Mystery: My Encounters with the Celestial God

Chapter 572 Audrey's Satirical Nature

Hillston District.

"It was him! I remember it clearly. He was there every night that family members went missing, one after another!"

In a corner of the street, Hugh Deercha watched through gritted teeth as a lean, capable-looking man who appeared to be in his forties returned to his home.

She would never forget that night a few years ago, when her father was convicted of treason and stripped of his title by the king, and family members disappeared one by one.

If it weren't for the fact that she, her mother, and her brother hadn't gone into hiding and had a bit of good luck, Hugh had no doubt that she too would have disappeared without a trace.

"Goodness, this is a big fish..."

Fowles, who was standing next to her, picked up his notebook and quickly flipped through the lines of names.

"Rudolf Torres, Major General in the Kingdom's Army, whose family participated in the White Rose War and was granted the title of Viscount."

"However, this major general was not the eldest son in his family and was not eligible to inherit the title, but he repeatedly made military achievements in the Southern Continent Army and became a major general at the age of thirty."

"Hugh, are you sure it's him?"

As Audrey Heron compiled the list of high society figures, Fowles looked solemnly at the bounty hunter.

"I'll never forget him in my life!"

Hugh Deercha gritted his teeth, immediately pulled out his trident, and brazenly infiltrated the heavily guarded mansion in broad daylight.

After all, in her view, only by beating the other party and forcibly extracting a confession could she feel relieved.

"Hey, wait a minute, why are you so brainless again?"

"We should tell Miss Audrey about this and have her deal with this guy."

The writer quickly pulled her impulsive companion away, lifting her off the ground so that her legs couldn't touch the ground, thus preventing Hugh Deercha from taking any further action.

"..."

"Folls, let me go!"

The bounty hunter, who was lifted into the air, kept kicking his legs and struggling.

However, Fowles remained unmoved.

After all, in her opinion, Miss Audrey, who had divine backing, was clearly more skilled in this area.

If they act rashly, not only will they be unable to find evidence, but if something happens to the person they finally found, all their efforts will likely be in vain.

…………

"Father, are you saying the King means for me to temporarily take over your position as a member of parliament?"

Inside Earl Hall's luxurious villa, Audrey, with her blonde hair, blue eyes, and exceptionally pure beauty, asked in confirmation.

"What does the King mean by this? Is it because of Hugh?"

The girl's beautiful golden eyebrows furrowed slightly, and with her keen mind and talent for reasoning, she immediately thought of a possibility.

Recently, only the investigation into Viscount Stratford has raised suspicions for the King.

Seeing his youngest daughter deep in thought, without the slightest hint of panic on her face, the count couldn't help but nod with satisfaction.

He didn't keep them in suspense, and said calmly:

"This was inevitable. The king adopted the Duke of Negan's political views, clearly indicating that he wanted to lean towards the Church of Storms, which had greater support. Therefore, he had to make a statement and redistribute the benefits."

"And what you've been up to lately is just a convenient excuse, but it's something we have to do!"

"Helping the former head of the royal guard exonerate is a sure-fire way to make money, Audrey, do you remember what I told you?"

Upon hearing this, the noblewoman nodded and said:

"Prestige and appeal are the two most important things, but above that, expressing your political stance is even more crucial. It helps you distinguish who your friends are and who your enemies are."

During the days of the investigation, Audrey traveled around attending banquets and came into contact with many ministers, members of parliament, and even old aristocrats.

What she found incredible was that when she investigated Viscount Stratford, she sometimes encountered considerable resistance, while at other times things went incredibly smoothly.

"Sigh, Father, these things are really complicated. Why do all those noble councilors have to be so shrewd?"

Audrey complained, adopting a posture of seeking comfort from her elderly father.

"Audrey, it's all about interests. In high society, there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests, except for family."

"Some of those guys are after the Hall family's wealth, others may have sensed something and want you to test the king, and there may even be some ambitious people hiding in the shadows. You must remember that."

"Alright, now that you've taken over my position as a member of the Senate, you must go and meet the King no matter what."

"This afternoon, our king convened a parliamentary session specifically for you, Audrey, you must be careful."

"Don't fall into the trap."

"..."

Seeing her father's rambling complaints and concerns, Audrey Hall nodded, feigning maturity.

After chatting with him for a while, the girl returned to her room.

"He did it on purpose."

Suddenly, a cold, emotionless voice rang out from the girl's warm and elegant room, filled with a subtle fragrance.

"Sister Sharon?" the noblewoman called out joyfully, then paused for a moment before saying:

"Who did it on purpose?"

Before Sharon could utter a brief word, she quickly turned her attention to asking:

"Sister Sharon, are you saying that Mr. Ron did this on purpose? He anticipated it?"

