Chapter 7: Afternoon Tea

Chapter 7: Afternoon Tea

Chapter 7: Afternoon Tea

23
After passing through the gate to the spirit world, we arrived at a cemetery somewhere. They were still in shock, so I watched over them carefully. We reported the murder case to the police together and passed some information through a big golden retriever (I was sent away during this process, but it did not prevent me from seeing these scenes). Then the two ladies finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Highland tea, Marquis black tea." I invited them to sit in the living room, then went into the kitchen to take down the silver tea can on the shelf. "And Balam's coffee beans. Ladies, what would you like to drink?"

"Coffee, just give me a cup of coffee, thank you." Miss Forth pushed the hair on the side of her face behind her ears and hung her hat on the hanger on the wall. She looked at the lady named Hugh and answered for her, "She wants a glass of milk, sir."

I saw the petite girl looked at the silver teapot in my hand for several times, and seemed a little reluctant to let it go.

But she didn't stop her companion from speaking for her. I could understand that this was human "restraint". When you first arrive, you should choose some relatively ordinary food and gifts. This is a common etiquette in socializing. So, in her slightly regretful eyes, I put the teapot back and took out the Balam top-grade coffee beans that a believer had offered as a sacrifice and were said to be hard to come by, and ground them.

It was 3:30, a little early, but after finishing baking the pastries, it was just the right time to enjoy afternoon tea.

When the hot coffee exudes a mellow aroma after being stirred for several minutes, the cake in the oven also emits an alluring sweet aroma. The weather is cold, I put the still steaming desserts on a three-layer dessert porcelain plate, and put the cream, jam, milk and sugar cubes in different categories. It is rare for ordinary people to participate in my afternoon tea, so I prepared more cakes that are more in line with human taste. It is exactly four o'clock now, a perfect time, and every day's afternoon tea must be exactly right.

The two young ladies still looked a little embarrassed, their eyes wandering back and forth over the complete set of furniture I had reproduced in the Baroque style from memory. I understand, I also think it's too expensive, and I should reduce the gold and silver reliefs and gemstone inlays, but this set of furniture has been with me for 200 years, and it was handmade by the Intis royal family sponsored by Roselle, so I'm a little reluctant to throw it away.

"Relax a little, we can talk while we eat."

I gave them a soothing smile and said softly, "Ladies, have you discussed where to start the explanation?"

"Well, thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Vaughan." Miss Fors spoke first. I don't know if it was my illusion, but the hand holding my gold cloisonné enamel tea set was shaking a little, as if she was afraid of dropping it. "The man we met today is the pirate general, 'Vice Admiral Hurricane' Qilingos, who can fly. Well, do you know about extraordinary abilities? That is, have you experienced something unnatural in your life?"

"I know." I nodded. That was a Sequence 6 Wind-loving One from Storm Path, of course I knew that. But even a Sequence 6 could sneak into the ranks of the Pirate Generals, it seemed that the sea was still quite safe.

"Do you know anything about the 'Four Kings and Seven Generals' among pirates?"

"I know a little bit. I know that the leader of the Dawn is the Mysterious Queen, named Bernadette Gustave," I replied.

Miss Fors and Miss Hugh looked at each other. Fors's expression was clearly confused. She organized her words and continued, "Qilingus was a pirate who killed countless people and committed heinous crimes. No ship he encountered survived, and even intact bodies were hard to find..."

I nodded. The magical item of the shepherd's glove made me suspect that it was related to the Aurora. Its taste was undoubtedly tempting, and I regretted not being able to eat it right there.

"…When I escaped from him, I opened the door with my extraordinary ability. Of course, it wasn't my power."

Miss Fors was very modest. She stood up and demonstrated to me how to pass through the wall. I sincerely admired her. After all, there is really no such trick in the demonic path. After she sat down, she grabbed a smoked salmon sandwich and put it in her mouth, swallowing it with coffee. I don't think this combination will taste good. After all, these snacks should be paired with fragrant black tea. Sure enough, her expression twisted.

24
"The world of Beyonders is very scary. It can get out of control if you're not careful. Wild Beyonders can easily be captured by the Church..."

