Hearing the middle-aged man's shout and seeing his Distortion expression, Hibbert's eyes, which were originally full of anger and hatred, gradually froze, melting into a little confusion and bewilderment.
Not only her, but also Senator Macht, Madam Liana, and Dawn Dantès. For a brief moment, no one spoke. Even Fors, who was hiding behind the cover, had lost her earlier excitement and her strong sense of Justice.
After about ten seconds, Macht stopped looking at the attacker, turned his head, and said to his bodyguard:
"One of you stay here to guard the scene and the prisoner, and wait for the police to arrive."
He paused for a second, then turned to his personal male servant and said:
"Notify reporters from several newspapers to come and cover this matter."
After taking initial action, the member of parliament looked around and noticed a number of passersby trying to gather around to see what had happened Dawn Dantès and smiled apologetically:
"I'm sorry to have put you through such danger. I never imagined things would escalate to this point. We did consider the actual situation of factory owners and coal mine owners, and offered some assistance and transitional solutions, but who knew..."
Formulating a plan is one thing, implementing it is another. When the fight against air pollution becomes extremely urgent and all sides exert immense pressure, the emergence of a "one-size-fits-all" approach is not surprising... Klein sighed and chuckled self-deprecatingly:
Don't worry too much about my feelings; I've been in far more dangerous situations than this before.
On the surface, he was talking about his experiences doing business in West Balam on the Southern Continent, but in reality, he was recalling Megose, who was pregnant with the offspring of an evil god, the terrifying meteorite that fell from the sky, Cynthia, who wanted to have a child with Amyrius, and the Rose School of Thought Angel and Spirituality Religion Monster that caused the collapse of the mountain outside Bayam City.
Compared to all of that, what just happened was like a drop of rain falling from mid-air; there was no need to pay attention to it at all. Considering the presence of Hugh, Miss " Magician " as a bodyguard, and Hibbert, Klein didn't even make a move, but simply did a normal dodge as an experienced person.
His main concern was whether this would be followed by another "torrential downpour".
Macht sighed and nodded:
"I can tell you're very calm."
"I used to be a little skeptical of the experiences you described, but now I truly believe them."
"Alright, Dawn, let's go back separately. Leave the rest to the police. If necessary, they'll come to your house to take your statement."
Klein nodded and said to the Macht family:
"Please be mindful of safety afterward."
Macht nodded solemnly, and sighed once more:
"This happened just as the Backlund social season was beginning... Let's cherish the peace we have now."
The Backlund social season is marked by the return of the upper house nobles, which seems to have only begun last weekend... and two incidents have already occurred this week: the framing of Baron Sindras and the attack on Senator Macht... With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Klein didn't linger, and with his obviously somewhat frightened personal valet Richardson, headed towards his carriage.
He sat down, watching the scenery outside the window slowly recede, Klein silently exhaled, and half-closed his eyes.
He couldn't yet determine whether any extraordinary forces were involved in the attack, because each step was something ordinary people could do and accomplish, and the middle-aged man's reasons were sufficient—they didn't need to be fabricated. Klein believed that in Backlund, there were more than just one former factory owner or unemployed employee who had experienced something similar.
The only thing that bothered him was why the attack was targeted at Macht.
Although this member of the House of Commons is indeed a supporter and advocate of air pollution control, frequently giving speeches in Parliament and occasionally being interviewed by newspapers, he is by no means the most eye-catching figure in the process of enacting the bill. In comparison, members of the " Kingdom Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Commission " are more likely to be chosen as targets of retaliation.
Klein leaned against the wall of the compartment and slowly opened his eyes. He saw that the night outside the window was deep, with overlapping clouds and raindrops falling rapidly.
He once again sensed that beneath the calm surface of Backlund, the whirlpools were growing larger and more violent.
Bringing his thoughts back, Klein slightly raised his left palm and touched his pocket.
It contained what appeared to be a reply from Frank Lee and some mushrooms of unknown species.
Klein longed to return home, so he entered the Gray Fog and used the newly acquired mushrooms to communicate with " Creeping Hunger " so that he could once again utilize the Sealed Artifact. With the storm already brewing, he felt it was necessary to recover his peak combat abilities as soon as possible, and " Creeping Hunger " was indispensable in this regard.
Unfortunately, he was accompanied by two Beyonder bodyguards, so he had to avoid going above the Gray Fog as much as possible recently.
Even though I don't need protection, I spent several hundred pounds to hire two people to restrict my movements. What a helpless situation for a rich man... Klein sighed inwardly and picked up the black tea that Richardson had just prepared.
He took a small sip, his facial muscles tensed slightly, then relaxed again.
Klein's gaze then moved downwards, noticing that the black tea contained twice as many lemon slices as usual.
