Chapter 204: Awakening (Part 3)

  When the Great Priest walked into the dungeon, he happened to see the Cardinal and Marquis coming out. The faces of both men were calm, as if nothing had happened. The Great Priest finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just moments before, muffled sounds of impact had been faintly coming from the dungeon, and he could also sense the mixed scent of magic and Battle Qi. He had thought a battle was taking place below, which was why he had hurried down.

  "It's nothing. Lord Marquis just came to deliver a message from His Majesty the Pope," Bishop Javi said to the Great Priest with a nod.

  Great Priest Ryan's gaze flickered between the Cardinal and Marquis. Apart from seeing that the Bishop's expression was somewhat complex, he truly couldn't see anything amiss. Although he was very puzzled by the strange expression shown by this young bishop, who had always been so deep and calculating, he was a man who understood the ways of the world, and he didn't want to delve into what had really happened.

  Bishop Javi's eyes flickered, and the expression on his face seemed to fluctuate even more than before. After a moment of silence, as if he had finally made a decision, he said, "Take Lord Marquis to see that prisoner... Just remember to get Lord Marquis inside, and then you don't need to concern yourselves anymore..."

  "Yes." Although still very puzzled and sensing that something seemed a bit off, Great Priest Ryan's reaction was instead simpler and more direct. An old man like him, who had lost much of his passion and fighting spirit, knew very well that in such extraordinary times, when the future was unpredictable, the more likely there was a hidden background, the better it was not to investigate too deeply. Knowing too much was definitely not a good thing.

  "Restore this place to its original state for now. I have already killed all the monsters inside. No one else is allowed to go down without my permission. I'm going to find Lord Rodhart for some matters..." Although the Cardinal's voice was somewhat tired, his tone was commanding. It seemed he had, as a matter of course, taken over the Magic Academy.

  The Great Priest thought for a moment, as if considering what attitude he should take, but finally, he just nodded and replied, "Yes."

  After sealing the entrance to the passage, Great Priest Ryan led Marquis towards the dungeon where the prisoners were held. On the way, as if asking casually, he said, "Inham, were you already working for His Majesty the Pope in Celeste? The Bishop said that prisoner was originally supposed to be sent to Celeste to be handed over to His Majesty the Pope..."

  Marquis replied with a smile, "No, I'm not in Celeste. But it is our honor to occasionally share His Majesty the Pope's burdens. His Majesty manages ten thousand affairs a day, and this prisoner is really not worth troubling him over, so I came to handle it."

  "Hmm..." The Great Priest truly couldn't find any definite clues from these words and could only maintain his usual mature and steady appearance.

  The Magic Academy was quite large, and it took more than ten minutes to get from the Grand Cathedral to the dungeon where the prisoners were held. And when Great Priest Ryan saw the open door of the dungeon and the several priests and guards lying on the ground, he, who had always been so steady, almost jumped.

  "Someone's broken out of prison." The Great Priest rushed over immediately. Marquis's expression also turned grave in an instant, and he followed to see what had happened.

  The guards on the ground had all been knocked unconscious by heavy-handed techniques. Two of them had even been stripped down to their underwear. This place was just a remote cellar, and normally, there was no one around, so surprisingly, no one had discovered it or raised the alarm. And it was clear that these guards and priests had had no chance to cry out.

  The Great Priest helped up a priest. As the light of white magic flashed continuously from his hand, the priest slowly opened his eyes. The Great Priest asked urgently, "What happened? How many people attacked you? What did they look like?"

  The priest's reply, made with effort, almost made the Great Priest jump again. "I'm sorry. I don't know anything. I was just knocked unconscious..."

  Marquis paid no mind to the priests who were knocked unconscious on the ground. He first glanced at the iron door of the cellar. The door was intact; it hadn't been forced open with violence, but the lock on it was broken. The cross-section of the lock was not very neat, and one could tell it hadn't been cut or severed by some kind of divine weapon or sharp blade. There were also some strange, dripping traces on the surface. If it were someone else, they might not have been able to tell what was going on. But Marquis could tell at a glance. This was a dissolving effect that could only be produced by a highly concentrated burst of fire or dark magic energy in an instant.

  The guards had their backs to the cellar door. This method of using magic to open the lock could be done silently. If this person's movements were fast enough, it would have been possible to open the door and knock all these completely unsuspecting guards unconscious before they could react.

  Although he hadn't asked in detail, Marquis also knew that Javi would never have locked this person up, unharmed, in a place where he could escape so easily. Moreover, being able to dissolve the lock with magic without anyone nearby noticing seemed beyond his capabilities.

  Stepping into the dungeon, a strange wave of heat hit them. The steel bars of the cage, as thick as an arm, were not damaged at all; it was just the lock on it that had been dissolved by magic. And in the center of the cage, the ground was a network of cracks. This was a unique trace left behind by being baked by high temperatures, as if someone had built a furnace here and burned it for three days and three nights.

