Chapter 818 Duchess Georgina
It feels like every demigod I've met in Backlund has recognized me as a witch, so why doesn't anyone suspect Miss Justice is a witch? If you ignore her "Charm" ability, her appearance isn't much different from that of a high-ranking witch...
Angel muttered inwardly, sitting up slightly straight, his lips moving slightly, his eyes showing surprise and panic. He was at a loss as to his identity being exposed, and kept looking at the windows, doors and other exits of the room, as if he was considering answering truthfully, covering up or just running away.
But what she was thinking about was the source of the other party's "intelligence".
After several contacts and private investigations in Trier, Sander of the Veterans Club should have known that I was a Beyonder, but he wasn't sure about my path and sequence... He might have determined that my sequence was not high, but it would be too arbitrary to directly conclude that I was a witch.
Hervin Rambis, a royal advisor and member of the Psychological Alchemist Society, was misled by me into believing I was the Witch of Pleasure. He was the most likely source of this information. But if Georgina Augustus knew Rambis, she could easily have this "manipulator" meet with me and use the power of suggestion to control my actions without the hassle of arranging a midnight meeting...
Or perhaps, she has her own information channels? This is nothing for a duke, not to mention that she has military connections. It would be easy for MI9 to go to Trier, find the clues I left behind, and verify my fake identity... Angel pondered, his expression changing again, from suspicion and struggle to calmness, as if he had given up.
Then, she asked in a sweet and gentle voice with a hint of charm:
"How did you know that?"
At the same time, her sitting posture also changed slightly. She bent slightly, revealing a large area of white on her neck and collarbone above the dress. Her arms were pressed against her sides to increase her sense of security, highlighting the curve of her chest and giving off a seductive temperament that made it difficult to look away.
But all this did not exceed the limits of a "joy" witch, and at the same time left room for the other party to imagine becoming a "pain" witch.
For Extraordinary people of the same sequence, this level of charm might be something they could endure on the surface, just like the golden-masked man who brought her to the manor, with desire gradually rising in their hearts. However, for a demigod, it was just a slightly clumsy performance.
"Based on your performance since arriving in Backlund, and Sander's evaluation of you... Of course, meeting you has confirmed my suspicions."
As expected, Georgina was unmoved. She just watched Angel's "performance" with interest with her blue eyes. After a moment, she chuckled and replied in a voice with a hint of oppression.
"Okay, stop what you're doing. I won't do anything to you."
The sense of majesty instantly filled the entire reception room. Angel pretended to resist for a moment, then immediately lowered his head.
If you plan to do anything to me, you won't be facing "Pleasure Witch Christine" but "Golden Queen Angelica"... But now I can confirm that she used the demigod ability of the "Arbitrator" path to confirm that I am a Beyonder, and based on Sander's evaluation and my appearance and performance, she inferred that I am roughly a witch at the level of "Pleasure"...
As a practitioner of order, this demigod "Arbitrator" recognized that I was a Beyonder, but apparently didn't realize that I was in the same "position" as her. The anti-divination, the hidden holy symbol, and Mr. Fool's angel's blessing must be working simultaneously... Angel muttered silently, stopped "charming," straightened his sitting position, took a deep breath, and once again put on a bright, though not particularly magical, smile. He nodded and said, "I'm not going to do that any more."
"I am indeed a 'Pleasure' witch, but I am not a member of the 'Witch Cult', and I would never do anything detrimental to the kingdom. In fact, if you knew everything about my time in Trier, you would know that I escaped from there."
"Heh, this is why I'm meeting you here. If you were indeed a member of the 'Witch Cult', the one showing up at your door wouldn't be a carriage, but a group of military Beyonders."
Georgina chuckled, and the sense of oppression in her eyes disappeared, revealing the softness and dignity of a mature woman. Against the backdrop of the black evening dress that fit her skin tightly, she even had a hint of charm.
It was hard to believe that this Duchess was of the same generation as the King and was already over fifty years old. She must have been promoted to demigod a long time ago, and thanks to the effects of potions and divinity, she had maintained her physical functions and appearance at the peak. Therefore, she retired twenty years ago and disappeared from the public eye. Otherwise, if she stood out now, she would be mistaken for his daughter...
Angel suddenly thought of the many nobles in the kingdom who seldom participated in social activities at a young age and even handed over their positions in the House of Lords to their descendants. He suspected that some of them had become demigods like Georgina and had voluntarily faded out of the public eye.
