Chapter 081
"So do you remember what I said will happen and you must do? It is very important" said Alvin seriously.
"I know, I know. You said it a dozen times already. You will accompany me to watch the inauguration of the latest ship by the Loen Kingdom, and make sure you are spotted in the viewing gallery. Then, after the ceremony, you will slip away unnoticed and not contact me. There is a good chance that those who were responsible for the decline of the Hans family and tried to have you killed would want to find you. They would probably discreetly monitor me, to see if you visit me again. After a week or so, they will probably try to contact me and casually bring you up. I shouldn't lie, as it is easily detectable. Instead, I should speak mostly the truth, mixed some half-truths. I will say that we occasionally kept in touch with letters, and you recently having arrived in Backlund contacted me. I will also say that I know that you have become a Beyonder, but I don't know much about Beyonders. And that you asked me to get you in touch with some noble descendants in exchange for some knowledge of the Beyonder world, and the reason you came to the viewing gallery was so that people could spot you and ask me about you, so that I can introduce you to those people without appearing rude. Then I offer to have the person asking the question meet you. Regardless of he accepts or not, I inform you about the person who asked via a letter to Nathaniel Calaway of Midhalreigh in Awwa County" said Bradford.
"This is very important. So I have to make sure that you remember. Also, you should ask for help from Miss Hall regarding this too, with the same instruction when you next meet her. She is likely to be asked too, considering that someone may have seen me visit her back then. If asked about that matter, you say the truth, that you had me meet a descendant of an influential noble in exchange for information on the Beyonder world" said Alvin.
They both were in a carriage, about to go to the unveiling of the latest creation by the Loen military.
After having gained preliminary control of the Red Castle, Alvin now had complete logistical capabilities. The Red Castle was probably built as a war fortress, as it had everything you could expect from a logistical support crew, weapons identification and creation, divination facilities, healing facilities, information transmission facilities, subordinate controlling facilities, and storage capabilities. He believed that after he had gotten the Knife of Judgement, he could morph the Red Castle into an actual Castle and fight in it.
With control of the Red Castle, Alvin was now confident in testing the waters on his enemies. He assumed that whatever got his father killed was something important, because after they safely killed him off, they took the risk to infiltrate East Chester County and kill the rest of his family members to ensure that the secret did not leak. A noble dying was serious enough, let alone his entire family dying with him. So he was sure that whoever was behind this had put in some work to make the churches, military, and the rest of the nobles look the other way. If he came back publicly and demanded an investigation, multiple skeletons could fall out of the closets of those who orchestrated this.
Hence, he was pretty sure their first instinct would be to monitor Bradford, and then take care of Alvin silently if he went to meet them. If he didn't meet with Bradford for a week, he estimated that their patience would wear thin, and they would send someone to discreetly ask Bradford about him.
Alvin wanted to follow the grapevine and find the actual person asking the question from whoever posed the question.
Alvin had dressed up befitting a noble, as he accompanied Viscount Glaint to the unveiling of the latest creation of the Loen military.
He wore on his neck a necklace he borrowed from the Nighthawks, called the Mirror of Malicious Thoughts. It was made from the characteristics of a Devil, and could detect malicious thoughts against the wearer. The average disliking could be detected from around a hundred meters. The stronger the malice, from larger the distance it could be detected at. If the malice by a person was mixed with killing intent, it could be detected from anywhere in Backlund to the wearer.
The side effects were quite serious. It would make the wearer gradually and uncontrollably want to murder someone and drink their blood. This could be alleviated to some extent, by drinking a mouthful of animal blood every hour for a few hours, but after that, the animal blood would be ineffective.
It was something the Nighthawks only used when there was a mission where they had to use their members as bait. As Alvin was using himself as bait currently, he felt it appropriate to borrow and wear this, hoping he could detect someone who displays malice against him after recognising him.
"The unveiling exhibition is starting soon. As I remember, shortly before the exhibition, The Fool will summon Miss Justice and Mr Hanger Man to the Sefirah. And the gathering will be regular from then on. I must join the Tarot Club. Although I think I can make it on my own, the exchange of information and resources from the Tarot Club is very convenient, and something I desperately need. Also, my presence was not there in the story, probably because if I didn't transmigrate from the Sefirah when I did, I would die by the backlash, and Frederick would possess my body, and it would have gone according to the plan of Sauron-Einhorn-Medici. This means that if I intended to survive, I have to undoubtedly change the story. If I am in the Tarot Club, using the knowledge I have, I can influence a lot of things to go in a positive direction" thought Alvin.
Alvin then got out of the carriage and walked out behind Viscount Glaint, trying his best to look like a flatterer looking for some thighs to hold.