Upon hearing this, the delicate-looking girl with long, light blonde hair, hidden in the mirror, nodded.

"With His wisdom, He could have foreseen this, but He didn't intervene, which was intentional. Let's go and settle accounts with Him."

Uh……

"It seems she still harbors resentment towards Mr. Ron. And rightly so; if I were deceived like that, I would never speak to that guy again."

"Mr. Ron should thank me, after all, no one else would be so considerate of him..."

Shaking her head, which was covered in blonde hair and ornate jewelry, to clear her mind of the jumbled thoughts, Audrey rested her chin on her right hand and pondered:

"Sharon, is your connection based on new leads from Hugh and Fowles?"

Sharon suddenly fell silent, finally remembering that the girl in front of her was an excellent audience member.

No matter how perfectly she hides her emotions, some of her actions will still reveal her thoughts.

"……Yes."

Miss Vengeful Spirit nodded, then stared intently at Audrey and said, word by word:

"Rudolf Torres, a Sequence 5 Retribution Knight, did everything by default at the secret behest of King George III."

"default?"

"Yes, by default, the Augustus family occupies the Judge's Path. Due to the contract, he cannot speak out, nor can he betray the royal family."

Upon hearing this, a glint seemed to flash in Audrey Hall's emerald eyes, and she asked in confusion:

"Then why did he say all this?"

Doesn't this cut off all your escape routes?

The observant audience noticed something was wrong immediately.

Sharon's face remained as pale as a ghost, and she spoke in a calm and indifferent tone:

"Intimidation."

Thanks to Søe's wise leadership, the Rose School was comparable to the Aurora Society and even surpassed many cults a few years ago.

Unfortunately, the major general had served in the Southern Continent and had witnessed firsthand the terror of werewolves, zombies, and vengeful spirits, as well as the bizarre, twisted, and terrifying curses and authority of the "Godly Evils," leaving him with considerable psychological trauma.

When Sharon appeared before that guy in the form of a terrifying evil spirit and personally wrote down the name of Searthon.

The major general was so scared he almost peed his pants.

After all, he didn't want to become a twisted werewolf without any sense of reason, or a live pig to be slaughtered.

"Intimidation? That simple? Hmm, maybe, maybe that major general is terrified of ghosts?"

Looking at Sharon's current form, Audrey had to admit that it was indeed very intimidating.

But isn't all of this a little too simple?

"Sister Sharon, I need to meet with that major general and hint at some things to him, of course, in a secret capacity."

in the afternoon.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, bathing the streets of Backlund in its long-awaited warmth.

The afternoon sun was bright and golden, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility to people from the bottom of their hearts.

The Hall family's carriage sped through the streets. Audrey, who was forced to go to work in place of her "seriously ill" father, lowered the carriage curtains, withdrew her gaze from admiring the beautiful scenery, and felt a bit of heavy pressure.

"It's hard not to wonder why the King is convening Parliament on my first visit. And to make matters worse, at this crucial moment, I happen to have an important witness in my hands."

Although Audrey acknowledged the greatness of the gods, based on her understanding of Ron Sothos, she knew that he couldn't always arrange things perfectly.

"He always gives you a general direction and lets you find it yourself. If you say that Mr. Ron arranged all of this, I'm the first to not believe it, because the two are completely different styles."

After analyzing the situation in her mind for a while, the noblewoman checked herself to make sure there were no mistakes or omissions, and then revealed a perfectly polite smile.

The four-wheeled carriage spun rapidly and soon arrived at the Sodrak Palace, located in the heart of Backlund.

At that moment, a surprised male voice came from behind.

"Audrey, it's you? Where is Earl Hall?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, the noblewoman turned around and discovered that it was an old acquaintance.

"Grelint, are you also here to attend the parliamentary session convened by the King?"

"Of course, I have always been a viscount and serve in the military. According to ancient tradition, I am certainly qualified to participate, but for now I would rather stay at home."

Audrey glanced at Grelint, who was bundled up tightly in the sunlight, and nodded in deep agreement.

"Yes, I agree, my goddess. Wearing a formal dress on an afternoon like this is not a pleasant thing."

"Viscount, I can answer your question now. My dear father is seriously ill, so I will temporarily take his place in council."

Upon hearing Audrey's words, Grelint paused, then asked in surprise:

"You're an earl now? Uh, I mean, how's Earl Hall's health? I feel it's my duty as a junior to check on him."

"Hmm, his first reaction was actually to think about my status, and there was also a fleeting feeling of surprise. I didn't expect that Greylint would also go astray."

The Viscount's reaction did not surprise the young girl; instead of taking it to heart, she smiled and replied:

"You can go anytime, but it's getting late, and the king is probably getting impatient."

