The black sun hangs high

Chapter 383 Dark Clouds
In fact, the words that Chiara spoke were not purely "flirting" words, because Chiara truly felt a special aura from her "old lover" that she had never felt before.

The aura was mysterious and elusive, lingering and alluring, but when Chiara tried to explore it further and trace its origin, it became faint, making it impossible for her to confirm its true source.

The Baron, who had just "taken advantage" of her, did not give her any more chances. After the two ended their entanglement, the Baron took two steps back and stood in a relatively "safe" position. Under these circumstances, even if Chiara had some other ideas, she would not be able to carry them out.

At this moment, Baron Fiorlando also responded to Chiara's "warm invitation": "I have always held the Lord of the boundless ocean in high esteem, and I respect him as much as I respect the God of the colossal hill."

With Hughes’s deliberate performance, the Baron’s words sounded incredibly sincere, but that was clearly not enough.

He then looked at Chiara in front of him, then at the statue of the Karron Mystic Art beside her, and at the many more members of the Sea God Society behind her, and then smiled and said, “I have heard that my colleagues in the Sea God Society have made many amazing progress during this period, which has provided real help to the Society’s cause… This is truly admirable.”

Under Chiara's gaze, Hugh bowed once again to the occult sculpture beside him: "If the Sea God Society is able to accomplish more amazing feats in the future, Ms. Chiara, you might as well invite me to join you. I am naturally very eager to participate in our great cause."

Although the man before her was clearly just making polite remarks, Chiara couldn't bring herself to mock him in public. She bowed slightly in return for the baron's courteous manner.

When Chiara raised her head, her sorrowful yet resolute voice reached everyone's ears: "For a long time, this world has been under the control of that false god... Her control over our world stems from that shameful betrayal."

"Those despicable traitors who steal the authority of the gods and tamper with their will have woven a web of conspiracies, and that is why we have abandoned our faith."

Chiara gradually raised her voice, which attracted more members of the society around her: "Fellow countrymen! In the distant past, the Lord of the boundless ocean was also the origin of life. It was his great power that gave birth to countless creations and beings... Such a great being should not be driven out by those despicable people, much less be forgotten by us!"

"Now, the sacred black sun has risen, and the long-absent will of the gods will return. The surging waves will once again become the furnace of life—they will become our allies and allies, guiding us to truly return to faith and restore the world to its true form!"

Chiara's voice was as gentle and charming as her appearance. In just a few words, the hearts of the people around her were captivated by her impromptu speech. Even ordinary residents of Watchtower couldn't help but stop and listen, their faces showing solemn expressions.

For the members of the Black Sun Society, Chiara's words had a different meaning.

Within the Black Sun Society, the status of the Sea God Society and the faith of Carron has always been somewhat awkward. The main reason for this is that, according to the Black Sun Society's research results, the ancient sea god Carron is the only case in which the "false god" Mel has truly had his authority stolen and has been "expelled" from Vaan first.

Therefore, for the members of the Sea God Society, as long as the goddess of magic, Mel, and her faith still exist, it means that the dignity of Calron will never be restored. Concepts such as magic, the ocean, rainfall, and life should belong to the name of Calron, instead of being scattered under many false titles as they are now, like Vaan.

The resurgence of the Deep Sea Cluster and the Colors of Life has clearly injected unprecedented vitality into the Sea God Society. The attacks launched by the Deep Sea Cluster throughout Vaan have also rapidly elevated the Sea God Society's status within the society. Although the Sea God Society is still unwilling to openly discuss the tragic defeats suffered by the deities they worship within the society, their enthusiasm has far exceeded that of the past.

Recruiting new members, proactively accepting important tasks within the society, planning and implementing a series of actions...

Within the society, the leaders and those in charge of various powers were also very pleased to see the transformation of the Sea God Society. Although the deities they followed were different, they were able to unite all the members of the society by using similar goals and the same enemy. Under this premise, the rise and prosperity of the Sea God Society represented the growth of the overall strength of the Black Sun Society.

Moreover, the secrets and powers controlled by the Sea God Society could very well directly affect the naval strength of the Kingdom of Saint Steel—no one could refuse an endless army composed of mutated sea monsters. Even if, at the current stage, these sea monsters might not be able to directly confront those new armored ships, those with discerning eyes within the Black Sun Society have already seen their terrifying potential and the scenarios in which they might be put to use.

In short, driven by various factors and conditions, the Sea God Society now holds a very high position, similar to the Dark Abyss History Society and the Earth Mother God Society. The special ritual sculpture erected in front of Hugh and the intense confidence displayed by Kiara in front of everyone are the most vivid examples of this.

Looking at the smile on Chiara's face, Hugh couldn't help but recall the chaotic scenes he had created at the Black Sun Society gathering.

He remembered how terrified the socialite was when he used the Touch of Kalron to tear the male mage from the Sea God Society who was traveling with Chiara to shreds.

"If I summoned the palace hounds and the running rats right in front of her, would it scare her to death?"

While outwardly maintaining the proper solemnity and dignity, Hughes inwardly began to harbor malicious speculations.

At this moment, among the residents of Watchtower who had gathered to watch, many were already attracted by Chiara's speech and the visions displayed by the Karron Mystic Sculpture. As a result, the ordinary members of the Sea God Society immediately got busy and began a new round of recruitment.

