"As expected, it's the royal family again," Ashes thought to himself, not too surprised by this revelation. Even though he had already guessed that the "Black Emperor" was within the royal family, he couldn't pinpoint the exact target. So, he hadn't taken any action yet.
Although his primary suspect was the current king, George III, he had considered going to the palace to look around, thinking he might be able to take down a boss directly. However, to be cautious, he had consulted Archbishop Anthony about this matter. The archbishop's response was unequivocal:
"It absolutely cannot be George III. The Seven Orthodox Churches and the royal families of various countries signed three major contracts in ancient times, binding every king to these contracts, limiting them to Sequence 5 at most."
"So, the 'Black Emperor' is some old relic within the royal family?" Ashes had a few suspicions in his heart. But he couldn't be sure of his target yet, and to avoid alerting them, he had to continue gathering information. This wasn't a game after all. The boss wouldn't obediently wait in the boss room for him to challenge over and over unless there was a reason they had to stay there.
But most of the time, if he charged in recklessly, the boss might just escape upon being alerted. Don't ask him how he knew this.
"Father," Audrey saw that Ashes seemed lost in thought and not wanting Count Hall to notice anything amiss, she quickly changed the subject. "Who have you arranged as my guard? Is it someone I know?"
Audrey was a bit curious. She knew most of the servants in this villa but wasn't sure who among them were the hidden Beyonder.
"Isn't he sitting right next to you?" Count Hall laughed, teasingly. "Or do you not want him to 'protect' you?"
"Huh?" Audrey instantly realized something.
"What?" Ashes also snapped out of his thoughts, looking puzzled.
"In fact," Count Hall said seriously, "I hope to hire you, Ashes, to be Audrey's guard. You wouldn't need to protect her all the time, just accompany her when she goes out to parties."
Pausing, Count Hall added, "After all, you two often attend parties together, don't you?" The count gave his daughter a teasing glance.
"It's not a bad idea," Ashes said after a moment of thought, nodding. "I don't have any objections."
Since he had a flexible work schedule, taking on an extra job during his free time wasn't a problem.
"Then it's settled," Count Hall said cheerfully. "As for the pay, how about matching your weekly salary, one hundred pounds a week?"
"You didn't even ask for my opinion!" Audrey's face turned red. She clenched her fists, wanting to argue but ultimately couldn't say a word. She felt both ashamed and guilty. Her parents seemed to have misunderstood her relationship with Ashes, but she couldn't explain it. Was she supposed to say they met through the Tarot Club? Being mistaken for a young couple in love was more normal and could hide the existence of the Tarot Club.
"This isn't too bad," Audrey tried to comfort herself. "At least I can meet Mr. Lover openly without raising suspicions...or not! This makes it seem like I'm meeting a 'lover' for real!"
"I, I'm full."
Unable to bear the looks from everyone, Audrey left the dining table with her head down, almost fleeing from the dining room.
"I'll go check on her," Lady Caitlin said, looking both helpless and affectionate as she watched Audrey's retreating figure. She gave her husband a quiet word and a smile of apology to Ashes before following her daughter.
Count Hall remained calm, even smiling as he asked, "Ashes, how about it? Have you found a place to stay yet? Although I'm also a follower of the EverNight Goddess, living in the church can be inconvenient. My butler can't always go to the church to find you, can he?"
The count paused and then added with a smile, "If you haven't found a place, you can temporarily stay at my house. We have plenty of rooms, you could stay next to Audrey's room."
"No, that won't be necessary," Ashes declined politely. "I've already found a place. I'm living with a few friends at 117 Birmingham Road in the Hilston District."
"Hilston District?" The count pondered, perhaps he's staying with his teammates? That wouldn't be surprising. Given Ashes' viscount status, he could certainly afford a house in the Queen's District. Even if not to buy, renting wouldn't be an issue, given his salary alone was 5200 pounds a year, more than enough to pay rent. But besides being a noble, he was a NightHawk. Living alone in the Queen's District would be too ostentatious, while the Hilston District, with its middle-class population, was just right. Also, living with teammates would make missions easier.
At that moment, the butler came over and whispered something to the count.
"Ash," the count dismissed the butler and smiled apologetically at Ashes, "I have a small matter to attend to. Could you wait for me in the previous reception room?"
"Of course, Count Hall," Ashes nodded, following a maid to the reception room without any suspicion.
Count Hall didn't leave immediately but watched Ashes' back until he disappeared down the corridor. His expression turned serious and contemplative.
"So, your target is the royal family?" he mused. "What has the royal family done to warrant an investigation by the Church of the EverNight Goddess? And how does this relate to those two Sequence pathways?"
Count Hall's mind was in turmoil. Despite his daughter's attempt to change the subject, his keen eyes, honed by decades in noble circles, noticed the subtle changes in expression when he mentioned the royal family's connection to the Arbiter and Lawyer pathways. Although the changes were minor, he caught them.
He realized Ashes and Audrey's interactions weren't malicious but possibly aimed at gathering information about the royal family. His daughter, blinded by love, might try to help her lover, causing Count Hall some headaches. He chose not to confront this directly.
But since his daughter was involved, he had to take a stand—either expose or support Ashes, feign ignorance, or sever Audrey's ties with Ashes. The first two choices were discarded immediately. The Hall family survived by avoiding taking sides. Of the latter two, he discarded the last option. He couldn't cut off their contact.
Not just because of his daughter but also his faith—he was a devout follower of the Goddess
"The Goddess is more important than the king," he thought. The king's reign was temporary, but the goddess was eternal. For his family and his faith, he chose the goddess. Until Ashes spoke up, he would feign ignorance.
(Chapter End)
50 Power stones = Extra Chapter.