Chapter 443: Audrey: Is Mr. Klein a Witch?

Chapter 443: Audrey: Is Mr. Klein a Witch?

Audrey focused on another key point of the conversation while examining the back injuries of Klein, who was disguised as Helene. She observed his appearance and figure, alternating between surprise and slight frowns. After a simple bandaging, Audrey suggested that Klein visit a clinic for a more detailed examination, while inquiring about the reason for his late-night misfortune.

Klein's mind raced as he explained that he had jumped from a pirate ship and drifted to this beach with the tide.

The justice-minded Audrey immediately asked about the name of the pirate group. Upon hearing that it was another evil deed by Disease Admiral Tracy's pirate group, she felt even more disgusted with this unseen Disease Admiral.

"Thank you both for your concern. I'm fine now, and there's no need to trouble you further," Klein said, trying to find an excuse to leave.

However, Hastur smiled and said, "It's late at night, and it's not safe here. Let us escort you to a nearby clinic."

Audrey also thought this was a more appropriate course of action. However, she wondered why Mr. Hastur, who usually disliked troublesome situations, was being so enthusiastic tonight. Could it be that Mr. Hastur preferred this type of girl?

Audrey stole another glance at Hastur and noticed his eyes were full of mirth as he kept staring at the distressed girl before them.

"There's no need for such trouble. I know my way around here," Klein hurriedly declined, feeling uneasy under Hastur's gaze.

"Didn't you say you drifted here with the tide?" Audrey questioned.

Unable to refuse, Klein finally accepted Hastur's proposal and was escorted to the clinic by the two.

Along the way, Audrey and Klein discussed various topics, and Klein took the opportunity to understand why Hastur was here. They were out for a stroll, and as for why they were walking on the beach in the middle of the night, it was probably a special romantic gesture between the young couple.

This question was a bit beyond Klein's understanding, given his perpetual single status.

The more they chatted, the more Klein felt something was amiss. The Audrey before him seemed remarkably similar to Miss Justice. Her manner of speaking, demeanor, appearance, and even her Loen Backlund accent were almost identical to Miss Justice.

Could it be such a coincidence? Klein's scalp tingled, and he couldn't help but shudder. Audrey, noticing this, thought he might have caught a chill due to his damp clothes.

Should he ask a probing question? Klein pondered for a moment but abandoned the idea. There would be plenty of time to investigate Miss Justice's true identity later. But if Miss Justice were to realize that he was Mr. Fool...

Mr. Fool is a girl!

Such explosive news would shock the entire Tarot Club. All members would look at him with curious, complex, and astonished gazes.

Upon reaching the nearby clinic, Klein once again thanked Hastur and Audrey for their help, eager for them to leave.

Audrey also felt they shouldn't stay any longer, but Hastur showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he smiled and said, "Miss Helene really resembles someone I know."

This was the second time Hastur had said this tonight. Klein could no longer pretend not to hear it. He was certain now that his disguise as a woman had been exposed.

The only consolation was that the person who discovered his cross-dressing wasn't Leonard. Otherwise, he would never be able to face anyone again.

"Mr. Hastur, you shouldn't have improper thoughts about a distressed girl," Audrey reminded him, feeling inexplicably jealous.

Although she believed herself to be more attractive than the distressed Miss Helene before her, the fragile yet defiant look in Helene's eyes was indeed quite touching.

"Perhaps I was mistaken. Mr. Klein... I mean, Miss Helene, we'll take our leave now," Hastur chuckled apologetically, then led Audrey out of the clinic.

Before Klein could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard the clear conversation between Hastur and Audrey, who hadn't gone far.

"Does that Mr. Klein really resemble Miss Helene?" Audrey asked.

"Yes, it's not just a resemblance. I suspect they might be the same person," Hastur replied.

"But isn't Mr. Klein a man? How could he become Miss Helene?"

"In the mystical world, anything is possible."

"Wait, Mr. Hastur, you're not suggesting that the Mr. Klein you know is a non-human of the Witch pathway, are you?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure about that..."

Klein couldn't hear the rest of the conversation clearly, but he didn't need to. He took several deep breaths to calm his chaotic thoughts, finally telling himself: "This is the performance of a Faceless. I'm always acting, not truly becoming another person."

"Shame and panic are emotions that must be overcome when playing a Faceless. One must always be prepared for their identity to be exposed."

Klein's suppressed face once again displayed a sweet smile as he fully embraced the role of Helene.

If he were to encounter Hastur again, he would face him with a calmer mindset. At least he wouldn't feel ashamed or afraid of being exposed, but rather composed and at ease.

