"Speak, what did you see in the woods outside the city two afternoons ago?" Klaudius gazed at the woman cowering before him with a majestic command like a lion facing its prey.

  Slowly leaving the imperial capital, she was caught by a large group of soldiers who rushed up to her. The whole journey of twists and turns and fear made Xuan extremely embarrassed. She trembled and said: "I didn't see anything, I don't know anything, why did you catch me..."

  Klauv didn't get angry or warn her, nor did he say much. He didn't even bother to confirm whether this was the person he was looking for. He had always thought that these inferior people weren't worth wasting his breath on. He stretched out his hand and pinched a strand of hair on her forehead with two fingers.

  The prostitute let out a blood-curdling scream, her long, soft and silky hair was ripped from her scalp, leaving a bloody mess behind, blood immediately gushing all over her face.

  His finger was stained with a bit of blood, Klaus frowned and threw away the small thing in his hand like he was flicking off snot. Then he grabbed Xuan's hair and pulled her up from the ground, giving a concise and forceful order: "Don't make me waste too much time. Speak."

  Xuan was in so much pain that she couldn't speak, blood flowed from her hairline and dyed half of her face red. She struggled to stand up, covering her head and sobbing, tears streaming down her face and mixing with the blood, leaving no trace.

  Klauvius let out a deeply disgusted sigh. He found it utterly repulsive, and couldn't fathom what the heavens were thinking by creating such an inferior and depraved person, only to waste his precious time on someone as noble as himself? He discarded this trashy woman and walked towards the door. Since the content of the interrogation was temporarily confidential, he couldn't let anyone approach this witness casually.

  "Go get the interrogator from the cell block for me," Klavius said to the waiting Guards officer. He was too lazy to do it himself, and when it came to making people talk who didn't want to, there were professionals in that line of work who had elevated their peculiar craft to what they considered an art form. Klavius had every confidence in them; he had once seen a particularly tough spy hold out for two days and nights before cracking completely under the ministrations of those artists, revealing everything he knew while still retaining control over his vocal cords but otherwise barely recognizable as human.

  Suddenly a guard ran over and said to him: "Duke Mlak is looking for you, saying that there is an important matter for you to attend to. He will wait for you at the entrance of the imperial palace."

  "Alright." Klauvius hesitated for a moment. Going to the imperial palace with the duke must be something very important, and since the person had already been caught, there was no need to rush. He had originally wanted the interrogator to work here first, so that when he returned, everything would be ready like dishes on a table. However, after some thought, he decided against it. The information obtained through torture must be extraordinary, and if the interrogator learned something they shouldn't know and went around spreading rumors, it would be a disaster. It was better for him to direct things himself. So he nodded in decision: "I'll have the interrogator called when I get back." He gave the military officer a sharp, murderous glance. "Remember, absolutely do not let anyone come into contact with this woman, got it?"

  "I know." The Guards officer nodded vigorously, as if to emphasize his words. He was well aware of Klauvius's temperament and, although serving these high-ranking officials was unpleasant, he had no choice but to serve them carefully and diligently.

  Not long after seeing off the big shot, another big shot arrived. However, this young and talented man, who also held a high position, gave people a completely different feeling. His always gentle face made everyone feel comfortable. The Imperial Guard officer hastily saluted: "Good day, sir."

  "Hello." The young officer smiled and returned the salute. "It's hard standing guard here. I heard you caught a strange female prisoner, what kind of witness is she? Can I go take a look?"

  Such a noble person, such a kind smile, such gentle and polite words, make people feel comfortable from head to toe. Moreover, he can't be considered an 'informal' person at all. The officer nodded vigorously: "Of course it's okay."

  Asa was summoned by Bishop Ronis early in the morning and asked about his ambush. He intentionally or unintentionally did not mention anything about the prostitute Xuan, but vaguely said that he was lured into the ambush by their strategy, and then Sandru arrived and killed the ambushed people. As for the stolen goods at Sandru's place, Sandru had also told Asa in advance not to tell Bishop Ronis.

  It was a bit unexpected that Roland, the captain, had figured out the general situation so quickly and saw that it was the necromancer who killed those team members. What's even more unexpected is that even if Captain Roland and the high priest have figured out the general situation, there are sufficient reasons to suspect him of being related to the necromancer, but the bishop's casual remark just covered up all the facts.

