NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 28: 28
Chapter 141 Williams ManorTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3019 words Update time: 2025-06-24 18:02:33
Looking at the words in the letter, Caroline seemed to see Albert's cold face in front of her, repeating the words in the letter to her.
She could even be sure without any reason that the letter was definitely written by Albert himself and without any ghostwriter.
It's really hard for him to write so many words for me...
Caroline thought about it as she read the letter again from the beginning.
Throughout the story, Albert is still the same as before, criticizing her behavior as a guardian.
After so many interactions with Albert and seeing some of his actions in the "reports", Caroline did not think he was the emotionally cold and annoying patriarch as she remembered.
She always felt that Albert's words and actions were full of contradictions. Rather than saying that he had no feelings for her, it was more like he didn't know how to get along with her.
Although Albert said he didn't want to arrange himself too much, the words written in the letter made his words not very credible.
But no matter how much he thought about it, Albert had already left Backlund. The good news was that his secret sentry arrangements should be relaxed, but the bad news was that the possibility of facing an attack next time increased.
Caroline glanced at Albert's signature at the end and folded the letter.
Her itinerary was handed over to the Hanover family's butler. Caroline didn't think that letting another nobleman's butler manage herself, the descendant of a "traitor", was a good choice.
But since Albert dared to make this decision, it meant that at least in his opinion, the butler was trustworthy.
Caroline leaned back on the sofa, deflated, and repeated in her mind the arrangements that Albert had made for her in his letter, the upcoming party.
She had never attended such a banquet among nobles, not to mention that the host was Duke Negan, whom she had a bad impression of before. This made her feel a little pressured.
"It seems that I can't leave Backlund for the time being before attending Duke Negan's banquet..."
But even if she couldn't leave Backlund, it didn't mean she couldn't do anything in the next few days.
Didn't Albert just point her in a direction?
The Williams family's manor, why did Albert specifically mention this matter...
Caroline closed her eyes and thought. She could only judge that this matter was most likely not directly related to what Albert said about "letting her get familiar with the inheritance of the family property in advance."
Well, let's go to the manor. I don't have any plans for tomorrow.
Caroline opened her eyes and stood up from the couch.
She was about to take a step forward, but soon a question struck her soul.
Where is Williams Manor...?
...
In the East District of Backlund, in an alley that no one would notice.
On the wet and dirty ground, a middle-aged homeless man with ragged clothes and slovenly appearance fell silently into the garbage dump.
The absence of any signs of fighting around revealed the fact that this was not the first crime scene, and the faint traces of dragging on the ground indicated that he was brought here by someone.
The dim light barely shone into the alley, and a man with a unique wide chin and dressed in typical pirate clothes walked quietly to the garbage dump.
His dark green eyes swept over the homeless man on the ground, and he fluently stripped off all his clothes, leaving only a naked body.
Then, he stretched out his left hand, which was wearing a black glove, and touched the other person, finally pressing it on the homeless man's head.
The next second, twisted lines spread out from the black gloves, covering the homeless man's entire body and sticking tightly to his flesh, like a stomach formed out of thin air.
Then, the huge stomach began to wriggle strangely. The homeless man, who had already lost his life, did not make any sound. His body began to melt and disintegrate gradually as the stomach wriggled.
It didn't take much time before the homeless man lying on the ground instantly turned into a mass of flesh and blood.
The man looked at the homeless man who was being digested by the gloves with an indifferent expression. He even felt a little bored at the moment.
Soon, the tramp's body disappeared, and the glove on the man's left hand returned to its original state, quietly sticking to his left hand like an ordinary glove.
"Great, this should be enough to last a few days."
Qi Lingos looked at the gloves and murmured as if talking to himself.
"I didn't expect the banquet to be moved up. These stupid nobles are really thinking of one thing after another and constantly wasting my time..."
"Oh, but the sooner we can complete the mission, the better. Compared to this dirty city, the ocean is my home ground."
Without staying for too long, Qilingos quickly took off his conspicuous coat and put on the homeless man's clothes.
He left quietly, leaving nothing in the alley, as if nothing had happened here.
...
On the outskirts of Backlund, on a road passing through the forest.
The shaking of the carriage disturbed Caroline from her nap. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a few beams of morning light coming in from the window.
She was on her way to Williams Manor. After reading Albert's letter yesterday, she took some time to write a reply to Audrey. Then she searched for information in the attic for a long time before finally determining the location of her own manor from a text copied by the original owner.
The next day, she got up early, rented a long-distance carriage, and headed straight to the outskirts of Backlund.
The Williams family's manor was located in the suburbs about 40 kilometers outside Backlund City. It would take at least two hours for the carriage to arrive there, so Caroline took this opportunity to take a short nap.
After being awakened by the shaking of the carriage, Caroline lost interest in continuing to sleep.
After checking the surrounding environment, Caroline calmly took out the "Silver Key", expanded the "Void Cube" to a limited extent, and observed the outside of the car by comparing it with the map.
The "map" that could see everything clearly told her that she was indeed on the road as expected. The surroundings were mostly forests, and the only people dots displayed were herself and the coachman.
After dozens of minutes, the carriage slowed down noticeably and finally stopped.
"Miss, we're here!"
The driver's voice came from outside. Caroline responded, took back the "Void Cube", then stood up and opened the door of the carriage.
When Caroline got off the carriage, the first thing she saw was the endless manor in front of her.
It is impossible to see to the end. It is surrounded by woods and slightly undulating hills, which encircle the entire estate in the flat area in the center. What you see is the almost invisible green vegetation and neatly arranged buildings.
The scale of the manor was much larger than she had imagined. The most eye-catching thing standing before her was a typical European-style building located in the center of the manor.
That was the main residence that the Williams family should have owned. According to the regulations of the Kingdom of Loen regarding noble titles, the Williams family, who were formerly the Grand Duke, had every right to live here, instead of being kept in the Queen's District by the royal family like most of the nobles today.
In front of the mansion was a fairly flat road that led directly to the gate of the manor, where Caroline was now. On both sides of the road was a garden that lacked some maintenance.
After passing the mansion, there was a more open and vast area. Due to the perspective, Caroline couldn't see it clearly. She could only see a lot of the same green and a few bunches of vines, and...
A gust of wind blew, and Caroline sniffed the air and smelled a sweet scent of grapes.
"What's the matter?"
Suddenly, Caroline heard a call.
When she turned her gaze back, she saw several people dressed as servants walking along the main road of the manor to the gate, asking with a slightly wary look in their eyes.
Albert is now in charge of Williams Manor, so it is obvious that these people should be servants he hired or intentionally placed here...
