Chapter 103: Entering Deton Manor Again and the Frustrated Kitty

Entering Deton Manor Again and the Frustrated Kitty

“Ah... Hmm... What’s wrong... Earthquake?!” Adele, sleeping soundly, was abruptly shaken awake. Her hands flailed forward until she grabbed Avena’s hand and was pulled to her feet.

Startled awake and immediately standing, Adele felt dizzy and instinctively started walking forward, only to be held in place by Avena.

After a few seconds, Adele’s vision slowly focused, and she saw Avena before her.

“Morning...” Adele greeted weakly, showing no signs of morning grumpiness.

“Something seems wrong with Ciel’s body, can you help check?” Avena stepped aside, gesturing towards Ciel sitting by the bed, sipping water slowly.

Only then did Adele truly wake up, following Avena’s gesture to see the pale-faced Ciel not far away.

“What happened?” Adele started walking forward, but her foot accidentally tripped on a table leg, causing her to stumble. Avena quickly supported her, helping her reach Ciel.

Adele almost subconsciously reached into her clothes, fumbling around, but only felt her own soft skin through her pajamas.

“Avena, help me get my cloak.”

After Avena retrieved the cloak for her, Adele flipped open the inside, revealing rows of neatly arranged injection kits and surgical packs hanging within. She took out a stethoscope and began examining Ciel.

Adele’s technique grew increasingly practiced. Soon, after completing a round of checks with different tools, Adele frowned slightly.

“Strange...” Adele murmured, “Your body... shows no abnormalities, but you can definitely feel pain, right? Ciel.”

Ciel nodded gently. She felt like she was in a strange state now... like temporal disorder.

Not only the pain from cuts and gunshot punctures, but she could also occasionally feel a burning sensation on her body.

After listening to Ciel describe her pain, Adele slowly turned her head to look at Avena.

Avena was also looking at Ciel, lost in thought. She seemed to understand something as well.

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Adele moved aside for Avena, recognizing this was beyond her ability to handle.

It was highly probable that this was mental confusion caused by spiritual pollution or stress. Such situations often occurred after severe psychological trauma, a common ailment among many transcendents.

Avena, a “Listener” currently researching the “Psychiatrist” Reconstitution Ritual, followed a path specifically designed to handle such situations.

But why would Ciel, an ordinary person, exhibit such severe symptoms?

Adele made way for Avena. Avena stood before Ciel and said softly, “Ciel, relax, close your eyes.”

Ciel slowly closed her eyes, trying her best not to think about the physical pain.

She smelled a familiar girlish fragrance. The next second, she was gently embraced by a warm hug.

From above, Avena’s soft singing voice drifted down.

It seemed to be a well-known lullaby in Ansu.

“Rock-a-bye, baby, on the treetop. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock; When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.

Down will come baby, cradle and all...”

The gentle melody repeated endlessly. Ciel felt herself falling endlessly in the darkness before her, yet her heart grew calmer, as if entering a space of consciousness devoid of sensation.

Compared to Ciel’s relaxation, Avena, holding Ciel, felt her singing begin to tremble slightly.

She tentatively reached out to touch and heal Ciel’s spirit. But the instant she contacted Ciel’s spiritual body, overwhelming pain and despair flooded her mind, causing her voice to quiver slightly.

Avena couldn’t see any images in the darkness, but she could empathize deeply with the feeling, as if Ciel were weeping and recounting these pains to her.

What exactly had she experienced to accumulate such immense negative emotions and energy?

Just as Avena felt she could barely hold on, she felt a slight prickling sensation on her arm. It seemed some kind of medicine had been pushed into her bloodstream.

Seconds later, Avena’s initially wavering spirit gradually stabilized and became energized, her voice regaining its balance.

Avena continued humming the short lullaby repeatedly. After three minutes, she slowly released her embrace.

As soon as she opened her eyes, Avena saw Adele beside her, pressing a cotton swab against the injection site on her left arm. It seemed Adele had administered a dose of medicine just now.

Ciel also slowly opened her eyes. Now, she only felt the world before her was incredibly vibrant and bright, as if her spirit had been cleansed. Those brief three minutes felt more effective than sleeping for an entire day.

Ciel looked at Avena with some surprise. This was the second time she had seen Avena use her own abilities. She hadn’t expected that besides hypnotizing others, “Listener” also possessed an indescribable healing power, at least for Ciel, the effect was excellent.

“Ciel...” Avena took a shallow breath, stabilizing her emotions before speaking, “I made your spirit temporarily forget those pains and fears... but right now, I can’t heal the spirit itself.”

