Chapter 700 Group Photo
"Mr. Dantes, I didn't expect you to attend the inauguration ceremony and the first board meeting. I was deeply impressed by your speech that evening."
Audrey smiled and greeted.
At the same time, she was also observing Mr. "World", who had only met her once but had actually helped her a lot in the Tarot Club.
He showed appropriate surprise and admiration when he saw me, a reaction perfectly typical of a man unfamiliar with me. In contrast, after I exposed Miss Queen's identity, she abandoned her disguise. Was this not a difference in experience or attitude, but rather the influence of the potion? Combining his past information with his extraordinary ability to disguise himself, was he a descendant of the "Faceless Man"?
Although this appearance is a disguise, it must have been carefully designed. He is calm yet handsome. His age makes his wealth accumulation seem reasonable, but it won't make the ladies lose interest... Audrey, he already has Miss "Queen", you can't think in this direction!
While various thoughts were flashing through her mind, Klein had already approached, bowed slightly, and spoke in a humorous tone:
"I wanted to monitor how the donation was used, but with Ms. Audrey on the board, those concerns are completely gone."
To Audrey, these polite words meant that "the world" was asking "justice" to supervise the scholarship fund and report the current situation to him at any time.
This is exactly what I want to do. It's not to gild myself or to strengthen my relationship with the church, but to truly do something that benefits everyone... She thought about it and nodded.
"I will try my best."
After a few pleasantries, the three of them entered the door of the Scholarship Fund Office, walked around the staff who were busy setting up the venue and the reporters who were interviewing, and entered the lounge on the second floor, waiting for the first board meeting to begin.
During this period, Dwayne Dantès stayed by Miss Christine Theresa's side, further away from Audrey, clearly showing a close and distant relationship. This made Audrey feel a little lost, but also curious about the relationship between the "Queen" and the "World".
After the charity gala, she had asked her trustee to conduct some research and learned that the two had first appeared in Backlund in early May. They did not know each other at first, but gradually got to know each other through dinners and dances. It was only with the help of Bishop Elektra that they gradually became closer.
This might be because they need to use the identity for a long time, so they manage it carefully. However, compared with the relationship between the middle-aged rich man and the mysterious woman, I prefer the story between the crazy adventurer and the legendary pirate... Thinking of the novels on her bedside table that have been popular among the noble ladies recently, Audrey's imagination ran wild.
Well, I can't overthink it, Audrey. Your task today is to guide the discussion at the board meeting and get them to get down to business as soon as possible... She muttered, noticing that the two Tarot Club members seemed a little bored while waiting, so she asked:
"This is my first time participating in the operations of a charity like this. Is there anything I should be aware of?"
Hearing her words, Angel turned his head to look at this innocent-looking girl, who was actually a Sequence 6 Beyonder, and answered carefully:
"As a member of the board of directors, I'm primarily responsible for setting the overall direction. The details will naturally be handled by others... I think we should launch the first wave of publicity as soon as possible. This way, those struggling to afford the tuition fees who want to attend technical or grammar schools during the approaching exam season will know about the existence of a financial aid fund. Later, you can speak at the board of directors meeting to encourage them to accept this."
As he said this, Angel looked at the "audience" with a look that said "you know what I mean".
In order to push the scholarship fund into operation as soon as possible, rather than being entangled in various mundane affairs or even the quarrels of power struggles, an "audience" who guides everyone in secret is undoubtedly the most suitable person.
"Also, the method for distributing student aid funds must be different from other charitable organizations. This is because the recipients are often minors. If cash is directly distributed to them, it will likely be spent by their impoverished parents or siblings. After all, it's a considerable sum, and poor families struggle to resist the temptation of greed... A dedicated account will be established, accessible to those presenting proof of enrollment. Living allowances will be withdrawn at fixed time periods. I believe Miss Audrey understands this better than I do."
Klein also joined the discussion with great interest and offered his own opinions.
It seemed like they all wanted me, the "audience," to make these suggestions, while they themselves hid behind the scenes... Audrey nodded and took note of the two people's words, and suddenly she had an epiphany.
"In fact, compared to these affairs sitting in the office or communicating with the government and parliament, I would rather follow the staff to various schools to carry out publicity, participate in the review of applicants, and see with my own eyes the people we are going to help."
After carefully noting down the suggestions made by the two, Audrey said with some anticipation.
"I think if you're willing, they'd be happy to have a relatable and well-known noble help with publicity," Angel replied with a smile upon hearing the girl's wish. "But you can't wear a dress like today and expensive jewelry."
Audrey was stunned and immediately understood what Angel meant.
No wonder they both dressed so "ordinarily" today, completely different from those children of nobles and wealthy businessmen who just came to show their faces. Well, I didn't think of this. Even my father didn't notice this and didn't remind me before leaving... She was a little annoyed and kept this most important note in mind.
…
Under the deliberate guidance of an "audience member", the first board meeting ended successfully without arguments or confrontations. Everyone agreed to the policy of "getting things done first and then slowly adjusting them".
