, who also encompasses part of the authority of knowledge, knew nothing and ended up being a fence-sitter, Aaron has a guess.
The portion of the authority of knowledge held by the God of Steam and Machinery leans more towards creation rather than prying into secrets or omniscience. Coupled with the fact that he advanced to Sequence 0 "The Perfected One" too late and didn't understand many historical secrets himself, and his advancement was too rushed with incomplete digestion of the potion, He only truly reached the peak of His power when Roselle promoted the Steam Revolution.
And the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, who already knew the secret, secretly joined the alliance of the Evernight and the Earth, using their respective authorities to conceal the original secret.
Using the "War of Betrayal" to arrange for independence in advance, helping the Evernight Goddess share some pressure from the direction of Feynapotter and Intis, while also reducing the loss of anchors on the border between Feynapotter and Loen.
But how did the God of Knowledge and Wisdom and the Mother Goddess manage to deceive the God of Combat?
The excuse of competing for believers can at most deceive the common people and church personnel; it cannot deceive a true god at all. So what could be a plausible reason for war that the God of Combat would find acceptable?
Aaron leaned back in his high-backed chair, his eyes sweeping over Louise, who was still speaking volubly. Two terms gradually surfaced in his mind: "Pharmacist pathway, Planter pathway".
#87Chapter 87 Moon
Louise, who had been speaking volubly, suddenly felt the gaze of the Devotee focusing on her, and her voice immediately paused. After stammering for a moment and seeing the Devotee shift his gaze away, she hesitated briefly before continuing her narration.
Aaron withdrew his gaze and fell into thought. At the end of the Second Epoch, the Ancestor of the Blood Race, Lilith, faked her death to escape, changed pathways, and took over the identity of the Giant King's consort, Omebella.
To make other ancient gods believe she had perished, Lilith must have abandoned the Moon Uniqueness and the Sequence 1 'Beauty Goddess' Beyonder characteristic. As a mad ancient god, Lilith most likely possessed 2 'Beauty Goddess' Beyonder characteristics + 1 other Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic.
Aaron suddenly had a flash of inspiration, recalling the scene 'The Hermit' Cattleya saw when she advanced to Sequence 4 'Mysticologist'.
In the high sky, there were layers upon layers of moons of different colors, some blood-red, some silver-white, some dark brown, some deep blue, like eyes watching the land.
The four moons Cattleya saw should be a manifestation, in some Beyonder sense, of the Moon pathway's Uniqueness and the three Sequence 1 'Beauty Goddess' Beyonder characteristics.
The Red Moon symbolized the Moon pathway Uniqueness held by the Evernight Goddess.
The Silver Moon should be the Sequence 1 'Beauty Goddess' Beyonder characteristic in Lilith's possession.
During the operation to besiege the King of Immortality Karamian, Emlyn White used Lilith's ring to cast 'Summoning Door', while Lilith subtly influenced the real world through the Silver Moon.
The Brown Moon should correspond to the Sequence 1 in the possession of the Mother Tree of Desire, as that Outer Deity appeared with brown branches piercing the God of Desires.
Controlling high-sequence Beyonder characteristics of the Moon pathway, it held partial authority over the 'Moon' and lured Beyonders who believed in the Original Moon to join the Rose School.
And the Blue Star symbolized rationality, communication, and neutrality, corresponding to the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. The final Blue Moon is very likely in the hands of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
If this is the case, then the Earth Mother demanding the adjacent pathway's Moon Sequence 1 'Beauty Goddess' characteristic from the God of Knowledge and Wisdom led to the 'Betrayer War'; such a reason would be sufficient to convince the God of War.
Aaron, whose thoughts were gradually becoming clear, gathered his scattered ideas and suddenly noticed that Louise, who had been speaking below, had stopped, and several people's gazes, not daring to look at the great existence on the throne, were all fixed on him, carrying a hint of anticipation.
Aaron cleared his throat and said to Louise in a calm tone:
"The Betrayer War you just mentioned reminded me of some secrets and speculations, but those matters are not something you can know about at this time."
Seeing Louise's slight disappointment, Aaron thought for a moment and continued:
"However, I can give you a suggestion. You can carefully learn about the doctrines of the Earth Mother Church without prejudice. Perhaps you will gain something extra."
Seeing that the Devotee was not continuing, Ferran quickly spoke up, informing the people at the gathering that Vice Admiral Iceberg's fleet, the Golden Dream, had appeared in the waters near the Raging Sea and the Bay of Desi, searching for a certain item.
Finally, he concisely recounted his encounter with Danitz the Flame, the fourth mate of the Golden Dream, and consulted everyone in detail about Danitz's offer to recruit him.
Chuck Wald frowned, recalling the records about Vice Admiral Iceberg he had seen in a book given to him by Bishop Montella during his time on the ship recently.
Thinking about the overly positive description and evaluation of Vice Admiral Iceberg in the book Bishop Montella gave him, Chuck said:
"Vice Admiral Iceberg is enthusiastic about teaching others and answers almost every question. This is both her style and her hobby."
"She has both ideas and initiative, and she likes to show off her collection. She has a strong thirst for knowledge and enjoys exchanging knowledge with others."
Looking through the layers of fog at the surprised looks of the other members of the gathering, who seemed to find such an evaluation of a pirate admiral somewhat incongruous.
Chuck's mouth twitched slightly, and he added, "This is a record I saw in a book from the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom."
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Aaron was wondering if the item Vice Admiral Iceberg was searching for might be the key to opening the Giant King's Court?
Was this adventure her own, or was it sanctioned by the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom?
Recalling *Groselle's Travels*, a book containing a world within and deeply connected to the Spectator pathway, Aaron narrowed his eyes and said:
"That Vice Admiral Iceberg is indeed from the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, their hidden force developed on the sea."
"Their methods are quite rigorous; they won't do things like slaughtering innocents and won't go against your principles."
