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   Chapter 621 You hired a demigod?

  "Ah?"

  Angel frowned at the faint voice coming from next door. She didn't know why Laura changed the meeting place from the secret unmanned house in the Bridge District to the busy hotel in the Cherwood District. There were

  many tourists here, and the sound insulation was poor. The residents next door were talking about something. From time to time, someone shouted in surprise, interrupting their conversation several times.

  "The house in the Bridge District originally belonged to a Balam gang called the 'Black Skull Party'. Although they were not as barbaric and bloodthirsty as the Zmanger Party, they were also ruthless in the Balam style. They used various methods to rob a lot of properties. Haha, I got one from them."

  Noticing Angel's dissatisfaction, Laura, who was sitting opposite her, explained.

  This time she still went to the appointment alone, and it was obvious that she trusted Angel more, but the latter was a little alert because of the change of the meeting place, and was ready to get into the mirror world at any time, fight or escape, and decide according to the situation.

  "The Black Skull Party... is it the gang that was suddenly banned by the Backlund police half a month ago?"

  Angel heard the name and recalled the news he saw in the newspaper, and asked back.

  "Yes, the situation was very strange at that time. When the top leaders of the Black Skull Party gathered, the explosives stored in the warehouse were ignited by a smoking member. The explosion killed almost all the people present at the time. The police also wiped out the remaining members and reclaimed the house."

  Laura replied with a chuckle.

  What an unfortunate story... But why do I feel that it is similar to the "accidents" that often occur to his opponents when "Blood Admiral" Senior is doing evil at sea? Could it be that the ghost of the resentful spirit did it... Angel instantly had a suspect in his mind, but soon stopped considering these details, and listened to the movement next door. After it became quiet over there, he took out the black mirror fragment obtained from Pierce from the "mirror space" and placed it on the table.

  "Did you kill the man in the mirror you found?"

  Laura reacted immediately when she saw the fragments of the mirror. She seemed a little scared, and she reached out and stroked the black mirror surface with her fingertips, which did not reflect any light at all. Then she shrank back as if she had been electrocuted, and asked.

  "Yes, I designed him to leave the church and die in an alley in the East District. His body disappeared immediately, leaving only this fragment."

  Angel did not explain too much, fearing that the other party would know about Klein's situation from the battle.

  Fortunately, Laura did not ask further questions. Her blue eyes were fixed on the fragment of the black mirror. After a long silence, she continued:

  "Keep this fragment. You can use it to detect other people in the mirror when necessary, but I don't know the method of detection. Maybe there will be a reaction when it is close, or maybe a special method is needed. In addition, did the person in the mirror say anything before he died?"

  The fragment can detect other people in the mirror, which is consistent with what Arrodes said... Angel thought about it and nodded:

  "He mentioned 'Trier', the capital of Intis. Is there anything special there?"

  "Oh, it's more than special. It's the headquarters of the 'person in the mirror'. Even the witch sect in Trier has been infiltrated." Laura sneered and replied, "But the strange thing is that they are not as interested in the Kingdom of Loen as small countries such as Renburg. The person in the mirror you killed sneaked into the Church of the Goddess of Night, which is completely contrary to their previous behavior."

  "Base camp?"

  Angel was dumbfounded. She thought that the "man in the mirror" was just a special phenomenon similar to evil spirits, and it was rare to encounter one or two cases. Unexpectedly, according to Laura, they seemed to have "overflowed" in Trier.

  It seems that if she wants to find out the secret of the "man in the mirror", she may really have to go to this big city.

  Laura seemed reluctant to continue talking about this topic. She took out a folded paper and handed it to Angel, and changed the subject abruptly:

  "This is the information of the military demigod you asked me to investigate last time. Based on the physical characteristics you provided, Vincent locked him after a comparative investigation. Of course, it is not completely certain that it is this person. You'd better find a chance to see him in person."

  Taking the paper and opening it, Angel's eyes first briefly stayed on the portrait below, and then scanned the sparse lines of words and locked on the name column.

  "Qonas Kilger."

  Below is his position and possible sequence:

  "Deputy Director of Military Intelligence Section 9, Major General, 'Lawyer' Path Sequence 5, Chaos Mentor, suspected of possessing a demigod-level Sealed Artifact."

  Demigod Sealed Artifact... Angel thought of the brief battle on the beach that day, and the iron pocket watch and the peculiar six-barreled pistol used by the other party.

  However, apart from these two items, the other party must also be a high-sequence Beyonder, otherwise there is no way to explain his overwhelming combat power.

  It seems that Sequence 5 is just the strength declared to the outside world. He should represent the interests of a faction of the royal family in the army and does not want to be too conspicuous... Thinking of this, Angel looked at the portrait on the paper and the color notes next to it again, and memorized the appearance of this man with short black hair, deep blue eyes, a high nose bridge, and a thick beard. With a

  name and appearance, as long as he can see it with his own eyes once and confirm the body shape, Angel can lock on this demigod who serves the royal family and participates in human trafficking and the smog conspiracy.

  "Thank you. I didn't expect you could figure out his identity so quickly."

  After collecting the information, Angel expressed his sincere gratitude.   

  "This is also to find out the truth as soon as possible. After exploring in the fog for half a year, we finally made substantial progress."

  Laura replied calmly.

  "Where's your mother? Wasn't she involved in all this? You didn't get any news?"

  "After she came to Backlund to meet me, I didn't know where she was anymore. Maybe she's still somewhere in this city, or maybe she's left secretly... For this level of cooperation, she must abide by certain contracts and can't reveal any relevant clues. We can only find everything on our own."

  The contract is similar to the one between me and Anne... I heard that the Augustus of the Loen royal family have mastered the way of "arbitrators", so it's reasonable to have this kind of restriction ability. When I killed that Heras in the East District and communicated with him, the other party also showed that he was subject to some kind of restriction... Angel pondered and asked casually:

  "Then what is her purpose in staying in Backlund? Continue to participate in the population trade? Rebuild a branch of the 'Witch Cult'?"

  "I only know that the cooperation between the Witch Cult and the conspirators behind the smog is nearing its end, but the most important reward has not yet been paid. That is an item that the Witch Cult has worked hard to obtain for many years. Maybe she is just waiting for the transaction to be completed."

  Laura also frowned, choosing her words while answering, looking very unconfident.

