Chapter 430: The Aurora Society Takes Responsibility

Chapter 430: The Aurora Society Takes Responsibility

This time, Sharon was not scared away by Hastur's deliberate teasing. Instead, she slightly lifted her gaze, stared at him, and calmly said, "And then?"

Hastur was momentarily taken aback. Sharon, trying hard to maintain her little stubbornness, was really adorable. She seemed expectant yet conflicted and timid.

Despite her efforts to appear calm, the ocean in her blue eyes had already begun to ripple with spreading waves.

"Sharon..."

Hastur softly called out her name, adding a touch of ambiguity to the air. Sharon, who had planned to hold her ground, took two steps back and said, "I haven't decided what I want for a New Year's gift yet."

After saying this, she pretended nothing had happened and left. As she was leaving, Aisala called out and leaped from the shadowy spot on the beam onto Sharon's shoulder.

Hastur did not pursue her. Instead, he sat back down, gazed at the starry sky, and pondered the repercussions of his secret operation tonight.

The process of assassinating Covington II was not complicated. For someone with a single Extraordinary pathway at Sequence 2, it might have been challenging. However, for Hastur, who mastered several Extraordinary pathways and held corresponding authorities, it was not difficult as long as the three gods did not intervene.

Hastur combined his extraordinary abilities with a sealed artifact he had obtained from the Mind Dragon to carry out the assassination from a great distance through a dream.

Apart from William I of the Augustus family, who caused him some trouble, the rest was smooth sailing.

Covington II might have thought it was just a dream when his head was severed, as dreams often contrast with reality.

After successfully assassinating Covington II in the dream, Hastur also accessed some of his memories.

For instance, the person who informed Covington II of three prophecies was the hidden Zaratul. Zaratul had recently gone mad, likely due to seeing something he shouldn't have, though it could also be an act.

Besides this, Hastur discovered some secrets about the fall of George III. Unfortunately, Covington II only knew there was a problem but did not know the specifics.

The only thing that concerned Hastur tonight was the indulgent attitude of the three gods.

The three gods did not descend, but they vaguely knew what was happening in Backlund. Yet, they allowed Hastur to assassinate Covington II.

Apart from not wanting to offend the stars, it was likely due to Covington II's frequent actions that had angered them.

For the everNight Goddess, conquering the Fusac Empire was the most important thing. For the Lord of Storms, Covington II's crackdown on the old nobles was a slap in the face. The God of Steam and Machinery was indifferent, but his presence had always been the weakest.

The Augustus family's territory remained, and Covington II's death would not cause much chaos. It would effectively warn the Augustus family to maintain reverence for the gods.

In this context, the three gods' choice was understandable.

Hastur considered various possibilities to avoid missing any important clues.

...

At the outskirts of Puning Port, investigators from the three gods' churches were the first to receive news from Backlund.

"Covington II has fallen!"

"It happened tonight, just before midnight!"

"The cause of death is unknown, and the killer's identity is unclear!"

This shocking news cast a shadow over the investigators celebrating the New Year. They had just received a New Year bonus approved by Covington II.

"The church wants us to return to Backlund to handle other matters."

"Same for us."

"It seems the church knows the inside story."

The leaders of the three gods' churches discussed and decided to return to Backlund in a couple of days. Before that, they needed to meet with Earl Hastur Campbell as arranged by the church, ending their trip to Southwell County.

On January 1, the day of new beginnings, Backlund was shrouded in a heavy gloom, suffocating everyone.

The death of Covington II could not be concealed. Overnight, the news dominated the headlines of major newspapers.

With the newspapers' revelations and hype, the topic was discussed everywhere in Backlund.

Especially since the former King of Ruen was also assassinated, and the killer was never caught.

Now, Covington II had followed in his father's footsteps to his death.

This made many people feel unsafe. If even the king could be repeatedly assassinated without the killers being caught, were the assassins too powerful, or were the guards too incompetent?

Could such a Ruen royal family lead the kingdom to prosperity?

