Chapter 725: This will not happen again
"So, you used Groselle's Travels to get me near Ince Zangwill, so that he could have an unexpected 'encounter'?"
Angel asked expectantly.
Her control over the Beyonder ability of "Despair" is no longer comparable to when she was first promoted. She can also wear three magical items equivalent to "Level 1" seals: "Parasite Gloves", "Wings of Death", and "Reaper Legion". She can also initially apply the Beyonder characteristics of "Iron Knight", forming a good combination with the Reapers. It is not difficult for her to deal with a Beyonder who is also a Sequence 4.
"If it were that simple, Ince Zangwill would have been captured by the Hunter demigod who was tracking him long ago. I even suspect that Hunter is a Sequence 3 War Bishop. Otherwise, Zangwill, holding the 0-08, wouldn't have escaped in such a panic..."
Klein shook his head and rejected Angel's plan.
But it was indeed her style. Maybe in the end, she would really have to rely on this simple, crude but effective method... He chuckled secretly and lowered his head slightly, worried that Angel would see what he was thinking.
"Most importantly, there's the spectator channel seal artifact '0-08'. Even if we formulate a plan here to deal with it and Ince Zangwill, as soon as we return to reality and put our plan into action, it will immediately detect it and write us into its story, causing our actions to fail and even making us its prey."
After listening to Klein's analysis, Angel sighed regretfully. Facing an enemy of the same rank, she was absolutely confident of defeating them head-on. However, facing a Sealed Artifact like "0-08," no amount of strength would be enough. Even the "War Bishop" had been fooled by a simple trick, allowing Ince Zangwill to slip away. It was hard to say whether the Sealed Artifact had played a role or was simply a coincidence in the "story"...
By the way, if he had the help of "0-08", why was he caught up by the "War Bishop" and could only rely on a strange coincidence to make the other party leave?
After she asked this question, Klein fell into a long period of contemplation.
"Indeed, if it were me, I would definitely avoid any complications along the way and increase the risk if I were to secretly travel to the Southern Continent," Klein said after a long pause, his tone slow and his words carefully considered. "Flamboyance and arrogance are the nature of Hunters, but not him. Judging from Tingen's layout and his role behind the smog, Ince Zangwill is the type of person who plots behind the scenes and only emerges at the last moment. This is a perfect match for his '0-08'..."
"Therefore, he was hunted by the 'War Bishop', even causing a scene witnessed by everyone on board. Finally, he even left the passenger ship without any disguise. His only motive was to make others aware of his presence and to ensure that his trip to the Southern Continent would be discovered!"
Angel also nodded, agreeing with Klein's point of view:
"The only people interested in his whereabouts and willing to cross the Raging Sea and head to the Southern Continent to search for him are the Church of Evernight... His goal is to attract the Church's capture and then implement his own plan!"
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"Your Excellency, Archbishop, thank you for your visit. We will attend the Mass at St. Samuel's Church on time this weekend."
Earl Hall personally escorted Archbishop St. Anthony, who came to visit his mansion, out of the house. He was followed by his wife Caitlin, eldest son Hibbert and daughter Audrey.
"May the goddess bless you."
The old man, wearing a black cardinal robe with red accents and with deep eyes, had a crimson moon painted on his chest. He glanced at the members of the Hall family one by one, without paying any extra attention to Audrey.
This made the latter secretly relieved.
Only after the Archbishop had left did the family members gathered at the door leave. Audrey chatted with her parents for a few minutes, then quietly found an excuse to leave. She returned to her bedroom, sent the maid away, and locked the door.
Huh—she sighed softly, not knowing whether to feel disappointed or relieved.
After Susie's reminder, Audrey understood what was happening to her. She not only realized that she might have been manipulated by the "audience", but also understood why the Archbishop of St. Samuel's Church would come to her house from time to time and have long talks with several family members, especially his father, Earl Hall.
And every time Mass was held, it was always the archbishop who received the Hall family.
He is preventing us from being exploited by the "audience" or other extraordinary beings who have the power to control our minds and disguise our appearance!
Just thinking about it makes me feel scary. Last time, Ms. D from the "Aurora Society" tried to lure me out, and then returned home in my place to threaten my father, mother and brother. That time, it was Miss "Queen" who discovered it in time and saved my life... Oh, I was still thinking about prying into her privacy, and I almost found out everything... Audrey, you are repaying kindness with enmity!
She muttered softly, and it took her a moment to calm down.
Judging from the Archbishop's reaction just now, there shouldn't be any big problems with me, at least not as obvious "hints" as Baron Syndras's. But if that's the case, why did I forget to remove the "lie" for a whole week, so that I was affected by the negative effects and amplified certain emotions in my heart?
As Audrey pondered this, she felt that she had no way of resolving this matter. Without alerting her parents or being discovered by the Goddess Church, there was only one person she could turn to for help. No, a single deity...
