A straight nose, sparse eyebrows, slightly drooping cheeks, light blue eyes... Qilangos looked at himself in the mirror, scrutinizing himself from head to toe several times, confirming that he was no different from the unconscious man.
After demonstrating a few of the other person's habitual movements, he bent down, dragged the man on the ground to the side, and stuffed him into the wardrobe.
Then, he stretched out his right hand and snapped the other man's neck with a snap.
He took out a handkerchief, wiped his palms, Qilangos closed the wardrobe door.
He slowly returned to the dressing mirror, put on a black double-breasted suit, tied his bow tie, then picked up a bottle of amber perfume, dripped a few drops onto his wrist, and then applied it to different parts of his body.
After combing his hair in front of the mirror, Qilangos stepped out of the room, casually closing his hand behind his back, and said to the butler waiting outside:
"Don't let anyone into my room; there are important items inside."
"Yes, Baron Gramir!" The gray-haired butler bowed, placing his hand on his chest. "Your carriage and servants are waiting for you downstairs, and Duke Negan's invitation is also there."
Maintaining his Baron air, Qilangos gave a barely perceptible nod and, accompanied by his butler, Pride walked towards the stairwell.
Ha, a Baron burdened with debt, who can't even afford to hire ordinary security personnel, yet maintains a staff of one butler, one personal valet, two attendants, two first-class maids, four second-class maids, two laundry maids, one coachman, one stable boy, one gardener, one cook, and one cook's assistant. For these foolish nobles, appearances truly trump everything... This forces me to waste time learning their strange pronunciations of certain words and their so-called aristocratic mannerisms... Qilangos thought coldly and disdainfully to himself.
Inside a small apartment in Backlund, Cherwood Borough.
Xio Derecha sat cross-legged on the bed, watching Fors Wall reading a novel by the light from the window Fors Wall, and said:
"It's truly disheartening. Qilangos hasn't left a single clue, and we still can't find out what he's trying to do in Backlund."
Following their pre-arranged plan, they went through various channels to report the crime and secretly sent letters to the police station handling the case, detailing the bizarre circumstances of the murder scene and the Criminal, Qilangos.
The police department's reaction was as expected; prioritizing caution, they directly handed the case over to the " Mandated Punishers " team.
After a day of build-up, news of " Admiral Hurricane " Qilangos's Backlund spread throughout the various "enforcement teams." Hugh and Fors also left their rented place and went into hiding to conduct a covert investigation.
They certainly didn't want to be taken back to the police station to assist with the investigation. Whether they were " Mandated Punishers," " Nighthawks," or members of the " Machinery Hivemind " team, they all harbored hostility towards Beyonder were not part of the official organization, viewing them as potential Criminal.
Therefore, Hugh and Fors were not only evading potential pursuit by Qilangos, but also avoiding those "law enforcers".
"If it were that easy for us to find out his purpose, Qilangos would have been buried in a cemetery long ago, his tombstone overgrown with weeds," Fors replied calmly. "What we need is patience. As long as this level of investigation continues, Qilangos will inevitably make a mistake. I must say, those magical items that can transform a person into different appearances are truly enviable."
Hugh hugged his knees and looked out the window, saying:
"I'm just worried that Qilangos will act quickly and escape Backlund before anyone can react."
"In that case, I don't know when I'll be able to advance to Sequence 8, let alone Sequence 6, Sequence 5..."
She paused for a few seconds, then whispered absentmindedly:
"And I have no idea when we'll be able to get back what belongs to our family... I haven't seen my brother for almost a year..."
Fors smiled reassuringly:
"Once you've fulfilled your wish, please allow me to write your experience into a story; it will surely be incredibly exciting and interesting."
"Well, actually, I think that given Miss Audrey's generosity, even if things end like this, she would still give us a generous reward. After all, we've been busy for so long, and we got Qilangos to show up on his own initiative."
"I hope so... Sigh, why can't I have a lucky encounter?" Hugh ruffled his shoulder-length blond hair.
Fors frowned slightly and said:
"In the extraordinary world, fortuitous encounters are often accompanied by danger. To this day, I still don't know what those whispers that appear during the Full Moon truly represent, or whether they will cause any negative changes. Heh, fortuitous encounters without danger do exist, but they are extremely rare. Your Wishes is truly difficult to fulfill unless, unless we can receive the favor of orthodox deities, or the watchful eye of some friendly, Hidden Existence. However, it is difficult for us to discern whether this is a disguise of an evil Devil."
Xiu straightened his back and drew a Crimson Moon on his chest, saying:
May the goddess protect me!
A grand ball is being held at the Duke Negan's mansion in Queens Borough Backlund.
The place is divided into two parts. One is the ballroom, located on the ground floor, paved with ornate stone slabs carved with intricate patterns. In one corner is the Duke's excellent band. Going up the stairs of the ballroom, there is a circular corridor on the second floor. Guests stand in front of the railing with wine glasses, looking down at the dance below, similar to watching fencing from the stands. Every now and then, a gentleman will approach a lady or lady and invite her to dance. If she is allowed, the two will hold hands and walk down the stairs into the ballroom.