He glanced discreetly at Richardson beside him and noticed that the personal valet looked somewhat dazed, as if still reeling from the shock of the attack.
As timid as ever... Klein thought to himself as he placed the bone china teacup on the table.
Late at night, at 39 Böklund Street, at the home of Congressman Macht.
Hibbert sat in front of the dressing table, looking at the gray mouse perched on the powder compact, and after a long silence, said:
"Did my dad do something wrong? He was clearly pushing for a good thing..."
"Nothing is ever beneficial to everyone. There will always be those who lose out. In such cases, appropriate laws or plans must be considered, and there must be remedies and assistance. If your father did something like that, then the problem isn't with him; on the contrary, it shows that he's cold-blooded and cruel," the rat casually replied.
Hibbert thought carefully for a few seconds, her expression relaxed, and she said:
"During dinner, I noticed that there were very valuable items hidden in a cabinet in the private room, but when I tried to open it later, I found nothing."
The mouse paused for a moment, then pondered and said:
"That might be Dawn Dantès ' bodyguard."
"He was recently involved in a suicide case, which is said to involve Baron Sindras, so it's normal for him to hire bodyguards for covert protection."
"Hmm... the bodyguard in the closet might also possess supernatural powers and carry magical items, which is why you sensed it."
Hibbert nodded slightly, accepting the explanation, and subconsciously muttered to herself:
"I wonder what kind of supernatural powers those bodyguards possess..."
After saying that, she glanced at the gray mouse with a puzzled look:
"How did you know Dawn Dantès was involved in a troublesome case?"
The mouse squeaked:
"I'm in a perfect position right now, ideal for eavesdropping on other people's discussions."
As it spoke, it glanced in the direction of 160 Böklund Street, its eyes flickering twice.
While taking turns sleeping, Fors felt himself drifting into an ancient and magnificent palace, filled with all sorts of extraordinary materials and magical items, and even two blurry tarot cards.
However, she couldn't take any of them; these items were sealed by an invisible force.
Fors looked around, trying to find a way to break the seal, and finally, she saw a complex symbol painted on the dome:
This is a symbol combining " Fate " and " Concealment "!
Finding an item with this symbol engraved on it will unlock the seal of a treasure... Fors suddenly realized this and woke up abruptly, finding herself curled up on the carpet in her room, covered with a thin silk quilt—neither she nor Hugh dared to sleep in the armchair, afraid that Dawn Dantès, would notice something was wrong.
Rubbing her temples, Fors sat up and saw Hugh leaning against the wall "leading" to the master bedroom, intently listening to the sounds around him.
"I have a feeling there might be some hidden secret here. I had a strange dream about an exaggerated treasure and complex symbols," Fors said, frowning as she walked toward Hugh.
As an Astrologer, she instinctively felt that there was something wrong with the dream she had just had!
Seeing that Fors ' expression was serious, Hugh suppressed his doubts and thought for a moment before saying:
"Perhaps there really is some secret. I once heard a proverb from the mysterious world: 'When an extraordinary element is discovered somewhere, there must be a second one.'"
"Not counting the butler who still doesn't seem to possess extraordinary powers, Miss Hibbert was the first extraordinary elementalist. There should be a second one nearby, or rather, in this neighborhood." Fors nodded slightly, then smiled. "However, this has nothing to do with us. Tomorrow evening, we'll collect our payment, end our bodyguard duties, and leave Dawn Dantès —innocent, ordinary, yet forced to deal with troublesome events and extraordinary elements."
At this point, Fors looked at Hugh and joked:
"Quickly, quickly say that you wish the goddess to protect him."
"I am a believer in Steam and machinery; I cannot do that."
Hugh considered it seriously for two seconds, drew Crimson Moon on his chest, and whispered devoutly:
"May Goddess bless Mr. Dawn Dantès."
Fors was completely awake, covered his mouth with his hand, and yawned:
"I'll walk around the house and check it out. You wait fifteen minutes before you go to sleep."
"Okay." Hugh's energy was clearly more abundant Fors's.
Fors immediately turned to the door, pressed his hand against the wall, and was in the hallway.
As she was heading towards the stairs, she suddenly noticed a slight noise coming from the room where Dawn Dantès' personal valet was sleeping.
Fors' eyes shifted slightly as he cautiously moved closer, creating a small opening in the wall to peer through.
She then saw Richardson dancing a slightly frenzied, somewhat mysterious dance.
" The Spirit Dance? Isn't this male servant a believer in the Evernight Goddess? Is he secretly worshipping Death?" Fors frowned as she watched Richardson finish the Spirit Dance, observing him whispering prayers for Death's protection, asking him to avoid all dangers.
When it was all over, Fors clicked his tongue and shook his head, muttering to himself:
"Poor Mr. Dantès."
PS: Updated first, then revised.