Chapter 2388: Bad News and Bad News

The thick fog in the city was even more serious than outside the city. There were no rental carriages on the streets at all, and the few pedestrians were wrapped tightly in black umbrellas before they dared to walk quickly on the street.

This was the travel advice given in the newspaper.

After arriving at Belindell Manor, Luvia heard Xia De describe the monster he encountered outside the city and immediately knew what it was:

"This kind of monster has also been named by the Church—'Explosive Pus Man'. This thing will explode as long as it receives a severe external blow. In addition to 'Light Bulb Man' and 'Explosive Pus Man', there is another kind of monster in this fog, known as 'Light Believer'."

The third kind of monster is a madman who appeared because of the strange light. Their external changes are not as big as the first two, just that their skin glows slightly and all their hair falls out. This kind of monster can speak some crazy prayers that no one has understood to this day through language, emitting spiritual infection and directly turning ordinary people into glowing monsters.

Now the official describes the appearance of these monsters as a special infectious disease, and these three are just the three most common monsters. There are even stranger things wandering in the fog."

She said all this information in one breath, looking like she had been prepared to deal with Xia De's questions.

"But since you mentioned this kind of monster, go to the alchemy laboratory on the ship. Megan and Miss Swift have already developed new uses for the crystals left behind after these glowing monsters die."

Luvia did not board the ship with Xia De; she had to use the Countess's divination room in the manor to perform divination.

And the alchemy laboratory on the "Radiant Messenger" was not temporarily arranged. In the hundreds of years that Miss Eleise had been awake, she had naturally modified the ship's cabins herself, and the alchemy laboratory among them was used by herself before.

Although the alchemy workshop in the basement of Belindell Manor was equally professional, the space was too small, so the alchemy laboratory on the ship was favored by the witches. When Xia De arrived on the ship and entered the cabin, besides the witches and witch apprentices, there were more than a dozen middle-ring girls in the laboratory making potions and alchemy props to deal with the upcoming battle.

The "No. 3 Holy Water" that Xia De purchased from Priest Ao Gu Si in advance made the production of therapeutic potions simpler, while the ancient rune stone production technology inherited by the witches could only be learned by witch followers.

"Xia De, over here."

Audrey and Megan, wearing "one-piece dresses," greeted Xia De. From their standing posture, they had freed their hands, just letting the skin of their left and right legs under the dress stick together.

Miss Swift with flaxen hair on the side also smiled and nodded at Xia De, handing Xia De a small black silk cloth bag with a drawstring:

"Miss Edwards and I found that in addition to being excellent ritual materials, the crystals left behind after the death of creatures infected by strange light themselves still contain abnormal properties. After we processed them, we strengthened their instability, thereby creating bombs that can produce small explosions and trigger light infection phenomena in a certain area."

There were three irregularly shaped pure white crystals in the small bag. According to the introduction of the Megan sisters and Miss Swift, the strange light phenomenon caused by each crystal was only slightly weaker than that produced naturally.

"But the consumption of synthesizing this kind of crystal is very large. The drops of different monsters are different. If calculated according to the average level, one must hunt 15 to 20 monsters to obtain the materials to make one 'Light Crystal', and there is a probability of failure in production."

"Is the explosion of this kind of crystal effective against those monsters themselves?"

Xia De asked, and Audrey shook her head immediately:

"Of course it's ineffective, but our opponents are not just monsters. Keep these three crystals, remember not to let them come into contact with light for a long time, otherwise there is a certain probability of self-explosion."

Seeing Xia De's eyes widen, Megan smiled and comforted:

"Don't worry, in order to reduce the probability of self-explosion, we even added stabilizers at the cost of reducing power. The activation method is to inject enough light into it, which is very simple for you. However, I am becoming more and more curious about what method the 【Light-Seeking Seminar】 uses to control this kind of strange light. We have raw materials now, but we can't control them completely."

"Isn't it because of the statue of the Ancient God of Light? The one mentioned by your cousin, Ms. Follen."

Xia De asked, and Audrey shook her head:

"Even if there is a statue, it's not something you can do just by holding the statue. There must be unique technology in this... really curious."

"Mr. Hamilton!"

Suddenly a voice came from the cabin door. Turning his head, it was Miss Haley Aurora, Miss Aurora's niece. She had the same brown hair color as her aunt, only her hair was straight instead of big waves:

"Give you this, Princess Margaret sent an emergency letter."

"Emergency?"

Xia De hurriedly opened the letter to check, and Megan took off the rubber gloves used for the experiment:

"What's wrong?"

"It's bad news. Carmen Eddington, whom I highly suspect is related to 'blood-sucking species connecting 【Dragon Feast Cult】,' originally received an invitation and agreed to attend tonight's banquet, but the Eddington family sent a letter this morning saying that he suddenly fell seriously ill and could not attend the banquet."

Xia De said, and the wise Great Witch smiled:

"How could it be such a coincidence? In that case, does that musician really have a big problem?"

"I don't know. I'll go to Margaret Manor. Margaret said she had already sent someone to investigate. I at least have to figure out if Carmen Eddington is at Eddington Manor. If he is, whether he goes to the banquet or not doesn't matter to me."

