With all factions biding their time and sending a rank two rookie who could miss a strike on a stationary target to lead the charge, Lynch did not feel hard done by.
On one hand, wealth was found in danger, and one had to give to receive. This was the nature of the world, and taking risks would make his path of immortality smoother.
On the other hand, a month of living here had allowed him to gradually understand the situation of this world. The various factions and top-tier experts held each other in check and mutual wariness; no one could act recklessly. It was not that they did not want to move, but they could not. Just like the use of weapons of mass destruction in his previous life, there had to be a justifiable pretext—like the previous theft of the tribute or the pirate invasion—before they could make an appearance.
Now, Lynch was creating that pretext.
As long as he was responsible for facilitating the ritual while keeping a close eye on the process to ensure it did not spiral out of control, the rest could be left to the people outside.
A noble descendant and a secret police officer. Lynch believed that with their abilities and their tacit understanding, they would definitely coordinate everything outside perfectly.
I'll lead the charge at the front, and entrust everything else to you. I'll leave my back for you to guard. You are both my wings.
Hehehe, I finally got to say that line.
【In the Mythological Era, being too much of a pervert would invite divine punishment.】
‘Huh? Didn't you say your church didn't discriminate against perverts?’
【Because all the perverts were struck dead by divine punishment.】
‘Hey, neighbor, you can't be like that.’
Unfortunately, the wild thoughts in his head did not dispel Lynch's nervousness.
Traveling with a group of dangerous enemies under a disguised identity, venturing deep into the enemy's nest to investigate a massive conspiracy, and playing a dangerous game where the slightest misstep would mean eternal damnation—how could Lynch, who was originally a homebody, not be afraid?
His heart had long been tense, and it was only thanks to the concealment of the round fan that his true emotions were not exposed.
In the instant before the teleportation occurred, all kinds of bizarre and eerie imaginations repeatedly surfaced in his mind: a gloomy old castle, a dark cellar, a churning pool of blood, struggling sacrifices, and tragic wails...
“Ms. Selene, welcome to Riverside Manor.”
After a brief daze, Lynch realized he was still in the night, bathed in the crimson moonlight. His chaotic heart quickly calmed down.
None of the terrifying environments he had imagined appeared; he was in a beautifully scenic manor.
Adjacent to the Lande River, the sound of the rushing water carried on the night wind. The surroundings offered a wide view, with brilliant lights shining in the distance.
The moment Lynch appeared, he keenly noticed that beneath his feet was a flat stone slab covered in dense, eerie symbols. The three of them were standing right in the center of these symbols.
Surrounding the stone slab was an open garden. A gravel path led straight to a three-story mansion in the distance. The mansion had about forty to fifty rooms and looked quite grand from afar. More than half of the rooms were lit up, suggesting that quite a few people lived there.
“This way, please.” Walker made a guiding gesture toward the path. “Let me introduce a friend to you. He is the owner of this manor, and he is waiting inside for our triumphant return.”
Lynch nodded, stepping off the stone slab behind Walker and Mr. Kelvin, looking around with a calm expression.
“This is the Gorge District on the northern outskirts of Rhine City. Although it is a bit close to the cemetery, the air is fresh, and you can barely see the fog that constantly blankets the city. The scenery is beautiful, and many wealthy people like to buy property here.”
Although Walker kept his distance from Lynch, fearing to come within a meter of him, his attitude was impeccable. Like a hospitable host, he introduced the manor beneath their feet to Lynch. As they drew closer, Lynch discovered that this manor was even larger than the Valente family's residence, and it was filled with the atmosphere of daily life everywhere, completely different from the eerie environment he had imagined.
They had only walked halfway, still fifty or sixty meters from the mansion, when a burst of firelight emerged from the building. It was a dozen or so servants, led by a man dressed as a butler, carrying lanterns to welcome them.
“Allow me to introduce him, Ms. Selene.”
Walker pointed to the approaching servants and said:
“You may need to stay here for a few days. Don't worry, the butler, Mr. Franklin, will handle all your daily needs. Just let the servants know if you need anything. In a moment, a servant will take you to a guest room to settle in first. The owner of the manor will discuss the details with you later.”
A short stay of a few days? It seemed the situation was more troublesome than imagined. Furthermore, he had expected an enemy nest crawling with demons, not an environment like this. Yet, Lynch did not relax in the slightest. As he approached the mansion, countless prying gazes shot out from those brightly lit rooms, locking onto him.
Those were by no means ordinary glances. Lynch could sense an unspeakable power leaking from those gazes. Every single look seemed to contain endless malice. Even a distant peek was enough to make Lynch's skin shiver.
Fortunately, the butler and servants were all ordinary people, which meant this was an environment where ordinary people could safely live in the short term, without having to worry about opening a door and seeing an evil god smiling at them. However, almost all of these ordinary people were contaminated with mysterious filth. Although it was very faint, everyone had it, which meant that in their daily contact with people and things, targets with a fairly high concentration of mysterious filth frequently appeared.
Hiss, it seemed quite a few extraordinary things were indeed hidden here.
Having stood in front of the mansion for just a brief moment, relying on his sharp inspiration, Lynch had already made a preliminary assessment of the manor's situation. But now that he was here, Lynch had completely let go of his reservations, fully immersing himself in the emotions of the real Swelling Daughter. The corner of his mouth beneath the round fan curled up slightly, a playful smile failing to hide the coldness in his eyes as he glared back at the positions from which the strongest pressure originated.
