Chapter 527: Hobert in Audrey's Eyes
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Returning to the study, Hobert took the "Psychological Spoon" from the "Nation of Disorder", and brought the still-unconscious pirate to a small, nameless island at sea.
First, he woke the pirate with seawater, and then used the "Psychological Spoon" to hypnotize him.
After Hobert left the deserted island, the pirate began to set up an altar and perform a ritual of bestowal to the "Creator".
Hobert did not return to the Jeffrey Territory. Instead, he randomly found a wilderness in the Northern Continent. After confirming that there was no danger nearby, he entered the "Nation of Disorder".
Sitting on the "Iron Throne", Hobert saw a strange star flickering in the pool. He extended his spirituality and, sure enough, it was that pirate.
So Hobert dragged out the phantom of Trunsoest from the distant pool. The other party seemed to know what Hobert was going to do and smiled contemptuously at Hobert.
Hobert snorted coldly and threw the other party into the somewhat shaky "Gates of the Divine Kingdom".
However, the other party only went as far as the "Gates of the Divine Kingdom" and refused to go out, as if stuck there.
Hobert mobilized the power of the "Nation of Disorder" to push the other party out with force. It looked like he was flattening the other party, but it was still useless, and they remained stuck there.
After trying for a long time, Hobert had no choice but to give up and send the somewhat deformed phantom of Trunsoest back to the pool to seal it up.
This method won't work! I have to think of another way, but for the time being, Hobert had no ideas.
After checking again to ensure that the seal was secure, he decided to maintain the status quo and wait until he had a good idea.
Returning to the real world, he first killed the pirate on the nameless island and erased the traces of the altar's existence.
Only then did Hobert contact "The Hanged Man" Alger through Mr. Fool, and met Alger in the forest of Simm Island in the southern Berserk Sea with the two corpses.
Alger knew that "The Emperor" was coming to him again, most likely to deal with the pirate bounty. He was surprised only after seeing the faces of the corpses clearly: "The first mate and boatswain of 'Vice Admiral Dusk'?"
The scene of helping to deal with the important members of "Admiral of Blood" was still vivid in his mind, and now "The Emperor" was targeting "Vice Admiral Dusk" again?
Hobert, wearing a mask, smiled and said, "That's right, they just died not long ago. You'd better deal with the corpses quickly, and don't show yourself, otherwise it will easily cause you some trouble."
Alger nodded repeatedly: "I know."
Of course, he wouldn't show himself. These were people from "Vice Admiral Dusk". It would be troublesome to be targeted by this "Pirate Admiral".
Hobert was about to leave using "Travel" when he suddenly thought: "By the way, what are their bounties?"
"The first mate, 'Radical' Olivier, has a bounty as high as 8200, and the boatswain, 'Water Cannon' Monco, has a bounty of 4500 pounds," Alger knew this very well.
Hobert nodded: "A small profit."
Hearing this, Alger thought: It's more than just a small profit. The bounty alone is more than 10,000 pounds, not to mention the Beyonder characteristics in their bodies.
He looked at his watch and saw that there was still time. He would hand over the two corpses to the Governor's Office today!
By the time "Vice Admiral Dusk's" people came to investigate, the bounty would be in hand.
… …
Hobert used "Travel" to return to his study, took a sip of tea to rest, and began to review today's battle.
First of all, Hobert had to say that it was so satisfying to use a demigod to abuse Sequence 5!
The gap between the two sides was even greater than that between Sequence 5 and Sequence 6. Hobert even felt that it was roughly equivalent to the gap between Sequence 5 and Sequence 7.
Secondly, Hobert was impressed by the cunning of the "Hunter" pathway. One careless move could fall into the other party's trap, so he had to be careful when encountering Beyonder from this pathway in the future.
Otherwise, even if a Sequence 5's trap wouldn't kill a demigod, being tricked would be quite embarrassing.
Finally, Hobert realized a skill that he had previously ignored but was very useful in actual combat: Connection!
Its usefulness lies in its unexpectedness, such as when he established an Connection between Bulatov's "Storm of Light" and the light emitted by the giant ship. Not only was Bulatov stunned at the time, but the effect was also unexpected to Hobert!
Drinking tea, Hobert followed this line of thought and thought about how to play the "Earl of the Fallen".
One thing that Hobert is now very clear about is that the "Black Emperor" pathway is very closely related to "Rulership".
Previously, Hobert had always had a misunderstanding, thinking that the "Justiciar" pathway should focus on rulership.
However, when leading the people back to the lord's mansion, Hobert suddenly realized that, apart from the Sanguine, only the "Black Emperor" pathway's potions had titles such as Baron, Earl, Duke, and Emperor.