  A Sequence 3 "immortal" witch was stranded in the dangerous Backlund waiting for the transaction to be completed. The transaction itself even restricted her from communicating with her daughter through a contract. What level did this transaction involve? An angel, or... a true god?

  Thinking of this, Angel felt a little trembling in his heart, as if he had touched a corner of the truth behind the conspiracy, but he had no clues and could not go further.

  At this moment, through the poorly soundproofed wall panels, another exclamation came from the next door.

  ————

  "Angelica Sage, Gehrman Sparrow?"

  In front of Fors, her teacher Dorian clenched his hands, his body tense, and repeated what she had just said.

  "Yes, teacher, I spent some money, a total of about 10,000 pounds. They took the commission and solved Louis Wayne in just a few days."

  Looking at the head on the table casually wrapped in newspaper, with cracks all over the skin, a hideous and desperate expression, and a broken neck, Dorian pursed his lips and suddenly didn't know what to say.

  He had lived in Pritz Harbor for a long time, so he naturally knew more about the news at sea than in inland cities. Whether it was newspapers brought by merchant ships or rumors boasted by sailors to each other, these two names were mentioned repeatedly.

  Angelica Thatch, the ghost captain who caused a big disturbance in Bayam and sank several pirate generals' ships, was privately called the "Fifth King"; and the crazy adventurer Gehrman Sparrow, who killed the "Blood Admiral" and had a close personal relationship with the female pirate generals.

  According to Dorian's judgment from the perspective of mysticism, the former is likely to be a high-sequence Beyonder, and the latter is at least a Sequence 5, and the strongest Sequence 5 with magical items and rich combat experience.

  The most important thing is that the bounty for the two of them added up to nearly 150,000 pounds. Would they go to the capital of Loen specifically to accept the commission to kill a Sequence 5 Beyonder?

  "You mean, the two of them only asked you for 10,000 pounds?"

  Although judging from their strength, the combination of Angelica and Gehrman is definitely enough to keep Louis Wayne and kill him easily, even with the protection of a demigod, but this makes Dorian more worried, because 10,000 pounds... is too cheap.

  According to the general "market price", the task of killing a Sequence 5 Beyonder from an evil sect like the Aurora Society is worth at least 30,000 pounds, and a high deposit must be paid in advance, and even many harsh conditions are attached.

  This is called the "member price", and I didn't actually spend cash, I just provided clues and temporarily borrowed Lemano's travel notes... Fors was a little complacent, and was also happy that she could find a demigod, a powerful Sequence 5 Beyonder to help her and her teacher revenge.

  "Yes, maybe they are short of money recently, so they also asked to take away all the magical items and Beyonder characteristics on Louis Wayne... And that demigod is one of the ladies who proposed to contact the descendants of the Abraham family."

  She covered up her inner joy and answered.

  Killing Louis Wayne, who defected from the Abraham family, and looking for Abraham's descendants... Dorian's eyes twitched, and he subconsciously wanted to refuse to meet such a terrifying Beyonder, but thinking that his student might have already agreed to the other party, and he was also a "gift" from the other party, he hesitated for a moment and nodded.

  "I can agree to her, but not now. Wait... I will make some preparations. The meeting place and method are up to me. You can tell her this first, and your attitude must be good."

  My attitude in the Tarot Club can be considered humble... Fors laughed secretly and agreed.

  After giving instructions, Dorian took out the crystal ball made of star crystal that he had intended to give to his student, the potion formula and some materials of the Sequence 6 "Record Officer", and even two sets of Backlund's real estate, and handed them to Fors as "compensation" for her 10,000 pounds bounty.

  The value of these items was nearly ten thousand pounds, which made Fors, who had helped Miss Audrey hire Mr. A to kill an ambassador at this price and thought it was the "industry average price" and therefore quoted this price, feel deeply uneasy. She tried to refuse Dorian's gift several times, but was defeated by the other party's insistence.

  With a strong sense of guilt and a little joy of sudden wealth, Fors said goodbye to her teacher, left the hotel, disguised as a tourist from Disi, called a hired carriage and left the street.

  Behind her, on a reflective glass window, a pair of purple eyes were looking at her figure steadily.

  (End of this chapter)

   Chapter 622: Encountering Urgency to Marry

  Although this lady tied her hair and wore "sunglasses" to disguise, through the undisturbed observation of the "mirror world" and simple divination, it can be determined that she is the "magician" of the Tarot Club and also the friend of "Justice" Audrey, Ms. Fors Wall. It seems that my previous speculation is correct. Audrey occasionally worries about her identity being exposed in the Tarot Club because of her...

  As early as when she was "Erin Watson", Angel returned to the Tarot Club and quickly suspected the identity of the "magician". The hairstyle and color, the magic potion path, and being in Backlund, all these clues pointed to someone she knew.

  But until now, when she saw this lady "offline" with her own eyes, she confirmed the other party's identity.

  She came here in disguise, and the suitcase looked empty. Did she give something to someone in the room just now?

  Angel thought about it and quickly determined that the "magician" came here to hand over the head of "Mr. X".

  After completing the commission that night, Klein handed over the head that proved his identity to Fors through Mr. Fool's channel. Unexpectedly, she handed over the head less than 48 hours later, which also verified her statement from the side - she was indeed issuing commissions for the Abraham family, not out of personal grudges.

  Just now, when Angel was talking to Laura, there were noises from next door from time to time, but it seemed that there was a curtain blocking peeping, blocking her subconscious divination and listening.

  In order to prevent the other party from being discovered by forcibly breaking through this barrier to conduct divination, Angel, who had other important things to do, did not pay too much attention to the other party, but after saying goodbye to Laura, she still used the simplest method to satisfy her curiosity - entering the "mirror world" and squatting at the door of the room. After

  successfully recognizing Fors's identity, Angel was sure that the person participating in the conversation next door was most likely a descendant of the Abraham family.

  And it is normal for such an ancient family to carry some magical items that can resist divination.

  She looked at the guest room at the end of the corridor, thought for a moment, and still did not take the initiative to visit.

  Since the "magician" had agreed to act as a matchmaker for her, there was no need for her to launch a surprise attack, which would easily damage her image in the eyes of the other party and even turn peaceful exchanges into a certain degree of confrontation.

  And it was not a wise choice to confront a family that had been active on the historical stage since the Fourth Epoch and had lasted for thousands of years.

  After realizing this, she used the "mirror world" of Backlund that she was already familiar with, left here, and returned to her home in the Hillston District.

