Chapter Eighteen: The Voodoo Puppet

The city of Dallas had already fallen into night. In the study of Viscount Colin, the lord of the city, the magical crystal lamp cast a gentle glow.

Dressed in casual attire, Viscount Colin was quietly leafing through an account book. This ledger recorded the statistics of all the spoils confiscated from the Wizard’s Tower, and the inadvertent smile on his lips betrayed his satisfaction with the harvest.

Though both Edward and Sir John had advised him to wait until the threat of Stein, his most troublesome adversary, was eliminated before touching the Wizard’s Tower’s wealth—and they had even devised a plan for John to coordinate an ambush with the city lord’s mansion when Stein returned—Viscount Colin insisted on seizing the Wizard’s Tower first, to claim its riches.

He persisted because he trusted the information provided by his magic mirror implicitly. He knew Stein was no longer a concern.

Thinking of the magic mirror, Colin’s lips twitched slightly. He both loved and hated the artifact. He had once paid to have the mirror introduce itself, and it proclaimed itself the historical magic mirror “Hystery”. The mirror could reveal any event that occurred within a hundred-mile radius from three days to thirty thousand years ago; every incident could be queried, though each piece of information required an appropriate magic stone as payment.

Due to his frequent use of the mirror, Colin’s supply of magic stones was perpetually inadequate. Half a year ago, he had quietly abused his authority to draw from the front lines’ strategic reserves. After the legendary Marshal Vaughan took command of the Silver Wing Fortress, he may have noticed this, and had once sent a sternly worded warning. Now, Colin was desperate to fill this gap, which explained his eagerness to confiscate the Wizard’s Tower.

Fortunately, everything was proceeding according to his plan, save for a few minor disturbances.

“Who’s there!” A sudden shout rang out from outside the study, followed by the rapid whoosh of something cutting through the air.

Colin froze, recognizing the voice as that of his father-in-law, the great knight Cromwell. It took quite an event to alarm the strongest asset in Colin Castle; whatever was happening outside, it was serious.

Years ago, Cromwell had been gravely wounded and was coincidentally rescued by Colin, who was then only a baron’s second son. By another stroke of fortune, Cromwell’s daughter and Colin were deeply fond of each other. Afterwards, Cromwell supported Colin in seizing the baron’s inheritance, earning military merit and, eventually, elevation to the rank of viscount. Of course, there were no such coincidences in this world; it was all the result of Colin’s careful calculations, based on information gleaned from the magic mirror.

The commotion outside soon subsided, and footsteps approached the door. Cromwell knocked lightly and entered.

Colin hurried to greet him. “Father-in-law, what happened outside?”

“Nothing, just a false alarm. I heard some movement near your study, but it turned out to be only a cat—probably one kept by a maid.” Though nearly sixty, Cromwell showed no signs of age; his voice remained strong and resonant.

“Hmph, these maids are growing increasingly unruly. Once we’re done with important matters, it’s time to deal with them properly. We should clear out a batch and bring in some fresh blood,” Colin remarked in feigned anger. In truth, there were two maids among them who pleased him greatly, but he knew that the more he favored them in Colin Castle, the more tragic their fate might become. Colin owed much of his rise to his father-in-law’s support, and so his wife was exceptionally assertive in daily affairs. Fortunately, Colin’s skill at charming women was long perfected, and with the magic mirror monitoring his wife’s movements, they had managed to coexist peacefully over the years.

At times, Colin felt that even with the mirror, he could not fully control his own destiny. He envied his father-in-law and the wizard Stein—those who wielded true power, even if their noble titles were far inferior to his own. Alas, Colin’s talent was lacking; not only was he devoid of any wizard’s gift, but he had failed to break through to the rank of knight. Thankfully, he had a worthy son, Edward Colin, whose aptitude for witchcraft was remarkable. Colin resolved that once Edward advanced to a full-fledged wizard, he would pass on his trump card—the magic mirror—so that Edward could go further along the wizard’s path, for it was Edward who represented the hope for the Colin family’s glory.

While Colin and his father-in-law, the great knight Cromwell, conversed, in the shadow of an artificial hill two or three courtyards away from the study, Andy and Catherine quietly met.