As for what Georgina said, it also confirmed Angel's guess that she did not belong to the royal faction that cooperated with the "Witch Sect".
"So, Your Excellency, what is it that brings you to me?"
Thoughts raced through his mind, and Angel asked cautiously, displaying the curiosity that should have been expected after barely confirming his own safety.
And she didn't think that the Duchess called her here just to confirm the identity of the "witch".
Georgina did not answer immediately, but reached out to pour herself a cup of black tea. Her natural and skillful movements made Angel realize that the Duchess was not someone who lived a life of luxury and needed servants to do everything for her.
Amidst the lingering aroma, she answered:
"First, it was I who arranged for Sander to have you go to the Gargas Islands to sell arms. You're very efficient and effective, and Sander praised you highly, which piqued my interest. Secondly, among the people handling overseas affairs, you're the only woman. Of course, among Beyonders, gender isn't the primary factor determining power, but these two reasons combined made me decide to meet you."
This reason wasn't very convincing. Compared to the Duke's wealth, which was measured in millions of pounds, a business worth ten thousand pounds wasn't that important. Even if it involved instigating rebellion in Feysac's overseas colonies and supporting local rebels and pirates, an agent like Sander would be enough... Angel pondered, waiting for the other party's subsequent words.
"In addition, we also want to deepen our cooperation with you. This means that you will be part of the Loen military system, receive their protection, and receive preferential treatment in many matters... Of course, the price you will pay is your loyalty and the connections that belong to you in Intis and Bayam."
Seeing her silence, Georgina Augustus added.
They... This means this demigod represents more than just me, perhaps also a faction within the royal family or the military. Could this be related to the "internal divisions within the royal family" Laura mentioned? Furthermore, the conditions she's offered seem quite generous, but they directly target my connections, namely the Soren family's smuggling network. Is she aiming to connect with the Soren family, the former royal family of Intis, or does she have other motives?
"Which part do you mean?"
Angel asked back carefully.
"Everything, including your connections in Trier, the channels owned by the Soren family, and... the 'Redhead'."
The Redhead!
Angel suddenly realized that in order to ensure safety, the other party must have tracked this not-so-big trade throughout the whole process. She was not surprised to know that the maritime part was completed by Elaine and the "Red-haired Girl", but this ship was only a small cargo ship that had been built and launched just half a year ago, and its crew was not famous. The only reason why it caught the Duchess's attention was probably the influence of a certain rumor at sea.
That is Angelica Thatch, the "Red-haired Girl" who belongs to one of the recently rising kings of the sea, the "Golden Queen", who owns a ghost warship left over from the Fourth Epoch.
The purpose of Georgina Augustus and the royal family members and military forces behind her is actually to contact the "Golden Queen"?
It only makes sense for a duchess to contact me for the sake of a ghost ship that very likely possesses angelic power and its temporary owner. Anything else like Trier's connections and the Soran family's connections are probably just a cover-up... Angel immediately understood this and subconsciously compared his current appearance with the "Angelica Sage" on the wanted poster. He discovered that the changes in his hairstyle, hair color, and eye distance, as well as the deliberate changes in his movements and expressions during his three months in Backlund, made the two people who clearly had purple eyes look only four or five percent alike. Add to that the distortion of the portrait on the wanted poster, and it was difficult to recognize them.
Of course, Georgina was probably still targeting the Queen Anne's Revenge, and Angelica was just a byproduct. This ghost ship, built by the Quaternary Trunsost Empire and centered on the extraordinary characteristics of the "Balancer", had attracted the attention of countless forces since it left the uninhabited desert island and appeared before the world. Nast, the "King of the Five Seas", wanted to use it to find and occupy the "Ghost Empire", the military and the church wanted to find it, conquer it, or at least reclaim the angel's characteristics. Now, Georgina and the royal family she represented seemed to have also set their sights on it.
"I understand, Your Excellency," Angel replied, still lost in thought, calming the other party before continuing to inquire, "It seems I don't have the right to refuse, and this will indeed benefit my development in Backlund... So what should I do?"
She had actually anticipated this, but watching Georgina take out a pen and paper as if she had been prepared, and write something quickly on the coffee table between them, feeling the pressure constantly emerging from the tip of the pen, and the golden light bursting out, she still felt a sense of absurdity.
Half a year after signing the contracts with the "Equalizer" and the "Queen Anne's Revenge", he had to sign another contract with mystical power with another demigod called the "Arbitrator" because of this ghost ship.
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