"Moreover, she has something I am interested in. You can join the Golden Dream and serve as our liaison."
Although everyone was curious about what item the Devotee was interested in, they didn't dare to ask further.
Seeing that no one else was speaking, Syd raised his hand.
He had recently become a Sequence 8 'Gravedigger' and had also shown his strength within the Spirit Lodge as a Sequence 9 'Corpse Collector', officially becoming an internal member of the Spirit Lodge.
Recently, he had received a new mission: to assist in searching for two defectors from the Rose School, one named Sharon and the other Maric.
After obtaining permission, Syd projected the portraits of the two individuals within the gathering. Even though everyone was not in the Southern Continent, they all silently memorized them.
The person responsible for tracking the defectors from the Rose School was a Sequence 5 'Revenant', who had reached some kind of agreement with the high-ranking members of the Spirit Lodge to assist in the pursuit.
According to Syd's account, the original search was only in the Star Plateau and was small in scope and scale, known only to the high-ranking members of the Rose School.
But since over a month ago, the Rose School suddenly began searching without restraint and is now approaching Port Caesarea.
Aaron raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself:
"Sharon, defecting from the Rose School... It must be that Lady Reinette Tinekerr was killed by Salinger and hasn't been reborn in the Spirit World yet, allowing the Lust faction of the Rose School to completely take control."
Aaron didn't ask Syd to do anything. Under the oppression of the Lust faction, anything a Sequence 8 'Gravedigger' did would be like a moth flying into a flame.
...
After a period of silence, everyone's gaze gathered on the dark golden card placed face down on the left side of the throne.
That spot had never held an item before. What kind of item could be placed so close by such a hidden existence?
Despite seeing the longing in the eyes of the members, no one spoke up. Aaron even saw Louise's eyes constantly glancing towards him.
To keep the performance going, he had to direct and act himself. Aaron bowed towards the throne and said:
"Great Lord of Order, may we know the origin of the item beside you?"
A light tapping sound echoed. Aaron suppressed the shame in his heart, manipulating the magnificent figure on the throne to speak slowly:
"This is a Blasphemy Slate, the Black Emperor card, offered by another devotee."
#88Chapter 88 Golden Dream
"Blasphemy Slate! The legendary card made by Roselle, containing the secret to becoming a god." Louise and Chuck's hearts trembled slightly, and they couldn't help but blurt it out.
Sid and Ferran, who were initially somewhat confused, couldn't help but widen their eyes when they heard it contained the secret to becoming a god.
In this strange atmosphere, Aaron manipulated the figure on the throne to end the gathering.
-----------------
Louise opened her eyes, having recovered from the shock of just learning about the Blasphemy Slate, and began to ponder.
"This Black Emperor card was sacrificed by other favored ones of the Great Lord of Order. This is enough to show that His power has spread throughout the real world, subtly influencing the world's direction."
"Why did Mr. Favored One tell me to pay more attention to the Church of the Earth Mother? What kind of signal does this represent?"
-----------------
Chuck sat before his desk and slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze fell upon mountains of books and a test paper with a score of 68 placed in the most conspicuous position. This was what he had obtained last week.
It was also the first time he had passed Bishop Montella's exam since going to sea for over a month.
Chuck shifted his gaze away from the desk, looking at the red moon outside the window. His left hand clenched tightly, and his right hand reached into his Pregnant to touch the iron box containing the Sequence 7 'Arsonist' Beyonder characteristic left by his father.
He murmured softly to himself, "Blasphemy Slate, the secret to becoming a god."
-----------------
Early Saturday morning, Ferran arrived at the dock early. After repeated inquiries, he still couldn't find the White Gull. Just as he was wondering if Danitz had tricked him,
a hooded man quietly approached, walked closer, and lightly coughed, saying,
"You've finally thought it through and are willing to join our Golden Dream."
Hearing the somewhat familiar voice, Ferran put away the short blade in his sleeve, recognized the person's appearance, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Danitz?"
Danitz's expression immediately changed. After glancing around, he lowered his voice and spoke with slight dissatisfaction:
"Shit! Keep it down, do you want everyone to know?"
"Recently, quite a few pirate admirals have been interested in our captain's exploration, and many are itching for action. Although we're not afraid of trouble, we can't cause problems for the captain due to foolish actions, understand?"
Ferran looked at the hooded Danitz before him, feeling an urge to beat him up, but he quickly suppressed the impulse and just replied indifferently:
"It's probably because you can't beat them, after all, the bounty on Vice Admiral Iceberg is relatively low among pirate admirals."
Danitz immediately jumped up, his tone angry and his voice rising accordingly:
"Shit, you fool who only cares about bounties."
"Our captain is the most powerful of the pirate admirals. It's just because our captain never kills the innocent and only seeks treasure that the bounty is less than the other pirate admirals, understand?"
Startled by Danitz's somewhat intense reaction, Ferran was the one who covered Danitz's mouth to make him quiet down.
Danitz snorted lightly and said:
"Kid, once you join the Golden Dream, you need to know what to say and what not to say."
"Let's go, we'll take the Sea Gull to the gathering place."
Ferran was stunned for a moment and asked back with a hint of confusion, "Sea Gull?"
Danitz turned back and chuckled, his mockery evident:
"Of course it's the Sea Gull. The White Gull was just a cover."
"How could I possibly be so foolish as to tell you my location directly? What if you brought spies from some factions? So of course I had to observe you."
Looking at the smile on Danitz's face, Ferran's fists couldn't help but clench again.
-----------------
Backlund, Empress District, the luxurious villa of the East Tock family.
Aaron sat in the bedroom. Evelyn, who had become a Sequence 8 'Mind Reader', sat to one side, both pairs of eyes watching Dallen before the desk.
Dallen Sherlot, who had accumulated enough contribution and been promoted to Sequence 6 'Faceless Man' last week, stood with a strange expression, always feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of that white cat.
