The kings and nobles of various countries have all arrived in the capital, tomorrow they will go to the hunting ground to start the hunt, tonight there is a gathering at the imperial palace.

  Grefenhart the Seventeenth was a man of simple tastes, without any arrogant or extravagant vices, but ultimately just a young man who loved to have fun. Hosting such lively parties seemed to be his interest, and since it involved the country's reputation, the scene was extravagantly luxurious. The best wine and most exquisite food were served in abundance, while noblewomen would have gladly exchanged all their family property for the clothes on their backs, with countless jewels sparkling dazzlingly under the lights.

  But even the most dazzling jewels can't compare to the charm that Marquis exudes. Even though he's no longer a young and passionate youth, he still remains the favorite of all women.

  True charm never fades with age, and youthful good looks are just a trivial decoration that attracts young girls who don't yet appreciate men. Moreover, the Marquis looks not old at all, and his mature demeanor is even more attractive after experiencing life's ups and downs. At this point, a man is most charming. Plus, his originally handsome appearance, elegant manners, and grand reputation are like the most expensive perfume that attracts women.

  The marquis and Asa, who followed him, were immediately surrounded by a tide of women as soon as they appeared in the venue. The innermost layer made no secret of their interest in men, flirting shamelessly with the marquis, and many cast flirtatious glances at Asa. The middle layer was composed of girls who tried to maintain some reserve but could not resist the mature charm, while the outermost layer consisted of those who simply wanted to catch a glimpse of the most handsome man on the continent.

  The marquis responded to the ladies around him with ease and elegance, skillfully socializing with them for a while before escaping from this group of supporters, then brought Asa to the circle of kings, nobles and ministers from various countries.

  If the Duke of Marlborough's social interactions were a delicate craft, perfectly rounded and transparent without any flaws, in comparison to the Marquis, it would immediately reveal its plainness and artisanal air due to being overly practical. The Marquis' social interactions, on the other hand, are works of art, devoid of practicality, as he disdains utility and is not afraid to offend people. He often has a provocative tone, as if pushing people's buttons, and is never stingy in expressing his dissatisfaction towards anyone. This is precisely the charm of his untamed personality. As soon as he starts talking to someone, he can immediately captivate them, drawing out their emotions with his words, gestures, and expressions. When necessary, he can use a few clever sentences to mercilessly deflate someone's emotions, leaving them unable to counterattack, never allowing anyone to get the upper hand. He swims like a fish among the most noble guests.

  Although Ah Sa still doesn't like such gatherings, he has become more mindful of his words and actions, no longer making moves like picking up things to eat. However, he still can't seem to appear as happy and lively as the people around him. Nevertheless, after the battle between the 5,000 rebels and Ou Fu, his diplomatic skills, which were said to be almost divine, have made him quite famous. This has added a layer of extraordinary brilliance to his calm and composed attitude. Just like the statues on the altar, even with a wooden expression, he exudes an aura that is captivating.

  With the help of the Marquis, Arce quickly became the most important and mysterious guest in the eyes of these politicians. Many people expressed their gratitude to him for his efforts in promoting the talks and saving the merchants of their countries from danger, and they were all interested in the details of this achievement. However, at this time, Arce declined, saying that he had urgent business to attend to, and under their strong invitation, he agreed to join them on a hunting trip tomorrow.

  After completing the preparations here, the two of them went together to pay their respects to His Majesty the Emperor. Participating in the hunt required the emperor's permission, as it was customary for clergy members not to participate in such recreational activities.

  Grefenhart the Seventeenth was just starting to attend to the guests from various countries, then turned around and threw himself into a large crowd of young noble sons. He is a young man lacking in dignity and self-awareness who only loves to have fun and make noise. Now he is chatting happily with Chris.

  One evening not long ago, the young emperor, who was bored and restless, changed into ordinary clothes and sneaked out of the palace to a casino in the capital city. He lost some gold coins while playing, which wasn't a big deal. However, a beautiful woman who had chatted with him for a few sentences felt sorry for the young man who didn't look wealthy and had lost all his money. She accused the casino of cheating and immediately got into a fight with the boss, even taking back some gold coins to return to the young man who had lost everything. The scene suddenly became chaotic.

  Soon after, Duke Mlak arrived, and His Majesty the Emperor only then learned that the beautiful young lady who had helped him in his moment of need was actually the duke's daughter. However, fearing being recognized by the duke, His Majesty the Emperor privately slipped out of the palace to go to the gambling den, which would not be a small matter if those several conservative old ministers found out. So Grefenhart XVII himself quietly ran away.

  After returning to the imperial palace, the young emperor couldn't stop thinking about the duke's daughter, but it wasn't convenient for him to summon her directly into the palace. It wasn't until today that he finally got the chance and saw the woman he had been longing for.

