“It looks like I have to buy more hair dye.”
The young man called “Karl” stroked his hair, put his hand on his head, and showed a wanton smile, “Old man, do you have any good products on sale?”
As he said this, the gray mud around him was surging restlessly and gurgling.
Afterward, Karl suddenly lifted his right hand that was holding his hair.
He put his palm forward and waved his hand.
The mud surged forward like a living thing. It tried to swallow everything in and tear up inside.
It was different from the attack on the ship.
This time, Benjamin was prepared with the alteration reagents in advance. He finally demonstrated the combat prowess of the alteration wizard.
A large amount of black smoke was flowing out of him.
Benjamin was like a general commanding a soldier. The black mist constantly gushed out and confronted the mud.
When these black mist contacted the mud, vermilion crystals were formed at the contact point. The wall made of black mist altered the mud into vermilion crystals. Then, these crystals break by themselves. They transformed into red needles, which gathered around Benjamin.
Benjamin waved his hand forward suddenly.
The red crystal needles, like torrential rain, barraging Captain Karl!
Karl was not nervous about it at all.
The mud and sand in front of him rose on their own as if they had turned alive. The moment it left the ground, it condensed into a solid and thick stone wall. The red needles struck the stone wall and then fell to the ground.
Under the stone wall, the mud and sand spread in all directions and solidified. A solid “underframe” was formed.
But after the red needles shattered, they sparkled with golden brilliance.
After a short delay, they were connected.
—Exploded!
At this moment, Benjamin suddenly shouted, “David, quickly detain him!
“I can’t kill another person. Keep altering. I can’t stop!”
David?
Are you calling me? But, shouldn’t you and I be mortal enemies?
Annan was taken aback for a moment. He quickly realized something.
Yes, this assumption is wrong.
At the moment Annan realized this, all the clues were connected in front of him. Annan understood everything.
Annan didn’t hesitate to push the dazed Maria’s shoulder.
He no longer put up an act. His voice was loud and clear, “Hurry up, Maria. Quickly separate them!”
“Okay.”
Maria also vaguely felt that she understood something.
Although Gerald’s actions were rude, they woke her up from the preoccupied thoughts immediately.
Maria’s ring shined brightly.
She reached out her slender right hand, grasping the empty air, sending out an Edict,
“[Truce]!”
When her cold voice fell, a transparent wall rose between Benjamin and Karl, cutting the battlefield in half.
The invisible repulsive force started from the wall and pushed on both sides at the same time.
Amid the roar, the sand and red needles were pushed away to both sides through a powerful repulsive force. Even Benjamin and Karl were both pushed back away from this wall by the repulsive force.
At this distance, it was impossible for them to confront each other immediately. No matter whether it was mud or red crystal, they would be stopped. Only powerful spells that required preparation could overcome the repulsive force.
In other words, the two parties won’t have to worry about being attacked by the other party. Instead, they could sit down and talk calmly.
Annan sighed at the effect of this spell.
What a way to stop a fight.
“Can we talk?” Maria turned her head and looked at Annan earnestly, “Why separate them?”
Annan seemed to see his reflection in her pupils. Everyone else looked at Annan.
Or rather, all looking at Gerald.
Annan chuckled. He clapped his hands and took a step forward.
On the ordinary and gentle face that belonged to Gerald, there suddenly appeared self-confidence disproportionate to him. The smile was so brilliant and even seemed a little wild.
“Sir, gentlemen and our esteemed Highness,” said Annan. He turned back gracefully to bow and to pay respect to Maria.
Maria also politely returned a curtsy to him.
Immediately afterward, Annan said calmly, “In fact, I have found out the truth.”
As Annan said, he looked at his watch, “Although the reasoning will be after dinner, I almost ran out of time. Let this boring farce end here.
“The reason I want to stop you from fighting is simple. Because if one more person dies, we will only have five people left. What does that mean?
“If the person who killed Master Michelangelo hasn’t killed anyone yet, he can kill one person and end the ritual directly,” probed Maria.
Annan nodded and shook his head again.
“You can be right, but that’s not the problem.”
He sneered, showing an elegant and reserved smile.
He raised his voice and replied, “The crux of the problem is that if there are six people alive, the murderer can’t kill anyone no matter how powerful he is. Otherwise, there will be a flaw in the ritual, or perhaps an endless loop.”
Annan’s attitude today was not at all as humble as he had shown before.
Every move seemed to be shining, attracting everyone’s attention.
“Let me put it this way. The way to end all this is simple. It’s just a simple question.”
Annan said straightforwardly, “Since the very beginning, we have ignored this. Why? Everyone present has more or less taken people’s lives before. So, we’re fine with hiding our identity from others.
“But here is the crux of the problem.”
With that, Annan looked at Maria and asked, “Does the Edict school have a spell that can tell the real name of others?”
Annan had seen something similar at Viscount House before.
Maria blinked, realizing something.
She quickly replied, “Yes, there is.”
She immediately took out a flat emerald green jade tablet from the small waist bag she carried.
With a light touch of her right hand, the strange marks were burned on it.
“Hold it and ask people for their real names. If the answer is correct, it will flash white; if the answer is wrong, it will flash red.” Maria handed it to Annan, explaining the usage.
“Okay, Your Highness.”
Annan smiled slightly, looked straight at Ghirlandaio of the Prophet school, raised his hand, and passed the jade tablet.
He said gently, “Your Excellency Ghirlandaio, would you like to test it?”
Ghirlandaio, who had been silent, looked at Annan and suddenly laughed.
He walked over without fear and held the jade tablet tightly.
As everyone watched with different expressions, Ghirlandaio said calmly,
“My real name is–
“Michelangelo Buonaro.”
—The white light came on.