Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 431 New Year’s Eve in various places

The same night, Backlund, Thordrak Palace.

Audrey, who was wearing a gorgeous palace dress, was sitting in the lounge, waiting for the party to start. She had a newspaper on her knees, with the death data from the smog that had just been compiled today printed on the front page.

"Twenty-three thousand people..."

She murmured to herself, folded the newspaper and placed it on the coffee table next to her, unable to bear to read it anymore.

Thanks to the timely and generous donations from the nobles and the royal family, as well as the full assistance from major churches, no more humanitarian disasters occurred in the past half month after the great smog. The victims lived in temporary resettlement houses and received barely enough support. Food can satisfy people's hunger and prevent them from starving or freezing to death on the streets. However, there are still a large number of young children and elderly people who have not survived the plague and infectious diseases that followed the haze.

And the royal family is still holding a New Year's party...

She had no intention of accusing the royal family of being extravagant. After discussing with the church, they had temporarily canceled the fireworks show on the banks of the Tusok River and the float parade in Queens, and even included a charity donation link in this evening party. Compared with before, it was already Saved a lot.

but……

Audrey closed her eyes, exhaled, and adjusted her negative emotions.

She has a more important task later.

There was a knock on the door, and Lady Catherine, who was also dressed up, came in, pulled Audrey up, and hugged her gently:

"Baby, you're going to surprise everyone tonight."

She took her daughter's hand and walked out of the lounge to the second floor of the party hall.

Below are almost all the nobles above Viscount and above in Backlund, as well as a few invited wealthy businessmen. They are either holding wine glasses or standing quietly, waiting for today's protagonist to appear.

Audrey adjusted her mood, put on the mask called "Audience", stepped forward, and handed her hand wearing white gauze gloves to the waiting queen.

The latter led her up to the raised platform on the second floor and looked at the guests below.

"Everyone, in the past half month, Backlund has experienced the darkest period, but in these days, we still have the most dazzling gem that can illuminate this darkness. Her beauty and wisdom, Etiquette and character are impeccable.

"I formally introduce her to you, Miss Audrey Hall."

With that said, she stepped aside and gave up the main position to Audrey.

Taking a deep breath, Audrey walked to the railing and faced the silent crowd below.

She suddenly found that at the front of the crowd, her father, Earl Hall, and her eldest brother, Hibbert, were looking at her quietly with encouraging smiles.

This gave her the last bit of courage.

"Good evening, thank you all for attending today's New Year's party," she said with a perfect smile on her face, greeting the stunning eyes. "I originally prepared a speech for the coming-of-age ceremony, but just now, I saw it in the newspaper After reading the statistics about the great smog, we threw it away.”

"This city is bearing the suffering of countless people, as well as their expectations. In the streets of the East District, homeless people and orphans are naked and helpless. Half of the factories in the dock area and factory area have not yet started operating. A large number of Workers are unable to pay their rent and are displaced. This is a... natural disaster, but one that is still relevant to each of us.

“On behalf of my father, Earl Hall, I hereby call on everyone to work together to establish a relief fund to send a ray of hope to these suffering people, so that the winter after the disaster and the following days will not be affected. Lose anyone again because of cold or hunger."

There was silence in the party hall.

Most people had not been notified before and still thought it was just an ordinary New Year's party. They drank and chatted as usual, wished the aristocratic children who had grown up in the new year, and then rushed back before the zero o'clock bell rang. My own warm mansion.

Audrey's sudden initiative at this moment caught them by surprise.

"Clap--"

The first person to applaud was the queen next to her, which surprised Audrey. When her father informed her of this temporary party process, she thought that the most likely person to object was the royal family. Unexpectedly...

Earl Hall's smile did not change, and he clapped his hands gently to encourage him. His eldest brother Hibbert raised the wine glass in his hand and greeted the little princess in his family. Several earls with high status, as well as those who did not have a title, but were recruited because of their wealthy family background. The invited wealthy businessmen also took the lead in applauding or toasting. Audrey noticed that these people were all believers of the goddess of the night, just like her father.

With the queen's signal, Earl Hall and other nobles took the lead, and other guests soon joined the party, causing the party hall to turn from silence to noisy in an instant.

Audrey's smile was still on her face, but she was thinking and analyzing quickly in her heart.

My father should have informed the royal family of this move, but he did not notify most of the nobles... However, the great nobles who are followers of the Night are cooperating. Is the Church of the Night standing behind this initiative?

Thinking of the Hanged Man's analysis of the situation after the Great Smog in Backlund in "Tarot Club", Audrey seemed to understand something.

But why did my father let me make an initiative at the coming-of-age ceremony? Didn’t he always ask me not to get involved in these things? Could it be that because they knew that I had become an extraordinary person, they asked me to get closer to the Church of the Night Goddess and receive their protection?

Alfred joined the army, and Hibbert served on the Air Pollution Investigation Committee, which may lead to his entry into politics. My father hoped to leave a safe channel for me... This is contrary to my idea. I originally hoped to enter the political arena as soon as possible. With increased strength, he could protect his family in disasters like the Great Smog, but why was he protected by them again...

