Indeed, it was the blessing of the Stars.
Bernadette quietly left from the darkness and did not choose to meet Fors, who was also a follower of the Stars, because there was no point in doing so.
After dealing with the matters at sea, she had nothing else to do, so she came to Backlund to relax and have some fun. Just then, she received a prayer scene sent over by the Stars, so she made a trip there to resolve the matter.
She had also heard that someone in Backlund had been secretly investigating the followers of the Stars. Without waiting for the Stars to give her any instructions, she had already begun investigating the people or organization hiding behind the scenes.
Besides the Seven Gods Churches operating openly, there was also a family that had almost been forgotten by history involved in this matter.
The Abraham family.
In order to find the followers of the Stars, they had become fanatical, which was a huge contrast to their behavior of living in secrecy as she remembered it.
She wanted to investigate the problems involved in this matter, while also establishing her authority and warning those organizations searching for the followers of the Stars.
After Bernadette left, Fors also left Warehouse No. 32 with Xio.
On the way, Xio said very seriously, "We need to move. Our place of residence has already been exposed. If we continue living there, we will definitely attract more people looking for the followers of the Stars."
"I'm sorry. I got you involved in this."
"Hehe, good that you know. So, you're responsible for dinner tonight."
Fors laughed, indicating that she would take care of this matter.
Dinner was easy to deal with, but finding a suitable new house was not so easy.
The two of them first secretly returned home and took all the money and valuables from the house. To avoid trouble, they did not even go back to the landlord to ask for their rent to be refunded.
It was a full 2 pounds and 8 soli!
The two of them put on makeup different from their usual appearances so that they would not be easily recognized.
"How about we go ask Miss Audrey for help?"
"No. Our current situation is too dangerous. What if we end up implicating Miss Audrey…"
"Alright, then what do you suggest?"
"First, let's find somewhere near Saint Samuel's Cathedral to stay temporarily."
Fors made her decision. This was a little trick for seeking refuge that Hastur had once told them about.
If they encountered some Beyonder incident that they could not resolve, they could first stay near Saint Samuel's Cathedral. Generally speaking, this would guarantee their safety.
"I heard from Glaint that Mr. Hastur will be returning to Backlund soon. When the time comes, let's go ask him to give us some advice."
"Alright."
Having made their decision, Fors and Xio decided to reluctantly spend some money and take a carriage to Saint Samuel's Cathedral.
...
Late at night, Fors was in their new room.
After closing and locking the doors and windows, she began to sincerely pray to the Stars.
The familiar starry sky slowly unfolded from the ceiling, and Fors' confused and uneasy emotions gradually calmed down.
"Thank you for the blessing of the Stars, which allowed me and my friend to escape this disaster."
Fors first expressed her thanks, then said uneasily, "My friend also wants to believe in the Stars. Is that okay?"
"The Stars will not reject any sincere believer."
Fors' face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly added, "She's outside right now. Can I let her come in?"
"Yes."
In the Hall of the Stars, Hastur did not mind having one more person, Xio.
Now that Fors' identity had been exposed, given her relationship with Xio, Xio would definitely also be regarded as a follower of the Stars.
Outside the door, Xio took several deep breaths before finally summoning up her courage and following Fors inside.
Looking at the dreamlike room before her, which was enveloped by a brilliant starry sky, a trace of fascination flashed through Xio's eyes. She stared at it for quite a while before hurriedly lowering her head and returning to the uneasiness she had felt at the beginning.
As far as her first impression was concerned, she had already acknowledged the mysterious existence known as the Sovereign of the Stars.
Moreover, Fors had believed in the Stars for such a long time without encountering anything ominous. This showed that the Stars was a friendly deity who treated people kindly, rather than some terrifying evil or wicked god.
The uneasiness in her heart slowly diminished, and then, urged by Fors, she offered her faith to the Stars.
A ray of starlight descended from the illusory and mysterious Hall of Stars, evenly enveloping every inch of Xio's body.
This used the authority of the Stars to conceal her fate and grant her a certain degree of concealment ability, making it difficult for others to easily find Xio through divination and similar means.
Although Fors and Xio had avoided this disaster today, those people hidden even deeper would also be able to infer from what happened today that Fors and Xio were followers of the Stars.
The necessary protection of secrecy was essential. After all, they were still far inferior to Bernadette.
After finishing all of this, Hastur dispersed the starry sky and ended this conversation.
In the Hall of Stars, Hastur once again heard Bernadette's report.
According to Bernadette's investigation during this period, the Abraham family, to which Mr. Door belonged, was actively involved in the search for the followers of the Stars.
So it was the Mother Goddess of Depravity pushing things along from behind the scenes.
