Chapter 415: Audrey's Hypnosis
Regarding this matter, although there was some discussion within the Yellow Robe Monks organization, under Lady Lisa's leadership, they continued to diligently perform their duties.
As for the affairs of Puning Port and other ports, they were handled by him. Only when significant matters arose did he stay temporarily, waiting for the Earl to return and address them.
Currently, there is only one issue: the investigators from the three major churches have yet to meet the Earl, and with some people fanning the flames, news has come from Backlund that the Earl has allegedly harmed two Dukes of Southwell for his own gain.
The new King of the Ruen Kingdom, Covington II, has revoked the Earl's previous appointment to assist with the coastal defense and has ordered the Earl to return to Backlund before the New Year to report. Otherwise, his title will be revoked, and he will be charged with treason.
This matter has already spread in Backlund. The Nigen family and Earl Hall, who had spoken on the Earl's behalf, have also been suppressed and stripped of many rights, left out in the cold.
However, regardless of the external changes, Puning Port remains absolutely stable, and no one can shake its peace.
The members of the Yellow Robe Monks have also done many things to counteract, but without the Earl's final decision, they are ultimately constrained in their actions.
Caius originally intended for Miss Sharon to handle these matters in place of the Earl, but Miss Sharon had no interest in them and simply instructed everyone to wait quietly for the Earl's return.
Outside Puning Port, the investigators from the three major churches have all gathered together.
Three months was enough time for them to investigate many things.
Now, all suspicions point to Earl Hastur Campbell, but strangely, since they arrived in Southwell County, Earl Hastur Campbell has not appeared, as if he had disappeared.
"Do you think Earl Hastur Campbell might have been entangled by the extraordinary phenomena of Puning Port? Or perhaps he has already been killed?"
Someone proposed this hypothesis, but it was quickly dismissed by others.
Most investigators are more convinced that Earl Hastur Campbell is the mastermind behind this series of events and is deliberately avoiding them.
"Let's request help from the church. If the situation is serious, we can directly wipe out the entire Puning Port."
"But there are so many ordinary residents living here..."
"Just say it's a pirate's revenge."
With a few words, they easily decided the fate of this port.
"Puning Port is indeed too terrifying."
Someone felt uneasy, but Puning Port gave them an eerie and frightening feeling.
During this period, they had tried many methods but failed to uncover the secrets of Puning Port. It seemed as if a thick fog was always obscuring it.
Members of the Church of Storms couldn't help but think of Bansi. At that time, Bansi exhibited abnormal phenomena, and the investigation team was caught up in it. In the end, it was only resolved when the Lord of Storms descended.
If this situation continues, Puning Port will eventually see the descent of a deity.
...
"Is this Southwell County? The weather is indeed much better than Backlund, with a gentle sea breeze, cool and refreshing, completely unlike the dryness of Backlund."
At the Southwell County steam train station, a steam train from Backlund was quietly parked.
A group of two people and a dog emerged from the train car, admiring the scenery of Southwell County as they walked out of the station and hailed a carriage to Puning Port.
As they waited for the carriage and sat inside, Fors glanced at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl beside her with a look of resignation.
"Miss Audrey, you are truly crazy to sneak away from Backlund like this."
"Aren't you and Susie accompanying me?" Audrey, who was lifting a corner of the carriage curtain, withdrew her hand and petted Susie, who was lying at her feet, with a faint smile on her face.
In fact, she also felt it was crazy. When she sensed something amiss in Southwell County and learned that Mr. Hastur was missing, she suddenly had the idea of coming to Southwell County.
Of course, she left Backlund under the pretext of visiting her second brother, Alfred.
Before leaving, she specifically sought out Xio and Fors. Xio had other matters to attend to and didn't want to leave Backlund, so only Fors accompanied her on this trip.
With Fors by her side, she felt much braver. Additionally, she and Susie had recently advanced to Sequence 6 Hypnotist, significantly enhancing their abilities, enough to handle most situations.
If they faced real danger, she could seek help from Mr. Fool, and Fors could seek assistance from the Stars, ensuring their safety.
