The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

Surprisingly, the pale red liquid tasted good, reminding Elliott of the best rum he had ever tasted.

Before he could savor it, a sweet taste flowed into his stomach.

The inexplicable heaviness that had lingered deep within his body quietly dissipated, and Elliott felt as if he had just spent a long winter night in a warm bed and woken up to see the bright snow outside the window.

The nightmares that struggled underwater, the cold, dark shadows, quickly melted away in the sunlight, and his consciousness became clear and peaceful.

It melts away as quickly as snow exposed to sunlight.

Elliott opened his eyes and found George watching him quietly.

"Young Master, I...I feel...as if a tremendous burden has suddenly been lifted off my shoulders."

Elliott's voice trembled slightly, and he felt his eyes burning.

"For so long, all that darkness, weakness, and endless nightmares... all disappeared at once."

"It seems my medical career wasn't too bad after all," George chuckled.

"How did you do that? This...this is like magic."

George smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't ask too many questions, William. Are you feeling completely better now?"

"Yes, sir. Completely healed. Better than ever before." Elliott straightened his back, his eyes bright and resolute.

"That's good. Go back and rest, have something to eat. You can resume your regular work tomorrow," George said gently.

Elliott bowed deeply. "Thank you, young master! Thank you so much!" He turned and left, his steps light and quick, a stark contrast to when he had entered.

George watched him leave, then sank back into the card table, looking at the card for [Acquaintance Elliott].

To his surprise, a flashing gold notification appeared below the card:

This person's defilement has been cleansed, and they are in a critical state of revelation, ready to receive "revelation" and establish/join a religious order.

The Order!

I previously saw "Secret Religious Society" in [The Root Meaning of the Lapis Lazuli Mandala], and now Elliott has unlocked the "Order" option.

This might mean he can start building his own extraordinary team.

Of course, there are more urgent matters at hand.

George forcibly suppressed his desire to study it further, left the alchemy room, and strode towards the first-floor reception room.

In the drawing room, Inspector Douglas, Miss Kelly, and Lieutenant Bates were playing Whist cards.

"George?" Seeing George rush in, the inspector put down the cards in his hand. "Any new developments?"

"Inspector, Bates, please come with me immediately. I need your help with something important." George also turned to Kelly, "Miss Moore, you can join us if it's convenient for you."

The inspector covered the sign and looked at his uncle: "Albert, this isn't my fault."

The uncle's lips curled down to his jaw: "Go ahead, maybe we can finish this at another time."

Batesley put down his cards and stood up, and Miss Moore also politely said goodbye to her uncle.

George led the three of them quickly through the corridor to Arthur's guest room.

After a light knock, I pushed open the door and entered. My uncle was still lying in bed, fast asleep.

George dismissed the servants who were tending to him, then took out a bottle of medicine and showed it to Douglas: "Inspector, take a look at this."

The inspector took the medicine and examined it carefully against the light, then poured a little on the back of his hand and tasted it.

"A potion specifically designed to purify the contamination of the Abyss Criteria, the 'Crescent Moon' method... Did you concoct this yourself?" The inspector's voice was filled with surprise.

“Yes,” George explained briefly. “The ingredients aren’t rare; some wines, herbs… it’s mainly about the art of spiritual blending and specific guidance.”

"Rare indeed. Before the Herald, being able to independently concoct such a potion was already an extremely rare achievement." The Inspector's gaze was approving. "The Viscount has a worthy successor."

"Time waits for no one, and I guess I was quick-witted in a crisis."

George went to the bedside, helped his uncle sit up, took the medicine, and carefully fed it to his uncle.

A few seconds later, Uncle's eyelashes trembled a few times.

After a moment, he let out a soft groan and slowly opened his eyes.

His grey-blue eyes regained their clarity.

Although still confused upon waking, the turbidity mixed with fanaticism, neurosis, and deep hatred had completely disappeared.

The first thing he saw was George's serious face, followed by Bates and Douglas.

"Mr. Arthur?" Douglas stepped forward.

Uncle blinked, as if recalling something, then his expression suddenly froze, and embarrassment and shame appeared on his face.

He instinctively tried to speak, but his throat was dry, and Douglas immediately poured him a glass of water.

After taking a few sips of water, Arthur's voice became clearer.

"George... I feel like I had a terrible nightmare."

"It's alright, Uncle," George said calmly. "You were just affected by some unexpected events outside. You're fine now."

Douglas pulled the cross from his pocket, examined it, and smiled with relief: "The effects have indeed been eliminated."

Kelly added from the side, "The potion is working very well. Mr. Arthur's spiritual fluctuations have returned to normal."

Arthur looked at them, then at the empty medicine bottle, his face a mixture of lingering fear and gratitude.

He forced a smile: "It seems I owe you all a great debt. Also, I... I think I said something very inappropriate..."

"You remember all of that?" The inspector's expression was not reproachful.

"Fragments of memories... some crazy thoughts, and... anger." Uncle smiled bitterly, sat up, and rubbed his forehead. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I would never normally..."

“It’s all in the past, Mr. Arthur,” Douglas interrupted him. “To keep bringing it up would only confirm that ‘Brita’ is narrow-minded—and I believe that kind of influence is not your intention.”

The group politely took their leave, gently closing the door behind them, leaving Arthur alone to process this absurd experience.

In the corridor, Douglas looked at George, his eyes revealing undisguised admiration.

"George, I must say, you've surprised me again. This purifying potion is no ordinary item, and you were able to concoct it in such a short time."

He paused, his tone becoming even more serious.

"The results were not only swift but also extremely thorough. This is considered a remarkably excellent emergency response capability within the Anti-Corruption Bureau's action teams."

"Most of the materials are produced on the estate itself," George replied calmly, without taking credit, "We just happened to find the right method."

"Humility is a virtue," Kelly interjected with a smile, "but excessive humility is harmful."

Douglas nodded. "Alright, there's one or two more to deal with—you should still have some potions left, right?"

"Regarding the old lady, I'd like to ask Miss Moore for assistance. After all, proper etiquette is required for a visit, and it would be more appropriate for her to be accompanied by a woman." George looked at Kelly, "Would that be convenient for you?"

Kelly was about to agree when she suddenly remembered something: "Grandfather, you..."

"I'd better go back and finish my cards," Douglas waved his hand, his tone teasing. "George, it seems you don't quite trust my manners?"

"Not at all," George laughed. "I just think Miss Moore might be better at communicating with ladies."

"Then I would be honored." Kelly smiled and walked in front of George. "Let's go, Mr. De La Porte."