Soon, members of the Ruen royal family appeared, attributing the assassination to a conspiracy between the Fusac Empire and the Aurora Society.

While expressing deep sorrow, they incited public hatred towards the Fusac Empire to prepare for a full conquest in the spring.

In this regard, the three gods' churches stood with the Ruen royal family, blaming the Fusac Empire and the Aurora Society, who already had numerous crimes, for this incident.

At William I's secluded residence, many members of the Ruen royal family, led by Grove Augustus, gathered.

"I know why you're here, but this is not something you should know," William I directly blocked their questions and continued, "Let Covington II's eldest son succeed him. You should assist him and focus entirely on conquering the Fusac Empire. Do less of other things."

Grove was stunned and smiled bitterly, "Ancestor, must our Augustus family swallow this humiliation?"

"Augustus family..." William I repeated twice before coldly saying, "Have you seen any family that remains prosperous forever?"

"This..."

Grove's heart trembled. Did this mean the Augustus family was on a decline?

"Go back and handle what needs to be done. Avoid unnecessary actions."

After saying this, William I closed his eyes, signaling the end of the visit.

After all the visitors left, he sighed.

The Augustus family had risen in history to become the rulers of the Ruen Kingdom because they were chosen by the gods.

Now, the gods' attention had shifted to others.

Even if he was unwilling, he understood that as long as no one from the Augustus family became a god, they would always be dispensable pawns in the gods' hands.

Such things were not uncommon in history.

The only difference was that as long as he was alive, the Augustus family would not be completely wiped out.

However, maintaining their former glory would be difficult.

On the afternoon of January 1, Klein held the first Tarot meeting of the new year.

After Miss Justice greeted everyone for the new year and Mr. Fool finished reading Roselle's diary (there were no new entries this week), they entered the free exchange session. The Hanged Man, Alger, spoke first with a heavy tone, "Something big happened in Backlund recently. Covington II was assassinated last night, just before midnight."

"Yes, this news has spread throughout Backlund. Some say Covington II offended the gods and was punished," Emlyn added, supporting Alger.

Audrey and Fors were shocked. They had invited Hugh to enjoy the New Year scenery in Southwell this morning.

Unexpectedly, such a big event had occurred quietly in Backlund.

A king assassinated at the turn of the year was a significant irony for Covington II.

After ascending the throne, he had been committed to eliminating the old nobility's influence, only to end up as the discarded trash himself.

Klein was also surprised, despite spending New Year's Eve drinking alone in a seaside tavern.

Fors asked, "Have they found out who assassinated Covington II?"

"According to the Ruen royal family, it was the Fusac Empire and the Aurora Society. An Aurora Society member has claimed responsibility," Alger shared insider information from the Church of Storms.

Fors sighed, "The Aurora Society again. They even dare to assassinate a king."

"Perhaps it wasn't them. They might just want the notoriety to attract new members," Alger speculated, looking at Miss Justice, hoping to learn more from the upper echelons of Ruen society.

Audrey pondered for a moment and said, "If the Ruen king were so easy to assassinate, Backlund wouldn't be a forbidden zone for the Extraordinary."

Alger's eyes showed understanding. Audrey simply didn't believe the Aurora Society could assassinate Covington II, thinking it was divine punishment connected to previous events.

Covington II angered the gods, leading to his assassination in Backlund.

Otherwise, under the gods' watch, even an angel would find it hard to assassinate a king.

"Maybe it was the Stars again," Emlyn muttered.

Fors wanted to refute him, thinking not everything should be blamed on the Stars.

But she remained silent, planning to ask Mr. Hastur later.

Was it the Stars' doing?

Klein pondered, inclined to believe it was the Stars' followers, based on intuition.

"Something big also happened at sea recently," The World said, changing the topic.

Alger was curious. What could be bigger than the assassination of the Ruen king?

Facing everyone's gaze, The World said expressionlessly, "A new mysterious treasure legend has emerged. Someone reportedly landed on an undiscovered island and saw a massive black tomb."