Six Hundred and Sixty Quest for the Truth
In the northern part of Faraluo, Froz.
During the night, at the southern outskirts of Froz, the Palace of the Goddess was still brightly lit despite the darkness. Banquets and dances were taking place throughout the palace. Although times had changed, this palace remained the best place for the upper echelons of Froz to socialize and enjoy themselves.
Inside the Palace of the Goddess, gentlemen and ladies were either engaged in confidential discussions in salons or dancing in the ballroom. The atmosphere was peaceful and harmonious.
Compared to the bustling activity within the Palace of the Goddess, the Respected Church across from Huashui Lake on its edge was much quieter. At that moment, a few individuals were praying inside the church, one of whom was an elderly man.
This was an elderly gentleman with white hair and beard, wearing thick glasses and a cotton hat, holding a cane. He was sitting in the rear part of the pew inside the chapel, seemingly in prayer, but his gaze was more focused on the stained glass windows, carefully observing every detail.
Just as this elderly gentleman was intently studying a stained glass window depicting a woman bound to a stake and being burned, a figure silently approached him from elsewhere and stood beside him, making a pleasant sound unnoticed by him.
“Oh… Isn’t this Mr. Martin? Are you here looking for clues?”
Upon hearing this voice, the elderly gentleman known as Martin was slightly taken aback and turned his head toward the source of the sound. What he saw next was a familiar and beautiful figure, which immediately made him wary after a second glance.
“You are… that Briouze? You’re also here to look for clues?” Martin said guardedly, looking at Adele, who was wearing a masquerade mask. Adele responded easily.
“Otherwise? Could it be that you’re here to pray? Don’t we all have the same purpose?”
Sitting nearby, Adele continued speaking casually, while Martin replied without changing his tone.
“In a sense… we are competitors, Miss Briouze. Do you think I would readily share the clues I know with you?”
“Competitors? No, no, no… Competition only exists when the treasure is finally found. Disputes over dividing the wealth will inevitably arise then. But now, everyone has been searching for almost a day, and almost no one has made any substantial progress. Those so-called lotus marks are nowhere to be seen. If this continues, there might be nothing gained by tomorrow. Then, once this banquet ends, we’ll have wasted our time.”
Adele said this, and Martin fell silent upon hearing her words. Adele then continued.
“So, rather than ending up with nothing, wouldn’t it be better if we shared our findings now? Perhaps by pooling our resources, we might uncover some overlooked details.”
Adele softly told Martin, her words seemingly having a magical effect, arousing his trust. After a brief consideration, Martin responded.
“Hmm… You do have a point. For us, the priority is to find the treasure first, then worry about distribution…”
As he spoke, Martin shifted his gaze to the stained glass windows, scanning the intricate patterns before slowly continuing.
“I came here to look at these stained glass windows to see if there are any hidden lotus patterns. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any, but I did notice something else.”
“Oh… what did you notice?”
“Look at the paintings on these stained glass windows. I deal with antiques and can tell their age. Most of the mosaics in this church seem to be from around the same period, roughly two hundred years old. However, the mosaic depicting the burning of a witch seems newer, as if it was replaced later. I’m not sure if the original was damaged or if there was another reason.”
Martin said, looking at the mosaic depicting a witch being burned in agony. Adele turned her gaze and asked curiously.
“Witch burning? I remember this story is about Duke Bourbon…”
“Yes, legend has it that during the War of Succession, Duke Bourbon was nearly led astray by a witch’s enchantment but ultimately woke up under the guidance of the Archbishop. Later, Duke Bourbon angrily burned the witch, vowing to sever ties with his past.”
“Just like that story… Mosaics depicting this story can be found in many churches in Faraluo. It’s not strange to find one here, but the obvious signs of renovation make me wonder if there’s a secret hidden within. After analyzing and observing for a long time, I haven’t figured anything out…”
Martin sighed lightly and said. Adele nodded slightly and continued.
“It seems… Mr. Martin, you know quite a bit about the history of Bourbon.”
“Of course, I have Bourbon bl**d in my veins and deal with antiques, so knowing such things is normal.”
Adele then changed the topic.
