Chapter 29: A Familiar Flavor

Chapter 29: A Familiar Flavor

If they grasp Father’s hidden cards, how could they possibly not harm him? At the very least, it would negatively affect the matters he is doing everything he can to promote or oppose… Floating in midair within the mind world, Audrey looked down at the “island of consciousness” below. Her thoughts were calmer than even she had expected.

Immediately afterward, she suddenly understood something:

She finally knew what Hvin Rambis had truly meant to achieve by manipulating Karon into suicide.

Audrey had always cared greatly about that matter. She had gathered different pieces of information from different angles, giving her a relatively clear grasp of the whole situation. Yet she had remained deeply puzzled as to what the hidden mastermind had been trying to accomplish.

On the surface, that trap had targeted the Conservative Party’s moneybag, Baron Syndras. As long as any link in the chain had been handled incorrectly, the great banker would very likely have exposed problems and been dealt with by official Beyonder organizations. In actual execution, however, it had lacked the fallback measures that an excellent conspiracy should possess. The moment Dwayne Dantès acted in a way no one had expected, the carefully laid plan collapsed at once, and no effective follow-up was organized. It truly did not look like the work of a high-sequence Beyonder of the Spectator pathway.

As a comparatively experienced Spectator, Audrey had long sensed a trace of disharmony within it. Now, after hearing Hvin Rambis’s own words, she suddenly woke to the truth and grasped the essence of that earlier framing:

Hvin Rambis did not care whether Baron Syndras was successfully brought down. He had already obtained what he wanted.

Just as he had said moments ago, inside the kingdom, a significant rift had appeared between the New Party and the Conservative Party!

Hvin Rambis claimed he wanted to mend that problem, but in truth, his purpose was to deepen the estrangement and create further division!

Why would he do that? Audrey controlled her “mind island,” preventing it from displaying emotions of doubt.

She then responded to what Hvin Rambis had just said:

“I can understand your concerns about the kingdom’s situation. I will work hard to do it.”

The moment she finished speaking, Hvin Rambis on the “mind island,” gloomy and overcast, lowered the right hand that had been pressing against his forehead. Meanwhile, Hvin Rambis seated on the sofa smiled in satisfaction.

“You truly are a noble young lady filled with sympathy and compassion.”

After saying that, the old gentleman wearing striped blue-gray trousers lowered his right leg and leaned forward slightly. His eyes grew a little deeper.

“Given your identity and everyday environment, you will forget me. You will only remember Hilbert, Stephen, Escalante, and the others. If anything comes up, you will convey it through them…

“When there is something extremely important to report, you will subconsciously visit me, using the excuse of seeking academic advice… After entering my house, the memories you lost will be restored…”

As Hvin Rambis said these words, the version of him on Audrey’s “mind island” also opened his mouth and repeated them. Corresponding “rocks” deformed, swiftly sank into the ground, and descended into the subconscious domain.

At that moment, Audrey felt as though she had split into two people:

One was formed from the “mind island.” She could no longer remember the appearance or name of the elder before her. She only knew that she had come to Stephen Hampres’s home, met a member of the Psychology Alchemists’ Review Council, received praise related to the acting method, and been assigned a new mission.

The other floated beneath the spirituality sky, remembering everything that had happened before very clearly. Only her emotional fluctuations were comparatively faint, leaning more toward optimism rather than gloom.

Audrey was absolutely certain that the one in midair was her most essential self-awareness. Therefore, she was not confused. Taking “her” as the main body, she controlled the other self and rose in a hazy, muddled state.

“Yes, sir.”

After responding, she quickly straightened and, as if manipulated by invisible strings, walked step by step toward the entrance. She opened the door and left.

The moment she closed the door, the self in midair within the mind world and the self corresponding to the “island of consciousness” suddenly merged, no longer separate from one another.

The two memories, which differed to a certain degree, instantly blended together, causing Audrey several seconds of confusion. But with no small amount of experience in treatment and hypnosis, she quickly and skillfully sorted out what was primary and secondary, what was true and false, and reconstructed every detail of what had just happened.

What powerful mind reading and hypnosis… He directly entered my mind body, and even my spirit body, through the sea of collective subconscious, to exert influence… Although she had the blessing of Mr. Fool’s angel, when Audrey recalled what had just happened, it still felt as though she were looking at old photographs, yellowed and faded, as if many years had passed.

In the future, I will be able to do this too! Mr. Fool’s angelic blessing is truly amazing! Hmph, I will only tell you Father’s attitude on matters that aren’t very important! As Audrey’s thoughts flickered, her emotions had already improved.

…

Woo!

The steam locomotive, spewing massive amounts of smoke, dragged carriage after carriage into Backlund Station.

After a journey of several days, Klein had finally returned to the City of Cities.

In the appearance of Dwayne Dantès, he wore a top hat, formal clothing, and carried a gold-inlaid cane. He slowly left the first-class carriage and stepped firmly onto the platform.

