C142: One who can solve the crisis

“I am a Foreteller, little miss.”

However, after saying that, a brief hesitation crossed her features.

“As for my Stage...” Amanda's smile turned helpless. “I am afraid I cannot disclose such matters.”

“Tch.” Hazel instantly turned her head away, her fingers tapping impatiently against the wooden frame.

'A Foreteller...' Gregory sighed inwardly. 'Of all the paths we could have encountered, we crossed paths with a Foreteller.'

It was not necessarily a bad thing, however. In fact, considering their current situation, meeting a Foreteller could even be considered fortunate.

Few Paths possessed better guidance abilities than the Moon Faction's Foretellers.

Yet at the same time, it was not a pleasant feeling either.

'She has likely discerned our intentions already,' he reasoned. 'No wonder she maintains such perfect composure despite awakening to find the Proctor Cross occupying her private chamber.'

She had awakened to find members of the White Church occupying her bedroom, standing around her bed, questioning her in her own estate. And yet she displayed almost no surprise.

The vexing thing about Foretellers was their perception. One could never truly conceal one's secrets from their sight.

The higher they advanced, the more frightening they became. The most terrifying thing was that they could glimpse fragments of their past and future, and practically read the entire tapestry of a person's life.

To stand before one often felt as though their private secret, every embarrassing mistake had been laid bare upon their table for public inspection.

'Silver Sky Stage... or perhaps even Golden Radiance,' Gregory calculated. 'She is aware that I can discern falsehood, which is why she avoided answering directly.'

Gregory raised his head, his pupils flaring golden.

“A Foreteller. I see. Then I must ask, Ma’am...” He leaned forward slightly.

“If Sir Gregory wishes to inquire regarding the kidnapped miss, I’m afraid I cannot assist you,” Amanda interrupted him before he could finish.

'As expected,' Gregory closed his eyes briefly.

They had never formally introduced themselves since her awakening. Yet, the Baroness had already known his name.

And she already knew what question he intended to ask.

“And why is it?” Gregory opened his eyes, rested his elbows upon the pillow on his lap.

Amanda merely responded with a guilty smile.

“Something blocked my Divination and restricted my Foresight.” She shook her head in dismay. “This interference happened even before Miss Florence placed me into that half-conscious state, leaving the threads of the future entirely obscured from my vision.” Her expression darkened.

“That is also the reason I failed to foresee her betrayal.”

“...” Gregory narrowed his eyes.

'Restricted?' The word felt familiar.

“What do you mean by restricted?” Gregory raised his question. “Do you imply that—”

He stopped midway through the sentence. He was not certain whether he wished to hear the answer or not.

Amanda shook her head again. One hand brushed over Naomi's hand, which still brushed her hair.

“?”

“Pray, do not trouble your mind with such concerns, sir. As I have stated, the matter remains entirely beyond my sight,” she said in a light tone. She pulled Naomi’s hand in front of her, her gaze drifting down to study Naomi’s hand.

A smile bloomed across her lips.

“Miss Naomi, your skin is truly beautiful.”

“Eh?” Naomi blinked.

Amanda lightly held Naomi's hand between her own.

“Might I inquire what manner of apothecary creams you employ? Would you be so kind as to share a measure of your secrets with me?”

“M-Ma'am?!”

Naomi immediately froze. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

“That... that is... indeed, such discourse is highly inappropriate!” she stammered, nearly dropping the comb in her hand. “W-We are discussing an investigation right now!”

Gregory slipped a hand into his coat pocket and pulled out his silver pipe, ignoring the scene unfolding before him.

'A Foreteller tells me this. Is there a deeper meaning here?'

His fingers unconsciously reached for a handkerchief and began polishing the pipe's surface.

His thoughts, however, remained elsewhere.

'Perhaps Victor is involved.'

Victor was a priest of the White Church. If anyone possessed the means to use [Restriction], a White Church priest would certainly be among the candidates.

At the very least, Victor either belonged to the Inspector Path or had access to an Inspector Path Cursed Artifact.

Gregory remained doubtful. Yet he forced himself to halt his train of thought. If he pursued this mystery too deeply, the truth might reveal something far beyond his ability to manage.

'Hah. I dislike Foretellers. Never speak plainly, and always leave half the answer unsaid.' He sighed inwardly, rubbed his face with his gloved hand.

'This is a complication. Is this suppression of divination the reason why the Holy Court in the capital cannot perceive what transpires within this forest?' He stroked his aching temple, his gaze drifted toward the crystal-clear pipe in his hand.

If a middle-stage Foreteller was rendered entirely helpless by this interference, then the danger hidden here was certainly beyond Silver Sky Stage.