"...Are you curious about Beyonder powers? I'm sorry, but you're too old to safely become a Beyonder... No, it's better not to write it into the book as material, as it's easy for people to teach you the Chavas meter. By the way, which god are you a believer in?"

"I'm on the Apprentice path, and I'm currently at Sequence 9. I wonder where Qilingos is now, and whether he's still hunting us down. Sigh, I'm really sorry for today. Without your help, we might have...rested. Should we go to the church and sleep for a few days until he's captured?"

Time passed slowly, and we ate the top layer of the three-layer dessert tower. Miss Fors praised my dessert-making skills and loved the dark chocolate mousse cake that was only the size of her palm. She only ate a small amount with one spoon. Even the serious Miss Xiu slowly relaxed her frown during the afternoon tea and gradually immersed herself in the enjoyment of the food. After drinking coffee, I took the initiative to help them make my favorite highland black tea, "because Miss Xiu kept looking at it and seemed to miss it very much." I answered like this, and they had to accept it.

"...You are really perceptive, Mr. Vaughan." Miss Hugh smiled and sipped the hot black tea. The delicious snacks and the relaxing atmosphere made her unconsciously let go of her caution and defense against me. She hesitated for a long time and finally answered, "My family is a fallen noble family. When I was a child, my father often made afternoon tea for me with Highland black tea."

"A fallen noble?" I couldn't help but be curious, showing the writer's enthusiasm for inspiration and material. "Can you tell me your last name? If you don't find it offensive."

"My name is Hugh Dilcher." The blonde lady pursed her lips and said in a self-deprecating tone, "My real last name is "Dil". It was many years ago, and no one should remember it-"

"Dill? A noble who has fallen into decline in the past twenty years. Are you from the Dill family, a relative of Count Mason Dill?" I dug out a page from my memory, flipped through the two insignificant sentences on it, and asked in a normal tone, "The Count bought an opera from me in the early years. I only have a little impression of him. He seems to be an upright and trustworthy person."

Miss Hugh's eyes suddenly widened.

Her emotions switched between "excitement" and "fear", and she also showed "suspicion"... Is this lady doubting me? Suspecting that I am related to her father's death? I remember that it was because the current king of Loen wanted to promote the Black Emperor, and the earl knew the inside story but was unwilling to accept the reality, so he died as a matter of course. I find this hard to understand. Obviously, humans are always in a vortex of struggle and killing each other, and they will do everything they can to squeeze others out to survive. What's wrong with having one more true god in your country, with stronger military force, higher status, bigger wars and more wealth? Why resist?
Very boring, I think. A thriving world is boring. Everything will decline one day. The meaning of goodwill and all virtues is only because they will be destroyed one day, just as life exists for death. Buildings and great achievements are most spectacular only when they fall down at the most magnificent moment.

I was waiting for her to ask me something, and then I would reveal some information. But Miss Xiu didn't say anything. She suppressed the urge to know the truth and sat back with gritted teeth. She didn't believe me. This was a pity, because I had originally wanted to treat this as a "devil's deal", I would give her the truth she wanted, and she would give me her own identity and soul in exchange, so as to make things difficult for the emperor who was about to become a god. Naturally, I was not very happy to see another god on earth.

The atmosphere of the afternoon tea was a little heavy, and Miss Fors probably felt the awkwardness, so she asked to leave at the most appropriate time. I smiled and agreed to her request, packed a portion of the chiffon cake that had just been baked for her, and then sent them out of my villa.

25
I gathered up the leftovers and successfully baked a stargazing pie using the most uncontrolled technique, offering it to my allies as a custom.

...Hey, why doesn’t He open the door to the Kingdom of God?

26
It was already dark, and I lay comfortably on the sofa listening to the believers' prayers, but I always felt as if I had forgotten something. After thinking carefully about everything that happened today, I realized that I had forgotten to go to Tingen.

......