Behind him followed a young man who was clearly of mixed blood, around 1.75 meters tall, carrying two suitcases. This was his marionette, Enzo. Of course, this Winner had now changed his name to one with more Southern Continent flavor: Enuni. In the future, he would be the person who connected the newly wealthy arms merchant Dwayne Dantès with clients from the Southern Continent. Transactions that were not especially crucial would be handled by him, so Dwayne Dantès himself would no longer need to repeatedly run to East and West Balam.

Of course, this was only a public-facing disguise. In essence, Klein would still be the one running around himself.

His preliminary plan was that later, in the name of the Sea God, Kalvetua, he would send several believers to East and West Balam to replace him in handling small-scale transactions that might occur frequently in the future. After all, Danitz was now a pirate famous across the Five Seas, with a bounty exceeding ten thousand pounds, and he was closely connected to Gehrman Sparrow. If he kept helping Dwayne Dantès with work, it would be very easy to arouse suspicion.

After leaving the station, Klein took a carriage back to 160 Böklund Street.

By then, the sky had already grown dark. The gas streetlamps on both sides of the road were lit, and Dwayne Dantès’s mansion was also brightly illuminated. Butler Walter and housekeeper Taneja led the footmen, maids, gardeners, coachmen, and others out, arranging themselves in two rows as they respectfully awaited their employer.

After arriving at Desi Bay and purchasing a steam-train ticket, Klein had sent a telegram back to Backlund, informing his butler of when he would return. However, he had specifically told the other party not to send a carriage to the station to pick him up. After all, in this era, steam trains were often delayed. Arriving the next morning would not be impossible.

Sweeping his gaze over the servants, who stood in standard posture and acted respectfully, Klein nodded inwardly. He walked between them and silently sighed:

This has a touch of aristocratic bearing now. Mr. Butler hasn’t been slacking while his employer was away…

When he reached the entrance, he nodded lightly to Walter and Taneja.

“You have all worked hard during this period.”

“That is what we should do,” Walter and Taneja said in unison as they bowed.

Klein’s gaze then turned to Richardson, the personal valet standing nearby. He discovered that this handsome mixed-blood man’s face was a little pale, and that he kept sneaking glances at Enuni, the new valet following behind his employer.

Klein chuckled inwardly and nodded to him.

“You performed well before. However, certain matters involve Southern Continent business and need to be handled by Enuni.

“Mm, you will become Mr. Walter’s assistant. Work with him to collect information about manors outside the city.”

Assistant… Butler’s assistant… Richardson first froze, then responded in surprise and delight,

“Yes, sir!”

Reaching this position meant that he had truly broken free from the limitations of the valet class and climbed one step higher!

Walter did not ask for details about the manor at once. He seriously arranged for his employer to enter, wash up, and dine.

Only after these matters were finished, when he and the new personal valet Enuni escorted Dwayne Dantès back to the third floor, did he ask,

“Sir, are you planning to purchase a manor outside Backlund? Do you have any specific requirements?”

Not too expensive… Who knows how long this identity can still be used… Klein mocked himself inwardly before considering and saying,

“One with a vineyard and a winery.”

After completing the previous arms transaction, he had established an initial foothold in Backlund’s upper circles and had obtained a large amount of wealth. Therefore, he had to own a manor. He could not wait until autumn or winter arrived and then be unable to invite friends to the outskirts for vacation or hunting. That would be conduct unbecoming of his status and would very easily make others look down on him.

And manor prices in Backlund’s outskirts were quite expensive. Eight to ten thousand pounds would be enough to obtain a large manor in Desi Bay or similar places, one with plenty of land and even a rubber forest. But here, it could only be expected to have a vineyard, grain production, its own winery, and similar facilities.

“I will gather the information as quickly as possible,” Butler Walter replied respectfully.

Knowing that his employer was tired from the journey, he briefly reported on what had happened during this period before leaving the third floor and busying himself with other work. Klein, with the help of his new personal valet Enuni, changed clothes and washed up.

During this process, Klein, who had preliminarily adapted to divinity, could not help inwardly complaining:

If marionettes weren’t unable to leave a range of one thousand meters, why would I change personal valets… I’m clearly already a wealthy man, yet I still have to serve myself… Sigh!

Amid that sigh, he sent Winner Enuni to the adjacent room, then walked to the window himself and gazed out at Backlund, whose lights were like reflected stars, letting his thoughts drift.

Next, my target is Major General Qonas Kilgor, Deputy Director of MI9…

As for Viscount Stratford, the Chief Equerry, I can leave him to Trissy, that Demoness… She has been missing for a long time. I wonder what she has been busy with, and what method she is thinking of to approach that viscount… I previously used the contact method she gave me to tell her I had other matters to handle and could not spare time for the moment. I’ll need to confirm later that I’m free again and can continue our previous cooperation…

After a while, Klein gathered his thoughts, lay on the bed, and, without using meditation, slowly entered sleep.

After an unknown length of time, he suddenly opened his eyes and sensed that someone had entered the house at 160 Böklund Street!

Again… Klein could not help raising his hand and rubbing his forehead.

On his first day back in Backlund, he had once again been awakened in the middle of the night.