'This is well beyond my paycheck...' He felt an urge to click his tongue, just as Hazel always did.

His eyes shifted toward the Baroness once more.

Amanda was gently holding Naomi's hand, murmuring compliments.

Naomi sat beside her completely frozen, face red enough to rival a tomato.

“P-please excuse me, Ma’am!” Naomi finally gasped, her composure shattering completely. She stood up abruptly from the bed and fled the chamber; the door opened and closed behind her moments later.

'She really is terrible at handling teasing.'That was probably how Troy had managed to trick her into marriage.

Gregory turned his gaze toward Hazel, who remained motionless beside the window.

She had been unusually quiet for several minutes now.

'Is she upset?'

Hazel stared outside into the morning light without saying a word.

The Baroness had referred to her as "little miss". Gregory was well aware that Hazel hated nothing more than being patronized. She was undoubtedly annoyed.

Unfortunately, she also knew Amanda was potentially far stronger than herself.

“You are analyzing the situation to much, sir,”

Amanda's voice rang out, instantly cutting through his thoughts.

Gregory blinked. The Baroness looked at him with an amused expression.

“Those of the Inspector Path are truly the same. My counsel to you is to slow your mind, and allow yourself a brief respite.” Amanda shook her head in gentle disapproval.

Gregory narrowed his eyes.

“That is not your concern, Ma'am—”

“It is clearly written on your face, Mr. Gregory.”

“...” Gregory’s hand froze mid-gesture, the grip on his pipe tightened.

“Tch,” Hazel silently clicked her tongue from the window.

'Tch, indeed.' He conceded the point in silence.

“If you excuse me.” Gregory rose to his feet. He suddenly desired a moment to step outside for a small puff.

“Before you take your leave, sir, might I be permitted to examine the letter?” Amanda requested.

“...”

Gregory paused midway. His brows furrowed.

'This woman...'

“If your Divination is suppressed, how have you acquired knowledge of the letter?” he asked, shooting a swift glance toward Hazel.

Hazel gave a nod. Without comment, she reached into her coat and retrieved the folded letter before handing it to Amanda.

Amanda accepted it politely.

“It appears there is a slight misunderstanding, sir.” She smiled awkwardly. “For the most part, I do not require the use of my ability to simply observe people.”

“There is no plausible method by which inspectors of the White Church could have gathered such highly specific intelligence in so short a time, particularly regarding Miss Florence, an individual who has conducted herself with such meticulous care that she hid right under my sight for several years,” she explained, unfolding the letter before continuing.

“You have personally put her to rest and decisively breached my manor, coupled with numerous unfamiliar threads that are currently weaving through this village.” She raised her eyes to gaze directly into Gregory’s golden pupils. “My conclusion is that an unseen actor is pulling the strings behind the scenes, and since only you Inspectors are present to execute these moves, I am convinced that they delivered a letter to guide your hand.”

“...”

“...”

Silence settled across the room. Even Hazel looked at Amanda with widened eyes.

Amanda offered a polite smile and lowered her head politely.

“I thank you for your understanding,” she murmured, before focusing her attention on the unfolded letter in her hand.

—

After a moment of scanning the folded paper, Amanda gave a slow nod of her head, a wry smile touching her lips.

“The author of this letter... they possess an exceedingly familiarity with the affairs of my village, do they not?” she murmured, her voice soft and devoid of animosity.

“As though they have lingered here for a very long time...” she continued, though this time, there was something more fragile beneath her tone. Melancholy, perhaps.

“What do you know regarding this man?” Hazel demanded abruptly, her voice remained blunt, edged with impatience.

“Man?” Amanda turned her gaze toward the girl, a flicker of puzzlement passing through her eyes.

“My, indeed, I understand now,” she whispered after a brief moment, nodding to herself.

“Might you elaborate, Ma’am?” Gregory prompted, his voice steady.

Amanda swept her gaze across the room, to the faces of Gregory, Hazel, and letting out a long sigh.

“Forgive me, sir. As I have previously declared, the future remains hidden from my sight.”

“Then—”

“But, I am capable of instructing you on the method to resolve our current crisis.”

“!”

The two inspectors immediately narrowed their focus, their attention locking onto her pale features.

“Pray, do go on, Ma’am.” Gregory urged, the grip on his pipe tightened.

Amanda spoke in a slow, measured cadence, her slender fingers gently tracing the skin on the back of her own hand.

“The ability of a Foreteller, at the level of advancement I have achieved... allows me to perceive the threads of fate woven about a person.”

