A firm nose, sparse eyebrows, slightly drooping cheeks, and pale blue eyes... Zilinger looked at himself in the mirror, examining him from top to bottom several times, confirming that there was no difference from the unconscious man.
After mimicking a few of the other's habitual actions, he bent down and dragged the man on the ground to one side, and stuffed him into the closet.
Then, he stretched out his right hand and with a snap, broke the other's neck.
Taking out a handkerchief, he wiped his palm, Zilinger closed the closet door.
He walked slowly back to the mirror, put on a black double-breasted suit, tied a bow tie, and then picked up a bottle of amber-colored perfume, dropped a few drops on his wrist, and then wiped it to different parts of his body.
He combed his hair in front of the mirror, Zilinger walked out of the room, closed the door casually, and said to the waiting butler outside:
"Don't let anyone enter my room. There are important items inside."
"Yes, Baron!" The hair-damaged butler placed his hand on his chest and bowed, saying, "Your carriage and the accompanying servants are waiting for you downstairs, and the invitation from Count Nigen is also there."
Zilinger maintained the demeanor of a baron, slightly nodding imperceptibly, accompanied by the butler, arrogantly walking towards the staircase.
Oh, a baron burdened with a lot of debts, who even the ordinary security personnel wouldn't be willing to hire, still maintained the configuration of a butler, a personal male servant, two attendants, two first-class maids, two second-class maids, two laundry maids, a coachman, a horse handler, a gardener, a chef, and a chef assistant. For these foolish nobles, dignity truly outweighed everything... This made me have to waste time learning their strange pronunciations of certain words and the so-called noble tone... Zilinger thought coldly and disdainfully in his heart. ......
In the cramped apartment of the Jowood district, in Beckland.
Hugh Dierch sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at Fors Waldo who was reading a novel by the window light:
"It's truly desolate. Zilingerz left no clue at all. We can't figure out what he was planning to do in Beckland."
They followed the prearranged plan and called the police, sending a letter secretly to the police station that handled the case, detailing the strange conditions at the murder scene and the suspected criminal who was Zilingerz.
The police department's reaction was not beyond their expectations. They were cautious and directly handed it over to the "Punisher" team.
After a day of deliberation, the fact that Zilingerz, hidden in the "Hurricane" during the storm, infiltrated Beckland spread throughout each "Law Enforcement Team". Hugh and Fors left their original rented place and hid themselves, conducting covert investigations.
They didn't want to be taken back to the police station to assist in the investigation. Whether it was the "Punisher", the "Night Watchman", or the members of the "Mechanical Heart" team, they all hated the non-official extraordinary beings and regarded them as potential criminals.
So, Hugh and Fors were not only avoiding Zilingerz's possible pursuit but also avoiding those "Law Enforcement Officers".
"Fors, I'm just worried that Zilingerz will act quickly and escape from Beckland before everyone reacts."
"Then I have no idea when I can advance to sequence 8, let alone sequence 6, sequence 5..."
She paused for a moment, staring blankly and whispering:
"I have no idea when I can get back what belongs to our family... I haven't seen my younger brother for almost a year..."
Fors smiled comfortingly:
"When you fulfill your wish, please allow me to write your story. It will definitely be very exciting and interesting."
"Well, actually, I think with Miss Audrey's generosity, even if this is the end of things, she will give us a generous reward. After all, we have been so busy, and we made Zilingerz appear voluntarily."
"Hopefully so... Why can't I have an adventure?" Hugh roughly tugged at his shoulder-length blonde hair.
Fors frowned slightly and said:
"In the extraordinary world, adventures often come with danger. I still don't know what the murmurs that appear at the full moon represent. Whether they will cause any negative changes, hehe, there are also adventures without danger, but they are extremely rare. Your wish really can't be fulfilled. Unless we get the favor of the orthodox deity or the gaze of a friendly hidden being. However, it's very difficult to tell if this is a disguise of a demon or a devil."
Hugh straightened his back and drew a crimson moon on his chest:
"May the goddess protect me!"
......
Duke Genin's mansion is located in the Queen's District of Beckland. A grand ball is underway.
This place is divided into two parts. One is the dancing hall, which is on the ground floor, covered with magnificent stone slabs adorned with intricate patterns. There is an excellent band belonging to Duke Genin in the corner. As one ascends the stairs along the hall, there is a circular corridor on the second floor, surrounded by a circle of columns. Guests stand in front of the railings, looking down at the dancing below, similar to watching a fencing event from the stands. From time to time, a gentleman approaches a lady or a lady-in-waiting and invites them to dance. If permitted, both parties hold hands and walk down the stairs into the hall.
On the other side of the corridor away from the hall, there are one after another doors, and the back is basically a guest lounge.
But the double doors that open outwards leads to a corridor, with different plaster statues on both sides, all belonging to the ancestors of the Genin family.
