South Tivian, Bishop’s Square.
In the cold night wind, the lively performance continues. Adèle, having taken the stage for the second time, performs her third dance of the evening.
Graceful, sorrowful... The tone of Adèle’s third dance is completely different from the previous ones. Under the melancholic music, Adèle’s movements appear both tragic and beautiful. The white swan she portrays, struggling in adversity, evokes a sense of pity from the audience below.
Unlike during her earlier dances, the crowd is much quieter now due to the somber tone of the performance. Although quiet, the attention of everyone present remains firmly fixed on Adèle. The audience watches the stage with tense expressions, genuinely moved by the emotions conveyed through her dance. Each person is deeply concerned about the fate of the swan.
Finally... as the dance reaches its conclusion, both the music and Adèle’s movements gradually become more uplifting. Her dance transitions from heavy and slow to light and powerful, as if the swan has found a glimmer of hope amidst its struggles and is striving with all its might to seize it. After enduring countless hardships, the fallen swan finally spreads its wings and soars back into the sky. At the same time, the audience erupts into thunderous applause.
Another dance ends. Adèle looks at the cheers and applause from the audience and lets out a deep sigh of relief. After bowing to the audience one last time, she slowly retreats backstage.
Once offstage, Adèle is greeted with warm welcomes from her dance troupe. Amidst the laughter and chatter, a deep exhaustion is hidden in the depths of her eyes.
“Ah... it’s been a long time since I’ve danced so strenuously…”
After dealing with the welcoming crowd, Adèle sits down on a nearby chair and thinks to herself. At this moment, due to the overuse of her abilities, her innate spirituality is nearly depleted.
“Although the influence on each individual is minimal, it’s still affecting several thousand people simultaneously. If I hadn’t fused with a part of my teacher’s spirit beforehand, increasing both my abilities and my spiritual reserves, I doubt I could have managed this in the past…” Holding her forehead, Adèle reflects on this. Such a feat would have been nearly impossible for her in the past, when she was just an ordinary Desire Dancer.
“Hmph, but who would have thought that those spider freaks would infiltrate so close to the royal family? How did they manage that? I wonder what method that detective lady will use to deal with that assassin.”
Sitting backstage, Adèle ponders this. At this moment, she understands that the only person capable of handling those spider assassins is the famous detective in the audience. Now, she eagerly anticipates what move the detective will make.
…
On the VIP balcony, Barrett comments on Adèle’s dance as usual.
"Ah... another deeply impressive dance. However, the final twist felt a bit abrupt. I sense that Adèle’s dance was originally meant to be a tragedy from start to finish. That swan might never have flown again. This ending was likely changed by Adèle at the last moment."
Beside him, Princess Isabella nods in agreement.
"Yes... I felt the same way. Perhaps it’s because a purely tragic performance isn’t suitable for the New Year. A happy ending is more acceptable to most people, especially the common folk. While tragedy can pursue deeper artistic expression, only a minority can truly appreciate it. From this, I can see that Adèle is leaning more towards making her dance more accessible to the general public during this evening’s performance."
Princess Isabella continues her critique, and she and Duke Barrett delve deeper into the topic. Meanwhile, among the three bodyguards standing behind them, one listens intently to their discussion while remaining vigilant.
Among these bodyguards, the one on the far right is a burly man with a scar near his eye, his skin slightly tanned from sun exposure, and a fierce expression. Hidden deep within his gaze is a profound intent to kill.
…
On the other side, amidst the still lively audience, Dorothy stands among the crowd, uninterested in the new act on stage. At this moment, she is using her marionette’s perspective to closely monitor the scene on the VIP balcony, her eyes fixed on the disguised Eight-Spired Nest assassin standing behind the two royal family members. Her mind races as she contemplates her next move.
“Assassinating the royal family... so this is the true goal of those bastards? Which of the two royals—the princess or the duke—has done something to become a target of the Eight-Spired Nest? Could it be that Duke Barrett’s research has yielded some results, and the Eight-Spired Nest has caught wind of it?”
Dorothy ponders this, and after much thought, the only reason she can come up with for the Eight-Spired Nest suddenly targeting these two royals is this. According to Misha, Duke Barrett is a consultant for the Serenity Bureau.
Due to the Eight-Spired Nest’s frequent actions targeting the Mirror Moon statue, the Serenity Bureau has also begun researching the figure. However, to avoid contamination, the Serenity Bureau’s research into the mystic is not conducted too deeply. As a result, the research on the figure was eventually delegated to Duke Barrett.
