Chapter 191: Motive Unknown

Chapter One Hundred Ninety-One
Motive Unknown

Passing through the woods and crossing the artificial lake, Qilangos shook off the pursuers behind him with the help of the wind.

He looked around, intending to create the false impression that he had slipped into a water channel and escaped into the Tussock River, then turn and rush into Backlund’s economic center: Hillston Borough.

Just then, his vision suddenly blurred, and he saw the colors within the darkness become exceptionally rich.

The green trees became even greener. The bright-red fruits became even redder. The pitch-black surface of the water became even darker. Everything looked like a canvas splashed with oil paint.

And high above, where the crimson moon was hidden, were countless transparent shadows whose shapes could not be described, and clear radiances of different colors containing mystical knowledge.

Qilangos discovered that he had stopped. He was floating in midair. Beneath him, pitch-black water was constantly rising, and beneath the surface, one pale hand after another was reaching upward to seize him.

This is bad!

Qilangos understood that he had fallen into someone’s ambush.

And the one lying in ambush was definitely not weak.

Before his eyes, an enormous humanoid skeleton abruptly appeared. The monster was nearly four meters tall. Black flames burned inside its eye sockets, while its white bones were illusory and hazy.

Qilangos stared at the enemy without emotion, the corners of his mouth outlining a cold smile.

At the same time, the glove on his left palm burst with brilliant light, turning as though forged from pure gold.

Qilangos leaned his body back, spread both arms, and seemed to be embracing the sun.

A pure, blazing radiance suddenly descended from the sky, enveloping the enormous skeleton. The entire oil-painting-like world violently trembled. Beneath the shadowy water, pale hands evaporated one after another.

This was the Beyonder ability of a Priest of Light!

This was the Beyonder ability of Sequence 5 of the Sun pathway!

This was the bane of the dead!

When the resplendent pillar of light scattered, the black flames inside the giant skeleton’s eye sockets first extinguished instantly. Then the skeleton turned translucent and disintegrated inch by inch into the air.

Before Qilangos could once again use the Priest of Light’s ability to break the oil-painting-like world, his expression suddenly froze.

He saw another enormous skeleton appear on his left. It was close to four meters tall, and black flames burned in its eye sockets, identical to the monster from moments before.

Immediately afterward, one after another, similar skeletal monsters emerged around Qilangos.

One. Two. Three…

There were more than a hundred of them.

More than a hundred pairs of eyes burning with black flames all turned toward the target at once.

And below, the pitch-black water was rising higher and higher, about to touch the soles of Qilangos’s feet.

One pale, illusory hand after another grew out again, continuously waving upward, as though trying to grab a straw that might save them.

…

“Scatter and pursue him. Try to encircle him.”

The Cardinal of the Church of Storms, Ace Snake, gave the order. Amid the sudden hurricane, he rose into the air and flew toward the direction Qilangos had fled.

Duke Negan and the others did not join the Mandated Punishers. Holding to their status, they stood by windows and on balconies, watching from afar. Only then did the ordinary nobles who had been running in panic slowly calm down.

Because the hall had fallen into darkness earlier, with screams and shouts rising one after another, they had not known what exactly had happened. They only knew that the Duke might have encountered an assassin.

Alger Wilson gritted his teeth and ran out of Duke Negan’s residence, circling the municipal park opposite and hurrying toward Hillston Borough.

Even if there was only the smallest hope, he did not want to miss it.

Suddenly, he heard a voice “carried” over by the wind.

“There is no need to chase.”

No need to chase?

Cardinal Snake’s voice…

Alger took several more steps before stopping. Puzzled, he turned and looked up into the air.

He saw Archbishop Snake, wearing a black robe embroidered with the symbol of storms, hovering above the woods and artificial lake, staring diagonally downward.

Alger furrowed his brows. Without time to think through the reason, he ran at high speed toward the Cardinal’s position.

As the distance narrowed, he borrowed the extraordinary abilities of a Seafarer and saw with increasing clarity.

The God Singer’s square face showed not the slightest expression, but his posture indicated his gravity. Gray-white hair protruded from beneath his soft black hat and swayed in the wind, emphasizing the exceptional seriousness of his silver eyes.

Alger withdrew his gaze and ran out of the woods.

In his eyes, there suddenly appeared the cold lake surface flashing with crimson moonlight, and a tall figure standing close to the bank on his side.

That figure had a distinctive broad jaw. Brown hair was tied at the back of his head in the style of an ancient warrior’s knot. His dark-green eyes were cold yet empty.

Qilangos!

Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos!

Alger first froze, then felt both shock and joy. He could hardly believe his own eyes, suspecting that the darkness had created a hallucination.

Before he could react further, he suddenly saw Qilangos’s face rapidly rot—rotting until yellow-green pus flowed out, rotting until flesh fell piece by piece.

Pap! Pap! Pap!

Only white bone remained of Qilangos’s face. Two empty eyeballs broke free of their sockets and struck the ground beside the lake almost at the same time.

Amid cracking sounds, Qilangos completely collapsed. His clothes spread over him, covering the rotten chunks of flesh and white bones beneath, covering the glittering radiance within.

In less than twenty seconds, one of the seven pirate admirals, Qilangos, died in this bizarre way right before Alger’s eyes.

That terrifying scene imprinted itself deeply into Alger’s mind, making him suspect he was trapped in a nightmare.

What happened?

