Storm

"The Nois family actually wants me to send people after a Mid-Sequence detective? Even if that detective is a favored of the Earth Mother, it still doesn't make sense... What are they really after?"

The owner of the pale hand pondered briefly after burning the letter, then opened his lips and sent out a stream of demonic incantations that traveled to an extremely distant place.

Several minutes later, as if receiving a reply, the corners of the pale hand's owner's lips curled into a mocking smile, and he muttered silently:

"So that's it. A certain item created by Roselle, similar to the sealed artifact Lord Yaldabaoth once bestowed upon Andariel—the same artifact that repelled the Nois family's 'Blood Archduke'—is currently in that detective's hands...

"And inside that item, there's even a remnant of a 'Demon' characteristic...

"Heh, this is worth handling personally!

"However, to be cautious, I'll first send those old fossils of the family to test whether that detective has some hidden backing."

With that thought, the owner of the pale hand opened his lips again and sent his voice to several elders of the Beria family, who were prolonging their lives through deep slumber.

…..

On the outskirts of Trier, capital of Intis, in the castle-style estate of the Delion Family.

A handsome middle-aged man had been savoring his favorite Mist Champagne in his room when, without warning, he collapsed painfully to the floor. He murmured incomprehensible words, his expensive drink spilling across the floor.

It was a while before he finally got up, pale-faced, quietly cleaned up the mess, retrieved an amulet from a drawer and hung it around his neck, then turned and walked calmly out of his room. He headed to the top floor of the castle and knocked on the door of a study.

"Come in," a deep voice called from inside.

The middle-aged man pushed open the door and respectfully saluted the elder sitting on the sofa.

"Father, just as expected, that one from the Beria family extracted information from me using 'Whispers' just now..."

The old man raised his head and scrutinized him for a moment. Noticing nothing abnormal about the amulet he wore, he nodded slightly and asked, "That one didn't suspect that you've broken free from their control?"

The middle-aged man shook his head. "That one never believed me to begin with… But the intel I leaked wasn't falsified—just not the full truth."

"That's reasonable. After all, that one is a 'Whisperer'... Heh. With a 'Demon' characteristic and a fully-unsealed artifact strong enough to rival an angel as bait, even if that one could hold back, the other elders of Beria certainly couldn't," the old man chuckled.

"Indeed. That once-angelic family now has no demigods aside from that patriarch. Even a Sequence 5 can be a family elder… The Beria family has fallen that far," the handsome man sighed. "In contrast, the Andariel family, hidden in Feysac, is far stronger."

"If it hadn't been for the help of Roselle's adopted son—that terrifying duke—Andariel wouldn't even have matched Beria back then..." The old man's voice trailed off, then his expression shifted abruptly. He changed the subject mid-sentence. "But we can't place too much trust in Beria's capability… You'll personally lead a team to Lynn City and ensure the death of Ebner Bryan and his companions.

"Also, someone recently spotted Vice Admiral Iceberg in Tosque, though it's unclear if she's already left… On your return, check the area. If she's still there, kill her or turn her into a marionette."

"Yes, Father." The middle-aged man seemed to sense something and bowed before leaving.

Once he was gone, the old man stood up, opened a hidden door behind the wardrobe, and entered a room prepared with an altar and numerous complex symbols.

He first readied offerings—heart, blood, brain, and other components—then knelt and devoutly chanted:

"Master of blood and desire, symbol of evil and terror, favored of the God of Derangement, controller of the Blood Worship Cult—Earl von Nois...

"I pray for your descent..."

As the ritual progressed, the altar began to glow with crimson light. Then, the brain, heart, and blood converged into a humanoid silhouette atop the altar.

"Welcome to this world, great 'Blood Archduke'," the old man prostrated himself and kissed the ground at the feet of the figure formed from sacrificial parts.

"How is the matter progressing?" The figure ignored the flattery and got straight to the point.

"I've already instructed the Beria family to ambush that detective… Owen also sent word that he's successfully gained control of the 'White Saintess' and is using her to lure in 'Vice Admiral of Ailment' Tracy. There should be no chance of failure.

"Furthermore, he's very confident in turning Princess Vera of Loen into his puppet… As for that other one, the Military Intelligence 9 agent named Xio Derecha, without Vera's protection, she should be easy to eliminate as well," the old man reported.

"Well done… The 'God of Derangement' once decreed that all who have entered the 'Daniel Maze' are sinners and must be severely punished! Unless they surrender their 'hearts' to the God, they are to be executed without exception… If this operation succeeds, the God will not be stingy with rewards!" The figure on the altar paused, then asked another question. "Is the sea monster's sacrifice ready?"

"Please forgive my sin… It's just that Loen has taken a lot of our slave business in recent years, and the latest batch of slaves was intercepted by the ship of 'Admiral of Stars'..." The old man pressed his forehead to the ground, trembling as he spoke.

But before he could finish, the figure on the altar cut him off. "I don't want your excuses. If you can't gather enough offerings by April 10th, then use members of the Delion Family to make up the shortfall!"

"Yes, Your Grace!" The old man breathed a sigh of relief. After all, nearly three months remained—it shouldn't be a problem.

"Good... I must continue my pursuit of Yaldabaoth. I won't be responding again in the short term. I hope next time we meet, you'll bring good news."

With those words, the figure on the altar collapsed instantly into foul-smelling blood sludge.

"Farewell, 'Blood Archduke'!" The old man remained prostrated for a long time before rising. Only after personally restoring the altar to its original state did he head to the bathroom to cleanse himself of the filth.

By the time he had finished bathing and was dressed with the help of his maids, he descended to the first-floor reception room, where his secretary hurried up to him and reported:

"Prime Minister, there's been a large-scale protest in the Lishe District against the government's newly issued speech restrictions and press censorship…

"Lord Soren requests a meeting with you to discuss the matter..."

The old man—none other than Charles Delion, the current Prime Minister of the Republic of Intis—glanced solemnly at his watch and said to his secretary, "At ten o'clock sharp, I will convene an emergency session of Parliament.

"I'll speak with Soren half an hour before the meeting…

"Go notify the party representatives."

"Yes, Prime Minister." The secretary replied seriously, made a note in the schedule, then turned and left.

After he was gone, Charles looked out at the gloomy weather and muttered to himself:

"A storm is coming!"

…..

Night fell over Bayam. The sky was pitch black, the wind howled, and torrential rain poured down as though the apocalypse were upon them.

Klein, who had just arrived in this generous city, pulled out the crystal stone crafted by Ebner and inserted it into the hilt of his blade under the cover of the storm, transforming it into the Burial Blade.

Then, as he rose slowly to his feet, thinking of what he was about to do, he couldn't help but feel the sense of playing a new role in another sense. Smiling faintly, he murmured in a low voice:

"Tonight, Gehrman joins the hunt."

As he finished speaking, he swung the Burial Blade in a wide arc, making Danitz—who witnessed it all—feel that this lunatic had become even more insane...

He couldn't help but doubt whether this plan to hunt down "Iron" Maveti, the First Mate of the Blood Admiral's flagship, would really succeed.

…..

Elsewhere, on Thursday evening, the train carrying Ebner and his companions pressed through the storm and arrived at the steam train station of Lynn City, a small town in the western part of the Siviras County.

(End of Chapter)