Chapter 886 Oops, you are surrounded by witches!
"Are you waiting for Katerina?"
The figure walked slowly towards him in the dim light, and it was not until he approached Stratford that he could see the person's appearance clearly.
What caught his eye first was the long light golden hair, then the beautiful face and the breathtaking figure hidden under the dress. Stratford stared at the other person's face, and his somewhat dull expression suddenly changed. He exclaimed:
"You are... the 'Golden Queen'!"
His hand holding the cross made of golden light trembled, and this magical item, which could still maintain a certain light even though it was suppressed by the ban of the "Law Mage", fell to the ground.
As soon as the spikes on its surface were separated from the blood supply, it immediately returned to its original mottled patina, hiding the pure light inside, like a cheap decoration thrown into the trash can.
"Yes, it's me. Are you disappointed that it's not the 'White Saint' Katarina who came?"
Angel chuckled, walked past Stratford, who was trembling and had no intention of resisting, and took over the only single sofa in the living room without any hesitation.
Looking at the three witches, each with their own unique characteristics and expressions that were colder than the other, the surrounded Stratford not only did not feel happy, but instead swallowed his saliva secretly.
If he still had the courage to fight Sherman and Triss with the help of the cross just now, then now that the "Golden Queen" has arrived, even if he is covered with crosses, he has no chance of winning, unless...
"…Unless Katarina comes to rescue you, huh?"
Angel, who was sitting in front of him, asked with a chuckle. Her calves were faintly visible under the hem of her skirt, making Stratford imagine how beautiful the scenery under the skirt was. Hearing this, he just raised his head in silence, and the last glimmer of hope in his heart was completely shattered.
A saint, a collaborator of the "Witch Cult" and the royal family, disappeared quietly or even died?
So, today, shall I also...
Suddenly, his head buzzed, as if a switch was turned on. He got up from the ground with a calm expression and stood respectfully in front of Angel, as if he was facing his immediate superior.
This scene made Sherman beside her confused. Triss seemed to have thought of something. Her expression relaxed and she sat on another sofa, pretending to watch a show.
"Next, I want to ask you a few questions."
Angel leaned back on the couch, completely relaxed, and spoke.
She mentioned Katarina in order to change Stratford's mood so that she could use the "Manipulator" trait that originally belonged to Hvin Rambis, which she secretly possessed, to try to hypnotize this Sequence 5 "Punishment Knight".
Although she had no experience in hypnotizing others through the "audience" channel, she did have some experience in resisting hypnosis. Therefore, she quickly figured out how to use her original Beyonder characteristics to infiltrate the other party's consciousness island and modify their subconscious.
I hadn't wanted to get involved. If everything had gone smoothly, Sherman could have used the necklace I made, which allows short-term entry into the "mirror world," to kidnap Stratford and bring him here. Then, together with Triss, we could have used the "sleep" and "dream" spells to interrogate him in his dreams... Unfortunately, that cross seemed to possess demigod-level power, almost equivalent to a powerful "Level 1" seal. If I hadn't shown up, even if the two of them could have defeated each other, they would have been discovered and forced to flee...
Angel muttered to himself, glanced at the two less-than-competitive witches, and then looked back at Viscount Stratford, who had treated him as his superior and was waiting to report on his work. He did not ask any questions immediately.
It was not until the rays of sunlight that filtered through the curtained windows dimmed and the entire living room seemed shrouded in a deep, quiet darkness that she spoke after careful consideration:
"Who are you truly loyal to?"
Angel had already guessed the answer based on Hvin Rambis and Katarina's responses, but this known question could serve as a good start for the interrogation, allowing her to determine whether her hypnosis was effective.
Sure enough, Stratford maintained a respectful demeanor and answered without hesitation:
"I will always be loyal to His Majesty the King."
Triss's expression changed, and she leaned forward, closer to Stratford and Angel.
You usually pretend to be indifferent to everything, but now you are so concerned about these clues... Angel glanced at her again and asked:
"Why are the royal family and MI9 so wary of Triss? Why are they even willing to give you this magical item to use against her?"
As she spoke, she kicked the bronze cross on the ground.
Stratford pondered for a moment and said:
"Because of Prince Edessak's incident...after the Great Smog, the 'Witch Cult' contacted us again, saying that Triss, who collaborated with Edessak to create the Great Smog, had betrayed the cult. They are still willing to cooperate with the Loen royal family, but require us to find her..."
Having said that, he glanced sideways at Triss, who had a serious expression on her face. There was a hint of fear in his eyes, and he wasn't as obsessed as he had been with her before. This made Angel even more impressed by the powerful effect of "hypnosis", which could allow a Sequence 5 Beyonder to tell everything while retaining his sanity.
