NOVPUBIn such deep night, a layer of pale gray mist occasionally obscured the white glow of the moonlight, causing the parlor to flicker between light and shadow.
Three people sat at the ends of the sofa next to the glass walls.
"Do you know Mr. Nigel, the executioner of Lord Tiffany?"
Lanci inquired of Countess Rosalinda.
He still had a favorable impression of the sergeant major who had spared him and Tata.
If that executioner had truly been of a cruel nature, he wouldn’t have hesitated so much upon seeing Lixancy’s apparent recovery.
Having accepted the commission, Lanci would naturally help Talia investigate the cause behind the Demon Race’s curse-induced madness, and executioner Nigel could likely be a valuable source of information.
"Lord Tiffany’s Nigel is a Demon Race orphan with outstanding combat talents. He was adopted as a child by a powerful demon in Poseen Demon World and grew up with the demon’s two daughters like siblings. They were sisters, yet tragically, the younger one was stricken by a curse, and on that fateful night, Nigel beheaded her in front of her sister..."
Countess Rosalinda shook her head and sighed with a touch of reluctance,
"Since then, he has never again met with his mentor or childhood sweetheart, and he pledged his allegiance to Lord Tiffany, becoming an executioner for The Senate, tasked with slaying demons who broke the law or went berserk."
"Has this curse been around for a long time?"
Lanci asked, furrowing his brow.
He had thought it was prevalent a century ago and had since calmed down, but according to Rosalinda, there might have been signs of it in recent years, and it only started erupting again recently.
"In principle, it never disappeared, merely reduced to a frequency so low over several decades it could be neglected, even lower than the mortality rate of common illnesses, hence it ceased to be a concern. Also, to maintain peace and stability between the humans and Demon Race of Poseen, this frightening legend was deliberately concealed. Until, starting from an unknown moment, the frequency began to rise improperly, as if someone had obtained the forbidden curse of the Great Wizard Parlony, bringing back his resentment."
Countess Rosalinda explained.
"How did Nigel report this incident to The Senate?"
Talia put down her empty wine glass and asked Rosalinda, sitting beside Lanci.
She certainly did not want to become a person of interest to Poseen Kingdom upon arriving in Floral City Pariel.
"I personally feel... Nigel did not report the situation in too much detail, nor did he make any definitive statements, only sharing what he witnessed and part of his speculation,"
Rosalinda expressed her confusion,
"So, according to information I gathered from Marquis Rhys of The Senate, it seems Nigel admits he misjudged the situation, identifying a possible berserk Demon Race aboard the airship, which might not necessarily match the curse known as ’the resentment of the Great Wizard Parlony.’
What truly happened aboard the Floating Castle Number airship might be something Lanci and Tata are more aware of than her.
"I see,"
Lanci murmured to himself.
Talia noticed Lanci deep in thought.
"What’s wrong?"
She asked him in her mind.
"I feel that Nigel’s protection might not be solely due to a personal stance but because he himself might also have doubts about The Senate and the upper echelons of Demon World, hence he didn’t take us directly back and report the fact that we can break the curse,"
Lanci replied in his mind.
Even Countess Rosalinda didn’t know about their unconventional method of breaking the curse.
Nigel’s secrecy was undoubtedly a way of indirectly protecting them.
"In his view, anyone within Poseen could be in league with the one who cast the curse, whereas we, as foreigners, might be considered more guiltless?"
Talia conveyed her thoughts telepathically.
"Exactly,"
Lanci confirmed.
As they exchanged thoughts,
"I’m not sure of the specifics and have no interest in delving further, but you two need to be cautious. You’re involved in an event that still has many eyewitnesses providing different accounts. Whether it’s The Senate or Poseen Demon World, there may be people who will take an interest in you due to rumors,"
Countess Rosalinda advised them.
"Understood, thank you, Sister Rosalinda,"
Lanci nodded in gratitude.
"Regardless, as a Platinum Level Card Maker from Hutton Kingdom, The Senate will consider your status and not do anything to offend Hutton Kingdom, especially since we have assured your safety to them,"
Rosalinda continued, handing over a pale golden mechanical box that had been sitting next to the sofa to Lanci.
Lanci slowly took it, and without opening, he could roughly tell it contained his identification as a Platinum Level Card Maker, examiner’s uniform, and also a mask.
Of course, some items belonged to the examiner’s assistant Tata, whom Talia had already registered with Professor Bolao before coming to Poseen Kingdom.
"The topics for this year’s three exams have yet to be determined by the headquarters, but you’ll certainly be a main examiner for one, an assistant for another, partnering with me once and with another Platinum Level Card Maker from Yarolan Kingdom on another occasion,"
Countess Rosalinda pressed her hand on the mechanical box, which began to mechanically unravel and scatter, indicating Lanci should check the items inside.
"Can’t I be an assistant examiner for both?"
Lanci started to check the contents while asking.