  ————

  On Monday, after having a sumptuous Intis-style lunch, Angel took a carriage to the Saint Samuel Church in the North District, preparing to listen to the sermon and pray to the goddess as usual.

  This time, she was followed by not only her personal maid Aisha, but also her butler Ribak, who looked out the window absentmindedly, which was very different from his usual focused and serious style, making Angel curious and asking,

  "Ribak, do you have something to tell me?"

  Her direct question stunned the butler for a moment, and then he lowered his head and whispered,

  "Yes, miss, I heard that you are interested in making friends with retired officers and nobles who have connections in this area?"

  This was the information that Angel had deliberately spread in casual conversation after returning home after getting the information about Chounas Korg from Laura yesterday. After all, it would be very difficult for her to meet this active-duty soldier, the deputy director of the Major General of "MI9" in public with her civilian status when she first arrived in Backlund. Only by getting to know some retired officers first could she have the opportunity to "encounter" this military demigod in social occasions.

  Of course, too straightforward a change of "social concepts" would easily make people see something unusual, so Angel only used the ability of an instigator to lay the foundation among the servants. Before he started with neighbors and friends, he didn't expect that his butler had already keenly discovered this.

  "Yes, you should know that I lived in Intis for a few years before, and many rich people there have experience in sea business, and I also dabbled in this field a little."

  Angel sighed, as if recalling his past life.

  "By chance, I took advantage of the Soran family and owned a cargo ship of my own. I am currently traveling back and forth between the Rorsted Islands and the Northern Continent, doing some not-so-public and legitimate business. Ha, they are not illegal in the Kingdom of Loen, because the ship is registered in the Gargas Islands and the captain is also an Intis person, so you don't have to worry."

  Seeing that the butler's face changed a little, she added.

  "In order to expand the business, I'm thinking that maybe I should focus my socializing on retired officers. They have connections in the military, especially the navy, and can get resources that outsiders can't get. Maybe I can make my business bigger."

  She implicitly expressed that she wanted to get involved in the business of smuggling military equipment, but she was very vague about it, so that even if the butler and the personal maid had ulterior motives, there would be no clear evidence.

  "I see," Ribak nodded, seemingly not paying any attention to what Angel was saying. "If that's the case, I might be able to think of a way for you."

  Hmm? I was just laying the groundwork for future actions, but I didn't expect there would be unexpected gains?

  Angel was stunned, and immediately thought of his butler's previous work experience:

  he had served the assassinated Duke Pallas Nigan, and was also sent by the Duke to teach noble etiquette to the newly promoted noble Baron Sinderas.

  "Duke?"

  She asked briefly, and Ribak must have guessed what she wanted to ask through this word.

  "No, the other one."

  Ribak smiled and replied.

  That was Baron Syndras. He purchased 600,000 acres of land and donated nearly one million pounds. He transformed himself from a banker and investor into a hereditary baron, and could be considered a legend in Backlund.   

  Is he also involved in the arms trade behind the scenes, or does he have connections in the military? By the way, the person he donated to and attached to was the former Duke Negan, the former admiral and the big boss of the conservative party, so the Duke asked Riback to help him enter the upper class, and Riback was a retired soldier, so he was sensitive to this information... Angel thought about it, just nodded, and did not continue the topic. It is

  only appropriate to stop now. If you are too radical, it will easily expose your true purpose.

  When she looked out the window again, she arrived at St. Samuel's Church.

  ...

  Today's sermon is still carried out by Bishop Elektra, but there are fewer priests assisting him, and those windbreakers who often sit in the first row to pray are nowhere to be seen, which makes Angel keenly feel a different atmosphere from the past.

  After listening to the sermon as usual and donating 20 pounds, Angel frowned slightly, approached the bishop who had become somewhat familiar to her recently, and asked softly:

  "Your Excellency, what happened today? Many familiar priests are not in the prayer hall."

  Elektra, who was taking a short break and preparing for the afternoon mass, saw that it was the lady whose donation amount this month was second only to Dwayne Dantes, and she couldn't help but reveal a kind smile on her face. After hesitating for a moment, she opened her mouth and answered:

  "Just last week, a servant of the goddess returned to the kingdom of God and fell asleep under the gaze of the goddess. There are many things that need to be dealt with, and they went to help the Archbishop Saint Anthony."

  This should be talking about the aftermath of the "Man in the Mirror", and in fact it was also the aftermath of the senior deacon Pierce Turner himself. After all, it was not until three days ago that he was considered "really" dead, and the church had to play a full role, otherwise it would damage his reputation after his death... Angel just appropriately let his expression show a hint of curiosity, and did not continue to ask. After all, an ordinary believer would not be interested in such things.

  But just as she was about to leave, Bishop Elektra stopped her,

  "Ms. Christine Theresa," the thin bishop, who was nearly 40 years old, smiled unusually and read out her full name, "I learned from the believer's information that you returned to Loen from Intis and came to Backlund a month ago, and you are still considering marriage?" Was

  this a euphemism, no, it was a bit blunt to ask me if I was ready to get married?

  Angel's eyes stayed on the bishop's face for a moment, nodded, and asked in a puzzled tone:

  "Yes, Your Excellency, what can I do for you?"

  "It's like this," Elektra first glanced at the believers in the prayer hall, and found that they were not approaching, then continued, "A devout believer of the goddess has euphemistically expressed his affection for you. Although he is much older than you, he has a wealthy family, a healthy body... He is kind and friendly, and the years have not left too many marks on his face... I mean, are you willing to try to get in touch with him?"

  "You mean Mr. Dawn Dantes?"

  Angel said "surprised", but his heart immediately locked on the culprit of this matter.

  Arrodes!

  "You know him? That's great, so, well, I mean, you already have a considerable foundation, you can consider going further, there will be a dance party at his mansion this Saturday, are you willing to attend?"

  The bishop showed a happy face, continued to practice the teachings of the goddess, and tried to match the two believers.

  Worried that Angel would refuse, he immediately added a few more words:

  "Perhaps, you think that age will be the biggest obstacle between the two of you, but believe me, it is not an insurmountable chasm. For example, I met my current wife three years ago and married her two years ago. The age difference between her and me is even greater than the age difference between you and Dawn."

  Implementing the idea of ​​leading by example, Elektra said something that surprised Angel.