  The two of them were shocked to see each other. The Emperor immediately hinted to her not to make a sound, not to reveal that she had been to the casino before. Chris naturally didn't lose her composure, and the two of them chatted more and more happily in just a few words.

  "Your Majesty, I'm interrupting your pleasant time with this lovely lady." The marquis spoke to the emperor with his usual casual tone, but his elegance and charm made it acceptable. "I've come with this divine officer to ask for your advice; tomorrow he will be attending the royal hunting tournament at the invitation of various kingdoms' palaces."

  "Very well." The Emperor clearly did not want to be disturbed, nodding and waving his hand. "You may go."

  A young noble suddenly spoke loudly beside him, "According to the church's regulations, clergy are not allowed to participate in this kind of activity. Oh, but perhaps this reverend gentleman can be an exception, after all, he still goes whoring around with prostitutes."

  "Really?" All attention, including that of His Imperial Majesty, was focused here.

  What a mess! Ah Sa cursed under his breath. He had already recognized this ill-intentioned guy, who turned out to be the Prime Minister's son.

  The marquis spoke up. He stared at the person with a pitiful gaze that was obvious to everyone, saying: "My dear nephew, why do you still speak without any standards? Although everyone knows that this divine officer's position is what you have been coveting for a long time, and everyone understands your stinky virtues, and everyone knows that this divine officer has taught you before, but you don't need to make up such baseless lies. This only proves your embarrassing failure and jealousy, and also shows that your insight is still as narrow-minded as a mouse, and can't explain anything else."

  The young nobles around them were in an uproar and whispering to each other. The Prime Minister's son had been mysteriously beaten up for some time, and everyone knew that it was the work of this godly official. And such a spoiled brat who was used to getting his way suffered a blow, so it wasn't strange that he was slandering and making things up out of thin air.

  Elders scolding their juniors is absolutely unquestionable. Although I've always known that this uncle has a quirky and unpleasant temperament, I never thought I'd encounter such an elbow-out situation. After taking this unretaliated blow, the Prime Minister's son's face immediately turned liver-colored.

  The marquis ignored the transformed nephew, turned to the emperor and said: "By the way, Your Majesty. Bishop Ronis asked me to inform you that tomorrow he will invite Colonel Roland to discuss some important matters. Please grant your permission."

  "Alright, let him go, let him go." The Emperor nodded immediately, his expression almost ecstatic. Colonel Rolando would always be by the Emperor's side as a bodyguard during outings or events, responsible for the Emperor's safety. However, his strictness and meticulousness were undoubtedly not to the taste of the young Grefenhart XVII, who had high hopes for tomorrow's hunt but was frustrated that he couldn't shake off the annoying bodyguard, which was exactly what he wanted.

  The marquis looked worried and continued: "But this way, Your Majesty's safety is a concern... I suggest that as many military veterans as possible bring many guards with them to go with Your Majesty to protect your safety."

  "Never mind, never mind. It's not like we're going deep into enemy territory, just outside the capital city, bringing 30 or 40 guards is enough, no need to make such a big fuss." Grefenhart XVII had always disliked those extremely rigid old guys. And now that the Duke of Jing mentioned it, he also remembered that they absolutely couldn't let them ruin the atmosphere. "Pass down my orders, from tomorrow on, all military ministers are not allowed to participate in the hunting festival. There are guests from various countries present, and once they start talking, it's all about fighting and killing, and their tempers are all explosive, what if they damage diplomatic relations?"

  Marquis and Asa exchanged a smile, unexpectedly completing all the preparatory work so easily. As for Colonel Roland and others who might hinder the plan, Ronis Bishop would find ways to get them out of the way.

  As he was about to leave, the Marquis suddenly turned to the still pale-faced Prime Minister's son and said: "Dear Mordo nephew, I heard that you once sent someone to secretly plot against this God Officer, is that true?"

  The prime minister's son looked unwell and didn't say a word.

  "You don't have to be like that." The marquis said in a heavy and solemn tone, "It's not shameful if one is inferior to others, but using despicable means to harm them is wrong. It proves that you're not only inferior in ability, but also lack the confidence to confront your opponent head-on." He looked his nephew up and down, shaking his head with emotion. "But it seems that indeed, you are far from being comparable. So remember, don't engage in any more despicable schemes again."

  No longer paying attention to his trembling nephew, the marquis turned around and patted Asa's shoulder, saying softly: "Let's go, these superficial scenes and supporting actors have been set up, let's prepare for those real and dangerous props."

  The Magic Academy was unusually quiet at night, and the magnificent cathedral was also hidden in darkness, only revealing a majestic outline. Asa and Marquis-sama walked towards a point of light under that outline. According to the arrangement of Bishop Ronis, High Priest Kusbert was waiting for them at the entrance of the cathedral.