Of course, the earliest potion names may not have had descriptions like Baron and Earl, but no matter what, the later addition of such descriptions could very well explain the problem.
As for the Sanguine's peerage titles, they were only used to distinguish levels and were not the names of potions.
Others only had "Death Consul", "Pale Emperor", or "Knowledge Emperor", etc. The entire pathway only had one or two such potion names.
Just from this point of view, it seemed to be reminding the Beyonder of this pathway that after becoming a "Baron", they should pay attention to the rulership of the territory!
As for how to rule, Hobert believed after experiencing the digestion of the "Mentor of Disorder" potion that the Beyonder of this pathway should establish a ruling system that was different from the norm, preferably a system that was contrary to common sense.
This was not difficult for Hobert, and he also had to thank Roselle. It was Roselle who established the colonial system, and the essence of this system was plunder and slaughter.
In today's world, this system has been accepted by everyone in the Northern Continent. Then, the system that Hobert established, which was detailed to the village, people-oriented, and focused on making his own cake bigger instead of always thinking about robbing other people's cakes, was contrary to common sense in this era.
As for how to play the "Earl of the Fallen", Hobert felt that the focus should still be on the "Fallen" aspect.
The essence of the potion was ultimately a kind of distortion and madness, and it was perfectly normal to have a fallen side.
However, Hobert drew a bottom line for himself: he could not fall, nor could he let the people around him fall.
Thinking that the entertainment center in Jeffrey City was about to be completed, Hobert felt that he could let the nobles and wealthy people of the Feynapotter Kingdom fall, let the nobles and wealthy people of Backlund fall, and by the way, earn their money.
Thinking about it, it was already evening. Hobert glanced at Bulatov's head wrapped in a cloak. He decided to rest for a while this afternoon and send it to the Church of the Goddess tomorrow.
So Hobert sacrificed today's spoils to the "Nation of Disorder". Sitting on the "Iron Throne", Hobert checked today's spoils.
Today, he seized two mystical items, one from the "Hunter" pathway and one from the "Sun" pathway.
The mystical item from the Hunter pathway was the dagger in Bulatov's hand. It could be transformed into a flame spear and could launch a "fatal attack" that could cause considerable damage even to demigods.
However, it required "charging up", and it had to withstand two attacks from a demigod before it could use a "fatal attack" that could injure a demigod.
It seemed quite uneconomical, after all, each of the demigod's two attacks could potentially kill a Sequence 5, while the Sequence 5 could only injure the demigod.
For enemies below the demigod level, there was no such requirement, and "fatal attacks" could be launched continuously, even breaking through the "Dawn Barrier" of the "Guardian".
The other spoils were Beyonder characteristics. At the Sequence 5 level, there was one "Guardian" and one "Harvester" Beyonder characteristic.
At the Sequence 6 level, there was one "Wind Blessed" Beyonder characteristic.
At the Sequence 7 level, there was 1 "Weapon Master" and 1 "Seafarer" Beyonder characteristic.
Although Hobert had nearly advanced to a demigod, he still picked up the enemy's "low sequence" Beyonder characteristics.
At the Sequence 8 level, there were 3 "Folk of Rage" and 2 "Provoker" Beyonder characteristics.
At the Sequence 9 level, there were 2 "Warrior" and 1 "Bard" Beyonder characteristic.
Except for the two Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristics, which Hobert obtained through battle, the others were basically sailors who died or were seriously injured under Bulatov's "Storm of Light".
After disassembling what should be disassembled and putting what should be put into storage, Hobert glanced at the currently large number of "Hunter" pathway Beyonder characteristics.
Hobert planned to use the Beyonder characteristics of the "Hunter", "Warrior", and "Sailor" pathways to train the Beyonders of his military.
Of course, if he encountered a good buyer, he could also sell some of them.
Leaving the "Nation of Disorder", Hobert had a pleasant dinner with Fors and Donna. Then, the Earl and his wife sat in the rocking chairs in the yard, chatting leisurely while watching the stars.
Now that the weather was gradually warming up, sitting in the yard at night would not feel too cold.
… …
Sunday morning, Backlund North Borough, Evernight Church Back Street.
Hobert got out of the car with a wooden box in his hand, looking at the Blackthorn Security Company sign in front of him, feeling a bit like he was revisiting an old place.
He knocked on the door of the security company and said to the receptionist: "I'm looking for Captain Thomas and Lorotta."
After drinking a few sips of black tea in the reception area, Hobert saw Lorotta, who was wearing gender-neutral clothing and had black hair. He joked: "Your face looks so bad, did you get your salary deducted?"
"Not really," Lorotta said. "It's not payday yet, but my money is already spent."