  It is greater than the age difference between me and Klein, well, and Dawn, that is, the age difference of almost 20 years. Your Excellency, when you met your wife, she was not yet an adult, right? Angel showed undisguised surprise, and then restrained his expression, smiled and nodded:

  "Thank you, Your Excellency, I am also preparing to get to know Mr. Dantes in depth, and I will attend the ball he is holding."

  "That's good..."

  Hearing the satisfactory answer, watching the young lady leave, Elektra felt full of a sense of accomplishment.

  But the next second, he suddenly froze and noticed what he said to bring the other party together.

  He quickly glanced around the prayer hall and found that the new group of believers had already sat down, either bowing their heads to pray or closing their eyes to rest. No one noticed what he had just said. Elektra breathed a sigh of relief, cleared her throat, opened the "Apocalypse of the Night" in front of her, and announced the start of the next sermon.

  He was going to preach the chapter on "marriage", especially the content about the goddess encouraging true love that transcends nationality, identity and age.

  ————

  At three o'clock in the afternoon, Angel appeared on time in the palace shrouded in gray fog. This time, she was fully prepared to sell the extraordinary characteristics she had accumulated and enrich her coffers.

  But first...

  She looked at "World" Klein at the end of the long table, and thought of Bishop Elektra's words at noon.

  (End of this chapter)

   Chapter 623 Extra Compensation

  "Mr. Fool, and everyone, good afternoon~"

  With Miss Justice's energetic greetings, everyone stood up to greet the Fool, and then began today's Tarot Club.

  First of all, it was the traditional time to present diaries. This time, only the "Hermit" Cattleya, who was backed by the "Mysterious Queen", brought two pages of diaries, and the other members did not get anything.

  Angel felt great pressure under the faint gaze of Mr. Fool, and she believed that others felt the same.

  Fortunately, the Fool did not say anything, but just quietly read the two pages of the diary and asked the Hermit in a low voice:

  "What do you want to know? What about Roselle?"

  The "Hermit" whose thoughts were revealed spoke in a steady tone, as if he had already prepared a plan:

  "Yes, respected Mr. Fool, I want to know if the emperor is still alive?"

  Emperor Roselle, the Caesar who was assassinated in his own palace in his later years, is it possible that he is still alive? Sure enough, even though the "Mysterious Queen" Bernadette did not have the ability to decipher Chinese, she tried her best to use the "Hermit" to decipher the Roselle diary in her hand, trying to find the secrets of her father's later years. As the daughter of the great emperor, she could naturally choose the most appropriate pages of the diary and give them to Mr. Fool... Angel looked at the Hermit with complicated eyes.

  The other members also looked at each other, and cast their eyes on the figure at the head of the long table, expecting His answer.

  Roselle, the great man who died nearly two hundred years ago, has no direct connection with them now, but people are curious, especially when this psychology can be satisfied without paying.

  "Maybe, but I'm afraid it won't be the form she hopes for."

  The Fool's answer was very vague, but it made the Hermit bow with satisfaction.

  Maybe... Mr. Fool had not expressed such a view before, which means that He also had doubts about this, and today the "Hermit", or the diary provided by Bernadette, gave some possibilities. Does this mean that the diary was written by Emperor Roselle in his later years, or even his last work before his "death"?

  Angel thought thoughtfully.

  "You can start now."

  Regardless of what others were thinking, Mr. Fool quickly led the meeting to the next stage.

  "Justice" Audrey was about to speak, but Alger, the "Hanged Man" opposite her, quickly said:

  "I apply for a private communication with the 'Queen' and the 'World'."

  Ah, this... Audrey's eyes went dark.

  After seeing that everyone else was "blocked", Alger smiled slightly, looked at the "Queen" Angel, and said:

  "Are you free during this period? I plan to explore the 'Unknown Island' to fulfill my previous promise."

  He knew that the Queen and the World had most likely returned to Backlund, or at least left the Rorsted Archipelago. Otherwise, the whereabouts of the two people carrying a high bounty would inevitably be betrayed by the people around them, so he reserved preparations for them to hurry to Bayam.

  "You were promoted to 'Ocean Singer'?"

  Angel frowned and asked back.

  "Yes."

  Since the potion formula and Beyonder characteristics were provided by the other party, Alger explained the process of his promotion in detail.

  It turned out that after reporting to Pasu Island, where the headquarters of the Church of Storms is located, he took the opportunity to come to the "Abyss Vortex" in the north of Sonia Island, where he found an Obnis sea monster that did not belong to the Church of Storms, entered its stomach, took the potion, and successfully promoted to "Ocean Singer".

  Of course, he glossed over the risks of this journey, such as how to hide it from the church, how to use the anesthetic gas bought from the "Moon" to stun all the sailors on the ship, how to pray for Mr. Fool's help when the "Marine Life Affinity" spell failed, how to sing loudly in the midst of uncontrollable emotions, and use the "singing" echoing in the sea monster's stomach to control himself, and the successful promotion. Glossed over

  ? You clearly said a lot, with the kind of pride that comes from being favored by Mr. Fool, but this also shows that he really regards me and Klein as members of the "small group". Otherwise, according to the Hanged Man's character, he would have kept it secret for a while... Angel complained in his heart, comparing Alger's promotion ceremony with his own "self-immolation" ceremony, and confirmed his idea: the promotion ceremony required by the potion is not some kind of "absolute" rule, but uses the ceremony to fight against the remaining will in the potion and increase the success rate of promotion.

  In this way, the "immortal" promotion ceremony may not be impossible to bypass... There is one more reason to find Katarina, but she seems to be making a clear position to "invest" in me, which makes me a little worried about her real purpose...

  While thinking, Angel saw that Alger had finished his narration and said:

  "I should be able to spare a day to go to the island. Do you have any special requirements for time?"

  Originally, it would take her at least a week to go from Backlund to the Rorsted Archipelago, but after being promoted to "despair", using the mirror world to shuttle, it can reduce the time by a hundred times and arrive within an hour. "World" Klein also herded Mr. X and gained the ability to "travel", which would only be faster and more convenient than her, so they could accommodate the schedule of "Hanged Man" Alger.

  "One day..." Alger also immediately understood Angel's meaning, and understood that she had the means to travel quickly, and nodded, "My ship can return to Bayam this weekend, then..."

  "No need, prepare a day of free time, I will pick you up."   

  The hoarse voice of "World" sounded, and Alger could not help but look at him.

