Chapter 193: A Frightening Affair with Vampires (Part 3)

  The resplendent and majestic Chancellor's mansion still stood there, with slightly fewer traces of wind and dust than before. This did not diminish its imposing presence in the slightest; instead, it gained an added touch of somberness and stability.

  It was still the mansion of the Duke of Mrak, but this Duke of Mrak was no longer the one from previous impressions—the one who seemed incomparably kind yet could stab you in the back at any moment. Instead, it was his daughter, renowned for her dignified, elegant, and extraordinary competence, hailed as the youngest and most promising pillar of the state on the continent. Ethan stood across the street, separated by the ceaseless flow of people, looking at this long-unseen building, completely lost in thought without realizing it.

  In a life where he intentionally or unintentionally pursued a stable and free existence, almost all the magnificent waves and storms of his life had originated from this huge, magnificent official residence. It contained almost all the rich, vibrant colors of his life. His love, his entry into the world, his struggles, his sacrifices, his persistence, his pain, his sorrow... all of it was related to this place. The people and events from the past intertwined and flashed in his mind like an enchanter's magic, constantly pulling up things that had settled deep in his consciousness, bringing up bubbles of various colors. He remembered every time he entered and left this place, each time with a completely different mood, but almost every time was enough for him to remember for a lifetime.

  "What are you doing? Staring blankly? If you're going, then hurry up. Chancellor Mrak is indeed inside now. She handles all official business here since the Emperor left on his tour." Talise gave Ethan a push from behind.

  To avoid attracting attention, the Temple Knight had to heed Ethan's advice and put away her knight's armor to disguise herself. She had tied up her golden hair and was dressed as a male warrior. Originally lacking much feminine charm, she now looked heroic and extraordinarily handsome. Combined with her height, which was quite tall even for a man, even Ethan could barely tell she was a woman at a glance. Their group of four now looked like ordinary, unremarkable travelers—two men and two women.

  Since they had discovered the Red Cardinal coercing the Empress, and had turned the stumbling block of the Temple Knight into a capable helper, the remaining time could not be wasted. The first priority was to resolve the matter of Luya and the elven race. Otherwise, once the Cardinal and the Empress joined forces to turn the royal capital upside down, there might never be another chance. That was why Ethan had quickly brought Luya here, preparing to take her to meet the Chancellor to discuss the matter of the elven migration to Aery.

  But now, facing this ducal mansion, Ethan found that he didn't seem to know what kind of mood, what kind of attitude, to adopt to walk in and face that person. He frowned and sighed, wrapped the blade Talise had returned to him two days ago in cloth, and handed it to Luya, saying, "I'm not going in. You go by yourself."

  "Why?" Luya took the package, looking at him in surprise.

  "This is a good opportunity for you to train. You just need to show my blade to the guards at the door and have them bring it to Chancellor Mrak. She will naturally let you see her. As for the matter of Aery and the Whispering Woods, you should also know what to say to her, right?"

  "But I... I really don't know how to..." Luya hesitated. She really didn't have enough experience dealing with people. Now, to negotiate a major mission with a nation's Chancellor seemed truly too demanding.

  Ethan, however, patted her on the shoulder reassuringly and said, "Don't worry. Your elven people's demands are not excessive. She will definitely agree."

  Under Ethan's reassurance and urging, Luya had no choice but to take the item and walk alone to the door of the Chancellor's mansion. After giving the guard Ethan's blade, and after the guard took it inside, someone soon came to lead her in.

  "You're a strange one. Weren't you saying before that you wanted to take her in with you? Why aren't you going in now that you're here?" Talise looked at Ethan curiously. "I saw you staring blankly at the opposite side just now. Are you worried that there are experts in the Chancellor's mansion who can see your true face?"

  Ethan smiled but didn't answer. Instead, the Drow beside him spoke with a cold sneer: "Do you think the look in his eyes just now was one of worry about experts? Why is the judgment of a Temple Knight always so good?"

  Talise glared at her, but then asked again, "Then what is he worried about? It doesn't really seem like it..."

  "Couldn't you see the tenderness in his eyes just now, like a young virgin gazing at the home of his first love? A poor virgin constrained by iron underpants of morality and faith truly might not be able to feel this kind of emotion... He spent some time in this Ainfast royal capital before. This Chancellor was a young woman in her prime back then. He even had that little elf take his own weapon in. Is that considered a token? Can't you guess what's going on from all this? He just doesn't know how to face that old flame who is different from the past."

