Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Tudor... Looking at the name on the metal plaque, Ebner pondered for a moment, then took out the Grade "1" Sealed Artifact he controlled, the "Mutated Tudor Emblem."

This emblem was obtained from beneath a cliff on Blue Mountain Island, near Bayam. It was a Beyonder item formed from the Fallen Count characteristic.

Furthermore, Ebner had already confirmed with Lilith that this emblem was brought out of the underground ruins where the Red Angel hid by Felipe... who was also Giuseppe Castiya, a senior transmigrator.

Ebner flipped the metal plaque over, with the blank side facing up, where there was conspicuously a man-made depression.

Placing the "Mutated Tudor Emblem" into the depression, the two instantly fit together perfectly.

This should be a set of emblem plates. Given that the metal plate wasn't taken into the Underworld, it might still retain the spiritual imprint of a certain powerful individual...

This imprint might even originate from the Blood Emperor himself!

Perhaps there's also some hidden secret...

Ebner weighed his options for a moment, then initiated an active "prophecy."

Soon, he received an revelation:

"Andal."

Andal? That sounds like a free city on the border between Intis and Segar. Although nominally belonging to Segar, it's actually an autonomous territory, serving as a buffer zone between the two nations.

Because this city borders the Sea of Fog to the west and the Andal Mountains to the east, it not only boasts abundant natural resources but also convenient transportation and low tax rates, making it a gathering place for adventurers, somewhat similar to Bayam's positioning.

Recalling the relevant information he had read during his Polymath phase, Ebner speculated that this emblem plate might be a key item for a Tudor ruin.

And during the "War of the Four Emperors," the Tudor Empire was established on what is now Intis's land, so it makes sense for a ruin to be left there...

Furthermore, according to the original work, the declining Pound family was a branch of the Tudor family that changed its name to escape pursuit. It's highly probable that they brought this plate and emblem to Backlund...

They must have thought the emblem was the "key" to the underground ruins on Williams Street? They simply looked in the wrong place... No wonder that family met such a tragic end.

However, how did that Gatekeeper get hold of the "plate" that might carry the Blood Emperor's spiritual imprint? And why was he chasing Hazel's metal arm when he lost control?

As Ebner's thoughts spun, Hazel also came closer. She glanced at the plate and subconsciously read it aloud: "Alista Tudor?"

Miss, have you been spending too much time with Xio that you've picked up her habit of reading everything aloud?

This is ancient Hermes language with power, and it even carries the spiritual imprint of the name's owner. If I hadn't immediately sealed it upon touching it, it would probably cause a huge commotion right now!

After grumbling inwardly for a few moments, Ebner intentionally put on a serious face and sternly admonished Hazel, then told her that the name belonged to the Blood Emperor.

Next, Ebner examined Hazel's metal arm, finding that the spirit within it seemed to be fragmented souls kneaded together by Beyonder abilities, and it had developed a new personality, with nothing particularly special about it. He temporarily set this issue aside.

After all, Hazel was already a follower of the Earth Mother, and the metal arm was crafted by Chloe's husband, so there shouldn't be any safety concerns.

Having done all this, Ebner immediately held a ritual, praying to the Evernight Goddess and reporting the incident, while also helping Klein ask if his arrangements for Daly and Dunn were feasible.

As soon as the ritual ended, Ebner saw two "circles" appear on the parchment where he had written his prayers.

Circles? The first circle means "understood the matter," and the second means She approved Klein's plan? Hmm, as the Mother of Concealment, for the Goddess to give such a "clear" reply, She's already showing me great favor...

Ebner nodded thoughtfully, then first tidied up the altar before releasing Mr. and Mrs. Macht, the servants, and the butler.

They were all ordinary people, and their spiritual bodies were unstable due to the influence of the Underworld's power, so they hadn't woken up yet.

This situation wasn't severe; after the Nighthawks performed an "appeasement," there should be no problem.

Since he was nominally still in Tosk City, Intis, to avoid exposing his "teleportation" ability, Ebner did not intend to meet the Nighthawks here. So, after handing the bell for summoning his messenger to Hazel and giving her a few instructions, he once again performed a "Spirit World Travel" and left.

Hazel put away the bell, sighed as she looked at the spot where Ebner had disappeared, and then returned to her parents' side to await the arrival of the Nighthawks.

Soon, a team led by Ms. Daly arrived at "Elk Manor."

As a victim, Hazel concealed most of the facts, only stating that she barely managed to rescue her parents and family thanks to the metal arm crafted by the Earth Mother Church, but the main building of her manor was dragged into the Underworld.

Her words were half-truths, and the Nighthawks did not find anything amiss; instead, they deeply sympathized with her plight. Only Daly stared at the metal arm for a while, a thoughtful expression on her face.

And Hazel received a hint of "acting" feedback at this moment...

So it's not just money; deceiving others' sympathy and trust also counts as "fraud"?

.....

Pritz Harbor, in a certain basement.

A young man wearing a red-patterned robe, with his hood casually pulled up, was leisurely smoking a cigarette.

At this moment, he seemed to sense something, and a mocking smile appeared on his face as he said, "Delusional to think you can trap me in that body with a plaque bearing a 'Tudor' spiritual imprint? If Alista were still alive, perhaps it would be possible, but he's been dead for almost two millennia now. How could he still have that ability?"

Before his words finished, a bloody gash suddenly opened on his left cheek, and a voice emerged:

"Will you die if you don't boast? Who was it who cursed with such heartbreak after discovering that plaque?"

A mouth also appeared on the right cheek, echoing, "Exactly! Also, Medici, can you please stop smoking? I don't want to experience anything that comes from the followers of the True Creator!"

"This is a man's favorite... Oh, I forgot, you two aren't proper men." Medici grinned, but still extinguished the cigarette.

After all, with mouths on both cheeks, he couldn't smoke anymore.

"I wonder who set up this game... Otherwise, how could that 'Unaging Demoness' have so coincidentally found Alista's plaque and given it to the 'Gatekeeper' she found...

"Wanting to use me to get rid of the person controlling her, and then use this setup to counteract me?

"Tsk tsk, meticulously calculated, but I'm not going to play with her anymore.

"However, no matter who is scheming behind the scenes, it will surely benefit me... As long as they don't try to control me with petty tricks anymore, being used by them is fine, after all, this is likely aimed at that paranoid fellow!"

Before Medici's words finished, both cheeks spoke in unison:

"It's our benefit!"