East coast of Prit's main island, Tivian.
Tivian during the daytime was currently welcoming an unprecedented grand event. After nearly three years of tense and meticulous preparation, the Tivian World Expo had finally reached its opening moment.
Early in the morning, the streets throughout Tivian were exceptionally lively. The festive atmosphere, which had been warming up for several days, had finally reached its peak moment of grandeur. People went out early onto the streets, seeing orchestras playing cheerful ceremonial music parades on the city's main thoroughfares, as well as many impromptu street performances following the orchestras. Tourists from various places and local citizens of Tivian stopped on both sides of the street sidewalks to watch attentively, following these parade processions as they walked to their respective sub-venues.
Due to the grandeur of the celebration, the number of spectators who wanted to participate was large, so the Kingdom government set up many sub-exhibition halls throughout the city. Each sub-exhibition hall would correspond to a sub-venue, where the vast majority of people would watch different opening ceremonies. Although each of these sub-venues was sufficiently grand, the most impressive, largest in scale, and most luxurious in configuration was the main venue, which corresponded to the main core exhibition hall of this expo, the Crystal Palace.
In an area located in the eastern suburbs of Prit, which was originally a large expanse of overgrown wasteland, it had now been transformed into an astonishingly vast square. Over the course of three years, countless workers gathered here, leveling the large area of wasteland, paving it with white flagstone floors, constructing tall stone pillars and intricate fountains, neat landscaping, lifelike sculptures...
Various exquisite 'works' were meticulously planned on the expansive exhibition layout, and among them, the 'work' in the core position, and also the most outstanding and excellent. It was the towering glass building, woven and constructed from countless steel bars and glass panels, like a church-like crystal 'palace' now standing in the middle-rear position of the square, reflecting the slow Light under the morning sun, visible from a very distant place, no matter who arrived nearby, his first glance would definitely be attracted by this extremely peculiar building for this era.
The Crystal Palace, this building specifically born for this grand event, had already been completed earlier this year, standing here waiting for a long time. Now, it had finally arrived at the moment to fulfill its duty. What was presented before this palace was a scene of a sea of people.
In the wide area of the square in front of the Crystal Palace at this time, there was a large venue temporarily built from wood. This venue was arranged in the form of a theater, with a semi-circular viewing area arranged in dozens of upward-sloping tiers.
This temporarily built wooden viewing area occupied almost half of the square's area, with a length and width directly exceeding a hundred meters. In the center embraced by its semi-circular shape was a temporary stage built with a steel frame. Behind the stage, also facing the opening of the semi-circular audience seating, was a long row of beautifully decorated VIP seats, also temporarily built. This row of VIP seats had exquisite chairs, individual compartments, and sunshades. Those sitting there would undoubtedly be more comfortable than those sitting in the semi-circular audience seating. And behind the VIP seats was the standing Crystal Palace. At this moment, its gate was still tightly closed, guarded by solemn guards, and it would only officially open after the King's proclamation.
At this moment, on the vast audience seating of the square, there was already a noisy scene of a sea of people. Not only were the tens of thousands of seats already fully occupied, but a considerable number of citizen spectators had also gathered outside the temporary seating area. They tried every means to find things to pad and climb up to look at the situation inside the venue. Some who wanted to sneak in and find an opportunity to enter the venue were caught by the strictly guarded police. The indoor audience at the venue was also enthusiastically whispering and discussing among themselves. The entire venue was slowly waiting amidst widespread anticipation.
"There are really so many people... I've attended so many banquets and celebrations, and this is the first time I've seen a grand event of this scale..."
In a corner of the VIP seating area at the venue, a young girl wearing an elegant plain dress, with her golden hair styled up and a small hat tilted, looked at the scene before her and couldn't help but sigh with emotion. Then, after glancing at several noble members and representatives from various countries who had traveled from afar on the other side of the VIP seats, a hint of loneliness arose within her as she spoke again.
"It's just a pity, Uncle Barret won't be able to see a scene like this. I remember he used to be very much looking forward to what Tivian would be like during the expo..."
The young girl spoke with a hint of sadness, and at this moment, an elderly servant beside her responded.
"Your Highness Isabel, there is no need to grieve too much. Although the Duke's departure is a great loss to the Royal Family and very regrettable, at this time of great celebration, we should lift our spirits and look forward. Otherwise, His Majesty's diligent preparations would be in vain."
