fantasy novels Chapter 207 Evan's Purpose, Audrey's Guidance.
Chapter 207 Evan's Purpose, Audrey's Guidance.
Chapter 207 Evan's Purpose, Audrey's Guidance.
Looking at the last letter from Klein, which the Fool had "transferred," Evan was filled with excitement. From his first time attending a Tarot meeting to his continuous planning, he had finally achieved his initial goal.
Why did Evan go to such lengths to constantly test Adam's limits and help Klein break through his predicament? Was it really because he was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see Tingen destroyed? Absolutely not!
If Evan is acting for the people of Tingen, then doing nothing and letting things take their course will allow the story to unfold smoothly as described in the original work, with only a few Night Watch team members dying.
Evan went through all this trouble mainly to gain Klein's trust and to keep more of everything Klein cherished. The more things Klein cherished, the more leverage he would have.
Now that Klein has willingly handed over his most cherished brother and sister to him, how could Evan not be excited?
Lord of Mysteries was Evan's favorite novel in his previous life, and Klein was the most humane protagonist Evan had ever met.
When Evan first arrived in the mysterious world, he fantasized about becoming friends with Klein and fighting side by side, but the scene when he first "ascended" the gray fog still haunts him.
Gray Mist's "appetite" triggered Evan's deepest fear, a fear that makes a creature weak and its legs go limp when it encounters its "natural enemy."
Although the Gray Mist was thwarted by the resistance of the "City of Calamity," the fear of standing before the gaping maw and becoming food was deeply etched into Evan's heart, and the sense of powerlessness fueled his resentment.
Even though Evan later went to the Gray Fog and attended the Tarot Club, and the Gray Fog did not riot again, Evan always vaguely felt that chill that made his neck go cold.
So, ever since the first Tarot meeting, Evan has been plotting against Klein.
Most people, if they were to scheme against someone, would use this method to kill them and end it all, but Evan didn't do that.
Klein and his own time travel occurred on the same day. This coincidence made Evan, while scheming against Klein, also unable to help but suspect the "Heavenly Venerable of Blessing and Prosperity," wondering if the gray fog's overreaction to him stemmed from this mysterious Heavenly Venerable.
There was a strong sense of destiny between him and Klein, a sense of destiny that was deliberately arranged. This made Evan wonder if he was a deliberate arrangement by the Celestial Venerable, targeting Klein, the new master of the Gray Mist.
Therefore, he cannot completely outmaneuver Klein, because if he is truly a pawn used to counterbalance Klein, then if something happens to Klein, he, as a pawn, may also lose his function, and his fate will probably not be much better. Evan must be wary of this.
So here's the trouble: he can neither destroy Klein nor stand by and watch Klein grow stronger day by day, lest the day come when he himself is swallowed by the gray fog.
Evan then decided to start with Klein's personality, doing everything he could to help him, flatter him, protect Klein's kind nature, prevent him from turning evil, and gain his trust so that he would consider him a friend.
On this point, Evan absolutely loved the idea in the role-playing method that "you can only be yourself". Once he had everything that Klein cherished, or even if he himself was a part of what Klein cherished, would he be able to abandon his "kind" humanity and cooperate with Gray Mist to mess with him?
The name of this organization is "Good people should have a gun pointed at their heads." If you are a good person, you should be threatened and protect me.
Of course, this was just Evan's deepest calculation. On the surface, Evan would not pose any threat to Klein, but he would also let Klein know that if something happened to him, Benson and Melissa would not fare any better.
Evan wanted Klein to be his shield against the gray fog; if the gray fog posed even the slightest threat to Evan, Klein had to be at the forefront of the opposition.
After the Tingen affair is resolved, Benson and Melissa move to Backlund. Evan will approach them as Klein's friend, guide them onto the path of the extraordinary, and eventually recruit them as future members of his team.
Of course, all of this must be done with Klein's permission; otherwise, it would just be scheming for the sake of scheming, and even a fool could see the problem.
The road to hell is often paved with good intentions. Evan kindly expressed to Klein that he wanted to lead his brother and sister onto the path of the extraordinary, thus binding himself completely to them.
The so-called "Heavenly Venerable of Blessing and Prosperity" can forget about making Klein and me kill each other. Even if we are destined to be enemies, Klein must not fight back or retaliate.
Every time he thought of this, Evan felt very fortunate to have the "City of Calamity," to be able to become a hunter, and to be able to utilize the "Crowd" authority of the high-sequence hunters in the future.
With a tremor of his hand, Evan ignited the letter in his hand, turning it to ashes.
