Chapter 1799 Presence Revealed <TOC> Chapter 1801 Remain Vigilant
Translator: SumTLMan
The thunderous steam train traveled along the shimmering Snow Agate River, heading straight towards the end of the snow-covered mountains.
In a luxurious compartment aboard the steam train, a window was cracked open just a bit, letting a dense white vapor escape to the outside. If someone happened to be near the tracks, they might catch the rich aroma of meat emanating from it.
At this moment, there were only four individuals in the luxurious compartment filled with the meaty aroma.
It was Angel and his companions who had departed from Sky Mechanical City.
On the solitary table in the middle of the compartment stood an exquisite small furnace. Gloria sat by the table, guiding Azaz on how to place the mutton into the furnace, elaborating on the nuances of managing the flame.
Angel and Sanders also sat by the table. However, Angel’s attention wasn’t on the furnace but was silently gazing at the passing scenery outside the window. Sanders, on the other hand, had his eyes closed, seemingly resting.
As soon as Gloria finished instructing Azaz, her gaze shifted towards Angel.
“You seem to be deep in thought. Are you still pondering the matters of the Bud’s believers?” Gloria inquired.
Turning his head, Angel responded with a soft tone, “Not really. It’s just rare to have such a leisurely moment, so I’m letting my thoughts wander.”
“I feel like you’re just brushing me off.” As Gloria said this, she slightly motioned with her finger, and a piece of mutton flew out from the furnace. Taking a bite, she looked at Azaz, “The taste is decent, maximizing the potential of the ingredients.”
Finishing her statement, Gloria made another gesture, causing another piece of mutton to float mid-air. However, this time she didn’t eat it herself but tossed it towards Angel.
Angel remarked, “I’m not hungry.”
“I didn’t offer it for you to eat,” Gloria retorted with a raised eyebrow, pointing towards Angel’s shoulder.
Angel cast a sidelong glance, only to see Toby, who had previously been perched on his shoulder, now standing. Saliva dripped from his mouth, and his bright red eyes were fixed intently on a tender piece of mutton floating in mid-air.
With a sigh, Angel said to Toby, “Go ahead, eat.”
Without a second thought, Toby picked up the mutton and placed it on the table. He dipped it in the mushroom sauce prepared on a plate and began to eat heartily. Gloria’s attention was also drawn to Toby. Every time Toby finished a piece, Gloria promptly offered a new slice, timing it perfectly.
Angel shook his head with a chuckle, directing his gaze outside the window. The Snow Agate River had already meandered past a snow-covered mountain. Angel knew that behind this mountain lay the lush Fragrant Lake.
Behind Fragrant Lake was the Paramjit Plateau.
However, this time, they weren’t heading towards the Paramjit Plateau.
Their current destination was a border city of the Arelle Principality, known as——”Ephesus Might” to the locals, but outsiders called it Shepherd City.
The detour to Shepherd City was due to a minor change of plans.
Originally, Angel assumed Horus would set the exit of the planar passage near the Savage Grottoes. Unexpectedly, the exit was located next to the Paramjit Plateau in the Arelle Principality.
Rumor had it that continuous ruins were emerging from the Paramjit Plateau. Every revealed ruin signified a spatial rift. To avoid complications, Horus chose to set the exit in the Arelle Principality.
But the Arelle Principality wasn’t a problem. Taking the Gondola to the Savage Grottoes wouldn’t take long. However, at this moment, Gloria suddenly mentioned her desire to visit Shepherd City to buy one of its specialties: the Tundra Rock Sheep.
Angel initially suggested letting Butler Goode send someone to make the purchase later on. But Sanders nodded in agreement with Gloria’s idea.
Sanders planned to make a trip to Shepherd City, and he intended to seek out the “Benevolent Demon” Sridhar for some inquiries.
Seeing as his mentor had mentioned going, Angel naturally agreed.
As for why they were traveling by steam train, it was Gloria’s preference. Gloria had stated that a leisurely Train Journey would help soothe their tense emotions.
Sanders silently acknowledged this, and after Angel gave it some thought, he nonchalantly nodded in agreement, leading to the scene before them.
It was a rare occasion for Angel to enjoy a leisurely train journey, and indeed, his anxiety from his time in Sky Mechanical City had somewhat eased. However, perhaps the change was too abrupt, and he felt slightly unaccustomed.
“Knock knock knock——“
At that moment, someone knocked on the door of their luxury compartment. A female voice from outside said, “I’m the service attendant for the Arelle Frontier Line. A friendly reminder that we are half an hour away from Ephesus Might.”
Since they had purchased first-class tickets, they were privileged to such dedicated notification services.
After the attendant left, Angel prepared to drift into his thoughts again. But before he could settle, the knocking sound returned.
With a frown, Angel turned his gaze to the door, only to find everyone else looking at him.
It took Angel a moment to realize that the knocking wasn’t from someone at the door but from something inside his pocket.
Hesitatingly, Angel reached into his pocket and retrieved a silver, gear-shaped button.
The silver gear was glowing, and the knocking sound emanated from it.
Gloria asked, “What’s going on?”
The persistent noise also roused Sanders from his light slumber, and he looked over curiously.
Angel sensed something within the button, musing, “It seems someone is trying to contact me?”
This silver cogwheel button contained the miniature signal tower Muse had given him.
“I’ll take it out and see.”
While the signal tower was described as ‘miniature’, its actual size was rather substantial. To remove the tower, Gloria temporarily shifted the seats in the VIP compartment to make space for its placement.
The signal tower was now emitting a red glow. Although this was Angel’s first time operating such a device, he quickly got the hang of it.
In less than a minute, a stranger’s face appeared on the screen.
It was a seductive woman, half-concealing her face with a folding fan, revealing only her captivating, deep-set eyes.
Before Angel could speak, the woman on the screen flirtatiously batted her eyelashes, “Angel, it’s been a while. I trust you’ve been well?”
Gloria cast a suspicious glance at Angel. She remained silent but frequently shifted her gaze between the woman on the screen and Angel, creating a palpable air of curiosity.
With a stoic expression, Angel inquired, “Director Muse, what can I do for you?”
“How did you know it was me?” The woman seemed taken aback, probably not expecting to be recognized by Angel so easily.
Angel didn’t verbally respond, but in his mind, he had an answer: he knew of Director Muse’s penchant for dramatics and his multiple disguises. Muse had deceived him numerous times in the past, sometimes disguising as Midora or even impersonating various statues. Thus, once bitten, twice shy; Angel was mentally prepared for such antics.
Adding to that, this miniature signal tower was itself a gift from Muse to him. When it could call out his name with such familiarity and present itself with such an intimately coquettish manner, the first thought that jumped into Angel’s mind was Muse.
Of course, he wasn’t entirely certain, so he decided to bluff a bit. It turned out, his hunch was right.
This woman truly was transformed into Director Muse.
Upon seeing Angel’s silence, Muse, slightly annoyed, remarked, “When did you start imitating Rosen? As an audience, it’s a mark of refined taste to offer a performer a gesture of surprise.”
Angel: “…”
“So, Director, what did you need from me?”
Frustrated by Angel’s nonchalance, Muse heaved a deep sigh. After exhaling, he immediately shed his flippant demeanor, adopting a serious tone to address Angel, “Our earlier speculations were correct. Indeed, there is a devotee of the Bud who has descended upon Sky Mechanical City today. She is most likely the instigator of this inside-out conspiracy.”
“We apprehended her near Red Sunflower Lane.”
“Regrettably, she is now deceased.”
Chapter 1799 Presence Revealed <TOC> Chapter 1801 Remain Vigilant