Chapter 144: “Amyrius’s” Decision

Chapter 144: “Amyrius’s” Decision

Looking at the villa that glowed with lamplight in the darkness, Klein spent several seconds preparing himself mentally before he stepped out of the carriage. He climbed the three stone steps to the front door and entered the house amid the escort of the general’s guards, attendants, and servants lined up on both sides.

Seeing that Cynthia was dressed conservatively because others were present, Klein silently breathed a sigh of relief. Keeping his stern and proper expression unchanged, he slowly approached her.

Cynthia’s smile became even more obvious. She swept a few fallen strands of hair behind her ears, revealing a long, fair neck with no trace of a necklace.

Seeing Secretary Luan and the general’s guards either head toward their own rooms or disperse to guard the exterior of the house, Klein spoke in a deep voice before Cynthia could offer an embrace.

“There is no need to prepare hot water. Give me a quiet room. I need to spend the night alone.”

“…” Cynthia’s eyes expressed her confusion and bewilderment.

Klein looked around and said in a low voice, “Something has happened. I must enter a very calm state to recover.”

As he spoke, he raised his right hand and tugged his sleeve slightly, revealing distinct pale granulations of flesh.

Physical discomfort and a certain abnormal reaction were the excuses Admiral Amyrius had prepared for the previous vagrant substitute, to help him avoid Cynthia’s demands for intimacy without exposing the problem. To strengthen his persuasiveness, Klein deliberately used the techniques of a Faceless to provide “evidence.”

Cynthia’s mouth opened, and she nearly screamed. Fortunately, she covered her throat with her hand in time and forced the sound back down.

“Will you be all right? Do you need a doctor?” After calming slightly, Cynthia immediately asked in concern, her anxiety impossible to conceal.

“No. This is the necessary price of obtaining great power. After two or three days of peace, I will return to normal.” Klein had already prepared the following explanation as well.

“All… all right.” Cynthia hurriedly led Klein upstairs and brought him to the quietest room.

As for the master bedroom, she had lit several sticks of incense and sprinkled a little faintly scented hydrosol there, so she did not offer it up.

Watching the door close, Klein slowly exhaled, changed out of the general’s formal attire, and comfortably lay down on the bed.

In the master bedroom not far away, Cynthia, both worried and disappointed, took a hot bath and likewise climbed into bed.

Her unfocused eyes stared at the ceiling, and she involuntarily recalled the instructions her father and mother had given her a few days earlier.

They wanted her to please Admiral Amyrius and, ideally, become pregnant with his child. That way, the family would be able to obtain a larger share of agency rights for the Central Sonia Sea naval fleet.

The general seems to be hiding many things in his heart, to the point that even his body has developed certain abnormalities… Cynthia let her thoughts wander aimlessly until they gradually dispersed.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

In a haze, she felt her stomach and intestines grow slightly hot, and her body as well. In her dream, she seemed to see a pitch-black night sky dotted with brilliant stars.

One of those stars seemed to sense her gaze and bloomed with an even brighter light.

…

The next morning, refreshed and clearheaded, Klein enjoyed a rich but otherwise unremarkable breakfast. Once again, under the escort of the general’s guards, he arrived at the Olavi naval base and requisitioned the most luxurious and spacious office.

According to Admiral Amyrius’s habits, every two or three days he would spend a period of time alone to study and grasp his Beyonder powers on a deeper level, developing more practical techniques. Therefore, Klein had more than half a day of uninterrupted time; afterward, he only needed to handle a few simple official matters.

Inside the quiet and spacious office, Klein either paced about leisurely or pulled books from the shelves to browse. From time to time, he reached into his pocket and touched the Ninth Law charm, allowing it to emit an exceptionally deep majesty. This was to make the blond secretary, Luan, outside believe that nothing was wrong with Admiral Amyrius.

After an unknown amount of time, Klein felt a little drowsy and planned to nap for a while.

Just then, he heard a series of knocks on the door.

Something important… Klein’s brows immediately furrowed.

Anything that made Secretary Luan interrupt Admiral Amyrius while he was focused on practice definitely would not be simple!

“Come in.” Klein restrained his emotions and answered in a deep voice.

The delicate-featured young blond, Luan, turned the handle and opened the door. He seemed to be holding a telegram in his hand.

Lowering his voice, he said, “Your Excellency, a telegram from Backlund.

“Mr. Auston has been removed from his post as governor. The city council chairman will act in his place.

“It is said that the new governor will arrive today.”

Auston Leavitt has been removed from the post of governor? Has their conspiracy already been discovered? That makes sense. Even the Twilight Hermit Order came to warn me—no, Amyrius—which means they had already grasped the specific circumstances. Then, through the arrangements of certain members, the matter would most likely be eliminated invisibly through a series of personnel changes… They only issued the warning the night before last, and today they’ve already begun acting. They must have prepared for a long time… Mm, the fact that the new governor will arrive today is enough to show that… Klein was first shocked, then felt that it was within reason.