Well, maybe it's not just the servants...
Caroline thought about it, took a few steps forward, and introduced her identity to them:
"I am Caroline Williams, niece of Albert Hanover and heiress to this estate."
When they heard Caroline's name, the eyes of the servants managing the manor lit up.
"Ah, it's Miss Caroline. Mr. Albert has already greeted us. Please wait a moment!"
Mr. Albert... Caroline caught this title. It seems that these people should have nothing to do with the Hanover family.
The gate of the manor was opened. Caroline asked the servant waiting behind the gate to take the somewhat frightened coachman to park the carriage at the stable, while she herself planned to walk.
Seeing that Caroline had made up her mind, the servants didn't say much.
After a while of arrangements, a man who looked like a foreman came from a distance. Although his clothes were not conspicuous, his straight posture and body shape revealed his true identity.
Coming in front of Caroline, he bowed to her.
"Hello Miss Caroline, I am the person in charge assigned by the general to the manor. You can call me Cole."
General...
Caroline looked at Cole. He was a bit old, but still looked very healthy.
"Hello Mr. Cole, this is my first time at the manor. Could you please show me around here?" Caroline said with a smile.
Cole nodded and returned a kind smile.
Under Cole's guidance, Caroline walked slowly towards the interior of Williams Manor.
ps: There are still three days and three subjects left, please don't be anxious.Chapter 142 Underground Wine CellarTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3402 words Update time: 2025-06-25 18:00:00
Williams Manor is located among gently undulating hills, surrounded by the best forest areas in the suburbs of Backlund and rich in timber resources.
The north side is crossed by a small stream, which is a tributary of the Tussock River branching off from the upper reaches, and it reunites with its mainstream near the estuary.
The manor was built in the late Quaternary period, and the exact time of construction is no longer traceable, but according to the records left in the manor, it has belonged to the Williams family for generations and has never belonged to anyone else.
However, ever since that "treason incident", members of the Williams family gradually moved away from the manor, and it was completely abandoned in modern times. It was not until the generation of Caroline's parents that it was renovated and started as an industry.
The main industry of Williams Manor is winemaking. Relying on the large open terrain and gently sloping sunny slopes, more than 1,000 acres of plantation areas and various supporting facilities have been built here.
The main crop in the plantation is grapes, with a stable annual output of about 350 tons, and the wine brewed based on this crop also reaches an output of about 270 tons.
The area where the manor is located is different from the city of Backlund, which is always covered with dark clouds. It is strange to say that although the distance is only a few dozen kilometers, the weather here is much better than that of Backlund.
The cool, humid climate with relatively mild summers indicates that the most suitable wine to be produced here is sparkling wine, which was also the plan decided by Caroline's father himself.
Although the estate also produces white wine and a small amount of light red wine, the output of neither is as large as that of sparkling wine.
Thanks to the increasingly stable wine-making industry, the estate that had been abandoned for many years finally began to generate considerable profits.
According to Cole, at least before Caroline's parents were murdered, the manor had been able to bring their family an annual income of 25,000 pounds. After Albert took over, although the operation of the manor suffered a certain impact and turbulence, it has gradually stabilized since this month.
"The general gave me a lot of authority. As long as it does not change the industrial structure of the manor, he allowed me to make any adjustments to the internal structure, including personnel arrangements."
Cole strolled beside Caroline, leading her through the mansion and around to the north side of the estate, pointing his hand to the plantation area that was so far away that it was difficult to see the edge.
The vast garden was neatly planted with countless crops, and almost all that came into view were grape vines. Caroline could clearly say that she had seen almost all the grape vines a person might ever see in his or her lifetime.
What is even more shocking is that the legal owner of this huge manor is Caroline herself.
"If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes… well, it's really hard to be surprised."
Caroline took a few deep breaths to suppress her inner excitement. She couldn't tell whether she was surprised or worried about the huge fortune.
An annual income of 25,000 pounds is certainly not a figure worth boasting about compared with the top nobles, but for ordinary nobles and the vast majority of civilians, it is already a terrifyingly large figure.
The original body's parents had already built up their fortune to this extent, but in Caroline's memory, their family had always maintained a simple and ordinary life. Just like what Caroline had always seen, the Williams family had never hired even a servant, let alone a housekeeper.
Living such a cautious life, he still encountered an assassination...
Caroline pursed her lips. She had no intention of listening to Cole's introduction to the operating model of the manor.
Although Albert asked her to come ahead of time to familiarize herself with his property in the letter, she believed that Albert certainly did not want her to visit the plantation and winery.
So she took the initiative to ask Cole to visit the estate on her own. The latter did not refuse and told Caroline that if she needed any help, she could come to the winery area to find him.
After separating from Cole, Caroline went straight to the mansion in the center of the estate without hesitation.
Pushing open the heavy, mottled door of the mansion, Caroline felt a cool breeze blowing towards her.
Sunlight shines in from the windows on all sides of the main house, making the house very bright. The house is not dirty, although there is still some dust floating in the air, but it is obvious that it is cleaned on a daily basis.
From the carpet in the entrance hall to the handrails of the spiral staircase to the walls and window sills, everything was well maintained. It was just that no one lived there, which made it look unusually cold, just like an old castle in a remote mountain forest in a medieval story.
Caroline walked slowly in the mansion. She could hear her footsteps echoing softly in the empty environment. Looking around, there were only some unused furniture, just like Caroline, standing alone in the empty house.
Caroline took a deep breath and took the initiative to activate the hunter's extraordinary senses.
With a perspective sharper than those of natural hunters, Caroline could clearly see the footprints and various traces on the ground that were otherwise invisible.
It doesn't take much thought to know that most of these traces were left by the cleaning staff who cleaned here after the manor was renovated. The older traces were covered by time during the repeated cleaning and cannot be seen at all.
Walking down the hall, Caroline did not go up to the second floor, but came to the back half of the first floor.
The interior of the mansion was terrifyingly large. Even if it couldn't compare to a real castle, it was larger than any house she had ever seen.
Following her first instinct, Caroline took the initiative to walk towards the spacious places, and soon arrived at what was probably the restaurant through a corridor.
Standing at the long table in the middle, she looked around the restaurant, checking where the footprints on the ground led to.
"Hmm? That's..."
Soon, Caroline discovered that the overlapping footprints were broken in front of a remote door.
There were almost no traces next to the one-person-wide door, in stark contrast to other places that were full of footprints and cleaning marks.
In order to keep the house clean, the hired cleaning staff would definitely go to every corner of the mansion as much as possible and would be unlikely to miss any place, especially in such an important location as the dining room. The door was not hidden, but just slightly off to the side and could be clearly seen as long as you stood in the middle of the room.