Who says men can't wear women's clothing?

Just as Klein came to this realization, his Faceless potion was fully digested, allowing him to prepare for advancement to Sequence 5 Marionettist.

Klein's feelings became even more complex. He could only hope that next time, he would be able to catch Hastur in an equally embarrassing situation.

Leaving the clinic, Klein found an unoccupied house and exchanged his expensive dress for ordinary men's clothing, then transformed into the appearance of Gehrman Sparrow.

Fortunately, Mr. Hastur didn't suddenly appear before him again this time.

...

Back on the Hope, seeing Audrey's somewhat gloomy expression, Hastur deliberately said, "No wonder Emperor Roselle praised the beauty of witches so highly. Non-humans of the Witch pathway indeed have a unique charm."

Audrey frowned seriously and said, "Mr. Hastur, witches usually represent pain and torment. Falling for them would be a disaster."

"Understood. I will absolutely heed Miss Audrey's warning! I will never be captivated by a witch's charm!" Hastur replied very seriously, immediately causing Audrey to blush. She glared at Hastur before leading Susie, who had been waiting nearby, back to her room.

Hastur went to take a bath. Soaking in the comfortable warm water, he leaned his head back, unable to suppress a smile.

Thinking about how Klein, disguised as Helene, had been encountered by him and Audrey tonight, he imagined the extreme embarrassment Klein must have felt in such a mortifying situation.

Originally, he had considered directly exposing Klein's identity on the spot and asking, "Mr. Klein, is that you?"

In the end, he decided to leave Klein with a final shred of dignity. After all, if he had completely stripped away the disguise, Klein might have given up entirely, which wouldn't have been as interesting.

The only regrettable thing was that Audrey didn't know that the beautiful Miss Helene who appeared before her tonight was actually the mysterious and inscrutable Mr. Fool.

"Come to think of it, I'm actually helping Klein complete his Faceless performance," Hastur mused.

...

On the vast sea, the Dawn greeted the first ray of sunlight as it arrived in the waters surrounding the mysterious island where Roselle's treasure was said to be stored.

Bernadette walked out of the captain's cabin and onto the bow deck, gazing at the island that buried her father.

The spire of the black mausoleum protruded from the dense forest, almost as tall as the island's mountains.

Without a doubt, this was the last mausoleum left behind by her father after his failed attempt to advance in the Black Emperor pathway.

As long as this mausoleum remained, there was still a glimmer of hope for resurrection.

Bernadette stared intently for a long time, then ordered the fleet to spread out and surround the entire island, prohibiting any ships from approaching and forbidding anyone from landing on the island.

She herself had no intention of going ashore, instead planning to intercept anyone who tried to land.

Under her accumulated prestige, even the more radical members of her crew ultimately chose to submit.

However, news still spread quickly. Soon, pirate groups that had been searching in other sea areas rushed over, demanding that Bernadette end the blockade and allow them to land on the island together to divide Emperor Roselle's left-behind treasures.

Bernadette didn't waste words with them. She simply drew a circle of no entry, threatening to destroy without mercy anyone who crossed it.

At first, when fewer forces arrived, Bernadette could handle the situation with ease, relying on her powerful strength for deterrence. But as time passed and more pirate groups gathered, it became difficult for her alone to completely protect the entire island. She could only resort to killing, slaughtering until all pirate groups dared not approach.

It wasn't until people from the Church of Storms appeared and stood on the same side as Bernadette that her pressure greatly reduced.

To better handle the island's affairs, the Church of Storms and the Church of the everNight Goddess each sent a bishop to discuss strategies with Bernadette.

This result directly led to Bernadette, the Mysterious Queen, being removed from the ranks of pirate kings by other pirates. Her title of Mysterious Queen was also mockingly changed to Servant of Storms.

Several more days passed, and Hastur and Audrey's Hope also arrived in the waters surrounding the island.

Standing at the bow and looking through a telescope, their view was filled with the distinctive flags of various pirate groups.

Xio was excited and howling with joy. With so many pirates gathered here, there were many famous pirates on the wanted list.

Bounties ranged from several hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds, and even the flagship of the King of Immortality Agalito, the Herald of Death, had appeared! This was a pirate king even more valuable than a pirate admiral, with a total bounty exceeding several hundred thousand pounds!

Hehe, the Undying King, several hundred thousand pounds, hehe...

"Alright, if you keep howling like that, even Susie will think you're too noisy," Fors said, patting Xio's head to calm her down.