Chapter Thirty-Two: The Xibeikolin Project

After meeting with Bill and Jera, Andy learned some information from Jera. First, Viscount Colin had already been killed by Schmidt; second, the “Kamikaze Knights,” returning from the front lines, would enter the city tomorrow; and lastly, the radicals among the Gillian people were attacking the inner city of Dallas.

Aside from the first piece of news, which lifted Andy’s spirits somewhat, the other two made his head ache. Dallas was now a complete mess. If it weren’t for his concern over Stein’s safety, he’d have gladly left it all behind.

Although he hadn’t killed Viscount Colin with his own hands, there were plenty of guards and maids who had seen him causing chaos in the lord’s mansion. With the arrival of the Kamikaze Knights, Colin’s death would surely be blamed on him.

“Andy, can I have a look at the mask in your hand?” Jera suddenly asked.

Without hesitation, Andy handed the mask to Jera and watched as she removed her glasses and placed the mask on her head.

Nothing happened.

Jera took the mask off and examined it closely, sighing, “As expected, it doesn’t work. Maybe it needs magic or a spell. Andy, try putting it on and channeling magic into it.”

Andy nodded, took the mask, put it on his face, and infused it with magical energy.

As the magic flowed in, the mask slowly melted away from Andy’s face, and his features began to change, eventually becoming those of Viscount Colin. Not just his face—Andy felt his body transform into that of a middle-aged man, though he could still sense the vitality and magic hidden within himself.

At that moment, information flooded in from the mask. Its name was “Joseph Mask.” It could absorb the body and soul of a target through contact with blood, and with the provision of magic, Andy could take on the target’s appearance.

“Hmm, quite a treasure,” Andy mused in Viscount Colin’s voice, utterly unaware of the true value of such a relic. He then removed the mask and reverted to his own appearance.

“Andy, can I take a look at the mirror in your hand?” Bill, imitating Jera’s scholarly tone and winking, addressed Andy. The mere sound of his voice gave Andy goosebumps.

Of all his spoils, the mirror intrigued Andy the most, especially since he had just seen Schmidt, disguised as Colin, praising it loudly as a “wonderful treasure.”

Hearing Bill’s request, Andy quickly tucked the mirror into his arms and tossed it to Catherine to play with.

Bill deflated at Andy’s reaction, but suddenly, as if discovering a new continent, pointed at Andy’s chest. “Hey, what’s that in your arms? Is it a cat? It looks just like Catherine’s Angel!”

“By the way, do you know how Catherine is? Is she still alive? When we sneaked back to Phillips Manor to bury them, we didn’t see Catherine.”

“Of course she’s alive. I rescued her later, but she was frightened and didn’t want to study witchcraft anymore. Fortunately, I recently found out about her parents, so I sent her home,” Andy lied, knowing Catherine didn’t want anyone to know her current state.

For some reason, when he mentioned her parents, Andy felt Catherine shudder in his arms.

“Oh, that’s a pity,” Bill sighed, oblivious to the meaningful smile Jera threw his way.

Andy then recounted his escape from Phillips Manor, though he heavily edited the story. He concealed the truth about Catherine, claiming he’d learned of Stein’s relapse from other sources, and made his soul talent sound like the prestigious “Fountain of Magic.”

Despite some embellishments, Andy managed to give Jera and Bill a clear picture of his current situation.

“So, Andy, we only need to solve three problems now. First, find out what’s happened to Wizard Stein; second, get rid of the wanted notices on us; third, make sure the Kamikaze Knights don’t blame us for Colin’s death,” Jera said before Andy could respond. “These problems aren’t easy for us, but for another person, they’re simple.”

As she spoke, Jera pointed her delicate finger at the “Joseph Mask” in Andy’s hand.

“You mean—?” Andy’s eyes lit up.

“Viscount Colin, of course. We’ll impersonate him, negotiate with the Kamikaze Knights, revoke our wanted notices, and send someone to investigate Stein’s whereabouts. As long as we don’t slip up, I suspect the Knights will leave quickly. The front lines won’t allow them to linger in Dallas for long.”

“But the mask’s memories of Colin were already read by that guy I killed. Without those memories, we know almost nothing about Colin—how can we impersonate him without being exposed?” Andy asked.

“We don’t know Colin, but neither do the Kamikaze Knights. All we need to do is exile the rest of Colin’s trusted subordinates under the pretext of their failure to protect him, then promote a few unfamiliar newcomers. That way, we can basically control Dallas.

“At that point, those with vested interests—even if they sense something is off—will find reasons for us. Perhaps the viscount’s temperament changed after a brush with death. We just need to hold out until the Kamikaze Knights leave.”

Jera analyzed the situation calmly, then said to Andy, “You’re of noble descent yourself, trained from childhood. Surely you know how nobles handle daily affairs?”

“I know nothing!” Andy started, then quickly corrected himself, “I know a place. There’s someone there, and we can interrogate her for all kinds of inside information about Viscount Colin. After all, she’s his wife.”

In truth, Andy wanted to admit he knew nothing about noble routines. Since crossing over, for reasons unknown, his memories of his predecessor Andy Charles had grown ever more blurry with time, rather than integrating more closely. Despite his powerful memory talent—he could recall books almost word-for-word, and remember the PM2.5 index for any day back on Earth—he almost completely forgot Andy Charles’s life, save for major events, language, and basic knowledge.

Sometimes Andy wondered if this was some kind of retribution for disregarding his predecessor.

Jera was keenly interested in the viscountess and didn’t mind Andy’s sudden change of story, instead urging him to take her to see the woman. The group retraced their steps through the secret passage, Andy now disguised as Viscount Colin.

They strode boldly out of the passage, and Andy ignored the guards and maids who bowed to him, leading Jera and Bill straight to the room where the viscountess was bound.

He didn’t notice two maids exchanging nervous glances, then hurrying away in panic.

Seeing the door to the viscountess’s room wide open, Andy rushed inside.

The room was in chaos. The viscountess had been strangled with a silk scarf, her face marked with bloody scratches from fingernails. Judging by the traces in the room, this was not the work of a single person.

For a moment, Andy and his companions were speechless. Only Catherine’s occasional meowing and the spiritual fluctuations imperceptible to others broke the silence in the room...