After finishing with the letters in his hand, Evan leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes to peruse the Mysterious Lord in his mind.
Most of the content of the first volume of Lord of Mysteries had become a blank in my mind because Evan's intrusion changed many things, but the chapter in which Ince Zangwill wrote the script was still there, and Evan could still glean 008's arrangements from his script.
(Lines of text are being erased.)
"The Lannüs hoax unexpectedly expanded beyond Ince Zangwell's script, which was caused by unexpected factors from Backlund."
(Lines of content are being deleted one by one.)
"With the combined efforts of Klein Moretti, Leonard Mitchell, and Daly, the entire Night Watch team learned about the 'Acting Method,' Dunn Smith's potion digestion process accelerated significantly, his mental confusion problem was initially resolved, and Ince Zangwell's script was in danger of collapsing."
(Large sections of content were erased)
"The expansion of the Lanius scam is not necessarily a bad thing. The scam was exposed, and large-scale riots broke out in Tingen. People are vulnerable. In mass incidents, many people go to extremes without prior agreement, which is very reasonable."
"The overwhelming resentment and pain are excellent nourishment for the offspring of the evil god. The blame suffered by the mother's family makes the offspring of the evil god feel even more pain, and they strive to grow, wanting to grow up quickly."
"Tingen is no longer a suitable place to live, and the Megos family intends to leave Tingen after the lawsuit is over, which is something Ince Zangwell does not want to see."
(A section of content has been crudely altered).
"The defense attorney from Backlund was so righteous that she found some of the property that Lanluus had hidden for Megaus and found a temporary place for Megaus's family to stay in Tingen."
The police chief is no saint, but Captain Leo is a devout follower of the god of steam and machinery, and the Megaos family are also followers of the god of steam and machinery. With him by his side, there's no need to worry about the police chief changing his mind.
"Klein Moretti is getting close to Hood Eugen, Leonard Mitchell is getting close to the clues left behind by Lanluus, and Ince Zangwell has repeatedly tried to interfere with their investigation, but it's only a temporary fix."
(The good pages were torn off directly).
"Ince Zangwell is really unlucky. Klein Moretti, who has repeatedly interfered with his script, has actually realized that Azik is extraordinary and that he is the first Baron Ramd from more than a thousand years ago, a genuine high-sequence powerhouse!"
To make matters worse, in order to advance from the Death Path Sequence 5 'Gatekeeper' to the Night Path Sequence 4 'Night Watcher', Ince Zangwell must have the skull of a descendant of the Death added to the ritual.
The skull he had prepared happened to belong to the mysterious child of Azik, who was being targeted by a high-sequence powerhouse. Ince Zangwill had to lay low for a while and forgo the opportunity to eliminate Klein Moretti and Leonard Mitchell.
(Re-corrected, with traces of paper remaining in the book's seams)
"Ince Zangwell is unwilling to accept that the script is completely ruined and is preparing to speed up the process."
"The story takes another turn when Schumer, the 'peeping Tom' from the tranquil church, is sensed by the hidden sage while studying Old Neil's handwriting, and his gaze may now turn to Tingen."
"Azik left Tingen and went to Backlund in order to find his past memories, the inside story of his child's death, and to lure out the snakes."
"Because the Night Watch squad has collectively learned 'role-playing,' the Church of Tranquility has sent two high-ranking deacons to investigate, and Schumer's problem may have been discovered."
(The entire laptop has been replaced!)
"Cecima deduced from Klein's experience that the acting method was taught by Evan Horn, the chosen one of the goddess of night."
Overthinking things, he abruptly halted his colleagues' in-depth investigation, thus preventing Schumer's own problems from being detected, and ensuring that Ince Zangwell's script did not fail.
(A lot of content has been crossed out again!)
"Klein Moretti actually wants to cooperate with Ince Zangwell to help him achieve his goals?"
"Klein Moretti did this in order to reduce the damage that Ince Zangwell's script would cause to Tingen."
"What a noble spirit! And exactly what Ince Zangwell needs! That's why he's happy to accept this collaboration."
"Ince Zangwell was well aware that the enigmatic Klein Moretti had the ability to sabotage his script, and he had to take some countermeasures."
"To thank Klein Moretti for his help, Butler Buck of the Earl of Ahova sent three VIP tickets to the Moretti family."
The ever- astute butler, Buck, failed to realize that this was an unbearable gift for the Moretti family.
(Corrections reappeared)
Klein Moretti's effortless escape from the Pen of Akthorth's schemes and the allure of the priceless VIP tickets left Ince Zangwill utterly perplexed.