  Sure enough, he also had the means to travel quickly, and he could also bring outsiders with him. Was it the ability of "Traveler"... He thought for a moment and replied:

  "Then I will speed back to Bayam. I will contact you on Friday or Saturday at the latest by praying to Mr. Fool."

  Although Alger did not have any right to obtain any spoils of war on this island trip due to the promise he made when he bought the formula of "Ocean Singer", he had another expectation:

  if these two members of the Tarot Club obtained some extraordinary materials or even characteristics, they might need someone to sell them and make magical items on their behalf, which would allow him to make a lot of profit and fill his already empty wallet.

  With Mr. Fool as a guarantee, he did not have to worry about the other two overly capable companions stealing treasures and killing people, or silencing him. He only worried about too little profit or even a wasted trip.

  After confirming some details, the three of them ended their private communication and let the entire palace return to light and noise.

  "I've already..."

  Seeing them finish, "Justice" just uttered a few words, and the "Magician" lady beside him said:

  "Respected Mr. Fool, I want to communicate with the Queen and the World alone."

  Audrey's eyes went dark again, and the rest of the words went back to her stomach. Angel

  found that Audrey beside her twisted her body in a strange way, so he turned his head to look at her, and Fors, who thought he was looking at her, said quickly:

  "It's like this, Miss Queen, and Mr. World, the head of Mr. X who was entrusted to you to kill before, I got a lot of rewards. I think part of it should belong to you, so I want to discuss it with you..."

  Fors thought about it last night, and still felt that she shouldn't take the reward given to her by teacher Dorian alone. After all, the two houses alone were worth more than 5,000 pounds, and this didn't count the crystal ball and potion that were very helpful for her promotion and acting. She felt very guilty in her heart, who had always been quite open.

  Moreover, what I have learned about Angelica Thatch and Gehrman Sparrow during this period is too scary, such as "Shipbreaker" and "An Hour Battle with Vice Admiral Disease"... I am still secretly distributing their supplementary novels. If they find out, I will probably die more miserably than Louis Wayne...

  She woke up from nightmares of being killed and implicated Hugh, who lived with her, several times, and quickly decided to sell the two properties and compensate the two with cash.

  Hearing that she and Klein had a total of 5,000 pounds in the account, Angel could hardly hide her excitement and laughed out loud. She looked at Klein in the distance and found that even under the cover of gray fog, the other party couldn't help but sit up straight and said in a hoarse voice:

  "Okay."

  I think so too... She raised the corners of her mouth and nodded modestly.

  After delivering the good news, Fors conveyed her teacher's intentions. In principle, she agreed to have some exchanges with the "Queen", but the time and place were not determined. In addition, she also asked the "World" to explore whether she could rent out the "Lemano's Travel Notes" at the Tarot Club. After all, in the previous transaction, she promised to lend it to the other party for a period of time.

  With the previous 5,000 gold pounds, these requests were easily met.

  After another private communication, "Justice" Audrey finally saw the light again. Just as she was about to tell everyone the good news of her promotion to "Hypnotist", she heard the voice of the "Magician" again. At

  this moment, she couldn't help frowning and looking at her good friend, the real-life novelist Fors Wall, but the next second she was attracted by her words.

  "I have a magical item here..."

  The "Magician" introduced her "Travel Notes", telling everyone about the effects of it being able to record a full 38 abilities, and the negative effect that after each use, she needed to smear the cover with her own blood to avoid getting lost. She was satisfied to find that everyone's eyes were focused on her, and their eyes were extremely hot.

  Any extraordinary person who has been in actual combat knows the value of such a magical item.

  In a sense, it is even more powerful than the magical items made by the "shepherd". After all, the latter still needs to find a suitable soul to graze and rely on luck to extract powerful extraordinary abilities, while this notebook only needs to "record".

  With the support of the "Mysterious Queen", "Hermit" Cattleya, who has joined the "Moss Ascetic Order" and is also a powerful pirate general, immediately made an estimate of the magical item in her heart: it is

  completely different from ordinary magical items. For ordinary people, it may only be worth a few thousand pounds, but the more extraordinary people and demigods around you, the more valuable it is, and it may even exceed 30,000 pounds!

  Because the wider the "connection", the more extraordinary abilities it can record, the stronger it is, and the more reasonable the combination.

  Audrey, who also thought of this, had forgotten the little dissatisfaction in her heart and quickly asked:

  "So, how much does it cost to buy it?"

  At the same time, she set a bottom line for herself in her heart. As long as it does not exceed 50,000 pounds, her father, Earl Hall, must be able to reimburse this powerful magical item!

  (End of this chapter)

   Chapter 624: Trading and Mausoleum

  Under the gaze of the crowd, the "magician" finally expressed her idea: only rent, not sell.

  "With Mr. Fool as witness, we don't have to worry about the reliability of the transaction. When you need this magical item, you can rent it by the day. The basic fee is 300 pounds, and 50 pounds will be added every day. You can use the abilities recorded on it at will, but when returning it, you need to ensure that there are two more pages recording the abilities than when you borrowed it. This way, you can achieve a virtuous cycle."

  As she announced the rental plan, the "Hermit" and "Justice" who were already prepared to bid, as well as the "Hanged Man" and "Moon" who were annoyed that they did not have enough financial resources, all had their eyes lit up, feeling that this was a more suitable plan than spending tens of thousands of pounds to buy it.

  Of course, "Justice" also quickly calculated the price of the rental plan and found that "long-term rental" was not a difficult thing, and it was even less than the usual repair costs of her own castle. If she was not worried about angering other members, she would even want to directly ask for a one or two years to talk about it.

  Be restrained, Audrey. Money is not a problem, but such a "monopoly" will cause dissatisfaction among others. My father taught me that monopoly is not the best form of doing business, win-win is... She persuaded herself and gave up renting the item first. Anyway, she was staying in the safe family territory now and would not return to Backlund until June.

  Others did not hesitate like her. The Hanged Man and Moon asked for a short-term rental for a few days. The former was obviously rushing to explore the "nameless island" and wanted to increase his combat effectiveness, while the latter was frank that the "hunting competition" within the blood clan had reached a critical moment and he needed this item more.

  Of course, during the time of going to the nameless island, this magical item will be used by the "world", so the "magician" only rented it to the "moon" for two days, and also emphasized that the used abilities must be supplemented with the same level, of course, there is no limit to the type.

