575 “Handover”
After a while, Charname reached his limit. He stared at Nolfi and questioned, “Do you have any secret collaborators?”
Nolfi gently nodded and admitted, “Yes.”
Batna and Charname anticipated this response, but it failed to dampen Charname’s excitement.
“Who is it?”
Nolfi hesitated for a moment before revealing, “It’s, it’s Juan Oro!”
Juan Oro? The president of the Fisheries Guild? Batna was caught off guard.
Charname shared the sentiment.
Could the spy be the boss? Despite his critique, he pressed on, “Are you sure it’s Juan Oro?”
While instructing Juan Oro to investigate the core members of the Fisheries Guild, Lumian, who had uncovered the Earth Mother Church’s true motives, sought similar information from Noelia of the Fertility Order, which included Juan Oro, the president.
Official reports indicated that Juan Oro’s health had been relatively stable. He had never faced serious illness or severe injury. Moreover, he hadn’t displayed any signs of losing control of his lizard form.
In essence, there was no indication that he had been possessed by Ultraman, a transmigrator.
Naturally, a definitive judgment couldn’t be made based solely on this information. After all, when the original bodies of many Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society members met unfortunate fates, there were no witnesses.
Despite growing older, Juan Oro’s personality remained relatively unchanged, sans the increasingly stubborn streak and a penchant for returning to the sea.
Crucially, if Juan Oro were Ultraman, many of April Fool’s disruptive actions during the sea prayer ritual would be unnecessary. It could be executed in a simpler and more covert manner.
Considering these factors, Charname had previously concluded that Juan Oro wasn’t a key member of April Fool’s.
Nolfi pursed her lips and disclosed, “It’s him. I met him six months ago in Port Rayak.”
Rayak, located north of the Dariège mountain range, served as a port under the jurisdiction of the Riston Province in the Intis Republic.
“Met before?” Charname blurted out. “Your eyes can deceive you. What you perceive doesn’t necessarily reflect reality.”
Unable to hold back his desire to confide, he continued, “Just like now. The me you see isn’t equivalent to the real me. The difference is quite significant.”
“Are you suggesting that the Juan Oro I encountered was an imposter?” Nolfi expressed disbelief. “But, he also demonstrated the ability to control the waves!”
Charname chuckled.
“Many Fisheries Guild committee members possess such abilities. What if one of them impersonated Juan Oro?”
“But, but it’s too similar…” Nolfi fell into self-doubt.
Charname spoke casually, “Based on the intel we gathered, Juan Oro hasn’t left Port Santa for nearly a decade.
“He’s the president of the Fisheries Guild. He frequents the association daily.”
While this information was used to persuade Nolfi, it wasn’t conclusive evidence. If Juan Oro were Ultraman, he could have enlisted Mad Lady’s help to travel to Port Rayak and return in less than two hours.
Under such circumstances, hardly anyone would notice his brief absence.
Nolfi fell silent, pondering, and muttered, “Then, then who could it be?”
“How would I know?” Charname expressed his criticism.
Appearing slightly awkward, he shifted the conversation.
“What kind of collaboration did the imposter Juan Oro seek with you? Do you have any means to obliterate the underwater palace and put an end to the sea prayer ritual once and for all?”
Nolfi’s body quivered, as if grappling with an innate urge.
After a brief pause, she struggled in response, “H-he’ll help me cover my tracks and disregard my existence. He’ll permit me to board a ship and infiltrate the sea sacrifice waters ahead of the Governor of the Sea’s vessel and conceal myself.
“Then, as the Governor of the Sea unveils the Ring of the Sea Queen and utters the words of the marriage proposal, I’ll deliver a line.
“My mother imparted that passage to me. It originated from her profound connection with the palace when she received the sea’s blessing. Its—its purpose is to trigger a self-destruct sequence within the palace.”
Nolfi’s words flowed more effortlessly, signifying that she had given up on resisting.
“Self-destruction sequence? Are you certain? Do you comprehend that language from God knows where?” Charname wore an expression of skepticism.
“That’s what my mother told me.” Nolfi conveyed her lack of understanding of the language’s meaning.
Charname pressed on, “Does your mother comprehend that language?”
“She doesn’t, but she grasps its significance. Can you fathom it? It’s a form of spiritual communication,” Nolfi defended her mother with determination.
“Deceiving through soul-level communication isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Moreover, it’s always simpler to dupe the illiterate,” Charname muttered his internal grievances once again.
He furrowed his brow and inquired, “Did the imposter Juan Oro inform you that the sea prayer ritual failed last year?”
“No. If he had, I wouldn’t have chartered a boat at Port Santa,” Nolfi expressed her frustration on the matter.