  Bishop Ronis seems not to care much about whether the matter will be investigated clearly, and just said lightly: "Anyway, no one has seen it with their own eyes, speculation is just speculation, suspicion can only be suspicion."

  A Sa suddenly remembered Xuan who had been let go by himself, and he was stunned for a moment without speaking. But then he thought of something strange again.

  As soon as he came out of the Magic Academy, he walked quickly towards the big house. He wanted to ask Sandru clearly what was going on.

  Just as he was walking in front of the big house, someone called out to him from behind. He turned his head and saw a young military officer with an extraordinary air about him hurrying towards him. Asa was taken aback, and it wasn't until he took a closer look that he realized it was actually Rodhart.

  After a while, he now looks even more mature, the sharpness of youth has become more and more introverted without losing its external luster. Matching his handsome and very approachable face, a tall and upright knight's attire. Completely is the 'young hero' this concept embodied in people.

  "It's a good thing you're really here, I've been looking for you with an extremely urgent matter." Although it had been a long time since they last met, Rodhart didn't waste any time on pleasantries and quickly walked up to him, saying in a low voice, "That prostitute you let go has been caught by Clowvis."

  Asa's face turned pale instantly. First, he was shocked that even Rodhart, who had nothing to do with the matter, could suddenly come up with such astonishing words. Then, he was surprised that Xuan was actually caught by someone who wanted to find trouble with him and was probably also the most capable of causing trouble. Even Rodhart seemed to have already known, had things already been blown out of proportion?

  Although there was no one around, Rodhart's voice remained very low: "After a dozen or so people from the Holy Knights' squad were mysteriously killed, the captain seemed to have not investigated or made any noise. However, yesterday afternoon, the deputy captain, Klaus, suddenly had the royal guards make an emergency deployment, first investigating all the prostitutes in the capital and arresting many for questioning, then dispatching nearly a hundred cavalrymen out of the city. I inquired about it, and they were chasing after a prostitute who was apparently an important witness. And this prostitute was caught overnight and brought back this morning."

  Rodhart's face was solemn, but he didn't seem flustered at all, and continued to speak in a low voice: "I feel like there's something fishy about this, so when I went to the Imperial Guard earlier, I took the opportunity to go see that prostitute. Captain Clauvius had an urgent matter and was called away by the Duke to the Imperial Palace, so I took advantage of the chance to make contact with her, and asked her some questions. She told me everything about what happened that day."

  "Are you going to tell everyone?" Asa took a sharp breath. If he could tell Rodhart, then he could tell others too.

  "Don't worry, she's only told me this, no one else. Klaudius hasn't even had a chance to interrogate her yet." Rodhart's voice grew lower and more somber. "Although I know you couldn't possibly have anything to do with the necromancer, others won't think that way. You shouldn't have let her go. This woman is just too dangerous for you."

  "You don't know, do you? That woman was deliberately let go by him." The door of the big house was suddenly opened, and Sandru walked out from inside, looking at Asa with a tone that was obviously sarcastic. Although Rodhart intentionally lowered his voice, it was absolutely impossible to deceive his ears.

  "This old man is......" Rodhart looked at Sandru and unconsciously took a step back, his face involuntarily filled with fear. He had heard Xuan's account and could tell that this suddenly appearing old man was the necromancer. Although he knew he should be Asa's companion, the eerie method of killing over a dozen Holy Knights in an instant was indeed chilling.

  "That old chatterbox, Mr. Sandrew, is actually a secret expert under the Bishop's command, and it was he who saved me that day." Asa hastily gave Sandrew a title that didn't reveal much. "However, this expert uses necromancy, which can easily be misunderstood, so his identity is highly confidential, and if leaked out, it would certainly cause no small trouble for the Bishop..."

  Rodhart nodded at Sandru, then turned back to Asa and said, "In that case, you should kill her." His voice was very soft, without any murderous intent, his expression sincere, as if he were merely advising a friend to have another bowl of rice.

  Asa only felt that Rodhart's gaze was piercing, making his whole body ache. He remained silent for a while, sighed, shook his head and said slowly: "But now it's too late even if I wanted to kill her."

  "No." Rodhart smiled slightly with a confident expression. "I've already secretly released her from the Imperial Guard's prison cell."

  "What?!" Asa was shocked. Although he knew that Rodhart would definitely find a way to help himself, he didn't expect him to have already brought Xuan out directly.