  After completing this transaction that was likely to have a far-reaching impact on the Tarot Club, Audrey the Justice finally had time to speak. She gathered her emotions and spoke in a calm but excited tone:

  "Everyone, I have successfully been promoted to 'Hypnotist' this week."

  This is the Sequence 6 of the 'Audience', or 'Dragon' pathway. Audrey was an ordinary person when she first joined the Tarot Club, but it took her less than a year to be promoted to a Sequence that could also serve as a bishop in the church. She was indeed proud of this.

  Of course, most of those present were elites from various organizations and tribes. Klein also became a Beyonder at a similar time to Audrey, and is now a Sequence 5. As for me... well, I have some experience in acting in advance in some of my Sequences, and I also got the 'Witch' card, which cleared all obstacles to the potion formula, so I can't be counted... Angel thought about it and congratulated this energetic and vibrant girl, and the other members did the same.

  However, this should be a "transaction" rather than a "free discussion" session, so Audrey immediately said after laying the groundwork:

  "So, I want to seek clues about the next sequence potion of the 'Hypnotist', even if it's just the name. I will buy any useful clues at the price!"

  She launched a money offensive again.

  Although she has joined the "Psychological Alchemy Society", Audrey still abides by the plan set by other Tarot Club members before joining. She is still a Sequence 8 Beyonder in the Alchemy Society. She is planning to reveal the fact that she has been promoted to Sequence 7 after returning to Backlund at the beginning of the social season. Therefore, it will be a long way to go to obtain Sequence 5 potions from them, and she can only pin her hopes on the Tarot Club.

  She has successively cast her eyes on the "Queen", "World" and "Hermit", several members with strong strength, action or sufficient connections, but they did not respond, which made her a little disappointed.

  Opposite her, the Hanged Man Alger also had the urge to share his promotion to Sequence 5 with everyone, but he did not let this emotion control him. Instead, he planned to reveal it after a few gatherings, so as not to expose his true identity in the Church of Storms or cause some trouble.

  If he had not planned to explore the island with the Queen and the World, he would not even want to reveal these two "allies".

  Thinking of this, he looked at the Queen, who happened to say:

  "Selling an Arbitrator Sequence 6 'Judge' and a magical item with the characteristics of the Chanter Sequence 7 'Sun Priest'. The extraordinary characteristics are 3,000 pounds, and the magical items are 1,500 pounds."

  Hearing these words that sounded like market hawking, not only the Hanged Man, but also the other members took a breath, surprised that the Queen once again took out so many items for sale.

  This meant that she had dealt with another Sequence 6 Beyonder in a week, and had also picked up a magical item. However, considering that she was the only Demigod Beyonder in the Tarot Club, it seemed normal... Everyone looked at each other, and in the end, it was Derrick, the "Sun", who was also on the Chanter Path, who bought the pocket watch that he had picked up from William Sykes.

  Considering that he was in the God-forsaken Land, where there was no sunlight, there would never be too many magical items that could emit the flame of light and release the sun's halo, and there was even a chance to exchange for materials of higher value, Angel allowed him to buy the pocket watch on "credit".

  "Miss Queen, can this Beyonder trait of 'Judge' be kept for a while? About a month, I might buy it."

  The "Magician" suddenly spoke.

  Perhaps Fors wanted to buy this trait for her friend, Hugh Dilcha, who was now the Arbitrator Sequence 8 "Sheriff", but there was still a Sequence 7 "Interrogator" in the middle, so she was still hesitating?

  Angel was thinking about it, and just as he was about to nod his head in agreement, Klein, the "world" at the end of the long table, chuckled:

  "I have another copy of the Beyonder characteristic of "Interrogator" here, 1,000 pounds."

  Fors' eyes lit up immediately.

  Her friend Xio had mentioned that she was becoming more and more adept at the ability of the sheriff. Fors, who was familiar with the method of acting, knew that she was probably close to digesting the potion in her body, and a copy of "Interrogator" was the best gift for her.   

  As for the Judge, although her recent income from various royalties and agency fees is still a little short, the first batch of royalties from the Great Pirate and Great Adventurer series have been deposited into her account. She hasn't transferred them to her pen pal yet. If she uses them, she can barely get them. And now with the extra income from renting out the "Lemano's Travel Notes", she will soon be able to make up for the gap...

  Money is easy to get, but characteristics are hard to get!

  Having made up her mind, the Magician nodded heavily, turned from the posture of slumping in the high-backed chair to sitting upright, and quickly negotiated the price, using 1,000 pounds and 3,000 pounds respectively to help her friend get the Beyonder characteristics of Sequence 7 and Sequence 6.

  Even if she doesn't need it, I can ask Mr. Hanged Man to make it into a magical item. If there is another artifact similar to the travel notes, maybe I can make back all the expenses... She found an excuse for her extravagant behavior.

  But then, Fors had a trace of doubt in her heart: "Queen" and "World", could it be that they heard that I got a reward from the teacher and are going to squeeze me dry?

  She secretly glanced at the two and denied this idea.

  How could the high-ranking adventurers and pirates be interested in my little money?

  They didn't even plan to charge for killing Mr. X!

  ...

  Soon, everyone entered the free exchange session. The long-awaited "Hermit" asked again for clues about the blood of the mythical creature. From various casual details, she had already determined that the "Hanged Man" had successfully promoted to Sequence 5. She was in the Rorsted Archipelago and had a similar "ecological niche" to the other party, so she was even more eager to be promoted to Sequence 4. Hearing the

  hermit's needs, Angel immediately thought of Anne, the "Balancer" of Sequence 2. With her personality, it should not be difficult for her to get a drop of blood if she asked for it, but the "Hermit" wanted this drop of blood. Was it to prepare for making a high-level spell or for some kind of ritual? The latter might pose a threat to Annie...

  When she was hesitating, "The World" spoke again:

  "I might try, but what price can you pay to satisfy this angel?"

  He wasn't going to find Mr. Azik, was he?... Angel had just guessed, and Klein added:

  "It's an angel from the 'monster' path."

  It turned out to be Will Auceptin, but he was still a fetus and was expected to be born in two months. How do you plan to get blood?

  Angel looked at "The World" with a strange look, and so did the others, but their eyes were filled with shock and excitement. The former was because "The World" could directly contact an angel, and the latter was of course happy for the "connections" of the Tarot Club.