They were here because the city guard was searching all over Dallas for Andy. Andy, who fancied himself a scholar of the Art of War and the Thirty-Six Stratagems, knew well that “the most dangerous place is the safest place”. Thus, he decided to take refuge right in the enemy’s stronghold.

Thanks to his expert stealth skills, Andy’s initial infiltration of the city lord’s mansion went smoothly. But soon, he and Catherine were dumbfounded. The mansion was enormous, and they had no idea how to navigate it. Daring to wander blindly was out of the question; if they stumbled upon a knight, it would be tantamount to surrendering themselves. So, while Viscount Colin was enjoying a sumptuous dinner, Andy and Catherine sat beneath the artificial hill, exhausted and hungry, unable to utter a word.

As the brains of the duo, Andy came up with a new idea—the “cute cat scouting tactic”. After much persuasion, Catherine finally agreed, though her original intention was to find the kitchen and steal some food.

The earlier encounter with the great knight Cromwell had frightened Catherine nearly to death. The moment she saw Andy, she rushed to him, clawing and biting. Andy soothed her quietly for a while until she calmed down, then she used her paw to write in his palm, recounting everything she had experienced.

This was their new mode of communication—silent and requiring no magical energy.

The reputation of the great knight Cromwell was known throughout Dallas. Andy, upon confirming his location, mentally marked the courtyard where Cromwell resided, resolving never to approach it unless absolutely necessary.

Andy had not decided what to do next when he suddenly sensed someone approaching the back of the artificial hill. Alarmed, he grabbed Catherine and hid in the shadows, casting an extra stealth spell just to be safe.

Louis had enjoyed a stroke of good fortune lately. Thanks to his connection to the lady of Colin Castle’s family, he had finally succeeded the previous steward upon his retirement, becoming the steward of the city lord’s mansion. Though merely a steward, every noble in Dallas treated him with respect—after all, even minor officials at the gates of the powerful are shown deference, especially since the great knight Cromwell was his uncle.

A few days ago, he had taken a fancy to a young maid; despite his hints, the girl remained coy and elusive. Tired of subtlety, he resorted to force. After a mix of threats and inducements, he finally had his way. Through persistent coaxing and pressure, she eventually agreed to meet him for something more exciting.

Tonight’s chosen spot was strange and chilly, but nothing could dampen his fiery enthusiasm. After ten minutes, the maid slipped away shyly, while Louis lingered, humming a tune and savoring the moment.

Bang! Andy’s elbow abruptly ended Louis’s reverie. Without so much as a groan, Louis’s eyes rolled back and he fainted.

“Pah!” Andy spat at Louis angrily, silently convicting him of three crimes: first, he had ruined fine prospects; second, he had tormented the lonely; third, he had sung over the corpse after finishing—thus, he was beyond redemption. Under Catherine’s bemused gaze, Andy gave the man two more kicks, and when Louis stirred, Andy landed another elbow to ensure his unconsciousness.

When they had arrived, Catherine had not seen what transpired—Andy had kept her eyes tightly covered, enduring her bites. She heard only strange sounds and now was perplexed about Andy knocking out the rotund middle-aged man. Hadn’t they agreed not to alert anyone during their infiltration?

Andy’s attack on Louis was not solely out of petty jealousy. While listening to Louis converse with the maid, Andy learned he was the steward of the city lord’s mansion, which sparked a new idea.

Andy slowly drew a puppet from his pocket—the “voodoo doll” he had obtained after killing Compson.

Under Catherine’s astonished gaze, Andy recited a cryptic incantation. At its end, a faint light shot from the voodoo doll into Louis’s mind, and the puppet crumbled to ash.

The spell was complete, yet Louis remained motionless on the ground. Under Catherine’s doubtful gaze, Andy smiled sheepishly. “Heh, I struck him a bit too hard. He’s still unconscious. Let me wake him up…”

After massaging his chest and pinching his philtrum, Andy finally revived Louis. At first, Louis was confused, then his gaze focused on Andy and he exclaimed, “Master!”

“Good. Now, give me a brief introduction to the layout of Colin Castle,” Andy said calmly.