アプリをダウンロード
65.91% Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader / Chapter 292: Actions of All Parties

章 292: Actions of All Parties

Inside the Intis Embassy located in the West District of Backlund, Ambassador Bakerland Jean Madan, with his gaunt face and a hint of stubble, frowned as he reviewed the compiled intelligence at hand.

He then rang the bell on the corner of the desk, summoning the butler waiting outside his study.

The person who entered was a middle-aged gentleman dressed impeccably. Bakerland looked at him and, in a polite tone, said, "Mr. Cotton, please bring Rosago here."

This butler not only served as the "housekeeper" of the embassy but also acted as the protector of the ambassadors, as well as the chief military officer of the embassy—a Sequence 5 "Constellations Master." He also had certain connections with the Church of Steam and Machinery.

"Please wait a moment, Your Excellency." Cotton bowed respectfully, his movements precise and graceful, without a single flaw.

After Cotton left, Bakerland exhaled unconsciously. For some reason, he always felt immense pressure around this butler... Coupled with Cotton's rigid personality and complex background, Bakerland didn't fully trust him. Many of the underhanded tasks were left to Rosago and the intelligence personnel they secretly recruited.

Fortunately, Cotton was strictly focused on his own duties and showed no interest in anything else.

Not long after, Rosago, with his black hair, blue eyes, handsome face, and a faint beard, entered the office alongside Cotton.

After Cotton left and carefully closed the door, Bakerland handed a document to Rosago and said, "Merceau failed and exposed our connection to a detective... Now MI9 is involved... Those simple-minded Highlanders are indeed unreliable!"

After carefully reading the report, Rosago quickly deduced, "Although Merceau had only recently become a 'Hunter,' he's not someone an ordinary person could easily kill... That detective is likely an extraordinary individual with a certain degree of combat ability... and also skilled in 'spirit communication.' However, he's unlikely to be a mid-sequence; based on the police's investigation, it seems he won by sheer luck."

"I'm not interested in the detective's information. I want to know the whereabouts of that kid, Ian!" Beckron poured himself a glass of Olmier wine, took a delicate sip, and continued, "Don't worry about the Storm Church deacon who's chasing you. I'll have the 'Shadow' distract him for now."

Rosago's previously hesitant expression relaxed upon hearing this, and he nodded, "I'll have concrete information by Monday at the latest."

"Good!" Bakerland nodded in satisfaction, then took a full bottle of Olmier wine from the wine cabinet and handed it to Rosago with a smile. "This is from 1286, from the Vineyard Estate. It's worth over 400 pounds. I know you've been eyeing it for a while—consider it a gift."

"Thank you." A hint of surprise flashed in Rosago's blue eyes.

---

On Sunday evening, following the address Ian Wright had given him, Klein arrived at the "Brave" bar on Iron Gate Street. Inside the billiard room, he found Caspas.

"The 'Old Man' sent you?" Caspas, a man with a big nose dressed in a linen shirt, scrutinized Klein for a while before speaking in a deep voice, "Follow me."

The so-called "Old Man" was Zeriel, a detective whom Caspas knew—a borderline friend who also happened to be an extraordinary individual.

Because of this connection, Caspas trusted Klein, at least to some extent.

Later, Caspas agreed to Klein's request to buy a gun, selling him a custom-made revolver and 50 bullets for 3 pounds and 10 soli.

Klein tested the empty gun, loaded five bullets, and slid the revolver into the holster he had previously purchased. After packing away the remaining bullets, he looked up at Caspas and hesitantly asked, "If I wanted to hire a powerful bodyguard, who should I look for?"

"A very powerful one—someone beyond the limits of ordinary humans."

Caspas rubbed his reddened nose, his gaze growing cold as he stared at Klein. After a few moments, he replied, "If you have no other trouble, I'd suggest hiring a reputable mercenary team or a well-known detective to protect you."

"Well, if you don't have connections, I can introduce you to 'Hero Detective' Bryan. I'm sure you've heard of his reputation... But of course, there's a referral fee."

A regular mercenary team? Seems like you're aware of the "Night Watchers," the "Heart of the Machine," and the "Punishers," right? Too bad I'm avoiding them like the plague—I can't risk entering their line of sight...

As for the "Hero Detective," isn't that Mr. "Tower"? I didn't expect Mr. Tower to have such a wide network—he's even got people helping him gather clients in places like this...

Hmm, with Mr. Tower's strength, he'd definitely be able to protect me... But how could I dare have a famous detective, who's both scholarly and good at observation and deduction, around me? Within a few days, he'd probably figure out all my secrets!

And besides, Mr. Tower is close to Ms. Daly. He might have even seen my photo. If he casually mentions me to her, I'd be thoroughly investigated by the Church.

Klein bitterly smiled to himself and shook his head slightly, offering no further explanation to Caspas.

Understanding Klein's intention, Caspas fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "In that case, I can ask around, but I can't guarantee that anyone will take the job."