Unless the cleaning staff are specifically warned about certain places, they will not approach them on their own initiative.
Caroline calmed herself down, walked to the door that looked nothing special, and turned the doorknob.
"call..."
A light breeze blew out as the door opened. It was a breeze that was even cooler than when Caroline pushed open the main door of the mansion, and it carried a distinct smell of dust.
She leaned over to look and saw a short flight of stairs leading downwards. With the light from the restaurant, she could make out some tattered wooden boards piled on the ground at the end of the stairs.
Caroline walked down the stairs slowly, and when she got to the bottom, she found that this was an abandoned wine cellar. There were overturned and broken wooden racks and wine barrels everywhere, the wine inside had long disappeared, and the air was mixed with the smell of dust and rotten wood.
But strangely, the underground wine cellar was not humid, but rather very dry. After staying here for a while, Caroline even felt that it was not as cold as she had felt at first.
It seems that the original body's parents had no plans to renovate this underground wine cellar, probably because the house was no longer occupied, and the main wine cellar of the manor was newly built somewhere else, which was larger than this one, so it was abandoned and no one was arranged to clean it.
Because it had never been cleaned, there were many footprints left on the ground, ranging from ancient times to the recent times. Caroline could not analyze the time before that. She could only barely judge that this wine cellar had been abandoned for a long time, at least several generations ago of the Williams family.
"The most recent footprints should be from a year ago. They might be the footprints of the original body's father or someone else..."
Even though the lighting in the cellar was poor, Caroline, who had some night vision, could still vaguely see the footprints on the ground.
"Older footprints... Well, the time span is quite long. No one has visited this place for a long time. Is it because the Williams family gradually moved away and abandoned the manor..."
After looking down at the footprints for a while, Caroline didn't find anything special, so she raised her head and prepared to leave.
As she glanced around, suddenly, Caroline's eyes unconsciously focused on a certain place.
She noticed that there seemed to be some strange marks on the wall next to a collapsed wooden rack and behind a pile of broken barrels.
Because the wall was facing the stairs and was slightly illuminated by the light outside, Caroline was able to slightly notice the marks on the wall.
But when Caroline got closer and took a closer look, she found that things were not that simple.
The marks on the wall were extremely subtle, overlapping with the texture of the bricks and stones that made up the wall. There was only a tiny, extremely difficult-to-detect inconsistency.
If Caroline had not used her "hunter" senses to actively search, she would not have seen any traces on the wall even if the place was illuminated by the electric lights from her previous life.
It would be more accurate to say that it was the marks on the wall that "attracted" Caroline as a hunter rather than that she "discovered" the marks on the wall.
Perhaps other extraordinary people with enhanced senses could also discover it, but Caroline just felt that this design seemed to be specifically for the extraordinary people of the "Hunter" path.
Like Soren and Einhorn, the Williams family was once a hunter family... Caroline immediately recalled some of the secrets that Ovis Wein told her that night.
"He's right. How could Williams not have any inheritance at all..."
Caroline murmured silently, her eyes actively following the lines on the wall to look for more traces.
But because this was the only place illuminated by light, Caroline had a hard time searching other places.
However, as the number of traces she found increased, she inexplicably felt that her speed in finding traces began to gradually increase, and she could even almost subconsciously cast her gaze in the direction of the next pattern.
Finally, Caroline followed the traces on the wall and found that they all converged on a wall inside the cellar.
The light was dim, and Caroline was facing the wall. Her naked eyes could not see the marks on the wall directly, but those lines seemed to not need to be observed by the naked eyes, and they were directly and actively imprinted into her mind, drawing a strange and bizarre combination pattern in her mind.
She already had some basic knowledge of mysticism, so she immediately thought of the little knowledge that Klein had taught her before in the gray fog.
This structure, this composition, is like... Caroline frowned and carefully identified the wall pattern imprinted in her mind.
Like a ritual magic array...Chapter 143 A Simple HelpTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3038 words Update time: 2025-06-26 18:00:00
A pattern for ritual magic?
Why is there a remnant of ritual magic in the underground wine cellar of Williams Manor House?
And judging from the traces, this ritual magic has a history of at least hundreds of years. Combined with the earliest footprints in the underground wine cellar, the time may be even earlier.
The wine cellar had not been cleaned, which meant that the existence of this ritual magic was a secret...
No, maybe this is the real reason why the wine cellar was abandoned underground...
The original body's parents were the ones who had been managing Williams Manor. Did they discover this magic circle?
No, they were not extraordinary people, and this magic circle had obviously been specially processed and modified for extraordinary people, especially those of the "Hunter" path. Neither the original body's parents nor the hired cleaning staff had the ability to discover ritual magic.
But if that's the case, then what about Albert...
"Is this the real reason why you asked me to come to the manor..."
Caroline frowned, and through the darkness, she used her imagination to overlay the shape of the magic circle that was passively sketched in her mind onto the wall where the magic circle existed in reality.
After standing there in contemplation for a while, she turned around and left the underground wine cellar.
What a joke! She had no intention of rashly touching a magic circle whose specific function she didn't know. Even if this magic circle was set up in the basement of her manor, she still didn't know whether it would still be effective after a long time.
Caroline is only a beginner in ritual magic. The only ritual magic she knows now is the simplified version of the ritual used to pray to the "Fool".
But although she didn't know the function of the magic circle, she could write it down and then consult those who knew about ritual magic.
For example, her dear Mr. Zhou...
...
Backlund, Queens.
Audrey sat in front of the dressing mirror in her bedroom, holding the letter that her personal maid Anne had just brought her.
After many days, Caroline finally sent a reply. If she hadn't left a message before, saying that she would occasionally leave Backlund and not be at home, Audrey would have almost thought that something had happened to her, or that she was simply locked up by her guardian uncle.
Well, the latter possibility was not very high, but based on the rumors Audrey had heard about Major General Albert Hanover, she still believed that he was capable of doing such a thing.
But now, all the worries can be put to rest.
Caroline apologized repeatedly in her reply. She had indeed simply left Backlund and stayed in Tingen for a while, completing commissions while seeking opportunities to play the role of digesting potions.
She thanked Audrey for revealing the acting method to her, but before that, she had already figured out a little method on her own, which was almost very similar to the acting method, which made Audrey sigh that perhaps some people are born to embark on an extraordinary path.
"Caroline seems to be digesting the potion very quickly. She said that she has almost digested it completely. It seems that she must have done something to make the digestion so fast..." Audrey read the ciphertext encrypted in Hermetic language on the inside of the envelope, and subconsciously imagined Caroline playing the role of "Hunter" in her mind.