Hobert smiled: "This is the problem for most people in Backlund!"
"Ah, Earl Hobert!" Captain Thomas said with a smile, walking down the stairs. "Are you coming back to report for duty? But I wouldn't dare command an Earl as a team member."
Hobert smiled and said, "I suddenly remembered that the Nighthawks haven't paid me my salary for more than half a year. I'm here to see if I can get it reissued."
Before Thomas could say anything, Loretta immediately said, "That's absolutely necessary!"
Then Thomas said, "I think the Red Gloves should be responsible for paying your salary from now on."
As Hobert's captain, he already knew that Hobert was an outside member of the Red Gloves.
Hobert didn't continue the topic, and pushed the wooden box on the coffee table towards the two of them, "This is a gift for you."
Loretta seemed to sense something. With a solemn expression, she opened the wooden box. First, she was surprised, then incredulous. Finally, with tears in her eyes, she took off the ring on her hand and said, "Did you see that? This is that bastard Bulatov's head! He's dead! After more than ten years, he has finally received his due punishment."
It was obvious that this lady's emotions were somewhat out of control.
Thomas called over a female team member and comforted Loretta with a few words.
After all, she had been a Nighthawk for so many years, and Loretta's emotions quickly stabilized. Hobert noticed that she seemed much more relaxed.
Loretta said, "Captain, let me go claim Bulatov's bounty."
Thomas nodded, "No problem."
After Loretta left, Thomas said, "I just bought a can of coffee. Want to come to my office and try some?"
"Sure."
While grinding and brewing the coffee, Thomas briefly recounted the story of Loretta and the ring on her hand.
When she first joined the professional Nighthawk team, Steve, a sunny and handsome team member, was responsible for teaching her mystical knowledge and the official Beyonder precautions.
The story was cliché. The two quickly fell in love. During a mission after their engagement, Steve, whose strength was only Sequence 8, encountered Bulatov, who was already a 'Mid-Sequence' Beyonder at the time.
The result was predictable. Steve was killed.
However, Steve's Beyonder characteristics gathered on their engagement ring, forming a Sealed Artifact with negative effects that weren't too strong.
To take care of Loretta's emotions, the Nighthawk team gave her the ring to use.
Loretta's habit of asking for a raise was actually a negative influence from the Sealed Artifact.
For a while, Loretta worked hard to improve her strength, almost losing control because of it. After realizing that she had no hope of revenge, she began to ask team members who she felt had a chance to take revenge to help her kill the 'Vice Admiral Dusk. In the end, Hobert helped her complete her revenge.
Hobert took a sip of coffee, "Very touching."
Now, more than ten years have passed, and Loretta obviously still can't forget her lover.
Moreover, Loretta had actually adjusted her mentality and didn't let hatred occupy her entire life. Otherwise, she would have lost control long ago due to emotional pressure.
"What I'm about to say might ruin this beautiful story a bit." Captain Thomas said, "We have been closely monitoring Loretta's condition. As of now, we still need to observe her further before we can be completely relieved."
Hobert thought of Old Neil and nodded in understanding.
As the conversation came to an end, Hobert inquired about Leonard's whereabouts from Thomas.
"How could I possibly have the address of a Red Glove member here?" Thomas said with a smile, "According to the rules, I can't inquire about it either, but if I see Leonard, there shouldn't be a problem asking him directly."
After agreeing that he would write to Hobert as soon as he got the address, Hobert got up and said goodbye.
Just as he came out of the security company's door, Hobert noticed Earl Hall's carriage coming from the other side of the street. He guessed that it was Sunday today, and the Hall family must be coming to the St Samuel Cathedral to pray.
Hobert stood on the steps, preparing to greet Earl Hall, but to his surprise, Audrey, who was a sight for sore eyes, opened the car window and said in a crisp and moving voice, "Hobert! Are you here to pray too?"
"I guess so!" Hobert noticed that Earl and Countess Hall were not in the carriage.
Audrey got out of the carriage as she spoke. Today, she was wearing a long dress with lace, exuding purity amidst extravagance.
Hobert asked, "Just you alone?"
"My father and brother had something to do temporarily and left first." Audrey smiled and sized Hobert up, "Hobert, if other nobles saw your attire, they would think you were on the verge of bankruptcy."
Hobert was wearing his favorite Loen-style trench coat today. It was convenient to move around in, and as long as he stood up the collar, he wouldn't need an umbrella in Backlund's recent drizzly weather. It could also block the cold air in winter.
He laughed, "My butler told me the same thing."
"You have a competent butler."
"But I told him I really like trench coats, and he didn't insist anymore."