“This kind of spiritual injury usually appears only after years of accumulation in transcendents. This is the first time I’ve encountered such a situation...”

Avena herself had felt somewhat apprehensive. Apart from helping Nia stabilize her spirit, she had never used this ability on anyone else.

But seeing Ciel’s face gradually regain color now, the effect seemed quite good, which put Avena’s mind slightly at ease.

“Don’t worry too much. As long as I frequently help heal your spirit, the situation won’t worsen.” Avena said, perhaps to reassure Ciel as well.

Since Avena had said this much, Adele also raised her hand slightly to indicate, “I... can help treat you too.”

From Avena’s reaction, Adele somewhat understood that the reason she hadn’t been captured by cultists yet was entirely due to Ciel’s protection.

Looking at the two girls before her, Ciel also smiled and nodded, saying sincerely, “Thank you both.”

Avena could heal the spirit, Adele could treat the body...

Did this count as carrying two super “healers” with her?

-

Feeling her spirit was mostly fine, Ciel finally noticed the pangs of hunger in her stomach.

Coincidentally, the other two hadn’t eaten either. Ciel, having been hungry for nearly a day and a half, went down to the kitchen and made a simple pot of potato stew with meat—the fresh vegetables had already spoiled, leaving only potatoes, meat, and toasted bread.

After eating her fill, Ciel felt her condition had recovered to near perfection. She was about to bid farewell and head to Deton Manor, but Avena preemptively interrupted her.

“Are you planning to go to Deton Manor?” Avena looked at Ciel and asked.

“Yes.” Ciel nodded. “There are some things I need to confirm, to avoid mistakes.”

“I’ll go with you.” Avena looked at Ciel and stated.

Nia, standing by the door, nearly stumbled upon hearing Avena’s words. She turned her head towards Avena.

Nia: “?”

Ciel already said it’s a cultist headquarters, and a major Divine Advent Church Bishop is coming for inspection on the 23rd. What kind of mindset led you, milady, to say “I’ll go with you”?

“Why?” Ciel instinctively wanted to refuse, but she still wanted to hear Avena’s reasoning.

“Previously, I attended almost every event at Deton Manor to browse and buy novelties,” Avena explained. “If I don’t go this time, it might seem strange.”

Avena’s reason was slightly far-fetched but somewhat plausible.

With Nia accompanying them, Ciel’s own safety would be better guaranteed.

Besides, she could always redeem another 【Sadhana Emblem】 at any time. In the territory of the Divine Advent Church, safety was ironically the least of her worries.

Moreover, with Georgine managing things, Kitty’s investigation into Sherlon’s death should have ceased. They should now be fully focused on preparing the summoning ritual for the “Divine Servant.”

“Adele, you...” Ciel looked towards Adele, about to tell her not to come, but Adele quickly interrupted her.

“I’m going.” Adele couldn’t think of any reason; her intuition simply told her that staying with Ciel and Avena was definitely much safer than staying here alone.

Ciel: “You shouldn’t go.”

Adele: “Wuwuwu... Don’t leave me here alone...”

Ciel looked at Adele, who was fake crying, sighed, and said, “You’re still being investigated. Aren’t you afraid of being captured immediately if you go? If you’re really scared, you can go to your sister’s place.”

“But my sister will know I’m lying.” Adele said with a long face. “If I go to her, she’ll definitely know something happened to me. You told me not to tell anyone about these things, but I definitely can’t hide it from my sister.”

Indeed...

If Adele went to Uris, Uris, with her lie-detecting ability, would likely get the whole story out of her with just a little questioning.

However, regarding disguise...

Ten minutes later.

Adele’s originally long silver-white hair had been completely dyed black with potion. She wore a full-face mask forged for her by Nia and a lavish dress bearing the Roswell family crest.

Even if she claimed to be Avena’s distant cousin now, no one would doubt her.

As for her original membership card, it was certainly unusable.

But Ciel, Avena, and Nia could vouch for her fake identity, allowing her to obtain a new membership card.

After making thorough preparations and briefing everyone on precautions, Ciel and the others boarded the carriage driven by Nia and headed towards the outskirts of the city.

...

The stables at Deton Manor were already full of horses and carriages. Even in the afternoon, people were still arriving at Deton Manor, many even coming from neighboring cities.

They probably set off immediately after receiving the event invitation. Many also wanted to take this opportunity to exchange or purchase needed transcendent materials, or perhaps meet some people.

At this moment, Georgine paced back and forth in the empty card room, which exuded a faint scent of lemon.

Beneath the carpet-covered stone tiles, a significant amount of slightly warmed blood had already been poured according to a specific pattern, seeping into the crevices between the stones.