Looking at those silver eyes, it felt as if he had been stripped bare and placed before a cat, with not a single secret to speak of.
Aaron put down the document in his hand, nodded slightly, and spoke with a smile, breaking the awkward atmosphere:
"You've done very well. Leave the rest to me. I will assign you a more challenging task."
The first page of the document on the desk prominently displayed the information of Hish and Fors. Ever since they were hunted by the Aurora Order last time, they had used the transmission stone of the bracelet to escape and had never returned to their original rented house.
Although the Aurora Order case had been transferred to another team, Aaron still sent Dallen to search for the whereabouts of those two ladies.
Even though those two ladies were extremely careful and cautious, with Aaron's reminder and Dallen's divination assistance, their tracks were finally discovered.
Aaron took a document from under the desk and handed it to Dallen. Dallen took it, and just a glance made his pupils contract slightly. The first page of the document was prominently marked "South Continent, Porth River Valley."
Aaron said with a smile, "I have discussed this matter with the family. The demigod stationed by the family in Porth River Valley will also be exchanged with Joseph Will from Backlund soon."
"After you arrive there, you can also seek his help if you encounter problems involving higher levels that you cannot solve. The family's colony in the South Continent will also cooperate with your actions in the South Continent to a certain extent."
"Remember, your task is just to do the foundational work and prepare for subsequent matters. Do not do anything extra."
After emphasizing the task, Aaron also gave a promise:
"Within a year, I will travel to the South Continent to check your results. If I am satisfied, you will have the opportunity to be promoted to Sequence 5 'Marionettist'."
-----------------
Berserk Sea, southeast of Harman Port, a small boat sailed quickly across the sea, heading towards a small island to the east.
Ferran wiped the seawater splashing on his face and looked at Danitz ahead somewhat helplessly, asking:
"How much longer will it take? Why do we have to row in such a small boat to get there?"
Danitz snorted lightly, his hands not stopping, rowing diligently while replying:
"Shit, it's not far now, you're really stupid."
"During this special period, many people are watching us, so we naturally need to be careful. Directly taking the Sea Gull is too big a target and easily exposed, so of course we have to take a small boat halfway and go ourselves."
Ferran's face was full of black lines. Even though he had been listening all the way, he was still not used to Danitz's foul mouth. Just as he was about to retort, his gaze towards the front suddenly froze.
A clean and tidy sailing ship, dozens of meters long, reflecting golden light in the sun, appeared near the small island not far away.
The huge canvas was painted with five kinds of gold coins: Loen's Gold Pound, Feysac's Gold Horn, Intis's Fergen, Feenapotter's Gold Risso, and Lenburg's Sarsen Gold.
Thanks to a few months of experience as a bounty hunter, Ferran recognized these gold coins from different countries at a glance.
Along the central axis of the deck, there was a main cannon that was unreasonably large. The cannon body was long and narrow, engraved with many golden patterns, shining brightly under the sunlight.
Seeing the surprised look on Ferran's face, Danitz said smugly, "This is our Golden Dream."
As he spoke, the force in his hands did not diminish. Danitz rowed even harder towards the small island not far away, eager to return to the ship and see the captain he hadn't seen in a long time.
And also to show off to Iron Barrel and the others that he had brought back a new crew member, exceeding the original mission.
Chapter 89 Visit
As the small boat gradually approached the island, Feren saw sailors busy on the deck and crew members loading and unloading cargo on the island.
The most striking sight was a beautiful lady standing at the bow of the ship. Danitz, who had been rowing vigorously just moments before, seemed struck by a 'Hold Person' spell, his gaze fixed blankly on the bow.
Feren cast a look of disdain at Danitz. Seeing his lecherous expression, Feren knew with certainty that the lady must be Iceberg Admiral Edwina Edwards.
After subtly expressing his contempt, Feren also turned to look at the bow. This was his first time seeing the Iceberg Admiral in person, not just on a wanted poster. That was a bounty of a full 26,000 pounds, after all.
This pirate general had a strong scholarly air but wore a pirate outfit in the Rorsted style. Her face was oval-shaped, her nose bridge high, and her lips thin.
Her long brown hair was parted in the middle, gathered into a simple yet elegant knot at the back of her head, and then flowed smoothly down. Her light blue eyes, like clear spring water, seemed to be scrutinizing him.
Wait! She was scrutinizing him.
Feren met those light blue eyes and quickly suppressed the errant thoughts he'd had earlier, no longer thinking about bounties. He lowered his head guiltily.
He began to silently reflect. It seemed his experience as a bounty hunter during that period had influenced him quite deeply, to the point where whenever he saw a person, he'd associate them with bounties. He had almost forgotten that the person opposite him was about to become his captain for the next few years.
A moment later, Danitz brought Feren aboard the Golden Dream. On the deck, Danitz enthusiastically greeted the crew, showing off the new crew member he had brought aboard.
First Mate "Gourmand" Bru Walls, Second Mate "Songster" Orpheus, Third Mate "Flowery Tie" Yodson, Boatswain "Bucket" Daniels...
Feren looked at these individuals he had seen on the bounty list and felt a strange sense of oddity.
Edwina Edwards' figure suddenly appeared. She nodded indifferently at Danitz, then looked at Feren and asked in a toneless voice:
"What languages do you know? And what rituals do you understand?"
The surrounding pirates gathered around, watching with interest. Feren answered the captain's questions somewhat awkwardly.
Upon hearing that Feren actually understood some Ancient Hermes and some ritual procedures, Edwina Edwards nodded slightly in satisfaction and then continued:
"Since you are here, it means you are willing to join my crew."
"Danitz must have told you that my crew does not require you to stay on board constantly. There will be periods of leave, but as long as you are on board, you must participate in the fixed weekly study day."
"You already have a certain foundation in Ancient Hermes and ritual knowledge, so you should be able to catch up with their progress quickly."