“Speaking of which, have you heard anything about the treasure of the King in Grand Costume? Do you think someone might be deliberately concocting a lie to gather us together?”
With a playful expression, Adele looked at Martin and asked. Martin paused for a moment, then responded thoughtfully.
“You seem to suspect that Mr. F is a fraud? Well, he does seem suspicious, but the story about the treasure of King Charles is not baseless. There are many rumors about King Charles in Faraluo, and stories about the treasure abound. Many tales say that King Charles buried the treasure in the Palace of the Goddess, and indeed, there are mentions of three stages.”
“Based on my observations, Mr. F definitely has knowledge of King Charles. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen to gather us at the Palace of the Goddess for exploration during these two days.”
Martin said seriously. Adele raised her eyebrows and spoke again.
“These two days… Is there any special significance to these two days?”
“Absolutely. You might not know, but the New Year’s gathering currently happening in the Palace of the Goddess is a tradition dating back to when the palace was built during Charles’s reign. From then on, Charles would hold large gatherings in late January on these two days each year. The purpose was to invite noble lords from various regions to Froz to strengthen his rule. Therefore, this banquet is also called the Audience Banquet.”
“The Audience Banquet is one of the most significant annual events held at the Palace of the Goddess, except in extraordinary circumstances. It lasts for two days, and the main event takes place on the second day. On that day, most of the lords from Faraluo would gather at the Palace of the Goddess to meet Charles. While entertaining them with a grand banquet, Charles himself would perform on stage in the Song and Dance Hall at dusk. Legend has it that after each Audience Banquet, the lords would become even more loyal to Charles.”
As he looked around, Martin explained earnestly to Adele. Adele nodded silently and continued.
“From this, it seems that the current government is continuing the tradition established by King Charles?”
“Exactly. Because the influence of the Audience Banquet is great, the current government in Faraluo has also maintained this tradition, resulting in today’s ongoing event. Although it’s not as grand as during Charles’s time, high-ranking figures still attend.”
Martin responded to Adele. After hearing his words, Adele asked curiously.
“High-ranking figures? So they are high-ranking officials of the current government? I didn’t see any well-known high-ranking people at the Palace of the Goddess today.”
“Hehe… It’s just not the right time yet. Tomorrow, especially in the afternoon, high-ranking figures will appear. This corresponds to the traditional highlight of the Audience Banquet, Charles’s performance. In short, these two days are one of the particularly important moments in the Palace of the Goddess’s traditions. If there are any mechanisms in the palace that only activate at specific times, they would likely be triggered during these two days. That’s why I believe Mr. F understands the ins and outs of this…”
Waving his hand, Martin said to Adele. Adele nodded thoughtfully.
“Oh… There are indeed these details. Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Martin. However, I still don’t fully trust Mr. F, and I want to investigate him.”
“You still don’t trust him? Hehe… Go ahead, but how do you plan to investigate him?”
Listening to Adele, Martin laughed and said. Adele then continued.
“Not much, I just want to take a look at the letter Mr. F wrote to you. I’ve studied some handwriting analysis; if I have enough samples, I might be able to spot something unusual.”
Adele suggested to Martin. After a moment’s thought, Martin nodded silently.
“Sure, if it helps you, take it.”
As he spoke, Martin pulled out an envelope from his clothes and handed it to Adele, who smiled and took it, opening it as she spoke.
“Thank you.”
At this moment, in another corner of the small church, a pair of eyes was closely watching Adele and Martin’s actions, monitoring everything that had just happened.
…
Late at night, in the Song and Dance Hall of the Palace of the Goddess, several dancers were gracefully moving to the melodious music on the large circular stage. On the edge of one of the tiers, a man in ordinary suit stood there, slightly plump, leaning against the railing. He was savoring a glass of red wine while watching the performance below, occasionally chatting with another man standing beside him.
Suddenly, a young servant dressed as a waiter walked briskly towards the plump man and bowed respectfully before speaking.
“Mr. Fernand…”
The plump man called Fernand paused slightly after hearing the servant’s words and then turned to look at the man he had been chatting with, saying,
“Sorry, I need to leave for a moment. We’ll continue our conversation later.”
