บท 12: Chapter XII: Death and Temperance
42
"Lieutenant General Hurricane, Qilangos?"
Richard Ernst's brown eyes showed undisguised hatred, and the well-restrained anger was evident in his words and actions. "Do you remember what you did to a passenger ship named 'Marigold' in August this year?"
Qilangos gasped for breath with difficulty, keenly aware that this incident was the reason why this powerhouse from the Rose School had sought him out. In August, while he was hunting at sea, he couldn't remember the specifics. He was a pirate; robbing, killing, and capturing women were routine for him. How could he recall a single passenger ship? Marigold, Marigold—he tried to dig out a few words from his mind and thought of a blue ship.
There wasn't much money on board, just chattering children and unattractive nursemaids. The only thing that stood out was their melodious but hoarse screams before they died, especially the Sequence 6 huntress hidden among them. The mad woman, not very old, mercilessly killed his men, catching him off guard and costing him seven or eight sailors.
Provoked, Qilangos put her on display and dropped a blood-stained pendant from the huntress's neck—a few simple lines outlining a winding path of thorns and flowers, the symbol of the "Pilgrimage Sect," said to be the organization behind the "Ernst Foundation." After a moment of silence, Qilangos kicked the badge into the sea along with her corpse.
"Don't remember? Also—" Richard whispered. "You treated the children like toys, tearing off their limbs, gouging out their eyes, cutting their throats because they cried, and throwing them into the sea to feed the fish. Only twelve incomplete bodies were found among the fifty people. And Wilhelmina, the gentle Wilhelmina, was torn apart by you because she was strong and brave, the only girl on the entire ship who was not defiled."
"They had just left the slums of Intis and were going to settle in a welfare home in Loen, where they had new lives, new jobs, new beds, and new futures. All this was ruined by your stupidity, ignorance, and cruelty. Qilangos, you're waiting for death, right? I will not let you go to the kingdom of the Lord of the Storms; I will send you to the kingdom of the God of never-ending painful struggle in the abyss and hell."
"No, I've ... paid ... the price!" Qilangos hurriedly spoke, a strong desire to survive igniting in his heart. "Intis, cough, the navy killed the participants at that time, I can, I can explain ... compensate ...!"
"No, I don't need it." The Angel of Temperance replied coldly, avoiding the outstretched hand of the other party, stomping on the ground in disgust. "Your life is the best compensation for me and my companions."
Richard looked up in the direction of the Duke's mansion, where the lights were bright, and the sound of hurried footsteps faintly echoed. The Duke was already arranging for men. He leaned down and ripped the bloodthirsty glove from Qilangos' left hand, the "Creepy Hunger" becoming immobile under the angel's majesty.
At that moment, he turned abruptly and looked in a certain direction. There were many shadows, and among them, a figure condensed, a withered and dead breath spreading, which made him frown.
"Someone from the Numinous Episcopate? What are you doing here?" he asked.
The bronze-skinned gentleman who appeared there had a moment of confusion in his eyes, then showed a thoughtful expression. Azik looked at the "Creepy Hunger" trembling in Richard's hand and replied, "I have nothing to do with the Numinous Episcopate. That item seems to be helpful to me. Can you transfer it to me?"
Azik saw the young man's expression turn strange and felt a bit embarrassed. He could only recall fragments of his past and knew little about extraordinary powers, making it difficult to propose a suitable price for the trade. But the glove felt familiar, and he believed studying it might help him recall more memories.
43
"Twenty thousand," the young man said.
"... What?" Azik didn't react immediately.
"This gentleman, as you can see, this is 'Creepy Hunger,' an extraordinary item corresponding to the Sequence Five of the 'Secret Supplicant' pathway. It's already filled with souls, capable of adapting to various opponents and contingencies, enough to make a Sequence Six a pirate general. Twenty thousand pounds is not a premium; it's cost-effective. Despite its well-known negative effects of cannibalism and devouring, its abilities are extremely good, and you don't seem to need to worry about this small side effect. It's the right price if you want it."
Azik grimaced, quickly recalling the legacy his past self had left him, including extraordinary items and wealth in gold coins and jewels. Although 20,000 pounds was a lot, he could afford it. He felt like he was shopping in a store, wondering if this strange powerhouse might offer a discount if he hesitated.
He held back a smile and asked in a deep voice, "Okay, how can I give you the money?"
"Just go to any Ernst Foundation institution in the city and tell the person in charge that you want to donate." Richard breathed a sigh of relief, feeling happier. He had planned to sell this magical item, but having someone "order" it immediately was even better.
