Myths Reawakened

November twenty-fifth, night.

The cruise ship arrived at the Dulin Port of the Republic of Erland. Dulin[1] was the capital and the largest city of the republic, as well as the second biggest city in the Windsor Federation, second only to Londan. It had a rich history and culture, with a mild climate and beautiful scenery, making it a popular tourist destination.

Unfortunately, Wayne’s group was here to carry out the Queen’s secret order. Dulin’s scenery, no matter how picturesque, had nothing to do with them.

They caught a luxury train from Dulin to Fawst[2]. Originally, both Erland and Northern Erland belonged to the federation, so they were connected by railway, allowing for easy entrance and exit.

Fawst, a well-known port city in Northern Erland, boasted a well-developed system of maritime transport. Setting out from Liuerpul, the group could’ve traveled to the port city directly. However, Wayne insisted on going through the Dulin Port before taking a train to Northern Erland.

Since he was the leader of the investigation team, he had the final say. He shut down any opposition with the excuse that they should be wary of the Snow family’s ambush. And he wasn’t wrong. The Snow family had made a move, as proven by the purposeful damage of the cruise ship.

In the high-end dining car, Wayne was enjoying a late-night snack with Vera cutting up the cake for him on his left, and Mona wiping his mouth with a silk handkerchief on his right. He gently stirred the wine in his glass, feeling like his life had peaked.

Sitting across from him was Veronica. She scowled so hard that it looked as if the whole world owed her money. He knew that Mona and Vera were doing it on purpose, hiding their laughter while pushing Veronica to lose her temper.

He had just collected the obelisk and sent it away through Shadow Nightmare while they disembarked from the ship to board the train. With the primary target of the trip achieved, he was content enough to want some entertainment.

The Queen’s secret order was important, and the Snow family did deserve a justified raid. However, riches came in different levels; compared to the obelisk, the Snow family was worth nothing. Once he arrived, he would give them an official statement and consider his job done.

Before that, he got to enjoy the entertaining show the three women put on.

“Wayne, the cream cake is so good!”

Vera cut off a piece of cake and popped it into her mouth, her eyes curving into crescents in enjoyment. Then she scooped another mouthful and fed Wayne—using the same fork, looking unbothered.

Veronica was very bothered. Dragonbloods were possessive by nature. The knife in her hand was almost twisted into braids as she glared at Vera.

“You may not know, Vera, but Wayne is the Lando heir, already approved by Her Majesty!”

She bit out every word. This was the first time she ever brought up Wayne being the heir to other people. She believed that Vera would understand the implications.

Vera sucked in a breath, eating another mouthful of cake to calm herself. “How can that be? Wayne is Mr. Lando’s illegitimate son?!”

Still playing dumb, bastard! Veronica was so angry that her chest puffed out. Lowering the twisted knife, she reached out to pinch Vera’s cheeks, kneading the supple flesh like dough.

“Idiot, you know that’s not the case. He’s the heir for another reason!”

“So, what is it? I’m too stupid to understand.” Vera broke free and rubbed her swollen cheeks, unfazed. “You better not underestimate an idiot, Veronica. How would I understand if you don’t spell things out for me?”

Veronica stilled. It was embarrassing enough to admit that Wayne was the Lando heir, and she only managed to say it by telling herself that she was humbling Vera. She would rather die than go into further detail.

“Yeah, don’t underestimate idiots. You don’t know how stupid we are.” Wayne happily joined Vera in targeting Veronica.

Mona followed their example, leaning over with a curious look on her face. “So what is it, Veronica?”

They all played dumb and ganged up on her, knowing the kind of person she was. If she wouldn’t say anything, they were within their right to act innocent.

“Say something, Veronica,” Wayne urged, fueling the fire.

Veronica sat down and turned to the window. Despite her frustration, she refused to open her mouth.

“I didn’t know that Wayne was Veronica’s brother...” Vera said brightly, popping more cake into Wayne’s mouth. It was hard to tell her intention; she could either be playing wingwoman for him or finding herself an excuse to act intimately with him.

“Let’s play cards tonight, Wayne!”

“Nah, let’s have a good sleep tonight. I have a mission to complete once we arrive at the station tomorrow morning. After that’s done, I’ll play with you.” Wayne swallowed the cake and looked at Veronica with crinkled eyes. She was cute when she felt wronged.

Only after the four of them left the dining car did Sandy and Denise dare to enter. They had just witnessed an orgy, and now another girl joined the group. Denise had to admire her aunt for her wealth of experience, and she gained an even deeper understanding of the Lando family.