"We will have fixed assessment dates. If your performance is not satisfactory, a portion of your gold pounds will be deducted as punishment."
Hearing this, Feren's expression finally changed. He abruptly turned around, glaring fiercely at a certain hunter who was still infatuated with his captain's beauty, wanting to land a sandbag-sized fist on his face.
Why hadn't this 'dogshit'-mouthed Danitz mentioned such an important matter at all?
-----------------
Backlund, Cherwood Borough, 43 Sefirah Street. The sun had already set, and the afterglow of the sunset illuminated the street.
Aaron had changed back into Lucien Joseph's persona, but unlike before, a white cat was perched on his shoulder. Around the cat's neck was a pale gold necklace.
That was a mystical item called the "Hypnotic Necklace," crafted by Michel Weed using the Beyonder characteristic of a Sequence 6 "Hypnotist" obtained during the exploration of Amon's underground mausoleum. It was progressively extracted using the Staff of the Sun and purified of contamination.
The main body was crafted from a pure Sequence 6 "Hypnotist" Beyonder characteristic combined with certain mystical materials, aiming to minimize negative effects and extend usage time.
It only retained Beyonder abilities related to soothing and psychological suggestion, and these abilities were somewhat weakened. However, the negative effects were also extremely weak, only increasing the degree of influence of negative emotions, turning displeasure into anger and melancholy into despair. The longer it was used, the deeper the influence.
However, for Evelina, who had been a Mind Reader for a long time, this was not unavoidable. It could keenly perceive changes in its own emotions and use soothing to calm itself when necessary.
In Cherwood Borough, filled with small companies and numerous residences, people came and went on the street. Many bicycles jingled as they passed, but they all seemed not to see the strange combination of one person and one cat, and they all tacitly avoided that area.
This was psychological invisibility achieved through the Hypnotic Necklace. By grasping the surrounding mind bodies and utilizing psychological blind spots, they hid in the shadows, placing themselves in an 'awareness dead zone,' thus achieving a kind of pseudo-invisibility where pedestrians standing right there couldn't see or sense them at all.
But this was only psychological invisibility; interaction with the surroundings still occurred. It merely eliminated their presence and placed them in a blind spot of attention. Once that interaction intensified, exposure would become inevitable.
Since obtaining this mystical item, Evelina's favorite ability was this one. Although it was a heavy burden on its spirituality, it still enjoyed it tirelessly, constantly using psychological invisibility to harass the servants at home, even claiming it was practice.
As a result, the family's male and female servants had recently started to feel that perhaps some ghosts or similar things had entered the villa. However, thanks to the practice during that time, Evelina had finally successfully helped Aaron achieve psychological invisibility together recently.
Aaron glanced at the note in his hand. It was the intelligence left by Darren before he left, confirming once again that the house in front of him was the one Xio and Fors had rented after escaping that night.
After sensing for a moment, the additional perception on the Beyonder level originating from the Sheriff did not detect any abnormalities. Aaron adjusted his top hat and stepped forward to knock on the door.
-----------------
Inside the room, both Xio and Fors were feeling somewhat troubled. Fors no longer looked like the lazy person she usually was, sprawled on the sofa. Her hair was loose, and she looked worriedly at the newspaper on the table and the discarded drafts scattered on the floor.
Since escaping using the bracelet last time, fearing retaliation from the crazy members of the Aurora Order, neither she nor Xio had returned to their original rented place in the East Borough. Instead, they had rented a house in the safe Cherwood Borough.
Because they had anticipated something happening before leaving that night, both of them had carried their valuables with them.
Fors had brought the notebook left to her by Mrs. Anriza, and Xio had deposited the commission earned from previous bounty missions in the Backlund Bank.
Thanks to that commission deposited in advance and Fors's recent manuscript fees, the two of them were barely managing to temporarily stay in Cherwood Borough, where rent was high and living expenses were considerable.
#90Chapter 90 Informant "Xiu"
Foers repeatedly flipped through the several newspapers she had bought after disguising herself and going out in the early morning, but still found no reports about the Aurora Order. Without any information, she didn't know what could be considered safe.
Just as the two of them were frowning in thought, a 'knock, knock, knock' sounded at the door. Hugh sat up abruptly and pulled out a cold, gleaming triangular dagger from under the table.
Foers was startled by the sudden knocking and trembled all over. The newspapers in her hand fell onto the table, covering a silver bracelet that lay there. It still had four rough, dark green stones on it.
Foers somewhat frantically pushed the newspapers aside, picked up the bracelet, and stared nervously at the door, ready to flee at any moment.
Hugh gripped the triangular dagger tightly, walked slowly towards the door, and simultaneously motioned for Foers to stay behind her. Holding the doorknob with her left hand, she asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
"Lucifer Joseph. I believe Miss Hugh should have heard this name," Aaron responded coldly from outside the door, maintaining his persona.
Hugh was slightly taken aback, not expecting the other party to state his name directly. Lucifer Joseph was a well-known bounty hunter in the East Borough, a true gentleman who was happy to punish evil and promote good.
Recalling her previous assessment of that person, Hugh hesitated, wondering how this gentleman had found this place and what he wanted with her.
Uncertain of the other party's purpose, yet unable to keep the door closed, which would only make her seem more suspicious, Hugh deliberated for a moment. She motioned for Foers to move away from her, then stepped forward to open the door.
A slightly rugged man in a black formal suit and a semi-tall top hat stood coldly at the door. Hugh wasn't sure if she was seeing things, but she thought she saw a white cat on his shoulder, which vanished in an instant.
And although this man opposite her had changed clothes and was no longer wearing the signature bounty hunter attire, she recognized him at a glance; it was indeed Lucifer Joseph.
Aaron stood at the door, his spirituality fluctuating slightly, warning Evelynna not to cause trouble. He looked at Hugh, who stood by the door holding a triangular dagger, and Foers, who was standing not far away inside the room.
