The deeper Annan moved into the dungeon, the more intense the biting cold.
Especially since he had just broken into a sweat just now and hadn’t completely wiped those sweat off, he could feel the coldness overflowing in the air.
“The environment in the senior’s basement seems quite harsh.” Annan smashed his lips.
At the entrance, the temperature near Sage’s Stone had exceeded 50°C. The temperature in the dungeon was at least below zero temperature, almost like cold storage. Annan could even clearly see the white mist puffing out when he breathed.
He searched around in the dungeon.
Annan first discovered the Black Fire Salvatore stored.
These items were all stored here, next to the wall. The white freezing air was like a veil, covering these Black Fires completely.
“…Oh.” Looking at these Black Fires, Annan suddenly remembered something.
Soon after he came to Freezing Water Port, Black Fire burned the ship Don Juan was on into crisp.
Annan was still secretly happy at the time.
When the viscount sent someone to burn the ship, it was tantamount to destroying all the previous evidence. What was left on the ship, how many people had been there, and the traces of battle on it had all disappeared.
They couldn’t find any evidence that Annan wasn’t Don Juan Geraint.
At first, both Annan and Salvatore thought this was Viscount Barber’s work. In their interpretation, the viscount lured Salvatore to analyze and study the Black Fire in the basement and then took the opportunity to murder Salvatore in the basement.
It was precisely because of these Black Fires that Annan prioritized dealing with Viscount Barber and considered the viscount to be fully hostile. Subsequently, they discovered the Rotten Man Church’s conspiracy.
But now, looking back, it didn’t seem to be necessary for Old Viscount to get his hands dirty at all.
Because he didn’t need to burn Annan and Salvatore to death.
He just had to make those Black Fires explode in the Freezing Water Port.
Many dead and injured civilians would immediately arouse the attention of the church and the kingdom. These Black Fires had Salvatore’s personal signature. In the absence of other suspicious elements, Salvatore would inevitably be imprisoned and await investigation. At the same time, Annan, as the feudal lord of the North Sea Territory and the actual owner of Freezing Water Port, would be interrogated.
Moreover, the garrison of the North Sea Territory had always been Roseburg.
In other words, the only area eligible to temporarily detain the two Transcended was in Roseburg.
By that time, Viscount Barber would demand “Don Juan Geraint” and Salvatore to go to Roseburg, waiting for the investigation team from the capital and the people from Black Tower to arrive.
The two would be unarmed in the ??Roseburg’s detainment. Thus, Annan and Salvatore’s life and death were utterly in Viscount Barber’s hands.
Even if Viscount Barber didn’t have a chance to execute his plan, this incident could still be a stain on Don Juan Geraint’s political career. It would then become an excuse for the Gerant family to do many things. After all, the Gerant family didn’t intend to kill Don Juan but to rule the North Sea Territory until the ritual was completed.
Having Don Juan back to the capital would bring the same result.
But if it weren’t for Viscount Barber, who burned the ship?
“Is it Benjamin?” Annan murmured.
Salvatore made only one batch of this inert Black Fire, and it was made before he and Benjamin left Swamp’s Black Tower.
Also, it was later found out that the Black Fires were sold to Viscount Barber through Gerald. But, in the bigger picture, Gerald could only acquire it by purchasing from Benjamin.
Gerald of the Soul Snatch school realized the value of this batch of “inert” Black Fires. But, would Benjamin, as the master of Alteration School, completely ignore its value?
That was unlikely.
Benjamin should leave at least a batch of samples with him.
In other words, this inert Black Fire wasn’t only in the hands of Gerald and Viscount Barber.
Benjamin also has a batch hidden in his possessions!
Hence, he had the tools to burn the ship. On the one hand, it helped him destroy the evidence that “Don Juan Geraint was dead.” On the other hand, he used this as an alert to Annan and Salvatore.
It was a warning to them that Viscount Barber would use Black Fire as an excuse to attack them!
“At least at that time, Benjamin hadn’t left yet.” Annan frowned slightly, “Strange…”
Benjamin, what are you trying to hint?
Why does he want to do all these?
Did he recognize me as a stand-in for Don Juan?
“He met Maria, so he should know that I’m Annan Austere-Winter.”
Doesn’t he have a suspicion as to why I am here? Annan paused his movements and went into deep thought.
There was only one possibility to explain the event perfectly.
—Benjamin knew from the beginning why Annan would appear here!
Perhaps even the reason why he would arrive in the Freezing Water Port was directly related to Benjamin!
“Yes.” Annan had a clearer sense of the ordeal.
The Rotten Man Church feared the Venerated Skeleton. So the guard captain didn’t arrive at Freezing Water Port and left by boat halfway through.
If the person who burned the ship was Benjamin, then he had at least arrived at Freezing Water Port. Since Annan didn’t see his possessions and wizard robes at the time, it meant that he had already left at that time.
Judging from the hunger level after Annan Austere-Winter woke up, he had just arrived on the beach not long ago.
In other words, Benjamin must have met Annan!
But he knew that Annan was a noble and wouldn’t get into trouble, so he didn’t take Annan away with him.
This meant that Benjamin had planned to have Annan act as Don Juan!
That was why he left Don Juan’s token of identification.
Those letters, rings, pocket watches, Don Juan’s dagger, and…
…Truth Fragment·Book of Divine Transporter?
Although Annan still felt that this speculation wasn’t flawless, he found himself closer to the truth.
“What do you want?” Annan muttered, frowning.
He suddenly lost his interest in scrutinizing the dungeons.
Of course, part of the reason was that he found that many things here couldn’t be stored at room temperature.
Never mind.
Anyway, if I want anything, I can ask the senior directly. There’s no need to take it away. It doesn’t matter where I put it.
I just need to make sure I don’t waste them.
As Annan strolled around, he quickly found the location of the so-called “magic mirror.”
It was a standing mirror, about three meters high, covered with a heavy red cloth.
Annan took off a slight bit of the red cloth and draped it behind the mirror. It wasn’t too overwhelming, but 1.6 meters high.
(TN: A quick reminder that MC is a kid.)
It wouldn’t be inconvenient for Annan to put the entire red cloth back later.
Annan still had the decency and alertness to return other’s possession to its original state after borrowing it.
Annan came to the front of the mirror enthusiastically.
Hehehe, bless my Gacha rate [1], what is the essence of my soul?
The black lines on the mirror surface looked like ice cracks. Apart from these lines, Annan could see another him in the mirror.
Black hair at shoulder-length, tightly pressed faint lips, glimmering icy blue pupils, and fair skin.
It doesn’t seem that much of a difference?
Before Annan sunk deeper in his thoughts, the black lines on the mirror gradually faded.
“What?” Annan’s pupils shrank slightly.
Under Annan’s gaze, the pattern on the mirror suddenly changed!
He saw on both sides of his head, two other heads slowly appeared. There was a black bull’s head on the left. The black horn protruding from the forehead seemed to be made from marble. For the majestic lion on the right, its brilliance ferocious as the sun entwined its fur.
In the mirror, Annan’s heavy winter clothes gradually faded away.
Two wings of light wrapped in tender white light spread from his waist. The wings gathered, covering his body below his chest. They appeared like a long skirt at first glance. Behind Annan’s shoulders, there were also two bright golden wings of light slowly spreading out.
At the moment Annan met his gaze with the middle face, there was a buzz in Annan’s head. He immediately turned unconscious.