“Alright.”
After receiving the reply, Fernand followed the servant away to a quiet corner outside the hall. There, the servant respectfully reported to Fernand.
“Mr. Fernand, Adele Briouze has shown unusual behavior. She has been frequently contacting other ‘treasure hunters,’ asking about their results and expressing distrust in you during these exchanges.”
“Oh… Distrust in Mr. F? Is she planning to join others to drive me out of the treasure hunt… or persuade people to leave the Palace of the Goddess?”
Listening to the report, Fernand responded thoughtfully, and the servant shook his head.
“No, although Adele expressed distrust in you to others, she did not directly incite them against you. She merely asked them to help her investigate you by methods such as checking your letters to authenticate the handwriting.”
“Hehe… studying handwriting…” Listening to the servant, Fernand couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head, then continued.
“Keep a close watch on them. As long as they don’t leave the Palace of the Goddess, whatever they do is fine. Pay particular attention to Adele. If her abnormal actions escalate, report it immediately.”
“Yes…”
After bowing respectfully to Fernand, the servant withdrew and returned to the railing where he had been standing, continuing to watch the performance below. Just then, the man who had been chatting with Fernand earlier returned to his side.
“What were you discussing with him, Mr. Fernand?” the man asked curiously after arriving beside Fernand, who waved his hand in response.
“Not much. Just a minor anomaly with a key target being monitored. Nothing serious.”
“Oh… I see. Let’s continue our previous conversation. Say, Mr. Fernand, to which organization do you belong? Is your family truly part of the Royalists in Faraluo, dedicated to protecting the Bourbon remnants?”
Looking at Fernand, the man asked. Without hesitation, Fernand replied.
“Certainly not. My family is not part of the Royalists. The organization I belong to, the Wei Hui Team, has nothing to do with the Royalists.”
“The Wei Hui Team? What kind of organization is that?”
Listening to Fernand’s words, the man asked curiously. Fernand continued.
“On the surface, it’s a civilian society in Froz with some covert elements, but in reality, I have been co-opted by a high-ranking official in the government to carry out some less-than-legal tasks. They pay me generously, and I use my team to serve their interests.”
“A high-ranking official in the government… Who is it?”
Listening to Fernand’s words, the man frowned slightly and asked again. Fernand shook his head in response.
“I don’t know. All I know is that he has great power and connections, able to smooth out any official relations for us. No matter what crimes we commit, even if we end up in the Demon Guard prison, he can get us out. He pays well, and working for him is very rewarding.”
“So… what is the task you are undertaking this time?”
The man continued to ask seriously. After taking a sip of wine, Fernand replied leisurely.
“The task is to gather some remnants of the Bourbon family in Froz according to the information provided and send them to the Palace of the Goddess under the pretense of a treasure hunt over these two days. We are supposed to monitor them until tomorrow evening.”
“Monitor them until tomorrow evening… Is that all?”
“Yes, that’s all. After that, they will notify me of further instructions. Until tomorrow evening, my job is simply to keep an eye on these people. By the way, they mentioned that there is a female star named Adele who needs to be closely guarded, and I should try to stay away from her unless absolutely necessary.”
Fernand continued. Hearing this, the thin-faced man with deep-set eyes beside him couldn’t help but stroke his chin thoughtfully.
“So… the truth will only be revealed tomorrow evening?”
Ed said, looking down at the intricate tiles in the center of the circular stage below.
“If your task is merely to bring Adele and the others to the Palace of the Goddess and monitor them until tomorrow evening, then the so-called three-stage puzzle of Charles you mentioned earlier… is all fake?”
Ed continued to ask Fernand. Fernand shook his head again.
“No, no, no… This puzzle is real, not fake. After all, among the Bourbon remnants, there are many who understand history and esoteric studies. There are also many who study the Palace of the Goddess and King Charles. Making up a completely false puzzle would easily be exposed. This wouldn’t fool anyone.
“So, the puzzle given to me by the high-ranking official is real, truly left behind by King Charles. I just omitted a bit when telling it to them and added a little myself.”