Seeing the Abraham family bracelet clutched in Foers' hand, Aaron worried that this guy would run off again at the slightest disturbance, just like last time, so he spoke first.
"The matter with the Aurora Order has been largely resolved. For certain reasons, the previous events will not be pursued. You don't need to be so nervous."
Foers' eyes immediately lit up, feeling a great weight finally lifted from her heart. Hugh, however, stared at this former adventurer with alert eyes, asking without the slightest relaxation:
"Thank you very much for the information, Mr. Lucifer Joseph. What do you and the power behind you want with us?"
Hugh was no longer the naive little girl who had just arrived in Backlund. She was merely on nodding terms with the gentleman before her. Why would he make a special trip to tell her such a secret?
Moreover, a mere bounty hunter couldn't possibly know such information; there must be an organization behind him.
Looking at the two people before him with tense expressions, Aaron whispered a name—"Mason Dill."
Ignoring the drastic change in Hugh's expression, he walked in on his own, sat on the sofa, and motioned for Foers, who was standing to the side looking somewhat bewildered, to close the door.
Foers glanced worriedly at Hugh, finally remembering that this seemed to be Hugh's father's name. She then carefully closed the door.
"I work for a certain important figure, and I am also a member of MI9. I know your purpose in coming to Backlund, and I know the answer you are looking for."
Aaron sat on the sofa, looking at Hugh, whose face showed a hint of hope, and added:
"But the matter involved is something you are completely unqualified to know about now. Everything you want to do requires stronger power."
"And I can provide you with such an opportunity right now. You can become my subordinate, complete the tasks I provide, and exchange your contributions for advancement in your subsequent Sequences."
Seeing Hugh nod without hesitation, Aaron smiled slightly and handed over a document, saying with a faint smile:
"This is your first task: investigate his crimes and obtain concrete evidence."
Hugh looked at the name on the document and asked with a slight surprise, "Capim? That wealthy man who also lives in Cherwood Boro?"
Aaron nodded slightly, then said with a mocking tone:
"In Backlund, innocent young girls often disappear on secluded, deserted streets, and after a long time, they may be accidentally discovered in various legal or illegal brothels."
"Numerous rumors point to Capim, believing him to be a criminal leader with blood on his hands and covered in filth. However, due to insufficient evidence, he remains free to this day and has made the acquaintance of many important figures."
Foers, listening nearby, clenched her fists, wishing she could just open the door, go to that Capim's house, and bring him to justice. Then she quietly chickened out, feeling that with her current combat power, she couldn't complete such a task.
At the same time, she secretly planned in her mind to create another scoundrel named Karl in her work "Wuthering Heights," and have a just and brave detective lady bring this scoundrel to justice and send him to the gallows.
Neither Hugh nor Aaron noticed Foers' strangeness. Instead, Evelynna, who was squatting on the sofa in psychological invisibility, quickly noticed Foers' silly grin.
After observing her with her Reader ability, she came to the assessment of "a timid but very imaginative human" and then rolled over, no longer paying attention.
Hugh flipped through the thick material in her hand, looking at the accusations against Capim one by one, feeling that this scoundrel deserved to die ten thousand deaths.
Aaron didn't pay attention to Hugh's reaction. Capim was just a tool. Even if Capim died, as long as George III still needed people like Capim to abduct people for him, there would continue to be Gepims, Ipims, and so on.
The reason he was causing trouble for Capim now was merely for his subsequent acting and to gain a certain degree of initiative, thereby exchanging for more benefits.
To prevent Hugh from accidentally touching upon things she shouldn't know about now, which might lead to disaster, Aaron still spoke up to remind her:
"You just need to find a way to track and collect evidence of Capim's crimes and verify his guilt."
"Even if some things you uncover cause you to feel doubt, you must suppress your curiosity and not do anything unnecessary, if you still want to live and get the answer you want."
"Also, this house is not far from Capim's villa. I have already paid the rent for the next two months. You can stay here and act during this time."
Hugh was stunned, instantly understanding Aaron's meaning.
The task duration was only two months. If it couldn't be completed within two months, it would be considered a failure.
No longer looking at Hugh, who was lost in thought, Aaron turned his head to look at Foers, who was still standing in the corner, smiling foolishly and seemingly lost in thought.
#91Chapter 91: The Salted Fish Lady Who Was Critically Attacked
Fors felt a sharp gaze land on her, sending shivers down her spine, and she immediately snapped out of her fantasy of punishing the wicked.
Looking at those cold eyes, Fors let out a slightly stuttered dry laugh:
"H-hello, it's an honor to meet you, Mr. Lucived."
At the same time, she muttered inwardly, "Is this the oppressive feeling of a famous bounty hunter? Why don't I feel this aura from Xio? Is it because she's too weak?"
"No, I need to add another kind and understanding, powerful adventurer who is always willing to help the detective lady. Hmm, let's call him Allen Caesar..."
Seeing the writer lady lost in her own wild thoughts again, but not showing any signs of panic or dejection, Aaron recalled the weather conditions over the past few days. It seemed the crimson moon hadn't appeared yet.
Aaron instantly understood. So this fellow hadn't heard Mr. 'Door's' full moon whispers yet. No wonder she was so lively.
Looking at the silver bracelet on Fors's hand, and the four remaining rough, dark blue stones on it, Aaron's mind worked, his gaze flickering.
Realizing she had zoned out, Fors quickly came back to her senses. She secretly peeked at the mysterious and powerful bounty hunter opposite her. Although he was looking at her, his gaze was more focused on the bracelet Mrs. Anielisa had given her.
Fors's heart inexplicably fluttered with panic as she recalled the price of using this bracelet mentioned in Mrs. Anielisa's leftover notes. Her heart immediately sank.
Originally worried about the search and retaliation from the Aurora Order, and with no other abnormal reactions these past few days, she hadn't paid much attention to this aspect.