  Since he was going to sell Will, Angel didn't mention Annie. After all, the two of them were only in a contractual relationship, and they needed to use this "trust" sparingly. Will Auceptin obviously has a special concern for Klein. Even as a fetus, he often works hard to give him advice. I guess it will be the same this time...

  She smiled secretly, and saw that the "Hermit" agreed to find a price that would satisfy the other party and ended the conversation. But she couldn't help but think of the "Queen Anne's Revenge" that had survived from the Fourth Epoch to the present, and even turned into a girl, who liked to walk back and forth barefoot on her deck.

  ...

  Snap, Snap.

  The crisp sound of foot slapping continued to sound. A barefoot black-haired girl in a light yellow long skirt walked forward briskly. The stone slabs under her feet were no longer as smooth as when they were built, and were covered with moss. However, before she landed every time, they were pushed to the sides by an invisible force, so that her feet always remained smooth.

  Behind her, Bernadette Gustave, who was wearing a white Intis-style shirt and a black jacket, with a slender rapier on her waist, followed Anne in front with a more careful pace. Her long leather boots landed accurately on the other's footprints, and her expression showed a rare trace of nervousness.

  Around them and above them were the same stone slabs as the ones under their feet, forming a square passage with exactly the same length. Behind them was the faint sound of waves, and in front was a completely dark and silent "tomb".

  This was the mausoleum of Russell Gustav, one of his nine mausoleums.

  The mausoleum of the "Black Emperor"!

  (End of this chapter)

   Chapter 625: Accident?

  Amid the faint sound of waves, the footsteps of the two echoed in the entrance passage of the mausoleum. The sounds kept overlapping, but disappeared between the black stones.

  Soon, Annie stopped. In front of her were collapsed stones and soil. The soil was of a special color, as if it was mixed with the remnants of high explosives. The gravel also had traces of holy flames burning. After a hundred years, it still had a faint sacred breath.

  "After he died in the White Maple Palace, the Steam Church and the Eternal Sun Church jointly found eight mausoleums located around the world and destroyed them. This is one of them."

  Bernadette behind her slowly approached and murmured, reaching out to press the collapsed part in front of her. As the continuous rumbling sound sounded, the gravel and soil moved to both sides, revealing a passage large enough for them to enter.

  "It has been completely destroyed."

  Without entering the narrow passage, Annie stood at the door and sensed everything.

  Her golden eyes reflected everything inside. All the decorations and murals had been cleared away, as if the lower half of the Iron Throne prepared for the giant had melted in the high temperature and solidified into an abstract shape. The crown on the top of the backrest was twisted and deformed, and the patterns engraved on the surface were directly flattened by external forces.

  But Anne could still feel a faint breath from it, which belonged to order and chaos, and to the twisted but self-contained rules, which made her feel a little nostalgic.

  "Any clues, Anne?"

  Bernadette asked expectantly.

  "There is still his aura, but the mausoleum itself is useless, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to push away those obstacles just now," Anne turned around, her eyes somewhat dim, "You should know that even if the 'Black Emperor' dies, he will be resurrected in any mausoleum. The two major churches are also aware of this. They used the power of angels and some '0' level seals to destroy this place and his hope of returning."

  "But they only destroyed eight mausoleums, and the ceremony requires nine!"

  Bernadette retorted in a low voice, completely different from her usual flamboyance in front of her subordinates, with some restraint and a little rebelliousness.

  "Moreover, even if all nine mausoleums are destroyed, as long as no new 'Black Emperor' is born, as long as the new order he created during his lifetime is still there, as long as there are still people who remember him, there is a chance..."

  Her voice became smaller and smaller, and finally it was like a breeze blowing through the quiet passage.

  "But first, we have to confirm that he has indeed entered the ceremony of becoming a god, and not been assassinated before that."

  Anne answered calmly, no longer looking into the depths of the mausoleum, but turned around and walked out of the passage.

  "Let's go, let's go to the next one."

  Her voice was not very confident... Bernadette sighed and followed him out of the narrow passage.

  Outside the mausoleum was a blazing desert, which stretched to infinity behind it, but under her feet was the sea. Where the waves were surging, a huge black warship was quietly parked, completely unaffected by the wind and waves.

  The mausoleum itself was attached to a stone mountain covered with sand and gravel. The interior seemed to be completely hollowed out, with a huge stone gate that was tens of meters high as the boundary, showing the difference between natural scenery and artificial structure.

  The surface of the stone gate was covered with countless deep gullies, as if a giant had used a weapon to scratch back and forth, destroying the exquisite relief above, but some structural drawings belonging to Roselle's genius invention could still be seen.

  Rocks and gravel, the dark and cold interior of the mausoleum and the dry and hot beach, the tall entrance and the narrow passage, formed a distorted design that contained certain rules.

  ————

  The next morning, Angel received 5,500 pounds from Miss Magician through "sacrifice" to Mr. Fool - 3,000 pounds belonged to the "Judge" attribute, and 2,500 pounds was the additional commission paid by the other party.

  Looking at the lovely head of William I, the "Founder of the Nation" on the ten-pound note, Angel felt that the corners of her mouth were about to grin to her ears.

  Sure enough, killing extraordinary people and taking away extraordinary characteristics and magical items is the most profitable... Of course, accepting murder commissions is the same, but there is a problem with both: there are not many evil extraordinary people with bounties, and most of them are concentrated on the sea, not in this prosperous city.

  Anyway, my savings have finally returned to more than 10,000 pounds again... She did a little calculation and found that with today's income, she already had a full 12,500 pounds in cash. Excluding the expenses for the housekeeper, Ms. Kayla, at the end of the month, she could use 12,000 pounds.

  It's time to find some investment projects to let the money appreciate naturally... She scratched her head and fell into new distress.

  Unlike what she had imagined, in her contacts with factory owners, bankers, and nobles in Backlund, Angel discovered that most of the wealth of these rich people was not in cash, gold, or jewelry, or even in bank bonds, which could be cashed at any time, but in stocks invested in various fields, or in manors and factories across the country.

  They could not be sold for cash at any time, but would gradually appreciate over time and become part of the wealth of nobles and wealthy people.

  In Backlund's upper class, talking about how much money one had in the bank was like a bumpkin from the countryside... and this way of investment could effectively prevent the nobles and factory owners from becoming the direct targets of others. After all, killing them would not make much money, and stocks and real estate were difficult to "steal".