Had she known from the beginning that last year’s sea prayer ritual had faltered, she would have anticipated heightened vigilance at Port Santa this year. Those attempting to rent a boat for a sea journey would undoubtedly be on a watch list.
Charname wore a perplexed expression.
“Wouldn’t that mean the imposter Juan Oro was expecting you to be apprehended by Lato Guiaro…”
Half a year ago, neither April Fool’s nor anyone with ulterior motives in Port Santa had foreseen Lumian’s arrival to investigate the sea prayer ritual. This suggested that Nolfi’s original role wasn’t designed to lure Lumian. It might have been part of April Fool’s initial plan until they reconsidered, opting to exploit the great adventurer’s investigations.
Under such circumstances, letting Nolfi be captured by Lato Guiaro was evidently not a mere oversight in April Fool’s plan, unless that was their intention all along.
Is Nolfi being thrown into the mix to confuse the Fisheries Guild and sow suspicion among other committee members against Juan Oro? A rift between them would hinder their cooperation. But this strategy doesn’t seem cunning enough…
Is it an attempt to divert the Earth Mother Church’s attention from this year’s sea prayer ritual and redirect it towards Nolfi?
Or… or…
Franca, posing as Charname, had a guess.
Or perhaps, Lato Guiaro is a member of April Fool’s!
The moment Nolfi arrived at Port Santa and tried to rent a boat, she was apprehended. Not only does Lato Guiaro hold complete sway over this “collaborator,” but he also offers corresponding protection… Could it be that when the sea prayer ritual is on the brink of commencing, he will feign a lapse in vigilance, allowing Nolfi to escape successfully and secure a boat?
With this speculation in mind, the more Franca considered Lato Guiaro, the more something felt awry.
Whether it was the intel provided by the Knight of Swords or information from the authorities, a consistent message emerged:
Lato Guiaro had slept in separate rooms from his wife many years ago!
For transmigrators, after taking over the original owner’s body, their greatest apprehension was being exposed by those around them through various details. Among these people, the ones most likely to unveil their disguises were their deeply connected parents and spouses who shared the same bed. In particular, the latter were privy to many interaction habits unknown to others. In such circumstances, opting to sleep in separate rooms was evidently a form of self-protection for transmigrators.
Initially, Franca had a fleeting suspicion when she came across this information, but she promptly dismissed it. Firstly, it wasn’t uncommon for a middle-aged man and his wife to have separate sleeping quarters. Lato Guiaro wasn’t the sole Fisheries Guild committee member to adopt this practice. Secondly, Lato Guiaro had previously been forcibly controlled by the Knight of Swords and Lumian before being subjected to truth serum. During subsequent questioning, he displayed no indications of ties to April Fool’s. He didn’t even betray any signs of stifling laughter when discussing marrying the sea!
However, what if Lato Guiaro, who willingly transmitted Nolfi’s information, had prepped in advance to elude the adventurer’s detection and had cloaked a portion of his memories through Hypnosis?
The truth serum fundamentally heightened the inclination to share with others. Anything beyond the user’s knowledge or comprehension remained veiled.
The pressing question now was: where did Lato Guiaro acquire Beyonders or items with similar capabilities through April Fool’s channels?
Franca, increasingly convinced that Lato Guiaro was Ultraman, recalled a crucial detail: the current Governor of the Sea, Simon, belonged to the Guiaro family!
Previously, Juan Oro had heeded her advice to conduct a blood test on everyone, excluding Lumian, who boarded the ship. The aim was to confirm familial ties and unveil any outsiders attempting to infiltrate in disguise.
What if Simon Guiaro was Lato Guiaro in disguise?
This method would only affirm his identity!
…
On the betrothal ship, now resting on the seabed as if weighed down by a colossal boulder,
Simon Guiaro, positioned at the bow, appeared bewildered, his face a mixture of panic and confusion.
Yet, a faint curl formed at the corners of his mouth.
At that moment, the Governor of the Sea handover ritual from the previous night flashed in his mind.
Clad in a pristine blue suit, Simon Guiaro entered the hall, noting his predecessor, Governor of the Sea Miguel, clad in a retro white robe, observing him. Following the predetermined procedure, he uttered the prearranged words.
“I’ll leave the sea to you.”
“It’s my honor,” Simon Guiaro responded solemnly as he advanced toward the other party.
Miguel extended his right hand, and Simon Guiaro reached out for a handshake. This gesture symbolized the departure of the former Governor of the Sea and the commencement of Simon Guiaro’s role as the present Governor of the Sea.
After the handshake, they passed each other by. As they turned their gazes in opposite directions, the corners of their lips subtly curled upwards.
Under the scrutiny of the numerous statues surrounding them, one advanced while the other exited the hall.
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