Chapter 139: The Governor-General’s Banquet

Chapter 139: The Governor-General’s Banquet

Admiral Amyrius Leavitt… a true demigod…

The moment Klein heard Bilt’s explanation, two words instantly surfaced in his mind:

“Sorry. Goodbye!”

Seeing Gehrman Sparrow’s barely perceptible lift of the brow, Bilt hurriedly explained, “That won’t affect the difficulty of the mission.

“No one here will need a demigod to display his strength.”

He cleared his throat and forced on a smile.

“To make this mission less troublesome, His Excellency the Admiral deliberately arranged an inspection of the Olavi naval base over the next few days. That way, he doesn’t need to remain at the Central Sonia Sea’s naval headquarters, Bayam, the City of Generosity. He can avoid Sea King Yan Kottman, avoid Governor-General George Negan of the Rorsted Archipelago, avoid most of his subordinates who are familiar with him, avoid the relatives who manage his family’s businesses there, and avoid the mistress who knows him best.

“In other words, you won’t have to face the gaze of a demigod, nor will you have to endure a multitude of tests.

“Here, there are only three people who are familiar with His Excellency. The first is his secretary, Lieutenant Colonel Luan. He belongs to MI9 and is responsible for supervising His Excellency. He’s probably used many names, and I don’t know if this one is his real name. The second is His Excellency’s mistress here, a beautiful young lady named Cynthia. It’s said that her ancestors were nobles who were stripped of their titles and exiled to this place. The third is Olavi’s Governor, Auston Leavitt. He is His Excellency’s youngest brother. Earl Leavitt of the House of Lords is their elder brother.”

It does sound less difficult. And my divination result also showed that there isn’t much danger… Klein fell silent for a few seconds, then gave a slight nod.

“I need detailed information on Amyrius Leavitt.”

“We’ve already prepared it. Here is his photograph. Here are descriptions of the physical traits hidden beneath his clothes. This covers his accent, his choice of words, his habitual reactions and attitudes toward different matters, and the details of how he gets along with Luan, Cynthia, Auston, and the others…” Delighted, Bilt immediately produced a stack of materials that had originated from Admiral Amyrius Leavitt himself.

Klein first took the photograph. It showed a middle-aged gentleman with black hair and blue eyes. His bearing was somewhat stern and old-fashioned, and he had rather more hair than the average Loen gentleman.

Klein gave an almost imperceptible nod, then raised his head.

“I know there’s a great deal of material, but I’m confident you can memorize it in two days. You’re undoubtedly very professional in this regard…” Bilt’s voice trailed off before he could finish. He instinctively took a step back.

The person before him was no longer Gehrman Sparrow, but Amyrius Leavitt.

That sternness, with arrogance hidden beneath it, was practically indistinguishable from the real person.

“Storms above! This—this is nearly a miracle!” Bilt sized him up and down, unable to stop himself from exclaiming in praise. “However, you can be three centimeters taller, and the legs need to be a bit thicker. It’s all right, there’s no need to rush. His Excellency will arrive the day after tomorrow with the First Squadron of the Royal Navy’s Central Sonia Fleet. He’ll inspect the Olavi naval base in the afternoon and attend a banquet at the Governor’s Residence that evening. I have an invitation and can take you in. You’ll be able to observe His Excellency’s mannerisms and the way he speaks with different people.”

As he spoke, he received five hundred pounds in cash from Sotos, who had taken it out of the safe, and handed it to Klein.

“A pleasure doing business with you!”

Klein weighed the banknotes in his hand, inspected them briefly, and said, “A pleasure.”

…

Backlund, Williams Street.

As one of the less conspicuous members of the Red Gloves, Leonard Mitchell stood with his back against the outer wall of a building, waiting for the preliminary interrogation at the scene to conclude.

His right foot was raised, only the tip of his shoe touching the ground, making him look rather casual and undisciplined.

After a while, he saw one of his teammates return. The man’s expression was rather complicated—excited yet puzzled, expectant yet tense.

“Townsend, did you get a result?” Leonard’s heart stirred, and he went over with a smile.

“Mm.” Townsend nodded and answered frankly, “Both sides confessed. In dreams, they couldn’t lie.”

The thinning-haired Townsend put his hat back on and said, “Their accounts matched. Beneath this street is a ruin belonging to the Tudor Dynasty of the Fourth Epoch. The entrance has been preliminarily determined to be inside that abandoned chapel. As for whether there are other entrances, no one knows for now.”

“I see…” Leonard did not ask any further. After exchanging a few idle words, he retreated once more to the edge and leaned against the wall.

He looked left and right, then lowered his voice.

“Old man, this is your area of expertise.

“There’s a ruin of the Tudor family hidden here.”

The slightly aged voice immediately sounded in his mind.

“You’re becoming more and more impolite. In our time, disrespect toward those of higher status meant becoming a sacrifice in a ritual.

“Also, it’s impossible for Backlund to have an isolated ruin of the Tudor family.”

“They were lying?” Leonard asked quietly.

The slightly aged voice chuckled.

“No. They simply don’t understand enough.

“If my deduction is correct, the ruin here should belong to the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire.”

“What?” Leonard was stunned.

This was an ancient dynasty he had never even heard of.

The slightly aged voice laughed.

“What an ignorant boy. After the Solomon Empire fell for the first time, it was replaced by the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire. It ruled the entire Northern Continent through a system of dual consuls.”

“Dual consuls…” Leonard chewed over the term.

The slightly aged voice seemed to laugh and sigh at the same time.