  "What is this? This... was there a great fire mage among those who broke out of prison? But the surrounding anti-magic arrays are all still intact. What's going on here..." Great Priest Ryan also saw these strange traces and cried out in alarm.

  Marquis looked at the cracked ground on the floor with a thoughtful expression. He took a deep breath of the still scorching air in the cellar, as if savoring some hidden meaning within this heat. Slowly, his face grew increasingly grim, finally showing some fear and anger.

  "This won't do. You go quickly and notify Bishop Javi. I'll go and gather our men to start a pursuit immediately..." The Great Priest said, turning his head to Marquis, but when he turned back, he discovered that Marquis was already gone.

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  At this moment, Ethan and Jessica were being led by guards into the Chancellor's residence.

  The clothes they were wearing were stripped from the knocked-out priests. The mask he had been wearing had long been burned to ashes, and he now had to smear some temporarily found dirt on his face, making it bumpy. Although he looked a bit strange, with the Magic Academy clothes and the lie that they were delivering a message for the Bishop, they were let in.

  The guards led them into the Chancellor's office. Sophia, dressed in her official robes, was leaning against her desk, absentmindedly looking at some documents. From her expression and eyes, it could be seen that her mood had not been very good these past few days. Hearing that they had arrived, she didn't even look up and asked, "What is it? Does Bishop Javi need something? He was acting so strangely when he was here the other day. I sent someone to invite him, but he wouldn't come..."

  "Chancellor, what I have to report is very confidential. Could you please have the others step aside for a moment?" Ethan said, lowering his head.

  Sophia froze for a moment, then her body trembled. She recognized that voice.

  "Hmm, this priest has a confidential matter to report. You may all withdraw for now. Close the door, and remember, without my order, no one is allowed in, do you understand?" Sophia took a deep breath and said to the guards and the two scribes and secretaries beside her in as calm a tone as she could manage.

  Everyone withdrew, and the door to the study closed. Ethan wiped a hand across his face, and all his disguise turned to fine powder and fell away. He looked up at her and smiled.

  This smile held sourness, bitterness, the marks of time, and also sweetness. There was no longer the hesitation, shyness, or indecision of the past. Like the spring breeze on the plains, he sent all the emotions in his heart to her.

  Sophia also smiled. Neither of them spoke. At this moment, words were superfluous. Although speech is a tool for conveying emotion, true emotion cannot be contained in words.

  With large strides, Ethan came before Sophia, reached out, and pulled her into his arms, saying softly, "I'm sorry."

  Sophia was slightly taken aback by this action, so different from his usual self, but then she melted into this embrace that had appeared countless times in her memories and dreams, whispering, "What are you sorry for, you fool."

  The body in his arms was so soft, so warm, as if all the warmth and tenderness in the world had gathered here at this moment. Every inch of his skin felt this gentleness, a sensation that reached the very depths of his soul. He smelled her scent again at his nostrils. He had thought he had forgotten this scent, but only upon this reunion did he realize that this fragrance had long been imprinted deep in his soul.

  Tears unconsciously welled up in the corners of his eyes. It was not sadness, nor was it excessive joy, but the relief of expressing long-suppressed emotions. He put his mouth to her ear, his dry lips feeling the softness of her hair by her temple, like water, and whispered again, "I'm sorry."

  "You fool." Tears also welled up in her eyes, but she just smiled and held him tighter, repeating that one phrase.

  In a corner of the room, Drow watched the two embracing. The look and expression on her face were very strange, complex and numerous, but the most prominent of them could be discerned as loneliness.

  Perhaps it was a long time, perhaps it wasn't long at all; the people in this room had lost their concept of time. Sophia said softly, "Why did you only come now? Do you know how worried I've been? That Cardinal, after he discovered your knife here the other day, suddenly became so strange. Looking at him, I suddenly had a very strange, very frightening feeling..."

  Ethan sighed softly and said, "You would never guess who that guy really is."

  "Someone we knew before?" Sophia asked.

  "More than just knowing him," Ethan said with a bitter smile. "In fact, even now, I find it truly hard to believe his true identity... I never thought he was still alive, and that he would return here with this identity... But don't worry, with me here, I will protect you."

  "Who exactly are you talking about?" Sophia asked, frowning.

  Just then, the door to the study was suddenly thrown open. A person pushed the door open and entered, saying with a polite and slightly apologetic voice, "I'm sorry to interrupt."

  Sophia and Ethan reflexively separated. And Ethan immediately remembered that he had no mask on his face now. He hurriedly tried to turn and lower his head while simultaneously gathering Battle Qi and magic power in his hands. But in the instant he turned, he saw the person who had entered, and he froze.

  At this moment, Sophia also saw clearly who had come and said in surprise, "Lord Marquis?"