  "Don't worry, no one will ever know it was me. I just changed the order of the guards' patrol routes, told her how to escape, and then created some unexpected events. Everything seemed natural, and the prisoner's escape was just an unexpected accident."

  Rodhart's faint smile seemed effortless. But Asa looked at him, his heart was filled with emotions. He knew it wasn't an easy thing to do.

  Rodhart is now a deputy captain of the Holy Knights, and under the military's deliberate cultivation, he has made rapid progress in his career. Even Asa, who doesn't care about these things, often hears about him from others. And now, for his own sake, he actually lets an important prisoner appointed by the captain of the Holy Knights escape. This is no longer just "danger" for him, but rather a joke with his own promising future and head on the line.

  "She should be waiting for me at the place I told him by now. Originally, I was going to take her out and quietly kill her in a secluded spot. But since you let her go before, it's only right that I ask your opinion again. So now I've had her hide quietly in an inn, and first come to ask for your thoughts." Rodehart's voice was soft and gentle, as if asking his own brother, he asked Asa: "Shall we kill her?"

  "Nature should have let her go, and then she would be caught by the city's guards again. And you, this stupid friend who is loyal enough, will also be exposed together." Shandru looked at Asa with a sarcastic gaze, his words piercing him all over. "Or you can try to secretly escort her out of the city and flee far away, haha, I think you should go surrender directly, it's more convenient that way."

  Asa glared at Sandru with a fierce gaze for the first time, let out a painful sigh and closed his eyes.

  This time, if Xuan is caught again, it will not only implicate Shandoru and Ronis Bishop, but also Rodhart.

  There's no other way out. Asa looked at Rodhart with difficulty and said word by word: "Alright, go kill her."

  "We're going too." Sandru suddenly reached out and grabbed Asa's shoulder.

  To avoid drawing attention, Rodhart changed out of his knight's attire and into the plain clothes of a commoner. He brought Asa and Sandru to a relatively secluded slum in the capital city, where there were several abandoned and dilapidated houses.

  Rodhehart stopped in front of a dilapidated house, gesturing to Asa and Sandru to move quietly to a broken window, then went inside himself.

  "You've finally arrived." Xuan's anxious voice echoed from inside.

  "Haven't you been found out?" Rodhart's voice.

  "No. I snuck out quietly, just like you said. I was very careful on the road and wasn't discovered." Xuan's current tone didn't have much of the panic that someone should have when escaping, but instead had a more excited and flirtatious tone, as if she were secretly meeting a lover. "I...I'm really too happy. Before, I was always so afraid...when they caught me, I almost went crazy...but seeing you made me fearless..."

  Asa knew why Rodhart was able to get everything out of Xun's mouth at once. In a desperate situation, seeing the idol he had always admired and revered come forward, speaking warmly and asking questions, even if the gods descended would not be more persuasive than this.

  "Alright, since we're here now, there's no need to be afraid anymore." Rodhart's voice was both calm and gentle, indeed having the heroic flavor that could give any woman a sense of security.

  "Thank you for saving me." Xuan's voice was trembling with excitement, probably because she never thought that the one who saved her would be the hero she had always admired.

  "By the way, those things you told me about, what you saw in the woods that day, have you told anyone else besides me?"

  "No. Have you forgotten? You've already asked me."

  "These words are for us to hear, so that we can be at ease." Shandru patted Asa's shoulder with a hand as cold as a corpse. "This kid is meticulous and cautious."

  "Since that person has already told you not to tell others about these things, why did you tell me as soon as I asked?" Rodhart's voice.

  "Because... because..." Yu Hua hesitated for a moment, as if she didn't know how to express her feelings. "Because you're a hero. With a hero standing in front of me, I'm not afraid of anything, so I'll tell you everything." Her voice was full of trust and infatuation.

  Roderick's voice was so gentle, as if from this voice alone one could imagine his hand placed on the woman's head, gently patting her like a small cat. "Are you really sure that you haven't told anyone else about this matter?"

  "There's nothing left. I'm not lying to you." Xuan's voice was firm. Her voice no longer trembled or hesitated, and in front of such a heroic figure who could give people a sense of security and warmth, what else was there to worry about? The prostitute's voice suddenly had a girlish shyness. "You know... actually I've always..."

  A strange sound arose, murky yet clear, suddenly terminating all voices.

