Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Audience

Andy kicked open Bill’s door with a single blow.

Yet, it seemed he hadn’t disturbed Bill at all—Bill stood inside, fully dressed, waiting for him. He had already been warned by Diga.

As soon as Andy left his own room and strode toward Bill’s, Diga noticed him immediately. Seeing Andy’s hurried expression, and being quite wary of him, Diga hurried to alert Bill.

Seeing Bill already dressed, Andy was a little surprised, but he didn’t waste time and went straight to the point, “Give me the Mask!”

Without waiting for Bill’s reply, he snatched the “Joseph Mask” from the table, and without pausing, dashed out again. Only then did his voice drift back through the open door: “I’ll just borrow it for a bit!”

Bill watched the door, still swinging from Andy’s exit, and kicked at the air in Andy’s direction.

Last night, Bill had made quite a commotion practicing “Intimidation” after visualizing Diga. Diga had stopped him, advising against visualizing such a powerful presence for now, warning that otherwise, it wouldn’t be intimidation he was releasing, but a “beacon,” which might attract unnecessary enemies.

Afterward, Bill tried visualizing Viscount Colin, whom he had seen before, and sure enough, when he used “Intimidation” again, he found himself exuding a quality similar to Colin’s.

He practiced repeatedly until late into the night, and only when he had basically mastered the so-called noble demeanor did he finally go to bed. He hadn’t expected Andy to barge in and ruin his rest so early in the morning.

He muttered, “Maniac,” slammed the door shut, and hurried back to bed to catch up on sleep.

Andy, meanwhile, rushed back to his room with the “Joseph Mask,” eager to share his idea with Catherine. Under Catherine’s expectant gaze, he carefully placed the mask on her.

With the mask on, she should now be able to take on the appearance of Viscount Colin.

After putting on the mask, Catherine remained motionless for a long while. As both of them grew impatient waiting, there was a sudden “bang” and a flash of white smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Catherine’s appearance had changed dramatically.

No longer the sleek black kitten she had been, she was now a chubby, tabby old cat—her feline features surprisingly reminiscent of Viscount Colin.

Andy stared in astonishment, then burst out laughing, collapsing onto the bed.

Perplexed, Catherine looked at her left paw, then her right, before leaping in front of the dressing mirror.

“Mew!” she yowled in outrage, her fur bristling, then jumped onto the bed and pummeled Andy, who was still laughing uncontrollably.

Unseen by Andy, two ghosts were cheering Catherine on—one was the maid who had spoken to her before, the other, shockingly, was Robert MacKen.

It turned out that Robert MacKen’s ghost had formed just last night, only to be caught by Catherine. After being bitten by Catherine and suffering greatly, the newly formed and still weak MacKen had easily submitted to her tyranny. It was he who had provided the location of the secret supply warehouse.

Now, watching his killer—Andy—with a complicated expression, young MacKen wished Catherine would simply claw him to death. But remembering that just badmouthing Andy the previous night had nearly cost him most of an arm to Catherine, MacKen shuddered and cheered her on even more fervently.

Andy had to promise several stories before Catherine would relent. After helping her remove the “Joseph Mask,” Catherine kicked it far away in disdain, never sparing it another glance.

Andy was about to speak when there was a knock at the door. It was Bill and Jera—they had received word that the Knights of the Divine Wind had entered the city.

When Bill saw the “Joseph Mask” tossed on the floor like trash, his mouth twitched slightly. He picked up the mask in silence, put it on, activated “Intimidation,” and gave Andy a disdainful look, drawling, “Insolent commoner...”

To his credit, he did bear a faint resemblance to Viscount Colin.

Andy ignored Bill’s antics and quickly shared the intelligence Catherine had gathered the previous night. Together, they began to consider if there were any holes left in their plan.

Bill had already, under Colin’s name, made significant adjustments to the city guards and issued strict orders of silence. Even if the guards suspected why Andy, who had made such a scene at the city lord’s manor yesterday, was now allied with Viscount Colin, they were unlikely to suspect that this Colin was a fraud. Moreover, every soldier who had witnessed Andy slay Cromwell had been temporarily locked up by Bill on various pretexts.

Under Jera’s guidance, Bill efficiently assigned soldiers to accommodate the Knights of the Divine Wind within the city and invited their leaders to the city lord’s manor for a meeting.

Half an hour later, in the reception hall of the manor, Bill finally met the leader of the Knights of the Divine Wind, Mr. Ron Barton, and his deputy commander, Allen Barr. Andy and Jera attended as guests.

Originally, Andy was preoccupied by the strange happenings at the Wizard’s Tower. Suspecting these newcomers might be plotting against his mentor, Stein, he had wanted to investigate the tower instead of attending the meeting. But when Jera suggested they try to enlist the Knights’ help in exploring the Wizard’s Tower, Andy forced himself to stay and support “Viscount Colin” at the meeting.

Commander Barton had a sturdy, honest face and performed the knight’s salute with utmost seriousness. By contrast, his deputy, the tall and elegant Allen, imbued his salute with a touch of aristocratic grace. Standing together, they looked like a noble’s son accompanied by his loyal old retainer.

After the salute, Barton’s broad, honest smile reappeared as he addressed “Viscount Colin” cordially: “My lord Viscount, it has been some time since we last met. I trust you have been well?”

“Of course...” Bill instinctively began to exchange pleasantries, but Jera’s voice sounded in his ear, “They have never met you before!”

Naturally, Jera couldn’t remind Bill in front of the keen-eared knights. Instead, Bill heard the message through a small “receiver” pressed to his ear—another little device crafted by Bill using alchemy under Diga’s guidance.

As Jera spoke, Andy discreetly blocked Barton and Allen’s line of sight. Meanwhile, Catherine had already cast a “Silence” spell around Jera, ensuring that her voice would not reach the knights’ ears, but only Bill’s earpiece.

Of course, Andy had claimed to have cast the Silence spell himself.

Bill immediately changed his tune. “In fact, there could not have been a previous meeting. If I recall correctly, I have never had the pleasure of meeting Commander Barton.”

Commander Barton’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He explained, “That was half a year ago. I was accompanying the Marshal to the front, and did not enter the city due to official business. However, when you came to pay your respects to the Marshal outside the city, I did see you from afar.”

Feeling guilty, Bill did not press the matter further. He shifted to polite inquiries, asking if there was anything the Knights of the Divine Wind required assistance with.

Before Barton could reply, a clear voice sounded in the hall: “Is the Viscount not going to introduce the two at your side? Especially this lovely young lady.” The last words were spoken with an unmistakable note of flirtation. At this, a trace of helplessness finally appeared on the honest Barton’s face.

It was Allen Barr. From the moment he entered, his attention had been focused on Jera, and Andy’s maneuver to block his view had only annoyed him further. As a scion of a prominent family from the capital, he was already weary of his commander’s and the provincial noble’s tedious formalities. Now, unable to restrain himself, he pressed forward.

Speaking as he moved, he attempted to step around Andy to approach Jera, flashing what he considered a charming smile.

Andy sidestepped, blocking him once more. At this, Allen’s lips curled in scorn, but he didn’t alter course, walking straight into Andy. He was confident that, as a knight, he could easily overpower this bald youth.

Andy, having undergone many “baptisms of flame,” was equally sure of his own strength. He met Allen head-on without hesitation.

There was a resounding thud as their chests collided solidly.