It's just that Xia De's things this morning were even more than he imagined. He had just returned to the manor from the ship when Angelina ran over to send Xia De news:

"Someone is looking for you outside the manor, a middle-aged man with a pale face, he said his surname is Bernhardt."

Xia De came to the manor gate shrouded in thick fog. The person outside was indeed Mr. Bernhardt.

"I have a piece of bad news."

The blood-sucking Viscount said to Xia De across the fence gate. The Earl Manor's gate was a double-opening black fence gate, enough for two carriages to pass through at the same time. There was also a single-opening small fence gate next to it, which was convenient for pedestrians to enter and exit.

"I also have a piece of bad news."

Xia De also said, so the Viscount outside sighed helplessly, and Xia De asked the maid who followed behind to open the gate first.

"No, no, I won't go in. At this time, I'd better not cause trouble for you."

Mr. Bernhardt shook his head:

"There is a 'Blue Flame Tavern' a street away, let's talk there."

The tavern located in the center of Moon Bay City was obviously different from the countryside tavern and the Lower City tavern. There were also bards performing here, but the level of the performance was obviously as high as the decoration level.

Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt chose a table against the wall according to their habits. After the tavern owner wearing an apron left, Mr. Bernhardt said helplessly after Xia De ordered the tavern's special ale called 'Blue Flame':

"Thomas Pidgeon ran away. But don't worry, my people have been following him. He shouldn't have discovered that he was being followed. Judging from the results of the investigation, he had planned to hide today since two weeks ago. He didn't leave Moon Bay, he is now at Helmington Castle outside the city."

He was worried that Xia De didn't know, so he explained:

"Helmington Castle is at the northern foot of Raven Mountain in the 'Black Forest' in the northwest of Moon Bay, built against the mountain, with very high terrain. There is only one small road leading there, and there is a trench dug manually outside the castle. Only when the wooden bridge inside the castle is lowered can one pass."

This castle was built about three hundred years ago. I don't know the specific purpose of the construction. But I know that Thomas Pidgeon gathered a group of villains and gangsters in the city to help him protect the castle. There is evidence that it was the Hawthorne family who helped find those thugs."

"The bad news on my side is that Carmen Eddington suddenly fell seriously ill this morning and didn't go to the banquet. Mr. Bernhardt, wait for me here for a while, I'll go and find out where he is now, and I'll be back in an hour at most."

Xia De said it would take an hour, but he was back in half an hour. At that time, there was a newspaper and a portion of fried beans on the table in front of the blood-sucking Viscount. Seeing Xia De coming, he moved his gaze away from the bard on the small high platform:

"Any news?"

"Yes, Carmen Eddington really has a problem. The guards guarding the city last night saw a carriage driving out from the back door of the Eddington family. The results of the tracking this morning show that the carriage tracks lead to the castle you mentioned."

This was the conclusion reached by Miss Sylvia after she went to investigate in person half an hour ago.

Mr. Bernhardt narrowed his eyes slightly:

"If I didn't misunderstand, they knew something big was going to happen in the city, so they ran away in advance to hide?"

"Yes, I even suspect that the Eddington family knows about Carmen Eddington's affairs."

Xia De shook his head:

"That's not important. Mr. Bernhardt, are there any Ringed Shushis in that castle?"

"My fellow clansmen have been watching, there are about five or six middle-ring Shushis, and no traces of evil cultists were found."

"At this time, the evil cultists can't take care of them... Let's go together tonight, we can't delay any longer."

His tone was very calm, and Mr. Bernhardt raised his eyebrows:

"That's my plan too. To be on the safe side, don't rush in directly. I'm worried that the castle has another secret exit. After all, it's in the mountains."

Through Miss Torais's relationship, I found out that around 7 o'clock tonight, a convoy delivering fresh vegetables and fruits will enter the castle to unload, which is about a week's amount. We will take this opportunity to mix in and observe the situation. If there are no accidents, Marquis Mosen lent me a relic of the Keeper level, which can temporarily seal the entire castle from the inside."

Rushing in directly is actually no problem, but being safe is indeed very important. This operation will completely solve the problem of local blood-sucking species, and Xia De will not continue to wait.

"Do you need extra manpower from my side?"

Xia De asked again, but Mr. Bernhardt asked back:

"Are you coming? Isn't there a banquet tonight?"

"I still need to know what is more important."

So the blood-sucking Viscount didn't ask much:

"You just come by yourself, I won't bring too many people here either. Now if we act collectively, it will be very sensitive. Albert and I, just the two of us, plus you, the three of us will enter the castle. I arranged for others to surround Raven Mountain to ensure that no one is let go."

Bang~ Xia De picked up the wine glass and clinked it with him. Mr. Bernhardt's eyes were also a bit fierce. Obviously, he had had enough of these things and planned to solve the trouble completely tonight:

"Except for the servants, most of the guards in that castle are scum. Although I don't have the habit of killing ordinary people casually, I don't need to worry too much tonight. Mr. Watson, since we have experienced so many things and now finally found the target, I won't let anyone go."

"I understand, Mr. Bernhardt, I understand everything." ===== CHAPTER 2389 =====