Chapter 141 A changing world line 

Chapter 141 A changing world line 

Earl Hall spoke with a grave tone, "Baron Campbell? Did he tell you this, or did you tell him?"

"We discovered it together."

"Together?"

"Yes, we both heard about Admiral Qilangos hiding in Beckland at Mr. Glaint's party. It was just a coincidence that we discovered tonight that Qilangos was disguised as Baron Gramir."

To avoid mentioning the existence of the Tarot Club, Audrey could only push the matter onto Mr. Glaint, a method Mr. Hastur had told her could effectively evade questioning.

"That's fine. If anyone asks, just respond with what you just said."

"Dad, what's happened?" Audrey sensed something ominous.

"Qilangos has escaped, and his whereabouts are now unknown."

"What?"

Audrey was genuinely shocked. Had so many extraordinary people failed to capture the admiral tonight?

Earl Hall looked at his precious daughter and said softly, "Qilangos is a vicious pirate. Now that he has escaped, he will surely seek revenge on those who revealed his whereabouts tonight. I won't let this matter involve you, so we need someone else to attract his attention."

"Mr. Glaint?" Audrey was somewhat dazed.

"Yes, don't worry. The Storm Church will surely protect him. You needn't worry about him."

After offering some comfort, Earl Hall smiled and added, "Regardless, the information you provided tonight was crucial. You've done a great service."

"DukeNiganhas promised to gift you his vacation estate in the Dixie Bay, which includes a large rubber plantation. I'm not sure of the exact value, but it's no less than 10,000 pounds."

"I hadn't even considered any reward…"

Audrey murmured to herself. She had simply wanted to fulfill the commission from Mr. Hanged Man and complete an adventure befitting Miss Justice.

"Stay at home for the time being, and try not to go out. As for everything else, DukeNiganand I will make arrangements."

Earl Hall gave a few more instructions before turning to leave. He needed to align his story with DukeNiganto prevent the incident from affecting his beloved daughter.

Qilangos hadn't died; he had escaped. According to what he had just said, wouldn't Mr. Glaint become the scapegoat for himself and Mr. Hastur?

Had Mr. Hastur anticipated Qilangos' possible escape?

"No, I must inform Mr. Fool and Mr. Hanged Man about this."

Audrey went to the washroom and began to pray to Mr. Fool.

…

Above the gray fog, Klein sat at the head, listening to reports from Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man.

Both of their reports were consistent, concerning Qilangos' escape.

After some thought, Klein shared the images of each other's prayers, allowing them to be informed and reassured.

Having resolved this matter, Klein mused, "It's a pity Mr Azik didn't go to Beckland. With his strength, he could have killed Qilangos, right?"

He recalled Mr Azik mentioning that he had planned to go to Beckland, but after learning about the information he had shared regarding Ince Zangwill and 008, Mr Azik chose to stay in Tingen.

Recently, there had been several searches for Ince Zangwill's whereabouts. They had encountered each other once, but Ince Zangwill had managed to escape.

According to Mr Azik, this was because the 008 seal chose to fully assist Ince Zangwill at a critical moment, allowing him to flee.

Although Klein regretted the missed opportunity with Qilangos, having Mr Azik in Tingen ensured his safety.

"We must make the captain aware of the severity of the problem to prevent Ince Zangwill from hiding and causing more trouble."

Klein pondered for a while, truly appreciating the artifact known as Creeping Hunger. A Sequence 6 Follower of the Wind, with its help, managed to escape even after a failed assassination attempt.

Among the extraordinary items he knew of, the role of Creeping Hunger could be ranked second, with the first being the magic pen named 008.

…

"Qilangos escaped? How did he not die?"

Hastur also received the news from Greck.

This made him realize the seriousness of the issue immediately.

According to the original storyline, Qilangos was supposed to die at the hands of Mr Azik. But now, Qilangos had safely escaped.

This meant that the world line had begun to change.

He, the butterfly that should not have appeared, had finally caused its butterfly effect.