  Asa was very familiar with this sound, he had heard it many times before and often felt it with his hands.

  "It's done." Sandru's voice was as dry and crisp as the rattling of a dead man's bones, pulling Asa up. "Go take a look."

  Asa walked into the broken house and saw Xuan lying softly in Rodhart's arms.

  Her forehead was wrapped with a cloth strip, and there were still some bloodstains on it. However, her face was very clean, and the bandage on her head seemed to be carefully wrapped to look good. Probably while waiting here, she didn't forget to tidy up her face a bit because she was about to meet her idol, her hero. Her face still had some gentle expression left on it, which was frozen in shock. It's unknown whether she was surprised by the sudden behavior of her idol or if she suddenly saw her own back and felt unbelievable.

  Caitlin's head was twisted all the way back. She looked like a broken doll, her head and body connected at odd angles. Roderick gently laid her corpse on the floorboards. His manner was still unhurried, his expression unruffled.

  Rothbart quickly left, he still had to go back and help the Wangdu Garrison capture this escaped prisoner he just killed. Only Asa and Sandru were left in the broken house.

  Shandoru suddenly spoke up, "This kid is really troublesome. Actually, according to my original plan, I would have waited until things got out of hand and then forced you to kill this woman with your own hands."

  A Sa was startled and turned his head to look at him. "What?"

  "Because I want you to feel the weight of your own mistakes, and then correct them with your own hands." Sandru's cold smile sent a chill down Asa's spine. "Do you think that by letting this woman go, she'll really be able to live? I've told you before, the Holy Knights will definitely find out through their investigation that the person who ambushed you had contact with her, and they'll do everything in their power to find her. And she's just an ordinary woman, there's no way she can escape. No matter what, she only has one path - death. Your mercy is nothing but a joke. Worthless."

  "I should have known you had this in mind all along." Asa let out a deep sigh. "No wonder I found it strange when Bishop Ronis told me those bodies were discovered today. This rookie forgot to destroy the evidence, but how could you possibly forget and just leave them there?"

  "I just want those people to take a look. They will be nervous, they will go all out to chase, and they will catch that woman so quickly."

  "Aren't you afraid of being found by the Holy Knights? Aren't you afraid of causing trouble for His Excellency the Bishop?"

  "I'm telling you, I don't care about the trouble. I just want to make you see that your so-called kindness isn't even worth a fart." Sandru's voice actually had a vicious tone to it. "This way, in the future when you do things and make judgments, you'll know to use your brain more."

  "I never thought about what I was worth, it's just that I was willing to do so at that time..."

  "I guarantee that in the end you will also be willing to kill this woman with your own hands." Sandru's smile became sharp. "You are really too weak."

  Weak?

  "I still remember when you first came to the capital. At that time, I could see determination, wildness, and even a bit of cruelty in your eyes. That was a man's gaze. But now, you're not even worth a fart."

  A Sa did not speak, silently looking at Xuan's corpse.

  "Come on, don't waste any more time here." Shandru pulled Asa's hand and walked out of the broken house. After turning the corner, he snapped his fingers, and flames burst out of the broken house. By the time they returned to the big house, the fire had already ignited half a block in that area.

  On the road in the palace, the Duke and Clauvis are walking towards the outside of the palace.

  "Unexpected, unexpected..." The duke muttered to himself, his thin eyebrows and eyes curved upwards, the usual symbolic smile now expanded to a point where it was almost out of control. His excitement had exceeded his self-control, making him look like a merchant who had just made a huge deal.

  No. It's not that I've made a huge profit, but rather I've picked up a huge bargain that fell from the sky.

  This morning, the Duke suddenly received an imperial edict from His Majesty the Emperor, ordering him to enter the palace immediately for an audience. This was a completely unexpected event for the Duke, who had made meticulous observations of the various political forces within the court and had a thorough understanding of every variable, but he had not anticipated that the Emperor would suddenly summon him.

  The duke never goes to the emperor's liking and movement, he wants to maintain a straight and upright image, so he can't learn from others to cater to the holy will. Moreover, that is just a child with no main idea and easily influenced by flattering officials, as long as grasping those sycophants, occupying an advantageous position in politics, where do you need to care about him?

