Earlier, Goethe couldn't figure out why Lady Sheila would seek out Swart. It couldn't have been to recruit or seek protection.
Swart wasn't visiting the Garden Club for the first time, nor was this the first time Lady Sheila knew about Swart. If she wanted to meet him, she would have arranged it long ago. Moreover, given the circles she moved in, if she even hinted at needing something, there were plenty of people more useful than Swart who would rush to ingratiate themselves with her.
So, aside from his authority, what else did Swart have?
Money?
Don't be ridiculous.
Given Lady Sheila's wealth, even if it were reduced tenfold, she'd still crush Swart by a mile.
So before, Goethe was completely baffled.
But now, Goethe finally understood.
It wasn't Lady Sheila who sought out Swart.
It was the 'Fog Killer' who was after Swart!
Why did the killer do this?
Naturally, it was to remove any of Goethe's potential allies, even if this ally seemed useless.
As for why the killer didn't come after Goethe directly?
Goethe glanced at Morey in disguise as a woman and couldn't help but take a deep breath.
The 'Fog Killer' wasn't an idiot; if he were, he wouldn't have escaped from the official pursuit in the capital, Bod, and then killed the official extraordinary personnel in Lust.
So, the killer likely predicted that Morey would use 'divination' to track him down.
Then, the killer boldly set a trap, waiting for Morey to fall into it.
But… the killer wasn't sure who Morey was!
Even if the killer knew more about the 'extraordinary' than he did!
Thus, Goethe was left behind!
He became the 'bait' to lure out Morey!
Just as Morey wanted to use him to lure out the 'Fog Killer'!
Between Morey and the 'Fog Killer,' the roles of hunter and prey kept switching.
And he?
From start to finish, he was just the bait.
In fact, he was practically the 'bait within the bait.'
Goethe didn't mind this.
He only hoped to survive.
With this thought, Goethe stopped in his tracks.
"Morey, I think we should change our approach!"
He said.
---
In the Garden Club, in the main hall.
The murmuring crowd suddenly fell silent.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the woman who appeared at the corner of the hall.
Her delicate and beautiful appearance made the bright lights in the hall seem dim.
Especially the men, whose gazes were now fixed on the woman in the blue dress.
As for the other women who had seemed decent before?
They had been decent, but with the appearance of this woman in the blue dress, they suddenly became plain, even ugly.
As they kept looking, their eyes suddenly narrowed.
Who was the man holding this woman's hand?
Why did the woman look so shy?
And why were they heading towards the exit?
Then—
"Take us to the Pine Hotel."
Goethe's voice rang out clearly in the hall.
The Pine Hotel, the best and most expensive hotel in Lust, was located in the Pine district, where the nobles and wealthy resided. The area was beautiful, clean, and very safe, not only because of the 24-hour patrols but also due to the private bodyguards of the nobles and wealthy, which made it a forbidden zone for some people.
What would a man and woman do when they went to the best and most expensive hotel in the city?
The answer was obvious.
Immediately, all the men felt dejected.
And the surrounding women were filled with jealousy.
"She's just a short-term contract worker on her first day. What's so special about her?"
"Yeah, nothing special!"
"Exactly!"
As these jealous remarks rang out, the women noticed that the men around them were becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
Only then did these women realize what a foolish thing they had done.
If it had been any other time, they would never have said something like that, but jealousy had made them ugly and clouded their minds.
They regretted it, but it was too late.
The woman in the blue dress was destined to be the center of attention tonight.
The carriage wheels rolled over the smooth cobblestone road, quickly heading towards the Pine Hotel.
Inside the carriage, Morey first lit some incense, then quickly made several gestures that ordinary people couldn't replicate, before speaking softly: "We can talk now."
"Were you isolating sound just now?" Goethe asked curiously.
This wasn't a facade—he was genuinely curious about extraordinary powers.
"It wasn't just isolating sound, it was a disguise."
"If someone wanted to listen in, they would hear only what they wanted to hear."
"And this will help with our plan."
Morey explained, then looked at Goethe with a gaze full of appreciation.
After Goethe had succinctly shared his thoughts earlier, Morey immediately agreed to Goethe's plan.
As the current official extraordinary personnel in Lust, Morey knew better than Goethe just how cunning the 'Fog Killer' was.
"You're smart, smarter than I imagined, and you react quickly…"
"So, I hope we can deepen our cooperation."
As he spoke, Morey stared intently at Goethe.
Goethe frowned.
Not because he opposed deeper cooperation.
But because Morey's current appearance made him uncomfortable.
A girl who looked as beautiful as a flower but was actually a man in his forties, with gray hair, sitting across from you and talking about deepening cooperation—it felt like being forced to eat surströmming, and just when you were ready for some fruit afterward, you found out the dessert was durian.
That feeling…
It was like seeing a stick stirring feces!
Goethe had to avert his gaze from Morey and began to collect his thoughts.
"Deeper cooperation is fine, but what do I get out of it? Can I learn these extraordinary powers?" Goethe asked directly, having quickly adjusted his thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't know how to be subtle, but he believed that in this situation, being straightforward was better.
"You can," Morey replied just as directly. "But only if you have the talent! Without it, even if you learn… it won't be as effective as a revolver, unless you want to perform tricks on the street."
After a pause, Morey continued, "Besides learning extraordinary powers, you can also earn a decent weekly salary. Of course, you'll need to work for it."
"Like what I'm doing now?" Goethe asked.
"Exactly like now," Morey nodded.
"That's extremely dangerous!" Goethe remarked.
"There's always a reward for your efforts! And with us, the reward often exceeds the effort!" Morey emphasized.
Goethe didn't respond this time. He believed in getting a return for his efforts, but he wasn't as convinced that the rewards would exceed the risks—especially given the current situation, where each effort seemed to come with life-threatening danger. No matter how much the reward, it only seemed fair given the risks involved.
At that moment, the carriage came to a stop.
They had arrived at the Pine Hotel.
Morey first adjusted his hair and tugged at his dress, stepping out of the carriage with a deliberately disheveled appearance.
Seeing the knowing smile of the driver, Goethe took a deep breath and tossed him a silver sol.
This wasn't the standard fare but rather the price at the Garden Club—always exorbitant, but Goethe believed it would be worth it.
In fact, it was.
Just as Goethe and Morey were about to walk hand in hand into the hotel, a thin mist appeared in the distance.
The next moment, the thin mist turned into a thick fog, rolling toward them like a tide.
Goethe seemed frightened, looking panic-stricken as he pulled Morey toward the Pine Hotel in a rush.
But the fog moved too quickly.
In an instant, it enveloped them both.
Faced with this scene, Morey smiled.
The 'Fog Killer' had finally taken the bait!
Without hesitation, Morey reached under his dress, pulled out a scroll, and tore it open.
A burst of light shone forth.
The thick fog was instantly dispersed.
"Ah!"
A faint scream echoed in Goethe's ears, seemingly distant yet also nearby. He couldn't judge the location based on the sound alone, but Morey instantly knew.
"I'll be right back!" Morey said, dashing off.
The speed left Goethe in awe; in the blink of an eye, Morey was gone from sight.
However, chaos erupted at the end of the street.
Bang! Bang!
Two gunshots rang out, and two patrolling officers collapsed to the ground. Seven or eight figures holding firearms appeared in Goethe's line of sight.
"Kill him!" they shouted the moment they saw Goethe.
Goethe glanced behind him, then calmly and unhurriedly pushed open the door to the nearby Pine Hotel. Looking at the unfazed and composed receptionist, he said, "Give me a room!"
(End of Chapter)