"Klein Moretti received the signal that Ince Zangwill agreed to cooperate through the ticket incident. After reviewing the first volume of Lord of Mysteries in his mind, Evan believed that Ince Zangwill did not have many backup plans, nor did he have time to set up many backup plans. In addition to not having enough time, there were also very few wild Extraordinary beings left in Tingen."
In the coming days, Ince Zangwell is unlikely to make any moves easily, and will instead observe Klein's reaction.
In a few days, on Monday, Klein will unpack the plan he wrote for him, which will surely catch Ince Zangwell off guard.
Good things kept happening, and everything was going according to plan. Evan stood up, stretched, walked to the French windows, and drew back the curtains. Warm sunlight streamed in, which was very rare in the gloomy and rainy Backlund.
Queens, the Grynt family home.
Audrey, dressed in a pale yellow dress adorned with numerous lace details, elegantly sipped her coffee, while opposite her was Fors, dressed in a blue dress.
"I thought the literary salon wouldn't be able to take place today, after all, Duke Negan was just assassinated last night! I thought it would be like last time, with strict censorship, if not a city lockdown."
Fors took a sip of his coffee, his eyes lit up, and then he spoke as he sipped it.
Audrey Hall put down her coffee cup and said with a smile:
"Last time the assassin escaped unscathed, but this time he was killed on the spot, so there's no need to search for him anymore, and naturally, there's no need for a large-scale manhunt."
Moreover, strict scrutiny can damage the international image and create a false impression in the international community that Backlund is unsafe.
Even today's gathering was specifically organized and required by someone.
Fors chuckled, finding it utterly absurd, and couldn't help but want to satirize the self-deceptive behavior of those in power. However, remembering that the girl before him came from a top-tier aristocratic family, he swallowed his words and instead asked:
"Is there something you wanted to discuss with me privately?"
Having become a "mind reader," Audrey naturally noticed Fors's hesitant retort, but she didn't mind at all, because she also found it somewhat absurd.
However, she had a deeper understanding of the significance of "decency" to the ruling class.
"I commissioned you and Miss Hugh to investigate the Qilingus matter last time, and you did an excellent job. This is your reward!"
As she spoke, Audrey took an envelope from her small handbag, placed it on the coffee table in front of her, and pushed it to Fors.
Fors, however, looked strange and awkwardly picked up the envelope.
After they confirmed that the operation to capture Zilingus was not led by Evan, they remembered that Miss Audrey had also posted a reward for finding Zilingus a few days earlier.
So, with the idea of making as much money as possible, he informed Audrey of the news through Viscount Greenchett, emphasizing the risks he and Hugh encountered during the mission and playing the victim.
To be honest, she originally thought that Qilingus's intelligence should be considered useless after the failure of MI9's operation, and that she shouldn't be able to get a high price from Audrey, at most she could get a little trouble fee. But judging from the thickness of the envelope, it didn't seem to be like that.
Fors opened the envelope in front of Audrey and found it full of 10-pound notes. He could no longer hide his surprise and looked at Audrey with a strange expression.
"Here's 800 pounds. You and Miss Hugh can divide it among yourselves!" Audrey said with a slight smile.
"Our intelligence was actually quite untimely, so it probably wasn't very helpful?"
Although Fors wanted to get more bounty from Audrey, she didn't expect it to be so much, which made her feel uneasy.
"You played a crucial role in the pursuit of Zilingus, and you deserve it!"
Audrey didn't think she had given too much, because last night she had Susie eavesdrop on her father's conversation with Duke Negan and Lord Robert, and she understood that if it weren't for Fors and Hugh's investigation, MI9 wouldn't have been able to ambush Qilingus the day before yesterday.
Although Liv failed, it prompted Zilingus to do the opposite, to launch a counterattack, and to risk assassinating Duke Negan. This allowed him to detect the anomaly and gain gifts from Duke Negan, his father's praise, and bounties from various countries.
Compared to what she received, Audrey felt that she hadn't paid enough this time.
"This is more than all the royalties I've received so far for my book 'Storm Mountain Lodge'—"
"Should I praise Miss Audrey, or mock my own poverty as a writer?" Fors couldn't help but laugh at himself.
"In short, thank you for your generosity. If you need anything in the future, please feel free to contact me, or I can ask you to come back later."
Fors sincerely thanked Audrey. Since the last full moon, she had lost confidence in her future. Now, the only two things she couldn't let go of were her still somewhat impulsive roommate and her father, who had remarried in the Southern Continent.
The 800 gold pounds given by Miss Audrey would make Hugh's future path easier, so she was sincerely grateful for Audrey's generosity.
