Chapter 966: The Butler's Intervention! (Part 2) (Patreon)

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"Miss Zatanna, please tell me the whole story as it is, you need not explain those obscure terms because I can understand them all. You only need to tell me the origin, process, and outcome of this matter," Alfred said, looking at Zatanna.

Zatanna hesitated for a moment, feeling that something was amiss. She scrutinized Alfred again, but found no trace of magic use on him. Seeing her puzzled expression, Alfred explained, "Master Wayne was once deeply obsessed with Mysticism for a period of time, and as his butler, I needed to organize the materials he wanted to investigate. From there, I gained considerable knowledge."

"But... that's impossible. Bruce doesn't understand Mysticism either. In ordinary society, it's almost impossible to find genuine Mysticism knowledge," Zatanna instinctively objected.

"Yes, but the Pennyworth family's butlers always deal with their employers' interest in magic and how to discern whether a sorcerer is a mediocre charlatan. It's a required course for the Pennyworth family's butlers," Alfred explained.

Zatanna hesitated again, realizing she couldn't argue because she had experiences working for some wealthy or mysterious families before, where handling such matters was not done by the employers themselves, but by their butlers.

This phenomenon was particularly common in medieval Europe. As a hereditary butler family that once served the royal family, the Pennyworth family's understanding of the Mysticism world was probably much stronger than some young sorcerers.

"Alright, in that case, this matter is easier to explain," Zatanna took a deep breath, set aside her extra thoughts, and began to recount the story from the beginning.

Just as Alfred had said, he patiently listened to Zatanna's entire narration without interruption. When Zatanna finished speaking, he looked at her and asked, "Miss Zatara, according to your account, both Bruce and Schiller's souls are in hell, right?"

Zatanna nodded, and Alfred sighed, saying, "So, what kind of help do you want from me?"

Frowning, Zatanna said, "I contacted a relative in the family who had been to hell before. He left a beacon there, which allows me to use teleportation to go to hell."

"As I mentioned earlier, ordinary people go to hell through the Spirit Realm to Hell's Edge, and then proceed to hell from there. But doing so, the one going to hell would be their soul, and humans in soul form are very vulnerable. Many spells cannot be cast, and they could easily be torn apart by demons if encountered. Just like in the human world, the situation in hell is complex. Since the ruler of hell left, various factions have risen. If one goes in soul form, they will become snacks for demons, even the most powerful sorcerers dare not be so reckless."

"So, I need to use the beacon to send my physical body into hell to ensure I can use all my abilities. However, in hell, I cannot use Spirit Realm vision. I need a medium to track the whereabouts of souls," Zatanna sighed, "To find Bruce and Schiller in hell, I must obtain one of their belongings to trace their soul's aura."

Alfred nodded, saying, "But, Miss Zatara, you should also know that as a competent butler, I cannot simply give away the master's personal belongings."

"I know you have a good relationship with Master Wayne, but that's all in the past. Now, Mr. Wayne has his own family and children. If I were to casually give you his personal belongings, it might bring unnecessary trouble for his future interpersonal relationships."

"But... wait, family and children? Has Bruce married?" Zatanna asked in surprise.

"No, not yet, but he already has two children. Oh, right, Miss Aisha should be awake by now. Merkel, please bring her here. She hasn't taken the doctor's prescribed vitamin tablets yet," Alfred nodded to Merkel, who then went upstairs. After a while, she brought down a little girl. Zatanna saw Aisha for the first time and was certain she was Bruce's daughter because they looked so alike.

"Oh my!" Zatanna exclaimed in surprise. Then, she stood still for a while, looking somewhat melancholic, "I never thought that after so many years, he would already be a father."

Alfred held Aisha and fed her the vitamins, then let Merkel take Aisha upstairs to play. He looked at Zatanna and said, "I want to bring Master Wayne back more than you do, but I'm just an aging butler, unable to do such a thing. The only thing I can do is adhere to the butler's code and guard this place for Mr. Wayne."

Just as Zatanna was about to speak, Alfred continued, "However, I have seen Mr. Zatara's abilities. I believe you are reliable and trustworthy sorcerers, but this matter is not to be taken lightly. You must tell me the complete process and demonstrate to me your ability to go to hell."

Alfred's tone had always been patient, which made Zatanna feel guilty. She hurriedly explained, "It's like this: there are two beacons in hell, one buried in the soil, which indicates a safe location. I possess another beacon. By opening a portal, I can land directly at the location of the beacon in hell. Once on the ground, I will activate a personal item with magic, which will display the direction of the soul's aura. By following this direction, I can find them. Then, as long as I bring them back to the location of the portal, I can rescue them."