At this moment, she felt a bit nervous, twirling the ends of her chestnut-colored long hair with her fingers, her face full of conflict, wanting to ask but not daring to.
Aaron glanced at Fors. Even without the ability of a Mind Reader, he could see through this fellow's thoughts at a glance and spoke calmly:
"This bracelet comes from an ancient family that has been enduring a, well, let's call it a curse."
Aaron paused in the middle, showing a strange expression that neither Fors nor Xio understood.
"You should already be clear about its ability. As long as you tear off a stone and recite 'Door' in ancient Hermes, you can travel through the Spirit World to the desired location."
Fors exchanged a strange look with Xio. She felt that Mr. Lucived seemed to know more about this magical bracelet than she, the user, did.
Aaron withdrew his gaze from the bracelet, raised it slightly, and looked into Fors's light blue eyes, making Fors even more nervous. Then he spoke without any emotion:
"For most people, this bracelet is a very precious and practical magical item."
"But for Beyonders of the Apprentice pathway, they will hear the full moon whispers every time there is a full moon after using it."
"You will directly hear the whispers of madness, unable to shield yourself through normal means. You can only silently endure. If you can't endure, you will lose control and die."
"Full moon whispers!" Fors's body started to tremble again. The notes Mrs. Anielisa left her didn't describe the full moon whispers in detail. After a moment of stammering, she asked, "W-will I die?"
Aaron looked at the instantly timid Slacker Miss, suppressing a smile, and said calmly:
"No, at least not for now."
Fors and Xio had just breathed a sigh of relief when their hearts tightened again. What did he mean, not for now?
Aaron raised his hand and pointed at the bracelet Fors was tightly gripping, explaining:
"Every time you use a stone on the bracelet, the impact of the full moon whispers on you will deepen."
"But even if you never use the bracelet again from now on, the impact of the whispers you experience each full moon will be deeper than the last time."
After hearing Aaron's explanation, Fors's face instantly turned extremely pale, and Xio's face also looked somewhat grim.
To be honest, neither of them had expected the side effect of this bracelet to be so great before using it. Both of them had already entered the extraordinary world, so they naturally understood what losing control truly meant.
Looking at the Slacker Miss's blank and even somewhat despairing expression, Aaron felt he shouldn't hit her so hard. After all, the situation wasn't that serious yet.
However, if Aaron knew that this writer lady had just written him into her novel, he would definitely have scared her a bit more.
"There's no need for that expression. You've only used one stone. It hasn't reached that point yet."
"The impact of the full moon whispers on you is relatively small at first. There won't be any life-threatening danger for at least the first two years."
"Instead, you can use this to enhance your tolerance to whispers. This is something many Beyonders dream of."
Aaron joked. Fors barely managed to twitch the corner of her mouth, wailing in her heart, "I don't want this kind of opportunity!", but she only dared to shout it in her mind.
"You can also become an outer member of our organization for now, complete missions with this lady, accumulate contribution, and obtain a method to avoid the influence of the full moon whispers," Aaron said, pointing at Xio.
Fors quickly spoke, afraid that a slow answer would displease the gentleman, "Willing, willing. Thank you very much for your help and information."
Aaron took out a wad of large bills from his jacket pocket, placed them on the table opposite, and said indifferently:
"You don't need to thank me yet. This basic information is a benefit for becoming an outer member. Diligently completing missions and being loyal to the organization is the correct way for you to express your gratitude."
"Next is our transaction. This is a total of 600 pounds cash. I want to buy one stone from your bracelet."
"This is a very fair price. Although for those not on the Apprentice pathway, this is almost a life-saving artifact, it can only be used once after all. As a consumable, 600 pounds is already considered a high price."
Fors only felt her heart pounding wildly. The depressed mood she felt after learning she was entangled with the full moon whispers was swept away. 600 pounds! Staying in Cherwood Boro these past few days, her and Xio's savings were almost spent.
She was truly down and out now. Moreover, ever since she knew the price of using that bracelet for the Apprentice pathway, Fors had secretly sworn never to use it again. Since that was the case, she might as well sell it.
Having made up her mind, she exchanged a look with Xio. Without hesitation, Fors took off a blue stone and placed it on the table.
Seeing that the matter was concluded, Aaron stood up, picked up the stone, and was about to leave. Xio also quickly stood up and asked nervously:
"Mr. Lucived, how should I contact you to submit subsequent intelligence and mission information?"
Fors lowered her head and mumbled, adding, "And the rewards and contribution for completing missions."
Aaron walked out without looking back, but his voice came clearly:
"The usual place, Backlund Bridge area, Iron Gate Street, find Kaspars at the 'Bravehearts' bar."
Chapter 92 Letter
Watching Aaron's figure slowly walk out of the room and disappear into the crowd.
Fors hurried forward and closed the door. Not until they heard the sound of the door closing did they both sit down on the sofa, feeling somewhat exhausted.
In this short period of less than two quarters of an hour, they had learned too much. Fors felt her brain wasn't enough; the bracelet, the ancient family, the Full Moon's ravings...
Fors felt she really needed some time to calm down and think. Looking at the drafts scattered all over the floor and the 600 pounds of cash on the table, Fors swore she wasn't deliberately delaying her manuscript, but was forced by circumstances.
Fors muttered to herself, "What a strange and mysterious bounty hunter. But he is a true gentleman."
Xio, who was beside her, glanced at the bracelet on her friend's wrist, which now only had three stones left, and added, "After all, he could have just robbed us. And besides teleporting away, we probably couldn't have resisted."
After speaking, the two looked at each other in silence, both lamenting their weakness.
Fors sat up from the sofa, took out paper and pen, and began writing a letter to the newspaper editor, explaining that she was moving and needed to stop submitting manuscripts for a few days.
