Because they arrived early, Melissa and Benson were able to choose a fairly good position. They could directly see a strange object on the gray-white stone pillar in the center of the square. It was large at one end and small at the other, painted with dark blue paint, and connected to some kind of cable.
Below this thing, there was a team of soldiers wearing red shirts and white trousers. They were carrying gray metal backpacks and holding rifles of complex structure and large caliber. They were looking around very vigilantly.
As more and more citizens came in, the square became more and more crowded and lively.
At exactly nine o'clock, the strange thing on the stone pillar suddenly made a rustling sound, which eventually turned into a deep voice:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am your emperor, the ruler of Loen, East Balam, and the Rorsted Islands, George Augustus III."
...Can that thing talk? Is it based on the principle of telegraph? Melissa's eyes suddenly widened, and her attention instantly shifted from the content of the speech to the strange thing.
…………
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am your emperor, the ruler of Loen, East Balam, and the Rorsted Islands, George Augustus III."
In the Memorial Day Square in the West End, Audrey stood near the podium with her father, mother and brother, looking at the king in a formal dress and listening to his speech.
Because she knew in advance what George III's focus would be today and what kind of atmosphere he would create, Audrey did not wear her favorite clothes, which were girlish in color and style. Instead, like Countess Catherine, she wore a simple and conservative dress in pure black, and did not wear any accessories.
"...I am very happy and heavy-hearted to tell you that we have finally stopped the first phase of the attack by the Feysac people and thwarted their plan to destroy Loen within three months...
"...But too many outstanding young people have died on the front lines, in this war. They should have had a better future, should have grown old with their parents, matured with their spouses, and let their children grow up in a loving environment and have a wonderful childhood...
"...The Feysac people destroyed everything..."
Audrey, who knew why the war was started, was not incited by the king's speech, but just felt that he must have a talent for drama.
She heard tiny sobs from the people around her, and felt the sadness emerging, converging, and brewing bit by bit.
This made her eyes redden uncontrollably.
The king's speech was fake, but people's grief was real enough, especially since Audrey had met many relatives of the fallen soldiers and helped those poor people who lost their children, husbands and fathers overnight.
This was the great resonance of emotions, and this was the best occasion to take the "Manipulator" potion... Audrey suddenly realized something, but she couldn't use it, because not only had she not digested the "Dream Walker" potion, but she had also not accumulated enough contributions from Mr. "World".
She took a slow breath, controlled her emotions, turned her gaze away from King George III, and let her thoughts wander freely:
"Mr. World is very concerned about today's speech, but I don't know how to use it...
“I hope there won’t be any big surprises…
"That thing called 'broadcasting' is based on the principle of radio? Mr. 'World' mentioned that there are forces in the sea that are applying this technology... Compared to the stormy ocean, the land is obviously more suitable for similar products..."
Just as Audrey was thinking about this, the serious and old-fashioned George III, who had a mustache, finished the first paragraph of the description and said solemnly:
"Let us stand here in silence for our heroes, ladies and gentlemen, and repeat after me in your hearts:
"In the name of Emperor George III, may the souls of the fallen heroes rest in peace and may they be eternally blessed in their own land of faith."
This sentence was filled with indescribable majesty, causing everyone who heard it, including Audrey, to involuntarily lower their heads, clasp their hands, and silently recite:
"In the name of Emperor George III..."
…………
"In the name of Emperor George III..." On the other side of Memorial Day Square, Klein, wearing a black woolen coat and with an ordinary face, prayed at the same time as the people around him, and there was nothing unusual about him.
During the three-minute silence, he used a bird doll standing on the roof of a nearby building to carefully observe George III's every move, trying to find signs that the king was about to leave quietly, enter the mausoleum, and take the magic potion.
According to Klein's understanding, the phrase "In the name of Emperor George III" is the core of the entire "Black Emperor" ceremony. If one wants to take the potion, it must be done at this time, or within two or three minutes after the moment of silence. If it is delayed any further, the effect will probably not be very good.
"Hey, George III is also observing a moment of silence, without any unnecessary movements..." Klein suppressed his impatience and doubts and waited patiently.
The moment of silence that brought many people to tears gradually came to an end, and everyone opened their eyes one after another. At this time, George III still did nothing. He opened his mouth again and gave a speech:
"We have passed the most difficult moment. We will surely defeat evil and brutality. This is the power of justice, the power of every soldier on the front line, and the power of every worker in the factory..."
