Chapter 60: Miss Sharon is also quite poor, isn’t she?

Chapter 60: Miss Sharon is also quite poor, isn't she?

Was he born with such a talent for showing off in front of others?

Hastur really wanted to slap count Richard again, but after glancing at the Earl's gradually swelling cheek, he gave up the idea.

Is it over just like that? Maric was a bit confused; he always felt that tonight's event went too smoothly, and he hardly had to do anything! He only knocked out those followers and didn't even harm the spirit world creature.

The spirit world creature suddenly disappeared, cut off by the barrier between this world and the spirit world.

When it tried to return, Hastur shattered the crystal ball with a swing of his club, destroying the summoning coordinates.

When the creature's contingency plan on count Richard took effect, count Richard, by his own will, ground its avatar into nothingness, ending everything.

Both Hastur and count Richard played important roles in this battle, but only he didn't have a particularly brilliant performance.

Clearly, he was the one with the highest rank and the strongest power among the three extraordinary individuals.

"In a situation like this, how should we handle it?" Hastur looked at Maric, seeking his opinion.

"Send it to the church for purification or purify it on the spot with flames."

Maric slowly approached count Richard, his gaze unfriendly.

The matter was resolved too quickly tonight, making one suspicious whether the spirit world creature left something in count Richard.

"What are you trying to do?"

count Richard instinctively stepped back, then, covering his swollen cheek, indignantly said, "I haven't been contaminated!"

Maric sneered, "Heh, is it still contamination if you can detect it?"

Faced with Maric's relentless approach, count Richard was a bit scared but still insisted, "I am a noble; you can't treat me like this!"

"You held a ceremony in the dead of night, intending to summon an evil presence. Just for that crime, you could spend a lifetime in the church's dungeon."

"The evil one is that toad, not my lord!"

"Who knows."

Unable to argue with Maric and afraid of his werewolf state, count Richard thought of seeking Hastur's help.

"Stop scaring him for now, let him erase the followers' memories of tonight, to prevent them from being contaminated when they recall this later."

Hastur, recovering from his weakened state, stopped Maric from taking action at this time.

As a medium, count Richard was skilled at erasing memories.

He knew he caused this disaster, so he worked especially hard.

After all the followers' memories of tonight were erased, Maric allowed them to wake up from their stupor.

count Richard stepped forward to say a few words, declaring the night's blessing over, and told them to go to the church of the true God for sincere prayers after returning home.

After everything ended, Hastur and Maric discussed how to deal with count Richard.

Judging by count Richard's performance, he should not be contaminated or parasitized, but it's hard to conclude definitively.

Perhaps after returning home tonight, count Richard might dream of his so-called lord, the spirit world creature still able to influence him across the spirit world.

The best solution would be to humanely destroy count Richard, cutting off all possibilities.

But after all, he is an earl, and they did not want to bear the sin of killing a noble.

They decided to take a gentler approach, letting him seek purification from the bishops of the church of the true God.

As long as he donated some money, they would be happy to perform the purification for a believer.

count Richard listened silently and finally agreed to do as instructed after returning home.

"How did you, an earl, come to this point?" Hastur was very interested in count Richard's extraordinary story.

"It all started fifteen years ago."

count Richard sighed and began to tell his story of entering the extraordinary world.

Fifteen years ago, count Richard was a handsome young man in his early twenties. Although he knew of the existence of the extraordinary, he never thought of pursuing it.

Until he kindly helped an old man, who, before dying, asked him to help with his burial and arrange all the affairs.

To repay his kindness, the old man gave him a booklet containing three potion formulas, what to pay attention to at each sequence, and many extraordinary tidbits.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he completed the potions and became an extraordinary person, a Sequence 9 Corpse Collector.

According to the booklet, to advance to a higher sequence, one must learn to be a true Corpse Collector.

He didn't understand these mystical teachings, and his noble status made it difficult for him to be a taboo-breaking Corpse Collector.

Only when he lived in the manor in the suburbs would he go to the nearby village and occasionally try collecting corpses.

After about eight years, he experienced the wonderful feeling described in the booklet, took the potion, and became a Sequence 8 Gravedigger.

Only last year did he become a Sequence 7 Medium.

It was as a Medium that he heard the voice of his lord.

Following the lord's guidance, he summoned the lord's messenger through a ritual, the toad creature from the spirit world.

Then he gradually developed new followers to where they are now.

Regarding the rituals, this was the third large-scale ceremony he had conducted.

The previous two ceremonies had no anomalies, and he and the followers indeed felt the blessings from their lord.

It was a warm feeling; after each blessing, they were spirited and full of vitality, and some minor illnesses were cured.

That's why he steadfastly believed in his lord.