Imitating Admiral Amyrius’s posture when facing a major issue, he paced back and forth a few steps, his expression grave.

“I understand.”

Klein made no statement and issued no orders, appearing extremely profound.

In truth, however, he had not figured out what to do at all.

There’s a proverb from the great food-loving empire: “Stillness is better than movement.” I wonder whether Roselle ever translated it… Klein thought half in self-mockery and half in ridicule.

Luan looked up at Admiral Amyrius, said nothing more, and quietly withdrew from the office.

Phew… Klein paced again, thinking about what the real Admiral Amyrius would choose if he were standing here.

This was an important event beyond the scope of the expected situations, and there was no corresponding contingency plan. Thus, Klein could only place himself into Amyrius’s role based on the admiral’s personality, experiences, and certain self-descriptions in the materials, then infer his response.

He is a conservative man. Even when he was at the middle and lower Sequences and wandered among various ships, he rarely took risks… He considers himself a Loen noble who values family, kin, children, and emotion, as well as a graceful gentleman popular with women. Er, that point is up for debate. With his rank and identity, even if he were replaced by a curly-haired baboon, he would still be loved by women and men alike—no, perhaps even loved more. At least a curly-haired baboon wouldn’t tell outdated jokes… One piece of information after another flashed through Klein’s mind, weaving itself into a vivid image of Admiral Amyrius.

In the midst of immersing himself in that role, he once again heard the sound of knocking.

“Come in.” Klein’s nerves instantly tightened.

The blond secretary, Luan, opened the door and pointed outside.

“Your Excellency, Mr. Auston wishes to see you.”

Why has Auston come here? Does he want to see Amyrius to seek protection, or does he intend to make a desperate final struggle? Klein’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he realized he had no choice but to make a decision in Admiral Amyrius’s place.

“What would he do? After receiving the Twilight Hermit Order’s warning, he should understand that the matter has already been exposed and that the target was prepared long ago. With his conservative personality, his choice can be imagined…

“But he also values kinship a great deal. In the materials, he even described several interesting stories about Auston Leavitt in detail. It isn’t difficult to see the concern and affection an elder brother has for his youngest brother hidden within them… He doesn’t like marijuana or cigars. He drinks only for social purposes. Apart from being a little obsessed with female charms, he doesn’t have any major faults…

“He values the family… the family…” Klein rapidly recalled everything, allowing himself to thoroughly merge into Amyrius’s identity and experience the emotions the admiral held and the things he valued.

Family… At that moment, he seemed to become Amyrius, yet at the same time, he analyzed every issue from a detached position.

After more than ten seconds of silence, Klein heard himself speak in a somewhat unfamiliar, cold tone.

“Tell him that I have many matters to deal with and no time to see him.

“Also, buy him a ticket back to Backlund.”

Luan seemed to have expected this. He withdrew his gaze and replied without any visible change, “Yes, Your Excellency.”

Watching Luan leave the office and go outside to find Auston Leavitt, Klein, just like the true Amyrius Leavitt, gently sighed.

He knew that if Amyrius had returned early, he would have made the same choice.

Because what he valued most was the family!

With the plot already exposed, Amyrius would not wager the last of his chips and place the family in danger of destruction. As long as he had not been involved, and as long as he was still a demigod, even if he later no longer served as the highest commander of the Central Sonia Navy, the Leavitt family would not suffer too severely.

And letting his secretary buy the ticket on his behalf showed that Amyrius still regarded Auston as his brother. It warned others not to harm him before the matter had been made clear.

Nearly a minute later, the blond secretary, Luan, returned.

“Your Excellency, Mr. Auston has left.”

Amyrius values kinship very much… Klein fell silent for two seconds, his back to the secretary, before asking in a low voice, “Did he say anything?”

Luan answered truthfully, “He said you truly are a naturally cold-blooded person.”

Klein quietly listened. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a smile that held no trace of amusement.

This was his instinctive reaction, but now that he had already immersed himself in Amyrius’s identity, he believed the admiral would have shown the same expression.

That feeling, that emotion, was identical.

For the rest of the day, Klein sat inside the office. He received no guests and handled no official business. He merely listened in silence from time to time as Secretary Luan reported on the situation on Olavi Island.

Nothing happened until the new governor arrived.

At dusk, he turned down the scheduled banquet and returned to the garden villa. Looking at Cynthia as she came toward him, he embraced her.

Then, calmly, he said, “Auston has been removed from his post as governor.”

All his laments, all his sighs, all his pain were condensed into that single sentence devoid of much emotion.

“I heard. He should be all right, shouldn’t he?” Cynthia asked nervously.

Klein closed his eyes briefly and said nothing more on the matter. He merely gave a soft “Mm.”

That sentence just now was the clearest emotional confession that a stern, old-fashioned, conservative, reserved person of high status could make.