  "Really?" The female knight opened her eyes wide, looking Ethan up and down as if seeing such a monster for the first time. "He... he, who kills without blinking... who also uses the evil art of Necromancy... can he have feelings? I don't believe it..."

  "Someone who kills must be an iron killing machine, and those who don't conform to the teachings of your God of Light are all puppets without feelings... The minds of Temple Knights all seem to be the same. The people in your eyes are not people, but symbols defined for you by your scriptures. Hmph, I still remember Christine..." The Drow's expression also fell into a daze for a moment. She shook her head and said no more.

  Talise seemed to want to retort, but she also seemed to have thought of something and fell silent, lost in thought.

  Ethan also remained silent. He was looking at Jessica with a very puzzled expression. He had naturally never told her about his past in the royal capital. More importantly, he would never have imagined that this Drow, with whom his relationship seemed more physical than spiritual, could deduce all this just from one of his looks.

  The Drow rolled her eyes at Ethan. "What? Why are you looking at me with such a strange gaze? In your eyes, am I also just a symbol of carnal desire?"

  "Of course not..." Ethan shook his head hastily. "It's just... I'm surprised why you would say these things..."

  "Then just consider me a little jealous." Jessica replied faintly, looking at the ducal mansion in the distance.

  Ethan looked at Jessica up and down as if seeing her for the first time. Her current, loose nomadic attire completely concealed her originally wild and seductive figure, leaving only a small part of her face exposed. For some reason, Ethan felt that her back at this moment seemed far more charming than when she was naked.

  Inside the Chancellor's mansion, led by a guard, Luya finally arrived at the Chancellor's study. She met the Chancellor of Ainfast, the Duke of Mrak, Mrak·Sophia, famous throughout the world for her youth and competence.

  Although she had heard about this Chancellor's youth and competence before, Luya truly had not expected her to be such a young, beautiful, dignified, and elegant woman. Yet, the majesty and bearing of a nation's Chancellor were not diminished in the slightest by her beauty. Even she, who had little good will towards humans, couldn't help but feel a sense of conviction upon seeing her.

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  The Chancellor's expression now seemed to be suppressing some impatience and other indiscernible emotions. After seeing Luya enter, she dismissed the guards and the scribe beside her, and instructed the guards to keep everyone away, forbidding anyone from approaching without orders.

  Once only the two of them were left in the large study, the Chancellor took a deep breath and looked at Luya, saying in a voice as calm as she could make it, "Was it he who sent you to find me?"

  "He?" Luya thought for a moment, walked to the chair in front of the desk on her own, and sat down. "Yes."

  "Where is he now? In Oufu?" the Chancellor asked, seemingly casually. She sat upright at the desk, her eyes and fingertips circling the blade on the desk. The blade was dark and rough, a stark contrast to the delicate and gentle touch of her fingers and gaze.

  "No, he's right outside," Luya replied.

  "Right outside? Why doesn't he come in himself?" In that instant, the Chancellor's expression completely returned to the surprise and astonishment of her maiden days, but only for that instant. The next moment, she buried those feelings deep within her expression again, just sighing and saying faintly, "Why is he still like this, too embarrassed... I suppose you came to find me because of official business, right? Just say whatever you need to."

  Luya was stunned. She truly hadn't expected it to go this smoothly, just as Ethan had said. Thinking of what Elder Lloyd had instructed, she said, "It's like this... Chancellor Mrak, our elven people wish to migrate back to the Whispering Woods, and the Whispering Woods is located in your nation's Aery, so we would like to..."

  The negotiations went very smoothly. What Elder Lloyd needed for the time being was just a decree from the local humans not to interfere with the Whispering Woods. Since the Chancellor was Sedros's disciple, and now with a special person to introduce them, this authority was naturally not an issue. With a stroke of her pen, a command was immediately dispatched to Aery. As for Ainfast's official recognition of the elven sovereignty over the Whispering Woods, that would undoubtedly need to be slowly negotiated in the future by Elder Lloyd and Luya.

  "Thank you for your help, Chancellor. The elven people will always remember your friendship. And I will always remember you." Luya stood up and nodded her thanks to the Chancellor before her. It wasn't just for this simple help. This young Chancellor's calm and capable manner also felt strangely intimate, making her feel that she had learned a lot and benefited greatly from her in this short period of time.