The servant replied to the young girl who was a member of the Royal Family in this way, and the young girl, who was called Princess Isabel, thought for a moment and then replied with a slight lift in spirits.
"Ned, you are right... For the past three years, Father King's energy has been entirely focused on this grand event... This is the only matter he has cared about for three years. Although there are many things I still cannot understand... But no matter what, we must now face it with a more positive attitude."
Whispering softly as she spoke, Isabel turned her head to look at the main seat in the center of the VIP area. The throne belonging to the King was still empty at this moment. Also vacant was another main seat not far away, which belonged to the representative of the Church, the Archbishop of Prit. This figure of equally respected status had not yet arrived at the scene.
At this time, waiting in front of the King's seat was a bearded male wearing a senior guard uniform that was different from the standard Prit military uniform and very retro. He had his hand on the hilt of the sword tucked at his waist, his expression solemn and vigilant regarding the situation on the field, seemingly wanting to take in everything at the scene.
"Captain Morogu has already arrived... Has Father King not come yet? Brother Harold is also nowhere to be seen..." Looking at the scene on the side of the throne, Isabel said this, and the servant beside her immediately responded.
"So far, His Majesty's figure has not been seen. As before, he always avoids direct contact with all officials and nobles... He only lets the Captain of the Royal Guard indirectly relay messages. Since today began, no one has seen His Majesty.
"As for His Highness Harold... He holds the position of director of the An Yin Bureau. He should have relatively secretive and important security duties today, so it's normal not to see him for now."
"Is that so?" Listening to her servant's words, a hint of disappointment couldn't help but appear in Isabel's eyes. Since Charles IV's temperament changed drastically three years ago, she hadn't spoken a single word to her father. Even she, who was once deeply loved as a Princess, couldn't approach the King. Originally, she wanted to take advantage of today to see if she could say a few more words to her father, but now it seemed the hope was slim.
'I hope... after today, Father King can return...'
Isabel prayed in her heart like this, and just at this moment, she suddenly felt a slight sense of abnormality. She abruptly turned her head and looked towards the audience seating area, seemingly wanting to find something among the tens of thousands of people packed together, but after looking for a few moments and apparently finding nothing, she slowly gave up.
...
At the main venue, among the lively audience seating, in a viewing platform seat with an excellent view, Dorothy, wearing a white top, high-waisted black skirt, white stockings, small leather shoes, and a small folded gauze hat, with her hair styled up, was sitting here, looking at the people in the distant VIP seats. After focusing her gaze on Princess Isabel for a few seconds, she withdrew it and looked elsewhere.
"Oh, oh... there are really so many people. I've watched many performances before, but I've never seen so many people. Today is really an eye-opener..." Sitting beside Dorothy, Naifnis, wearing a plain white long dress and high-heeled sandals, with bare arms and gold ornaments adorning her body, couldn't help but sigh as she looked at the scene before her. As she spoke, a hint of helplessness showed in her expression.
"After waiting for three years, I've finally waited for this day. After all, I'm a Tivian... I used to look forward to this expo, but I didn't expect it to be involved with some cult conspiracy. I wonder what kind of ending it will have... I hope it won't be too bad..." Scratching her head, Neff said softly in North Wu language with a slight hint of helplessness, while Dorothy beside her responded leisurely.
"According to the scale of the forces involved this time, I don't think the chance of a perfect conclusion is very high. In short, let's do our best now. If we can minimize the impact, then let's minimize it as much as possible..."
Dorothy responded to Neff beside her like this, and Neff, after scanning the surroundings again, spoke to Dorothy again.
"Because I knew there might be risks in the main venue... so I managed to get many of my classmates to go to the sub-venues before. There are so many people here... I don't know in what form those cults will finally intervene..."
Neff said this, and Dorothy began to ponder after listening to her words.
'As of now, I have only deciphered a part of the plans of the Eight-Pointed Nest and Black Dream. I have found out the plan to spread ritual markings using souvenirs, but I don't know what other plans they have...'
Dorothy thought this in her heart, and then her thoughts returned to yesterday when she was in the carriage with Little Fox and her Black Cat Grandpa.
...
"This is..."
"You recognize this symbol?"
Sitting in her seat in the carriage, Dorothy held the umbrella whose surface was wet and faded, looked at the strange marking revealed on it, and asked the Black Cat, who seemed to know something, directly. The Black Cat remained silent for a moment before answering directly.
"This is a symbol of the Black Dream Hunter Group, developed based on the worship of moths. It's a symbol used in the rituals of the Black Dream Hunter Group... How did this appear on this?"