He tossed "Creepy Hunger" in his hand, the soft sound of falling water echoing at his feet. In the two minutes the high-level sequences were talking, Qilangos climbed into the canal, desperately fleeing.
Richard watched coldly, took a handkerchief from his pocket, and threw it into the drain. The handkerchief, stained with dried and blackened blood, had a small smiling face embroidered by a young girl, and a few words composed of small blood characters:
"Hurricane."
"You did it in the middle of the night, thinking you were hidden, but Wilhelmina left a clue with her cruelly broken hand, the only piece of remains not destroyed," Richard said, watching the handkerchief fall into the water. It instantly transformed into an agile fish, cutting into the desperately fleeing Qilangos, wrapping around his neck. As Qilangos tried to breathe underwater, fish-like gills grew on his face, but the handkerchief pulled them out of the flesh like an experienced hunter. The canal filled with blood, and Qilangos' body floated up, his face frozen in a hideous and painful expression. The handkerchief was tied around his neck, as if playfully knotted by invisible hands.
Azik left silently with his new acquisition, and Richard stood waiting for the Duke's bodyguards. He took a small notebook from his jacket pocket, flipped to the latest page, and solemnly wrote:
"Twenty thousand pounds + Qilangos bounty."
44
The Angel of Temperance thought this year's harvest was very good. He raised 100,000 pounds from the nobles of Feysac and unexpectedly met Lieutenant General Hurricane, taking revenge and earning the Duke and Earl's gratitude. Those skilled in psychic abilities would learn the true purpose from Qilangos' mouth, but that wasn't his concern. Today's income would be 30,000 pounds, and charity donations in the past two days had exceeded previous years. He planned to leave for the kingdoms of Lenburg and Feynapotter, hoping Mother Earth would be as merciful as ever.
"I have 150,000 pounds... No new institutions will be built for now, but a third of the people in charge reported that local facilities need renovation... Winter is coming, so the children should be happy with new cotton and cloth. Each workhouse and welfare home can sew new sheets and quilts, saving money and making new clothes for the rest... Hospitals need medicines, more beds, and patients need nutrition... Looks like we're going to have a good time this winter."
Richard bit the shaft of his pen, thought about it, and laughed softly.
45
"It has been investigated that Qilangos was hired by some mysterious organization to assassinate Duke Negan, but for some reason, he didn't do it tonight," Duke Negan's younger brother, Prime Minister Ashwood, replied. "But what about the corpse? Who did it?"
"It's the great philanthropist we all know, who came to the ball tonight and was commissioned by Earl Hall to test Qilangos," Ace Snake replied. "Qilangos died cleanly, with little sign of resistance, and 'Creepy Hunger' didn't allow him to escape."
"The Saint is not easy to control. He doesn't accept investments or open donation channels, only material aid and sponsorship," Duke Negan chuckled. "No wonder he is still destitute to this day."
Hearing the newsboy's cries, Klein hurriedly pulled out a penny coin and took a copy of the Tingen Morning Post from the newsboy outside the carriage. Many passengers made the same choice. Unfolding the newspaper, the headline in bold capital letters immediately caught Klein's eye—
The Great Pirate Qilangos was shot dead by the Duke's bodyguards in Backlund.
Is Qilangos dead? What happened last night? There wasn't much related news, only a brief explanation of the time, place, and events, leaving the details to everyone's imagination. When Miss Justice informed him, Klein relayed it to Mr. Azik and Mr. "The Hanged Man." It seems Mr. Azik succeeded, with no follow-up incidents. He was indeed a high-order extraordinary person beyond Klein's imagination.
As the main mastermind of this incident, Klein has no actual sense of participation at all,
As the mastermind behind the incident, Klein feels detached, with no actual sense of participation. While the passengers in the carriage enthusiastically discuss who will claim Qilangos' 10,000-pound bounty, Klein suddenly feels a pang of loss. However, he realizes he has no way to receive the reward, so he folds the newspaper and looks out the carriage window.
Just then, he spots an acquaintance, the natural "Monster" Ademisor. Ademisor glances in a certain direction, then suddenly collapses, his eyes bleeding. He asks the people nearby to crouch down and check the situation. What happened? Klein wonders.
He hurriedly pokes his head out to look, but the carriage has already left the street, and he sees nothing.
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[Original Author's Notes: * When Edward came out for breakfast and bought a newspaper by the way.
Edward: The meal that ran away came back with long legs? Not bad.
* The great philanthropist Richard · Ernst announced by the church only has Sequence 4, and only insiders know that he is an angel of temperance.
* Skip a timeline. To perform a divine descent for everyone.]
[My note: Please inform me if I have errors in my translations.]
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