  The Chancellor waved her hand. "It's nothing. Don't rush. Sit and chat for a while." Her gaze flowed over Luya's face for a moment. Then she smiled charmingly and said, "Although you are wearing makeup, I can still see that you are very beautiful... What is your relationship with him? Lovers..."

  "No, I have no relationship with him whatsoever... How could I have a relationship with someone as filthy as him?" A look of undisguised disgust appeared on Luya's face. "His lover is an evil, debauched Drow. If it weren't for this mission, I would never be willing to travel with him..."

  "Oh? What's this about?" The Chancellor looked bewildered. "Can you tell me what this is about? In detail... How did you meet? How did he get a Drow... How did I not know..."

  "It's like this, the first time I met him was over a year ago, when he broke into our elven sacred ground, the Whispering Woods, and stole our sacred artifact, the Leaves of the World Tree... At that time..."

  The Chancellor's expression trembled slightly, but then she continued to listen attentively.

  Outside the Chancellor's mansion, in an alley across the street, Ethan, who had been waiting impatiently, suddenly had a realization: "Damn, I forgot to tell her not to talk nonsense and to come out quickly after finishing the business. She's been in there for so long, it must be..."

  "You're only realizing this now? Sending a mindless idiot to help you meet an old flame you haven't seen in a long time, isn't this the most natural outcome?" The Drow said disdainfully, shrinking into the shadows of the alley. "Don't worry, that simple little rabbit won't talk nonsense. She's probably just reflecting the actual situation..."

  "Sigh..." Ethan shook his head. He felt his head had grown at least several times larger.

  "What exactly are you two talking about?" Talise, who was standing closest to the street to avoid the Drow, turned her head and asked. She was actually the most impatient one. In this short time, no fewer than ten women had cast fiery glances at her, and even a duchess had stopped her carriage and sent someone over to invite her aboard.

  The elven girl had been gone for quite some time, and Sophia was still immersed in the conversation they had just had.

  It had been a long time since she had felt such emotional fluctuations amidst the tedious and heavy documents and official duties. There was nostalgia, reminiscence, sighing, but also surprise and a feeling of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. The elven girl had also left a deep impression on her. She was surprisingly simple, yet it seemed as if she had long wanted to find someone to pour out these things to, and she had described in detail everything she knew. Only after she had finished speaking did she seem to suddenly remember and ask, "Chancellor, that man said he was an old acquaintance of yours. Are you friends? What kind of friends?"

  "Just ordinary friends." The Chancellor smiled, her eyes, narrowed into fine slits, revealing an ambiguous look. "By the way, little girl, I need to remind you that you shouldn't speak so directly in the future. It might be wise to think more about what you're saying, who you're speaking to, and what others will think when they hear these words. The person you're talking about might not like you speaking of him in that way."

  Luya looked at her, confused, with an expression of half-understanding.

  "Alright, as for this thing..." The Chancellor picked up the blade from the desk and smiled. "I'll keep this thing here for now. You can tell him that if he wants it back, he can come and get it from me." She raised an eyebrow, a hint of girlish pride and playfulness showing on her face. "Remember. He has to come. Him. Self. To get it."

  Will he come?

  The Chancellor sat alone in her study, toying with this long-unseen weapon. Memories that seemed to span a lifetime slowly surfaced in her mind with the feel of the blade in her hand. The expression on her face sometimes smiled, sometimes was lost in melancholy...

  "His Excellency Bishop Javi has arrived." A voice abruptly pulled Sophia back to reality. She hurriedly hid the blade in the drawer of the desk.

  "Hello, Chancellor." The Cardinal's figure entered along with his sunny smile and voice. In fact, he had been here often these past few days, partly to discuss matters concerning the Magic Academy, and partly just to chat with her.

  Sophia did not dislike him. To be honest, it was difficult for anyone to dislike such a seemingly perfect man, especially when someone could chat with you from time to time amidst the heavy and tedious official duties, which had to be said to be a very relaxing and good thing. Moreover, even from a political standpoint, Sophia hoped he would have more of this kind of leisure and not put all his energy into how to bring the Magic Academy under his control.

  But at least today, at this moment, she still felt a bit awkward.

  Bishop Javi was still dressed in his heroic and straight warrior's outfit. It seemed that a young man like him didn't really like the loose, wide-sleeved robes of a bishop. He also didn't seem accustomed to bringing any attendants, going everywhere alone.