Audrey smiled, "He must be powerless against such a mischievous Earl like you."
Hobert was slightly stunned. Isn't 'mischievous' used to describe children?
Audrey added, "I think, as a friend, I should take you to pick out a few formal suits. After all, the social season is about to begin in about a week."
The so-called social season refers to April to August. Nobles, whether or not they have businesses in Backlund, will gather in the capital to engage in noble social activities. These four months can be said to be full of endless dances and drinks.
Hobert thought for a moment, he didn't have anything else to do today, "Okay, as a reward, I'll treat you to lunch at noon."
… …
On the Berserk Sea, the 'Future' sailed steadily through the undulating waves.
"Admiral of Stars" Cattleya stood by the window, gazing at the vast ocean that stretched beyond the horizon. From the position of the front deck, Nina's exasperated voice could be heard from time to time. She was angrily scolding Frank Lee for creating a pile of beef-flavored mushrooms that reproduced extremely quickly and loved to eat fish.
Cattleya sighed silently. At this moment, her intuition was suddenly touched. She turned her head to look at the desk, only to see a few yellowed pieces of paper that had appeared there at some point.
"The Emperor's Diary!" Cattleya turned around happily, but when she saw the question raised by the Queen, she was slightly stunned, "This, I can answer this question, um, if the 'Emperor' intelligence is accurate enough."
On one of the pages of the diary was a piece of paper with a line written on it: Why did he go mad in his later years?
… …
Backlund.
In the drizzly weather, Hobert got into Earl Hall's carriage, and his carriage followed behind.
"I'll take you to Laufder Tailor Shop to take a look." Audrey said, "This tailor shop has been around for more than three hundred years and specializes in serving nobles. Their craftsmanship is better than the tailors in many Earl's families."
Hobert realized that Dophis had probably already hired a tailor for himself!
How extravagant, I'm just one person, and I actually need a tailor.
The young and beautiful Audrey across from him continued, "I think you should at least order five formal suits, but because this is your first year participating in the social season, it's best not to be too extravagant and keep it low-key."
Hobert thought to himself: Keeping it low-key is easy, right? Big shorts and a vest are low-key enough, right?
But he said, "You're the expert, I'll listen to you. But, do I really need five formal suits? I have a tailor at home too!"
"He must be too busy in the first year." Audrey said, "Because each suit can only be worn once at formal occasions, and can't be worn on other occasions."
Hobert nodded. He had forgotten about that.
At this time, he didn't think this was very elegant. Instead, he complained in his heart: What an unthrifty group.
But being in it, especially just joining the Backlund noble class, Hobert would only complain. He wouldn't make himself an exception among the nobles when he just joined this circle.
He thought, five suits it is, it's just five suits of clothes.
Laufder Tailor Shop was located in the Empress Borough. It consisted of a huge showroom and production room, and was staffed by a well-dressed, elegant middle-aged man and several servants responsible for reception.
Audrey came to the showroom with ease. There were many samples on display here. These samples were used for trying on. If you felt it was suitable after trying it on, you would place an order.
But it wasn't a complete copy of the sample. When the tailor was taking measurements for the nobles, they would give a suggestion for modification based on the noble's temperament.
So they claimed that every piece of clothing here was unique.
Hobert chose two formal suits that looked good and refused the maid's help to change clothes, coming to the fitting room alone.
The service here was quite attentive, and they wouldn't treat Hobert badly just because he was wearing a 'cheap' trench coat. First, there was Audrey's endorsement, and second, they knew that ordinary people wouldn't dare to enter such a tailor shop.
After changing into one of the suits, Hobert came out of the fitting room.
Audrey felt that Hobert's entire temperament was different. Hobert's appearance was still good, after all, he had the genes of the 'Goddess of Beauty', especially when he smiled, he was very sunny and cheerful.
Today, Audrey realized that Hobert's appearance could handle different styles of clothing. When he wore a trench coat before, he looked like a young and energetic young man who was working hard for his career and made people feel positive and upward.
After putting on the formal suit, Hobert's temperament immediately changed. The originally casual movements became very elegant and confident, his smile was still very cheerful, but it also revealed a sense of nobility.
Hobert spread his arms and looked at himself in the mirror, "How is it?"
Audrey then came back to her senses and said with an elegant smile, "Very good!"
"But I don't really like this color," Hobert said, "And also the silk design in this area."
A well-dressed attendant standing nearby took out a notebook: "What color would you prefer? We can change anything."
Hobert was slightly stunned. Just now, those two complaints of his were purely a habit from when he wasn't very wealthy and was buying clothes. Only by pointing out flaws, and making sure to express his strong dislike, could he haggle for a better price later.
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