Chapter 66: Opening Ceremony of the Reversal (End)
Anais lay on the couch, stretched out like a wet towel.
Her whole body felt heavy as if it was tied down with iron.
Even moving a single finger was difficult.
In her heart, she wished she could just close her eyes and fall asleep like this.
But she couldnt do that.
There was a knot she had to untangle.
It wasnt a problem that could be solved with the 24-hour massage service at the Metropol Hotel.
It was something that was embedded in her heart, not in her muscles.
Did he reject me because of the difference in our status? Anais cautiously spoke, being careful not to touch a sore spot.
Fortunately, there was no sign of that in Wondersteins face.
He seemed to be carefully considering something before slowly opening his mouth.
Miss, Ive put everything on the line to advance to the Circus Grand Prix main event. So, I dont have the capacity to hold anything else in my heart. Thats why I rejected your feelings.
Anais could intuitively sense that his words were sincere, but at the same time, he was hiding something.
Is it really that important?
Her voice sounded a bit irritated, and Wonderstein responded with a sly smile.
To tell the truth, the Circus Grand Prix itself isnt all that important. Whats important is the reward that comes with it.
Anais raised her head.
She was a person who excelled in both wealth and honour.
She had displayed her wealth many times, but he had shown no interest at all.
He didnt even entertain proposals that showcased her abilities on a grand scale.
What exactly did he hope to gain by putting everything he had at stake?
She sighed inwardly as she pondered this question.
She had a hunch about what it might be.
Among the acrobats advancing to the finals of Circus Grand Prix, various rights were promised in addition to prizes and trophies.
One of them was the citizenship of Sky City Hippodrome.
Contrary to its appealing name, Hippodrome citizenship was not a substantial reward.
Due to the constraints of the aerial city, real estate was scarce, and property prices were exorbitant, unlike most cities on the ground. Obtaining citizenship was practically just a decorative passport if you didnt have a place to live.
Important rights, including voting, required residency in Hippodrome for a certain number of days each year.
However, if you made it to the finals, your reputation alone would allow you to make a living anywhere in the world without any hindrance.
For most acrobats, Hippodrome citizenship was just an extra, compared to other rewards.
But for someone, it could be more precious than money or fame.
For someone desperately seeking official recognition of themselves.
I see
Only now did she understand.
Why he, who had been indifferent to money and fame, was so obsessed with the Circus Grand Prix.
Perhaps there were other acrobats in other circuses who also coveted citizenship.
Obtaining official status was an elusive goal for those like the wanderers.
Naturally, those born as wanderers couldnt possibly achieve anything significant in the public eye. Street performances, crude carpentry, theft, and peddling were their entire repertoire of skills.
This competition might have unexpectedly become an opportunity for such people.
Two and a half years from now, I cant predict what will happen to me. I couldnt make an uncertain promise.
The Circus Grand Prix had returned after 17 years.
The date of the next competition was uncertain.
It might even be the last chance in their lifetime.
Yes, Im more of a coward than you might think. Huhu, surprised?
The meeting between the nameless wanderer and the lord of a small domain.
The world did not view their meeting favourably.
He probably anticipated that revealing his identity would lead to a confrontation like the one today.
However, she couldnt dare to call him a coward.
He was someone who would help others even at the risk of his own life.
There was probably some consideration for himself in his reason for rejecting her advances.
No, its not like that. I am
Lady Anais is a beautiful person. beautiful, capable, and attractive. I might not have realized it at first, but I do now. If I were in a different situation, I would have accepted your heart, but now I cant.
Anais read the meaning hidden between his words. He wasnt distancing himself from her because he disliked her. It was simply a matter of social status and circumstances. But at the same time, his words also carried hope. Could she wait for him?
Right now, it wasnt possible, but in two and a half years, after he officially gained his status, things would be different.
But why did he have to go through all that trouble?
Anais bit her lip and hesitated, then spoke up.
If what you desire is the official status, I could help you with that. If you become a resident of Vergsong estate, its enough. The master of Vergsong family is me. I can certainly arrange that. Moreover, didnt you save my life? Theres enough reason for it, and there wont be any downside.
Haha.
But there was a faint sneer in his smile as he looked at her.
Ah, she realized that she had misunderstood something.
If he really wanted social status, he would have mentioned it when he treated her illness. He hadnt asked for anything other than becoming a sponsor for Circus Grand prix.
Did I misunderstand something? Did I delude myself?
Anais asked with a trembling voice.
What is it that you truly desire, Sir?
What do I truly desire? Well
He paused for a moment, then said, I desire to walk on my own two feet and live my life.
He said that and smiled at her.
Was that a bit vague?
Anais nodded her head. She understood what he meant.
He was talking to her. He didnt want to live as someones possession.
She had been a fool.
He may be a wanderer, but he is not a slave.
Overall Map and Item LocationsMain QuestMansion CleanupDefeat AirdraDefeat Anais VergsongsSub QuestsCollecting DiaryThe Maids Final MealThe Man Who Couldnt Leave PrisonBirthday Gift for DaughterSupport CharactersPorsche GrapeHound MarsEndingsIf you didnt receive the Kill SwitchIf you received the Kill Switch
Affection: 100
Title: Hound
Occupation: Resolver
Recruitment Condition: Discover the Dog-Shaped Paper Folding at Vergsong Mansion.
