join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Every 500 powerstones = free membership | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr
In the evening, in Empress Borough, Backlund, inside the Hall family's villa, Audrey sat on the right side of the long dining table, enjoying a small piece of cake adorned with fruit on her plate, which was her favorite dessert after a meal.
After she had eaten enough, she took a small sip of Aurmir red wine from her glass, observing the expressions of her father and Mother.
After confirming that they were both in a good mood today, she controlled her tone, asking with a hint of curiosity and concern:
"Father, how did the contact between the Royal Family and the warlord occupying Paz River Valley in the Southern Continent go today? Hmm... When will Alfred return to Backlund? Will his position in the Loen Military be affected by this incident?"
Earl Hall, who was seated at the head of the table, sighed softly, put down his knife and fork, and said with a tone of emotion:
"Mesagnes has released the person; Alfred should be able to return to Backlund next week."
"The Loen Military will temporarily suspend him, but this is not a bad thing; it's just to let him rest at home for a period of time."
"The Loen Military's troops stationed in Paz River Valley didn't suffer heavy losses, but many high-ranking officers stationed there sacrificed their lives. If it weren't for the subsequent negotiations, Alfred might have..."
At this point, Earl Hall stopped speaking. He looked at his wife, who was sitting beside him, and gave her a comforting smile.
The family around the dining table fell silent, no one spoke. Audrey pursed her lips, glanced around, then curved her lips slightly and whispered:
"May the Evernight Goddess bless Alfred!"
"It's good for him to come back and rest for a while. Experiencing so many things suddenly will definitely leave some impact on his heart. It's good to come back and recuperate and relax for a while."
Audrey was subtly worried, but her feigned composure and cheerful tone were very obvious. Earl Hall looked at his daughter with gentle eyes, chuckled, and nodded:
"Haha, my dear Audrey, you've grown up, but I haven't grown old yet. You don't need to worry about these issues. Your brother and I will handle these matters."
Audrey's elder brother, Hibbert Hall, also nodded slightly after his father spoke and said to Audrey:
"Father is right. As your elder brother, I have the duty and responsibility to protect your innocence."
Audrey looked at her brother, who had a stern and serious expression, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Hibbert always spoke in such a businesslike manner, no matter the occasion. No wonder no women had ever shown admiration for him. She had to admit, in terms of interpersonal skills, he was far inferior to Alfred.
Amidst her sigh, Audrey took another sip of the red wine in her glass, then turned to her father and asked with some curiosity:
"Dear Earl, what do you think about what happened in Paz River Valley? Can they really succeed? Currently, Loen and Intis both seem to have no intention of pursuing the matter further?"
Hibbert Hall, who was sitting opposite her, looked at Audrey with some surprise and chuckled:
"Audrey, are you also interested in such political issues?"
"However, I don't think it's possible for either our Loen or Intis to simply give up Paz River Valley. Not only is it the most prosperous area in all of West Balam, but it's also where the safe shipping lane connecting the Northern and Southern continents is located. It's a necessary passage for entering and exiting the Southern Continent, and it's very important both politically and economically."
Audrey frowned slightly, looking at her father with a somewhat heavy expression and said:
"So, there's still a possibility of war breaking out in Paz River Valley?"
Earl Hall picked up the handkerchief placed beside him to wipe his hands, and following his daughter's gaze, he nodded gently:
"Not for now, but war will inevitably break out later, whether for colonies or to suppress resistance forces in the Southern Continent."
"However, this might wait for a long time. The outbreak of war requires mature conditions and irreconcilable conflicts."
"This is not something we need to worry about, ladies and gentlemen. We should adjust our state and welcome Alfred's return home next week."
Is war inevitable? I wonder how Mr. Tower and the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom plan to deal with the subsequent issues? Will they ease relations between all parties to avoid war as much as possible, or will they choose to directly ignite conflict and repel the enemy head-on?
