Chapter 583 The Weight of Gold Pounds
Is the "ageless" witch Caterina Pelle on their side?
Angel's first thought was that Laura had returned to Catalina's faction and became a member of the "Witch Cult" again, so she issued the "We" declaration, but then she thought that this possibility was extremely small, otherwise she should not have said it proactively, but it would be a fatal blow by surprise.
The only possibility is that Laura is from the same "Witch Family" as Wensa, and is trying to recruit her to join.
I lied to Sherman and told him that Laura was from a "different faction." I guess I was right... Angel chuckled, but put on a serious expression and asked, "What's the good of me?"
"Didn't you say that you didn't even dare to use the magic mirror to divine because you were being pursued by Katarina? If she wasn't a radical member of the 'Witch Cult', why did she kick you out of the house?"
These were all the doubts Laura had when she was creating her "personality".
Some of the hidden truths, such as the fact that she was actually Katharina's daughter and Tracy's sister, had been clarified in a previous reply letter, but her relationship with Katharina herself remained shrouded in doubt.
"I didn't lie to you before. My mother gave birth to over twenty offspring, half of whom were female. She followed the Witch Cult's custom of only raising male offspring, but violated the rules against killing or abandoning female offspring, so she gave us to her mother to raise... Well, you should know their original identities..."
Laura paused here, and when Angel nodded, she continued to answer:
"After I left them due to some ideological differences, I came to Backlund, ready to investigate the Witch Cult's behind-the-scenes actions on my own. To this end, I performed a lot of counter-divination and disguises. But three months ago, when she came back to me, I realized that blood ties are the most difficult 'curse' to break free of.
"She didn't tell me much, but we've reached a preliminary compromise rather than continuing the confrontation... Anyway, I'll continue investigating this as planned."
I'm a little confused by your "in a word"... Angel was stunned for a moment, feeling that Laura's words were a little inconsistent, but she guessed that Laura was either still not so confident in herself, or could not tell the truth due to some restrictions, and could only express Catalina's position vaguely.
The time when Catalina approached Laura three months ago also reminded her of an incident that happened at that time:
When she exposed her identity on the "Black Death" and almost died at the hands of the "Immortal" witch, she was rescued by the timely arrival of Mr. Azik. However, due to some conflicts and accidents, she left behind a "disaster" spell and blew up the entire flagship of "Vice Admiral Disease" Tracy.
Back then, Katarina was incredibly interested in my "Disaster" charm, even resorting to sudden action to try and snatch it away... Did her attitude change after that? Or did she no longer need to hide her true "identity"? Was that why she tried to help me obtain promotion materials and had Vinsa reveal some secrets to me?
Angel examined herself and discovered that apart from the "resurrection" that Catalina couldn't possibly know about, the only power she possessed that could interest a High-Sequence Beyonder was the power of the "disaster" spell. "Orange Light" Hilarion had also said that she had a trait that might attract the attention of certain people, and even some high-ranking beings might be willing to "invest" in her.
Is Katarina, or someone behind her, also interested in this?
Thinking of this, Angel stopped asking questions and nodded to indicate that he understood.
She couldn't confirm Katarina's true intentions and could only maintain the status quo. Fortunately, the other party didn't seem to have any intention of arresting her as a high-ranking member of the "Witch Sect", otherwise it would not just be Laura waiting here.
"Well, next topic," she cleared her throat, a smile returning to her face, trying to be more friendly. "I'm planning to live in Backlund for a while and am looking to rent a nice house. What recommendations do you have?"
"Live here permanently, not just passing through? And a nice house?"
Laura frowned slightly and asked back, then her brows relaxed, as if she had thought of something.
"So, you've finally decided to follow the witches' old path," she said, smiling teasingly. "Do you need me to recommend a few single nobles? How about Viscount Glint? I remember he was quite close to you, so it would be easy for you to approach him with a different look. Or how about Viscount Conrad's youngest son? He's just come of age and naive, but he comes from a good family background, making him a good training ground for you."
I'm not, I didn't... Angel was about to retort, but found that it was okay to be misunderstood by her like this, which was better than revealing that he was planning to find an opportunity to steal the Antigonus family notes under the Church of St. Samuel.
"That's not necessary. Just help me find a place to live."
She replied with a cold face.
"Heh, it seems you already have a goal in mind. I won't interfere then... As for accommodation, there are several nice mansions for sale in the West End. They can also be rented out on a yearly basis. The cost is not expensive, around 2,000-3,000 pounds per year, and all servants and butlers are included. Even the horses in the stables are ready."
How many?