"What kind of ritual specifically can use this symbol? Can you tell me?" Dorothy continued to ask the Black Cat, and the Black Cat paused briefly before answering.
"Many rituals can use this symbol. It has a certain universality and can be effective in various rituals. Generally, it is used to amplify the influence of a ritual, especially the range of influence..."
"Range of influence?" Listening to the Black Cat's words, Dorothy's expression couldn't help but slightly freeze. Then, she looked outside the carriage window at the various expo souvenirs filling the streets, looking at the expo logos on the souvenirs.
"If such symbols are spread throughout the entire city, then can the Black Dream extend the influence of their ritual to the entire Tivian when performing it?"
Dorothy asked the Black Cat seriously, and the Black Cat also nodded in agreement.
"This symbol is a mark that receives the power of the main ritual. Normally, it won't have any Extraordinary reactions. It will only take effect after the ritual is activated and Spirit is infused into it.
"If you want to use it to extend the range of the ritual to the entire city, you need to arrange this symbol with high density in various places throughout the city. Although this symbol has no Spirituality trace when not activated, its shape itself is very strange to mortals. Arranging it everywhere will definitely attract attention. If this thing is everywhere in the streets and alleys, not only Extraordinaries but even ordinary mortals and ordinary police will find it strange. So they should... wait..."
As he spoke, the Black Cat sensed that something was not quite right. Then, he also looked at the street scene outside and at the symbol dissolved by water on the umbrella in Dorothy's hand, and then said with understanding.
"Those guys... they didn't hide the symbols on the logos of these souvenirs, did they? All these souvenirs filling the streets are also..."
The Black Cat stated a horrifying conclusion, and Dorothy responded in a deep voice.
"We can experiment now..."
Saying this, Dorothy had her Corpse Puppet carriage driver find a place on the side of the street to stop the carriage. Then, she had him go to the street and bring back several different souvenirs for Dorothy to experiment with.
Without exception, these souvenirs all had the expo logo. This complex logo initially maintained its original form after being washed with water, but after only a moment, signs of fading began to appear. However, its fading was not a complete fading of all colors. A grayish-yellow color remained after being washed with water and formed the symbol of a 'moth'.
After seeing the experimental results, both Shaliya and the Black Cat couldn't help but widen their eyes slightly.
"Grandpa... these souvenirs, they all have this symbol! The logo on this souvenir is just a facade. As soon as you wash it, the real thing is exposed!" Looking at the souvenirs before her, Shaliya said with a slightly higher tone, while the Black Cat beside her continued to speak in a serious, deep voice.
"Most of the pigments or dyes on this logo are made of materials that fade easily. Only the color of the symbol is non-fading. These fading colors and the color of the symbol together form the logo, which is equivalent to integrating the 'moth' symbol into the logo to make it inconspicuous. As long as it is washed with water, the 'moth' symbol will appear after the other colors that served as a cover fade away... These guys, did they actually think of this method to spread ritual symbols?"
Black Cat said this, and at this moment, Miss Dorothy had completely understood the specific reason for the entire event.
Using the large number of souvenirs distributed at the exhibition to spread their ritual symbols throughout the City of Tivian, this was one of the plans conspired by the Eight Pointed Nest and the Black Dream Hunter Group. After careful design, they provided special dyes and pigments to the factories producing these souvenirs, giving the produced souvenirs the characteristic of fading when exposed to water. After distributing them throughout the city recently, they only needed to wait for a heavy rain. Once half of the souvenirs faded, they could accomplish the action of spreading the mysterious symbols to every street and alley in the city without a sound.
In this process, the Eight Pointed Nest and the Black Dream Hunter Group only needed to tamper with the supply end of the goods, replacing normal pigments and dyes with their specially made ones. They didn't need to participate in the logistics, production, or distribution process. This is also why Miss Adele couldn't find anything when she previously investigated those factories and logistics companies at night, because there were no people from the Eight Pointed Nest or the Black Dream Hunter Group operating in these links, so nothing could be found.
However, not sending their own people to manage the manufacturing and logistics links could indeed reduce the risk of their personnel being discovered, but it would also lead to other unexpected events. For example, those two small thieves from the warehousing company, they were truly ordinary small thieves. They stole the special dyes supplied by the Eight Pointed Nest and the Black Dream Hunter Group, which were supposed to be sent to the souvenir factory and were considered anti-fading dyes, and replaced the dyes that were supposed to be supplied to workshops manufacturing mid-to-high-end clothing. This resulted in a quality issue for a famous clothing brand in Tivian, where the clothes easily faded.
If this problem had occurred with a general clothing brand, it would have been fine, but this brand was a famous one that Miss Adele would also look at, so the impact was significant as soon as the quality issue appeared. The Eight Pointed Nest had many informants and people corrupted by them in Tivian's upper circle. Among those who knew about the brand issue or even bought the famous clothes, there might be people from the Eight Pointed Nest. After these people reported it, the high-level personnel of the Eight Pointed Nest saw that the dyes that were supposed to be used on souvenirs actually appeared on these unrelated clothes. Realizing something was wrong, they would definitely try to investigate. Investigate whether this was the result of intervention from other Extraordinary forces.
Afterwards, they found from public channels that two small thieves had stolen and replaced the dyes supplied to the famous brand workshop, but they were still unsure whether the identities of these two small thieves were truly ordinary people. So they mobilized other informants in Tivian, sending Grego to verify. In their view, Grego's apparent identity was a Hunter from the An Yin Bureau, which would allow the secular police to cooperate better with him in interrogating the two captured small thieves, and he could also use the resources of the An Yin Bureau to investigate potential Extraordinary traces. Investigating something that might or might not exist didn't require the Eight Pointed Nest to deploy their major informant Harold, so Grego was just right.
But what the Eight Pointed Nest didn't expect was that Grego was not only an informant but also a double agent. Their action of sending Grego to investigate the two small thieves directly drew Miss Dorothy's attention to this matter. Now, following the clues, she has basically figured out the whole thing.
"So... for all these symbols to take effect, what the Eight Pointed Nest and the Black Dream Hunter Group are waiting for is a timely heavy rain?" Miss Dorothy whispered to herself, rubbing her chin. Now she understood where the first direction of defense should be focused...
...
Returning to the main venue of the exhibition opening ceremony, Miss Dorothy was currently shielding her eyes with her hand, looking up at the cloudless blue sky, and couldn't help but think to herself.
'According to the previous divination, the only direction today with a large amount of rain clouds and water vapor entering Tivian is the eastern outer sea. The Eight Pointed Nest should have corrupted the official Extraordinary Prit who was originally there to intercept the rain clouds, making him let the rain clouds through, and the only one on my side capable of blocking such a large-scale rain cloud is Anna...'
Miss Dorothy thought this. Anna, in her heroic spirit armed form, was the only Storm Path power above the Crimson Tier that she could currently control, and only a Storm Path at the Crimson Tier could block such a scale of water vapor and rain clouds to significantly change the weather. Anna had already set off. Miss Dorothy's task for her was to do her best to block the rain clouds from entering Tivian to ensure sunny weather here.
When she learned about the Eight Pointed Nest and Black Dream Hunter Group's souvenir plot, the souvenirs had already been distributed on a very large scale and could not be recovered in a short time with the limited manpower on Miss Dorothy's side. Now, the only way was to prevent the rain from falling to prevent the large-scale manifestation of these ritual symbols, and this task could only be done by Anna. And it wouldn't be easy, because the official Extraordinary Prit whom the Spider Queen had corrupted was almost certainly also a Crimson Tier.
Anna had only set off a short while ago. It is estimated that Miss Dorothy instructed her to monitor the rain clouds closely and only make a move after the rain clouds were let through. It is estimated that it will take some time before she officially engages with the corrupted Royal Family's Crimson Tier. According to Miss Dorothy's guess about the Eight Pointed Nest's arrangements, it would probably be after the opening ceremony officially begins for a while.
'With Anna going there... the problem of clouds and rain should be temporarily resolved, but the question is, is the Eight Pointed Nest and Black Dream Hunter Group's plan merely the large-scale ritual using symbols? Even after losing the original planned ritual, they should have other backup plans.
'For example, the Black Cat Grandpa's reminder... Dream World raid...'
...
"Dream World raid?" In the carriage the day before, Miss Dorothy listened to Black Cat's prompt and couldn't help but ask curiously, and Black Cat continued to explain.
"That's right, even if you find a way to hinder their ritual, you must also be mindful of them using the Dream World to employ some direct, forceful methods." Black Cat replied to Miss Dorothy's words. After a slight pause, he continued with a serious expression.
"Tivian is the location of the Shining Light Church's Archbishop's residence, and there is a Hierarchy Vision monitoring the entire city area. Theoretically, any Extraordinary above the Crimson Tier operating in the city of Tivian would be discovered.
"Therefore, if the Extraordinary above the Crimson Tier from the Eight Pointed Nest and the Black Dream Hunter Group want to achieve a certain surprise attack effect, they will use the Dream World as a springboard to intervene.
"That guy Gu Mian can directly turn a person into a phantom dream and bring them into the Dream World, and then have the phantom dream person wait outside someone else's dream cocoon, waiting for the right time. When the chosen person falls asleep, sacrifice them entirely, turning the person and the dream cocoon together into a door linking the real world and the Dream World. The ambushing forces of the Eight Pointed Nest and the Black Dream Hunter Group can bypass the Hierarchy Vision's alert through this door and directly appear at the crucial location in the center of the venue, carrying out a high-efficiency surprise attack..."
Black Cat sat in front of Miss Dorothy, wagging his tail while narrating his conjecture with a focused expression. After listening, Miss Dorothy thought for a while and then asked again.
"This is your guess... can you confirm that they will choose this method to enter?"
"Considering from their perspective, besides this method, there is no other way to bypass the Hierarchy Vision so efficiently. According to what you said before, most of the official high-level personnel of Prit have likely fallen, but the reason they still have to act sneakily is because the King himself and the Church are not under their control. If they want a quick victory, they must consider a way to bypass the Hierarchy Vision. Realm Transfer is one method, and there is no other realm in this world closer to the real world than the Dream World that is more suitable for this trick..."
Black Cat continued to speak to Miss Dorothy in this manner, his tone revealing a very clear sense of "Trust me!". After hearing this, Miss Dorothy felt it made some sense.
On the day of the exhibition opening ceremony, the Church strengthened the detection of the Hierarchy Vision. Not only would the original range be significantly increased compared to before, but even the sky and sea areas, which were weak points, would have "sentinels" arranged for vigilance, especially after suffering from the Werewolf's long jump last time.
It is obvious that the Eight Pointed Nest and the Black Dream Hunter Group attach some importance to Charles IV himself and should not consider him an opponent that can be easily taken down. And on the day of the opening ceremony, the Prit Archbishop will also be by Charles IV's side. Directly charging through the Hierarchy Vision for a head-on fight would definitely not be as effective as a high-level surprise attack, so Black Cat's words have a high degree of credibility.
"Then... where do you think they will hide the 'door'?" At this time, Miss Dorothy continued to ask Black Cat, and Black Cat answered with focus.
"Anyone present at that time could be it. Among those nobles, among those ordinary people, it is very likely that their loyalists are mixed in, and even some ordinary people, without knowing anything, could be transformed into 'doors' by Gu Mian.
"In short, tomorrow, there will be more than one 'door' in the venue, and not only loyalists of the Eight Pointed Nest, but also completely unaware members of the public among them. With my current ability, I'm afraid I cannot distinguish them one by one."
Black Cat said this seriously, and after listening to Black Cat's words, Miss Dorothy also showed a serious expression.
...
Returning to the audience seats at the main venue of the exhibition, Miss Dorothy looked at the large number of audience members and distinguished guests in front of her, and couldn't help but think to herself.
'According to what that Black Cat Grandpa said... among so many people now, there are an unknown number of 'doors'. Now the Black Dream Hunter Group and the Eight Pointed Nest should be waiting for rain to fall, and at the moment the Black Dream Hunter Group's ritual is held, they will burst out from the 'doors' together and control the scene. This is highly possible...
'The enemy is hiding the key targets among such a dense crowd. Even for me, finding them is extremely difficult, but luckily, when it comes to finding people in a crowd, I have professional helpers...'
Miss Dorothy thought this, then she took out a pocket watch from her pocket, looked at the time, and then whispered softly.
"Then... our big star, it should be time for her to leave now..."
...
Tivian, East District.
In a bustling street in a certain part of East Tivian, next to a lively area decorated with lanterns and streamers, a large theater stands here. At the huge entrance of the theater, countless people are gathered. Among them are many ordinary people holding flowers and feeling excited, as well as reporters with cameras and notebooks. They all seem to be waiting for something.
As time passed, the theater doors slowly opened, and a figure walked out with attendants following behind. Then the waiting crowd couldn't help but let out a burst of cheers.
"Miss Adele! Miss Adele!"
"Miss Briouz! Please look this way!"
"Miss Adele, could I ask you a few questions?"
As soon as the figure appeared, the reporters and crowd on the scene immediately surged towards her in a bustling manner, and the figure's own bodyguards separated the crowd.
"Everyone, I'm very busy today. If there's anything, let's talk another day~"
Wearing a fitted black ladies' trench coat and a large sun hat, Miss Adele smiled and said to the people around her, then walked forward surrounded by the crowd. By the roadside in front, a carriage was waiting for her.
At this moment, Miss Adele was heading to the main venue of the exhibition opening ceremony, where she had an important performance to showcase to the world.
Miss Adele walked forward with elegant and confident steps, and just as she was about to reach the carriage, several figures darted out from the crowd on the side, blocking her path. Looking closely, those figures were all wearing police uniforms.
"Miss Briouz, please stop." The one in the lead, a police officer with a small mustache, looked at the approaching Miss Adele and said sternly. Looking at the row of guards in front of her, who seemed to only appear at major venues, Miss Adele's eyebrows slightly furrowed as she said.
"Gentlemen... is there something you need from me? If it's not urgent, could we deal with it later? I have something urgent right now..."
Miss Adele said to the guards in front of her, and the police chief in the lead replied with a slight smile.
"Miss Briouz, I know you are in a hurry to go to the Crystal Palace for your performance, but we just came from that direction, we are from the venue. The purpose of us coming here to find you is to inform you of some program adjustments that the conference just decided. Your program has been adjusted to the East Tivian Second Branch Venue, so you don't need to go to the main venue now, just go directly to the branch venue."
The police chief said this. Listening to his words, Miss Adele was slightly stunned at first, then spoke with a hint of surprise.
"My program... has been moved to the branch venue? No way, Mr., I previously received a personal invitation from Sir Sorin of the Opening Ceremony Committee, who said I was the Pearl of Tivian and an indispensable part of this grand event... are you mistaken?"
"We are not mistaken, Miss. Look, here is the written document of the transfer order issued by the committee. This is specifically for you, and the signatures are all complete. This is enough to prove that what we said is true." The police chief said this while taking several documents from the hands of other guards beside him and handing them to Miss Adele in front of him. Miss Adele took them and looked at them for a couple of seconds, then shook her head slightly, finding it hard to believe.
"They all look good... but do they need a formal document for this kind of program adjustment? Why don't they want me at the main venue? Can I contact Sir Sorin?" Miss Adele continued to ask the guards in front of her, and the police chief continued to take out an envelope to answer.
"This is the letter Sir Sollin asked me to deliver to you. It explains the reason. He believes that as the pearl of Tivian, your dance in such an event should be dedicated to the broader common people of Tivian, rather than the wealthy who can enter the main venue. This will be more beneficial for your future development."
The Guard Captain said this, while Miss Adele on the side had already opened the envelope and quickly scanned it, then replied with a cold laugh.
"Hmph... ridiculous reason. Please step aside, everyone. Please allow me to go directly to the main venue now to explain to Sir Sollin and the others in person."
"I'm sorry, Miss Briuz, we cannot let you go to the main venue now. This is the order from the committee. We need to ensure you immediately go to the sub-venue..." Seemingly completely ignoring Miss Adele's words, the Guard Captain directly stated this to Miss Adele, his words carrying a very obvious sense of coercion. Hearing the Guard Captain's speech before her, Miss Adele's eyes slightly narrowed.
"Oh... you gentlemen are really strict, aren't you? Not even a little bit of flexibility?"
Miss Adele said this, her words slightly flirtatious. Her words, combined with her beauty and demeanor, caused the few guards before her to stir. Immediately afterward, the slight desire they had just felt rapidly spread like a prairie fire, completely unstoppable.
"Well... indeed... Ugh!!" Just as the few guards were about to agree to Miss Adele due to the strong desire caused by their stirring hearts, several marks on the skin beneath their clothes faintly appeared, and then an extremely sharp pain suddenly arose in their heads, as if their spirits and brains were pierced by thousands of sharp needles.
The intense pain caused these guards to sway unsteadily, but it also pulled their will back from that strong desire. Several guards were jolted awake by the pain, and then the Guard Captain leading them gasped and looked sideways at Miss Adele, saying.
"Huff... huff... This, I'm afraid we cannot be flexible, Miss Adele. Please go to the sub-venue immediately now. We will stay and go with you..."
Looking at the appearance of the few guards before her, Miss Adele's expression slightly sank, and then she slowly said.
"It seems... you few are being relentless."
"Huff... huff... There's nothing we can do. After all, this is our order. If Miss Adele is determined to go to the main venue, you can also step over us..." The Guard Captain said this to Miss Adele. Hearing his words, Miss Adele fell silent for a moment, then looked at the few people before her without speaking.
Upon encountering such a situation with the big star Miss Adele, the fans present watched her with concern, while the reporters were taking pictures and furiously writing down this breaking news. At this moment, everyone present thought Miss Adele was caught in a dilemma.
In fact, at this moment, Miss Adele was silently praying in her heart. She prayed thus.
'Great Aka, who records all things... please connect for me...'
...
'Adele was actually stopped?'
In the main venue of the exhibition opening ceremony, in the vast audience seating, Dorothy couldn't help but frown and think after receiving Miss Adele's prayer. She had thought that something might go wrong in Miss Adele's direction, but she hadn't expected it to be in this way.
'Adele's special identity is not too much of a secret in Tivian's hidden world... Many people know about Adele's special nature. Before, during the attempted assassination in Faloro, she even performed in the Temple of Beauty in front of a group of Faloro's upper class. With such exposure in both the hidden world and the current world, there's no reason for Eight-Pointed Nest not to pay attention to Miss Adele.
'Although they cannot definitively confirm whether Adele poses a hostile threat to them, allowing such an uncontrollable special Extraordinary into this venue is inherently adding variables for them.
'During Duke Barret's assassination at the New Year's Eve party last time, Eight-Pointed Nest's original plans failed one after another, and they only avoided complete failure by using Nightmare as a fallback. At that party, Adele had performed on stage.
'Eight-Pointed Nest may already suspect that the frequent setbacks in their plans at the New Year's Eve party where Duke Barret was assassinated might be related to Miss Adele. While they cannot find direct evidence, this does not prevent them from deciding to remove the risk factor of Miss Adele from the opening ceremony of the main venue. Charles IV seems to have only supervised the construction of the Crystal Palace, and he doesn't have the energy to manage the specific opening ceremony. In that case, Eight-Pointed Nest can easily corrupt the opening ceremony's general committee, directly refuse Miss Adele's performance, and transfer her elsewhere...'
'They completely want to eliminate the unstable factor of Miss Adele. They are truly seeking stability... this group of people from Eight-Pointed Nest.'
Rubbing her chin, Dorothy thought with a serious expression. Just as she was planning to rely on Miss Adele to find someone here, they took action to restrict Miss Adele's movements, which made her feel a bit troublesome for a moment.
"What should I do, Little Detective... These people won't let me pass, and they're provoking me. Should I just take them all down and then come over?"
At this moment, Miss Adele's voice echoed in Dorothy's heart again. After hearing Miss Adele's words, Dorothy immediately responded.
"No, absolutely do not use forceful means now. They are probably waiting for you to use force. You cannot fall into their trap.
"If you use forceful means, don't even think about performing at the main venue today..."
Dorothy said to Miss Adele in a stern tone. She had a reason for saying this, and that reason lay in the current situation.
First, although Charles IV is not on the same side as Eight-Pointed Nest, he is also not on the same side as Dorothy for now. Based on the information Dorothy has analyzed so far, she believes Charles IV might currently be in an isolated state where he doesn't trust anyone. In this state, even Misha's tentative contact was attacked, and he could judge anyone as an enemy at any time.
If Miss Adele were to use forceful means to attack those guards to escape and come to the main venue, if Charles IV found out, it would be very difficult for him to determine Miss Adele's stance.
Now, Eight-Pointed Nest and Black Dream have perhaps almost controlled the opening ceremony's preparatory committee. If Miss Adele wants to forcefully break through their restrictions and perform, she will definitely be suspected by Charles IV. As long as Eight-Pointed Nest makes Miss Adele appear suspicious in front of Charles IV, given Charles IV's current state, he might directly prohibit Miss Adele's performance for safety's sake. If Miss Adele were to forcefully perform at that time, it would only intensify the conflict between her side and Charles IV, which might be the situation Eight-Pointed Nest desires even more.
Therefore, no matter what, she cannot use force now, at least not openly first.
"Adele, agree to their terms first and go to the sub-venue. I will find a way. Remember to keep in touch and walk slowly..."
Dorothy said this to Miss Adele in her heart, and Miss Adele quickly responded.
"Okay... I understand, Little Detective. I hope you can come up with a proper plan..."
Miss Adele responded to Dorothy in her heart like this. After hearing it, Dorothy took a deep breath, remained silent for a while, and then, after a slight thought, said to Senior Nefelnis beside her.
"Senior Nefelnis, there is still some time before the official opening. There is something I would like to ask you to handle."
"Ah? What is it again?" Hearing Dorothy's words, Naifnis couldn't help but blurt out in confusion, while Dorothy spoke directly.
"Time is tight now. Go to the City in the East District first. I will tell you slowly on the way."
"Oh... since Miss Dorothy said so... alright then. I'm going now. Remember to save a seat for me."
Neff said this to Dorothy. After speaking, she got up and left the scene, walking down the stairs from the other side of the audience seats.
And after watching Neff leave, Dorothy began to use the information channel to link with other people.
"Hello... is that Mr. Black Dog? I am Scholar. May I ask where you are now? I have a task I would like to give you..."
...
Tivian East District, at the entrance of a bustling street theater, Miss Adele, who had been standing silently, suddenly had a change in expression. Then, after a slight sigh, she looked at the few guards before her and said.
"Alright, you win. I won't go to the main venue."
Miss Adele said this, and after hearing her words, the Guard Captain also smiled slightly and then said.
"We are very glad Miss Briuz that you can cooperate with our work. Come, please get in the car. We will help you drive to the second sub-venue..."
The Guard Captain said this, then made a gesture of invitation towards the carriage door here, while Miss Adele directly ignored him and said.
"It's not far from the sub-venue here, there's no need to take a car, I'll walk..." Miss Adele said this, and then walked straight in one direction on the road without looking back. Seeing Miss Adele's appearance, the few guards exchanged glances, then quietly followed behind her.
Just like that, Miss Adele walked in front, followed by a few guards, and behind them trailed a large number of reporters and fans. The few guards followed very closely, seemingly not wanting Miss Adele to leave their sight for a moment.
'These guys... are really persistent.' While walking, Miss Adele felt the presence behind her and thought in her heart. As she thought, she also cast her gaze towards the sidewalks on both sides and various corners of the tall buildings. In those places, Miss Adele felt many unfriendly desires directed at herself.
'It seems there are not only those few behind me watching, but also quite a few people hidden in the dark. With so many people, if there were more Chalk, I would also find it difficult to handle. As expected, the Little Detective is right, I can't act forcefully now...'
'Now... I need to find some opportunities...'
Miss Adele thought this in her heart, then walked slowly and leisurely on the street, heading towards the sub-venue without rushing. The people watching her, both in the open and in the dark, also followed with great patience. Anyway, for this group of people, their goal was not necessarily to send Miss Adele to her destination, but merely to prevent her from getting away to the main venue.
It was very difficult for Miss Adele to get away from them without using force, but she was not in a hurry now. She was looking for an opportunity while walking slowly and leisurely, and after a while, this opportunity appeared before Miss Adele's eyes.
After turning a corner, Miss Adele saw a large crowd of people densely packed together, watching a parade at a bustling intersection.
Looking at this large group of people, Miss Adele's heart couldn't help but stir, and then someone immediately noticed Miss Adele's presence.
"Ah! Look, isn't that Adele?"
"What... Tivian's Adele?"
"It really is Miss Briuz, just as beautiful as on the poster!"
The moment the first person recognized Miss Adele and shouted it out, almost everyone on the street simultaneously looked in Miss Adele's direction, and then the place instantly became completely boiling. The surging crowd on the street collectively shouted various names for Miss Adele and rushed towards her wildly. The massive crowd instantly surrounded and engulfed Miss Adele, making it impossible for the guards behind to see her. Wall after wall of people directly blocked the guards from Miss Adele, completely separating them.
Facing this situation, the Eight-Pointed Nest guards tried to disperse the crowd, but the increasingly fanatical crowds grew larger, making their efforts to disperse them like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water, almost ineffective. Due to the roles they were currently playing, they also did not want to directly use force on civilians to forcefully remove them.
"We can't see her, what should we do now?"
Looking at the large crowd before them, a guard said to the Guard Captain beside him, and the Eight-Pointed Nest Guard Captain said with a cold laugh.
"Trying to escape our pursuit in this way... you're underestimating us a bit, Miss Briuz." The Guard Captain said this. Now, he had more than one way to locate Miss Adele in this chaos.
He was confident that they were sufficiently prepared. With them there, Miss Adele would definitely not be able to reach the main venue to perform her dance!