  No wonder the witch sect gradually evolved into the current way of making money. This could be considered a "choice of the times"... Angel sighed, left the bedroom, enjoyed a hearty breakfast with the maid's service, and listened to the butler, Barker, introduce today's itinerary and the list of people to visit.

  "Miss, Mr. Dwayne Dantes's butler sent an invitation to invite you to attend the dance held at his house this Saturday night."

  After helping her arrange the itinerary, Riback took out an exquisite invitation and said.

  Here it comes!

  Angel's expression remained unchanged. He raised his teacup and took a sip, and asked slowly:

  "Do you think I should attend?"   

  "Recently, this businessman from Dixie has not had a very good reputation. Rumor has it that even when he was sick in bed, he was still thinking about, uh, interacting with women of different personalities..."

  Ribak tactfully reminded his hostess to be cautious in any contact with the other party.

  Isn't this the "performance" of Arrodes that night? I didn't expect Bishop Elektra to be such a big mouth that he spread Klein's embarrassment throughout the social circle so quickly... Of course, it is not ruled out that his butler or male servant spread it, perhaps to make his reputation slightly lower, but it is harmless, and it is easier to make people feel close...

  Angel recalled the social skills he had learned during this period of time, and judged that the reputation of "Dwayne Dantes" was not a problem, so he chuckled and replied:

  "Write a reply for me and say that I will attend. By the way, ask Ms. Kayla to prepare a suitable gift. It doesn't have to be too expensive, but it must be in line with his status... Who else will attend the ball?"

  "Kayla will prepare it for you. In addition, there should be a complete guest list on Wednesday, and I will give it to you then."

  Seeing that Angel had made a decision, Ribak stopped talking and silently wrote down these requirements, making sure that his master performed perfectly at the ball.

  Of course, she would be the absolute focus of the ball just by her appearance... Stealing a glance at Miss Theresa's face, which was not made up, but was even more beautiful and attractive, Ribak remembered the "ideal type" that Dantes was rumored to like, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Noticing

  his gaze, Angel was no longer as shy as when she first became a woman. She had gradually become accustomed to the lethality of her appearance as a high-sequence witch. Even if she deliberately restrained the charm derived from her extraordinary ability, she was confident that she could easily "take down" all the men she came into contact with just by her appearance. This can be seen from the countless invitations to dinners, dances, and salons she received every day.

  Ribak and Kayla even complained that some visitors would secretly give them money when they sent them invitations, just to let them put the invitations before others. Of course, being able to tell their employer clearly meant that they had rejected this temptation, which was the embodiment of the professional quality of the butler.

  Moreover, they were a step late...

  Angel suddenly laughed, which stunned Ribak in front of her and the maid Elsa who was serving tea beside him.

  ————

  In the large prayer hall of St. Samuel's Church, Klein, who had just recovered from a serious illness, still came here as usual to pray to the goddess and make a "devotion" as a believer.

  I have spent hundreds of pounds here. Although I have established a reputation for generosity and have also come into contact with the power of the church, a donation of 50 pounds each time is really expensive...

  He threw three ten-pound and four five-pound notes into the donation box with great distress, and returned to his seat under the kind eyes of a not-so-familiar bishop. He did not leave immediately, but squinted his eyes as if he was taking a rest and looked forward. At the end

  of his sight, there was an old man wearing a black clergy robe, but with dry and yellow hair, who was already in his twilight years. The latter was praying with his eyes closed, and did not feel Klein's prying at all.

  This is an internal guard of the "Chaness Gate". Klein has been secretly observing him for more than half a month. He knows that he is on duty every Friday, and he is missing most of the time, like a machine that hides in a corner and shuts down after completing its mission.

  Only every Tuesday afternoon, he will come to the prayer hall to pray at this fixed time.

  Seeing that no one is paying attention to him, Klein turned on the vision of "Spirit Line" and let the black lines that surged out of other believers' bodies surround him.

  In this, he noticed that the internal guard also has the same lines as ordinary people. They spread out and shoot to infinity, but the focus is not on the "one point" of other people, but on a dark spot in the body, like a black hole that swallows everything.

  Could this be eroded by the seal of the "Chaness Gate"... He subconsciously looked at the dark spot, but found that the old man had turned his head at some point, and his eyes without pupils and covered with the same black were staring at him.

  Discovered!

  He tightened his left hand and was about to activate "Creeping Hunger" and use the newly acquired "Travel" ability to escape.

  Using his amazing reaction to suppress his instinctive actions, Klein forced out a smile and tried to get away with it, but the next second, he felt the surroundings around him become blurry. The church, which was originally quite lively, was empty, and the long benches on both sides were either broken or rotten.

  Dream?

  Suddenly attacked by the "nightmare", Klein calmed down. He looked at the hideous face of the internal guard in front of him, two pairs of deformed arms growing under his ribs, lying on the ground like a terrifying monster with eight legs. He did not react in any way as a "beyond person", but shouted, his steps were messy, and he hid around in the prayer hall, like an ordinary person having a nightmare.

  Soon, this nightmare was covered by a dark and cold breath. Klein closed his eyes and opened them again, and found himself back in the real prayer hall. The internal guard did not look here, but was still praying with his head bowed. There was nothing unusual about the believers around him. The bishop's sermon next to the altar had just begun. Everything was peaceful and beautiful.

  But just now, something must have gone wrong with that guard... Klein pondered, and soon noticed that Bishop Elektra entered from the side door and walked directly towards him.

  If I was really exposed, it should be a whole team of "Nightwatchers" or even "Red Gloves" who came, not the bishop I was familiar with...

  He quickly figured this out, pretended to be a little confused and a little scared, and took the initiative to tell Elektra about his nightmare, and received her comfort and blessing.

  After the bishop left, Klein looked at the internal guard again and found that he was also taken out of the prayer hall by another bishop and went to the underground area.

  It seemed to be a pure accident. He subconsciously counterattacked because I touched the spiritual line, and then the seal under the church took it as a sign of loss of control, quickly calmed the incident, and notified the bishop on duty... Fortunately, I responded properly and no abnormality was discovered, and the whole thing was solved secretly.

  Klein breathed a sigh of relief with satisfaction, and prepared to leave slowly, disguising himself as a perfect "victim".

  "Victim? Doing it secretly? No way, do you really think so? Have you forgotten that you made a vow in front of the goddess's holy object and have already received her attention?"

  Suddenly, a sarcastic voice sounded in Klein's mind.

  This voice belongs to him!

  (End of this chapter)