Zatanna described the process as detailed as possible, but Alfred still had some doubts. He said, "Miss Zatara, it's not that I distrust you, but hell sounds like a very dangerous place. Even if you want to rescue someone, I don't want you to take such a big risk."

Zatanna lowered her head, feeling touched, "Thank you, but there's no need to worry about me. Although I haven't been to hell, I've dealt with many demons from hell before. They are not entirely without weaknesses."

"Hell is not like many people imagine, full of magma and extremely hot. Not everyone living there has hooves and is engulfed in flames. There are many types of demons: shades, lost souls, lava demons, upper demons, hellhounds, sand demons, and so on."

"In general, most incorporeal demons fear fire, just like human souls fear being burned by fire. They prefer darkness and cold and dislike heat and burning. Therefore, using spells to ignite fires would be effective."

"Entities like Lava Demons aren't afraid of fire; they even enjoy bathing in lava. However, they can be dispersed by powerful blows, and restraining them with a Magic Circle is also a good way to deal with them."

"As for higher-level demons, even demon lords, their power is unimaginable for humans, so there's no way to fight them with force; negotiation is the only option."

"Fortunately, they're highly intelligent and willing to make deals with humans. As long as you pay a price, they'll let you pass."

"Pay a price?" Alfred asked.

"Correct. If you want them to help rescue someone, it may require a significant price. But if it's just passage, anything will do. They will demand a lot, but as long as you stick to your bottom line and don't give in, you won't have to pay too much in the end."

Alfred nodded thoughtfully, then said, "Here's the deal, Miss Zatanna. I can give you Master Wayne's personal belongings, but you must perform magic in front of me, summon a portal, and enter it. This ensures that you won't lose the item outside, leading to unnecessary disputes."

"Coincidentally, Merkel is Mr. Rodriguez's butler. He also holds Mr. Rodriguez's belongings, so you don't have to make another trip to the Rodriguez Manor."

"Of course, I can swear never to disclose what happened today to anyone. You should trust the Pennyworth family's reputation for integrity."

Zatanna hesitated for a moment, then said, "No, I'm not worried about leaks. Throughout history, too many people have seen magic, but as long as they can't produce evidence, it's all just hearsay."

"But where should I cast the spell?" Zatanna looked around the luxurious hall of Wayne Manor and said, "The portal to hell is a large one, and it might cause quite a stir. I can't do it here, can I?"

"No problem, we can go to the back garden. After all, the recent blue cabbage disaster has destroyed the entire garden, and it needs to be rebuilt anyway. It'll be safer for you to cast the spell there," Alfred suggested.

Zatanna thought for a moment, nodded, and agreed that Alfred's suggestion had merit. After all, she hadn't decided where to cast the spell yet, and in case she was interrupted during the process, she could get hurt. Wayne Manor was safe and quiet, with someone to guard her nearby, so it was indeed a good choice.

So, Zatanna went to the backyard and began to set up the magic circle for the portal with basic materials, while Alfred returned to the building of the manor to fetch something for her.

After a while, with the magic circle set up and ready to be activated, Alfred brought a cloak, the kind that hung behind the bat combat suit, and Merkel brought a pen. Schiller had been using this pen to write medical records while in the manor.

Zatanna's fingertips lit up with dots of light. With a gentle touch towards the two items, they floated into the air and then descended, emitting a faint glow.

Then, she activated the portal—a huge crimson vortex appeared in the center of Wayne Manor's garden. Holding the enchanted items, Zatanna took a deep breath and murmured to herself softly:

"Alright, everything has gone smoothly up to this point. This isn't difficult, right? Everything now depends on you, Zatanna..." She felt a bit nervous, her heart pounding.

Busy encouraging herself, Zatanna didn't notice that Alfred was gradually approaching her. When she felt a shadow approaching her from behind, she suddenly realized it and turned around.

"Bang!"

A sharp pain struck the back of her head, accompanied by a severe dizziness. Before her vision turned completely black, she only saw Alfred's indifferent expression.

Alfred threw the blood-stained gardening shovel aside, then adjusted his gloves and said to Merkel, "Take this young and rude lady upstairs to rest."

Merkel, standing still, swallowed hard, while Alfred looked at him expressionlessly and said:

"I've said it before: Gotham's butler doesn't welcome any visitors who come without an invitation or a gift."

He glanced at Zatanna lying on the ground, his voice unusually cold, "Especially when she brings bad news."

With that said, he turned his head to look at the portal. The blood-red vortex emitted a sinister aura, just a glance enough to make people shudder, instantly conjuring various terrifying monsters in their minds.

Unfortunately, the butler who managed this manor was least afraid of monsters and demons.

Hell: Please don't come over here!

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 967: Battle for High Tower (Part One)