Well... a bounty hunter traveling through the city at night. Although this is not ladylike at all, it is very handsome and cool!
Although Audrey was always elegant and decent due to the education she received since childhood, deep down she still yearned for this kind of exciting adventure.
Moreover, in her impression, Caroline was not quite suitable to be a simple "lady".
After imagining Caroline as a "hunter", Audrey shook her head to dispel those wild fantasies and returned her attention to the letter.
"Well, Caroline also said that she didn't know about her family's past... She was surprised, but she also thought that the authenticity of Williams' 'treason' in the history books was questionable."
In the letter, Caroline expressed her hope that Audrey could help her find more information about the past history of the Williams family. In return, she could use her extraordinary connections in the world to help Audrey with some commissions or exchange some knowledge.
"Caroline must not know that the means I possess are far beyond her imagination..."
Audrey was slightly pleased with herself. The scene at the Tarot meeting and the mysterious and powerful posture of Mr. Fool flashed through her mind.
Mr. Fool and the Tarot Club are more powerful than any extraordinary organization or secret channel!
However, Audrey did want to ask Caroline to help her collect some information about the pirate general Qi Lingos.
She had originally planned to contact the novelist, Ms. Fors, and find time to commission them to investigate. Since Caroline also came back at this time, she could just open up another avenue.
Putting down the letter, Audrey took out a new piece of writing paper from the drawer and prepared to write a reply to Caroline.
She reached out for the quill on the table, but unexpectedly grabbed nothing.
"Huh? Where's my pen?"
Audrey looked around curiously, but couldn't find her pen on the table.
At this moment, she heard a sound like the friction of clothes coming from behind her. Turning back, she saw Susie walking towards her, wagging her tail, with a feather pen in her mouth.
Susie handed the pen to Audrey, who took the quill and subconsciously said thank you.
"You're welcome." Susie sat on the carpet in the bedroom, opened her mouth slightly, and uttered a string of very standard Loenese.
Audrey's expression froze instantly. She really wasn't used to her big golden retriever speaking human language to her!
...
"You said you discovered a strange ritual magic?"
In the magnificent palace above the eternally peaceful gray fog, Klein sat on a high-backed chair, his elbows resting on the armrests, his chin in his hand, and asked Caroline, who was sitting at the long table below, in confusion.
"Well, I went to the manor left by my family today and found traces of ancient ritual magic in the underground wine cellar there."
Caroline leaned slouched in her chair, and if the space in front of her hadn't allowed it, she would have put her legs directly on the table.
"Your family also has a manor..."
Klein's eyes trembled slightly, and he opened his mouth and shook his head.
"Yes, it seems to cover several thousand acres of land. It is an inheritance passed down from our ancestors."
Caroline smiled and winked at Crane.
"If you have the opportunity to visit Backlund, I can take you for a tour. It's all mine now, and it produces a large amount of sparkling wine and wine every year. You can take some back with you. We have plenty of reserves anyway."
Thousands of acres... Klein's composure almost broke. After coughing a few times to calm himself down, he asked Caroline:
"I remember that the climate in Backlund doesn't seem to be suitable for brewing wine, right? Your family's brewing business is not losing money?"
"No, and we used to make 25,000 pounds a year," Caroline said frankly. Seeing Klein's obviously more shocked expression, she quickly turned the conversation to the issue of climate. "As for the climate, Backlund City is indeed notoriously bad, but the climate in the area where my manor is located seems to be a little different... Well, it may be related to the terrain. The temperature and humidity there are just right for producing sparkling wine."
"That's really strange."
After casually bringing up the sad topic of the manor, Klein adjusted his attitude and tapped the armrest of the high-back chair with his fingers. He murmured,
"Do you remember what that ritual magic looked like?"
Caroline nodded, and with Klein's assistance, she transferred the ritual array imprinted in her mind onto the parchment in the same way as she materialized the emperor's diary.
Klein raised his hand and waved it lightly, and the parchment automatically flew into his palm.
He originally thought that after studying the mysticism for so long, he should be able to get a preliminary understanding of the subject. However, after carefully looking at the ritual magic described by Caroline, he was completely in the dark, as if he was looking at an extremely complicated math problem and had no idea where to start solving it.
Seeing Klein's silence, Caroline could probably guess that he didn't know the effect of this ritual magic either.
She thought for a moment, then recounted all of her discoveries in the underground wine cellar, including the abandoned history of the underground wine cellar, its magical fusion with the wall, traces of magic circles that only a "hunter" could easily discover, and the strange phenomenon of the ritual magic actively recorded in her mind.
"From what you said, it seems that this ritual magic is a setting left by your ancestors... or in other words, some kind of inheritance."
Klein put the parchment down and told Caroline his analysis.
Caroline nodded and continued:
"It is very likely. I have learned some of our family's past history through some channels. It is said that Williams was once a 'hunter' family."
"A 'Hunter' family? Like the Soren family of Intis?"
"Yes, there is also Einhorn of Feysac, and the Medici family that appeared briefly in the Fourth Epoch."
"Hmm... That's not surprising. No wonder you have such an obvious reaction to this ritual magic. It should be specially designed for Beyonders of the Hunter Path."
Klein nodded thoughtfully, his eyes moving to look at the ritual magic on the parchment again.
After a moment's silence, he looked up at Caroline and said:
"I have a knowledgeable mentor here who also has some special experiences. I will find time to show him this ritual magic. Perhaps he will be able to see some clues."
"Hehe, I knew you, Lao Zhou, are really reliable."
Caroline closed one eye and snapped her fingers at Klein.Chapter 144 Chaos in the East DistrictTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3745 words Update time: 2025-06-27 17:41:55
August 23, Thursday morning, Backlund Bridge area.
In the "Brave" bar where there were not many drinkers on a weekday morning, Caroline was holding a full glass of ginger beer. Her eyes seemed to be focused on the amber liquid in the glass, but she was actually quietly listening to the conversation of several people sitting next to her.
"Look here! The workers in Tingen, Ahowa County, are on strike!"
A middle-aged man in typical work clothes holding a newspaper pointed at a report in a corner of the front page in an exaggerated tone.
"I remember that Tingen is one of the few cities that still has welfare policies for workers. How come there is a strike there too?" asked the worker at the table curiously.
"Look here. The reason is written in the report." The man handed him the newspaper and pointed to a line of text. "It is said that a factory owner owed workers wages for several months. He once promised to pay the wages in the future, but just a few days ago, someone got decisive evidence that the factory owner was actually in a serious financial crisis!"