If Angel was drinking tea, he must have sprayed the tea on Laura's face. She tried her best to keep her expression from changing too much and asked softly:
"Anywhere else?"
"You want to live directly in Queens? That's where the aristocracy gathers, and there's more chance of meeting someone you like, but renting or buying a place also requires more documentation. Of course, I can help you with all that. You just need to prepare the rent."
Cautiously, Angel inquired about the rental costs of those luxury homes in Queens and received a number that almost made her heart stop.
Seeing her expression constantly changing, Laura seemed to finally realize that the demigod witch in front of her did not look down on houses that cost thousands of pounds a year, but on the contrary, thought that these prices were too high.
"In that case, why not just buy a house? You can sell it or rent it out when you no longer need it. With the relaxation of property restrictions for elections, purchased titles will also qualify you for a seat in the House of Lords. Housing in Queen's Borough and the West End will become even more scarce, as more factory owners and bankers will move into these truly 'rich areas'... The mansion Sylvia Langdon left behind after her escape is quite good. It costs 2,400 pounds a year to rent, but only 15,000 pounds to buy. I estimate it will appreciate by 10% annually. If I weren't worried about it being too conspicuous, I would have bought it."
15,000 pounds? Wasn't that one of the properties Severia said she'd left for her niece?... Angel caught onto this crucial piece of information and almost felt the urge to announce herself on the street as Irene Watson, Baroness Langdon's niece, and that she had come to Backlund specifically to inherit the family fortune. Fortunately, her common sense stopped her.
"How about this? Recommend me a housekeeper who knows something about this, and I'll talk to him about the rest... Honestly, I can only accept a place with an annual rent of less than 500 pounds, either in the North End or Hillston."
She told the truth somewhat embarrassedly.
This surprised Laura a little, and she even suspected that the "despair" witch in front of her was disguised as some poor faceless man.
"Didn't you cause a bloody storm at sea? Half of the 100,000 pound bounty must be due to your worth, right?"
She guessed with a searching smile on her face.
Actually, I don't have any. All my bounties were earned from blowing up ships. I only gained a lot of benefits when I killed the demigod of the "Rose School", but none of them were cashed in... Angel's mouth twitched, and he almost couldn't help but teach Laura a profound lesson.
Fortunately, Laura's spiritual warning stopped her from continuing to mock Angel, and she agreed to introduce her to an unemployed housekeeper.
After agreeing on the follow-up contact method, Angel stood up and walked to the door of the secret room. Instead of pushing the door open to leave, she directly condensed a layer of ice on the door. The crystal ice surface reflected everything in the room, and Angel's figure quickly faded and disappeared.
"Mirror Shuttle..."
Looking at this obvious show of skill, Laura's face changed slightly, and she finally had a certain sense of reality about the fact that this "ally" had been promoted two levels in a row in half a year.
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Walking along the dark and complex passage of the "Mirror World", Angel could feel a faint power covering her body. This was the power of the angel sent by Mr. Fool. He surrounded Angel with his wings, providing a certain protection for her spirit and astral body, so that she would not directly crash into some strange areas.
In Backlund, this wouldn't necessarily be the dangerous astral plane or underground area; it could also be the interior of one of the three major churches, or even a mirror inside the Chanis Gate.
Unlike the first time he received the angel's blessing and only felt at ease, Angel, who possessed a hint of divinity, could now sense the power contained in the angel's blessing.
That was what she saw every week: the gray fog that enveloped the Tarot Club venue, and the majestic aura every time she asked Mr. Fool to perform the "sacrifice" and "bestowal" rituals.
This was one of the blessings she had received from praying to Mr. Fool before coming to see Laura. She guessed that this great being would also pay attention to her every move and provide help at critical moments.
This was the key reason why she dared to come to see Laura alone and dared to enter the "mirror world" at will.
Of course, as her understanding of "Backlund's Mirror World" deepens, she may soon no longer need the protection of the Fool's Angel and will be able to travel between the various mirrors at will. In this way, all her abilities as the Witch of Despair can be fully utilized.
"No wonder witches prefer to settle in one place and rarely travel. Understanding the environment is also part of their ability..."
Her understanding of this approach has deepened.
Following the familiar path, Angel emerged from a mirror that was about the same size as a full-length mirror and successfully returned to the hotel where he lived in the Hillston area.
This place is far away from the main churches of the three major churches, so it is not easy to "accidentally" enter a strange place.
After ordering room service and eating a late lunch, Angel sat in her bedroom, quietly waiting for three o'clock in the afternoon, until a crimson light enveloped her.
Her first Tarot meeting after her promotion to demigod began.
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