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*****
On the spiritual screen within the gray fog, Audrey—dressed in a magnificent court dress for the banquet—was offering her prayers to Klein, the Fool.
"Tell her not to worry. I am at the banquet and can take the Pirate Admiral's life at any moment," George replied. After sending the message, he ceased his research and silently cast a spell.
"Eye of Discernment!"
This was a magic he had recently converted, originating from Irene Belserion of Fairy Tail.
An illusory eye materialized silently high above the Duke's mansion. Every shadow and corner within the estate was now laid bare before his vision. If Qilangos intended to commit murder here, George would simply finish him off and trade the remains to the Church of the Evernight Goddess for a Faceless potion.
---
Meanwhile, inside the mansion's small prayer room, Audrey received George's reply via Klein. A look of sheer astonishment crossed her face.
"Mr. World is here at the banquet?"
As a Spectator, she had carefully observed every guest from the moment the event began; it was her primary method of digesting her potion. Despite her meticulous scrutiny, she had only managed to spot Qilangos disguised as Baron Gramir. She mentally reviewed every guest once more, yet none of them fit the profile she imagined for "Mr. World."
About ten minutes later, a sudden, violent gale swept through the grand hall. The candles on the crystal chandeliers were extinguished instantly, plunging the room into total darkness.
Before the guests could process the change, the sound of crashing crystal echoed through the hall. Panicked screams erupted as falling shards cut through the crowd. In the ensuing chaos, the terrified guests began to stampede blindly.
Under the cover of this panic, a figure glided toward Duke Negan, launching a lethal strike.
"So, the target is the Duke," George noted. He kept one eye on his parents to ensure they weren't trampled in the dark while focusing the rest of his attention on the assassination attempt.
Qilangos had manufactured the chaos to kill Duke Negan, but he had underestimated his mark. The Duke was no ordinary man; he was a powerful Beyonder of the Arbiter pathway, a Sequence 6 Judge. Furthermore, he was protected by Beyonders from the Church of the Lord of Storms and had been forewarned by Earl Hall.
Even though Qilangos possessed a powerful Sealed Artifact that allowed him to exert strength nearing Sequence 5, he quickly found himself disadvantaged and was forced to retreat.
Unfortunately for him, George—who saw everything—was already waiting along his escape route, silently watching him fly toward his doom.
"The Loen Royal Family is certainly not simple," George mused, recalling the intelligence Crestet had shared.
The Augustus family, the rulers of Loen, held the Arbiter pathway and was one of the Angel families that had existed since the Epoch of the Gods. With the support of the Seven Lights, they had established the Kingdom. Their high-ranking members were all Beyonders, and it was rumored that true powerhouses of Sequence 1 or 2 guarded the family's legacy.
"Here he comes."
Qilangos smashed through a window, utilizing the gliding abilities of a Wind-Blessed to soar toward the mansion's perimeter. If he managed to clear the grounds and use his artifact to change his appearance and vanish into the city, finding him again would be nearly impossible.
However, as he approached the edge of the estate, he saw a bizarre sight: a baby suspended in mid-air.
"A baby?"
The absurdity of the scene gave him pause for a split second. But his instincts as a cold-blooded pirate took over—he was running for his life, and anyone in his way had to die, even an infant. Besides, any baby that could float in the air was clearly a supernatural threat.
"Wind Blade!"
A crescent of emerald wind, sharp enough to sever steel, flew from his hand, aimed to slice the child in two.
Facing the lethal gale, George simply exhaled a soft breath. The Wind Blade vanished into thin air.
"What?!" Qilangos's pupils dilated in pure disbelief. Even a Sequence 5 shouldn't have been able to neutralize his attack so effortlessly. How had he been exposed? Why did a mere Duke have such a terrifying guardian?
"Damn it!"
Regretting his decision to take this mission, he immediately activated one of the powers within his glove.
"Sleep!"
The Sealed Artifact he wore was known as "Creeping Hunger." It was formed from the characteristic of a Sequence 5 Shepherd. It could "graze" up to five souls, allowing the user to utilize one random ability from each. This glove was the reason he was feared as the "all-powerful" Admiral on the seas.
However, its price was steep: it required a daily sacrifice of human flesh and soul, lest it devour its owner. Currently, the five souls grazed within were a Sequence 6 Faceless, a Sequence 7 Psychiatrist, a Sequence 7 Interrogator, a Sequence 7 Nightmare, and a Sequence 5 Priest of Light.
He was currently utilizing the Nightmare's power, attempting to drag the eerie infant into a dream so he could escape.
He didn't know that such a mental intrusion was useless against George. Forget a grazed Sequence 7 soul—even a Sequence 4 Nightmare would struggle to force George into a dream state.
"You can die now."
George flickered across the space and appeared beside Qilangos, swinging a palm downward.
To Qilangos, it felt as though the very heavens were collapsing upon him. He tried to dodge, but his body couldn't react in time. He tried to activate another power, but before the thought could even form, he was slammed into the ground like a meteor, losing all consciousness instantly.
"This glove is actually quite interesting," George remarked.
After collecting Qilangos's Wind-Blessed characteristic, he examined "Creeping Hunger." Its value to him wasn't its combat prowess, but the Faceless characteristic contained within—it was exactly what he needed to advance.
Furthermore, the other characteristics inside would serve as excellent research materials. Best of all, with "Creeping Hunger," he could now use it as a "cover" for his converted magics.
If he used light magic, he could claim he had grazed a soul from the Sun pathway. If he used wind, lightning, or water magic, he could blame it on a Sailor pathway soul. He could finally find a logical Beyonder explanation for his powers. Otherwise, as a member of the Seer pathway, it would be very difficult to explain why he was suddenly smiting people with giant bolts of lightning.
(End of Chapter)