“In that underground ruin, there should be an inverted candelabrum with forty-one candles on the left and forty on the right. There should be two thrones that seem to belong to giants. There should be… Heh, it might very well be the place where Alista Tudor became the Blood Emperor.”

Leonard’s brows creased slightly, then relaxed. In an easy manner, he said, “Then there must be quite a few secrets hidden inside.”

“Of course. But you aren’t qualified to know them yet,” the slightly aged voice tutted.

Leonard’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

“They should be exploring the ruin next, then.”

The slightly aged voice laughed twice and said no more.

A minute later, Leonard saw Archbishop Saint Anthony finish his conversation with Archbishop Horamick of the Church of Steam. Each returned to his own side.

Immediately afterward, Horamick ordered all members of the Machinery Hivemind to withdraw, leaving the place to the Nighthawks of the Church of the Evernight Goddess.

What happened? Leonard’s heart filled with confusion at the sight.

Just then, Archbishop Saint Anthony’s voice rang in the ears of every Nighthawk.

“Red Gloves, assemble. The rest of the Nighthawks are to leave the world inside the mirror, find a reason to evacuate all residents here, and promise them compensation for their homes.

“After all civilians have evacuated, the Red Gloves and I will destroy the underground ruin that originated from that evil era.

“You are not to enter it. Destroy it directly.

“May the Goddess bless us.”

This… Leonard had never expected things to develop this way.

…

Seven-thirty in the evening, Olavi Governor’s Residence.

Klein had taken on Sotos’s appearance. Dressed in a black tailcoat with a matching bow tie, he followed Bilt into the banquet hall.

The interior was as warm as spring. An enormous crystal chandelier hung down from the vaulted ceiling, flickering with countless candle flames and illuminating the entire venue as brightly as day.

In the right-hand corner, musicians in waistcoats and bow ties played a light and lively melody. To the left were long tables laid with roast spring chicken, pan-fried foie gras, stewed lamb, Backlund-style roast goose, Olavi lobster baked with cream and cheese, and other delectable dishes.

Even from a considerable distance, Klein felt as though he could smell their aroma. He was ready to head over, take a plate, and load it with food.

At that moment, Bilt, looking somewhat restrained, tugged at his cuff, turned his head, and lowered his voice.

“Remember the etiquette of this kind of banquet.

“Our purpose right now is to observe His Excellency’s behavior. So, taking a glass of wine will be enough.

“There’s Mist Champagne, Ormir wine, and Southville red wine here, all famous vintages rarely seen outside. You can drink a little, but not too much. We must remain sufficiently clearheaded. Mm, when drinking, try to make it no more than an act.”

Klein withdrew his gaze and nodded.

He and Bilt each took a glass of champagne from a tray carried by a passing waiter in a red waistcoat. The liquid was an enticing gold, its fine bubbles rising like mist. Then they approached the center of the banquet: Amyrius Leavitt, dressed in a deep-blue naval admiral’s uniform.

Given their status, they naturally could not truly approach His Excellency. They could only remain at a slight distance and watch his every movement.

“Amyrius has an ordinary build and doesn’t look especially sturdy. The corners of his mouth droop slightly, showing his true age…

“He doesn’t have a beard. His azure eyes seem to contain an authority that brooks neither refusal nor argument…

“His dark-blue admiral’s uniform is perfectly crisp. A red sash runs from the shoulder down toward the chest, where medals hang one after another…

“His cuffs are set with rows of golden studs that echo the epaulettes of the same color…

“The epaulettes are divided into three parts. From inside to outside, they are a crown set with rubies, crossed scepter and sword, and four stars adorned with diamonds…” Klein entered an extremely focused state, using the abilities of a Faceless to memorize the naval admiral’s details and characteristics, as well as his attitude when conversing with different people.

During the process, he took only the lightest sip of Mist Champagne and paid no attention to what it tasted like.

When he had collected almost enough information, Klein exhaled, allowing his mind to stop spinning so furiously.

The heavy consumption of mental energy made him feel hungry. He set his glass down on the tray of a waiter in a red waistcoat and prepared to head toward the long tables for food.

Just then, Bilt drew close and said, “His Excellency has given me the signal. We’re to meet him at the appointed place.”

…Klein drew his gaze back from the roast spring chicken and swept an indifferent look over Bilt.

For some reason, Bilt shivered. He hurriedly turned around and led Gehrman Sparrow through the floor-to-ceiling windows and into the garden.

After walking for nearly a minute along a secluded path, he stopped and pointed at Klein’s face.

“You can become His Excellency now.

“Just pretend you’re that vagrant who looks very much like him.”

Klein gave a slight nod and raised his hand to wipe his face.

—He was doing this to conceal the disgusting things that might appear during the change, such as granulation, swelling, and fleshy bumps.

When he lowered his hand, Bilt saw a middle-aged gentleman who resembled Amyrius Leavitt by eighty or ninety percent.

“Good.” Bilt took a few steps forward to the door of a storeroom and pushed open the door that had been left ajar.

Amyrius Leavitt was still wearing that eye-catching naval admiral’s uniform. He stood by the window, side-on to the entrance, admiring the scenery of the garden.

At that moment, he half-turned his head and cast his gaze upon the visitor who looked so much like him.

The indescribable sense of authority and pressure made Klein lower his head involuntarily.

Amyrius Leavitt’s gaze did not linger for long. It slowly shifted toward Bilt, and he said in a tone devoid of emotion,

“This is not the vagrant you mentioned before.

“He is a Beyonder.”