Attributes:
[Map Exploration]: Displays the locations of NPCs and monsters on the map.[Information Gathering]: Bright light appears around the heads of NPCs with clues.[Collecting]: Automatically collects coins or items near the ground.[Item Discovery]: Hidden or buried items float in the air when approached.[Weakness Detection]: Emphasizes the weak points of enemies.[Investigation]: Can check all character profiles without doing any affection work.
Hound Mars had worked for over ten years for the Vergsong company.
However, very few people within the company knew of his existence.
Even those who did know mostly called him the Hound.
Only the Chairman and Vice Chairman knew his real name.
He served, Cinepecus, who loved rumours, reputation, and gossip.
In other words, he was a warlock.
This term distinguished him from the magicians who unravelled the mysteries of magical powers. Anyone who borrowed the power of the Cinpcus was also considered a warlolck. Even an acrobat who had mastered Inspira could be called a warlolck in principle.
He excelled in tracking and gathering information, living up to his role as a follower of Cinpcus.
In the Abyss, Cinpcus domain was known as the Garden of Whispers, where echoes of gossip collected from all corners of the world resided.
Mars could briefly visit the Garden of Whispers with his mind to collect information. About three weeks ago, while tracking Pierre, he discovered that periodic information about the master was being transmitted to him.
Who is the one in Luz passing on her whereabouts to Pierre?
Like smoke, a snake living in the Garden of Whispers twisted its body and picked up something. Mars opened his eyes. He had identified the target.
About two weeks ago, he had come across rumours of the masters love affair circulating around Pierres faction. He asked a different question this time.
Who is actively spreading this rumour in Luz?
Again, the snake in the Garden of Whispers picked up something, revealing the same target as before.
About a week ago, while pursuing the trail of Pierres faction, he discovered the conspiracy behind the upcoming trial. A young police lieutenant led the investigation, and other nobles were at the forefront of forming the faction. However, someone was orchestrating the situation from behind.
Who orchestrated this conspiracy?
The snake once again seized the same target.
The hound had arrived in the city of Luz today.
It was to aid his master, who had become entangled in the conspiracy.
However, his master had brilliantly overcome the crisis on her own.
She didnt need assistance.
The hound conveyed a brief greeting to his master via a note and left the cabaret. He returned to the Garden of Whispers and posed another question.
Who hid the autopsy report of the ghosts body, and who delayed its release until the situation demanded it?
In response to the question, the smoky snake lifted the targets shoulders into the air.
The target remained the same as before.
The hound had a knack for uncovering hidden or buried targets.
This was another application of his ability.
Ah!
The head of the Luz police department was lifted into the air.
He was the one who had been working behind the scenes in this city, conveying Anaiss movements to Pierre, spreading rumours of their affair, and sabotaging this investigation.
He had done many things, but the most critical one was delaying the report on the unidentified bodys autopsy as long as possible.
If the defence in todays temporary trial couldnt quickly counter it and was drawn out, he would have kept the report hidden until it was reported in the morning news.
Are you doing this again? W-who on earth are you?
The hound had already sent records and ledgers containing his misdeeds to various newspapers.
With this, the threat to his master in this city would be eliminated for a while.
The hound turned around when he heard the mans cry and saw the police officers who had arrived to pull him down from the air.
He pondered on who his next prey would be.
In the garden of whispers, there were voices that couldnt be heard.
First, it was when he truly didnt want his name to be mentioned by people.
Most of the followers of Cinepecus entered here. They were accustomed to hiding their true names and moving in the shadows. Many of the invincible ones who operated in the underworld were also included here.
Secondly, they were high-ranking priests of the Holy Church. They had the power to exclude the authority of the demons dwelling in the Abyss. By the time they became bishops, there was hardly any information that could be collected about them other than their names or brief profiles. The Pope, inquisitors, or saints were as blank as a white page.
Lastly, they were the ones referred to as apostles among the worshippers of other demons.
Apostles represented the will of the respective demon in this world.
They could be considered as performing a role similar to that of the priests of religion.
The power of Cinepecus was not absorbed by the abilities of the other demons within the body of the apostle.
The hound sniffed the air.
Since the rumour of the affair had spread, he had been thoroughly investigating the man beside his master.
He even utilized the whispers in the garden.
But not a single name came to mind.
The second one was definitely not the one.
The first or the third were undoubtedly the right ones.
If the hound had come to Loose today and the status as the wanderer had not been revealed, he didnt know if he would have left a warning to his master to be cautious of him.
The notion that a magician was an unholy being was a deliberate propaganda spread by the Holy Church, but there was no way that an apostle, a being of the same status, would have even a drop of blood on his hands while representing the will of the demon.
He hesitated for a moment and then headed in the direction of the Caribbean.
He provisionally concluded that the man beside his master was harmless.
What was important now was to thoroughly investigate for who Mars was serving.
The Whispering Garden was still buzzing with whispers even after Mars came out.
The Whispering Garden had accumulated a wealth of information.
For hundreds, even thousands of years, all the rumours and conversations that had travelled the world were buried deep beneath the garden.
Among them, there was a fragment of a conversation that had taken place ten years ago between an uncle and his niece.
No, remember this. If youre wandering in the desert and someone suddenly appears in front of you holding water that you desperately want, it might contain poison.
The long-buried whispers rose like dust and then disappeared.
The girl in the dream denied her uncles words.
What she had discovered was truly sweet and warm.
A smile formed on her sleeping lips.
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