Super Righteous Player
Chapter 734 - 275: Then You Shall Be Called Russell (Third update, added for the urging update circle invitation event)_1

Chapter 734: Chapter 275: Then You Shall Be Called Russell (Third update, added for the urging update circle invitation event)_1

"Which ’Crow’ are you referring to?"

After the other party had changed back into their clothes and bandaged their knees and lower legs.

Annan questioned him seriously in the Viscount’s living room.

Through Zoya’s examination, the Viscount’s wife and children, as expected, had also been bitten by The Worm—the rings of the worm were on their chests, probably transmitted by the Viscount himself after he was bitten.

Considering they might still be of use later on, after their visual, auditory, and motor abilities were paralyzed by Xitan Pulan, they were captured and thrown into a corner. The servants of the Viscount’s household were also checked... nearly half of them had been replaced without a sound.

With Annan’s permission, they were killed by the players—the remaining servants without the ring of the worm on their chests were gathered and locked in several rooms. Whether they would be executed, imprisoned, exiled, or serve as evidence of the Viscount’s treason to redeem themselves, would wait for the interrogation by the professionals.

As for the man in front of them—he needed to be interrogated immediately.

Fortunately, it seemed he had no will to resist.

"Of course, it’s Earl Geraint."

Although the man spoke of serving a foreign intelligence agency, he did not hide his words at all.

"Are you the Three-Eyed Crow?"

"No, I am just an employee hired by Earl Geraint—my name is Jacob, Your Majesty. People call me ’Omnipotent Key,’ and some respectfully refer to me as ’The Opener.’"

A middle-aged man with straw-like blond short hair said, his eyebrows dancing with excitement.

To prevent him from doing anything untoward, he had been bound by Zoya using a simple method—restricting a Ritualist for a short time was straightforward: force them to press their hands together and put on a glove that only fit one hand.

If one can’t move their fingers and can’t separate their palms, then most rituals become utterly unusable. A more meticulous restraint would involve iron gloves and shackles, but against a Ritualist who voluntarily accepted bondage, one glove was enough.

What made Zoya somewhat unhappy—that was Annan’s glove.

"Sounds like a thief."

Zoya crossed her arms and said offhandedly.

Whether trying to attack Annan, assisting the Extreme North Brotherhood, acting as a spy sent by the Three-Eyed Crow... and dirtying and damaging Annan’s gloves with that filthy body, she had no good impression of this somewhat frivolous-looking man.

"If you say I am a thief, you’re not exactly wrong, my lord."

But clearly, Jacob was not the least bit intimidated by Zoya’s icy gaze, nor did he resist her scornful remarks.

He simply said with a cheeky grin, "The rituals I excel in include infiltration and carrying types. It’s not just about getting in, but also about carrying things out—I once spent a night in the United Kingdom, and by the end, a minor noble’s house was left with nothing but its walls."

Nothing but the walls, indeed.

"Get to the point."

Annan calmly said.

"Ah, anyway... Five years ago, I was sent by Mr. Crow to Winter. The goal was to join the Extreme North Brotherhood and to serve them."

Jacob added, "But since the end of last year, I’ve been given a task—if they tried anything against Your Majesty Annan, I was to get involved in their actions and secretly protect Your Majesty.

"I swear to grandmother, I would never lay a hand on Your Majesty Annan... That chaotic teleportation array may cause Your Majesty Annan to be dizzy for a while, but it is absolutely safe!"

The man with the wild, straw-like hair hurriedly explained, "I would transport anyone captured to separately spaced locations—not those designated by them, but to safe houses I had arranged in advance.

"The way I set up the mirrors so chaotically, it couldn’t possibly be to prevent you from tracking me! Otherwise, why wouldn’t I just set the mirrors to shatter automatically after completing the ritual? I arranged the mirrors so chaotically to prevent them from figuring out the final mirror’s location..."

"That makes sense."

Annan nodded, speaking calmly, "But I still wish to speak with Earl Geraint to confirm your story."

"...I can’t talk to Earl Geraint. Our contact is one-way, he has to initiate the task to me."

Jacob shrugged, "But if you have something to say, just say it, right?"

"What?"

"The ’Eye of the Crow’ is etched within my pupils. Everything I see is witnessed by the ’Third Eye Crow’ —— the Third Eye Crow assigned to me is proficient in lip reading, and whatever you wish to say will be reported to His Excellency the Crow."

Upon hearing these words, Zoya’s face turned even darker, as clear intent to kill overflowed from her eyes.

Had Annan not seemed temporarily disinclined to kill him, that single sentence would have been enough to sentence him to death ——

For he had already seen Zoya’s face... and half of Zorgen’s face.

Although the identity of the "Ten Fingers" isn’t exactly a vital secret, exposure wouldn’t have any particularly significant impact, yet Zoya and Zorgen, as the Ring Finger and Pinky, rarely appeared in public, and their identities had not yet been disclosed by other countries’ intelligence agencies.

But now, because of this man, their identities had been needlessly exposed —— and Zoya felt a strong urge to kill him.

But conversely, the Third Eye Crow, truly deserving its reputation, was the intelligence agency run by the single mind of the old Crow —— Earl Geraint’s Wisdom indeed lived up to its name.

Indeed, they had won this round.

The man with straw-colored hair, light green eyes, and a dirtiness about him, showed a half-toothless and rather unsightly smile as he said cheerfully, "However, I do have another matter that could prove my innocence."

"Let’s hear it."

"The Frost Beast recognizes me."

Jacob answered definitively, "Because it was I who brought her here —— since I couldn’t possibly transport His Majesty Annan to their specified location, I won’t be able to return this time.

"I knew that His Highness Dmitry was looking for her. The Brotherhood of the Far North had her not long ago... I heard the news and stole her from the cage, setting her free at the mountainside. You can ask her yourself."

"Is what uncle said true?"

Annan lifted the white cub from his embrace and asked gently.

The milky white juvenile vixen nodded obediently.

...So, that’s why this child appeared in such a place halfway up the mountain?

"That reason is acceptable."

Annan’s expression softened slightly.

The first anthropomorphic Frost Beast in history holds great significance for the Brotherhood of the Far North... A wise, talking Frost Beast means it can be tamed —— one that can be controlled without the heart of winter. And as a female, it implies she could breed.

...No, that’s not right.

Annan suddenly realized.

He couldn’t hand her over to his foolish brother... Given Dmitry’s animosity and hatred towards lycanthropes, he might well raise her and then take her out to breed.

Annan always felt Dmitry was capable of such a thing.

...For now, it’s best to keep her with Annan.

For some reason, Annan felt a special affection toward her. Far more affectionate than towards other Frost Beasts...

"I need to give you a name, little one."

Annan pondered for a moment.

Then, he suddenly smiled.

Annan thought of a good name.

In the "Faceless God Studio" where he worked in his previous life, there was a colleague who got along very well with Annan. He was also Annan’s roommate and college buddy... Unlike Annan, he was a true "cute boy".

As is well known, the relationship between roommates is that of father and son.

In the last life I couldn’t become your dad, so in this life, you’ll become my daughter.

"—— Your name shall be Russell."

Annan’s smile was tender and affectionate, filled with a father’s love, despite the hidden malice.