Everything was arranged exactly as the Lord Bishop had instructed.

Click—

Just then, the card room door opened, and a person wearing a black chip mask walked in gracefully, then closed the door.

“Almost everyone has arrived. I’ll issue the command later to have them proceed to the sanctuary in groups.” Kitty looked at Georgine before her, hesitated for a moment, then asked, “That Lord Bishop... will he really come tomorrow to perform the...?”

“Of course, absolutely certain.” Georgine tilted her head slightly upwards, her tone lacking the previous meekness she showed towards Kitty. She looked at Kitty and questioned her.

“Are you doubting me? Doubting the Lord Bishop?”

“I...” Kitty took a deep breath, then slowly suppressed her emotions, gritting her teeth, “No.”

Summoning a divine servant?

Something the higher-ups failed to achieve, could be accomplished by a single Bishop?

Probably just another half-mad fanatic, using the resources of the priests below to fulfill their own rituals or delusions.

Yet she could only grit her teeth and carry out these wild fantasies, while also having to consider the consequences of failure.

She definitely couldn’t stay at Deton Manor any longer.

Claiming to hold a ritual and inviting so many people to Deton Manor... Kitty knew exactly who the sacrifices were, even without thinking hard.

Kitty had already begun secretly disposing of all traces related to herself and the Divine Advent Church within Deton Manor.

When accountability came, she could avoid taking any responsibility and could even blame all failures on that mad Bishop...

And she would change her identity and move to a new city to continue her development.

Kitty certainly hoped all this was real. But if there truly was a way to summon a divine servant, why didn’t that Bishop wait for an Archbishop’s inspection and report it directly?

Wouldn’t that gain more attention?

Or did he want exclusive contact with the divine servant? Desire greater power? Or was he simply a fanatic half-corrupted by the potion?

Regardless, after all this ended, she had to make this impudent Georgine suffer...

Using borrowed authority like it was her own, and yet she truly couldn’t harbor any hostility or offensive thoughts towards her in any way.

This made Kitty feel frustrated and amplified her desire for greater power.

If only she could have the authority of a Bishop...

-

“What are you standing there for, Kitty?” Georgine smirked, taunting, “Many distinguished guests are arriving today. It doesn’t seem like the time to be daydreaming.”

“You!!!” Just as Kitty was about to say something, Georgine cut her off directly.

“I have important matters to attend to,” Georgine said with a cold face. “You wouldn’t want the Bishop to arrive and find things unfinished, would you?”

“Fine... Fine, fine, fine...” Kitty was practically laughed out of anger, repeated “fine” several times, then turned towards the door and stormed out, slamming it behind her.

Georgine, meanwhile, watched Kitty’s retreating back coldly, a faint murderous intent beginning to surface in her heart.

This was her best chance to kill Kitty.

She now had the ability.

She reached into her pocket, touching the warm Bishop’s emblem. The venomous thoughts gradually dissipated.

Compared to the Bishop’s mission and the ritual, Kitty’s life or death seemed less important.

After the divine servant descended, all suffering in this world would be eliminated. The world would begin to change, starting from Berren City.

And she would be among the first guides of the new world...

After confirming all details were correct, Georgine also opened the card room door.

The card room began its normal business operations.

...

“Damn it... Fuck...” Kitty muttered under her breath as she walked.

She took a deep breath, adjusted her composure to prevent others from seeing her current anger.

Passing through several doors, Kitty arrived at the front hall. The moment she saw a guest being led in by an attendant, she instantly switched into character.

A faint smile appeared beneath Kitty’s black chip mask. She walked forward step by step, her administrator’s aura rising steadily.

“Baron Joden, a rare guest.” Kitty smiled, curtsying to the well-dressed old baron before her.

“Hohoho... Indeed, it has been a while, Miss Administrator. Business seems good lately.” The old baron smiled, extending his hand. As he grasped Kitty’s hand, he gave it a couple of suggestive squeezes. “When are you free to grace me with your presence for dinner?”

“Hahaha, I’ve really been unable to get away recently. As you can see, I’m so busy I have to greet guests myself... Here, take Baron Joden inside, give him one hundred chips, put it on my account, and get the Baron a room, free of charge.” Kitty smiled, subtly withdrawing her hand. “May your lordship leave with sacks full of money today.”

After dismissing the lecherous old baron, Kitty frowned slightly, wiping the spot where her hand had been held with a handkerchief until the skin turned red. Only then did she stop and toss the handkerchief away.

Old creep, just play inside. The longer the better. Best stay overnight at Deton Manor.