She paused briefly, letting the word sink in, then continued.

“I can discern their moral character, their nature, those they have crossed paths with in their history, and those they are destined to encounter hereafter,” she continued, raising her gaze toward the wooden beams of the ceiling; her eyes glowed violet. “By exploring these threads, I can construct a logical deduction without directly peering into the future.”

‘Like a detective,’ Gregory thought.

“Precisely, sir. Much like a detective, though I won't claim myself as such,” Amanda's glowing violet eyes returned to his, making him shiver a little.

Gregory narrowed his eyes, his eyes flashed golden. He was not inclined to approve of having his internal thoughts intruded upon without his consent.

“Do you possess the ability to read minds, Ma'am? I was under the impression that it was beyond the scope of a Foreteller.” Gregory’s voice remained calm, though a trace of displeasure slipped into it.

Amanda giggled softly, raising her delicate hand to conceal her amusement.

“I assure you, I cannot, sir. It is merely a woman’s intuition.”

“...”

'That is utterly—' Gregory wanted to voice his doubt, but he suppressed the impulse with a hard swallow. Conversing with a Foreteller was truly vexing.

“What you intend to convey is...” Gregory trailed off, gesturing to her to elaborate.

“What I mean, sir, is that although the future remains closed to my sight, I can formulate predictions based on those threads of fate. While such deductions are not absolutely infallible, they shall nonetheless prove highly beneficial to your endeavors.”

“Pray, do tell us, Baroness Amanda. Instruct us on the course of actions we must take to retrieve Lady Amelia,” Gregory raised his gaze, anticipation sharpening in his eyes.

Amanda fell silent, staring directly into Gregory's eyes without blinking.

Saving the village.

Gregory had never mentioned saving the village.

He knew she knew it. He held her gaze, refusing to look away.

It could not be helped. He simply did not have the strength or time to save the village.

Some risks were unavoidable in their line of work.

At last, Amanda lowered her gaze, her expression growing solemn as she answered.

“On the morrow, you must proceed to a certain residence and await there. You shall encounter the individual who can resolve every crisis in this village.”

Hazel, Gregory all showed immediate interest. Of course, Gregory did not neglect to maintain his Notary ability, carefully checking her words for any trace of falsehood.

“What is the identity of this individual, Ma’am?” Hazel demanded, leaning forward.

“I am not yet certain, little miss.” Amanda replied, shaking her head gently, prompting Hazel to raise her eyebrows in skepticism.

“Is he an ally, or a hostile entity?” Hazel questioned further, casting a suspicious glance at the noblewoman.

Amanda looked directly into Hazel’s eyes, her pupils flaring violet.

“Forgive my bluntness, little miss. However, my predictions are formulated solely upon the events that have already transpired in the tapestry of fate... Or specifically, the threads of the inhabitants in this village, and the irregular, cyclical knot of fate that continuously loops around that one particular individual.”

Hazel winced. She opened her mouth to voice a reply, but Gregory swiftly shot her a warning glance, stopping her before she interrupted Amanda.

Amanda continued.

“Furthermore, you, sir, have already encountered him indirectly on two distinct occasions. You shall recognize him the instant your paths cross.”

“What?” both Hazel and Gregory exclaimed, their eyes widening in surprise.

A crescent moon shimmered weakly upon Amanda’s pale forehead. Offering a knowing smile, she pressed her slender finger directly onto the ink-stained signature at the bottom of the letter.

“The Marion.”

Revised Chapter 39: I just reread it, and it seems the narration is quite confusing. Basically, it's Blood Servant > Blood Thralls > Blood Addict. Here is the fix:

The corpses of Blood Servants, Blood Thralls and Blood Addicts lay scattered across the carpets. A few shivering survivors crouched in the corners, clutching their heads in terror. They were the ones who had surrendered, along with the ordinary servants.

"Blood Servants" was the name of the Apprentice Stage in Vampire Path, while "Blood Thralls"… they were at a lower hierarchy than the Blood Servants.

They were those who accepted a vampire's blood to gain extraordinary powers. They were immune to aging and devoted, acting as the eyes and hands of the Vampire Path Stagefarers.

And at the lowest hierarchy sat the "Blood Addicts," those who drank a small amount of a Silver Sky Vampire’s blood with Cold Yi Essence consistently, being hypnotized and becoming addicted without them noticing.

Only those at the Golden Radiance Stage in Vampire Path could create Blood Thralls. Which meant they were either Blood Addicts, or there was one Golden Radiance Stage Vampire in this village.

And Hazel hoped it was the former case, that the people she had killed were the Blood Addicts, not the Blood Thralls.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.