Chapter 139: Trustee

Chapter 139: Trustee

What happened?

The sudden turn of events left Hazel, who lacked experience, momentarily at a loss as to how to respond. She stood frozen for several seconds before pushing open the door and rushing inside.

When she reached the charred black rat, the self-proclaimed demigod had already flipped himself upright. In a calm tone, he said, “You forgot to close the door.”

“Ah…” Hazel first looked blank. Only then did she realize that, in her haste to understand the situation, she had failed to casually close the door as usual and prevent the maids from peeking inside.

Seeing that the rat did not appear to have suffered any major harm, Hazel pressed her lips together, turned around, and walked back to the door.

During this process, she did not forget to glance at the full-length mirror. She saw that everything there was normal. There was no problem at all. It clearly reflected the scene inside the room—no more, no less.

Amid a click, Hazel took the initiative to ask, “Teacher, what exactly happened just now?”

The rat, whose fur had been scorched black, stood sideways to her, gazing out the window as he said, “In the world of mysticism, any place involving supernatural powers is filled with danger. One must never be careless.

“Just now, I attempted to use the mirror to perform a divination. As a result, I drew the gaze of an unknown existence. After an intense clash, I finally resolved the problem and prevented the danger from spreading to the entire street.”

The rat’s words were fluent, without the slightest stammer or interruption. It seemed as though being struck by lightning just now was only a trivial matter.

So that’s what happened… Why did you never warn me about this before…

Hazel could not help frowning. Vaguely, she smelled the mixed odor of burnt fur and decomposed grease lingering in the air.

Without waiting for her to respond, the rat turned toward the balcony, almost showing her his back.

“My body’s condition has developed certain problems because of this. It is no longer suitable for me to remain here. Otherwise, it will be very easy for the Evernight Church to discover me.

“Mm. Find an opportunity to send me to your family’s manor in the suburbs.”

Looking at the rat’s charred fur and smelling that roasted-meat-like scent, Hazel remained silent for several seconds. She suppressed her doubts and nodded.

“Alright.”

…

160 Böklund Street.

Sitting in the easy chair, Klein saw watery ripples appear once more across the surface of the full-length mirror, silver lights leaping upward one after another.

Silver words formed in succession, composing a sentence:

“Great Master, Your tiny servant Arrodes has followed Your instruction and warned that demigod of the Marauder pathway, giving her a small punishment as well.”

Her?

Klein was still chewing over the personal pronoun Arrodes had used when light rippled across the mirror and reflected a scene:

A fierce silver-white bolt of lightning descended. The gray rat convulsed and collapsed.

This is… far too weak, isn’t it?

Klein suddenly realized that this demigod’s condition might be even worse than he had imagined.

“Are You satisfied with how I handled it?” Silver lines rapidly squirmed and changed into a question.

“Not bad.” Klein nodded gently.

Considering that demigod’s condition, he paused for a second and asked tentatively, “Why did you not directly kill her?”

Arrodes outlined one silver word after another on the surface of the mirror:

“If one cannot ensure that a demigod-level target can truly be killed, it is best not to push them into a dead end.

“Once they stop suppressing themselves and completely give up on self-control, they will mutate into an incomplete, irrational mythical creature.

“Many times, when they are in poor condition and cannot display their power, it is because they are resisting the tendency to lose control.

“I—I am not here in my main body. I could only give a small punishment.”

As the final line of words appeared, the waterlight on the full-length mirror flickered twice. Klein suddenly had the feeling that some creature was staring at him with pitiful, pleading eyes.

He did not respond to that. He simply nodded and said, “That will be all for today. If there is anything else, I will summon you again.”

“Alright, Master~” The mirror immediately displayed a simple waving stick-figure expression.

After tidying up the room, Klein ended his afternoon nap and opened the door, leaving the master bedroom.