A man with connections on both sides of the law... No wonder he's the boss who monopolizes the underground business! Klein smirked slightly and replied, "No matter the result, please allow me to express my gratitude in advance."

A short while later, under Caspas's lead, Klein entered a dimly lit card room and met Maric, who was playing cards with a group of zombies.

When Klein explained that he had offended a powerful figure with state-level backing, Maric, who had a slightly manic and malicious look in his eyes, froze as if he had turned to stone.

It took him nearly a minute to slowly say, "Get out."

Huh? Klein was momentarily stunned, not realizing what Maric meant until the man turned and walked back to the card table. Only then did Klein understand—the deal had fallen through.

You're playing cards with a bunch of zombies, acting all high and mighty, yet you got scared off just like that? You seemed a little crazy earlier...

Muttering inwardly, Klein left the card room, resigned. After gathering some information on extraordinary gatherings from Caspas, he decided to return the next evening.

Back at 15 Minsk Street, Klein didn't waste any charcoal and went straight to his bedroom. He drew the curtains, isolating the room from the outside world.

To buy himself some time and delay any possible attacks from the ambassador, Klein wrote down the intelligence he'd divined about Ian Wright on a piece of paper:

"I don't know Ian Wright's whereabouts. After discovering Zeriel's corpse, I never saw him again. However, through my own channels, I learned that Ian Wright had once appeared at the telegraph office on Brougham Street."

After writing, Klein didn't fold or burn the paper with his spirituality. Instead, he left it spread out on the desk, in full view.

Staring at the paper for a moment, he returned to his bed but didn't immediately sleep. He peeked through the curtains at the bright, round red moon outside, then ascended to the gray fog, ready to assist Miss Fors if needed.

---

Simultaneously, Ebner had been hiding in Xio and Fors's rented house, having long since simulated "psychological invisibility."

Seeing the full moon rise outside the window, he quietly "opened the door" and entered Fors's bedroom.

There, he witnessed Fors suddenly sit up in bed, pressing her hands against her ears and rolling back and forth as if struggling against some illusory whispers...


クリエイターの想い
ordinary_people ordinary_people

i forgot the raw of this, anyone know about the raw of this novel?

章 293: Issuing Tasks and Accepting Tasks

On Monday morning, since he hadn't been able to locate any Roselle Diary pages last week, Ebner, now indebted to Klein, had no choice but to resume his "fabrication" endeavors.

First, he mimicked Roselle's tone, lavishing compliments on a certain lady's beauty and charm, before taking things to a more intimate level… Although, naturally, Ebner left the specifics unwritten. He believed that no matter how unrestrained Roselle might be, he wouldn't write his own NSFW passages…

On the second page, Ebner introduced some information about the "Aberration" Pathway.

Previously, on his journey to Emmat with Dunn, he had learned that Cohen Lee was still alive due to "Lina's" intervention.

Having already explained the "Law of Indestructibility of Beyonder Characteristics" to Klein through the Source Fortress, Ebner surmised that Klein was unlikely to inquire of Mr. Azik about the "Captain's Cannibalism Incident" as in the original novel.

This would likely leave Klein lacking some insight into "Aberrations," so Ebner planned to fill in the gaps.

After carefully reviewing his "fabricated" diary a few times to ensure accuracy, Ebner then deliberately expanded the handwriting and copied it onto another sheet of paper.

As for the original draft, he burned it to ashes.

After noon, Xio visited once again—though this time, she entered through the door.

She spent some time setting up a disguise in Ebner's study before calling him in, striding in confidently on her ten-centimeter-high heels.

"The balance ability of the 'Clown' is really useful," Ebner thought to himself as he observed her appearance. Then he brought up a separate matter:

"Last night was risky—Fors might not make it through the next full moon…"

Xio nodded solemnly. "I'll lay more groundwork this month, so she'll be more open to accepting Mr. Fool…"

Something about that phrasing struck Ebner as odd, but he kept his thoughts to himself as Xio continued, "Moreover, Mr. Fool is a god who adheres to the principle of 'equivalent exchange.' Though he's willing to help Fors, I can't assume that's a given… There should be something in return… though I'm not sure what Mr. Fool might need besides Roselle's Diary."

Money would help… although at this stage, what's probably bothering him the most is the Intis ambassador's threat…

Wait, if Klein issues the mission to assassinate the ambassador at the Tarot Meeting later, maybe I'll take it up… That way, I'd have a solid reason to let Klein invite Fors into the meeting.

This would also save Miss Justice the need to hand over ten thousand pounds to Mr. A for a cheaper solution.

As for whether I can handle it? Ebner thought it shouldn't be an issue; after all, the original novel described all the ambassador's techniques quite clearly, giving him a clear advantage.

...

The familiar gray fog and indistinct figures appeared before her eyes as the newly promoted Audrey, now Sequence 8, rose halfway, lifted her skirt slightly, and warmly greeted the Tarot members:

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"

Since last week, she had begun this routine greeting, and neither the "Hanged Man" nor the "Tower" had objected… after all, Miss Justice's cheerful disposition was contagious, and they had no complaints.