Having freed up some space, Chiara turned her head and blinked rapidly in Hugh's direction.

The next instant, another passage entered Hugh's mind, enveloped in magic.

“Darling, don’t forget what I said… After the gathering, be sure to come find me. I think we really need to have a talk now… Tonight, right here…”

After giving a meaningful look, Chiara smiled and retreated back into the crowd. She still had many important things to do before the society's gathering officially began. Although her old lover did possess a special charm and aura that she couldn't bear to part with, it was best to postpone matters involving personal confusion and desires.

However, combined with some rumors she had heard before, Chiara now felt somewhat disappointed.

If those reports are true, then Baron Fiorentino might not even have a chance to make it tonight's gathering.

"May the deity you follow grant you some good luck."

……

Unlike Chiara and other members of the Society, Hugh didn't have much to do in Watchtower. Compared to the Ernst family rats who were taking advantage of the situation to infiltrate and scout the entire Watchtower, Hugh himself seemed rather idle. After delivering the files and documents he had prepared with a group of officers, Hugh was completely at a loss for what to do.

After he left the Watchtower Command Post, which was temporarily set up by the Black Sun Society and the government of the Kingdom of Saint Steel, Baron Fiorlando's true nature was revealed once again.

To outsiders, the baron, who had narrowly escaped a major disaster, appeared anxious and worried.

He could have engaged in some leisure or social activities like other members of the Black Sun Society or the St. Steel officers preparing to attend the gathering, but under the immense pressure, he simply couldn't settle down. So, after driving away all the soldiers and officers who followed him, he went alone to a famous beer hall in Watchtower, casually ordered a not-so-good beer, and began to endure the time.

The Baron's actions were naturally recorded and reported by the watchers.

The person in charge of this extra surveillance was none other than the Baron's "old partner," Tatiana. After receiving advice from her teacher, Tatiana added the Baron, who had previously been cleared of suspicion, back to her observation list, for fear of missing anyone.

Fortunately, his teacher's judgment remained accurate as always.

Based on the intelligence gathered by the monitors, Tatiana confirmed that Baron Fiorlando was not involved in those conspiracies, but he was indeed not as loyal and proactive as she had previously suspected.

“I’ve seen him like this before. He becomes silent and prefers to be alone when he’s under a lot of pressure… He didn’t even take a sip of the beer he ordered. He just sat there in a daze the whole time.”

Tatiana compiled the intelligence and information she had gathered and carefully reported it to her teacher.

After hearing this brief report, Krzlov, who was preparing to preside over the evening meeting, finally nodded in satisfaction: "Good, very good... Tatiana, end the surveillance on him. Fiorlando is no longer someone you should be paying attention to. He was not the planner or participant in all of this, but clearly, he is not someone the society should entrust with important responsibilities... Let him continue to immerse himself in his own pressure."

“But teacher… those awards we were going to give him…”

"As usual."

Krzlov chuckled softly, “He’s a member of the society, so naturally he should continue to serve our cause. Since that important murderer escaped right under his nose, he should now take on the role of bait and pursuer. Get ready!”

Having received the order, Tatiana bowed her head and left. A few minutes later, the Ernst family rats lurking around the beer hall informed Hugh that the "watchers had left."

So, in a quiet corner of the beer hall where no one was watching, the gloomy baron's tense face instantly relaxed, and his cold eyes softened considerably.

Fiorento's emotions and personality were so extreme and twisted that Hugh felt very uncomfortable, especially since Fiorento's way of thinking had long been changed by the Black Sun Society's logic and his faith in "The Great Hill." This intense unease and guilt that arose naturally from the bottom of his heart made Hugh feel extremely divided and twisted.

There were a few moments when he even wanted to punch himself hard.

However, in any case, the biggest problem he had encountered in this operation has been resolved. As long as he can completely clear himself of suspicion and is not used as a negative example by the Black Sun Society for public criticism, he will have almost unlimited room to maneuver.

"Notify the mines for me that everything is going smoothly in the Watchtower direction and they can wait for further news... If any members of the Society visit the mines during this time, have them implement Plan Three, not to use force, and to cooperate as much as possible."

So Jacob, who was in charge of relaying messages for Hugh, once again took action. Through the consciousness of the rat swarm scattered around Watchtower, the precise message was quickly transmitted towards the Rock Lake Mine.

After everything was arranged, Hughes slowly rose from his seat. In just a few seconds, the expression on his face returned to that of Baron Fiorento, a gloomy and worried look.

Before leaving his seat, he picked up his beer and took a small sip.

"It tastes fucking awful."

He murmured a sigh, tossed two coins as a tip to the bartender's feet, and then dragged his heavy steps toward the door.

To be on the safe side, Hugh didn't bring the Black Sun Scepter today. After all, this was their territory, and Hugh didn't want the scepter to cause him any unnecessary trouble.

however……

After stepping onto the street, Hugh looked up at the sky above Watchtower.

It was already evening, and the old-fashioned crystal lamps on both sides of the streets of Watchtower City were gradually being lit up. Perhaps because the nature of the magic infused into them had changed, the light emitted by these lamps had become gloomy and cold.

But under the glow of these lights, the dark cloud that still lingered over Watchtower City became even clearer.

"Hopefully there won't be any 'unexpected surprises' this time."

Hughes silently "praised" the broken shadowy figure, then turned and walked towards the gathering site.

(End of this chapter)