  But he was still the master of this empire in name and perhaps also in reality, so he couldn't be careless. He immediately summoned his assistant Clavius to prepare for any eventuality, and the two entered the palace together to pay their respects. The duke had already made preparations in his heart, no matter what opinions or criticisms the emperor might have, whether it was praise or blame, or if he received any instructions from others that raised doubts about his actions, he could take appropriate countermeasures at once.

  But when Grefenhart XVII dismissed all his attendants, even Klaus, and awkwardly expressed his own mind, the Duke was completely stunned.

  His Imperial Majesty said he intended to marry his daughter Chris as a concubine. That is, asking him to be his own father-in-law, asking him to become a royal relative, giving him a huge and unmatched political capital.

  Just as people who can really make a lot of money will never be obsessed with the lottery, those with real ability habitually keep their feet on the ground while shielding themselves from speculative and superficial mindsets, sometimes missing out on excellent opportunities. Moreover, the duke likes the sense of accomplishment that comes from gradually improving his position through his own efforts, he is confident in reaching his ideal height, so he has never considered taking a shortcut to instant success.

  But when this path suddenly falls in front of him, he can't help but take a big step forward, and words like "overjoyed", "thrilled", "ecstatic" are no longer qualified to describe the emotions at that moment.

  A young emperor who is ignorant of worldly affairs, this is absolutely a powerful trump card in the power struggle. Now this trump card has fallen into his own pocket without being asked, and it does not conflict with his upright and honest image. What effect will such an imperial card have when it falls into the hands of someone like him who is a good player? Just imagining the beautiful scene afterwards, even a duke with self-control couldn't hide his excitement.

  But delightful as it was, a duke is still a duke. He immediately found a discordant note in this unexpected surprise.

  Although he had never paid attention to the Emperor's preferences and intentions, although he had been busy making up for his previous plans recently, he didn't even know that the Emperor had taken a liking to Chris, which undoubtedly meant that there was a flaw somewhere.

  "What's become of young Rodhart lately?" asked the Duke, just as Klaus had anticipated.

  "He went to distant lands and put down several heathen uprisings, apparently doing quite well; the military ministers were satisfied with his abilities, and it seemed that the bishop was preparing to send him along with that guy to Eli again to quell the heathens there."

  "But he should be clear about Chris and Your Majesty's matter. How dare he deceive me." The Duke's smile was as gentle as ever, but the light in his eyes was sharper than before. "Good calculation, good calculation."

  Klauvius didn't feel comfortable with this evaluation and reminded the Duke: "He and that guy are good friends..."

  "I knew it. That's why I said he was kind." The duke nodded.

  It was already after noon when they came out of the palace. An officer of the Imperial Guard was waiting for Klauzov, and seeing him come out with the Duke, hastened to report that the female witness had escaped.

  "What did you say? Escaped? How could they escape? You bunch of idiots." If the Duke hadn't been there, Claudius would have torn this officer in two at once.

  "What female prisoner?" The duke frowned and asked.

  After listening to Klaus's words, the Duke thought for a moment and asked the officer of the Imperial Guard: "How did you let that female prisoner escape? From the time Klaus left, tell me all the details."

  "After Officer Klauvis left, Officer Rodhart came to see her. He even asked us to keep a close eye on her when he left. But then the warehouse caught fire and several prisoners from other cells somehow escaped... Now Officer Rodhart is helping us search everywhere..."

  The duke smiled faintly and waved his hand at the officer. "Then go search your own."

  "Am I to go too?" Klauz asked the Duke.

  "It's unnecessary." The duke looked at the officer's back with a hint of a smile. "You're not needed to find corpses."

  "A corpse?" Claudius exclaimed in surprise.

  "It's possible that even the body won't be found." The duke said thoughtfully. "Having gained the appreciation of those military ministers, and having gotten close to the old friends standing by the bishop's side... Hehe, indeed a promising future." He asked Klauvus: "Such an excellent person must be paid more attention to. When are they going to Aili?"

  "It should be these two days."

  "In that place, the heathens are said to be running wild. If your family's timber industry, which was entrusted to me, suffers any losses, my responsibility will be great. Moreover, this is also your duty, so you should go to Eli once and take care of the timber business there. Of course, at the same time, pay attention to their every move. From now on, I want to know all about their movements." The duke's voice trailed off. "This time, let's just forget about that dead spirit sorcerer. As for these religious matters, I'm sure the archbishop has a way to suppress them. But as for politics, I'll see if those two still have such great luck in the imperial court."