Now that Duke Barrett has become a target of the Eight-Spired Nest’s assassination, it’s possible that his research has made some progress, and the Eight-Spired Nest wants to strike first.
“It seems Duke Barrett must have discovered something, which is why the Eight-Spired Nest is in such a hurry to eliminate him. In that case, Duke Barrett must not die. But the question now is, how can I save him from this backstab-and-snipe situation?”
Dorothy thinks this to herself. She hadn’t expected the Eight-Spired Nest to infiltrate so close to the duke, even replacing one of his personal bodyguards.
There are two assassination points. The sniper is manageable, but the bodyguard standing behind Duke Barrett is a tougher problem. At such close range, stopping his assassination attempt would be extremely difficult.
“If I send someone to directly stop that bodyguard assassin, they might be mistaken for the assassin themselves and be stopped by the other legitimate bodyguards. If I try to warn them, why would they believe me? This is quite the dilemma…”
Scratching her head, Dorothy feels frustrated. The only person who could potentially warn Duke Barrett is Adèle, but doing so would expose Adèle’s identity to both the royal family and the Eight-Spired Nest. Adèle’s spirituality is already depleted from her earlier wide-area ability use, and exposing herself now would put her in great danger.
If I use ordinary marionettes to warn them, why would they listen to me? Directly intervening would only make me look like the real assassin.
Dorothy also considers causing chaos to forcibly stop the performance, but this might only prompt the assassins to act sooner. After succeeding, they could pin the blame on her for causing the chaos, making her play the same role as Sado and his group. The Eight-Spired Nest would welcome that outcome.
I can’t cause chaos to stop the performance, I can’t directly intervene to stop the assassin, and I can’t directly warn them... Under these constraints, stopping the assassination seems nearly impossible.
Thus, Dorothy stands in the crowd, stroking her chin as she thinks deeply. She continues to use her marionette’s perspective to closely monitor the positions of the two assassins. This is the first time she’s encountered a situation where, even after knowing the enemy’s location, she still can’t act.
“It seems I’ll have to warn the royal family after all. But how can I do so without alerting the Eight-Spired Nest or arousing the suspicion of the royals?”
Dorothy silently ponders this in her heart. At this moment, she feels a tap on her shoulder and is startled. Turning around, she sees that the person who tapped her is none other than Gregor.
"Hey, Dorothy! Did you see that just now?! That magic trick on stage was amazing! The person went into the box and came out as someone else. How did they do that?”
With an excited expression, Gregor taps Dorothy’s shoulder and points at the magic act on stage. Startled, Dorothy glances at Gregor and then at the magic trick on stage, her lips twitching as she responds.
"Ah... yeah, it’s really amazing..."
While saying this, Dorothy can’t help but inwardly complaining.
“Bro... you’re a Beyonder too. Can you not get so excited over a magic trick performed by an ordinary person? Besides, transforming into someone else is something you can easily do yourself, right?”
Dorothy complaining inwardly, but as she does, she suddenly has a realization and a faint idea forms in her mind.
“Perhaps... I can try this?”
Glancing sideways at Gregor, Dorothy strokes her chin thoughtfully. Then, she closes her eyes and, in her role as Detective, begins to pray to Aka.
“Great Aka, please convey this prayer to Black Hound Mayschoss. I know he is attending the New Year’s Eve celebration at Bishop’s Square in South Tivian. A great crisis is unfolding at the square, and behind this performance lies a sinister plot by the Eight-Spired Nest. I need his help to stop this plot.”
After finishing her prayer, Dorothy immediately sends the entire content of the prayer to Gregor through their connected information channel. She then stands in place, watching the performance while keeping an eye on Gregor out of the corner of her eye. She notices that Gregor, who had been engrossed in the magic act, suddenly freezes, frowns, and begins scanning his surroundings. His expression quickly turns to one of concern, and he clearly loses interest in the performance.
Frowning, Gregor hesitates for a moment, then, after steeling himself, closes his eyes and begins to think. Shortly after, Dorothy hears Gregor’s prayer.
"Great Aka... please convey to Detective that I have heard his words. What exactly is the crisis he mentioned?"
Hearing Gregor’s prayer, Dorothy immediately responds. In her reply, she briefly explains the current situation at the square, informing Gregor that the royal family members on the balcony and the other audience members are under threat from the Eight-Spired Nest’s plot. She emphasizes that she needs his help to stop their scheme.
