Sitting in the opulent guest room, Lynch finally found a moment of solitude. The anxiety that had gripped his heart all night finally eased, and even this room, dripping with the tacky aura of a nouveau riche, didn't seem quite so grating anymore.
However, Lynch still dared not fully relax. While this era lacked modern surveillance and wiretapping, it was riddled with eerie and unpredictable abilities; it was hard to say whether he was being watched.
I will just maintain this state for the next few days. Throwing himself lazily onto the sofa, Lynch brushed off his long dress and couldn't help but offer a wry smile.
As expected, there is no such thing as 'only once' or 'infinite times' when it comes to cross-dressing; I am actually starting to get used to it.
What he was wearing underneath was actually an ordinary men's shirt and trousers, paired with standard men's leather shoes. Yet, under the influence of the round fan, his entire person, including his attire, had conceptually transformed into a female state. He had truly become a master of cross-dressing.
It's terrifying. If I maintain this state for too long, it seems even my psychology is developing a subtle sense of identification. Hiss, could this fan have some kind of side effect? If it does, I shouldn't use it so casually in the future.
【There are no side effects.】
‘Phew, that’s good.’
【It is merely the awakening of some unique preferences.】
‘I told you not to mess with my memories. Look at all the messy nonsense you’ve learned.’
【Isn't the real issue why your memories contain such strange things? The information disturbance has even affected me.】
‘That is the cultural accumulation of several millennia from another world. Tsk, why did it have to accumulate such a pile of junk… be serious, what about the undercover mission?’
Enjoying the gentle, chuckling voice in his mind, the tension of being deep in the enemy's lair gradually faded. Lynch slowly calmed down and carefully contemplated his mission for the past few days.
Identify the mole, hand the evidence over to Walker, soothe their nerves, and use the real gem to trick him into pushing forward with the ritual. The ritual would naturally fail, and he would use that opportunity to expose the conspiracy between Howard and Prince William. As for what came after, that was no longer the concern of a rank two rookie like him.
Theoretically, that was the plan, but he couldn't exactly expose the mole and get them killed. The specifics would have to be decided based on the situation when the time came, but the most urgent task was to ferret out the mole.
Within three days.
The problem was how to find them. Frowning, Lynch opened the files Walker had given him before they parted.
The documents detailed the twelve people Howard had gathered, divided into two groups: internal and external. Five would execute the ritual, and one would serve as an emergency backup, just in case. It was said that once the ritual was successfully completed, it would open an ancient tomb from the Third Age. Howard would only take one item from within, and the rest of the spoils would be split equally among the twelve.
Greed was, after all, an original sin of humanity. For the sake of a few pounds, many people would sell out their own parents, let alone help Howard and Prince William manufacture a disaster. Lynch had seen this sort of thing plenty of times in movies and TV shows; it didn't strike him as strange.
However, after a preliminary assessment, it was more likely that the mole was hidden among the six people responsible for the external ritual, as they at least possessed legal identities. The other six, who were responsible for the internal ritual, were all wanted cultists—and some might not even be human. The possibility of such individuals cooperating with the authorities, especially the churches of the major gods, was almost non-existent.
Focusing his attention on the six people in the external group, Lynch re-read the files, feeling a headache coming on.
The people in this manor were all such 'talents' that Lynch already wanted to leave.
The six members of the external ritual group:
A ruins explorer who poured all his energy into the ancient tomb;
An archaeologist who had been expelled from the Archaeological Association years ago and harbored a deep grudge against them;
An antique hunter, said to be a lucky soul who had worked for twenty years without dying a strange death;
An ancient book broker who specialized in finding victims for his clients;
A folklorist who specialized in deep dives into the secret villages of Middle Earth, though he always brought back 'souvenirs' like tribal holy relics or totems;
A philologist, specializing in translating ancient scripts, proficient in various languages from the savage era of the Second Age and the dark era of the Third Age. He was far more professional than a rookie archaeologist like Lynch, who only knew a smattering of five languages.