After inviting Susie, today's hero, outside, Audrey closed the doors and windows, set up a spiritual wall, and then sat on a chair, bowing her head and praying:
"A fool who does not belong to this era..."
She reported everything that had happened in the past few days to Mr. Fool in detail, and then requested:
"...I'd like to know if there are any lingering effects of 'suggestion' or 'hypnosis' on me. If so, could you please remove them for a price?"
After finishing her prayer, Audrey still clasped her hands together, pressing them against her forehead. She waited for a moment, until she was sure that Mr. Fool would not respond immediately, and then she opened her eyes.
Mr. Fool wouldn't respond to such a small matter immediately... She laughed at herself stiffly, opened the door, let Susie in, and squatted down to look at the golden retriever who had reminded her today and made her recognize herself.
"Susie, thank you so much today. What kind of gift would you like?"
As she spoke, she affectionately hugged the dog's neck and held it in her arms.
"Woo-woof, I think I'm ready for the promotion. The 'Psychiatrist' potion is already showing signs of digestion from the first few times."
Susie said, twitching her nose.
How come it's catching up with me again...
Audrey was a little surprised, but also felt it made sense. At least today, it had done everything a "psychologist" should do.
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"...Then, after we leave here, clear your mind, forget everything we planned, and proceed at the original pace. We will only discuss everything about '0-08' and Ince Zangwill in private, either in the Gray Mist or through the Tarot Club."
Klein lowered his voice and spoke slowly, as if he was worried that there was a renegade archbishop hiding behind the gray fog. He was holding a quill and making an expression that said, "You guys continue, I'm listening."
Angel nodded hurriedly, telling himself to empty his mind and stop thinking about it, but that was like trying to lift himself up by his hair, which was totally impossible to do. The more he told himself "stop thinking about it", the more he would think about it.
She needed to find an "audience" to hypnotize herself. Well, Audrey would be a good choice... She began to think wildly, and finally used all kinds of strange thoughts to suppress the memory of today's discussion.
Seeing her strange expression, Klein looked at The Fool, bowed his head, and said:
"Thank you, Mr. Fool. I think we can leave now."
Then he immediately returned to controlling his own body and said in a fool's tone:
"Haha, today's discussion is very interesting. If you need any help, you can always recite my name."
After saying this, he tapped lightly on the table. Crimson light appeared beside the Queen and the World at the same time. A moment later, only the Fool was left at the long bronze table.
Who had been praying just now... He did not leave, but looked at the stars behind the gray fog that represented the members of the Tarot Club. One of them was constantly expanding and contracting, flashing a light that only he could see.
It's Miss Justice... If she'd been a few minutes later, the Fool Hotline would have closed. Please call again tomorrow... Klein smiled self-deprecatingly, clicked on the star, and listened to what Audrey Justice had to say.
The more he listened, the weirder his expression became.
What does it mean to investigate someone the Queen is interested in out of curiosity? What does it mean to think the Queen is likely from Tingen, and that Lily Granger, whom she's interested in, is also from Tingen? Miss Justice has actually investigated this far... Benson is close to Angel's cousin? Am I turning into Uncle Klein?
The stunned Fool's thoughts wandered for a moment before he came to his senses and pondered Audrey's request.
It sounded like she believed she was under the influence of some external force. She hadn't removed the magical item crafted with the "Faceless Man" characteristics for a week, which had negatively affected her. That's why she was investigating Angel behind her back... It's hard to blame her, but the "audience" issue must be resolved. Otherwise, if Miss "Justice" attends the Tarot Club again, perhaps...
wrong……
Klein suddenly came to his senses. He knew that this gray foggy space possessed some kind of "resistance to invading forces" property. Whether it was the divine blood of the "Eternal Blazing Sun", the filth of the "True Creator", or the invasion of the "Blasphemer" Amon, or the attack of the strange power in Angel, it would make an appropriate counterattack, either eliminating it into nothingness or causing a turbulent movement.
So, at the Tarot Club two days ago, the suggestion or hypnosis on Miss Justice should have been lifted by this power, right?
Using the divination enhanced by the gray fog, Klein quickly confirmed this: Audrey no longer had any "suggestion" or "hypnosis" power.
This was strange. Perhaps the power of the hypnotic "justice" was very weak and was eliminated without causing any disturbance. However, the timing of her being affected was worth further investigation. Someone who could use time to lock onto someone who was influencing her, such as Hvin Rambis...
After pondering for a moment, The Fool summoned his strength, imbuing the Paper Angel with twelve pairs of wings with a touch of the Fortuneteller's flame power, and flung it towards the crimson star, adding a message:
"The hypnosis has been lifted from you, but this will not happen again. You must not take any actions that harm the members of the Tarot Club."
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