  Cuthbert the High Priest was over forty years old, with a lean build and an ancient-looking face, on which sat a pair of seemingly dull eyes. He was known for his strong sense of justice and responsibility, as well as his hatred for evil. A devout believer, he had previously led priests and mages to great victories in battles against heretics. Although his methods for dealing with heretics had been controversial - having burned over two thousand heretics alive - his loyalty and ability had earned him a high position within the church. During the previous period when Archbishop Ronis advocated for peace talks with the Urod, he had opposed it, believing that those filthy, evil beastmen did not deserve to sit at the same table as the children of God.

  "It's too late, Your Excellency said you should have arrived five minutes ago." The high priest looked at the marquis with an unkind gaze. He had been a classmate of the marquis in magic school, and the marquis' style was clearly not welcome to anyone who valued devout faith. He then turned his severe gaze to Asa, warning him: "You must remember that as a clergyman, 'strictness' is an indispensable quality."

  "Yes." Asa nodded politely. In his heart, however, he gave him the finger. This guy seemed to be very dissatisfied with Ronis' promotion of such an inexperienced newcomer and often had opinions about Asa's casual and sloppy way of doing things.

  "Still so old-fashioned, no wonder you've always been able to maintain your pure virginity. Or maybe it's because of prolonged spiritual oppression that makes you so old-fashioned......" The marquis looked at the grand priest's piercing eyes and hastily waved his hand, saying: "Ah, forget it, forget it. People who can't take a joke are really boring. Quickly take us in."

  The two walked into the great cathedral under Cuthbert's lead and came to the front central altar.

  The gigantic statue in the center of the altar remained majestic and sacred in the darkness. The high priest recited a strange incantation, pressed something at the foot of the statue, and the massive statue silently moved aside, revealing a hidden door underneath. There was a lock on the door, which Custbert opened with a key, revealing a long passageway. The three of them walked down the passage.

  The air was musty and dank, filled with a strange and pungent odor. As they descended further down, the smell grew thicker and the air more humid and stifling. Arisa had an illusion that the three of them were walking towards a giant cauldron stewing corpses.

  The smell in this cramped place is hard to dissipate, and with one breath, it's as if a ball of rotten cotton has been stuffed into his lungs. The air in the swamp was already unbearable, but compared to here, it's like the fragrance of a lady's boudoir. Asa glanced at Marquis Hou, this debauchee who was used to the scent of perfume and powder now had a calm expression, and even his gait was still elegant, as if he were still in the midst of that luxurious party. This made Asa feel a little admiring, truly a noble who could adapt to any situation.

  "I've been at the Magic Academy for many years, and if it weren't for Bishop Ronis sending me here now, I wouldn't have known that this dungeon was actually inside the most sacred cathedral." The Marquis said to Asa. "'The holiest surface, yet still the filthiest flesh.' What do you think of this line?"

  "Ham, mind your words and actions. You are also a member of the Magic Academy, at least in terms of academics you should be a gentleman. Don't think that just because you have a noble status you can speak recklessly." The high-ranking official walking in front said coldly.

  The marquis waved his hand, saying with a hint of regret: "At least what I said is true, in an artistic sense. And you should be grateful that I'm not a clergyman, otherwise I would definitely reform the church's system and get rid of you guys who are completely devoid of aesthetic sense."

  The high priest turned his head and stared at the marquis for a moment before turning back and continuing down.

  "What the hell is this place?" Asa could feel a wave of magical fluctuations passing by, which was the feeling of crossing through a magic array. Along with the crossing magic array, some strange screams also appeared in his ears, and the foul smell in the air became thicker.

  "This is the Magic Academy, the sacred church's dungeon where they imprison the most dangerous offenders. Of course, it's not just people, but also evil creatures and undead monsters that make up the majority. Some have special reserved value, while others are used for research and experimentation to further elevate our great white magic. I had only vaguely heard about these things before. This dark side is something that can't be let known to pure-hearted and simple-minded followers, so this is probably the Magic Academy's greatest secret, with no more than five people knowing about it, and now we two have been added." The marquis' voice was not without sarcasm. "So we should feel honored, I suppose."

  "Honored, honored." Asa nodded, unaware of the cold sweat on his forehead. If Bishop Ronis intended to apprehend him, he would probably be imprisoned in this place by now.

  The high priest coldly snorted and said, "I advise you not to speak recklessly to your junior." He turned his head to look at Asa with a serious expression and said, "You must remember your sacred identity and not be disturbed by those reckless words."

  "Yes." Asa nodded again.

  Finally walked to the end of the local road, suddenly bright in front of you, a huge space appeared, the howling and stench are all coming from here.