"After failing to report the incident through the union, the workers under the factory owner united to go on strike, and now it has grown to a large scale, including workers from other factories who have begun to participate in the strike action."
After reading the report, the worker shook his head and sighed:
"This is really a case of what goes around comes around. The workers in Tingen are pretty courageous."
"And the report said that the factory owner is the nephew of a Tingen city councillor. This is going to be a big deal. The officials in Tingen city government must be struggling to deal with this mess right now."
"It's even been reported in the Backlund morning newspaper... Well, I'm optimistic about this strike. Goddess, it's several months' salary. I can't even imagine what would happen if I was owed so much salary."
"Then maybe I'll see you swimming gracefully in the Tussock River the next day."
A few people at the table laughed and casually turned the newspaper to the next section.
I thought the strike in Tingen would not start for some time. Io Bronson's organizational skills are really good...
Caroline glanced in the direction of those people, then quickly looked away.
She had been following the newspapers for several days, and finally saw the news that the Tingen strike had begun today.
The newspapers' comments on the strike were quite positive, and it seemed that Io was indeed making steady progress according to her suggestions.
Next, it depends on how Frenson and Congressman Maynard are going to deal with this farce.
Caroline tilted her head back and took a sip of ginger beer, then looked at the old bartender behind the bar.
The latter was wiping the wine glass attentively, looking very relaxed, as if what was happening outside had nothing to do with him.
"There doesn't seem to be many people in the bar today." Caroline took the initiative to start a conversation.
The old bartender looked up at Caroline, raised the corner of his mouth and smiled:
"Miss, today is still a working day. Not everyone has the free time and energy like you young people."
"I feel that you, old man, are no less capable than the young men."
"Haha, I'm old now. For me, helping out in the bar like this is a good way to relax."
"Helping with the work? You don't have an employment relationship with the bar?"
"The owner of this bar is my friend. You know, it's just mutual help between friends."
The old bartender put down the wine glass he had just wiped. Although he was looking at Caroline, he still picked up another wine glass steadily and skillfully.
There seems to be some power behind the "Brave" bar, otherwise they would not be able to guarantee the underground trading market, and the old bartender actually said that he and the bar owner are "friends."
Caroline carefully pondered the meaning of the old bartender's words, but she did not delve into it too much. She had no intention of exploring other people's secrets.
However, it seems that this old bartender could also be a brand new outlet.
Taking another sip of ginger beer, Caroline watched the old bartender's face.
She came to the Brave Bar today to find Hugh Dilcha, on the one hand to ask about her imprisonment, and on the other hand to investigate the matter of Qi Lingos.
Over the past few days, Caroline did not find any "reports" that might be related to Qilingos from the "Void Cube", nor did she see any missing homeless people.
It seemed that her previous guess was correct. Qilingos's infiltration into Backlund was very covert. Even if his magical item needed flesh and blood, it would be difficult for her to find anything from this point of entry.
Caroline believed that in order to satisfy his "creeping hunger", Qilingos would most likely start in the East District. If she wanted to know the situation in the East District in more detail, she would have to find someone with connections in the East District.
In her opinion, Hugh was obviously one of them, and now it seems that the old bartender in front of her and the bar behind him can also be considered one of them.
After organizing her words, Caroline casually said:
"Has anything unusual happened in the East End recently?"
The old bartender raised his eyebrows and asked:
"Why do you ask?"
Caroline gestured in the direction of the workers and replied:
"Isn't Tingen on strike? The momentum is so huge, I thought workers in other places would also take some action to respond to them."
"My lady, you overestimate the cohesion of the workers." The old bartender said with a low laugh.
"Perhaps the workers in a city have good unity, but this is Backlund, a city far away from Tingen. Why should the workers here agree with their actions?"
Caroline looked away slightly and said absentmindedly:
"I thought that places like Backlund where workers' lives are relatively difficult are more likely to have disputes. Isn't there a famous saying? Where there is oppression, there is resistance."
"I've never heard that phrase."
The old bartender wiped the glass, walked to Caroline, nodded and said:
"But this is indeed a very philosophical statement."
"But even if there is a philosophy, it depends on the specific situation. For example, in the East District, the workers here don't have the same fighting spirit as Tingen. The vast majority of people here are ignorant. For them, as long as they can still live, they don't want to make any changes, because the latter often means greater uncertainty."
Caroline stared at the old bartender for a while, then shook her head and smiled bitterly as if she had been defeated:
"Well, it seems I've been thinking too much."
The old bartender smiled, stood up and picked up a new glass.
"Thinking too much is a good thing. It proves that you are still young and have plenty of energy and wisdom."
"There's nothing noteworthy happening in the East End recently. Everything is still the same. Chaotic, but very stable."
Chaotic yet stable is an accurate description, and it is not at all contradictory for the East End.
Even the bartender of the Brave Bar, who knew more about the East District, didn't hear anything. Qi Lingos was really secretive enough. Is he a "Wind Blesser" or an "Assassin"...
Caroline thought about it for a while and finally decided to be frank with the bartender again.
"Actually, I want to find someone in the East District."
Caroline spoke, her voice once again attracting the old bartender's attention.
"Looking for someone in the East End? Miss, you really do like a challenge. And shouldn't you consult a private detective for something like this?"
"I don't think a private detective can do this." Although she had never consulted a private detective, Caroline still said, "The person I'm looking for is a seriously dangerous guy who may cause a certain degree of damage to the East District. The private detectives I have consulted have all declined my commission after learning of the danger."
The old bartender tutted his lips in amazement, and said in a tone that was neither praise nor mockery:
"You are indeed young. Since you want a private detective to help you, how can you reveal this danger to others in advance? You should let them find out for themselves during the investigation after accepting the commission. In this way, even if they want to cancel the agreement, you can get some investigation results, or increase the price to continue the commission."
Caroline blinked in surprise. The trick given by the old bartender was really... well, it didn't seem like something a good person would do.
But how kind can a person be if he is friends with the owner of the Brave Bar?
"This, this I really didn't expect."
"You still have a lot to learn."
The old bartender smiled, wiped his wine glass and walked a few steps towards Caroline.
Whether out of curiosity or some interest in Caroline's request to find someone, the old bartender asked:
"There are many strange people in the East District, but as you said, there are not many people who can bring destruction to the East District. You know, this is the capital of the Kingdom of Loen, Backlund, the City of Hope."
"I'm curious, what kind of big shot are you looking for?"
Caroline recalled the description of the "Hanged Man" to Qilingos at the Tarot Club and answered with simple words:
"The other party is not from Backlund, and he rarely even walks on land. He is a senior sailor who has been drifting on the ocean for many years..."