Howard, are you seriously farming monsters here?
These were all high-risk professions in the mysterious world. Releasing any one of them out into the world could trigger several mysterious tragedies—starting with total annihilation and with no upper limit. With them all gathered here now, Lynch seriously doubted if Mayor Howard still loved his manor, or if he intended to tear it down and rebuild it.
Forget it, worrying is useless. I'll try to make contact with them, proceeding cautiously without exposing myself. With my level of intuition, perhaps I can spot abnormalities when I interact with them.
I must hurry.
Making up his mind, Lynch rubbed his temples, shoved the files into his bracelet, and left the room while carrying his round fan.
I didn't even turn off the lights; that’s how bold I am!
The corridor was equally brilliantly lit, with two rows of ornate wooden doors arranged neatly along the long hallway. This entire floor consisted of guest rooms for the Lakeside Manor, and all the guests Howard had summoned were concentrated here.
Knocking on doors to chat with people might work for Lynch, but it was absolutely impossible for Selene. However, Lynch wasn't troubled; instead, he clutched his round fan and strolled leisurely toward the stairs.
The recreation room was on the first floor, where Howard had prepared fine wine, food, and various entertainment facilities for his guests. Even though it was past nine o'clock, there should still be people there.
I'll seize the time to make contact with a few and see how things stand.
Click-clack. His heels tapped against the smooth stone floor, the sound echoing in the empty corridor. However, just a few steps later, a door beside him suddenly swung open. Someone rushed out in a hurry and headed straight toward Lynch.
Without any warning.
Damn it.
In a flash, Lynch had no time to think and reacted purely on instinct.
The reaction was to have no reaction at all.
A playful look flickered in his eyes, his pace remaining perfectly steady. He continued forward with his original gait, as elegant as a dance, as if he hadn't seen someone crashing toward him at all.
The next moment, the figure collided with Lynch.
Then, as if they had hit a phantom, they passed straight through Lynch, because he had activated his phase defense necklace at the last second, consuming its one-time daily usage.
It was an instinctive reaction, but Lynch didn't regret it at all. This person's recklessness could very well be a probe. Whether he dodged or shoved them away, he would look flustered and expose his own strength. Only by resolving it in such a nonchalant manner could he avoid affecting his aura of superiority.
And being able to bluff Walker and the others with this identity relied entirely on maintaining that aura. Losing that would be a catastrophe.
Therefore, Lynch merely offered a soft sneer and said in a haunting voice: “Heh… always be careful where you walk. Sometimes walking is just like life; once you take a wrong step, there is no turning back. Don’t you think? Heh heh.”
Only then did he turn his gaze toward the person who had bumped into him.
It was a young man in his twenties, wearing a dusty vest and a flat cap. Beneath his short blonde hair was a handsome face.
The astonishment on the young man's face vanished in an instant, replaced by an apology that was hard to tell from genuine. He placed a hand on his chest and bowed: “My apologies, beautiful lady. I was distracted, otherwise, I could never have ignored your beautiful appearance. I am Karl Jones, an explorer and a guest of the manor’s owner. If you don't mind, I would like to invite such a beautiful lady downstairs for a drink, to express my apologies.”
Hiss, the first one on the list, and he’s already approached me. Talking to him might be a good idea; I can take the opportunity to probe the situation. Although he thought this, Lynch still offered an inscrutable smile and sneered: “Regrettably, I do mind.”
With that, he slowly brushed past Karl Jones and headed toward the recreation room on the first floor. Karl was almost choked to death by that response, awkwardly scratching his head with a foolish grin before following closely behind.
Soon, the two reached the recreation room one after the other. However, just as Karl stepped forward to help Lynch open the door to the recreation room, a cry of alarm rang out from within.
“Careful, it’s out of control!”
At the same time, a streak of colorful light, like a speeding rainbow, had already charged right in front of Lynch.
Rate on N.U.
