Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
100 Böklund Street, in a corner of the garden in Portland Moment’s residence.
The many ants and worms that were gathering there slowly dispersed as the cold, creepy sensation faded.
That person with extraordinary powers likely doesn’t have any experience… With her goal achieved, Hazel nodded indiscernibly before turning around briskly and strolling through the garden.
She wasn’t in a rush to return as she enjoyed the crimson moonlight, the cold air, and the faint flowery scent.
After a long while, Hazel stopped her stroll and left the garden, entering the hall on the first story.
At this moment, apart from the guests still playing Texas hold’em, many ladies and gentlemen had bid farewell. Moments after Hazel found her mother, Ma’am Riana, she saw her father, Member of Parliament Macht, and a few other gentlemen walking down as they conversed with lively expressions.
“Are you ready to head home? You have to visit a very important guest tomorrow morning.” As Riana gestured for her daughter to come close, she walked towards her husband and greeted the others with a smile.
Macht nodded and said, “I would’ve loved to try another of Portland’s cigars if not for that matter.”
Riana swept her gaze to Willis, Dwayne Dantès, and company, and she asked in passing, “Gentlemen, what are you talking about? It sounds interesting.”
Macht turned his body to the side and said with a smile, “Dwayne said that he encountered ghosts when he was in the Southern Continent.
“He and his companions suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and found themselves unable to open their eyes. Their bodies were heavy, as though someone was pressing on them.
“They used a great deal of strength before escaping such a state and left their beds. However, they discovered their rooms were extremely cold. You might not know this, but East Balam’s weather is hot most of the time.
“Then, Dwayne and his companions each held double-barreled hunting rifles and stood guard the entire night. They frantically left the town after the sun rose.”
After hearing that, Ma’am Riana looked at Dwayne Dantès with piqued interest.
“Is that true?
“Do ghosts really exist?”
Klein shook his head with a smile.
“That I’m not sure of. Perhaps my companions and I had just experienced a harrowing adventure and our bodies and minds weren’t in the best of conditions. This might’ve resulted in all kinds of problems.”
The stories he told were sourced from one of Anderson’s experiences. Back when the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea was exploring a temple in the primitive forest, he chanced upon a specter, creating a large-scale breakout overnight.
Ghosts… Hazel turned her head to look towards the garden as the corners of her mouth curved up slightly before she held back.
She didn’t say a word as she quietly listened to her parents bidding the rest of them farewell before returning home together.
Late at night, Hazel, who had changed into a sleeping gown, walked to the balcony and stood behind a gap in the curtains. She looked towards the sewer manhole on Böklund Street.
As she looked at it, her face gradually turned pale as though she had recalled an experience filled with pain and horror.
She forced herself to retract her gaze, took two deep breaths, and turned around to walk to her bedside.
During this process, she bit gently on her lip and muttered silently, That was likely a wraith… Definitely…
I need items or charms in the Sun domain…
While Hazel was looking at the manhole, Klein was also doing the same.
It’s been days. I wonder how well that Demoness, Trissy, has recovered and whether she has left or not… Thankfully, after Hazel was given a scare by me, she hasn’t dared to approach the manhole… Klein’s gaze swept the iron-black street lamps as he nodded slightly.
He opened the iron cigar case and made his Wraith marionette appear within the full-body mirror.
He had already decided to send Senor down the sewers to check the area to confirm Trissy’s condition. He didn’t want that Demoness to cause any trouble.
Furthermore, the sewers were just physically too close to his identity as Dwayne Dantès. Klein didn’t wish for Trissy to be in the vicinity any longer, wishing that she could recover soon and take action. That would prompt her to leave Böklund Street.
Hmm, having Admiral of Blood Senor appear every once in a while would fulfill the character setting I previously created. It doesn’t live nearby, and because the sewers contains a secret, it often wanders around in search of it… As Klein was thinking, he made the marionette in the ancient triangular hat leap onto the street lamp’s surface before passing through the manhole cover in a Wraith form, quickly approaching the hidden fork where Trissy hid herself at.
Before reaching the dead end, Senor, who had night vision, could see that the area was empty.
She’s already recovered and left? Klein thought as he made the marionette continue forward, stopping at the spot where Trissy was previously sitting.
He discovered that the place was tidied up. Not only was the ground not muddy and moist, even the moss on the walls and corner had vanished.
There isn’t any leftover food either… That fellow became a germaphobe after becoming a woman? No, perhaps he was like that to begin with… With Senor’s vision, Klein surveyed the area and determined that either Trissy hadn’t left, or she hadn’t left for more than a day; otherwise, it was impossible to maintain the cleanliness of the place.