On the other side of the corridor, not near the lobby, there are doors leading to what is essentially a guest lounge.
But behind the double doors is a corridor with different plaster statues on both sides, all belonging to the ancestors of the Negan Family.
At the end of the path, you'll find another part of the ballroom, also a large hall with long tables laden with various delicacies and wines. The Duke's other band plays soothing and relaxing music for the guests.
Inside the hall, guests gathered in small groups, sitting or standing, chatting about various things. Those who wished to escape the noise briefly went to the balconies attached to the hall to gaze at the garden scenery and the red moon in the sky.
Audrey Hall, who had skipped the opening dance, was standing on the second floor of the ballroom, staring blankly at the huge crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the candles on it. But when she noticed that many people were eager to dance, she cleverly left and stepped into the corridor leading to the "restaurant".
How boring! But I can't not participate... Sigh, can't they just let me stand there and observe in peace? I have to say, some people have such expressive faces when they dance; it always reminds me of animals courting... Audrey looked down at her toes and started walking in a straight line, bored.
Just then, she caught a glimpse of a figure approaching out of the corner of her eye. She quickly slowed her pace, straightened her back, and instantly transformed back into the elegant and demure Miss Hall.
"Hello, Baron Gramir," Audrey greeted him with a flawless smile and impeccable manners.
Baron Gramir, with sparse eyebrows and light blue eyes, smiled and bowed.
"Hello, Miss Hall, you are the brightest and most dazzling jewel of this ball."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Baron Gramir headed towards the ballroom, while Audrey continued towards the "dining room."
After taking a few steps, she suddenly frowned, her emerald eyes filled with doubt:
" Baron Gramir is acting a little differently than usual..."
"In the past, when he saw ladies of higher status and more beautiful women, he would look away, avoiding direct eye contact and constantly stealing glances... But today, he seems very confident..."
"Also, his perfume smelled wrong. When he used to attend parties, he always wore the base notes of 'Amber,' a pure and light musk, understated yet elegant. In other words, he would spray perfume several hours in advance so that the top and middle notes would dissipate before the event. But just now, the scent on him was the middle notes of 'Amber,' rich and mellow..."
Audrey's pace slowed further and further. As an " Spectator " who had completely digested the Potion, her keen sense of detail was unmatched by any other Beyonder.
Suddenly, a possibility occurred to her, and her bright green eyes froze:
"Could it be Qilangos in disguise?"
"The ' Creeping Hunger ' has the ability to transform a person into different appearances!"
Audrey thought about it more and more and felt that it was possible. Her heart jumped into her throat, and she felt nervous and flustered.
"If he really is ' Admiral Hurricane,' what does he want to do? It's a pity I can't bring Susie to this ball, otherwise I could have her secretly observe Baron Gramir from earlier... No, I must remind Father!" Lost in thought, Audrey quickened her pace, entered the restaurant, and found Earl Hall talking with the Chief Secretary of the Cabinet and others.
She flashed a flawless smile, walked over, took Earl Hall's arm, and said to the others:
"Gentlemen, may I borrow Earl Hall for a few minutes?"
"Beautiful lady, it's your right," the gentlemen replied kindly.
Audrey pulled Earl Hall to the nearest balcony, found a quiet corner, and said to her middle-aged, overweight father:
"Dad, there's something I need to tell you."
Earl Hall, who had been wearing a doting smile, became serious upon seeing his daughter's earnest expression.
"What is it?"
"I just met Baron Gramir, but he's different in some ways than before. For example, his perfume has an amber middle note, whereas it used to be a base note. For example..." Audrey recounted the differences she observed, which could be explained by her keen observation and attention to detail.
After describing what had just happened, she carefully added:
"I heard Glaint Viscount that ' Admiral Hurricane ' Qilangos has the ability to change his appearance. Wasn't he recently in Backlund?"
Earl Hall listened quietly, his expression becoming unusually grave.
But he quickly smiled and Placate his slightly flustered daughter:
"I'll handle it. You go find your mother and stay with her; she's in the lounge in this lobby."
"Okay," Audrey nodded obediently.
On her way to the lounge, she glanced back at her father and saw Earl Hall whispering something to a nobleman, his expression quite serious.
Audrey's heart sank again, feeling she had to do something to prevent her father, mother, and brother from getting hurt.
Looking around, she changed direction, left the restaurant, entered a corridor, and familiarly found the Duke Negan's small prayer room.
She pushed open the door, locked it behind her, glanced at the symbol of the Lord of Storms in front of her, and instinctively found a quiet, dark corner.
Audrey sat down, leaned forward, and clasped her hands together in a prayer-like gesture, pressing them against her forehead.
Then, she murmured in Hermes:
" The Fool That Doesn't Belong to This Era, you are the Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog, you are the King of Yellow and Black who holds good fortune."
P. S.: Requesting recommendation votes and monthly tickets on Monday!
bq