When Odis reached the ground floor, he saw two groups of people confronting each other. One group wore dark-colored clothing, their attire relatively neat. His old acquaintance Mike, and Detective Sherlock stood opposite this group.
They weren't the only ones facing off against that group, though. There were also the waiters, cooks, and bouncers of the Rosewood Pavilion. Although no explicit order had been given to protect the journalist, they implicitly formed a formation that shielded Mike in the middle.
Lady Mandy was negotiating with the other party, neither overbearing nor servile, warning them not to disrupt the dance hall's business. The customers and the ladies were hiding in the distance, and the band had stopped playing.
Everyone was watching the standoff between the two sides...
"Everyone, what's happening here?" Odis asked, feigning surprise, "Why is no one dancing on the dance floor? Why has the band stopped playing?"
Seeing him, Mandy breathed a slight sigh of relief and introduced him to the opposing group with a smile, "This is Mr. Gale."
The leader of the other party was a man in his thirties, with eyes that weren't very large and a face that didn't look particularly menacing. His subordinate whispered a brief introduction of Mr. Gale into his ear.
This prompted the man to squeeze out a smile, "Mr. Gale, we've met before, at a ball hosted by a noble."
"It's been a long time since I last attended a ball," Odis said, "If you're here to patronize the establishment, you're welcome. Considering we have met before, I'll even throw in two complimentary bottles of wine. But if you're here to cause trouble, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave immediately."
"We're here because we have business with someone," the man said, pointing at Mike, "Please ask this gentleman to step outside with us."
"He is also a guest here," Odis replied indifferently, "I don't concern myself with anything that happens elsewhere, but here, he can relax and enjoy himself if he desires, and he doesn't have to leave if he doesn't want to."
The waiters, cooks, and bouncers seemed to receive some unspoken command. They shuffled closer behind Odis and positioned themselves in front of Mike.
The man who had just been speaking to Odis took in the situation and took a deep breath, "That's a very disappointing answer. I will report this matter to Viscount Verde."
"Be my guest." Odis nodded calmly.
The man's face darkened. He waved his hand behind him, and most of his subordinates left the dance hall. The man himself, along with a few of his men, sat down on a sofa not far away, clearly intending to keep a close watch on Mike.
Odis turned to the band and said, "Continue playing." Then he turned to the waiters and cooks, saying, "Return to your duties."
As the music started up again, applause suddenly broke out from around the dance floor. It was sparse at first, then swelled into a continuous wave.
Odis smiled. This was applause for him and Mike.
At the same time, the applause made Viscount Verde's subordinates somewhat uneasy.
Soon, people began dancing on the floor again, and the dance hall returned to its previous lively atmosphere.
Odis gestured for Mike and Klein to sit. He sat down beside them, and while clipping a cigar, he asked, "Are you here as patrons? Or are you seeking my protection?"
"We're seeking your protection." Klein answered.
Odis smiled, "At least you're honest."
Mike frowned, saying, "I didn't expect Viscount Verde to be so consumed by anger that he would try to take me away in front of so many people."
At a time like this, Viscount Verde doing such a thing would only draw more public attention to the matter.
"Haven't you read this evening's paper yet?" Odis asked, toasting his cigar with a lighter.
Mike suddenly guessed what had happened, "Have other newspapers caved under pressure and started reporting on this too?"
Odis had read the Loen Evening Post at his herbal shop earlier. He nodded, "Yes, and I believe that's the real reason Viscount Verde is so furious."
The three of them listened to the soothing music and watched the bustling dance floor, falling silent for a few seconds. They were in no mood to appreciate the music, each lost in their own thoughts.
After a few seconds, Klein spoke first, "Viscount Verde will likely send men again, or use his connections to have the police or some government department take Mike away."
"Yes, I think so too," Odis said, taking a puff of his cigar, "We can't just wait like this, or we'll be in a completely passive position."
Hearing Mr. Gale say 'we' moved Mike deeply. He spoke, "The truth can no longer be hidden. My goal in publishing the report under pressure has already been achieved. Thank you both for your protection. I'd like to write a follow-up report about what happened today. Let them take me away, otherwise–"
Odis raised his hand, "We're not at that point yet. What if Viscount Verde is too preoccupied with something else to deal with this?"
Klein was taken aback, "You... you're not planning to send someone to set another fire, are you?"
"Watch your phrasing. What do you mean by 'another'?" Odis said seriously, "That fire was caused by aging gas pipes. What does that have to do with me?"
Klein resisted the urge to twitch his mouth.
"But that's actually a pretty good suggestion," Odis said, "If Verde is busy putting out fires tonight, he won't have time to come after Mr. Mike..."