"Although he has come ashore now, he still retains many of his previous habits. For example, he has a strong ability to disguise himself and can easily pretend to be someone else. He is also cruel and bloodthirsty, has a serious hobby of killing, and is a complete psychopath. He kills people every once in a while because of psychological impulses..."
"I think he would attack the homeless in order to relieve his murderous urge, and the East District is where Backlund has the most homeless people..."
Caroline did not describe Qi Lingos's specific appearance, nor did she reveal more information that could point to Qi Lingos.
This was to prevent the old bartender from leaking the description and letting it reach Qilingos' ears.
Although the purpose is to conceal the action, Qi Lingos may not know, but it is still necessary to be more secretive. Her description can actually point to many pirates, and these criminals are almost the same.
After listening to Caroline's description, the old bartender nodded without changing his expression and said:
"It sounds like he is a dangerous person indeed."
"So, old man, if you have ever heard any rumors of missing homeless people, or if there are any strange things happening in the East District, please remember to keep an eye out for me." Caroline said with a smile.
"Who knows, he might have a seizure someday and come to the Brave Bar to mess things up. It's not surprising that a mentally ill person like him would do anything."
"I don't think anyone would dare to come to the bar and cause trouble."
The old bartender picked up another glass, holding the towel and smiled:
"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for you. In return, you have to come to the bar more often. There's always enough ginger beer here."
"If you can give me a better discount, I will definitely come here more often."
Caroline smiled and drank the ginger beer in her glass.
Just as she put down her glass, Caroline heard the sound of the bar door being pushed open behind her.
She looked back and saw Xio, dressed in a knight's training uniform, walking in.
Isn't this a coincidence?
Caroline quickly stood up and handed the glass to the old bartender.
"Thank you for the treat!"
After saying that, she turned and walked towards Xio.
As soon as Hugh Dilcha walked into the bar, she saw Caroline walking towards her.
"Huh? You're here too?"
Before she could ask, Caroline pushed her out of the bar.
"Wait, wait a minute, I want something to drink."
"I need your help. I'll treat you to something else."
"Your treat?"
"Yes, it's my treat."
With that, Caroline and Hugh left the Brave Bar together.
Behind the bar, the old bartender watched Caroline disappear out the door.
His expression gradually calmed down, he lowered his head to wipe the wine glass in his hand, but his brows were slightly wrinkled.
"Experienced sailor, occasional hobby of killing, serious danger..."
"Vice Admiral Hurricane Zillingos has infiltrated Backlund?"
The old bartender whispered quietly, not letting anyone hear him.
ps: Updates have been resumed, and there will be another chapter later at night.Chapter 145 OutsourcingTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3103 words Update time: 2025-06-27 21:30:00
After leaving the bar, Caroline pushed Xio for a while before she took her hands off her shoulders and walked to her side from behind, walking side by side with her.
Xio had resisted for a while, but after realizing that Caroline was too strong, he gave up struggling and walked forward with her, asking:
"Do you have anything to ask me?"
Caroline glanced at Hugh, kept it a secret, and said:
"I haven't been here for so long, don't you feel anything strange?"
"That's not surprising. Didn't you go to Tingen? My defense lawyer, your client, Mr. Ovis, told me about it."
Caroline narrowed her eyes slightly and whispered:
"He really became your defense lawyer? How was it? How was the result?"
"Well, to put it simply, he is indeed very professional." Xio made a gesture to describe "great" and praised sincerely.
"His defense in court was the most natural, smooth and cunning performance I have ever seen. Everyone in the court, from the jury to the judge to the opposing lawyer, was speechless. I was released in court and received compensation afterwards."
What kind of Ace Attorney is this... What is Ovis? Is this Phoenix Wright walking in the gray area?
Caroline opened her mouth, but eventually changed the subject and asked why Hugh was put in jail.
Hugh obviously didn't want to bring up this topic. She complained to Caroline, saying that the gangster she had beaten into the hospital looked tall and strong, but he was actually not very strong at all.
"Gangster loan sharks... It seems like the gangs in the East District are quite rampant. Don't the police care about it?"
"The police tried to intervene, but as you can see, it didn't have much of an impact on the situation in the east end."
Xio and Caroline walked side by side, heading along Iron Gate Street towards the Backlund Bridge.
"But I've heard people say that the current East District is the result of several gang fights and mergers. The East District used to be even more chaotic than it is now." Hugh counted on his fingers for Caroline.
"There used to be many gangs of all sizes in the East District, but now they are all ruled by the biggest gang. As long as they don't do anything too extreme and abide by the rules they set, they won't interfere too much in the behavior of the smaller gangs, which gives people like me room to act as arbitrators."
"The mafia also has such a clear system... What is the name of the largest mafia?"
"'Dominion' Gang, which means 'rule' in Feynapotter." Hugh looked up at Caroline and answered.
When the two of them reached the corner of the street, she looked back at the Brave Bar, and then asked Caroline:
"Were you talking to someone in the bar?"
"It wasn't anyone else, it was the old bartender. I asked him something and he just happened to answer them for me." Caroline waved her hand and replied.
"Ah, old Mr. Garrick, he is indeed a very enthusiastic person." Hugh nodded.
Seeing that Xio's expression was gradually relaxing, Caroline looked around and confirmed that there was no one around, so she took this opportunity to say:
"Let's not talk about this for now, Xio, let me ask you, do you have strong connections in the East District?"
"Huh? Why are you asking this suddenly?"
Xio looked up at Caroline, and then answered directly:
"It's not bad. I know a lot of people who have connections."
"Very good. It just so happens that I have something I want to ask you to find someone to entrust me with."
Caroline leaned close to Xio's ear and tried to speak in a low enough voice:
"There is a dangerous person named 'Qilingus' who has infiltrated Backlund. He is a famous pirate and should have a considerable bounty. I would like you to find someone to help me investigate his whereabouts."
Listening to Caroline's words, Hugh was stunned at first, then quickly raised his hand to interrupt Caroline.
"Wait, wait a moment."
Caroline looked at Hugh in confusion, only to find that the latter had a very strange expression.
"The Qilingos you are talking about is not the great pirate known as 'Vice Admiral Hurricane', right?"
"Hmm? You heard of that guy?"
"I had never heard of it before…"
Quinn sighed in annoyance and raised his hand to pinch his nose.
"Just yesterday, someone also asked me to investigate this Qi Lingos. I came here today to find someone to ask about the situation."
Someone also commissioned Xio to investigate Qilingos? Did anyone else know that Qilingos had also infiltrated Backlund?