Reaching the end, one can see the other part of the ballroom. It is also a hall, with long tables, various delicacies and wines, and another band belonging to Duke Genin playing soothing and relaxing music for the guests.
In this hall, guests gather in groups of three or five, sitting or standing, discussing various matters, hoping to briefly escape the hustle and bustle. Those who wish to temporarily escape enter the balconies attached to the hall, looking at the scenery in the garden and the red moon in the sky.
After the opening dance, Audrey Hall was originally standing on the second floor of the ballroom, staring blankly at the huge crystal chandelier hanging from the roof and the candles on it. But when she noticed that many people were getting restless and wanting to come over for a dance, she cleverly left here and stepped onto the corridor leading to the "dining room".
It's so boring, but you can't not attend... Ah, they can't let me observe there quietly? I have to say, some people's expressions when dancing are really rich, always reminding me of those animals seeking mates... Audrey lowered her head and walked in a single step, bored.
Just then, she noticed a figure approaching her in the corner of her eye, quickly slowed down, straightened her back, and instantly transformed back into the elegant and quiet Miss Hall.
"Hello, Baron Grimal." Audrey greeted with a flawless smile and etiquette.
Baron Grimal, with sparse eyebrows and pale blue eyes, smiled and bowed:
"Hello, Miss Hall. You are the brightest and most dazzling gem in this ball."
After a few exchanges of pleasantries, Baron Grimal walked towards the ballroom, and Audrey continued to approach the "dining room" location.
After a few steps, she suddenly frowned, her green eyes full of confusion:
"Baron Grimal is not the same as usual... "
"Before, when he saw a lady or a lady-in-waiting with a higher status and a more beautiful appearance than himself, his gaze would shift to the side, not daring to look directly, and constantly glance... But today, he seems very confident..."
"Also, the smell of his perfume is not right. When he attended various gatherings before, he always emitted the base note of 'amber' perfume, pure and light, not showing off but noble. That is to say, he would spray perfume several hours in advance to let the top and middle notes evaporate before the banquet, but just now, the fragrance on him was the middle note of 'amber', thick and elegant..."
Audrey's pace slowed down even more. As a "spectator" who had completely digested the potion, her keenness for details was far beyond that of other extraordinary individuals.
Suddenly, an idea occurred to her, and her green, shiny eyes froze:
"Could it be that Zilinger is pretending?"
"'The writhing hunger' has the ability to transform a person into different appearances!" ...
Audrey kept thinking and the thought grew stronger in her mind. Her heart suddenly rose up, filled with both tension and panic.
"If it's really 'Hurricane of the Wind', what does he want to do? Unfortunately, we can't bring Susie to this ball. Otherwise, we could have secretly observed the Baron Gramir from earlier... No, I must warn Dad!" As her thoughts swirled, Audrey quickened her pace and entered the dining room, They found Earl Holber, who was communicating with the chief secretary of the coalition government and others.
She drew an impeccable smile and walked over, taking hold of Count Holber's arm, addressing the others:
"Dear gentlemen, may I borrow Count Holber for a few minutes?"
"The beautiful lady, this is your right," several gentlemen responded kindly.
Audrey pulled Count Holber to the nearest balcony, found a secluded corner, and addressed her middle-aged, overweight father:
"Father, I have something to tell you."
Count Holber originally had a loving smile, but seeing his daughter's very serious expression, he also became serious:
"What is it?"
"I just met Baron Gramir, but he's different in some details from before. For example, the scent of the perfume on him is of the 'amber' middle note, whereas it was the base note before, like..." Audreysaid the differences she had observed, which could be explained by her sharpness and attentiveness.
After describing the incident just now, she deliberated and added:
"I heard from Count Grailentin that 'Hurricane of the Wind' Zilinger has the ability to change into someone else's appearance. Isn't he in Beckland right now?"
Count Holber listened quietly and his expression became extremely solemn.
But he soon smiled again, soothing his slightly panicked daughter:
"I'll handle it. Go find your mother and stay with her. She's in the lounge of this hall."
"OK," Audrey nodded obediently.
On the way to the lounge, she looked back at her father. She saw Count Holber having a low conversation with a nobleman, with an extremely serious expression.
Audrey's heart couldn't help but rise again. She felt she had to do something to prevent her father, mother, and brother from being harmed.
Looking around, she changed direction and left the dining room, entering a corridor, and familiarly found the small prayer room of Duke Nigen.
She pushed the door in, locked it behind her, and looked at the symbol of the Storm Lord in front of her, subconsciously finding a secluded and dark corner.
Audrey sat down, leaned forward, and crossed her hands to form a prayer gesture against her forehead.
Then, she whispered in Hermes language:
"Unaware of this era's fools, you are the mysterious master above the mist, you are the yellow-black king who holds good fortune."