"Have you ever considered that the lord who guided you at the beginning was that toad messenger?" Maric couldn't help but ask.

"Impossible!"

count Richard was very certain, disdainfully saying, "How could such an ugly creature be the lord! It must have tried to steal the lord's place while the lord wasn't paying attention!"

"It not only wanted to impersonate the lord but even dared to mimic the lord's voice! If I catch it, I'll definitely skin it and roast it on the grill!"

Hastur's eyes narrowed, thinking of grilled frog legs with a generous sprinkle of seasoning, absolutely delicious.

Maric looked at count Richard as if he were insane, "Do you know what a spirit world creature is?"

"Aren't spirit world creatures also beings? Can't they be killed?"

"…"

Maric found it difficult to continue the conversation with the Earl, who lacked knowledge of mysticism.

"Thank you both for your help tonight, which prevented my lord's divine might from being desecrated. I am willing to pay a thank-you gift within my means."

As he was leaving, count Richard brought up the matter of a thank-you gift, and Hastur and Maric looked at him more kindly.

Knowing how to be grateful is what makes a good noble.

count Richard paused, then awkwardly said, "My understanding of the extraordinary world is limited, and I don't have anything particularly special, just some pounds and a bit of land."

"I know these things are quite mundane, but they are the best thank-you gifts I can offer right now."

Some pounds? A bit of land? Is this a new way of showing off wealth?

Hastur inwardly sighed; he now liked these mundane things. If count Richard really gave him a sealed item, he wouldn't dare to use it.

Maric shared Hastur's thoughts, coughed lightly, and said, "We trust in the sincerity and generosity of a noble."

"Would a thank-you gift of 1000 pounds be acceptable?"

count Richard looked uneasy, feeling that this gift was somewhat undervalued compared to his status as an earl.

But he had recently spent quite a bit of money, and with the plantation not being managed much, the income was less than in previous years. He wasn't good at investing, and the cash he could use wasn't much.

1000 pounds, that's 500 pounds per person, a significant fortune.

Hastur and Maric did not refuse this thank-you gift that came to their door.

It was only when count Richard said it was 1000 pounds per person that they exclaimed that an earl indeed has money.

With so much money, count Richard certainly didn't carry it on him. He asked Hastur and Maric to accompany him to the manor as guests and to deliver the thank-you gift.

Regarding the invitation to be guests, Hastur did not agree. He asked Maric to accompany count Richard back to the manor to get the money, while cautioning Maric to be careful.

His spiritual power was almost exhausted tonight, and he didn't dare to take any more risks.

After sending off Maric and count Richard, Hastur prepared to return to the lake to rest and wait for Maric's good news.

Carrying the big wooden club, he followed the original path back to the lake. He had just sat down to rest when he heard a voice.

"If there's ever such a thing again, you can call on me."

"Miss Sharon, have you been nearby all night?"

"Mhm."

Under the hazy moonlight, Sharon floated down from the treetop and landed opposite Hastur, separated by a campfire.

Even in such dense woods, there was no trace of grass or leaves on her, clean and spotless.

"Good, if I encounter such dangerous situations again, I will definitely notify Miss Sharon in advance."

"No, I'm talking about the opportunity to earn 1000 pounds."

"…"

Hastur put away his grateful feelings, his gaze becoming complex. So Miss Sharon is also quite poor.

Sharon didn't speak, just quietly gave Hastur a look, then turned her gaze to the campfire.

The firelight reflected, and her face seemed a bit flushed? Hastur gently rubbed his eyes

Sharon also didn't say anything, just quietly gave Hastur a look, then turned her gaze back to the campfire.

The firelight reflected, and her face seemed a bit flushed?

Hastur gently rubbed his eyes. He looked again, but Sharon's expression remained calm, without a hint of emotion.

Was that earlier scene just a trick of the light?

"Miss Sharon, were you lurking nearby all this time?" Hastur changed the topic.

"At first, yes. Later, I encountered another unfriendly extraordinary individual."

Even in the shadows, there were others spying!

Hastur furrowed his brow. "Does Miss Sharon know the identity of that extraordinary individual?"

"He didn't directly confront me. We just stood at a distance, and he left only after you dealt with the spirit world creature."

Sharon pondered for a moment and continued, "He's likely a Secret Sealer, possibly affiliated with the Aurora Order."

The Aurora Order? Could it really be Mr. A?!

Hastur's heart trembled; he felt a chill down his spine.

Why would Mr. A appear here?

Was he specifically targeting Hastur?

Or was there some connection between this ritual and the Aurora Order?

Hastur's mind filled with question marks, and he grew increasingly uneasy.

If Sharon hadn't appeared tonight, would Mr. A have attacked him?

(End of this chapter)