That's not right. The Hanged Man seemed to have said that this was a very confidential piece of information, and he only found out about it because of his connections at sea.
Is there any third party involved?
Caroline thought quickly, but couldn't come up with anything, so she just asked Hugh directly.
"Can the other party be trusted?"
Xio didn't think too much about it, nodded and said:
"Yes, the other party is a descendant of a noble family. When I was imprisoned before, Fors, my novelist friend, went to them to ask for help."
"Although Mr. Ovis came uninvited in the end and said he was helping me with the lawsuit in order to make up for some force majeure clause, and the help that those gentlemen and ladies had prepared was not used, we still established a preliminary friendship."
The son of a noble family was also investigating the whereabouts of Qi Lingos... Once these key pieces of information were leaked, even though Xio did not mention the name of the client in order to protect his information, Caroline guessed the other party's identity at once.
Isn't this Audrey...
She actually established a connection with Xio. Backlund is really small. Is this really a big city with a population of several million?
After silently complaining in her heart, Caroline pretended not to know him, nodded and said:
"As long as you are trustworthy, you are more experienced than me after all."
"Why do I feel like you're making me look old..."
Xio glanced at Caroline, then walked with her across the road to the other side of the street.
Then she continued to ask:
"Why are you looking for Qi Lingos too? Is this guy so famous recently?"
Maybe you are not famous now, but you may be famous soon...
Caroline thought about it and said to Hugh:
"You know, I'm playing the role of a bounty hunter. I heard about this in Tingen some time ago, and I knew that other people were also looking for him, so I planned to investigate it when I came back."
"I see... I thought you were interested in the 10,000-pound bounty."
What? Qi Lingos is worth 10,000 gold pounds?!
Caroline was slightly shocked. She couldn't help but think that if Klein knew about this, he would be greatly shocked.
"How is that possible? I won't risk my life for 10,000 gold pounds... Well, I heard that Qi Lingos is also a Beyonder, and may be a Sequence 6 strongman. I am only Sequence 9 now, how can I fight him?"
"You know these details?" Xio looked at Caroline in surprise.
"That's the most I know. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to you to ask for help in the investigation. But..."
Caroline stopped and turned to say to Hugh.
"Now the commission seems to have collided..."
Xio was surprised for a moment, then realized that Caroline was talking about Miss Audrey who had asked him to investigate the matter of Qilingos.
She spread her hands helplessly and said:
"There's nothing I can do. I've already promised them."
"However, if you really want to investigate Qi Lingos, I can introduce some people to you and you can negotiate with them."
Although Audrey has already started investigating in Backlund, I have to do something. After all, she is not the only one who has taken on the commission of "The Hanged Man"...
Besides, maybe I can move even faster. Finding people also depends on luck...
Well, I don't know whether running into Qilingos is lucky or unlucky...
After thinking for a while, Caroline nodded to Xio and accepted it gladly:
"That's a good idea. I don't know many people in the East District of Backlund. It's time to expand my network."
Xio responded readily, and as they walked, he introduced her to several people who were somewhat famous in the East District.
Among them were cadres of the Workers' Association, some bar thugs, and several gang leaders who knew a lot about the situation of homeless people in the East District.
Caroline listened attentively to Hugh's introduction of their personalities, temperaments, and hobbies. The more she listened, the more she couldn't help but sigh at how deeply Hugh had developed in the East End.
On the other hand, after staying in Tingen for so many days, the only people she knew who had some connections in the local area were Io Bronson and his Agnar Gang.
Well, Klein and the Nighthawks certainly don't count. The former is her good fellow countryman, and the latter are upright officials.
However, Io is also a very promising young man. He has the ability to organize strikes at a young age. If he were thrown into that awakening era, he might be able to make a career.
...
After Hugh finished listing several suitable candidates, Caroline repeated them in her mind and then said to her:
"Yeah, I wrote it all down."
"According to you, the best option is to find the gang leader named Darkholm first, right?"
Xio nodded and replied:
"Yes, he is one of the people who knows the situation of homeless people in the East District best. If we want to use missing homeless people as a starting point, he is the most suitable person to find."
After saying this, Xio's expression became somewhat indescribable.
"However, that guy is not a good person. Under the appearance of a good man, he is actually a real, ruthless gang leader. You must not be fooled by his words."
No matter how nice a man is, can he be as good as Lanevus in deceiving people?
As Caroline thought about this, Lanevus's mocking smile reappeared in her mind.
Shaking her head, Caroline smiled and patted Hugh's shoulder, saying:
"Don't worry, I'm usually very cautious."
"Let's go to Hillston for coffee."Chapter 146 Connections (I wish the secret animation a smooth start)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3023 words Update time: 2025-06-28 14:00:03
In the Cherwood District of Backlund, in a simple and small apartment.
Fors Woll, with slightly curly brown hair and a lazy look, sat on the small sofa on the balcony, lit a cigarette, closed her eyes slightly with a comfortable expression, and looked at the gradually setting sunlight in the distance.
"Click!"
The sound of a door lock turning came from the door behind Fors. She tilted her head and looked back, and saw her roommate, the short and immature Hugh Dilcher, walking into the apartment with a cup of coffee in one hand and a small box in the other.
Fors turned around, raised his eyebrows and smiled:
"Did you convince the client who works at the snack bar? I thought you wanted to 'stay in shape' and didn't really like eating these sweets."
Xio walked into the living room and didn't say anything. Instead, he frowned, fanned the air in front of his nose, and looked at the cigarette in Fors's hand.
"Next time, remember to close the door before smoking, otherwise the smell will drift into the house." She reminded seriously.
"Oh my god, are you going to drive me to the balcony to live? Just for a cigarette?"
Fors shouted in an exaggerated manner, but his hand obediently put out the cigarette.
"If you keep sucking like this, I'm really going to consider whether I should kick you out of the house. Well, even if the door doesn't really do anything for you."
Xio echoed Fors' words. She walked to the dining table and placed the coffee in her hand and a small box of pastries on it.
"I went to the Brave Bar and met a friend there. She treated me to afternoon tea. I didn't want to eat too much, so I packed a little and brought it back."
She opened the box, and a sweet aroma immediately came out.
Fors walked back from the balcony and took a light sniff. Even though there was still a little smoke in her nose, it did not prevent her from catching the fragrance of the pastries.
"Not bad... Um, wait a minute, is this the dessert shop in Hillston where a cup of coffee costs 1 soli?"
Xio nodded, and Fors immediately changed her gaze and looked at the ordinary cup of coffee.
"It's really evil money..."