Since she wouldn't die within two years, as long as she endured the pain during the full moon, there was a chance as long as she didn't die. Fors decided to quickly accumulate contributions to exchange for a method to get rid of the ravings as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Xio, who had truly found a clue to her father's case, was full of energy. She picked up the stack of documents about Capim's crimes and began to read them carefully, thinking about the direction of her investigation.
At the window, a white cat was crouching, wearing a pale gold necklace around its neck. It quietly observed the two women's words and actions, but neither of them seemed to notice it.
Then the white cat's figure vanished, only to reappear moments later on Aaron's shoulder in an alley in Cherwood Borough. Xio felt a gust of wind, looked towards the window, the sunset had completely fallen, and the crimson moon had risen.
-----------------
Backlund, Queen's Borough, Earl Hall's luxurious villa.
Audrey looked at Evelyna playing with Susie, a gentle smile on her exquisite face. Recently, Susie had learned how to open doors with handles.
Audrey didn't need to open the door at all. Susie would lift her front paws, gently push, and with a click, the door would open. Two figures, one gold and one white, instantly disappeared.
Seeing these two rascals only cared about running out to play and didn't even close the door, Audrey lifted her skirt and walked gracefully to gently close the door to avoid being disturbed by Annie later. Then she returned to her desk.
Looking at the letter on the table, Audrey's mood became pleasant and expectant. She eagerly tore open the letter, and the familiar handwriting came into view:
"To the most dazzling gem of Backlund, the beautiful Miss Audrey."
A hint of shyness flashed in her emerald-green eyes, like the purest gems. A shy smile involuntarily appeared on her exquisite face as she continued reading.
The first half of the letter recounted historical stories rich in mysterious elements that Audrey was most interested in. Audrey remembered that the story in the last letter had just introduced the legendary Antigonus family from the Fourth Epoch, but only briefly mentioned that it was one of the great nobles of the Tudor Empire in the Fourth Epoch.
This successfully piqued Audrey's interest. In the days she hadn't received a letter, she had also actively searched for information about the Antigonus family.
But Audrey also kept Aaron's reminder in the letter firmly in mind. She didn't make a big fuss, only gathered information simply as a mysticism enthusiast, and thus the information she obtained was extremely limited.
Audrey unfolded the letter and read downwards. She read about the Antigonus family building the City of the Dead, turning their deceased believers into puppet-like mummies, suspended upside down within the city.
Thinking about that scene, Audrey suddenly felt a little scared, until she reached the end of the story where the Antigonus family was destroyed by the Church of the Evernight Goddess at the end of the Fourth Epoch.
Audrey gently exhaled and drew a crimson moon on her chest. She happily thought to herself:
"Not allowing corpses to rest is truly an evil act. The souls and bodies of the deceased should rest in peace. Praise the Evernight Goddess."
To avoid unnecessary trouble, the historical stories Aaron described only involved the most superficial parts, which had a certain degree of secrecy but even if known by others, they would only marvel at the extent of Viscount Aaron's knowledge.
At the end of the story, the rest of the letter became somewhat less serious. Audrey glanced at it, and her face immediately turned red. Then she thought of something, looked around somewhat guiltily, and hurriedly got up to lock the door.
"My dearest Miss Audrey, I hope this letter conveys my deep longing for you. Whenever I close my eyes, your face appears in my mind, like the most dazzling gem of Backlund, brilliant and radiant...."
Audrey finished reading the letter with a red face. At the end, it was signed "Your best friend, Aaron Weil."
Looking at the letter spread out before her, Audrey was somewhat in a daze, lost in thought.
-----------------
In the living room of Earl Hall's villa, Earl Hall, with a handsome little mustache, azure eyes, relaxed muscles, a bulging belly, and nasolabial folds on his face, sat on the sofa reading the newspaper. His eldest son, Hibbert Hall, sat beside him.
Hibbert smiled and said to Earl Hall, "Father, this year we have surpassed the Conservative Party and passed the repeal of the Corn Laws. This is a great opportunity for our New Party to develop and grow."
"Next Wednesday is your 50th birthday dinner. Who do you think we should invite?"
Earl Hall put down the newspaper and was about to answer when he was interrupted by other sounds.
Susie, with Evelyna, ran through the living room and straight to the back garden. Audrey's personal maid, Annie, followed behind somewhat helplessly, but was still left behind.
Since being lectured by Audrey last time, Susie no longer ran around the villa indiscriminately. As long as Evelyna came, she would take her to the back garden to chase and play. She rarely damaged things in the house anymore, and this was supported by Audrey.
The only drawback was that every time they returned from the back garden, the scullery maid had to give Susie and Evelyna a good bath. Therefore, Audrey would always give a portion of her pocket money as a reward to the scullery maid.
Hibbert watched Evelyna run off behind Susie, his gaze flickering. He looked at his father, Earl Hall, and continued to ask:
"Father, are you planning to invite Viscount Aaron to your party? This is an excellent opportunity for our New Party."
Earl Hall smiled and said, "It's natural for you young people to interact more. But you don't need to worry about the invitation; I've already spoken to Audrey."
At this point, Earl Hall sighed and self-deprecatingly said in a slightly teasing tone, "In that Viscount's heart, your father's face is not as important as Audrey's."
He then put away his smile and said to Hibbert with a pointed meaning:
"What you want, you should strive for yourself. Don't think about relying on Audrey. I hope their relationship develops naturally, without other things mixed in, do you understand?"
#93Chapter 93 Mr. Azik
Audrey's thoughts raced. She carefully folded the letter on the desk, took out paper and pen again, rested her chin in her hands, and thought about what her father had told her tonight.
Pen in her right hand, left hand on her forehead, Audrey pondered how to write the letter, both inviting Aaron to her father's birthday dinner and subtly expressing her strong interest in the story that would follow.
After thinking for a moment, Audrey's eyes lit up slightly. She picked up a piece of letter paper nearby and began to write.
.....
"I invite you to my father's birthday party on Wednesday evening. Also, I really enjoyed your story, and if you have ample time, I hope you can tell it to me in person. – Your best friend, Audrey Hall."
