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"Speaking of which, Mr. Bolt did tell me about a dream he had."

"Oh?"

"He was with the young lady in the small room of the Twin Cherry Bakery, enjoying the fine tobacco she provided. Amidst the swirling clouds of mist, the mysterious lady took his hand and led them through a shimmering ladder of light, into a wondrous world. In the hazy, dim light, three ferocious orcs approached, frightening him terribly. But the orcs trembled and knelt before him, kissing the ground. The mysterious lady told him that these were villains vanquished by the Marble King and now served hard labor in the mines of the Exalted God. When their labor was complete, the Invincible One would elevate them to the stars."

"Then, amidst the swirling mist, a mysterious lady led him into a forbidden land. He described a room in the divine realm, where towering crystals shone with a faint green light, and priceless treasures were placed haphazardly like stone pillars. Enshrouded in the crystal's light, the evil demon sealed by the Marble King twisted in agony, its indescribable form seeming to tear apart the illusion of reality." Hopper rested his hand on his chin, recalling, "When he described the evil demon, his entire body trembled, and he almost broke free from my magic."

The Inquisitor lowered his hand and gestured unconsciously. Hopper knew he was thinking the same thing as him.

"What finally convinced Mr. Bolt was that the Invincible One had blessed him and shared his glory," Hopper continued. "He felt himself trapped in a bright light. The Mysterious Lady commanded three orc minions to hurl swords, lightning, and fire at him, but they all bounced harmlessly off him."

"He felt a surge of supreme ecstasy, and the tobacco in his mouth grew sweeter and sweeter. Finally, he woke up with a pleasant tremor. He found himself sprawled on the floor, having never left the Twin Sakura bread."

Hopper raised his head, sucked the blood from his fingers, and met the Inquisitor's eyes.

"You've guessed what I guessed you were going to say" Hopper said with a smile.

"Stop, Miss Hopper," Igor said with a wry smile. "Stop playing these devilish tongue twisters. You've been there firsthand, so you probably know better than I do what this so-called dream is."

"It seems our Mr. Bolt has gone to a place I've always wanted to go—the prison where the Bloat Demon is imprisoned."

Author's words: I didn't have the chance to mention this before, so I'll explain it briefly here.

The overall setting is of a relatively low level of magic, and the attitude of most civilians towards magic is "I know about it, but I have never seen it, let alone learned it."

I banned some magic that visibly disrupted the plot, such as resurrection.

Chapter 168: Funeral and Joy

The Inquisitor rapped his knuckles on the table, agreeing with Hopper but also questioning, "My question is, how did he get there?"

"Now that we know Miss Mystery is one of my kind, this shouldn't be a difficult task," Hopper said. "A significant portion of Baatezu possess the ability to teleport."

"I know that. After all, the nature of my work requires me to be familiar with all the inhabitants of the Netherworld," the Inquisitor replied, staring at the flickering flame of the oil lamp. "But I always thought baatezu could only teleport themselves."

"Oh~ Magic~ Magic~ Magical magic~" the succubus sighed, humming a tuneless tune. "There's nothing wrong with the knowledge you've learned. But with certain rituals, magical items, or prayers, teleporting people isn't a difficult goal to achieve."

Igor nodded, and instead of going deeper into the issue, he gave his own analysis.

"Showing to be impervious to fire and water, and invulnerable to weapons. It certainly sounds like a common practice among false gods. It seems our paths have crossed again, Ms. Hopper."

"Don't be too happy, Inquisitor. We still haven't figured out how to get into that secret room."

"I remember you wrote to me saying that you had worked with Daluk before. Can't we ask him for help?"

The succubus's face was long. He said, "You're too late. I don't think Daluk will still trust me after killing half the orcs in the camp. I'm afraid he'll attack me the moment he sees me."

Dozens of days had passed since Hopper and Edim escaped the Eagle's Nest, and she hadn't heard of any orc attacks on the caravan. The entire Eagle's Nest suffered heavy losses, and it was unclear who would gain more from this power struggle, the shaman or the chieftain.

However, Igor's words also reminded Hopper that although he was definitely not liked by Daruk, it did not mean that others had no way out.

After all, the orcs' great cause needs funding, so naturally they have to give some courtesy to the sponsors.

"I suggest you go find Lady Hearthheart. She's sure to have a solution." Hopper winked at him. "But, do you have any transfiguration magic? I don't think you can enter the Eagle's Nest in human form, let alone meet the key figure, Daruk. In fact, I doubt he's been killed by the chief since the last time."