Audrey sensed the dejection in Fors's tone and couldn't help but frown. She naturally knew the reason for Fors's disheartened state and couldn't help but blame herself for not acting sooner, since she had received Evan's request a month ago.
Audrey and Fors chatted for a while, mostly about things in the extraordinary community. Then, guided by Audrey, Fors began looking for books she wanted to read.
Suddenly Fors' eyes lit up; she spotted two hardcover books:
"History of the Nobles of the Kingdom of Loen" and "The Secret History of Emperor Rosell"
At this moment, Viscount Grelint, who had been greeting guests outside, entered the library and said smugly:
"I knew that after becoming a 'pharmacist,' my salon would become the most anticipated gathering in Backlund."
Wow, there are so many people here today!
Upon hearing this, Audrey's lips twitched, but she didn't say anything more.
Since becoming an apprentice of Darkwell, Viscount Grelint has obtained the potion recipes of the "Pharmacist". He has finally managed to collect the relevant materials through various connections and officially become a "Pharmacist", able to use various medicinal herbs to concoct aphrodisiacs.
At first, Viscount Grelint only experimented with a small group of friends. What was a secret was no secret to everyone. Soon, many people in high society knew that Viscount Grelint had become a pharmacist who could cure "middle-aged fatigue" through his studies. People came to his door seeking medicine, and they almost wore down his doorstep.
At first, Viscount Grelint was somewhat anxious, wondering if he would have to live a life of wandering like his teacher. After all, he was well aware of the official forces' attitude towards wild extraordinary individuals.
But to everyone's surprise, half a month has passed, and neither MI9 nor the three major churches seem to have heard of him. Not a single organization has come to check his gas meter.
Gradually, he grew bolder and began to openly sell his wares at his own salons, attracting more and more literati, nobles, and wealthy merchants.
Viscount Grelint was so excited, but he quickly realized that the topic was impolite in front of the two ladies and immediately stopped talking about it.
"Viscount Grelint, may I borrow these two books? I will return them soon!" Fors raised the books in his hand and then asked.
Now that Fors has joined MI9, she knows her roommate's past identity and also understands what Hugh wanted to investigate. The book "History of the Nobles of the Kingdom of Rune" contains what she now wants to know.
"No problem, you can borrow it as much as you like, just remember to return it!" Viscount Grelint nodded nonchalantly.
Seeing this, Audrey smiled without saying a word, turned around reservedly to look at the bookshelf next to her, and pretended to be looking for a book.
In the evening, Fors put on her pajamas, snuggled on the sofa, and read a book with great interest under the gas lamp.
I knew it! Intis was known for its chaotic relationships with men and women, and Emperor Roselle should not be an exception; that would be the serious image depicted in the official treaty.
Judging from the content of this book, many of the details described are very realistic, as if they were written by someone who experienced them firsthand, rather than the fantasy of an ordinary erotic novelist.
Well, given that Emperor Roselle has made such a name for himself, he must have been an extremely powerful extraordinary being, perhaps even a demigod. The author of this book might very well have known Roselle, been a witness to many of the events, and perhaps even one of Emperor Roselle's many lovers? It's a pity his name wasn't recorded.
Just as Fors was lost in thought about the author of the book, there was a knock on the apartment door. Hearing the familiar footsteps, Fors, too lazy to even get out of bed, asked directly:
"You're home pretty early today!"
Hugh Deercha said nonchalantly as he changed his shoes:
"Right now, everyone's attention is focused on that high-sequence powerhouse who silenced Qilingus. That's far removed from us low-sequence extraordinary beings. I'm just routinely assigning tasks to my informants, helping the people of the East District with some 'arbitration,' maintaining local order, and that's about it. Of course, I can come back early."
"How's your digestion of the potion, Sheriff? How's your summary of the role-playing rules?"
Perhaps her recent work is a good fit for Hugh Deercha's role; she hasn't really reflected on her experience, yet she's digested the potion quite well.
"I'm starting to get a feel for the rules of role-playing. But I have a feeling the rules aren't quite finalized yet; the potions might need to be processed first. What are you looking at right now?"
Hugh Deercha placed the pie he had brought back on the table while disassembling his equipment. He casually asked, "It's nothing. I just borrowed a book from a salon hosted by Viscount Grynt today. Oh, and I borrowed one for you too. I figured you'd really need it."
Fors pointed to a book with a very antique cover on the coffee table. Hugh Deercha could tell at a glance that Fors had taken his matter to heart, and he was deeply moved.
But just as she picked up the book, she realized something was wrong.