  After the granite was hollowed out, it was divided into individual cells with steel bars as thick as arms. In the middle of each cell, various monsters were imprisoned. A three-headed dog as big as a horse violently collided with its cage, and three huge mouths flowed with saliva, emitting a crazy roar. In another cell, several evil eyes waved their tentacles, using their water tank-sized eyeballs to emit magical rays to attack these sudden targets, but the light was blocked by the magic array of the cage and made a series of crackling sounds inside. A Medusa twisted its snake-like hair on one head and its snake-like body below, moving to the edge of the cage, looking over with eyes said to be able to petrify people in legend. In a deeper cell, a huge figure sat silently, with an enormous cow-like head on top, this was the legendary Minotaur.

  These are the evil creatures from the distant Nigen underground world, even the most famous adventurers rarely see them, and unexpectedly they were imprisoned in the church's dungeon.

  On the other hand, the undead monsters were relatively quiet. They wouldn't howl, and the skeleton warriors, zombies, and white wraiths sensed human anger and wanted to pounce, but were constantly bounced back by the magical arrays on their cages. These masterpieces of necromancy had lost control of their masters, leaving only some simple basic consciousness, not even needing to eat, making them the most convenient prisoners.

  "Wow." Asa exclaimed as he saw so many strange creatures that he had heard of but always wanted to see. "But where's the culprit?"

  The high priest said coldly, "The last one killed himself a few days ago. They were all leaders of the heretical organization created by the Cult of the Dead Spirit. However, after being locked up here, they all claimed that they were not underlings of the Cult of the Dead Spirit, crying and shouting to be let out. After being imprisoned for a period of time, one by one, they committed suicide, some biting through their own blood vessels, others crashing into walls, and one even pulling his own tongue out with his hands. The downfall of these dark followers was entirely their own doing, not even leaving behind corpses that needed to be collected, but instead being sent directly to the monsters as food."

  Marquis shook his head, making a clicking sound with his mouth: "It's really too unattractive, are you sure those people are from the legendary Death Spirit Association?"

  A Sa walked into several cells and asked: "Why are these empty?"

  The high priest replied, "That was a long time ago when other undead monsters were imprisoned. Since the establishment of the Magic Academy, this place has been used to imprison vengeful spirits, and it's been so long that perhaps they were destroyed at some point without anyone knowing."

  Asa suddenly felt that the entire dungeon seemed to sway slightly. A strange feeling of something coming head-on swept past him.

  Asa looked around, and it seemed to be just an illusion, as the Marquis and the High Priest didn't react at all. However, the creatures outside suddenly fell silent, and the zombies and skulls in the cell also stopped moving. The dungeon that was noisy just a moment ago had become quiet.

  "What's wrong?" The high priest only then discovered something was amiss.

  Asa looked towards the deepest part of the dungeon, and that strange feeling was coming from there. He only then discovered that the light in the High Priest's hand couldn't shine inside, as if there was a black aura that swallowed all light. Faintly visible on the stone wall beside it was the glow of a magic array.

  Extremely intricate small runes are pieced together to form larger ones, and the arrangement is also very dense. From the scale, the magical power contained in that magic circle should be astonishingly large, but here there isn't even a hint of feeling, it's clear that it should be acting on the inside.

  Asha pointed at the deepest part and asked the High Priest: "What is being held inside? Why use such a large magic circle?"

  "Where is it? Isn't that the wall?" The high priest glanced in that direction, shook his head and turned back. It was only then that Asa noticed that the high priest had intentionally or unintentionally turned his back on that direction, as if he didn't even want to take a second glance.

  A Sa vaguely recalled something, this reaction seemed like he had seen it somewhere before.....

  "What are you doing?" The high priest suddenly shouted loudly, startling Asa.

  "I've come to see if there's anything interesting. Maybe I can find some treasure left behind by the monster." The marquis' voice came from within the dark cell. It turned out that he had actually run into an empty prison cell himself.

  "No matter if there's anything inside or not, entering without permission is not allowed. Get out quickly!" The high-ranking official roared. "I really don't know why the Archbishop called for a rude guy like you."

  "Alright, alright, isn't this what you wanted? What's the point of being so nervous...?" The marquis walked out of the prison cell with his hands behind his back, casting a disdainful glance at the high priest.

  "Archdeacon Cuthbert's patience with the Marquis had clearly reached its limit, and he completely abandoned his dignified demeanor as a clergyman to say viciously: 'Listen up, it was His Excellency the Bishop who told me to bring you down here. Now I advise you not to make any rash moves, or else I don't know if I can bear to not lock you up too. So hurry up and complete the task that His Excellency has entrusted to you, then get out of my sight!'"

  The Marquis completely ignored the nearly mad High Priest, and with a relaxed face, he showed Asa a very confident smile. "With my intuition as an artist, I've already decided on our props, this will definitely help us put on a wonderful show."