"Lady Hearthheart?" the Inquisitor repeated hesitantly, then realized. "Tsk, another political issue, huh? Thanks for the heads-up. I'll go talk to her."

He then reached into his bosom and pulled out an object that looked familiar to Hopper.

"Imitation of divine blood?" Hopper looked curiously at the test tube filled with silver-gray liquid. "Are you planning to use it to transform?"

"It's a refined imitation of divine blood," Igor corrected. "It's much better than the one I gave you last time. Even though it's a replica, it's the blood of the God of Transformation after all. It should have no problem maintaining the transformation for a whole day."

"A free reminder," Hopper warned, remembering his last meeting with Daluk. "Dalluk is a shaman of the Hollow Witches. Ordinary disguises won't hide him. Especially after what happened last time, he'll definitely be even more defensive."

"I thought information about the devil was charged." The Inquisitor was a little surprised, but still confident. "Don't worry, the divine blood has been blessed by the Blood Father. If he were just a shaman, I don't think he would be able to recognize it."

Hopper smiled, very happy that her mission had a direction to move forward.

"Speaking of Lady Hearthheart," the Inquisitor put away the test tube, "she wanted me to tell you something. The repairs are almost done. She hopes you can witness the birth of the weapon."

The dwarf-like succubus stood up and jumped to relieve the pain from sitting for so long. She knew what Lady Hearthheart meant: this was a demonstration of the strength of her allies, and also a demonstration of their power to her.

"Since Lady Hearthheart has invited me, I will definitely attend. However, does she have a timeline for her plans? The recent assassination will probably make the Archbishop ten times more vigilant."

"As you know, Blood Father forbids us from participating in struggles involving the True God." The Inquisitor shrugged, clearly unable to answer the question. "But I must say that your worries are unnecessary."

"Oh?"

"You haven't left the house all day?"

Hopper nodded. Although there was no clue linking the demon last night to the poor baker's apprentice, many people had seen her at the theater yesterday. She didn't want to be dragged into the sheriff's office as a witness and have to write a statement all day.

"Then you missed the fun," the judge said, knowing that there was a conflict between Hopper and Judith. "Guess how the Golden Dome Church will explain the assassination that happened last night?"

The dwarf slowly shook his head, somewhat puzzled. What other explanation could there be for the assassination? Either it was a pretext to promote the theory of the non-human threat, or it was a way to cause trouble with Parliament, demanding more funds and troops, just like Lord Monte had done.

The Inquisitor never liked to engage in riddles. He curled his lips slightly and said mockingly:

"Speaking of which, I have to thank you for transforming back to your original form last night. Otherwise, this would have been a huge stain on the Church of the Perfect Man. Now, the news has spread throughout Emerald Harbor. Everyone is saying that the Perfect Man had already predicted Ms. Judith's assassination and specially dispatched the black-winged angel of death to welcome her back to the divine realm."

The demon's mouth dropped open. Even devils had to admit sometimes that mortals were more creative than they were.

"Right now, the entire Golden Dome Church is busy celebrating the ascension of Lady Judith. I waited all day but couldn't see Archbishop Eichmann. According to the church sexton, Archbishop Eichmann will personally preside over Judith's funeral. You really don't need to worry about not being able to carry out your plan with Lady Luxin."

The dwarf began to pace in the house, feeling that he should not have stayed in the house so conservatively during the day, being completely unaware of the news outside.

"What about the others? There were quite a few dead and injured last night. Is that assassin definitely from the Chuckle Club?"

"At least based on my conversation with Mr. Liangmu, it was indeed the Chuckle Club who did it. Wade Liangmu said that they initially just wanted to teach the Golden Dome Church a lesson and get them to exercise some restraint. Unexpectedly, Ms. Judith didn't have any protective magic on her, and she was killed directly."

Hopper held her forehead with her hand. This was the reason why she didn't want to join the Chuckling Club in the first place. It was too adventurous and chaotic. It was obvious at first glance that it was an organization where people acted faster than they thought.

"Please tell me they at least have an escape plan."

"As far as I know, the assassin was caught on the spot and is probably still imprisoned in the Golden Dome Church." The Inquisitor was also troubled by these reckless people. "The rest fled in all directions. I was busy arresting our Mr. Bolt last night, so I called a carriage to take Wade Brightwood to the Hearthheart Shipyard. Now, only Lady Hearthheart might be willing to give them shelter."

"Furthermore," the Inquisitor added, "I suggest we move Mr. Bolt to Lady Hearth's place as well. This is only my temporary residence, and it's not adequately protected. We can't be sure when the mysterious lady will discover that her prey has been taken away."

