Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 1475  Blissful Dream

Adam sat at the edge of the bed, the dim light in the attic illuminating his face.

What the fuck is he doing here?

He subconsciously clenched his fists as he thought to himself.

The five domains, the five factions, the supply of kidnapped children, the mysterious delivery point in the north… Marden Benton.

Could it be… heʼs overseeing the place where the children are being delivered?

Or am I just...

The youth steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on his knees as he covered half his face, hiding the wide grin about to form on his lips.

He suddenly felt the urge to laugh out loud.

But he didnʼt.

He inhaled deeply and continued his train of thought.

I canʼt make a move on Marden. Not now. All my plans will go to waste if I do.

Control. Control. Control yourself… Be patient… The time will come. Eventually.

Baron Veyne is backed by Marquis van Booth, who in turn is backed by Marden fucking Benton!

But which faction does the Marquis belong to? Iʼve connected the five factions to criminal activities, but I donʼt know which ones they are.

The Interventionists are likely to be one of them. Theyʼve always been opposed to the Preservationists. But this is something that I canʼt just go around and assume.

I need to be certain.

The youth rose to his feet and began pacing back and forth, a dark look on his face.

So now I have a ledger listing coded communications between the five factions and shell intermediaries, black market trade manifests, and sealed intelligence reports about Brotherhood agent deployments.

The most important is the agent status dossiers listing members that have already been turned, under control, or have shown potential to turn into Cult spies.

If I can mark all of these spies and deal with them in one swift motion…

His blue eyes flashed with a ruthless light.

But soon, he couldnʼt help but frown.

But if I do make a move now, the Cult will be alerted.

This is truly a frustrating situation to be in! I know my targets, but I canʼt kill them. Iʼve found Marden Benton, but I canʼt deal with him yet.

Dragonshit!

He stopped by the window and gazed at the night sky. The twin moons had hidden themselves beyond the clouds, and stars twinkled lightly across the tenebrous canvas.

Adam couldnʼt help but sigh helplessly.

I donʼt like this feeling at all.

Of the incriminating evidence that Iʼve found, no single document proves everything. But together… they form a complete network map.

Iʼve exposed the factions, but donʼt know which ones they are. Iʼve identified the compromised members of the Brotherhood, but none of the powerful Wardens or Councilors.

The Cult has infiltrated deeper than I had thought. Have they always been there?

Why did they choose the Battle of Ravenfell as the moment to come out of the shadows?

Is it because the planetary alignment is soon approaching?

Despite all the information I have, I cannot do anything about it.

My hands are tied, and I donʼt like it one bit.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the room.

A moment later, Sebastian entered.

The elderly butler cast a cold glance at Henry, who was sprawled across the bed, snoring deeply. He studied the bastard son of House van Booth intently for a few moments, then turned away and closed the door behind him.

Adam pretended to snore for another minute or two before he shifted on the bed, leaning sideways and gazing at the scenery outside the window.

Damned bastard, he cursed inwardly.

If I had assumed the identity of the steward and infiltrated the manor, Sebastian might have already dealt with me.

It was wise to assume Henryʼs identity.

Speaking of identities…

Kenny had been missing for almost ten days now. Lebu and a few others must have surely noticed something wrong by now.

I was just thinking of how to end Kennyʼs role, he mused.

Well, this gives me a good opportunity. If I play my cards right, I can at least draw out a traitor from the upper echelons of the Brotherhood.

At the same time, I donʼt require Henryʼs persona anymore. My work here is done.

But…

Adam recalled the face of the man who had haunted him in his nightmares. He felt enraged, but also extremely conflicted. He wanted to kill the man, but he also wanted to assist him.

Damn it all!

He let out a tired sigh.

One thing at a time...

First, let me deal with these two personas.

***

The following day.

Adam wore the face of an unassuming middle-aged man as he entered through a narrow side door and moved into the back corridors of the pleasure house Henry frequented.

The abundance of perfume in the air was nauseating. Along the passage, doors stood half-open. Inside some rooms, women sat before small mirrors and put on makeup. In other rooms, they rinsed and cleaned themselves in shallow basins.

He kept his eyes forward and walked at a steady pace. At the end of the corridor, he stopped before a plain door and knocked in a particular sequence.

Almost a minute later, a gorgeous middle-aged woman opened the door. She was sweating profusely, and her breathing was ragged. The moment she saw Adam, her eyes lit up.

”Itʼs you!” she exclaimed. But then, her expression dimmed. ”Is it already time?”

Adam was speechless. ”Woman, it has been ten days!”

The courtesan giggled. ”I was having so much fun, I lost track of time.”

Adam was even more dumbfounded. ”I donʼt even want to know what you did to him in these past few days,” he muttered under his breath and entered the room.

He looked around the place and asked, ”Well? Where is he?”

The courtesan rolled her eyes. ”Obviously, I wonʼt keep him out in the open. Follow me.”

She led Adam through a narrow stairwell hidden behind a false wall and down into the cellar. The air grew colder and smelled of…

Adam immediately frowned. He couldnʼt help but blurt out, ”It reeks!”

”Itʼs not every day you get to turn a noble-born boy into your personal plaything,” the courtesan said coyly as she opened a low door and stepped in.

Inside, the real Henry lay sprawled across a narrow bed, eyes half-open, skin pale, his body slack as if all strength had been drained from him. He was breathing, but only barely. All sorts of bondage tools lay on the ground.

”Just how many times did you....” Adam was dumbfounded. ”You know what? Donʼt answer.”

He quickly approached Henry and fed him a few potions. Then, he turned toward the courtesan and handed her a pouch full of gold coins.

The woman chuckled happily as she counted the coins. ”Oh, this is wonderful—”

Her words got caught in her throat when Adam appeared behind her like a ghost and whispered in her ears:

”You will forget what happened in the past ten days. You will forget what you did to Henry. You will forget that we ever spoke. You will forget that I ever existed. Now take Henry to your room and start serving him. And... give me back my money!”

The white lotus pattern in Adamʼs pupils glowed for a brief moment.

And then…

He disappeared.

The courtesanʼs pupils dilated briefly, then returned to normal. She looked around in a daze, then her gaze settled on Henry.

Without a word, she stepped forward, lifted him over her shoulder, and carried him back upstairs.

By the time the day ended, the real Henry would have returned to his manor…

As if waking up from a long, blissful dream.