"I already regret leaving Backlund," Fors sighed.
"Miss Fors, think about the 1,000 gold pound reward."
Audrey's words were tempting, and Fors fell silent.
She and Xio were still struggling with poverty, and under the allure of Miss Audrey's gold pounds, her mental defenses ultimately crumbled.
"Woof."
Susie also barked, meaning that they should work for the money.
"…"
Fors said no more, merely spreading out the map of Southwell County she had bought, finding the route to Puning Port, and making the necessary plans.
Although she wasn't particularly good at these things, she was still better than Audrey, who had never traveled far.
While planning the route for this trip to Southwell County, she vaguely heard Miss Audrey and Susie whispering.
The gist was: "Susie, we can finally go on an adventure. Mr. Hastur has helped us so much in the past, and now it's our turn to save him!"
Susie always cooperated with a bark.
"…"
Fors wanted to say that adventuring outside was very dangerous, but in the end, she remained silent, thinking that she would have to do more this time to protect Miss Audrey.
In a villa in Puning Port, Alfred had returned to live here since Prince Leonard's death. He originally intended to warn Hastur about the dangers from Backlund, but he unexpectedly found that Hastur had disappeared and could not be found. Daily affairs were handled by Hastur's butler.
A few days ago, a letter from Backlund mentioned that Earl Hall's sister, Audrey, would be visiting soon, and he was to take good care of her.
But before he saw Audrey, someone came on her behalf, saying that she had already gone to visit Mr. Hastur and that he needn't worry about her safety.
"…"
Alfred could only sigh at this and then went to his study to write a letter to Earl Hall in Backlund, assuring him of his daughter's safety.
As for Audrey's safety, he wasn't particularly worried. In Puning Port, Hastur's word was law. As long as Audrey mentioned she was a friend of Hastur, she wouldn't encounter any danger here.
Meanwhile, outside Hastur's residence, Audrey, Fors, and Susie arrived. They sent someone to announce their arrival, and after a while, they were invited into the house.
Caius personally came out to greet them and went to inform Miss Sharon.
"Is Mr. Hastur still not back?" Audrey asked directly after sitting for a while.
"The Earl is out traveling and hasn't returned yet."
"When will he be back?"
"Not sure. As a qualified butler, I shouldn't overly inquire about the master's whereabouts."
"Do you know how to contact him?"
"Not sure."
No matter what Audrey asked, as long as it involved Hastur, Caius avoided the topic and didn't mention the Earl's mysterious disappearance.
Audrey thought for a moment, blinked her beautiful eyes, and signaled to Susie lying beside her.
Susie understood and quickly stood up, barking loudly to attract Caius's attention.
Audrey's eyes flashed with a faint light, and her originally clear and elegant voice now carried an irresistible allure.
Her hypnosis technique could finally be put to use. With Susie as a distraction, facing an unguarded Caius, success was likely.
"Where exactly did Mr. Hastur go?"
Caius felt his mind go blank, and he spoke before he could think, "I don't know. The Earl has been missing for over three months, and we haven't been able to find him."
Yes, Audrey, your hypnosis worked!
Indeed, a true hypnotist needs a golden retriever assistant to help.
"Do you know why Mr. Hastur disappeared?" Audrey leaned forward slightly, her bright eyes seeming to ripple with waves.
"Not sure. We only speculate that it might be related to the Earl advancing to a higher sequence."
After answering two questions in a row, Caius showed signs of struggle, his eyelids twitching and his brows furrowing.
Audrey smiled with satisfaction, sat up straight, snapped her fingers lightly, and then looked at Fors, "It seems Mr. Hastur is really not home. We should come back another day."
"Uh, okay," Fors replied, feeling confused.
Caius, now fully conscious, first glanced at the quiet golden retriever, then frowned at Audrey for a moment, but found nothing unusual.
He could only suppress his unease and said politely, "If the Earl returns, I will inform him of your visit today."
"Thank you."
Audrey stood up, ready to leave with Susie and Fors, when a small black cat suddenly walked in with elegant steps.