"Didn't Archbishop Eichmann punish the knights and priests present?"

The judge shook his head to indicate that he was not sure.

"I'm not entirely sure. But since the Golden Dome Church wants to publicize that Judith has ascended to heaven, I'm afraid they can't blame the priest who was present at the time for not being able to save her—otherwise, wouldn't that be a betrayal of the good intentions of the perfect person?"

Chapter 169: Preparation for a Riot

When the long-tailed sea bass, also known as "one-eyed fish," on the fishing boats returning from the surf zone becomes increasingly plump and its roe becomes increasingly round and plump, the residents of Emerald Harbor know that the Harvest Festival is approaching.

In a city filled with merchant ships and sailors traveling from north to south, with vastly different races, hometowns, and accents, if you were looking for a festival that would bring these diverse people together to celebrate, the Harvest Festival, which honors Mother Earth and the God of Wine, would be the perfect choice.

Whether it is the celebrations, dances and competitions that last for a whole week, or the abundant food and drinks on the streets, they all attract sailors and residents who have been busy all year round.

The highlight of the Harvest Festival is the opening ceremony. During this ceremony, prominent figures from the Twinkling Star District deliver speeches on a high platform. For most attendees, the point of attending these speeches lies in the unlimited beer and the generous gifts of money offered by the nobles.

This year's Harvest Festival was even more extraordinary. With one month left before it began, the whole city was visibly excited.

Hopper ducked through the hanging ribbons and slipped under the fruit stand.

The market stalls were damp and dark, filled with buzzing flies and plump stray cats that, to the dwarf, looked as big as lynxes.

Even so, Hopper was still willing to walk under the stalls. At least there were no annoying people kicking her around. There were so many people at the Harvest Festival that she wanted to kill them every time she passed the mast area.

Besides, walking under the stalls has other advantages, for example, you can hear many interesting conversations.

"Why are there so many people this year?" a gentle voice sounded above my head.

"That's right, dear. Come closer to me so you don't get squeezed," said another young man. "But it's not surprising. There's an Ascension Festival before the Harvest Festival, and the streets are full of priests wearing those silly yellow ribbons."

The delicate lady let out a low cry, followed by the man's groan of pain.

"Don't say that outside, you'll get into trouble."

As the man hurriedly apologized, Hopper finished the journey sheltered by the stalls and had to squeeze into the crowded crowd again.

The Surf District was also crowded, but it was still much better than the Mast District, where there was nowhere to stand. Furthermore, as Hopper left Fishmonger Street and turned into Shavings Street, home to more factories and workshops, the crowds dwindled. The clanking of tools even made Shavings Street seem a little quieter.

Hopper knocked on the door of the toy workshop again, and just like last time, the wood golem opened the door for her. The difference was that this time, it cautiously asked several questions before asking her to wait.

He didn't keep the dwarf waiting for too long, as several other visitors soon knocked on the door, including Wade Brightwood and Niya Iron Ring.

"Oh, dear Jane," said the Lady of the Iron Ring, her eyes lighting up when she saw her, and she opened her arms and gave her a big hug. "I heard from Ann that you have settled in Emerald Harbor, but I never found the time to visit you."

"You're welcome, Ms. Hoop," Hopper said with a perfect fake smile. "I didn't know you were coming over today. Is it okay for An to be home alone?"

Ms. Iron Ring waved her hand, clearly unconcerned. "She's grown up enough to take care of herself. She's busy picking out clothes and jewelry for the Ascension Ceremony."

Hopper was a little surprised to hear the news and almost couldn't keep up with the wooden golem. Fortunately, Wade Liangmu helped her up.

"Attending the Ascension Celebration?" Hopper rubbed his waist and repeated, "Does the Golden Dome Church allow non-humans to enter?"

"It's fine after the donation, huh?" Wade snorted disdainfully, unconsciously moving a little further away from Hopper. It looked like he was still reeling from the treatment he received that night. "This donation is quite substantial, Ms. Iron Ring. You love your daughter very much."

Although the two of them have reconciled and are even still in the same club, Mr. Liangmu still seems to dislike Ms. Tiehuan.

"It's just a child's curiosity," Ms. Tiehuan explained calmly, maintaining her composure. "Letting her see how we're discriminated against by the long-legged people will teach her an important lesson."

Mr. Liangmu didn't say anything more, simply turned his head away. Fortunately, their parallel journey was not long, so no one had to endure the awkward atmosphere for long.

It was still the same courtyard filled with various woods, but this time the wood golem did not lead Hopper and the others to Master Conn's workshop. This time they walked straight ahead and walked directly into the tall and bright reception room.

