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*****
While George was busy studying Creeping Hunger, Duke Negan and his entourage had finished handling the chaos inside and rushed out of the mansion.
However, the moment they laid eyes on George standing casually beside the corpse of Qilangos, they froze in their tracks.
Qilangos is dead?
Was he killed by this infant?
Who is this child—a Parasite? A Reincarnator? Friend or foe?
Suspicion and alarm flashed through their minds. No one dared to move, but their postures were stiff with defensive readiness.
Duke Negan, leading the group, suddenly squinted as a look of realization crossed his face. He looked at George and asked tentatively, "Are you... the child of the Barton couple?"
When he had spoken with Jack and Kris earlier, he had caught a glimpse of their son and memorized his features. The infant standing before him now wore the exact same clothes and possessed the same face as the child the maid had taken to the nursery.
"It is me. So, as you can see, I am not your enemy," George replied with a nod. He didn't bother denying it.
In truth, he could have vanished before the Duke arrived, but he saw no reason to hide. He wasn't some weakling who needed to skulk in the shadows to grow. Since both Churches were already aware of his unique situation, he felt there was no harm in letting the Kingdom's top brass know as well. He could cooperate with the Churches, and he could just as easily cooperate with the Kingdom to secure more resources and intelligence.
"So that's how it is!"
Light dawned on Duke Negan's face. No wonder Jack Barton had received such unprecedented care from two Archbishops. No wonder his background checks had come up empty. The secret didn't lie with Jack or his ancestors; it lay with this son of his, who wasn't even a year old.
To effortlessly kill Qilangos—a man capable of exerting Sequence 5 strength—meant this infant was at least a Sequence 4 demigod. Perhaps even higher.
"Ah, more old acquaintances," George noted.
A dozen figures streaked through the sky, landing inside the estate. They were Beyonders from the Church of the Lord of Storms who had rushed to provide support. Leading them were two men George recognized: Cardinal Ace Snake and High Deacon Randall Valentine, both Sequence 4 powerhouses.
Among the subordinates following behind them, George spotted another familiar face.
The man had deep blue hair, rugged features, and bronzed skin—the quintessential look of a man hardened by the sea. He was none other than Alger Wilson, a member of the Tarot Club known as The Hanged Man, the very person who had posted the mission to kill Qilangos. George had long since memorized Alger's soul signature; he recognized him instantly.
Alger felt a wave of relief wash over him the moment he saw Qilangos's lifeless body. The two had a complicated history involving a cruel priest and a shared secret about a resource-rich island. Qilangos had used their past to blackmail Alger for years. With the Pirate Admiral dead, Alger's position in the Church was safe, and the secret of the island belonged to him alone.
"Good evening, Ace. Good evening, Randall," George greeted the Cardinal and the Deacon with a small wave.
The two high-ranking officials looked from the body to George. After getting a brief summary of the events from Duke Negan, they bowed slightly toward George in a solemn show of gratitude.
"It is fortunate you were here. Otherwise, this scoundrel truly might have escaped."
"It was no trouble. I'll just use him to trade for some items from Crestet," George replied casually.
As he spoke, Crestet Cesmir and the Nighthawks arrived on the scene. Since they lacked the flight capabilities of the Storm pathway, they were a step behind.
"Congratulations," Crestet said with a nod. "Given Qilangos's bounty, his remains are more than enough to exchange for a Sequence 5 potion."
Duke Negan, seeing that the child was indeed on friendly terms with the leadership of both Churches, stepped forward with a warm smile.
"As a token of my personal gratitude for your intervention, I would like to offer ten thousand gold pounds as a reward."
The Duke was sincere. Ten thousand pounds was a small price to pay to build a bridge with a demigod-level powerhouse. Having a good relationship with someone of this caliber would prove invaluable in the future.
He killed Qilangos? Is he Mr. World? But why is he an infant? Alger watched the interaction in a state of profound confusion. According to the message from Mr. Fool, Miss Justice had spotted Qilangos, and Mr. World had claimed he was already at the banquet. Logically, the one who killed Qilangos should be Mr. World.
But The World was clearly an adult. How could he be a baby? Did Mr. World simply choose not to act because this mysterious child had already handled it?
Just as Alger was spiraling into doubt, the infant suddenly glanced at him and winked, making a specific, subtle hand gesture.
He knows me! He recognized me—he IS The World!
Alger's heart hammered. There was no way a random child would recognize a low-ranking Church member like him. The gesture was the exact one the Tarot Club had agreed upon during their last meeting to prevent friendly fire during the hunt for Qilangos.
Since we are in spirit form when summoned by Mr. Fool, his soul must be an adult, while his body is an infant, Alger realized. Is he a Parasite inhabiting a child? Regardless, the problem is solved.
He was stunned to see that The World was already so well-acquainted with the highest echelons of both the Church and the Nobility.
"Well then, my parents are looking for me in the nursery. I should head back," George said. He snapped his tiny fingers, and a small spark flickered within the distant nursery. "By the way, Duke Negan, please instruct the servants in the nursery to keep this quiet. I'm not quite ready for my parents to know about my situation."
With that, George utilized Flaming Jump, vanishing and reappearing instantly in his crib back in the nursery.
The maid, who had been frantically searching for him, shrieked and stumbled back several steps as he suddenly materialized out of thin air. At that exact moment, Jack and Kris pushed the door open. Seeing George safe in his crib, they both let out a massive sigh of relief.
They hadn't expected such a terrifying event to occur at a Duke's ball. They were simply grateful that their family of three was unharmed.
(End of Chapter)