What the hell are you looking at? Followers of an evil god won't tolerate your nonsense. Let see who exactly is spying on me.
Wherever his gaze swept, the partially lifted curtains were quickly let down. However, behind two of the curtains, the filthy sensation of spying still lingered, and the pressure was even greater.
Hmph, very well.
Within those seductive eyes, his gaze grew increasingly cold. With a flick of Lynch's wrist, a parchment book appeared atop his fair, slender cane.
Having learned his lesson from the insufficient preparation at Zur-Baha-Sahr last time, Miss Valente had directly lent her storage bracelet to Lynch, which was stuffed with all kinds of strategic resources. It would not be an exaggeration to say he was currently equivalent to a small armory. At the very least, Lynch did not know where else besides an armory would be stuffed with four coastal defense artillery shells.
Lynch did not know how she got those things, and he did not dare to ask. He just brought them along. By contrast, only a pitiful few items originally belonged to him.
Among them was the Swelling Daughter's grimoire, 《Goddess of the Black Fan》.
This item was a grimoire used by the Swelling Daughter to amplify her abilities. It was no longer of much use to Lynch, but that did not stop him from taking it out to intimidate others. The dense aura of the evil god on it was more than enough to cause a misunderstanding among everyone, especially Walker and Kelvin, who had been frightened by it once before.
“Ms. Selene, please calm down. This is the city,” Walker said, stepping forward to block the space between Lynch and the windows, dripping with cold sweat. “They mean no harm. Please do not be angry.”
With Walker's intervention, the two gazes also disappeared behind the curtains. Lynch took the opportunity to put away the parchment book. Glancing at the windows where the gazes had originated with a half-smile, he let out a soft sneer:
“Take me to meet the owner of this place first. After we meet, I'll decide whether to stay here for a few days.”
Walker was taken aback, then nodded helplessly. “As you wish. Please follow me then. Mr. Kelvin, excuse me, I will take my leave first.”
With that, he led Lynch toward the depths of the mansion.
Walking along the long corridor, the omnipresent sensation of being watched still came from all directions, though it no longer carried the oppressive pressure of mystery from earlier. This time, Lynch did not continue to confront them. He merely rolled his eyes upward and ignored the spying, gracefully following Walker as they were led through a pair of heavy double doors.
The mansion's study.
The study was brightly lit, and an expected figure sat on the sofa.
He wore a formal suit and top hat, his hair combed meticulously, with a neat mustache and a monocle hanging around his neck. His expression radiated shrewdness and competence.
They had met a few times before—the mayor of Rhine City, a representative of banking and commerce, Mayor Howard Hoffman.
Seeing Walker lead Lynch through the door, the number one figure of the Rhine City government showed no surprise. With a look of joy, he stood up to welcome them, bowing with his hand over his chest and speaking politely:
“It is a great honor to meet the representative of that lady, Ms. Selene. On behalf of Prince William, I express our heartfelt gratitude for that lady's assistance. I have looked forward to this meeting for a long time. Please sit, please sit.”
It really was Prince William. It seemed his previous guess was correct.
Although he had long guessed that Prince William was behind this, because Walker had always used the respectful title of “that lord” whenever he mentioned him and had never directly stated his name, it had remained unverified. Fortunately, Mayor Howard had finally spoken the name directly, allowing Lynch to confirm it.
But why did the mayor call him by his name directly instead of saying “that lord”?
Was it because his status was higher? Or was there some other reason I do not know about?
No, without clearing up this reason, I cannot just speak carelessly. Otherwise, once exposed, I am dead. Better play it safe and respond vaguely.
Deep in the enemy's nest, Lynch did not dare to relax in the slightest, cautiously analyzing every tiny anomaly he noticed. On the surface, however, he still covered his face with the round fan and said in a lazy voice:
“I can hardly be considered Eldest Sister's representative, nor do I know what transaction you have. Eldest Sister just told me to come watch the show, so I came. The previous agreement did not include this invitation, let alone this meeting. I hate beating around the bush, so if you have business with me, you had better speak plainly. However, let me make this clear: I do not care what agreement you have with Eldest Sister. If you want me to do something, explain the full story to me first, and then I will decide whether to help.”
Howard was visibly stunned. He looked to Walker for answers, and Walker immediately stepped forward, took out the gem, handed it to the mayor, and whispered in his ear.
Heaven knew what scenario the two of them had concocted in their heads, but Howard immediately showed a look of realization. He patted Walker's shoulder sympathetically and had him sit down as well, before offering Lynch a standard, business-like smile:
“I understand your attitude. Then I will get straight to the point. We are extremely grateful that Walker was able to bring back the gem this time, entirely thanks to your help. However, since you have already received your reward, we will not dwell on that. The reason we requested this meeting is that we need your assistance with another matter.”
Lynch let out a noncommittal hum.
“Help us find the mole to ensure the ritual goes smoothly.”
???
Lynch tilted his head, feeling as though question marks were practically materializing above his head.
I suspect that I am the actual mole here.
“Explain clearly. What exactly happened?”
Rate on N.U.
