Chapter 383: Fors: I Am the Ambassador from the Stars to the Fool

Chapter 383: Fors: I Am the Ambassador from the Stars to the Fool

In Southwell County, when Hastur returned, he had already missed the seventh-day memorial of the Duke of Southwell. To express his condolences, he instructed Caius to prepare a valuable gift to be sent to the Duke's family, ensuring it conveyed his deep mourning.

After handling this matter, Hastur began reviewing the financial reports from the eight major ports during this period. Perhaps because the southern continent had not yet shown any intention of invading the Ruen Kingdom, there was a significant increase in commercial ships, especially from the Feysac Empire. Although these merchants did not relocate entirely, they transferred most of their assets to other countries. 

With land routes being difficult, maritime transport was the best option. The major ports in Southwell County, serving as transit points, reaped substantial tax revenues. Hastur was not surprised; when a country faces crises, profit-driven merchants naturally make choices in their own interest. With enough wealth, they can live comfortably anywhere. 

As for patriotism and attachment to one's homeland, these sentiments are generally reserved for those with no other options. Therefore, Hastur ordered an increase in port taxes, citing the need to maintain public order during wartime.

After spending only a few days in Puning Port, Alfred arrived in Southwell County with Edessak Augustus. The two seemed to have a good relationship, and Edessak Augustus invited Alfred to help him with some matters. Alfred quickly resigned from Hastur and moved to the governor's residence to join Edessak Augustus.

"Well, a wise bird chooses a good tree to nest in," Hastur remarked after reading the latest intelligence from the Yellow-Robed Monks. Although Alfred's choice was understandable, Hastur felt a sense of betrayal, as he had considered Alfred one of his own.

"Lord Count, should I send someone to punish him?" Caius volunteered, familiar with handling such matters.

"No need, let him go. After all, his father, Earl Hall, is a respectable man, and Miss Audrey has a good relationship with me," Hastur waved off Caius's suggestion, sparing Alfred from any suffering at Caius's hands.

"When will you advance to Sequence 4?" Hastur changed the subject.

Caius lowered his head, embarrassed. "It might take a few more years."

Hastur leaned back slightly, staring at Caius. "Sometimes you need to reflect on yourself. After all these years, have you made any progress? Have you been seriously playing your role?"

Caius lowered his head further and, after a moment, softly replied, "You are right, Lord Count. I have been busy with other matters and have not seriously played and digested my role for a long time."

"Alright, you may go."

After Caius left, Hastur reviewed some other intelligence reports before leaving his study to visit Sharon's room. Upon entering, he saw Aisala hiding in a corner, secretly eating dried fish, while Sharon played the role of a silent puppet. 

Seeing Hastur, Aisala's first reaction was to hide the dried fish behind her, raising her head and meowing cutely. Hastur did not remind her to wipe the evidence from her mouth next time. When leaving Backlund, Audrey had specially prepared a large bag of dried fish for Aisala, which Hastur had temporarily confiscated. It seemed Aisala had found a way to retrieve it secretly.

"If the situation stabilizes, I plan to take a trip to the Intis Republic for a vacation..." Hastur shared his plans, while Sharon listened silently. Aisala, after a glance, secretly resumed eating her dried fish in a dark corner where Hastur could not see.

...

Above the gray fog, Klein held the long-delayed Tarot meeting. He had postponed it by a week as a precaution while preparing to deal with George III in Backlund. Now that everything was resolved, it was time to update the Tarot Club members on the situation and subtly warn Miss Magician.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool."

"Good afternoon, Miss Magician."

...

Audrey greeted all the Tarot Club members skillfully before sitting down contentedly. After the events involving George III, she had fully digested her potion and was ready to advance to Sequence 6 Hypnotist. She already knew the extraordinary materials needed for the advancement and just needed to gather them at the Tarot Club.

This time, she was ahead of Susie. "Zaratul spoke to me again. This old guy always speaks in riddles. If it weren't for the valuable content, I'd have kicked him out of my palace long ago."

"He predicted my daughter would become a significant figure in the mysterious world, which pleased me. But he also said she would turn against me and resent me."

"My sweet and considerate daughter would never betray me. When I asked Zaratul why, he just smiled mysteriously and refused to say more, making me want to punch him."

"On October 19, I met Count Madden's wife. She looks so much like her daughter, like sisters. But time adds a certain charm..."

Klein calmly read the three pages of Roselle's diary in front of him. He was immune to Roselle's romantic escapades and skipped over them.

"You may converse now," Klein indicated to the Tarot Club members, placing the diary pages on the table.

Alger was the first to speak. "I want to know what happened in Backlund recently and how George III died. Was it really an assassination?"

Fors initially wanted to answer but, noticing Mr. Fool's unusual attention, she quickly closed her mouth. She didn't want others to know she had secretly reported to Mr. Fool.

"Mr. Hanged Man, I can answer some of your questions," Audrey began, organizing her thoughts. "On that day, George III was giving a speech at the Memorial Square in Backlund. At the end of his speech, he suddenly exploded, with blood and flesh scattering everywhere. At the same time, a huge explosion occurred outside Backlund, affecting the outer areas and destroying many houses."

"Afterward, the Ruen Kingdom and the Three Churches stated that assassins from the Feysac Empire had killed George III at a critical moment."

"Then, the newly appointed King Covington II used this as a pretext to declare war on the Feysac Empire."

Audrey summarized the events, and Fors and Emlyn listened intently, as they had stayed home that day and missed George III's speech.

"George III was definitely not assassinated!" Alger asserted. Backlund was under divine protection, and no assassin from the Feysac Empire could have killed George III and escaped.

"There must have been more to it!" 

"That's beyond my knowledge," Audrey replied calmly.

I know! Fors thought but didn't speak up, fearing exposure. 

Klein, observing Miss Magician's hesitation, decided not to leave the opportunity to her. Controlling The World, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "I know some details, but this information is valuable and requires payment."

"Agreed," Audrey immediately accepted the deal, surprising Fors and Alger.

One regretted not offering the information for a price, while the other was shocked by Audrey's wealth.

The World then recounted the information Fors had previously reported to Mr. Fool, with some modifications. Afterward, Mr. Fool glanced at Fors, clearly warning her.

Fors panicked and lowered her head. She knew Mr. Fool suspected her identity after the last report. But then she realized that Mr. Fool might want to use her to establish contact with the Stars. After all, they had just completed a transaction through her.

Thinking this, Fors straightened her back, raised her head, and confidently met Mr. Fool's gaze. 

What gave Miss Magician such sudden confidence? Klein found it interesting and withdrew his gaze.