Lord of Mysteries: Starting As A Reader

Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina looked calmly at the gathered crew members and asked, "The Witch of the Wind… and what is she fighting?"

Before Danitz could answer with "She's fighting a monster," Flowery Bow Tie Jodeson interjected, "I can't be completely certain… but based on my experience, it's most likely an out-of-control Baron of Corruption."

"An out-of-control Beyonder… It seems the Witch of the Wind had a close relationship with this individual, and now she's here to deliver her companion's final farewell," Edwina said after briefly using her mystical senses to verify the situation. She then ordered, "Adjust our course and steer clear of this battlefield. Leave it to them."

After all, the Black Emperor was likely nearby. Although Edwina bore no grudges against Nast—in fact, her ancestors had once been on friendly terms with him—she had no intention of gambling the ship's safety on the whims of the King of the Five Seas.

"Yes, Captain!" Bru and Danitz, seeing their captain approve Jodeson's deduction, were filled with envy and regret for not speaking up sooner. They quickly acknowledged the order and dragged Jodeson away from the captain's side.

When the time comes, we'll make sure you embarrass yourself in front of the captain! Danitz and Bru exchanged malicious glances.

At that moment, Ebner emerged from the cabin. Fully aware that the crew of the Golden Dream were fiercely loyal to Edwina, he activated Psychological Invisibility to avoid unnecessary trouble.

However, because he and Edwina had established a Learning Space link, while she couldn't see him, she could still sense his presence and communicate through her mystical abilities.

"Your mood has taken a sharp turn… Was the one who lost control someone you knew?" Ebner asked, noticing the distant, distracted look in Edwina's pale blue eyes.

Edwina shook herself from her thoughts, gazing at the distant sea illuminated by magical light. She spoke softly, as if to herself yet answering Ebner's question, "When I was in Lunburg, I once had to kill a close friend… She lost control while consuming a potion."

"I'm sorry." Ebner apologized sincerely before deliberately changing the topic. "The Witch of the Wind? Who is she? I've never heard of her."

"The Witch of the Wind only rose to prominence in the past month. Little is known about her—no name, no pathway, no origin. The only detail that leaked was that she used to be the third mate of the Black Emperor, revealed by a drunken pirate from the ship."

"But despite her mysterious background, she's incredibly powerful. In two battles I know of, she killed a Sequence 5 Beyonder from the Loen military and a bishop from the Church of the God of Combat."

"Her fighting style includes an alluring charm effect and various wind-related spells, which earned her the title 'Witch of the Wind.' Currently, her bounty has risen to 9,000 pounds!"

Perhaps to adjust her mood, or perhaps because of the "occupational disease" of a "teacher", Edwina gave an unusually detailed account of the Witch of the Wind.

From that description, it's definitely Mr. Gaston's Transformation Wand - Wind… But an anonymous Witch of the Wind? Since when do pirates avoid fame? Is she afraid of social death if her real identity is exposed?

If I recall correctly, the previous third mate of the Black Emperor was Baron of Disorder Littorio, with a bounty of 6,800 pounds…

Ebner gazed out at the gradually fading battlefield, his thoughts deep and contemplative.

...

The turbulent waves of the Furious Sea parted as a massive black three-masted ship sailed steadily through the storm-tossed waters, defying the chaotic sea.

This was none other than the flagship of the King of the Five Seas, Nast—the Black Emperor.

With a gust of wind, a beautiful girl clad in light green armor descended gracefully onto the Black Emperor's deck.

She ignored the curious and wary glances from the crew and made her way directly to the captain's cabin on the third floor.

Only then did "she" deactivate her transformation and revert to the form of a handsome young man.

"Captain, I've brought Rosscott back…" The young man looked at the towering figure seated in an iron-black chair and respectfully held up a Beyonder characteristic above his head.

"Well done, Littorio." The deep black eyes of King of the Five Seas Nast gleamed faintly with crimson light as he nodded approvingly.

He tapped his fingers on the chair's armrest, and the Beyonder characteristic floated into his palm.

After completing this, Nast glanced at Littorio and warned, "That wand is indeed powerful, but don't become overly dependent on it. And don't place too much trust in the so-called 'safe usage times' identified in the wand's evaluation. Devils are cunning—they don't really follow the rules they claim to."

"Yes, Captain!" Littorio nodded hurriedly in response.

Satisfied, Nast waved his subordinate away.

At that moment, Second Mate Bird Mustang entered and reported, "Count, the Golden Dream was spotted twenty nautical miles off our port side."

"Leave them be." Nast waved dismissively before picking up a letter signed 'Adabao' from his desk. "Our next target is a naval warship set to depart from Port Pritz for the Southern Continent."

...

At the Backlund Steam Railway Station, Fors watched from a distance as Her Highness Vera stood poised and confident, her noble bearing unmistakable.

The more Fors observed, the more she became convinced of her earlier suspicion—that Her Highness Vera was Miss Judgment from the Tarot Club.

However, after a long internal debate, she refrained from approaching. I don't have definitive proof. If I'm wrong, I'll end up exposing myself as a follower of an evil god…

Instead, she repeatedly hinted to Xio, "If anything happens, make sure to ask Her Highness Vera for advice. If she tells you to chant something or do something, don't hesitate—just do it."

It was only then that Xio realized what had been on Fors's mind all along. She looked at her friend with a deep gaze, nodded solemnly, and thought, On behalf of Miss Judgment, I promise—I'll take good care of myself…

...

After evading the Black Emperor, Ebner bid farewell to Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina and used Teleportation to return to his estate in Bayam.

Having dealt with Strongman Ozil Beyonder's corpse, there was one more person he needed to handle to fully tie up the loose ends of the previous night's events.

Ebner walked out of the basement and made his way to the study where Helene had previously been held.

Inside, the man known as "Sea Serpent", a drug vendor, was slumped lifelessly on the sofa under Helene's watchful eye, looking utterly defeated.

"What happened to him?" Ebner asked curiously.

"He tried to escape… I might've burned him a bit too hard… Yeah, that's it." Helene averted her gaze, her voice unsteady.

This doesn't look like he was burned too hard. It looks more like he was… provoked a little too thoroughly…

(End of Chapter)