'Hey, hey, don't put words in my mouth. How did that become my suggestion?' Klein lampooned inwardly.
But this was no time to argue, so he reminded Odis, "I've heard that Viscount Verde has some influence in Backlund. And after all, he's a noble with a healthy financial situation. His mansion is sure to have some formidable Beyonders."
"You're right," Odis nodded, "But I recall that he took a new mistress last year, and he's quite infatuated with her. If a fire breaks out at her place, I'm sure the Viscount will be busy extinguishing it, comforting her, arranging new accommodations, and probably staying there for the night. By the time he turns his attention back to us, it'll already be tomorrow morning."
Mike's mouth opened wide, then said, "Isn't that... a bit unethical?"
"Don't worry, no one will get hurt," Odis reassured.
He beckoned to Mandy and told her to immediately have Enoch send someone to set the fire.
No matter how much Viscount Verde doted on a mistress, he wouldn't assign Beyonder bodyguards to her. Having Enoch handle that matter would suffice.
After Mandy sent her assistant to notify Enoch, Odis had her use the Rosewood Pavilion's intelligence network to leak to the radical nobles that Viscount Verde was trying to arrest the reporter Mike.
Viscount Verde was a staunch conservative, and one of the more extreme ones at that. Judging by the reactions of the nobles today, Odis suspected that the radicals wanted to use the Viscount's scandal to attack the conservatives.
Odis was more than happy to provide them with some material.
Nobles certainly wouldn't care about the fate of a reporter, but they could use this to accuse Viscount Verde of being narrow-minded. Among nobles, that was a severe criticism and attack.
However, nobles generally moved at a glacial pace. The so-called 'radicals' referred to their radical ideas, not radical methods. Following noble customs, they would need time to prepare and coordinate before launching their attack on the conservatives. By then, Mike would probably already be buried.
So the most important thing now was to buy Mike a few more days...
Odis took a deep breath and had Mandy compile a dossier on Viscount Verde.
At that moment, Klein suddenly said, "Excuse me, I need to use the washroom."
After he left, Mike remarked, "This detective seems to have some digestive issues. When he took my commission, he also hurried off to the washroom."
Odis smiled faintly: 'That's because that's his divine kingdom, so of course he needs to visit it often.'
But then his smile faded, because he had guessed why Klein had gone to the washroom...
After a moment's thought, Odis called over a waiter and had him arrange a spacious room for Mike and Detective Sherlock.
He took the opportunity to accompany Mike and the waiter to the third floor, then excused himself and returned to the room with the teleportation array.
He had already blocked Viscount Verde's men, and Mike was safe for the time being, so there was no need to stay glued to his side.
After closing the door, Odis quickly removed his mask and coat and placed them in a cabinet.
He had barely finished stowing Mr. Gale's gear when he received a notification from Mr. Fool, instructing him to prepare an altar for a bestowment ritual.
Odis quickly found two candles and drew the symbol representing Mr. Fool between them. Knowing that The Fool was in a bit of a hurry, he set up the altar as fast as he could and swiftly recited the prayer for the bestowment ritual.
The illusory door adorned with mysterious patterns opened before him, and two fruits of the Fleabane Tree appeared on the altar.
After Odis put away the mystical ingredients in a box, he quickly put his coat and mask back on and hurried out to check the room the waiter had arranged for Mike.
Not long after, Klein also came upstairs from the ground floor. Seeing the room's pink-themed decor, he smiled wryly.
Odis said to them, "Don't bother finding any ladies to keep you company tonight. Be careful after dark. If anything comes up, find Mandy."
With that, he took his leave from Mike and Klein, accepted the dossier on Viscount Verde from Mandy, and returned once more to the room with the teleportation array...
...
Bringing the fruits of the Fleabane Tree with him, Odis went back to the herbal shop. He busied himself at the front shop for a while, then, after the peak hours had passed, he returned to the rear courtyard, lay down on his lounge chair, and read through the dossier Mandy had compiled.
According to the dossier, Viscount Verde was very fond of eating a Lenburg pastry called crispy croissants in the morning. Odis thought for a moment, then went to the front counter, selected several herbs, and concocted a small bottle of potent laxative.
Then he returned to the Rosewood Pavilion and had the chef come in early the next morning to prepare a batch of exquisite crispy croissants.
After that, Odis found Mandy again and had her send someone to track down or investigate where Viscount Verde was staying that night. The two of them worked out a detailed plan.
By the time he returned to the herbal shop again, it was nearly midnight.
To be prepared for any emergencies at the Rosewood Pavilion during the night, Odis decided to stay at the herbal shop.
Just as he was about to make up his bed, his spirituality suddenly stirred. He looked toward the wooden box containing the fruits of the Fleabane Tree...