Audrey's thoughts drifted for a moment, and after a while, she came back to her senses amidst the conversation between Hibbert and Earl Hall. She tilted her head and said with a light chuckle:
"Alright, esteemed Earl and Countess, and my beloved brother, I wish you a pleasant meal. I'm going to prepare a small gift for Alfred."
After speaking, Audrey rose from her seat, curtsied slightly towards her father, and then walked happily out of the dining room.
Hibbert called out to the departing Audrey:
"Audrey, what gift are you planning to prepare for Alfred? Let me take a look too."
"That's a secret. I can't tell you yet. The most important thing about a gift is the thought, not the gift itself. As long as you prepare one, Alfred will be happy."
Audrey half-turned her body, gently placed her right index finger on her lips, making a shushing gesture, and then walked happily out of the dining room.
In a somewhat old and cheap hotel room in East Borough, Backlund.
The bow window with stained glass was tightly closed, and the faint yellow light from the gas street lamps outside vaguely filtered in, preventing the room, which had no lit candles or gas wall lamps, from being completely dark.
A woman dressed in men's clothing was sitting hunched over a dressing table, her black hair smoothly draped over her shoulders. Her face was round, her eyes long and narrow, and her features, when viewed separately, were not outstanding, but combined, they gave off a gentle and sweet feeling.
It was Trissy Cheek, the Demoness of Afflictions, who had written the letter seeking help to Leyton that afternoon. She looked as if she was having a refreshing dream, her eyes somewhat hazy, and her lips slightly parted, as if she was murmuring in her sleep.
In the dim room, specks of starlight suddenly appeared, gradually becoming denser and emitting a hazy glow. As these lights continuously spread, they also gradually became clearer.
In just a moment, the originally dim and old cheap hotel transformed into a luxurious and understated manor. The room was filled with ornate decorations, and the bow window had become a transparent floor-to-ceiling window, perfectly overlooking the lush green racecourse outside.
"You are not Edessak. You conjured Red Rose Manor, but without its master. Is your intelligence gathering incomplete, or are your Beyonder abilities not yet proficient?"
Trissy Cheek, who had been hunched over the dressing table, had woken up at some point. She leaned lazily in the shadowy area beside the dressing table, her eyes lowered as she looked towards the floor-to-ceiling window, showing no discernible emotion. A low-pressure aura enveloped her entire being, both wary and vigilant, yet also bewildered and nostalgic.
Specks of brilliant starlight flickered and appeared in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, the starlight converging in mid-air to outline Leyton's figure.
A fist-sized, translucent crystal ball containing brilliant starlight was gently held in his left hand. The starlight inside the crystal ball subtly echoed the surrounding illusion.
Leyton looked at Trissy with some curiosity and said, "You can find my concealed location?"
"No, but for an excellent Assassin, grasping the enemy's psychology and finding where they might be hidden in a flawless environment is a basic quality."
"Every Demoness is the most excellent Assassin."
Trissy responded with a somewhat hoarse voice, seemingly not yet fully emerged from the hazy dream she had just experienced.
Leyton tilted his head slightly, shifting his gaze away from her. In this state, Trissy was more alluring than usual, making one irresistibly want to understand her more deeply.
A deep blue radiance subtly emerged in his eyes, and rationality instantly gained the upper hand, suppressing various complex thoughts.
Red Rose Manor in the illusion suddenly dimmed, the almost real background noises abruptly fell silent, and outside the clear floor-to-ceiling window, sparse, scattered stars twinkled.
After using Concealment to conceal this illusion, Leyton then looked at Trissy with some curiosity and said:
"What did you dream about just now? You seemed very engrossed."
Trissy turned her head away unnaturally, saying in a somewhat hoarse voice:
"Nothing, just some past memories. Why does the Primordial Demoness keep bothering me? I'm just a Sequence 5 Demoness of Afflictions. In the Demoness Sect, that's not considered powerful."
