With all parties holding their ground, they sent a second-rank rookie who could miss a barn door to lead the charge, but Lynch did not feel aggrieved.
On one hand, wealth is sought in danger, and one must give to receive; this is the essence of the world, and taking risks only makes one's path of immortality smoother.
On the other hand, the past month of life had given him a gradual understanding of the world's situation. All factions and top-tier powerhouses checked and balanced one another, acting with mutual caution, and none could act recklessly. It was not that they did not want to move, but that they could not. Much like the use of weapons of mass destruction in his past life, they required a presentable justification, such as the previously hijacked tribute or pirate invasions, before they could take the stage.
Lynch was currently in the business of manufacturing that justification.
He only needed to facilitate the ritual and keep a tight watch on the process to ensure it did not spiral out of control. The rest could be left to those outside to consider.
A noble descendant and a secret police officer; Lynch trusted that with their abilities and the unspoken rapport they shared, they would coordinate everything outside perfectly.
I charge into the fray, and I entrust everything else to you. I leave my back for you to guard; you are all my wings.
Hehehe, I finally got to say that.
【In the Age of Myth, being too much of a pervert invites divine punishment.】
‘Huh? Didn't you say you don't discriminate against perverts?’
【Because all the perverts have already been struck dead by divine punishment.】
‘Hey, neighbor, you can't be like that.’
Unfortunately, these wild thoughts in his mind did not dispel Lynch's nervousness.
Traveling in disguise with a group of dangerous enemies, deep into the enemy's nest to investigate a massive conspiracy—it was dancing with wolves, where the slightest carelessness would lead to eternal ruin. How could a shut-in like Lynch not be afraid?
His heart had long been taut, and it was only the concealment of the round fan that prevented his true emotions from being exposed.
In the instant before the teleportation, all sorts of eerie imaginings surfaced repeatedly in his mind: gloomy castles, dark cellars, churning blood pools, struggling sacrifices, and tragic wails...
“Ms. Selene, welcome to the Riverside Manor.”
After a moment of dizziness, Lynch realized he was still enveloped in the night, bathed in the crimson moonlight, and his chaotic heart quickly calmed.
None of the terrifying environments he had imagined appeared; he was currently standing in a picturesque manor.
Adjacent to the Lande River, the roar of the river water carried on the night breeze. The view was open, and the distance was filled with brilliant lights.
The moment Lynch appeared, he keenly noticed that he was standing on a flat stone slab, engraved with dense, eerie symbols, with the three of them standing right at the center.
Surrounding the slab was an open garden, with a gravel path leading straight to a three-story mansion in the distance. The mansion had roughly forty or fifty rooms and looked quite imposing from afar. More than half of the rooms were lit, suggesting quite a few occupants.
“This way, please.” Walker gestured along the path. “I would like to introduce you to a friend. He is the master of this manor, and he is waiting inside for our triumphant return.”
Lynch nodded and followed behind Walker and Mr. Kelvin, stepping off the slab while calmly surveying his surroundings.
“This is the Gorge District on the northern outskirts of Rhine. Although it is somewhat close to the cemetery, the air is fresh, and you can barely see the fog that perpetually blankets the city. The scenery is beautiful, and many wealthy people enjoy purchasing property here.”
Although Walker maintained a slight distance from Lynch, fearing to come within a meter of him, his attitude was impeccable. He introduced the manor like a hospitable host. As they drew closer, Lynch discovered that this manor was even larger than the Valente mansion, and it was filled with the vitality of daily life, completely different from the eerie environment he had anticipated.
They were halfway there, still fifty or sixty meters from the mansion, when a burst of firelight spilled out. It was a dozen servants, led by a man dressed as a butler, coming out to meet them with lanterns.
“Allow me to introduce you, Ms. Selene.”
Walker pointed at the approaching servants and said:
“You may need to stay here for a few days. Rest assured, the butler, Mr. Franklin, will see to all your living needs; just let the servants know if you require anything. I will have them take you to a guest room to settle in shortly, and the master of the manor will discuss the specifics with you later.”
Stay for a few days? It seemed the situation was more troublesome than imagined. Moreover, he had expected an enemy nest teeming with monsters, yet it turned out to be an environment like this. However, Lynch did not relax in the slightest, for as he approached the mansion, countless prying gazes shot out from those brilliantly lit rooms, fixating upon him.
Those were by no means ordinary prying gazes. Lynch could sense indescribable power leaking from them. Every gaze seemed to contain infinite malice; merely being watched from afar made Lynch's skin prickle with dread.
Fortunately, the butler and the servants were all ordinary people, which meant this was an environment where ordinary people could safely live in the short term. He did not need to worry about opening a door and seeing an evil god smiling at him. However, these ordinary people were all tainted by mystery filth. Though very thin, everyone had it, which meant that the people, objects, and events they encountered daily often involved targets with high concentrations of mystery filth.
Hiss, it seems this place really does hide quite a few incredible things.
Standing before the mansion for only a moment, relying on his keen intuition, Lynch had already made a preliminary judgment of the manor's situation. But since he was already here, Lynch had completely let go, immersing himself in the emotions of the real Swelling Daughter. The corners of his mouth, hidden behind the round fan, curled slightly upward. The playful smile could not hide the coldness in his eyes as he met the gaze of the strongest pressure points in his field of vision.