Fors paused, raised his eyes and asked Xio:
"The friend you met at the Brave Bar? Oh, that Miss Caroline Williams?"
"Yes, I also mentioned you to her. It was partly her suggestion that I bring these pastries back."
"She's really generous then."
Fors smiled and picked up a piece of bread the size of a plum between her middle finger and thumb. She sniffed it before putting it into her mouth.
The sweet and soft taste melted instantly in Fors's mouth. She did not feel any obstruction, as if what she had just eaten was not bread, but a cloud with the aroma of butter.
"Well, expensive pastries are different. This is much better than the shop downstairs from our house."
Fors was generous in her praise. She had rarely eaten such high-end desserts. The last time she came to Viscount Glint's house to seek help from them, in order to maintain the image of an unfathomable Beyonder, she deliberately controlled her urge for sweets and did not eat the dessert on the coffee table at all.
After stuffing another piece of dessert into his mouth, Fors asked Xio, who was taking off his equipment:
"How about it, do you have any idea about Qi Lingges's matter?"
Xio sighed and shook his head.
"No, I was originally going to the bar to find someone to investigate, but I was stopped by Caroline on the way... She was also looking for Qilingos. I heard the rumor from the bounty hunter grapevine."
"Oh? Did she give any advice?"
"No, she only knows some basic information… Oh, she mentioned that Qi Lingos might be a Sequence 6 Beyonder. This is consistent with the information given by Miss Audrey, which means that Qi Lingos's real sequence should be at this stage." Xio thought for a moment and said.
"Sequence 6…"
Fors imagined that unattainable stage. Most Beyonders could not reach that stage at all. Before that, they either lost control or were killed. Those who could survive to become Sequence 6 were the elite among the elites.
Shivering all over, Fors suggested while eating pastries:
"I don't want to fight against a strong man like that. We'd better be careful and find someone to help us investigate first. The more we outsource, the safer we will be."
Xio did not object, because that was what she had thought from the beginning.
"Then we will go to Detective Isengard tomorrow and ask him to help with deductive reasoning."
"Good suggestion, what about the consulting fee..."
Xio unbuckled his belt with a snap and threw it on the chair. He pointed at the cake in Fors's hand seriously and said:
"You come out..."
Fors paused while chewing the bread, and she looked down blankly at the dessert box that was half empty.
After a moment of silence, she raised her head and smiled reluctantly:
"You can't blame me, this is just too delicious."
"How about I give you the rest, and then we can discuss the consulting fee?"
Xio glanced at Fors, walked to the dining table, and took out a dessert from the box.
...
"Mm, it tastes really good. This is the only food I've tasted in Loen that can rival the flavor of Intis."
In the underground market, Ovis, who was sitting behind a stall, took the small piece of bread handed to him by Caroline, closed his eyes and savored the texture and taste in his mouth with a look of enjoyment.
After a long time, he opened his eyes, and looked at Caroline with his green eyes, revealing a slight smile.
"It's been a while since someone brought me dessert. I might really fall in love with you."
"Then I might as well throw them all away."
"No, that's such a waste!"
Ovis took the dessert box from Caroline with a smile, straightened his posture, and picked up a piece of bread and put it into his mouth.
Caroline quietly watched Ovis enjoying himself and curled the corners of her mouth slightly.
Seeing that he was enjoying it to the fullest, she leaned forward a little and asked mysteriously:
"Ovis, are you good at finding people? I mean without any personal belongings, without relying on divination."
Ovis glanced at Caroline, smiled, and put down the dessert box.
"I knew you had a purpose for coming here."
"I'm not good at finding people, but someone I know, or someone I know knows someone who is good at finding people."
"Stop, please stop saying tongue twisters." Caroline raised her hand, signaling Orvis to stop making the ring.
After sorting out the sentences, she asked with certainty:
"In other words, your connections and channels can easily help you find people in Backlund?"
"Of course." Ovis said with a proud smile, "As long as the price is right, whether you want to find a friend you haven't contacted for many years, or someone who has been missing for a long time, I will find a way to find it for you."
"That's great."
Caroline clapped her hands and moved a little closer to Ovis.
Ovis felt a breath of light fragrance coming towards him, and he really enjoyed the feeling. Of course, he was also very curious about who this descendant of the Williams family wanted to find.
Is he someone who is connected to the family secrets? Or is he the murderer who caused the deaths of the Williams couple?
Well, no matter who it is, this is information that can be collected by Ovis.
So he listened attentively to Caroline's words, and then he heard the latter say:
"Vice Admiral Hurricane Zillingos, one of the seven pirate generals, has infiltrated Backlund. I hope you can help me find his whereabouts. We don't need to have any conflict with him, as long as you can give me a rough idea of where he is, or..."
"Wait, wait a moment!"
Ovis's expression froze, and he quickly raised his hand to interrupt Caroline's words.
He covered his eyes, and after a while he came to his senses. He opened his eyes and looked at Caroline again, and asked tentatively:
"You, you mean you want to find Qi Lingos? That cruel pirate general? He is in Backlund now?"
Caroline nodded and replied:
"Yes, and he may have been in Backlund for several days."
"Is the source of the news credible?"
"It's very credible. It's news from the sea, and there are other people who are secretly looking for him in Backlund."
"I see…"
Ovis's gaze was distracted for a while. Caroline looked at him and thought he had thought of some clues. Just as she was about to ask him, she saw Ovis suddenly straighten up as if he had been electrocuted, and quickly began to pack up the things on the stall.
While packing, he spoke to Caroline quickly:
"I've had a lot of fun spending time with you these days. I'll remember this experience in Backlund very well. If there's a chance, let's meet again in the future."
Caroline blinked in confusion, and seeing that Ovis really looked like he was about to run away, she didn't have time to think about it, and quickly grabbed Ovis' arm to prevent him from really running away.
"Wait a minute, what are you so scared of? Do you know Qilingus?"
"More than just knowing each other..."
Ovis pulled the corner of his mouth awkwardly and said:
"I've been on the sea before. That time, I cheated Qi Lingos out of a lot of money by selling him a magical item that was actually not that expensive."
"This doesn't violate my rules. He threatened me first, and I fought back to protect myself."
"Qilingus is not only cruel and bloodthirsty, but also insidious and cunning. He must have come to Backlund for no good reason. He might have come here to seek revenge on me."
"Emperor Roselle once said: A wise man will not stand under a wall that is about to collapse. I have to leave Backlund and stay out of the spotlight. Miss, I wish you all the best here. I will miss you very much and may even write to you."
Ovis said, and in the blink of an eye he had packed up his things.