After hearing Dorothy’s explanation, Gregor’s expression grows even more serious. He asks "Detective" a few more questions, and Dorothy answers each one.
Thus, Dorothy and Gregor, standing less than half a meter apart, communicate through prayer. At the end of their exchange, Dorothy instructs Gregor.
"In short, Mr. Mayschoss, you need to immediately head to the end of Blue Weave Street on the right side of the square, to the alley between numbers 11 and 12. Once you’re there, I’ll give you further instructions. Time is of the essence, so hurry!"
After hearing this, Gregor, with a grave expression, stands still for a moment. Then, he solemnly turns and pats Dorothy on the shoulder.
"What’s wrong?"
Turning to look at Gregor, Dorothy tilts her head and asks with a puzzled expression. Gregor crouches down and speaks to her seriously.
"Listen, Dorothy, I need to step out for a bit. But leaving you alone in a place like this is dangerous, and I’m not comfortable with that. So, come with me..."
"What’s going on, Gregor? There’s only half an hour left until the New Year countdown. If we leave now, we won’t be able to get back in time to see it."
With an innocent and confused expression, Dorothy asks Gregor, who responds with equal seriousness.
"It’s complicated, and I can’t explain it right now. So, don’t ask too many questions. I’ll explain everything later. I’m sorry we’ll miss the countdown this year, but I promise to take you to see a full one next year. For now, just come with me, okay?"
Hearing Gregor’s words, Dorothy thinks for a moment. Although a trace of confusion remains on her face, she obediently nods and says.
"Alright, let’s go, Gregor."
"Great, you’re my little angel, Dorothy..."
Relieved that Dorothy is so understanding and obedient, Gregor speaks gratefully. Initially, he had worried that Dorothy, like other children, might throw a tantrum and insist on staying to watch the performance. After finishing his conversation with Dorothy, Gregor takes her hand and leads her through the crowd. Soon, the two of them exit the audience area and quickly walk away from the venue. Before long, they leave the square.
Then, in a secluded corner outside the square, Gregor leaves Dorothy there and gives her final instructions.
"Alright, Dorothy, wait here for me. Don’t go back into the venue. If anyone other than me comes to get you, don’t go with them. If you sense any danger, run back immediately. Understand? I’ll be back soon.”
Gregor speaks earnestly to Dorothy, who nods seriously in response. Seeing this, Gregor breathes a sigh of relief and quickly leaves. Watching Gregor’s retreating figure in the cold night, Dorothy can’t help but complain inwardly.
“Bro... do you realize you just set up a death flag with all that? In some movies, you’d be dead by now… But luckily... the task I’ve given you isn’t too dangerous…”
Dorothy thinks this to herself, then prepares to send Gregor new instructions.
…
On the other side, after leaving Dorothy in what he believes to be a safe area away from the square, Gregor quickly heads to the designated location: the end of Blue Weave Street, outside Bishop’s Square, at the alley between numbers 11 and 12. After confirming the address, he enters the alley, closes his eyes, and begins to pray to Aka, sending a message.
Shortly after, he receives a reply.
"Good. Now... Mr. Mayschoss, use your abilities as a Shadow Facade to disguise yourself as this person..."
Along with the reply, an image of a man appears in Gregor’s mind. Seeing this image, Gregor is momentarily stunned but quickly complies, using his abilities to transform.
As Gregor’s bones crack and shift, his body rapidly grows taller. His facial features begin to shift, and soon, Gregor has completely transformed into another person.
Tall, with slightly sun-tanned skin, a fierce expression, and a small scar under his eye—this figure is none other than the bodyguard standing behind Duke Barrett and Princess Isabella, the one whose true identity is an Eight-Spired Nest member!
After completing the transformation, the male voice of "Detective" echoes in Gregor’s mind.
"Mr. Mayschoss, after completing the disguise, immediately take off your clothes and make it look like you’ve just been in a fight. Then, go to Blue Weave Street, Number 1, enter through the main door, and warn the security personnel inside protecting the royal family.”
"Remember, you are now one of the royal family’s personal bodyguards. The vile cultists of the Eight-Spired Nest attacked you, attempting to steal your identity and assassinate the royals. Fortunately, you survived. You need to warn your colleagues about the danger lurking near Duke Barrett and Princess Isabella."