Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 368 The Tragic Tale of Justice (The first two chapters have been significantly revised)

The Queen had left Backlund months ago, when Luzer was still clinging to the self-deception that his sister was alive. Now that the Queen had returned, he knew far too much and had endured far too much.

Regardless, the Queen's return was indeed fantastic news, meaning he now had a high-sequence Beyonder on his side. Especially given the recent strange atmosphere in Backlund, as if something big was about to happen, the Queen's arrival gave him a great sense of security.

"It's indeed a good thing."

Lu Ze thought to himself.

Besides reporting the Queen's return, the letter also arranged a time and place to meet, saying it was a new gathering location. Sharon planned to release a batch of extraordinary traits at that gathering and asked Luze if he wanted to come along. If so, they should meet at the "Braveheart" bar on that day.

After a moment's thought, Luze decided to go and see the Queen.

He put down the letter; it was almost one o'clock, and there was still some time before the tarot reading session began. Normally, he would have spent this time meditating, but not now.

"Eat well, brother."

Cecilia's words echoed clearly in his ears in the dream. Luze silently stood up, turned around, and went into the kitchen.

Charles has already arranged for people to deliver all kinds of ingredients, from fresh vegetables to baked bread, from canned fish to flour and rare rice, everything is available.

Faced with an abundance of ingredients, Lu Ze was momentarily at a loss, unsure of what to do.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to do something simple.

"Gurgling."

The thick broth, mixed with green vegetables, shredded egg, and dough balls, bubbled and simmered on the gas stove. That's right, because he was attending a tarot reading in two hours, he chose an easy dish—dough ball soup.

Speaking of which, Klein wanted me to stay for dinner last time. Hmm, tomato beef brisket with rice. That guy knows how to eat.

Smelling the gradually rising aroma from the pot, Lu Ze's Adam's apple bobbed for the first time in a long while. For some reason, he thought of his former colleague and fellow townsman who had transmigrated from the same hometown. He had visited his former colleague yesterday, but hadn't found him. Instead, he had unexpectedly picked up a "Desecration Token."
The thought that the "Abyss" card now belonged to him and was well preserved at sea filled Lu Ze with excitement.

After all, it was a "blasphemous card".

After all, it contained detailed records of the path to godhood.

Moreover, even without selling this card, the potion recipe on it is already quite valuable. Roselle, you've done something good for once!
"It should be almost cooked."

M's face appeared in the reflection of the pot, reminding him.

"I know."

Lu Ze's thoughts were interrupted. He said irritably, reached out to turn off the stove, ladled the soup into a bowl, and returned to the dining table in the living room.

"Meow~"

Luna, who had been scratching at the glass outside the kitchen trying to get in, finally got her chance. She followed him over and jumped onto the table. She cautiously extended her front paws, but before she could even touch them, she felt the heat and quickly withdrew her paws.

"It's not for you to eat."

Lu Ze pushed it off the table with his arm.

Luna wasn't angry. Instead, she circled around, jumped onto his lap, and peeked out from the table. She watched as Luze dipped a spoon into the bowl, stirred it slightly, blew away the steam, and took a sip.

Then, he seemed stunned.

"Meow?"

Luna, looking somewhat worried, reached out and patted Luze's arm, trying to wake him up.

"I am fine."

Lu Ze snapped out of his daze and gently stroked the black cat with his free hand. He hadn't eaten warm, normal food in a long time, subsisting on flesh and blood, and had almost forgotten what real humans should eat. In that brief moment, he felt his humanity fill his soul, significantly diminishing the arrogance of a shepherd who treated others like lambs.

"Very good, your condition has stabilized."

M praised.

Lu Ze glanced at her but didn't say anything. He quickly finished his lunch, and by the time he cleaned up and washed the dishes, it was already past 2:30.

After resting for a while, when it was a few minutes to three o'clock, he had M create a virtual personality and waited patiently.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, at 15 Minsk Street, Joewood District.

"Holding a tarot session under surveillance from someone you don't know is quite stressful."

Klein hid in the bathroom and forced himself to walk four steps backward in the narrow space, entering above the gray fog.

The commission from Prince Edsack was really difficult to complete, and he was unwilling to investigate too deeply, lest he uncover something that would cause trouble. Moreover, perhaps it was just his imagination, but after he accepted the task and left the prince's manor, it seemed as if an unseen gaze was constantly watching him.

That obvious stare was a reminder not to actually "discover" anything, right?

Klein thought to himself.

So lately, he can only pretend to be investigating, working hard but getting nothing in return, in order to satisfy everyone around him.

Although he actually discovered some truly terrifying things.

"Heh, being out on an investigation made me miss meeting Lu Ze. No, I should say it's fortunate I missed it."

Klein had no intention of contacting Luzer, as doing so would inevitably draw the attention of the powerful figure behind the scenes, making his situation even more difficult. He planned to maintain the facade for a few more days, then feign an inability to uncover the truth and report back to the prince.

In this way, he can fade out of the scene and leave safely.

It was already three o'clock in the afternoon, and Klein extended his spirituality, touching every deep red star on either side of the bronze table.

"Wow"

Crimson light surged and subsided across each seat, outlining blurry figures.

Klein really liked the scene; it gave him the feeling that the Tarot would gradually grow and thrive under his guidance.

"Emlin consulted me about the Fool before, and perhaps he will come here in a while."

He thought to himself.

"Good afternoon, esteemed Mr. Fool."

All the figures had been outlined, and Audrey, as always, stood up and greeted him. However, her voice seemed somewhat subdued today, unlike her usual cheerful tone.

Miss Justice is acting a little strange.
Of those present, apart from [The Sun] Derrick, everyone else had more or less noticed the anomaly, but only Klein and Luzer knew the reason.

[Justice] Miss Audrey's friend Cons Learson was caught up in the assassination plot of Duke Negan and unfortunately died.

—Luzer was a firsthand witness, while Klein received Audrey's report afterward. This innocent and carefree noblewoman witnessed such a setback for the first time in her life.

Even so, she still tried to maintain her tradition and greeted everyone. The others, not understanding what was going on, could only nod and wonder why she seemed a little off.

　The first two chapters have undergone significant plot revisions. After careful consideration, I felt that the previous plot was somewhat inadequate and needed major overhaul.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)