Mystery: The Stranger

Chapter 33 One Big Pancake

With the matter resolved, Snow did not immediately return to his own territory. Instead, he transformed into a shadow and headed straight for Earl Cullen's lands.

Although the Earl of Cullen has a law prohibiting flight and the forces of the Order are truly present, Snow doesn't care. Directly violating the law is the best notification in itself, demonstrating his confidence in completing the mission and also informing the lord of the territory of his arrival in advance.

As expected, when he entered the Earl's airspace, the anticipated attack did not occur. An invisible passage unfolded before him, leading directly to the window of the study on the top floor of the Earl's castle. Snow's bat wings fluttered slightly, and he flew into the passage, landing steadily on the floor covered with a thick carpet.

The study was softly lit, with antique oil paintings hanging on the walls, and the air was filled with the scent of sandalwood and paper.

Karen Tamara sat behind a rosewood desk by the window, wearing a well-tailored dark gray aristocratic gown with the Tamara family crest embroidered on the hem. Her gray eyes calmly watched the intruder, and she held a quill pen in her hand, as if she had been waiting for a long time.

"If you haven't completed your mission and are just here to amuse yourself, then you're going to have a very memorable night."

Her voice was clear and cold, carrying the unique majesty of a law master, without any superfluous emotion, as if stating an established fact.

Snow chuckled, his tone carrying the utter indifference of a demon: "I am a demon, not a clown. I only obey orders, and I have no obligation to amuse you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he tossed the extraordinary trait of the Sequence 5 Chaos Mentor, which transformed into a black shadow and flew towards Count Karen. The trait drew an arc in the air, the jet-black fist-shaped crystal emitting a faint chaotic energy, but it was steadily caught by an invisible barrier of order as it approached Karen.

Countess Cullen lightly twirled the extraordinary item between her fingers, and with a single glance, she confirmed its authenticity. She could clearly sense the lingering aura of Viscount Grey within it, as well as the latent power of madness and chaos, and she was quite satisfied with Snow's efficiency.

This outcome was exactly what she expected.

Although Viscount Grey was only Sequence 5, the Ninth Law talisman she gave him was enough to suppress her opponent. Coupled with Snow's own cunning and treachery, the probability of completing the mission was extremely high. Even if they failed, she had already prepared a backup plan; Viscount Grey's death was always just a matter of time.

"Well done, but this is your spoils, there's no need to give it to me." Countess Karen admired the extraordinary property in her hand, the jet-black crystal spinning in her palm. "The Sequence 5 property of the Lawyer Path is also quite valuable to you."

"I already have the Baron's Gloves and a Zombie Ring, so this one's properties aren't of much use to me," Snow said bluntly, making no attempt to conceal the existence of the Zombie Ring—he knew very well that Earl Cullen likely already knew about the sealed artifact that Viscount Grey treasured, and there was no need to hide it. "It would be better to exchange it for an extraordinary item with the Moon Path. The Zombie Ring leans towards death, while the Moon Path symbolizes a part of life; the two combined would complement and enhance each other perfectly."

His reasons are reasonable.

In the Fifth Age, combining the seals of the Heterogeneous Path and the Lunar Path would be suicidal—the Mother Tree of Desire had already infiltrated the Lunar Path, amplifying the negative effects of both paths and causing bloodlust to surge to an uncontrollable level. However, the Fourth Age was different. Earth's barrier was still strong, making it difficult for the Mother Tree of Desire to penetrate, and the Lunar Path was not yet under its control. Therefore, combining these two darker seals created a perfect synergy.

A hint of approval flashed in Count Cullen's eyes, clearly acknowledging his consideration. The Sequence 5 trait of the lawyer's path was indeed useful to her, and fulfilling the reasonable demands of subordinates was a common tactic for superiors to win people over. Moreover, this was the first time Snow had completed a task assigned to him, and there was no need to refuse such a favor.

"I'll pick out a suitable one for you later." She carefully put away her extraordinary abilities, her tone remaining calm. "Is there anything else?"

After he finished speaking, his eyes had already turned cold.

Even though Snow had completed the task she assigned, the fact that he rushed over immediately after finishing the task made Count Cullen feel that Snow was somewhat unruly.

Is such a trivial matter worth making a special trip tonight?

What does your messenger do?

"This is just a side note; the main purpose is to inform you that Viscount Grey is dead."

"If you want to do something, you can start at daybreak, since the Viscount's territory may fall into chaos afterward."

Snow shook his head, his tone calm, showing no remorse whatsoever for disturbing his superior's sleep.

His main purpose was to inform Count Cullen that if he took over as soon as possible, there would be less chaos in Viscount Grey's territory. This was not a matter of kindness, but rather a matter of operational habits... After beheading someone, instead of quickly taking over the enemy camp, were they just going to let the territory rot and let others pick up the pieces?

Upon hearing this, Count Karen's lips curled into a very faint smile. This smile was fleeting, yet it softened the otherwise imposing atmosphere of the study. She hadn't expected this devil to be so "thoughtful," considering things even more thoroughly than she had anticipated.

While it's inappropriate for someone to come over in the middle of the night to report on work, it's a different story if they come over to take orders.

"Then you should take over." Her words were firm and resolute, leaving no room for doubt: "After you've finished, I will appoint you as a viscount, to be my deputy, and assist me in managing the entire coastal province."

Snow was taken aback, but his face showed no joy.

You should know that Viscount Grey's territory is much better than Baron Hawke's remote area.

Although it can't compare to the Earldom, it's still part of the Upper Coastal Area, which is completely different from the Lower Coastal Area where the Hawke family is located.

The Upper Coastal Region is high in elevation and fertile in land, with great rivers and ports, and numerous manors and city-states. The Lower Coastal Region is low in elevation, filled with sand dunes and swamps, barren forests and misty fog, lowland wilderness, and no large cities or wealthy families. Why is Count Karen suddenly being so generous?

Snow thought the pie in the sky was too tempting. After all, the previous Baron Hawke was so poor that even a small village like Rye Village was worth paying close attention to.

Now, the Earl's generosity made him feel a little uneasy. Earl Cullen wasn't short of people, so such generosity didn't fit the ruling logic of those in power. According to the traditional aesthetic of a sweet date and a big stick, the date was visible, but where was the stick?

"What are your plans for the future?"

Snow considered a possibility, and his expression gradually became subtle.

"Of course, we'll leave only one voice in the entire coastal province." Countess Karen's eyes were sharp as knives, her gray pupils flashing with the obsession and determination unique to a female demigod. "The will of the Tamara family will be the only rule here."

"What if there are dissenting voices?"

Snow's face was expressionless; he knew perfectly well that the nobles would never willingly relinquish their power.

"Then you should step forward and make them face reality."

Count Cullen's words were casual, yet carried a bloodthirsty cruelty: "Use your best methods to silence all those who disobey forever."

Snow looked directly into Count Cullen's eyes, whose grey eyes met his gaze without flinching, their intentions clear.

The answer has finally been revealed.

The appointment of him as a viscount was a pretense; his real intention was to keep him doing dirty work.