After the council meeting, at the inaugural ceremony, a reporter from the Backlund Daily asked all attendees to stand in the first-floor lobby and take a group photo to be used as an illustration for tomorrow's news. Audrey originally didn't want her photo to appear in the newspaper, but considering that this was a rare photo with the Tarot Club members, she agreed.
When other nobles tried to get close enough to be photographed, the hypnotist activated her "psychological invisibility," disappearing from view. Then, she quietly slid over to the "Queen," who had clearly noticed her. Just as the reporter set up her camera and pressed the shutter, she took her arm and leaned to the right.
As Angel tried his best to maintain his balance but was inevitably squeezed against Klein beside him, a photo of "Justice", "Queen" and "The World" appeared in the reporter's camera.
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"What a lively noble lady..."
When leaving, Angel left the mirror double in the carriage and got into Klein's car, smiling at him helplessly.
Tomorrow, my face, filled with surprise and astonishment, will be in the newspapers...
"It's okay. With the clarity of newspaper printing, basically no one would recognize it's you," Klein said, suppressing a laugh. "Besides, it's very rare for her to maintain her innocence and kindness in such an environment."
At the same time, his spirit alerted him, realizing that Angel was about to ask questions like "Am I not kind?" and immediately changed the subject:
"With Arrods' help, I discovered that our neighbor, Councilman Macht's daughter, the somewhat eccentric Hazel, was raising a rat of the 'Thief' path, and it had already reached the level of a demigod... Of course, it must have been seriously injured and parasitized by the rat, so its strength had greatly decreased. After being warned, it sneaked away."
"The girl who likes to sneak into the sewers in the middle of the night?" Angel asked, his mind catching up with her cynical personality. "She shouldn't be affected by the parasite, right?"
"No, but I will always keep an eye on her. If necessary, I will report her..."
As they spoke, the two laughed together, immersed in the memories of the many times they had reported on them before.
After a moment, Klein continued:
"Miss Sharon and Maric from the Temperance Faction wanted to commission me to steal a mummy shipped from the southern continent to Pritz Harbor. I agreed to it at midnight on Friday."
That exquisite Miss "Wrathful Spirit" who looked a bit like the doll collected by "Moon" Emlyn... Angel nodded and asked:
“Is there any risk?”
"The divination hint isn't a big problem, and I have a clever plan that doesn't require direct combat. The only problem is that the 'Rose School' might use this as a trap to capture the temperance faction."
Hearing the name of this secret sect that he was familiar with, Angel frowned and asked worriedly:
"Would you like me to join in? Or maybe lend you some magical items?"
"It doesn't matter. In my plan, having more people actually increases the risk. As for the magical items... perhaps only the 'Parasite' gloves are useful, but it's best not to use them in Backlund right now..."
Klein replied, his tone somewhat serious:
"'Blasphemer' Amon has arrived in Backlund, searching for an organization that believes in Mr. Fool..."
"Angel of Time" Amon!
Angel felt her scalp tingling for a moment. The only "King of Angels" she had ever faced was the "Angel of Fantasy" Adam. The "little shock" he gave her made her almost lose control in her depression and she almost wanted to end her life.
Of course, these subsequent "pains" also brought considerable help to my promotion... Wait, couldn't this be His purpose?
Feeling a little confused, Angel sighed and said:
"The Parasite Gloves are indeed not suitable for you to use. The 'Convergence Effect' will allow Amon to find you and the Tarot Club faster... I will be heading to Bayam to meet up with Annie on Friday night. If you need me, you can always call me back."
She was referring to the summoning technique from Groselle's Travels that the two had already used once.
"I will also consider leaving Backlund as soon as possible and seeking refuge elsewhere... Although this Amon is most likely just a clone, he may have the ability to summon his true form," Klein said seriously, but quickly regained his indifferent smile. "So, before leaving..."
"Ahem, my carriage is about to leave the mirror stand-in range..."
Angel, with a stern face, went straight through the carriage's glass window and disappeared from Klein's sight.
call--
Klein sighed in disappointment.
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"...With a soft laugh, the pirate admiral, clad in a black robe and shrouded in shadows, followed the starlight back to the flagship, the 'Future', leaving his silhouette before Gehrman's eyes..."
After reading the latest part of the manuscript, Elaine sighed with satisfaction, tidied up the slightly messy manuscript papers in front of her, left the captain's room, went to the cabin not far away, and returned them to her boatswain, William, whose side job was publishing adventure novels.
"William, I'm going to take two days off this weekend. You need to take care of those overly active sailors and have them disembark in batches to rest at Olavin Harbor. Remember to stay on guard and don't let anyone take the ship away!"
Seeing the other person nodding continuously with dark circles under his eyes from staying up late to write, Elaine slowed down her tone:
"Resistant to the disease, hide the manuscript, don't let anyone find it..."
"Found out, who?"
William, who was tall and strong but had a somewhat distracted look in his eyes, asked back.
You don't want to know... Elaine's mouth twitched, and she didn't answer him. Instead, she went to the captain's room, packed her luggage, and waited for the first ray of sunlight to appear outside the window.
After an unknown amount of time, a flash of light appeared in the half-length mirror behind her, and a pair of hands appeared from the mirror, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her and her luggage into the dark mirror.
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