She tried to use Mr. Hanged Man's method of analyzing things to guess the true meaning behind her father's actions, and quickly got several plausible answers.

It seems like I need to find a chance to talk to Hibbert, or send a letter to Alfred... She thought with some frustration.

"Audrey."

The queen next to her handed her an exquisite wine glass and gestured to her.

She calmed down, took it with both hands, raised the glass of a drink that looked the same color as champagne but was actually non-alcoholic, and said to the guests below again:

"Thank you again for attending this party and wish you all a happy new year."

Boom——The fireworks outside the floor-to-ceiling window exploded in the sky, and colorful lights reflected on the floor of the hall.

That night, Audrey officially became an adult socially and in her own mind.

----

Inside a low-rise house in the Jowood district.

Fors carefully arranged the sacrificial ceremony and dedicated the radio receiver purchased from a citizen scientist to the mysterious Mr. Fool. A moment later, the proceeds of the transaction appeared on the altar: 15 pounds.

After seeing transactions involving hundreds or even thousands of pounds at Tarot meetings, I always feel that this amount of money is a little undesirable...

Although she was thinking this, she quickly took the money in her hand, counted it once and put it in her pocket.

After removing the candles and lifting the spiritual wall, Forsi walked out of the bedroom and returned to the living room. He was surprised to find that Xio had returned from the East District.

"What are you doing secretly in the bedroom?"

This "sheriff" who has been busy in the East District for the past half month helping to maintain order and punish criminals raised his head and asked, making Fors, who had just reached a deal through the Tarot Society, a little nervous, but seeing that his friend was just I asked casually and relaxed again.

"I'm just imagining a new novel and studying the materials I got at the University of Technology and Technology... Where are you? Are you still helping those friends in the East District, and that 'Sherman'?"

"Of course, there is still chaos there. Although the church and the police have been maintaining order and distributing relief items, in the streets, there are always those who try to re-establish the underground rules. Calling the police is useful, but fists are more effective. obvious."

Quinn yawned and replied.

"Also, in the past half month, I can clearly feel that the ability of the 'sheriff' has become more and more comfortable. Maybe these things will help me master the power of the potion."

she added.

This is because your behavior conforms to the "acting method"... Forsi said in her heart. She did not dare to divulge the knowledge obtained from the "Tarot Club" at will, so she could only find ways to secretly guide the other party.

Therefore, she has not stopped Xio from going to the East District to work as a vigilante. She is only somewhat interested in the "Sherman" she often talks about. It sounds like the other person is also a low-sequence Beyonder, and is the queen of the Tarot Club. The lady is an "assassin" on the same path.

It's a pity that this powerful Tarot Club member has now left Backlund... Well, Mr. "World" who asked me to buy a radio receiver was originally also in Backlund, but he also left recently because of this period of time. Have the major churches stepped up their efforts to capture wild Extraordinary people? Should I also consider going out and hiding for a while...

She was thinking wildly and looked out the window. There was a faint flash of light in the distance in the direction of Queens. It should be that the nobles and rich people there were setting off fireworks.

Leaving the "Queen" and "World" of Backlund, where will you celebrate the New Year now?

Forsi couldn't help but wonder.

----

January 1, Monday noon, Backlund North District.

When Benson and Melissa passed St. Samuel's Church in a hired carriage, they found that a large number of people were queuing up and boarding the double-decker public carriage one by one. The scene was very chaotic.

"How is this going?"

Benson, who was wearing an old but decent coat, knocked on the fender in front of the carriage and asked.

"The cleanup in the East District is over. The people who temporarily live near the church have to go back there. After the New Year, many factories will reopen. I'm afraid they won't be able to catch the swarms of outsiders... Sorry, I didn't mean that. you."

The coachman remembered that the two people he picked up at the train station were probably "outsiders," so he made a frivolous apology in the end.

East District, the area hardest hit by the Great Smog... Melissa remembered the information she had read in the newspaper, and moved her gaze away from the church. She looked forward and soon saw the person they had met half a month ago. The house has been rented in advance.

After unloading the large and small luggage from the carriage with the help of the coachman, Benson proudly said to his sister:

"I heard that there are not many low-cost houses available for rent in Backlund now. With the influence of the great smog over, the rent is almost 50% higher than last month, and it is difficult to find a house."

"Okay, stop talking about your foresight every day. Besides, it cost us half a month's rent more. It's hard to say how much money we saved."

Melissa sighed, picked up her suitcase, and walked towards No. 28 Clearwood Street, the house where they would live for a long time.

click-

Benson followed behind him. Before he took out the key, the door of the adjacent house opened from the inside. A young round-faced woman with long light blond hair walked out of the door. She felt the eyes of the brother and sister. She tilted her head slightly, purple He looked this way with his eyes, nodded politely, and then hurried towards the public carriage stop at the corner of the street.

"That is……"

Melissa was already stunned. She stared at the other person's back in a daze until the light golden color got into the public carriage and left her sight.

Benson beside him sighed and gently hugged her shoulders.

"It just looks a bit similar. She has already left, just like...Klein."

Melissa blinked quickly, picked up her luggage again, and entered the house with Benson.

The short New Year's holiday is over and they are getting busy again.

(End of this chapter)