Some of the test questions, to be honest, were not his forte; he too was a student with uneven strengths.
"I can’t slack off, after all, the compensation for invigilating is not low," he said.
Countess Rosalinda’s eyes sharpened as she stared at Lanci.
The compensation given to examiners could be converted to the currency of the Southern Continent Kingdom Federation Bank, or one could choose to purchase inventory from the Southern Continent Card Maker Association at a lower discount. Additionally, to maintain the status and privileges of a Platinum Level Card Maker, one needed to periodically attend or assume duties of the Southern Continent Card Maker’s Association.
"Then I’m counting on your guidance," she said.
Lanci could only nod and smile helplessly.
As per tradition, the exam would start in a week, and they, as examiners, would only learn about the examination questions two days before the test.
"You will need to visit the branch of the Southern Continent Card Maker Association in Floral City Pariel in a few days. At that time, I will personally brief you on the specifics of the exam," Countess Rosalinda instructed the two of them.
"What about these few days?" Talia asked.
"You’re free to sightsee; you can take a look around Floral City Pariel. By the way, if there are some materials you can’t find in the Card Maker’s Association’s inventory, you might want to check out Petras Auction House in Floral City. They too are a giant chain merchant of the South Continent, and you might find the treasures you need," Countess Rosalinda thought aloud.
She remembered that Professor Bolao had told her about the materials these two were looking for. She had already managed to procure some that could be obtained quickly for them.
"No matter how much fun you’re having, it’s best if you two avoid the police station again. If you get into trouble during the bail period, I won’t be able to bail you out, and it will end up in the papers," she said, somewhat worried, emphasizing again to Lanci and Tata.
"..."
The two people sitting opposite on the sofa bowed their heads awkwardly.
Indeed, it was really embarrassing to be taken into custody for fighting.
However, Lanci thought from another perspective that the police in Floral City were truly formidable.
They could even arrest a Demon King.
"..."
Talia glanced at Lanci.
Both were responsible for ending up in the police station.
But she had never been arrested in any nation of the South Continent in all the years before meeting Lanci.
It was because of this guy that she became so easily agitated, no longer acting like herself.
"Why has Floral City recently started a strict inspection?" Lanci suddenly recalled what Chief Zefa had said when they left the Pariel Police Headquarters.
Normally, the police would not handle in-depth cases related to the Demon Race’s curses. Should such incidents occur, the officers would transfer them to the Senate Execution Squad for specialized handling.
So obviously, their recent workload changes did not seem to have a significant correlation to the Demon Race.
"Oh right, you two should take note. Lately there seems to be movements from two or three Cardinal Bishops heading in the direction of the Poseen Kingdom, and it’s suspected that they’re all coming for the Bishop of Destruction," Countess Rosalinda, as if suddenly remembering something, urgently said to them,
"At present, the police’s top goal is to capture a Cardinal Bishop, as it would greatly boost their performance over the past few years, and add a significant highlight to Floral City’s security propaganda," she explained the police’s movements.
Under normal circumstances, arresting a Cardinal Bishop would be impossible, as a Cardinal Bishop could literally blow up the entire city.
But currently, the Bishop of Destruction, Ivanos, is gravely injured, and based on the investigation, there is a high probability he has entered the Poseen Kingdom in disguise.
Apart from the notion that "the most dangerous place is often the safest," the presence of Protective Enchantments in some major city-states prevents other Cardinal Bishops from striking at will, as doing so would instantly attract the host country’s defense forces and lead to their siege. Therefore, hiding in a region under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom Joint Council would also serve as a refuge for the Bishop of Destruction, Ivanos.
The Poseen police, by intensifying their searches, might truly find success and accomplish the feat of capturing a Cardinal Bishop.
Having heard the Countess’s explanation, Lanci and Talia both breathed a sigh of relief; not bringing Hyperion was undoubtedly the right decision, otherwise, even Cardinal Bishops might have targeted her.
"The Kingdom Joint Council also found it very interesting when they heard about it. Their analysts expressed that there is indeed a certain probability of capturing a Cardinal Bishop through the police," Countess Rosalinda continued to share the amusing stories from the headquarters of the Kingdom Joint Council, located in the Western Central District, Camberra Kingdom,
"So, the next Divination will likely revolve around confirming the Poseen Kingdom’s constraints on Cardinal Bishops and the trace of Cardinal Bishops within the Poseen territory. If a Cardinal Bishop carelessly violates the rules many times, their records of violations might even be exposed and turned into a legal education film," she said.
No matter the outcome, she believed it would be a great security publicity campaign.
Lanci laughed after hearing this.
In his memory, none of the Cardinal Bishops played a comical role; they were all terrifying.
"Haha, if a Cardinal Bishop really gets caught, that would turn them into a comedic figure. They might as well be dubbed with a prison theme," he said cheerfully, evaluating the situation.