Before long, his white-gloved butler Walter came to the third floor and entered the half-open room with the large balcony. To his employer, Dawn Dantes, he said, “Sir, the Church has sent a letter inviting you to serve as a trustee on the board of the Loen Charity Educational Assistance Fund. You may choose to take an actual position within it, with a salary that is not inconsiderable, or treat it simply as an honorary title, participating in discussion and voting only when major matters arise.”

The Church is quite efficient. The framework is already set up…

Klein thought it over and felt that since he had already donated more than ten thousand pounds, there was no need for him to collect a salary from it. If he was going to do something, he might as well do it thoroughly. After deliberating, he said, “Treat it as an honorary title. However, I hope to occasionally participate in the fund’s actual operations and contribute additional strength to its promotion, so it can help more people.”

“I will relay your thoughts to the Church,” Walter replied seriously. “If you have no other questions or matters, it would be best to go on Wednesday morning and witness the formal establishment of the fund.”

Klein picked up his bone-china cup, drank a mouthful of black tea, and said, “Very well.”

…

On the Golden Dream, Danitz stood at the bow, staring gloomily at the blue sea ahead, where the waves rose and fell.

After being urged again by Gehrman Sparrow, he felt he could not keep delaying things. Otherwise, at some unknown time, he might turn into a bounty.

I don’t want to become a pile of banknotes while sleeping… If I get suspected, then so be it!

Danitz grimaced for a while, summoned his courage, passed through the cabin door, and headed straight for the captain’s cabin.

Unable to find Anderson Hood in a short time, he could only face Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina Edwards.

After arriving at his destination, Danitz took three deep breaths in succession before raising his right hand, preparing to knock.

Just then, Vice Admiral Iceberg’s voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

“…”

Danitz froze with his hand raised, then squeezed out a smile and opened the door.

He immediately saw his captain seated behind her desk, holding a dark-red fountain pen, writing something unknown.

“Captain, there is something I would like to ask you about.” Danitz approached, bowed slightly, and said with a smile.

Edwina set down the fountain pen, tugged at the cuffs of her blouse, whose collar was tied with lace into a flower-like bow, and looked at Danitz.

“You want to ask about the situation in West Balam?”

“Ah?” Danitz’s expression instantly turned blank.

The captain already knows?

It must have been those bastards Tinplate and Bucket—those pieces of shit—who told the captain!

I knew it. On this ship, no secret can be kept. For the captain, especially, there are no secrets!

After cursing furiously in his heart, Danitz forced another smile onto his face.

“Yes. You know, I have always been very interested in history and geography.”

Edwina’s clear, springlike eyes moved slightly. She looked out the window and said, “This is international politics.”

Without giving the suddenly stiff Danitz time to find another excuse, she continued on her own.

“In West Balam, there are cities managed by Loen, valleys belonging to Intis, native generals supported by Loen, tribes obeying Intis’s orders, and state-level forces that, by relying on the balance required by the two major powers, have remained relatively independent. They secretly maintain contact with different factions of the Numinous Episcopate, fighting over—or claiming to be—descendants of Death. In addition, the Rose School of Thought and the Feysac Empire possess very strong influence in West Balam as well. On the surface, no force belongs to them, but in reality, many generals and chiefs have submitted to them.

“Among them…”

Danitz listened in a daze. Suddenly, he dryly laughed and lifted a hand.

“Captain, I—I need to take notes.”

Otherwise, there was no way he would remember it all!

Edwina, who had been interrupted, did not get angry. She pointed at the fountain pen and paper on the desk.

“That is a good habit.

“I believe Gehrman Sparrow would not want inaccurate intelligence.”

“Ah?” Danitz froze there once more.

…

“West Balam really is chaotic. Even when it comes to some warlord who is neither large nor small, it is sometimes very difficult on the surface to tell which force he belongs to or who supports him… The Rose School of Thought has very strong influence here? Then for me, the danger has risen sharply…”

Klein took Danitz’s letter from Miss Messenger Reinette Tinekerr and opened it on the spot, swiftly browsing through it.

This made him feel that he should not personally go to West Balam unless he followed Mr. Azik there.