Hastur immediately connected this to the Mother Goddess of Depravity's handiwork.
Now, the Mother Goddess of Depravity's infiltration and influence over the Abraham family had grown increasingly great. It was estimated that more than half of the Abraham family had already been corrupted and become believers of the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
Hastur's gaze swept toward the star where the Mother Goddess of Depravity was located. It was dark and impossible to make out. He could not see the Mother Goddess of Depravity at all, nor could he know Mr. Door's exact situation at this moment.
But presumably, the Mother Goddess of Depravity must have used some extreme method to break through Mr. Door's obstruction with her power, indirectly influencing and corrupting the entire Abraham family.
Hastur told Bernadette to continue investigating, while also warning her to be careful of the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
Since this involved the Mother Goddess of Depravity, if it proved difficult to deal with, Bernadette would probably choose to cooperate with the Seven Gods Churches, just as she had done previously when dealing with the Rose School.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the steam train from Southville successfully arrived in Backlund.
When Hastur and his two attendants stepped off the steam train, the people Butler Neil had sent to wait here immediately came over to await his instructions.
Because they could not accurately calculate when the steam train would arrive, they had already been waiting at the station for three days.
This made Hastur very satisfied with Butler Neil's attitude toward his work.
After taking a carriage all the way back home in Empress Borough, Hastur had just taken a sip of hot tea and begun listening to Butler Neil report what had happened during this period when Greg came to visit.
"Your information really is well-connected." Hastur smiled and got up to welcome Greg at the door.
After a long-overdue embrace, Greg looked Hastur up and down and sighed, "Hastur, it's been half a year, and you seem to have grown quite a bit taller again."
"The climate and water of Southville are pretty good. They're quite nourishing." Hastur smiled as he replied.
After inviting Greg to sit down, the two talked about many of their respective experiences during this period. Once they had finished their casual conversation, Greg gave Hastur a meaningful look.
Hastur understood and invited him to the study on the second floor to talk.
"Hastur, I've already heard about what happened to you in Southville, but you need to be careful of the Grand Duke of Southville. He has quite a few complaints about you."
Hastur raised an eyebrow and asked, "The former one or the current one?"
"The one in Backlund." Greg lowered his voice.
"He thinks your ambitions are too great. You can be used, but you can't be used forever. Those were his exact words."
Hastur's expression also became more serious, and he listened more attentively.
"This time, the King allowing you to return may also have been partly because he wanted to take the opportunity to knock you down a peg."
"I'll only be back for a week this time before I leave."
Hastur told Greg not to worry about this matter. He had not done anything that violated Loen's laws. On the contrary, he had diligently suppressed pirates, and even the current Grand Duke of Southville had been unable to find anything to use against him.
Hastur instead asked about Greg's current situation.
"I'm still young. Most of the family's resources are concentrated in my uncle's hands. You can't really say things are good, but you can't say they're bad either. If I just want to be an idle noble, that's still quite easy."
Hearing Greg say this, Hastur understood that his position within the Negan family was rather awkward.
He had a Prime Minister for an uncle who was also deeply trusted by the King. Anyone with eyes could tell which side people would place their bets on.
However, being young and having a long lifespan was also an advantage. There would always be a transition between the old and the new.
Greg did not stay for long and left after finishing their serious discussion.
A little after ten at night, Hastur changed into a relatively casual outfit and arrived at the Bravehearts Bar.
Maric had already been waiting for him in the billiard room. The moment he saw Hastur arrive, he coldly snorted, "Well, well, isn't this Count Hastur Campbell? Why have you suddenly returned from the gentle land of Southville?"
"Tsk, Maric, your ability to speak sarcastically still needs some improvement."
Hastur smiled and sat opposite Maric, then continued, "Sharon asked me to give you a message. No matter who you're in front of, you have to learn to restrain yourself. Whether it's affection or hatred, once an emotion has been released, it's like water that has been spilled. You can never take it back."
At first, Maric listened seriously, but later his voice turned cold.
"When did Sharon become so talkative?"
"Oh, I'm just helping Sharon explain in detail what she wanted to say."
"..." Maric gave a soft snort and immediately became expressionless, giving off an aura that kept strangers at a distance.
Hastur did not care at all. He took out a bottle of red wine brought back from Southville and poured a glass for himself and Maric.
"How's the taste?"
"Not bad."
"Why do I feel like the taste has gotten worse? I'd better take it back and pour it out."
Maric snatched the bottle of red wine first.
"People like me can only drink this kind of wine."
Hastur smiled and began talking with Maric about the matters in Backlund that needed attention during this period.
According to Maric, the things receiving the most attention in Backlund at present were the Stars and the Fool.
This was the same as what the High-Dimensional Overseer had said.