"Perhaps you have many similarities with Her, both in mindset and experiences, resembling Her at a certain point in the past. These similar characteristics attracted Her attention, making Her unable to resist wanting to make you into a temporary vessel for Her descent."
Leyton walked to the single sofa next to the floor-to-ceiling window and sat down, his eyes slightly lowered as he pondered.
Trissy leaned further into the shadows, as if only that could give her enough sense of security. The thick, impenetrable shadows obscured her face, allowing only faint breaths and a restrained, hoarse voice to be heard:
"Similar characteristics, huh... Could it be that the Primordial Demoness was also once tricked into drinking the Assassin potion?"
"She doesn't reside in the Astral World like the Seven Deities; why does she still need a temporary vessel for descent?"
Leyton shrugged, leaning casually on the sofa, and said with a regretful expression:
"I don't understand that question either. Perhaps you should inquire with those old antiques from Her era."
"As for needing a temporary vessel for descent, of course, it's because Her state isn't good. The injuries She sustained during the Pale Disaster haven't healed even now, and the conditions for creating a divine descent vessel are very difficult; it's not just about finding a Saint of the same Pathway casually."
Trissy didn't care about the Primordial Demoness wanting to make her into a divine descent vessel. One hand held her loosely draped men's overcoat across her chest, while the other played with a strand of hair falling over her forehead, saying:
"The old antiques you mentioned, who can live to this day, are you sure they haven't already become Gods or are close to becoming Gods?"
"Evidently, only by becoming an Angel can one possess a long lifespan."
"If you are curious about this, you can try to communicate with Mr. Door, who was banished by the Evernight Goddess and Storm to the depths of the Cosmos. He is an existence from the same era as the Primordial Demoness. Perhaps you can inquire about some hidden information regarding the Primordial Demoness from him."
Leyton had a faint smile on his lips as he told her how to communicate with Mr. Door.
Trissy frowned slightly and murmured:
"Gibberish during a full moon? That would require at least a Demigod; otherwise, just hearing the voice of that Abraham Family ancestor would make me lose control."
"That's too far off for me right now. Do you have any way to shield me from the Primordial Demoness's influence?"
Leyton said with a relaxed, smiling expression, "That's very simple, I just don't know if you're willing."
Trissy took a deep breath, her face somewhat solemn. The other party's tone made her suspect something. After a moment of hesitation, she lowered her voice and asked:
"What method?"
Leyton curled his lips and said with a light chuckle:
"Seek the protection of Concealment. The power of Concealment can easily shield your connection with the Primordial Demoness."
"The protection of Concealment? The Evernight Goddess? Are you sure you're not trying to get me locked behind Chanis Gate?"
Trissy was slightly stunned for a moment, and quickly associated it with the phrase "Mother of Concealment" in the Church of the Evernight Goddess's proclaimed title for the Evernight Goddess, her expression becoming a bit strange.
Leyton gently shook his head and said:
"Although the Evernight Goddess is the 'Mother of Concealment,' she is not the only one who possesses the authority of Concealment."
To avoid the influence of the Primordial Demoness by contacting another Hidden existence, what's the difference between that and jumping from one fire pit into another? As long as I can achieve my revenge, I don't mind selling myself to a Hidden existence.
After a brief silence, Trissy hesitantly asked again:
"Who else? Or, which other Hidden existences possess authority related to Concealment?"
Leyton's gaze shifted to the scattered twinkling stars outside the floor-to-ceiling window, and he spoke calmly:
"As I mentioned just now, that ancestor of the Abraham Family, the Sequence 4 of the Door Pathway is called Secrets Sorcerer. This 'Secrets' itself contains the meaning of Concealment and Concealment."
"And also the 'Fool' that the Aurora Order previously promoted, as well as the 'Erudite' that is now being promoted in the Southern Continent. As the highest position of the Mystery Pryer pathway, He also possesses the authority of Concealment."
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Every 500 powerstones = free membership | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr