Mystery: The Stranger

Chapter 44 Get some rest

"No one can completely disregard face, not even demons, especially after seeing the pomp and circumstance of some angelic descendants." Snow held his teacup, his fingertips tracing the rim, a hint of barely perceptible resentment in his tone, a cold glint in his eyes. "Who hasn't had an angel among their ancestors? What's with the arrogance?"

He was referring to the two red-haired hunter families—Sauren and Einhorn, each with a Sequence 1 Conqueror in their ranks. Even in the talent-rich Backlund, they exuded an air of superiority, their every step carrying the force of crushing the ground.

Because the divine fire was burning continuously, Snow's emotions were mostly sluggish. After all, the burning had reduced him, the dignified Apostle of Desire, to a state of chronic low desire. However, a red-haired demigod had been looking for trouble before. Under the pretext of a routine identity check, he deliberately reached out and touched Snow's shoulder and neck, trying to strike up a conversation in a flippant tone. Snow really disliked that dismissive attitude.

In the past, Snow wouldn't have cared and would have been happy to make a friend, but because the divine fire was burning, he didn't have much energy or patience, and instead disliked people who were too approachable.

Nourished by the Red Moon's spirituality for decades, his appearance has long since shed its initial mediocre pretense, giving rise to a unique androgynous beauty of extraordinary life—soft but not effeminate, pale skin with a radiant glow, long eyelashes, and light-colored lips, surrounded by a distant yet gentle temperament, which may be quite attractive to angel families like the Soren family, who are Sequence 4 and can transform from female to male.

Although theoretically, hunters are supposed to be quite lively, he still hates it when someone whistles at him.

Let's make a note of this.

"They have the support and trust of the Church of the Six Gods, as well as the recognition and friendship of the two great ruling families, Tudor and Trensost. It's normal for them to be a bit arrogant." Karen Tamara picked up the black tea on the table, took a sip, and a faint smile appeared in her gray eyes. There was a hint of amusement in her tone.

Countess Karen had, of course, witnessed everything that had happened. The red-haired demigod's advances weren't excessive in this era, at least not deliberate harassment. On the contrary, Snow—this demon who was always hypocritical and pragmatic, prioritizing profit and convenience above all else—almost couldn't resist taking action. Such an outward display of emotion was rare to see, and it amused her somewhat, finally allowing her to glimpse a trace of true nature beneath the demon's mask.

"Is that so? Then you certainly have a huge advantage."

"Your Excellency, if I may be so bold, your family belongs to the arbitrator route, which is a route that needs to extend the order."

"But I couldn't even find Tamara's name among the vast group of senators in the Senate."

When it comes to this, Snow has some questions.

The Tamara family at least has angels, and as angels on the side of order, they should at least be part of the system.

Look at the angelic families of Augustus and Castile, two families with similar lineages of succession through the arbitrator route. These two illustrious surnames can be seen in the published list of the Senate. What about the Tamara family, which is no less prestigious?

He decided to align himself with the Tamara family years ago because he believed that with the Tamara family's influence and resources, he could at least become a member of the Senate after the establishment of the United Empire. But now, he's nowhere to be found?

This infuriated him, a speculator, with his lack of ambition.

"They are not friendly to most angel families that have independent power and a certain degree of threat."

"The Morse Penitentiary is an exception, but that's because the Seeker Path currently poses no threat to anyone."

Count Karen slowly put down his teacup, his fingertips gently stroking the rim. His expression softened slightly. The burdens of history and long-standing grudges lay there. Furthermore, the Tamara family was not a noble family of the Solomon Empire and had never worked in the core of power. Naturally, they would not have been able to secure a prestigious position when the United Empire was established.

The old powers that lose their protection are not respected. Even the vampires, who fell from grace earlier and have fewer historical grudges with various powers, have so many complex and vast direct branches, yet not a single one of them has been able to infiltrate the Senate of the United Empire. Let alone a family like Tamara, which is neither an old faction nor willing to bow down.

"Alright, if other angels aren't welcome here, then it's naturally unsuitable for demigods either." Snow instantly understood, all the doubt in his eyes vanishing. He knew the intricacies of this all too well—actively surrendering, expressing one's intentions, or establishing diplomatic relations with the neutral Church of the Earth Mother would always allow one to infiltrate this circle of power; but if one refused to join any angelic family, even an angelic one would be excluded, unless it was a top-tier angelic family like Abraham's, with its 3+1 lineage and unfathomable depths, which would qualify them to remain aloof.

The Tamara family is quite stubborn. As an angelic family on the side of order, they didn't cultivate connections or become active on the political stage. It's no wonder they were purged by the Ternsost family afterward.

During the Black Emperor's reign, it was understandable that the Tamara family dared not be active in the Northern Continent because the Black Emperor certainly had ambitions for neighboring routes. Now that the Black Emperor has fallen, and a new Black Emperor will not appear in the short term, it is somewhat pedantic for the Tamara family not to bow down and try to catch up with families of similar status like Augustus and Castia, or perhaps there are other ulterior motives.

Because of the wishing lamp?

Snow didn't know, didn't understand, and was too lazy to think about it.

Originally, he had planned to take this opportunity to explore Backlund and experience its culture and customs as the capital of the new empire. However, the Tamara family was worse off than he had anticipated. Without the necessary connections and social standing, and without anyone to rely on, Snow decided not to go out.

It would be troublesome if he caused trouble. His background wasn't strong enough, so he could only keep accounts for the time being.

"We're just here to observe the ceremony; other matters are none of our concern." Karen Tamara nodded slightly, her tone indifferent, clearly unconcerned about how Snow might perceive the Tamara family.

She came here with another purpose. According to the clan's prophecy, this trip to Backlund would present an excellent opportunity for a contract—if everything went as the prophecy foretold, all would be well; if the opportunity failed to materialize, it would be time for the Tamara family to make changes.

"Indeed." Snow chuckled, without a trace of disappointment in his expression. "The opportunity to meet so many important people may only come once in a lifetime. Everything else is secondary."

He bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Then, Your Excellency, please rest early. I won't disturb you any longer."

Having said that, he turned and walked towards the door. Whether he went out or not didn't really matter; just seeing the gods and angels at the grand ceremony later would be worth the price of admission. Although looking directly at the gods was taboo in any era, it was still permissible to look at their robes and shoes with reverence. Besides, it wouldn't be long before the Northern Continent was filled with statues of the gods, so he wouldn't have to worry about not seeing their general appearance.

Thinking this, Snow gradually relaxed. He grasped the doorknob and gently turned it—but the doorknob remained motionless, showing no reaction whatsoever. He paused slightly, turning his head in confusion to look at Karen Tamara, who was still sitting elegantly on the sofa. His eyes were full of bewilderment: Why hadn't the room's confinement been lifted yet?