After exchanging pleasantries, the two were led by a waiter through a long corridor to a council hall guarded by black-armored knights at the entrance.

"That's why I didn't want to come. Most of the people here are elderly people in their forties or fifties. Can you imagine? I went out with Mary just a few days ago, and today I'm sitting next to her father."

"Perhaps you could have afternoon tea with Mary's father today?"

Audrey muttered to herself, glanced thoughtfully at the two guards, then slightly raised her chin and walked with elegant and graceful steps to the only empty seat near the king.

At this moment, King George III, who was sitting at the head of the brass table and watching everything, suddenly said:

"You're late, Hall's youngest daughter."

Upon hearing the king's voice, the palace, which had been filled with quiet discussions, suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Audrey's expression remained unchanged as she took in the expressions of everyone in the Capitol. She neither bowed nor apologized, but instead spoke softly:

"Mr. Hall is seriously ill, and I have to worry about his safety. My father is only able to hold on because of the country and His Majesty the King."

"?"

Ron's assessment of the noblewoman was accurate; she was a complete charlatan, turning the tables with just one sentence and leaving George III, who had wanted to use the opportunity to reprimand him, speechless.

I don't even know if your father is sick!

What does it mean to do it for the country? What does it mean to do it for me?

It's as if you're saying I'm incompetent?

For a moment, George III felt that Earl Hall's daughter was not an easy character to handle.

"Well, today's Congress is very important. I was too hasty and didn't think things through."

At this point, His tone shifted, and His ancestral round face suddenly became solemn, as He solemnly announced:

"Now that everyone's here, let's begin."

Parliament is not held at all times; it is only convened by the King when there are important matters to discuss.

However, although it was called Parliament, Audrey saw it as nothing more than a one-man show by a few of the most powerful nobles and the king.

Small meetings are held before the main conference, regardless of the location.

Just then, as the king picked up the manuscript to read it aloud, a guard dressed in black armor and riding attire rushed in from outside the door, quickly approached George III, and whispered something in his ear.

After a long while, George III's face suddenly turned extremely ugly. He stood up angrily and slammed the manuscript in his hand onto the long brass table.

"Gentlemen, it seems our discussion will have to be postponed for a while. In Backlund, the capital of Rune, a major general has been brutally murdered!"

"Investigate! Get information out of those two bounty hunters and find out who dared to murder a major general in the Kingdom's army!"

The king's furious roar caused an uproar throughout Parliament.

Upon hearing this information, Audrey Hall's mind exploded, and all she could hear was a jumble of indistinct buzzing sounds.

"Two bounty hunters? Could it be Hugh and Fors?"

"Could the Kingdom's Major General be Rudolf Torres? How could he have died so suddenly?"

In Audrey's view, this was a very important witness, so she was very careful and cautious, fearing that this witness might bring her some kind of trouble. She even used her extraordinary abilities to give him psychological suggestion a few hours earlier.

But she never expected that Rudolf Torres would die, and that his death would be so sudden and coincidental.

At this moment, the girl finally understood everything that came with power and political struggle.

That's different from shooting on the open sea; it's killing without bloodshed, like a cliff hidden in the deep darkness, where a slight misstep could result in a fatal fall.

"No wonder. I knew things couldn't be such a coincidence. Rudolf Torres was bait deliberately laid out by King George III."

Russell's entrapment tactics remain effective even after more than two hundred years.

"That's true. Given Roselle's example, it was quite the right choice for George III to first suspect problems within the nobility, not to mention that the World Peace Corporation has never demonstrated any intention to overthrow the Loen royal family."

"So he deliberately left a loophole, waiting for those with bad intentions to take the bait. Compared to this king, I really have a long way to go."

No wonder he wanted his father to take sick leave. If it were his father, he could have handled it calmly, but if it were me...

Audrey Hall became extremely calm in that instant. Ron's training allowed her to quickly analyze the situation. She looked up and, as expected, saw George III looking at her with a resolute expression.

He stood up and spoke in a majestic tone that demanded obedience:

"Earl Hall of this generation, don't you have anything to say? According to the intelligence, those two bounty hunters seem to be your friends."

The entire parliament hall suddenly fell silent. Audrey remained unmoved in the face of pressure from the King.

After all, for someone who gets to see two deities every week, this kind of pressure from status is nothing.

The girl glanced around, then stood up as if she were the leader, and calmly said:

"Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with me."

However, George III was not willing to let this opportunity slip by, and sneered:

"They're your friends, and you think it's really okay just because you say it's alright?!"

The noblewoman's brows relaxed, and she surveyed the nobles, both high and low, before saying:

"Your Majesty, if that's the case, then the two princes who rebelled before were both your own sons."

King George III turned green with rage and nearly fainted.

Who taught you to talk like that?!

(End of this chapter)