As for "Judgment" and "Sun," they paid no mind to such details.

Already in Spirit Vision, Klein glanced at Miss Justice and chuckled softly:

"Welcome, our 'Mind Reader'."

Audrey gave a restrained smile, responded modestly, then turned to face the opposite side:

"Mr. Hanged Man, it's time to submit your six pages of diary entries for the week."

Maybe Mr. Fool would reflect on them afterward and share a bit more "common knowledge" with us… She tilted her lips in anticipation.

Alger nodded and began to manifest six pages of Roselle's Diary with Klein's assistance.

Previously, he had considered whether to ask Mr. Fool if he could submit the remaining entries directly through a sacrifice ritual, but since Mr. Fool didn't seem too interested and hadn't mentioned it, he abandoned the idea.

This fit his understanding well—Roselle's Diary was of some use to the god-like Mr. Fool, but not of great importance. He would collect them but was never in a hurry.

Ebner also materialized his fabricated diary and said as he waited for Mr. Fool to take it, "After this, I still owe you two pages."

"Very good." Mr. Fool, Klein, nodded slightly and let the eight pages flash into his palm.

Instead of reading the diaries, he looked up at the five members on either side, tapped the ancient long table with his fingers, and said with a low chuckle:

"I have a task to assign."

With Klein's growing knowledge of mysticism and the Beyonder world, and with him gradually experimenting with some of the abilities of this space above the gray fog, he no longer felt as guilty as before when facing members like "Justice." He had stopped always trying to maintain an air of mystery just to prevent the more perceptive "Tower" and "Hanged Man" from seeing through his facade.

He now understood that although the gods in this world were incredibly powerful and mysterious, they weren't omniscient or omnipotent.

Simply put, gods had limitations, and they, too, could encounter difficulties.

Thus, in recent Tarot Meetings, Klein had consciously added "character traits" to gradually mold himself into an almost god-like being hindered by certain constraints—much like the "ancient god in revival," as Tower might interpret it.

In this way, even if he occasionally showed a lack of understanding on certain matters or sought assistance, it wouldn't arouse the suspicions of the Tarot members.

Of course, the foundation of all this was that through his previous efforts, Klein had firmly established his god-like image in their minds with Azik's powerful display as his "blessed follower." Even the worldly-wise "Tower" had been convinced, unable to see through the charade.

A task? Miss Justice's ears pricked, her eyes widened, full of surprise, expectation, and nervousness.

She distinctly remembered that this was the first time Mr. Fool had officially issued a task!

At the same time, as a "Mind Reader," she keenly observed that although the "Hanged Man" appeared unchanged, he was actually highly tense, and Miss Judgment was also visibly excited, as if she had long anticipated a commission from Mr. Fool… whereas the "Sun" regarded this as a normal occurrence.

Well, only Mr. Tower remained as calm as ever, showing no hint of surprise… perhaps this was the confidence of the strong?

"You may choose to accept or decline," Klein said lightly, using the "Clown" ability to keep his tone casual. "One of my followers has arrived in Backlund and wishes to accomplish something but is unable to act in person."

Another follower… The "Hanged Man" nodded as if contemplating this, showing no surprise.

Wonder what Sequence this follower is… Hmm, I still owe payment to Mr. Fool's previous follower… Although the "Hanged Man" covered the costs, and Mr. Fool wouldn't value money, I did call on him for help. Plus, the "Hurricane Lieutenant" was killed by his follower… Maybe his follower needs some funds? Miss Justice thought, feeling a twinge of guilt.

Miss Judgment, meanwhile, resolved to give her utmost to any task Mr. Fool might assign, as gratitude for his promised help for Fors.

And Mr. Tower was just barely containing his laughter, trying not to let Mr. Fool notice he knew this was all an act.


クリエイターの想い
ordinary_people ordinary_people

thanks, Daneth for giving me the raw title, well I can continue to translate this fic, but because it's been long time since i read LOTM maybe there's some inconsistency, well I'm using chatgpt to translate it and edit some. maybe when I have many stock chapters I will place it on patreon.

Load failed, please RETRY

バッチアンロック

目次

表示オプション

バックグラウンド

フォント

大きさ

章のコメント

レビューを書く 読み取りステータス: C292
投稿に失敗します。もう一度やり直してください
  • テキストの品質
  • アップデートの安定性
  • ストーリー展開
  • キャラクターデザイン
  • 世界の背景

合計スコア 0.0

レビューが正常に投稿されました! レビューをもっと読む
パワーストーンで投票する
Rank 200+ パワーランキング
Stone 30 推薦チケット
不適切なコンテンツを報告する
error ヒント

不正使用を報告

段落のコメント

ログイン

tip 段落コメント

段落コメント機能がWebに登場!任意の段落の上にマウスを移動し、アイコンをクリックしてコメントを追加します。

また、[設定]でいつでもオフ/オンにすることができます。

手に入れました