The topmost document was an unfinished personnel transfer order and a brand-new nautical chart marked "Silvergold Island."
A spark of brilliance flashed suddenly in the depths of her eyes.
Just as Bruh subconsciously rose to pull over a chair, helping his "fiancée" to sit down, Tilly seemed to ask nonchalantly, "Dear, are you planning to lead the expedition to Silvergold Island in search of treasure yourself?"
Bruh answered without thinking too much, "You also know the current situation of the family is not good. Although we dodged a bullet with The Kingmaker Earl Warwick's purge once, offending such a powerful figure within the country means even His Majesty might not be able to protect us. The General went to great lengths to get this treasure map; the immense wealth on the island can change a lot of things. Whether it's to fill the deficit, bribe the gentlemen of the Court of Nobles, or contribute to His Majesty's treasury. It could even ease relations with The Kingmaker. Any of these actions could potentially keep the Newman family in its current position. As one of the few military officers in the younger generation of the family, how could I just stand by and watch?"
He wasn't lying about this; he was definitely going to Silvergold Island. However, he would never tell her the real reason for his journey.
"But, I've heard that the surfacing of Silvergold Island has become big news throughout the Bantaan Archipelago. I'm afraid that the competition will be very fierce when the time comes. If you go there..."
As she spoke, Tilly forcefully checked herself. She chided herself for letting her emotions get the better of her and for speaking too much. What would she do if she failed her mission?
More accurately, it was the Skin Wearer, the [Fairy] Rigel, beneath "Tilly's" skin. She herself was somewhat surprised by her slip of the tongue. For an Impostor, this was a low-level mistake that should not have been made.
The Governor of Havana, who is collaborating with The Skinners' Church, demanded the collection of intelligence on various military forces while drawing more people to Silvergold Island. He planned to use the dangers of the island to wipe out the elite forces of the major powers in one fell swoop. Only by completing the mission excellently could I earn the second ritual of bloodline sublimation, allowing me to cast off my ugly human skin and attempt to break the curse that comes with the title of [Fairy].
She turned her head to look at the pirate general "Bill" before her.
Born into declining nobility, though not particularly handsome, he was tall and robust, exuding a raw male charm. Most importantly, after the substantial weakening of the regular forces at Royal Port, he still commanded the strongest naval force aside from the Navy itself. When combined with the fleet controlled by his old subordinate, the Sea Hunter Byron Tudor, their prowess was stronger than that of the other five pirate generals put together. He was also a target that must be eliminated as part of her mission.
But this man... he always seemed unusual to me. Or rather, he might be very important to me—more important than the mission from The Skinners' Church, or even the complete Thousand Faces Rites!
The title of [Fairy · Rigel] was like the [Guardian of Children] passed down among the Bayfolk from generation to generation—a hereditary title.
Similar titles on the Old Continent included: [The Earl of Huntingdon · Outlaw · Robin Hood], [Jack the Ripper], [The Old Man of the Mountain · Hassan-i Sabbah], [The Monster Hunter · Van Helsing]... There were at least several hundred, if not thousands. Some were passed down within certain ethnic groups, some within secret organizations, some from master to disciple, while others selected successors randomly based on similar conditions and deeds. In short, many hereditary titles had circulated in the world for hundreds, even thousands of years, without ever being interrupted.
The title of [Fairy] was an ancient one that had been passed down since the Mythological Era, randomly bestowed upon naturally beautiful women. It granted them blessings, elevating their beauty to a transcendent level, yet it also gave them a curse, turning them into the most hideous of beasts!
Rigel's title came with an inherent curse. For half the day, she was a fairy of extreme beauty, but for the other half, she became an exceedingly ugly beast. If it weren't for this curse, she would be the enchanting "fairy," but with the curse, she could only be known as the despised "demon monster." She had absolutely no way to survive in normal human society. That was why she had no choice but to leave the Old Continent and join The Skinners' Church, hoping to use the skin of others to cover her beast-like ugly exterior.
Unfortunately, the entry-level "Thousand Faces Rites" could not resist such powerful title effects. She could pretend to be ugly in her "fairy" state, but it was impossible to feign beauty in her "beast" state. Apart from the sufficiently hideous Tilly, she could barely wear any human skin. The only consolation was that in a place like The Skinners' Church, where beasts convened, she was no longer considered an outlier.
Of course, there were other benefits, such as the title effect [Absolute Charm]: "As long as any creature sees her face in the fairy state, they will fall madly in love with her, regardless of gender, human or animal, or demon monster. Her charm ensured that no matter what abnormal or even incomprehensible actions she took, others would understand, forgive, and even obey her. The degree of obedience varied according to the Class difference. Being one Class lower meant they would follow orders without question. Being two Classes lower, even a command to commit suicide would pose no problem. Even those of equal Class would be strongly smitten. Those one Class higher couldn't bear to harm such a beauty. The higher her own Class, the greater the number of creatures she could enchant simultaneously. And all of this would be undone instantly once the spellbound saw her ugly side. If they did not see the fairy's face for 12 hours, the effect would also wear off."
Correspondingly, there was a way to break the curse. If someone was immune to the negative effects and could see her [Fairy] essence through her ugly appearance, and if they gave her a kiss of true affection while she was in her ugly state, the title's curse would be completely broken.
The reason she was reluctant to urge Bill to his death was that she had accidentally discovered that as time passed, he was gradually becoming immune to her current ugly appearance. His love for her was increasing, day and night.
According to my observations, before I took over this identity, he had never shown any affection for Tilly. Perhaps he is that extraordinary Child of Destiny I have been destined to meet. This is an opportunity that comes once in a blue moon, and I must absolutely not let it slip by. Compared to the advanced knowledge in the 'Thousand Faces Rites,' which might or might not work, the possibility of him helping me is much greater. His heart belongs to me!
Thus, overcome with emotion, ever since the engagement, Rigel had appeared before "Bill" even more frequently. Updates are released by noᴠelfire.net
Until now, seven days later, she felt that perhaps the time was ripe. That blissful smile just now was definitely genuine.
While Bill was comforting her that he would be fine, Rigel took his hand and asked earnestly, "My dear, before you leave, could you give me a kiss?"
Bruh looked at the huge, gaping mouth that had puckered itself in front of him and struggled slightly, only to find that there was no strong resistance in his heart. Even under some inner drive, his body was unconsciously, moving faster than his will, bringing his face ever so slowly closer.
He was utterly unaware that his Oathsworn Spirit, the Sun Knight Gawain, suddenly opened his eyes in the depths of his consciousness. A flicker of nostalgia and relief showed in his gaze.
As the lips of the two drew closer together.
"You dream of the warm sunlight, and stones become soft... The road in front of our home, how broad it is..."
A hauntingly ethereal and exceedingly gentle "lullaby" suddenly drifted over from afar, instantly filling the entire manor. Within this range, all the servants except for the Transcendents fell to the ground one after another, immediately slipping into deep sleep.