The father was a playboy, and inheriting his genes, the son turned out no different. Their biological connection was self-evident. She should tell her colleagues all about what she observed during this trip as a cautionary tale so that they wouldn’t fall for Playboy Jr.’s silver tongue.

Don’t assume that Sir Wayne’s a good man just because he speaks nicely. He’s absolutely depraved! He’s never without company and has inappropriate relationships with three pretty women!

And they all shared a room!

***

The next morning came. A fleet of black cars had long been waiting at the train station in the city of Fawst. The leading man and woman were from the Snow family: Adlai, the current patriarch, and Marion, his third child. Adlai was dressed like a proper gentleman with a neatly trimmed mustache that gave him a dignified look, while Marion was a seductive redhead with long curls, her features distinctively Erish.

They went up to Wayne’s group with a welcoming smile.

“Sir Wayne, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Adlai Snow, and this is my daughter, Marion Snow. On behalf of the Snow family, we welcome you.” Adlai held himself with grace, greeting Wayne and giving Clerk Sandy a warm welcome.

“Mr. Adlai,” Wayne said with a smile. “You’re well-informed. You must know the purpose of this visit.”

“Of course.” Adlai nodded. “The Snow family is being unfairly prosecuted, and Sir Wayne has come to clear our family name. Rest assured, I’ve gathered all members of the family, and we’ll cooperate with your investigation fully.”

“That’ll be ideal. Her Majesty will be pleased to hear about your dedication.” Wayne shook Adlai’s hand before leading his team to get into the black cars.

He turned down Marion’s offer to share a ride. She looked like a seductress, and when they shook hands, she purposefully bent down to display her assets, a sight that could dry anyone’s mouth. She was clearly a skilled player in high society. If he sat in the backseat with her, he might surrender his seeds before they even reached their destination.

He didn’t get into the same car with Mona, either. Instead, he invited Sandy with a smile. With one of his team members taking the wheel, he struck up a conversation with her.

“Miss Sandy, do you know Adlai?”

“Sir Wayne, this is my first time visiting Northern Erland. I’ve never had any dealings with the Snow family before.” Sandy explained, urging Wayne not to fall for the trick clearly meant for planting doubt.

“The Snow family not only knows our schedule in detail, but also knows how you and I look. The Ministry of Magic... Please include the situation in your report to inform Her Majesty.”

Wayne sighed. There were traitors among those serving Her Majesty closely. As the future leader of the nation, he felt a deep ache for such treacherous behavior.

Sandy nodded. The leak put her in danger, too. Even if Wayne hadn’t brought it up, she would’ve included it in her report.

She seized the chance to express her support for Sir Wayne, reaffirming that he was the highest authority during the investigation. She would work with him without complaints.

“You’re good at shirking off responsibility. I knew I had the highest authority...” Wayne huffed, not letting Sandy stay out of the matter. “The Snow family damaged the cruise ship and delayed us by a day. Do you know how much can be accomplished in one day? They have clearly bought the information from the Ministry of Magic long ago, allowing them to erase their tracks. Then they came to welcome us as an act of intimidation. I’m pretty sure that they have also prepared a banquet. We can expect a scrumptious meal.”

Sandy smiled bitterly. The Snow family had made it clear that they feared no investigation. This trip was going to be troublesome, and she wasn’t going to involve herself as a mere clerk. She only hoped that Wayne wouldn’t disappoint the Queen.

“Still, it’s not so easy to erase all evidence. Concealing a lie requires a hundred more lies. The more thoroughly they covered their tracks, the more clues they would’ve left. Eyewitnesses, especially, can’t just be spirited away.” Wayne shared his analysis, having formulated a plan.

“Are you going to brute-force them, Sir Wayne?” Sandy asked tentatively. If so, she would suggest he be cautious since they were in the Snow family’s home ground.

“No, I’m prepared to enjoy the food and drinks and have some relaxing time. We aren’t paying for any of it.” He arched an eyebrow. “No rush. We’ll play this game with them.”

Hearing that, Sandy found it necessary to warn him, “Adlai brought his daughter rather than his first and second sons. You should know what he’s planning, Sir Wayne. I hope that you’ll think of Her Majesty and not fall for the obvious trick.”

(一`´一)

Phrasing, Lady.

Wayne felt wronged to be labeled a pervert all of a sudden. Since he had a bad memory and might forget about this offense soon, he retaliated immediately: “Compared to Marion, who wields her feminine wiles with no subtlety, I much prefer an educated lady with a mature, reserved personality, such as the lady sitting beside me right now.”

Sandy’s eyes twitched. Thanking him for the compliment, she directed the conversation back to work.

1. Fictional version of Dublin, Ireland’s capital. ☜

2. A reference to Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland. ☜