Blame it on the mythical creatures' sense of time. I immediately stood up, put on my coat, picked up my cane, put on my hat, and opened a door as far away as possible in the direction of the city. As soon as I stepped out, a steam train roared past my forehead. I reached out to hold down my hat that was almost blown away. When I opened the door for the second time, I stood in the door frame and looked down. Below was a dirty river used to discharge wastewater. I thought about it, and thought about it again, and entered the spirit world through the prototype of the kingdom of God.

I don't like going to the spirit world. Because that round of stick figure sun always favors me, and this time is no exception. ——I just ate one of your angels, and you took back all the extraordinary characteristics. Do you still miss me so much? I ate two of the high-ranking officials of the Blood Worship Cult and the three demon families, leaving only three or two side branches. Didn't they come to seek revenge on me?

Five minutes later, I left the spirit world. The burnt ends of my clothes and hair and the missing hat made me look a little disheveled, but that was the only harm a single gaze could do to me.

The sun had already set, and the night had enveloped the sky of this small town. The gas street lamps had all been lit up, bringing bright light to the not-so-narrow road. The lights in the shops on both sides were also lit up, and children lingered outside the windows of toy stores and gift shops, and gentlemen and ladies walked arm in arm on the street. It was late autumn, and it was cold recently, so people had already put on thick coats.

I admired all this carelessly, looking forward to the destruction of the city due to the arrival of the allies. It would probably be as worth preserving as the crystal ball music box in the window. Although it is not worth mentioning, the reason for its destruction is very meaningful. In this case, should I take the whole thing away and make it a "world in a bottle"? I haven't updated my collection for a long time.

The peaceful night stroll was soon broken because a very beautiful lady walked out quickly from a corner.

Her long brown hair was casually draped over her shoulders. Although her clothes were a little messy, there was no panic in her round and bright brown eyes. Instead, she was full of contentment and joy, and her steps were brisk and quick.

She didn't wear high heels, and her flat shoes made her walk lightly and silently. Although she looked very hidden, the spider silk on her body and the lingering joy were as obvious as a bright light in the dark night. Perhaps because she didn't expect that there would be someone standing here, the lady paused for a moment, and then her eyes flashed with joy of seeing her prey, and the corners of her mouth slowly rose, revealing a charming, charming smile that only belonged to a witch.

The witch lady came closer. She seemed to have killed several people in a short period of time, and the smell of corruption and death had not yet dissipated. This made her smell as sweet and tempting as a sponge cake with honey. I rolled my Adam's apple for this. But she obviously misunderstood what I meant, chuckled and moved closer, using seductive words to ask me to protect her safety and send her home safely.

I don't like eating witches. They are delicious but too sweet. But there is no reason not to eat a blood sacrifice that is delivered to my door.

"I hope we have a wonderful evening, beautiful lady."

The witch smiled, and I smiled from the bottom of my heart.

27
Before nine o'clock, Klein, who was about to report to Dunn about the madness of Hood Eugen, a member of the "Psychological Alchemy Society" in the mental hospital, knocked on the captain's office door. After getting permission, he pushed the door open and found the captain eating breakfast while reading a newspaper in his hand. Dunn nodded at Klein and said with deep gray eyes:
"You've come just in time. There's another case that needs your help."

"Are there more? Are they all cases involving extraordinary people?" Klein asked subconsciously.

"Do you remember the previous case? City Councilman Mr. Maynard was found dead at home early in the morning on September 9st. The Tingen City Police Department was under great pressure and hoped that we could use psychic methods to help them identify the murderer as soon as possible. Well, but Old Neil took a day off that day to go to the theater with Mrs. Sally, so we had to arrange for you, who can communicate with the psychic, to be the one."

Dunn explained, then added: "This case is related to it. Mrs. Sharon, the mistress of the deceased Mr. Maynard, was found dead at home this morning. Her expression was hideous, her limbs were shattered, and her internal organs were all hollowed out. The scene was horrible."

Klein's hair stood on end when he heard this, and he couldn't help but clench his cane tightly.

"Mrs. Sharon's death may be related to something extraordinary, but it is also possible that the method of committing the crime was too cruel." Dunn warned, "Be careful."

TBC
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*Found a bug and made a fix.

It is now 9.4, and there are still five days until the true Creator descends.

(End of this chapter)