Tomorrow, when that mad Bishop arrives, you’ll see what true fear is.

After composing herself slightly, Kitty looked up and saw a familiar black-haired figure gracefully approaching on the red carpet.

A short black and gold cloak hung over a white blouse. Beneath a black skirt were a pair of perfect, artwork-like legs. Lace-trimmed white ankle socks were tucked into leather ankle boots, each step on the red carpet exuding elegance.

Every gesture perfectly showcased the demeanor of a young lady, noble and refined.

Behind her followed a black-haired girl and a blue-haired girl, along with a knight completely encased in silver armor.

Those two girls also had perfectly slender legs. The black-haired girl’s legs, with a slightly fuller figure, showed faint marks where the black stockings tightened on her thighs; one couldn’t imagine how comfortable they would be to touch.

Especially the slightly shorter blue-haired girl, Kitty’s gaze lingered on her white-stockinged calves for a long time. Only when Avena Roswell walked up to her did she slowly regain her senses, licking her somewhat dry lips.

As expected of Lady Roswell’s friends, these young ladies’ tender feet were very well maintained...

“Lady Roswell, you’ve finally arrived. If you hadn’t come soon, Deton Manor would have gone bankrupt.” Kitty had seen this young lady many times; she was a major client of Deton Manor.

It could be said that most of the strange transcendent items piled up in Deton Manor, which ordinary transcendents wouldn’t buy, were purchased by this Lady Roswell.

For example, various skincare products and cosmetics ground from transcendent materials, and short swords that became blunt upon hitting someone, causing no harm... Besides collecting cosmetics, this young lady enjoyed collecting peculiar items.

Perhaps this was the world of the wealthy.

Kitty had tried many times to get close to this young lady, but Roswell was extremely cold, appearing lifelessly calm towards everyone. No matter what method she tried, she couldn’t shorten the distance between them even slightly.

However, the more lifeless the personality, the greater the pleasure derived from conquering them, seeing the transformation in their expression...

She hadn’t dared to touch this young lady before, only planting people nearby to watch her.

The Roswell family dealt with the transcendent, their strength not to be underestimated. More importantly, the Roswell family controlled numerous transcendents of the “Detective” path. To make a move on her, one had to first consider if their own intelligence could withstand scrutiny.

“Mm.”

Avena glanced indifferently at Kitty, offered no further response, but instead turned her head to look towards Adele behind her. After pausing for a moment, she said, “Cousin, you go get your membership card first. The three of us can vouch for you.”

“Oh? Is this young lady here for the first time?” Kitty looked at the ordinary black-haired girl wearing a silver mask. Her chest was noticeably fuller than the other two. Even without seeing her face, just looking at her legs, Kitty knew she must be a beauty. “No need for a membership card. This young lady, anyone from the Roswell family, is our esteemed guest.”

“Um... um... thank you...” Adele was so nervous she could barely speak clearly, especially knowing the person opposite was the cult leader. Adele felt sweat prickling on her back.

But she still remembered Ciel’s instruction: only say “um,” “thank you,” and “sorry.”

Seeing the obviously nervous Adele, Kitty’s eyes narrowed slightly beneath her mask.

Roswell family? First time at Deton Manor?

A collateral family member with no transcendent talent? Little girls like this who haven’t seen much of the world are the easiest to deceive... If they leave early, I need to find out her address.

“Let’s go, see if there’s anything new.” Avena nodded slightly towards Kitty, then led Ciel and the others forward. As they passed Kitty, she said, “Administrator, reserve a ‘Royal Room’ for us. My friends might want to play for a while.”

Staying here?

Kitty’s eyes lit up, the smile on her lips no longer concealable.

Tomorrow, when the Bishop comes for the ritual, that “Crown Guard” will definitely be sacrificed first.

As for the remaining aloof young lady and her two friends, they would be left for her to deal with...

As the group walked past Kitty, her gaze slowly shifted to the blue-haired girl. Although this girl wore a mask, she could see through it to those eyes...

Instantly, Kitty felt several pairs of eyes emitting blood-red fluorescence abruptly open before her. She stumbled back several steps, the fear still swirling in her mind, refusing to dissipate.

What happened? Why did the potion suddenly boil for a moment?!

She quickly masked her loss of composure and looked up at the blue-haired girl’s retreating back.

Just an ordinary person, but why...

Was it an illusion?

Kitty watched her back, but the previous feeling didn’t return.

“Hoo...” Perhaps she was affected by Georgine, or maybe suppressing her emotions for too long had caused her potion to slightly lose control.

One damn thing after another lately, just too unlucky.

Kitty couldn’t wait for tomorrow to arrive.