  "Eh? What are you two doing here?" Marquis saw Ethan, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face. He walked over, smiling, and reached out to pat Ethan's shoulder. "It's been so long since I've seen you. Are you well?"

  Marquis's expression was indeed friendly, and his movements were very natural, truly the reaction of someone seeing an old acquaintance he hadn't seen in a long time. Even Ethan's mind subconsciously flooded with friendly memories of this old acquaintance, and he felt a surge of goodwill towards him, let alone any vigilance. But as Ethan looked at that hand, which was extended so naturally without a trace of hostility, he knew it would be best not to let it touch him.

  It wasn't intuition. On an intuitive level, he even had a good feeling about this person. That thought was the judgment his vigilance and mind had made in the brief span of a few blinks.

  Before, he wouldn't have had any vigilance against this person. But now that he knew Javi's true identity, this person's identity had to be shrouded in a strange shadow. Although those hands were indeed soft and powerless, without a trace of Battle Qi or magical fluctuation, and he could, if he wished, crush it into a pulp in a tenth of a second, this person's strange appearance at a strange time and in a strange environment still forced him to be a little vigilant. So Ethan extended his hand, bypassing that friendly palm to grab his wrist.

  That palm was still soft and powerless, but it suitably twisted and turned, still very slow and friendly, yet it was aiming for the wrist of the hand Ethan was using to grab it.

  Ethan's hand recoiled, then extended again. This time, his hand carried the sound of wind and thunder from Battle Qi. Once he grabbed it, even a block of marble would be crushed to pieces. And the speed of his extension this time was enough to catch an arrow shot from a powerful crossbow.

  But Marquis's hand very slowly changed direction slightly again, meeting Ethan's palm. Not only did it not have a trace of Battle Qi, but even the muscles weren't very well-developed. It seemed that it would absolutely have no good end if it touched the other hand, which was brimming with Battle Qi and had bulging muscles. But despite this, Marquis seemed as if he would stop at nothing, at any cost, just to pat Ethan.

  Since the other party wanted to pat him, he absolutely couldn't let him. Driven by this strange thought and idea, Ethan had to pull back his hand again. And this time, because he had used too much force in his strike, he had to sink his waist and steady his stance, taking a step back. The floor beneath his feet let out an unpleasant creak, and his foot actually sank half an inch into the floorboards.

  Marquis also retreated. But he didn't retreat with sparks flying like Ethan. His movements were still so natural and casual, and he took a large step back.

  The distance between Ethan and Sophia was already very close, and Marquis's step, as if intentionally or unintentionally, brought him directly to Sophia's side. Ethan's face changed.

  "Lord Marquis, did no one try to stop you when you came in?" Although Sophia could see the strange movements between their hands, she still didn't understand what was happening. She suddenly remembered that she had just given an order not to let anyone approach. Her long-standing good impression of Marquis, and the very friendly and kind smile on his face, made her let her guard down completely; she just found it very strange.

  "They tried to stop me. They just couldn't," Marquis said, still smiling as kindly and friendly as ever, while his other hand also naturally and kindly took Sophia's hand.

  Marquis's expression, voice, and demeanor were simply too perfect, too natural. So much so that Sophia didn't even feel that there was anything wrong with his answer, until a numb feeling spread from her wrist, where Marquis was holding her, to her entire body in an instant. Only then did she feel that something was wrong.

  Ethan was about to move, but the look Marquis gave him froze him in place. Marquis's expression was still gentle, his smile and voice as gentlemanly as if he were attending the highest-level royal banquet, but the cold glint deep within was enough to make his meaning clear: "You'd better not move."

  The floor beneath Ethan's feet let out another groan of being unable to bear the load. The power that had been about to erupt was forcefully suppressed, making his foot sink a little further into the floor. The veins on his hands and forehead bulged, and the redness in his eyes deepened.

  "Don't worry, it's this hand of mine that's holding her." Marquis raised the hand that had tried to pat Ethan several times. "Not this one."

  The hand Marquis raised was slender and well-proportioned with clearly defined bones, like a sculpture. Its fair and refined appearance vividly displayed the temperament an artist should have. On the middle finger of this hand was a ring.

  The ring was elegant and exquisite, a good match for the hand. But now, a thin, almost invisible needle protruded from the ring. If Marquis hadn't deliberately displayed it, probably no one would have noticed.

  "The poison from the tail of a Dragonfly from Tatalia, the leaves and branches of the Black Fog Grass, a specialty of Lizard Marsh, the Sunset Flower from Diya Valley, the poison from the tail of a Manticore from the underground of Nighon, all mixed together and cursed with dark magic, and on top of that, this ring also carries the corpse poison from Necromancy... Don't underestimate this needle. Although it's small, I bet that even the strongest Behemoth couldn't withstand a prick from it." Marquis casually introduced the ring on his hand, while glancing at Sophia, who was now unable to move. "Of course, she would be even less able to withstand it."