This... the arrangement of "0-08" was not successful. George III had no intention of becoming a god today. He just wanted to "hook out" the enemies who wanted to destroy the ceremony. Anyway, he could give many similar speeches later? Klein frowned slightly, and one thought after another turned into his mind.
Suddenly, his expression became a little serious and he thought of a possibility.
In an instant, Klein swapped places with the secret doll Enuni who was hiding in the sewer. The latter was dressed and looked the same as him, and there was no difference in appearance.
Then, Klein took four steps backwards and entered the gray fog. With the help of the crimson star representing Miss Justice, he used his "real vision" to observe the situation in the square.
He has already reached Sequence 3 and no longer needs to rely on the "Scepter of Poseidon" to expand his range. Of course, compared to the "Ancient Scholar", the "True Vision" of "Poseidon" is obviously larger, but there is no need for it this time.
As soon as Klein's eyes turned to the podium where King George III was giving a speech, his gaze froze, because there was no one there, or rather, there was only a false "phantom"!
That was an imaginary George III giving a speech!
Before his speech, Klein had been wary of this issue and had made special observations to confirm that it was the real George III who was coming. However, within just a few minutes, without him noticing, the real George III had turned into the imaginary George III.
During the moment of silence, he used the ability of the "Black Emperor" path to "distort" himself and silently replaced himself with a substitute? George III should have entered a secret mausoleum by now, taking potions and trying to ascend! Klein thought and hurriedly examined the situation in the surrounding area. He found that there was an abnormal and extremely powerful dark power growing secretly under the podium.
Klein immediately picked up the "Black Emperor" card on the surface of the bronze table and sensed it. He used the Beyonder characteristic aggregation law to confirm that the power belonged to the "Black Emperor" path and came from "distortion."
It's really amazing. He used speeches to "lure" the enemy while disguising himself with a dummy, quietly leaving, and taking the potion... It's almost too late... Klein's mind tensed up, and he immediately returned to the real world. In the sewer, he recited in Giant language:
“The Spirit who pursues knowledge;
“A beacon of light to a mysterious world;
“The eyes that peer into fate;
“The king of the sea;
"Saint Bernadette Gustave..."
This is the honorific title of the "Mysterious Queen", but it is somewhat different from a normal Sequence 3. Her range of limitation is very large, and it can also be effective in Backlund. For this reason, Klein suspected that the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle used a "0" level seal to achieve this effect.
Bernadette rarely told others this honorific name, fearing that some enemies would use prayers and automatic responses to locate her before reaching Sequence 2. This was consistent with Klein's thoughts.
Klein made an agreement with her that as soon as he recited this honorable name, she would randomly choose a secret mausoleum, use the blood allocated to her to draw a symbol to open the door, and try to destroy it.
Neither he nor Bernadette expected that this would be successful, because if the other side had angels, the guards inside the mausoleum would definitely recite the names of those angels every once in a while, allowing them to use "prayer spots" to remotely monitor the corresponding areas, and once they found something wrong, they would immediately rush to help.
Bernadette's role is mainly to attract attention!
Of course, if those angels come slower, the "Mysterious Queen" can also change from auxiliary to main attacker.
After doing this, Klein immediately stretched out his right hand and grabbed at the air.
As he pulled his arm back, a figure appeared in front of him.
She was a lady with ordinary features and dark eyes. She was wearing a simple robe and a bark belt. She had long black hair hanging down and was barefoot.
Abbess of the Night Monastery, leader of the Ascetics, "Servant of Secrets", angel on earth, Arianna.
It succeeded in one try... Klein was shocked, but he didn't have time to think about it. He quickly said:
"Keep my existence secret and protect the people of Backlund."
He was worried that George III would lose control after the ceremony was disrupted, rush out of the mausoleum, and endanger the people of this metropolis.
"Okay." Arianna responded calmly, not at all dull and stiff.
...Could it be a real person?... Actually, my summoning was unsuccessful. It's just that the goddess had already asked Ms. Arianna to quietly return to Backlund. As soon as she sensed that she was summoned, she came over... The angels in the hidden realm also have a certain degree of certainty about their images in the gaps of history? Klein's thoughts flashed, and he found himself in a strange state, a state that could no longer be sensed by the outside world.