Ms. Luxin and Master Kangen were already waiting inside.

"Welcome, welcome, everyone." Ms. Luxin stretched out her arms, the rings on her hands sparkled, and she hugged every guest seriously and restrainedly.

Hopper noticed that apart from Master Conn, there were only five or six dwarfs in the entire hall, and even the servants had left.

"You are all the best among the Stone Clan," Lady Hearthheart said solemnly, looking around. "I have explained the plan to everyone. If you are afraid of danger and want to withdraw, you can leave now."

Not a single dwarf moved. It was quite normal; Lady Hearth had already filtered out those dwarfs who thought the Golden Dome Church would hold back.

"Very good," Tiara Luxin nodded with satisfaction. This was something she had anticipated. "I believe everyone has heard about the assassination that happened a while ago."

The hall was filled with whispers, and all the dwarves were secretly looking at the two members of the Giggle Club.

"I know everyone has their own opinions, and I'm not saying I completely agree with the Chuckle Club's approach," Ms. Luxin gestured for everyone to be quiet. "It's just that everyone has seen the impact."

Her eyes were shining as she looked into the distance, as if something had inspired her courage.

"Even an assassination attempt on one of their lackeys would be enough to terrify the Golden Dome Church." The lady clenched one fist and knocked it against the other. "They would be forced to come up with such a lame excuse as 'ascension'."

"Just think about it. If their leader was shot in public, it would be enough to prove that their so-called protection of the perfect people was all a lie! The myth they created would crumble into a giant rock that would crush them to death."

Ms. Luxin's words were quite contagious, especially considering the previous case of the assassination of Judith.

"Black Anchor has no objection," a male dwarf standing in the shadow of a pillar responded first. "Just a question."

The dwarf raised his hand, revealing a row of dark throwing knives hanging from his belt. This caught Hopper's eye. She vaguely remembered that Black Anchor members specialized in smuggling and were always very low-key. She didn't expect to meet a Black Anchor leader here.

Without waiting for Lady Hearthheart's signal, the Black Anchor representative continued, "Who are you planning to assign to this mission? Black Anchor's best sniper is not currently in Emerald Harbor."

The lady gave a knowing smile, and Hopper felt that it contained some mockery of Black Anchor's cowardice.

"Don't worry. If such a critical issue hasn't been resolved, I wouldn't have asked you all to come here." She paused, then cast her gaze on Hopper. "I have found the most suitable executor for this plan, Miss Jane Flash."

All the dwarfs looked at her at once.

Chapter 170 Blue Moon

"That's truly..." the Black Anchor representative said hesitantly, "an unexpected choice."

His tone was hesitant, and it was obvious that he did not approve of Ms. Luxin's approach, but he did not say it out of fear of power.

"I live in the tower all year round," said another male dwarf, with striking waist-length hair. His voice was barely above a whisper, his hands tucked into his sleeves. "Perhaps I'm uninformed, but I haven't heard of Miss Flashing Rope. I wonder what kind of achievements she possesses to deserve such a prestigious position."

Ms. Luxin frowned and was obviously unhappy.

"I respect Barb Tower's professionalism, Leonidas." She nodded to the long-haired dwarf, but her tone didn't convey much respect. "I expect the same in return."

Hopper glanced at Leonidas again, unnoticeably. The Barb Tower, nestled in the shady area, was one of the few places in Emerald Harbor where one could learn arcane magic. The Golden Dome Church's reach into the tower was out of the question, but he hadn't expected them to actively participate in this operation.

"I understand that you may have some doubts," Ms. Luxin said calmly, her voice filled with unquestionable authority. "But I implore you to trust my judgment and expertise. Miss Jane is absolutely the best person we have found to complete this mission. No one is more suitable than her to shoot the target at the Harvest Festival."

That's right, Hopper nodded and thought, you can't find another monster with black wings to help you do this job.

Obviously, Lady Hearthheart was quite powerful among the dwarves. After she finished speaking, the representatives of Black Anchor and Barb Tower no longer objected.

The Lady was pleased with her position and the submission of the others. She continued, "According to the intelligence we've received, the target does have some magical protection. While it might be a formidable barrier to ordinary weapons, it's definitely no match for the divine weapon forged by Master Kangen!"

Master Kang En, who had been silent the entire time, finally came forward at this time. He held a wooden box in his hand with a solemn expression, walked into the middle of the crowd, and looked at Ms. Luxin.

The dwarves all had a vague idea of ​​the plan, but were unclear about the specific details. Now all the dwarves' curiosity was piqued.