Did Qilangos not successfully escape?

How could he die here in such a strange and simple way?

What exactly did he encounter that made him lose his life in such a short time?

He was a Sequence 6 Wind-blessed. He was the master of Creeping Hunger!

Who did it?

Why kill Qilangos…?

While countless thoughts flashed uncontrollably through Alger’s mind, he heard the magnetic voice of God Singer Ace Snake.

“Did you tell anyone else the intelligence?

“Did anyone else know this intelligence itself?”

Alger instantly recovered his calm. He glanced at Qilangos’s remains and explained with practiced readiness, “I reported the intelligence to you, Archbishop, as soon as I received it.”

At this point, he could not help complaining inwardly:

If Ace Snake had not gone walking by the Tussock River and made me spend no small amount of time searching for him, Qilangos might never have escaped Duke Negan’s residence in the first place!

Of course, he did not dare say such resentment aloud before a high-Sequence powerhouse. He only continued his explanation humbly and respectfully.

“The person who directly obtained the intelligence even died because of it, while those who transferred it did not open the letter. That, I can confirm.

“But I cannot be certain whether the source of the intelligence had other leaks. Since we could know, others might have known as well.”

As Alger spoke, he too began guessing who had killed Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos.

The person, or organization, that hired Qilangos to assassinate Duke Negan? But since Qilangos had already escaped successfully and there was no possibility he would leak anything, there would be no reason to kill him… If I were them, I would have Qilangos hide, wait until everyone believed he had left Backlund, and then carry out another assassination…

And Qilangos has always trusted only himself. He would not have told anyone his assassination plan in advance. Duke Negan has often held gatherings recently for the bills coming in September. There was no shortage of opportunities. Aside from Qilangos himself, no one could be certain when or where he would strike… Unless—unless it was a Prophet… Very unlikely…

Other forces? Impossible. Miss Justice discovered the problem at the scene and delivered the intelligence through prayer to Mr. Fool. Aside from us, no other organization could have obtained the information at the same time…

Mr. Fool…

Alger abruptly shuddered, thinking of one possibility:

The one who acted was Mr. Fool’s blessed one!

He just happened to be in Backlund, and so he “happened” to lend some help!

The more Alger thought about it, the closer to reality this conjecture seemed.

Only members and subordinates of the Tarot Club could know the intelligence immediately.

Only if a blessed one of the Fool acted would the entire matter appear strange and lacking motive.

As his thoughts wandered, Archbishop Snake remained silent for a moment. Then, to the other Mandated Punishers arriving one after another, he said, “Qilangos is dead. A high-Sequence powerhouse killed him—or an equivalent-level Sealed Artifact was used. But that is rather dangerous, so the possibility is low.

“Through preliminary observation, I believe it was a high-Sequence powerhouse of the Death pathway. Perhaps a member of the Spirit Order, though not the one I know. It may also be a member of some other hidden organization.

“Motive unknown.”

The Spirit Order originated from the Southern Continent. It was said to have been founded originally by certain descendants of Death who attempted to resurrect Death. After the Southern Continent was invaded and colonized, the organization had nearly been destroyed, but ultimately survived with stubborn resilience and spread into the nations of the Northern Continent.

A high-Sequence powerhouse… Right. Only a high-Sequence powerhouse could kill Qilangos in such a short time! A single blessed one beneath Mr. Fool already holds a high Sequence… That is a demigod!

Alger looked once more toward the pile of rotten flesh and white bones. His state turned extremely detached, as though all emotion had left him. He only stared blankly, stupidly, at everything.

If one day I betray Mr. Fool…

That thought suddenly appeared inside his mind.

Immediately, the terrifying scene of Qilangos’s face rapidly rotting flashed before him.

Alger could not help shivering. He lowered his head.

At the same time, he relaxed.

Since escape is impossible, and resistance is difficult, the only choice left is loyalty.

Hoo…

Now that Qilangos is dead, there is no one left to threaten me with that secret!

He breathed out and completely steadied himself.

…

Inside Duke Negan’s residence, Audrey Hall was accompanying her mother and the noble ladies, discussing the assassination that had just taken place, when she saw her father appear at the doorway with his two neat, beautiful mustaches.

She found an excuse to leave the lounge and came to the balcony of the outer hall.

“Father, is something the matter?” Audrey asked, looking at Earl Hall with emerald-green eyes.

She had inherited her eye color from her mother, not her father.

Earl Hall chuckled softly.

“The matter has been resolved, my child. You no longer need to worry.”

“Mm… Did you tell anyone else that Baron Gramir was an impostor?”

“No,” Audrey answered firmly, shaking her head.

I only told an existence close to divinity…

She silently added that in her heart.

After thinking for a moment, she described the matter more concretely.

“After I told you, I first went to the washroom, and then I went to Mother. You can ask her.”

“Mm.”

Earl Hall nodded slightly and did not ask further. Instead, he changed the subject.

“Qilangos is dead. Someone killed him.”

“Who?” Audrey asked, both shocked and excited.

“We do not know. We cannot even guess why the murderer wanted to kill Qilangos. It is truly difficult to understand.”

Earl Hall paused before saying, “Perhaps it was one person. Perhaps it was an organization—a hidden, powerful organization.”

Cannot guess the motive… a hidden and powerful organization…

Could it be Mr. Fool’s blessed one?

Could it be our Tarot Club?

Audrey suddenly gained a flash of understanding.