Greck sighed, "It's all because the extraordinary people of the Storm Church were too slow, allowing Qilangos to blend into the crowd. With the help of an extraordinary item, he successfully concealed himself."

"This is not good," Hastur said with a bitter smile on his face.

"Yes, you need to be careful for a while. You mustn't let anyone know that you were the one who exposed Qilangos' disguise, or you will attract his vengeance."

Greck's expression was serious as he continued, "I heard from Earl Hall that you and Audrey learned about Qilangos infiltrating Beckland at Mr. Glaint's party, and that's how you were able to expose his true identity at tonight's ball."

"If anyone asks you, just stick to that story and push the responsibility onto Mr. Glaint. As for his safety, the Storm Church will take care of it."

This was the excuse he had taught Miss Audrey to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, and it had indeed come in handy.

Mr. Glaint, this time you've become the scapegoat.

Hastur sighed inwardly.

Greck said a lot more, advising Hastur to be careful in the coming days and mentioning the gratitude of DukeNiganand the Prime Minister.

As for the reward, it would be known later, but Greck assured that it would be substantial.

After sending Greck away, Hastur fell into deep thought.

Qilangos' survival meant a threat to Mr. Glaint's safety. He couldn't just watch as Mr. Glaint faced danger after being made the scapegoat.

The best course of action now was to find Qilangos and kill him, to correct the altered world line.

He would take on the task originally meant for Mr Azik.

As Hastur prepared to leave, Mr. Glaint approached, excited and agitated.

"Hastur, what a lively night! There was an assassination attempt on Duke Nigan by an extraordinary person! And it was Admiral Qilangos, the one you and Miss Audrey mentioned!"

"He truly is a powerful extraordinary person! So many from the Storm Church couldn't catch him, and he even managed to escape."

"Hastur, do you think we could ever become that powerful?"

Looking at Mr. Glaint's oblivious expression, Hastur felt a twinge of guilt.

He hadn't really intended for Mr. Glaint to take the fall.

The matter of Qilangos was tricky; Audrey's information came from the Tarot Club, and his own from his prophetic abilities. Neither was easy to explain.

He had no choice but to make Mr. Glaint the source of the information. When it came time to share the credit, Mr. Glaint could also claim a part.

Unexpectedly, Qilangos had escaped! The changing world line had put Mr. Glaint in jeopardy.

Hastur spoke earnestly, "Mr. Glaint, that Admiral Qilangos is a murderous pirate. Having failed his assassination and escaped, he will surely seek wild revenge. After you go home, remember not to go out. You must stay safely at home."

"Is it really that serious?" Mr. Glaint asked quietly.

"It is, and it may even be more serious than that."

Hastur nodded seriously. Others might not be in danger, but Mr. Glaint would definitely attract the wrath of a madman like Qilangos.

"Alright, I'll heed your advice. As long as that admiral lives, I won't leave my home."

"Remember, Qilangos is very good at changing his appearance."

After giving a few more warnings, Hastur hurriedly took a carriage home.

Upon arriving, he went straight to his bedroom and lay on the bed, entering the Hall of Stars.

Qilangos was severely injured tonight. Even though he had escaped, Hastur might still be able to find him.

Qilangos had appeared before him tonight, creating a destiny intertwined with his own. It wouldn't be difficult to discern his current location.

Closing his eyes, Hastur contemplated Qilangos' situation. In the dark world, a corresponding revelation of fate soon appeared.

This time, it wasn't a still image but a short video.

The image showed Qilangos, now an old man leaning on a cane, hunched over and strolling in a park, surrounded by other elderly people and young couples dating.

Hastur memorized Qilangos' current face and carefully observed the surrounding environment.

He quickly determined that the place was in the West District's Green Park! After memorizing everything, Hastur exited the state of peering into fate. He blessed himself in the Hall of Stars before leaving.

Revealing his spirit body, he gathered the War Emblem and flew through the walls, speeding towards the location of Green Park in the West District.

The place wasn't too far from here. In his spirit form, it would take only about fifteen minutes to arrive.

(End of Chapter)