"...Therefore, after the mysterious death of William Sykes, who was involved in the Edessac incident, MI9 stepped up their vigilance and told me to be wary of Triss. They believed I was involved, and she seemed to be seeking revenge for Edessac's death..."
Looking away, Stratford added.
Triss jumped up from the sofa, grabbed the captain of the palace guards by the collar, and shouted in a sharp, angry tone:
"What on earth was George III thinking? Just to get rid of suspicion, he framed his own actions on his own son? He must be his bloodline, and his ending will be like that beggar on the street."
Stratford took a step back, broke free from the furious witch's hand, straightened his wrinkled collar, and looked at Angel.
"Answer her question."
Angel ordered.
"There isn't much family affection in the royal family. His Majesty the King has five princes and four princesses. Edessak's line of succession is not high, and the smog issue is so serious that someone has to take responsibility. In order to quell the church's doubts, isn't it normal to push him out?" Stratford nodded and replied.
The cold words gradually calmed Triss down. Her dark eyes were hidden in the shadow of her bangs. She slowly sat back on the sofa and stopped moving.
"Let's continue," Angel asked, glancing at Triss, who seemed to have lost all her strength. "It seems you have your own theories about Edessak's death... So, are you aware of the king and the royal family's plans going forward? For example, their collaboration with the Witch Cult, their arrangements in the ruins outside the city, and the traps they asked you to set."
"Ruins? Are they the ruins in the eastern suburbs where the Witch Cult members were stationed?" Stratford asked doubtfully at first, then said with sudden realization, "It's been abandoned. I'm not sure what happened to it. Cooperation with the Witch Cult will be handled by Ms. Katarina and Major General Korg. I'm only responsible for the peripheral aspects, such as the operation to capture Triss."
"Tell me about this operation in detail." Angel asked immediately.
"Our original plan was to use Sherman's tactics to gain her trust after she contacted me. When she and Triss, the person behind her, made a move, we would set a trap. Then, Ms. Katarina would personally capture Triss, interrogate her, and then hand her over to the Witch Cult... Actually, I believe Katarina's main target was Triss. She mentioned the 'God-dropped Vessel,' which might be related to the 'Origin' that the witches believe in."
Stratford glanced at Triss, who lowered her head and remained silent, then straightened his collar with lingering fear and continued:
"Sherman asked me out today, so I was on guard and brought out this sealed item that can purify most of the witch's power. Ms. Katarina should hide in the dark and provide support at any time.
"After Sherman brought me into that world full of mirrors and passages, I was worried that if I resisted casually, I would get lost. So I waited for Triss to appear and for them to bring me here before launching a counterattack. I didn't expect..."
"I didn't expect that it wasn't Katarina who showed up, but me?"
Angel chuckled, sorting out the whole thing in his head.
I didn't expect that while we were planning to kidnap Stratford, he was also planning to lure out Triss, who was behind Sherman. If I hadn't tricked Katarina out in advance and kept her out of the operation, they might have succeeded... But if that were the case, would Sherman...
Thinking of this, Angel glanced at Sherman who was standing beside him, and found that she was unexpectedly calm, so he felt relieved.
After being asked to this point, Angel had no intention of continuing. It was obvious that the captain of the palace guards was not aware of the deep-seated conspiracy of the royal family and still believed that Edessak was abandoned by the royal family because of his cooperation with the witch sect... Of course, he himself had certain doubts, but as the captain of the palace guards, he was loyal to the king and it was impossible for him to turn this doubt into action.
As for Major General Qonas Kilger, whom he mentioned, Klein should have already carried out a synchronized "action" by now. If nothing unexpected happened, Klein, who was also under the effect of "secrecy", had also completed his mission.
"Do you have any other questions? I'm afraid he won't survive after 'Secret' ends."
Angel turned to Triss and asked.
She knew that the questions she asked were bound to be kept secret. Once Ms. Arianna, who had secretly provided assistance, removed the "secret," the ensuing feedback would immediately kill or severely injure this Sequence 5 Beyonder.
Triss raised her head, looked at Stratford with an inexplicable look, and said:
"I don't have anything to ask. You can hand him over to me later and I will destroy all traces of him."
She really hates everyone in the house... But for the sake of secrecy, this viscount can't be kept alive anyway, so she can just kill him... Angel was thinking about it and was about to agree when Sherman beside him suddenly spoke up:
"Can I ask a few more questions?"
Including Stratford, the other three people in the room all turned their eyes to the "joyful" witch, especially Triss, who had a hint of surprise in her eyes.
Ignoring this gaze, Sherman took two steps forward after getting Angel's consent, stood in front of Stratford, took a deep breath, and asked:
"Do you know the former captain of the palace guard, Lord Mason Dill?"
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