  The Cardinal had just sat down at the desk when he seemed to notice that Sophia's complexion was not quite right. He frowned and asked, "What's wrong? Is Chancellor in a bad mood today? Or am I not welcome?"

  "No, it's nothing..." Sophia forced a smile.

  Suddenly, his expression changed slightly. He looked around with a strange expression and then asked, "Has Her Majesty the Empress been here?"

  "No, why do you ask?" Sophia was bewildered.

  Bishop Javi did not answer. He frowned and closed his eyes. After what seemed like a brief moment of contemplation or sensing, he suddenly opened his eyes, and his gaze fell upon the desk, on the drawer where the blade was placed, as if he could see the object inside through the thick layer of wood.

  "What is it, Your Excellency the Bishop?" Sophia asked, trying her best to control her expression.

  Bishop Javi smiled. This smile completely restored his previous brilliant demeanor: "Chancellor, could you take out the thing you have in your drawer and let me have a look?"

  The Chancellor was silent for a moment, but finally opened the drawer and took out the blade. She understood that while the dark fluctuations on this weapon might not be felt by others, they could not be hidden from these clergy who were well-versed in white magic. She handed the blade to Bishop Javi and said faintly, "This is something a friend of mine left here for safekeeping. It's really nothing..."

  But Bishop Javi didn't seem to hear her. The moment he saw the blade, a strange expression appeared on his face. First shock, then confusion, contemplation, sighing—all kinds of strange expressions continuously overlapped on his face, and finally, he burst into loud laughter.

  Sophia looked at the Cardinal in astonishment. She truly couldn't understand what was so funny about this weapon that exuded a faint dark aura. What surprised her even more was that she actually saw something in this Red Cardinal that she had never seen before.

  The Cardinal was still laughing. His gaze fell on the blade in his hand as if he were looking at the most incredible and ridiculous thing in the world. This young bishop, with his heroic bearing, majestic and handsome, had certainly laughed before, and had of course been witty and full of brilliant conversation. But compared to this current laughter, Sophia had a strange feeling that all his previous expressions were not his true self. What he had shown was not the true thing deep in his heart. Only now, this somewhat crazed smile, completely devoid of solemnity and dignity, completely at odds with his handsome and distinguished status and bearing, seemed to be the true thing from his heart.

  While feeling a strange trace of fear, a strange sense of déjà vu also arose from the bottom of Sophia's heart. This seemed to be a scene or a person she had seen somewhere before.

  "Chancellor, do you believe in destiny?" Javi's laughter suddenly stopped, and he looked at Sophia.

  Although a smile still hung on the corner of his mouth, one could see that the light in the Cardinal's eyes was sharper than ever before. However, it was not directed at her, nor did it seem to hold any hostility, so Sophia only felt a sense of confusion and a subtle fear, without shrinking back. She probed and replied, "Your Excellency Javi, has your faith in the Lord wavered? You believe in destiny?"

  "No. The Lord only gives us the courage to choose and to move forward, not telling us whether destiny truly exists. Even whether destiny exists or not depends on whether we have the courage to face it." Bishop Javi's voice rose a lot, revealing a kind of near-manic excitement, "I originally didn't believe it, but today, here, I do."

  "I thought what had happened was long gone. That it would never return, but today, I discovered that it seems to have returned to the starting point. I thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity. I will once again face the same opponent, in almost the same situation, and I will once again fight for what I once lost." The Cardinal's words were like he was talking to himself. Finally, he gave a smile to the bewildered Sophia and said, word by word, slowly: "Rest assured, this time, I will absolutely not lose."

  Ignoring Sophia's confusion and bewilderment, Bishop Javi turned and left the Chancellor's mansion after saying these strange words. His footsteps were like those of a general marching to a battle he was sure to win—urgent and powerful.

  In the Magic Academy, in Bishop Javi's room, the Cardinal wrote a letter at a rapid pace, then placed the letter into a strange, small scroll.

  A blue teleportation glow lit up around the scroll. This was actually an exquisitely crafted and extremely rare magic scroll for teleporting small items to a designated location. Such rare magic items were something that even Celeste did not possess.

  After the letter vanished into the air, Bishop Javi called for a priest and passed on a message: "Go and invite Lord Rodhart here. Remember, tell him to come alone."