After writing the last paragraph of the letter, Audrey's eyes shifted slightly. She drew a smiley face at the end of the letter with her pen. Once the ink was dry, she folded the letter and placed it in the envelope.
Humming a cheerful tune, Audrey lifted her skirt, opened the door, and prepared to go find Susie and Evelynna, who had wandered off somewhere.
-----------------
Backlund, Queen's Borough, the luxurious villa of the East-Tack family, 2nd floor.
The red moonlight spilled onto the window sill. With a creak, the window was pushed open, and Evelynna, carrying a small bag, slipped in.
Aaron skillfully took out the letter and unfolded it with a smile, reading it. It wasn't until he saw the smiley face at the end that Aaron smiled and shook his head, folded the letter, and carefully put it away.
"Wednesday, huh? That's a bit tight," Aaron mused inwardly. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Hmm, it was only 11 o'clock, not too late.
He then went to the adjacent room, changed his clothes, put on the Death Mask, and picked up the cyan stone he had bought from Fors.
His figure blurred and disappeared. When Aaron opened his eyes, he had arrived at the East-Tack Manor in the suburbs.
The guards were slightly surprised to see Aaron. After verifying his identity, Aaron walked in and headed directly to Michel Vedette's workshop.
The workshop was filled with the constant sound of hammering. Michel Vedette was forging a whip-like weapon. Seeing Aaron walk in, he looked surprised, stopped his work, and walked over to greet him.
He glanced at the clock on the wall, and his mood suddenly became complicated. It inexplicably reminded him of that dark and windy night before, which was around the same time, when he met Lord Aaron at home and had a "friendly" exchange.
"Lord Aaron, what would you like to forge this time?"
It was no wonder Michel Vedette would ask this. After all, besides the first "friendly" recruitment, every subsequent meeting with His Lordship was because he needed to forge some magical items. He had gotten used to it.
Seeing the craftsman being so cooperative, Aaron nodded in satisfaction, took out the dark cyan, rough stone, and said to Michel Vedette:
"This is a relatively unusual magical item. By chanting 'Door' in ancient Hermes, you can travel through the Spirit World to the desired location."
"Its practicality is very strong, but unfortunately, it can only be used once."
"I've come this time because I want you to forge it into a magical item that can be used by ordinary people with little spirituality."
"After all, its essence is to travel through the Spirit World, but ordinary people cannot distinguish direction in the Spirit World."
Michel Vedette pondered for a moment and slowly said:
"Then we could use some spiritual materials to assemble the exterior as the source of spirituality for initiating the teleportation, and engrave some directional patterns on it."
He then added, "These are just theoretically feasible. I need to look up some information."
"And if it's for ordinary people to use, we also need to inscribe some Sun domain symbols to avoid interference from other spiritual bodies during the Spirit World teleportation."
Aaron glanced at him approvingly and continued:
"Very good, then proceed as you suggested. Use the best materials and make it into a necklace."
"Remember to make the necklace exquisite and beautiful. It's a gift for a friend," Aaron emphasized, staring at Michel Vedette.
Michel Vedette was stunned for a moment, feeling a subtle sense of unease. He replied:
"Okay, then when do you need this item, Lord Aaron? So I can arrange my time."
Aaron placed his hand on Michel Vedette's shoulder, applying slight pressure, and said with a smile:
"Two and a half days. I can give you a maximum of two and a half days. I need to see the finished product before Wednesday afternoon. You, should be able to complete it, right?"
Michel Vedette felt the pressure on his shoulder and his face twitched. He looked back helplessly at the nearly completed whip-like weapon behind him and the several rough molds not far away.
Aaron's smile didn't fade. He followed his gaze and added:
"Any material loss incurred will be borne by me. You don't need to worry about that."
Michel Vedette sighed helplessly and nodded in agreement.
-----------------
Ahowa County, Loen Kingdom, on the banks of the Khoy River in Tingen City.
The morning breeze blew, bringing a comfortable feeling. In the meeting room of the History Department at Khoy University, two people sat opposite each other.
One was wearing an associate professor's robe, with a serious face and a strong scholarly aura.
The other was a middle-aged man of medium build with bronzed skin. He was clean-shaven, wore a top hat, had black hair and brown eyes, gentle features, and his eyes revealed an unspeakable sense of vicissitude. There was a small black mole below his right ear that was only noticeable upon close inspection.
Cohen, a senior associate professor in the History Department at Khoy University, put down the resume in his hand, thought for a moment, and then asked the man opposite him several professional questions about the history of the Fourth and Fifth Epochs.
The middle-aged man opposite him answered quickly without hesitation or pause. Associate Professor Cohen nodded with satisfaction after hearing the answers, stood up, and extended his right hand, saying:
"Mr. Azik Eggers, your professional ability is sufficient to be a lecturer in the History Department at Khoy University. Welcome to join us."
Azik smiled, also stood up, and extended his hand.
Associate Professor Cohen greatly admired Mr. Azik's views on certain historical issues, even though these views might differ from his own. Just as the two were about to delve deeper into some historical questions,
The door to the meeting room was suddenly knocked. Associate Professor Cohen frowned slightly and called out loudly, "Come in."
The door to the meeting room was pushed open, and two men and one woman walked in with smiles on their faces. Seeing the three, Associate Professor Cohen's expression softened, and he introduced them to Mr. Azik beside him:
"These three are all my students: Klein Moretti, Welch MacGovern, and Naya."
He then pointed to Mr. Azik and introduced him to his students:
"This is Mr. Azik Eggers, the new lecturer in the History Department at Khoy University. You can also ask him if you have any questions in the future."
Klein Moretti, with black hair and brown eyes, ordinary features, a deeper outline, and a clear scholarly air, bowed slightly and extended his right hand, shaking hands with the new history lecturer, Mr. Azik.