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, light footsteps sounded into the Wraith’s ear.
Under his control, Senor retraced his steps and wasn’t surprised to see Trissy in her black dress.
This Demoness had her luscious black hair cascading down, unlike peers her age who had different hairstyles. It was simple and neat.
Matched with her pale face that had just recovered some of its ruddiness, Trissy looked like a dreamy flower that was silently blooming in the night.
As expected of a Demoness… Thankfully, there’s a marionette in between us; otherwise, I would just end up staring at her… Heh heh, a dead person won’t be enticed! No matter how charming a Demoness is, there’s no way they can make the deceased climb out of a tomb like a zombie… Klein lampooned as he looked at Trissy who had a blank expression but was secretly wary, having released the invisible threads.
“Where did you go?”
Trissy pricked up her brows and said, “Would you like to relieve yourself where you sleep?”
Uh… I thought a Demoness wouldn’t need to use the washroom… Klein gave a self-deprecating comment and made Senor chuckle.
“Are you referring to pissing and shitting?”
He had deliberately made the marionette say such words, as it matched Admiral of Blood’s persona of a boorish pirate.
Trissy indiscernibly frowned and said, “Is there anything else?”
Senor didn’t continue on the topic as he said, “You look like you’ve almost recovered.”
Trissy smiled.
“Not bad. I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
She paused as she slightly narrowed her slender eyes.
“To be frank, I doubt whether you’re the real Admiral of Blood at times.”
Of course it’s real! You should ask if he’s alive or dead… With his interest piqued, Klein made Senor ask, “Why do you say that?”
Trissy’s gaze swept over the Wraith’s face and said, “It’s said that Admiral of Blood is someone who indulges in his desires, and he has no resistance towards beautiful females and males.
“Yet, I don’t see any sparks of desire when you face me.
“I believe the real Admiral of Blood would’ve added the condition of doing something I wouldn’t want to in the agreement.”
Klein deliberated for two seconds and made Senor give a self-deprecating smile.
“I’m afraid of finding myself lost to Pleasure and ending up being controlled by you.”
Trissy’s expression instantly changed. This was indeed one of the reasons why she had raised the topic.
To a Demoness of Pleasure, Beyonders who habitually indulged in their desires were natural prey.
Klein actively ignored the topic and made the marionette say, “You’re seeking out the target tomorrow?
“Very clearly, the royal guard captain knows you and knows what you look like.”
After all, you were arranged by them to be by Prince Edessak’s side… Klein silently added.
Trissy lowered her head and looked at her toes before chuckling.
“Rest at ease, I have the perfect plan.”
As she spoke, she turned her body sideways and casually looked deep into the sewers.
“If you set off from here, at the end of the sixth left fork is a hidden passage. It has signs of prolonged human activity. Heh heh, I discovered it while walking around in the past few days.
“I believe it has something to do with that girl, right…
“It’s also the reason why you’re here?”
Hidden passage? Klein didn’t confirm or deny it. He made Senor smile and say, “Did you discover anything?”
Trissy shook her head.
“There was nothing at all. Perhaps only a certain pathway, or someone with a specific item, can find the clues.”
A Marauder’s intuition, or something on Hazel’s person? Klein didn’t make Senor continue on the topic as he pressed his hand to his chest and bowed with a smile.
“Since you’ve recovered, I can be at ease.”
The moment he said that, he suddenly vanished.
Trissy focused her eyes into a stare, but it was to no avail. Only when the invisible threads she had released was hit by a breeze did she retract her gaze, confirming that Admiral of Blood had really left.
At that moment, Klein had brought the Wraith back to the manhole without attempting to explore the spot which Trissy had mentioned.
There were three reasons for his decision. First, it had exceeded a hundred meters. Second, he suspected that he wouldn’t find anything since he wasn’t from the Marauder pathway, nor did he have the corresponding items. Third, Trissy was still around.
…
Fors woke up naturally on a Sunday morning as she got up to wash up. As she chewed on a fresh piece of toast, she retrieved a stack of items from her mailbox.
As she walked to the coffee table with a cup of coffee on it, she casually flipped through the items and discovered a reply letter she had been looking forward to.
Throwing down the papers, bills, and other letters, Fors tore open the envelope.
“…Teacher is already in Backlund?” Fors quickly read through the letter as she muttered in surprise.
At the same time, she saw the toast in her mouth plunge to the ground.