What are you looking at? A believer of an evil god won't indulge your bad habits. Let me see who among you is peeking at me.
Wherever his gaze passed, curtains were lowered one after another. However, behind two particular windows, the prying sensation laden with filth remained, and the pressure was even greater.
Hmph, very good.
In his alluring eyes, the gaze turned increasingly cold. Lynch flicked his wrist, and a parchment book appeared upon his fair, slender cane.
Having absorbed the lesson from the lack of preparation at Zur-Baha-Sahr last time, this time Miss Valente had directly lent Lynch her spatial mystery relic bracelet, which was stuffed with all kinds of strategic supplies. It was no exaggeration to say that he was currently equivalent to a small armory; at the very least, Lynch did not know where else one would stuff four shells for coastal defense artillery besides an armory.
Lynch did not know how this stuff got there, and he didn't dare ask; he just carried it and was done with it. In comparison, the items that originally belonged to him were pitifully few.
One of them was the secret code of the Swelling Daughter, 《Goddess of the Black Fan》.
This was a secret code used by the Swelling Daughter to amplify her abilities, and it was of no use to Lynch, but that did not stop him from taking it out to scare people. The thick, lingering evil god information upon it was enough to invite misunderstanding from everyone, especially Walker and Kelvin, who had been scared once before.
“Ms. Selene, please stay calm. This is the city.” Walker stepped forward, blocking the view between Lynch and the windows, covered in cold sweat. “They mean no harm; please don't be angry.”
Following Walker's intervention, the two gazes also vanished behind the curtains. Lynch took the opportunity to put away the parchment book, shot a look at the windows where the gazes had originated with a smile that was not quite a smile, and gave a light scoff:
“Take me to see the master of this place first. After I've seen him, I'll decide whether I want to stay here for a few days.”
Walker froze, nodded helplessly, and said: “As you wish, then please follow me. Mr. Kelvin, my apologies, I must take my leave for now.”
Saying this, he led Lynch toward the depths of the mansion.
Walking down the long corridor, the omnipresent sense of being watched still came from all directions, but it no longer carried the oppressive mystery of a moment ago. This time, Lynch did not continue to meet them head on. He merely rolled his eyes, ignored the prying, and followed Walker with graceful, swaying steps, led through a set of heavy, double doors.
The mansion study.
The study was brightly lit, and an expected person was sitting on the sofa.
Wearing formal attire, a top hat, his hair groomed meticulously, sporting a neat mustache, and a monocle hanging from his neck, his expression was sharp and capable.
He was someone Lynch had met a few times: the Mayor of Rhine City, a representative figure in banking and commerce, Mayor Howard Hoffman.
Seeing Walker bring Lynch into the room, this number one figure in the Rhine City government did not show a hint of surprise. He rose to meet them with a joyful expression, bowed to Lynch with his hand on his chest, and said with refined politeness:
“It is an honor to meet the representative of that lady, Ms. Selene. On behalf of Prince William, I extend my heartfelt thanks for that lady's assistance. I have looked forward to this meeting for a long time. Please, sit, sit.”
So it really is Prince William. It seems the previous speculation was correct.
Although he had long suspected Prince William was behind it, because Walker had always used the honorific ‘that lord’ when mentioning him previously, never once mentioning his name, it had never been verified. Fortunately, Mayor Howard had finally spoken the name directly, allowing Lynch to confirm it.
But why did the Mayor address him by name directly instead of saying ‘that lord’?
Is it because his status is higher? Or is there some other reason I am unaware of?
No, I cannot speak carelessly without figuring out the reason, or I'll be dead once exposed. Hmm, stay steady and respond vaguely.
Deep in the enemy's nest, Lynch dared not relax even a fraction. He cautiously analyzed every bit of abnormality he noticed, but on the surface, he covered his face with the round fan and said in a languid tone:
“I can't be considered a representative of the elder sister, and I don't know what kind of deals you have. The elder sister let me come to watch the fun, so I came. The previous agreement didn't include this invitation, much less this meeting. I hate beating around the bush, so you'd better speak plainly about what you want from me. However, I'll state this first: I don't care what agreement you have with the elder sister. If you want me to do something, explain the cause and effect clearly, and then I'll decide whether to help or not.”
Howard was visibly stunned. He asked Walker, who was standing to the side, with his eyes. Walker immediately stepped forward a few steps, took out the gem, handed it to the Mayor, and then whispered in his ear.
I don't know what the two of them conjured up in their heads, but Howard immediately showed an expression of sudden realization. He patted Walker on the shoulder with sympathy and had him sit nearby, only then turning to Lynch with a standard commercial smile:
“I understand your attitude, so I will speak plainly. Walker's ability to bring back the gem this time relied entirely on your help. We are very grateful, but since you have already received your reward, we won't mention that again. This time, we asked to meet you because there is another matter that requires your assistance.”
Lynch gave a noncommittal hum.
“Help us find the mole and ensure the smooth progress of the ritual.”
？？？
Lynch tilted his head, feeling as if question marks were literally popping up from the top of his head.
I suspect that I am the one who is the spy.
“Explain clearly, what exactly happened?”
Rate on N.U.
