In the middle of the night, Downtown Downtown in Stonebuch is quiet and serene.

It is the season of roses, and the air is filled with a rich floral fragrance, but there is also a faint hint of ripeness to rot.

Walking alone on the carefully patterned stone pavement of the craftsmen, Agnes knew that she would not be embarrassed by any of the City Watch guards patrolling back and forth, even if she covered half of her face with a veil, revealing only bright blue eyes and long, darkened eyebrows.

The guards who were assigned here were not fools, and with the careless and unbridled posture of Agnes' walking, they wouldn't have come to her trouble.

Occasional laughter could be heard in the darkness. At this moment, there is a much more wonderful story than the sleepy lower town of Downtown, hidden in the calm of the night, which has just begun.

The Aaron Mancini mansion was also easily recognizable in the darkness - the tall and grotesque statues in the courtyard stood out even more in the darkness. They became even larger and more menacing in the blurred vision of humans, even more terrifying, as if the goddess of the night had given them life, allowing them to wake up from distant dreams and enjoy a moment of freedom.

I wonder if they will be disappointed in this boring world.

Agnes doesn't hate Aaron Mansini's "unique" collections, with their eerie images and humble lines that have an ancient and wild vitality...... A life force that has disappeared from this world.

Provided, of course, that they are true.

Aaron's collection is full of fakes that he can recognise. There were some that he couldn't—or pretended he couldn't.

Agnes didn't like dealing with Aaron very much. She usually knows with great accuracy whether the person she talks to is lying, but Aaron is extremely good at weaving truth and falsehood together, and his always sincere smile makes Agnes feel the urge to kick it every now and then.

The guards at the gate didn't squint as she walked by. It seems that she does not exist at all, presumably having been ordered long ago.

Agnes paused to take a breath and admonished herself to stay calm—though "calm" sometimes didn't work as well.

Aaron was waiting for her, dressed as if he was going to be a guest instead of staying in his own home, and his expression was slightly nervous...... Although Agnes doubted how much truth there was, she couldn't help but get nervous.

It's been a long time since they've been called together.

Aaron even spared his gracious welcome and kind greetings. Just habitually smiled and bowed, leading her to the underground chamber.

There were already two people in the chamber, their bodies covered by a wide cloak. The face hidden in the darkness is blurred. They stood there silently, motionless as Aaron and Agnes entered, as if they were just two stone statues brought in from outside. The brazier in the center of the chamber made them look more like two lifeless shadows.

Aaron rubbed his hands nervously. Nod to everyone. The ritual of summoning began.

It was much easier for Agnes as a mage to perform such a ceremony, but this was Aaron's territory after all, and she was also happy to watch the firelight illuminate the beads of sweat on Aaron's forehead during the long ceremony.

When the white-robed man appeared in front of them through the surging flames, Agnes unconsciously tensed her whole body, wrapping her cloak even tighter.

As she bowed deeply, she was careful not to let the uncontrollable mockery linger in her heart for too long—he made them worship him as a god, but what god could only appear in such a secret room under the cellar of a nobleman with no real power?

"Things have changed. His Holiness through the flames spoke. "We have to move faster. ”

Agnes hung her head even lower - so you couldn't control everything.

Then she felt a little flustered as His Holiness's gaze fell on her.

"What's the news about Lydia Bell?" he asked.

"She hasn't been there in a long time. "It was Aaron who answered him," and the men under her were already scattered...... No one knew where she was. ”

And that made her even more dangerous—she probably already knew something. Women like her. I don't like to be taken advantage of. ”

“...... I will find her as soon as possible. ”

"I have reason to suspect that she turned Ante Boford into her undead knight. "I'm not sure if it's just a provocation and mockery of Scott, or if it's an ulterior motive...... But he was probably still wandering in the darkness beneath the rocks of Lockburg. If you can find him, you might be able to find Lydia. ”

The thought that "that thing" might be right at her feet, or that it might suddenly appear in her room like Guardian tonight, made her hair stand on end...... And she wouldn't believe that he ran into Frederick's room every now and then just to catch a glimpse of his own son, which was a question of whether he recognized his own son or not.

Hell, even she couldn't figure out how Ante got in...... She needed a little help, and she had to avoid her family and the paladin who seemed to be big but not very easy to fool.

"'The Ghost of Lockburg' is it?" the Venerable smiled coldly, "I'm afraid it's not an undead knight...... Ante traded Scott's life and soul for more than just his crown. Although it is ironic that he only discovered this after his death. ”

Agnes' heart sank.

"Leave him alone, chaos always works for us. ”

The understatement ignited anger in Agnes' heart.

“...... You promised my family that they would be safe!" she said boldly.

"Aren't they safe now?" the man gave her a faint look, "rest assured...... You're not the only one 'protecting' them. ”

Realizing the true meaning of these words, Agnes' heart sank to the bottom of the icy water.

Her face turned pale, but she looked to the ground.

Honestly, this is not unexpected...... But she was very stupid because she was lucky.

"But if you can use him to find Lydia, you might as well give it a try...... After all, they all believe in you, don't they?"

Agnes tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Of course. She said - as if she believed them.

Ante believes that she is his brainless lover, and Lydia believes that she is an ambitious and resentful woman like her who wants to escape her fate...... The latter was true, but before Lydia taught her spells, she was drawn to another power...... or bondage.

"How's Grivar's situation?" the Venerable looked to the other side.

"The elders have obtained enough evidence that Payne Silver Leaf is ready to abolish the Council of Elders when the forest turns golden...... I don't think they will tolerate it any longer. ”

The overly standard lingua franca reveals the identity of the speaker - it is a genie.

"Everything is ready to go. He said, "We are always waiting for your orders." ”

“...... I still remember what the forest looked like when it turned golden. His Holiness's voice lowered slightly, but it became colder, "But flames are perhaps more suitable for its decoration." ”

The elf seemed to instinctively hesitate before answering.

It was probably by nature - the elves always thought of them as part of the forest...... Or make the forest a part of them. It is almost unthinkable to destroy it.

But he eventually bowed in silence.

"The black sails will be hoisted for you at any time. Another man hidden in the shadows spoke softly.

Agnes knew that Blacksails was a pirate that roamed the southern seas...... But this man has a northern accent that is still faintly recognizable.

"Tellina Bofford knows what he should believe. Aaron humbly bowed his head.

"Tellina Bofford is an opportunistic, vacillating villain. His Holiness made no secret of his disdain, "You'd better keep an eye on him." ”

It wasn't an accusation, but it still scared Aaron.

Agnes began to feel hot and irritable. The chamber is small, and the heat provided by the brazier is a torture in the early summer weather...... But she still wrapped her cloak tightly.

"What about Scott Christus? He's always on his own, and it's hard for our people to get close to him. Aaron was still cautiously asking.

"Leave him to me. His Holiness replied, "If he has to kill himself, I don't mind giving him a ride." ”

"Ed Singal has returned to Criesburg......"

"He doesn't matter at all. Instead of worrying about him, it is better to worry about the missing Ikaberd Beria...... That pastor knows something, and you still don't know anything about him. ”

"We suspect he's actually hiding in the Temple of Collins......"

"Mere 'skepticism' doesn't mean anything. ”

“...... We will find him as soon as possible. ”

"I don't want to hear that next time. ”

Agnes twisted her aching ankle and watched with great delight as the flames burst forth again.

"When the roses wither, it all begins to end. ”

Before leaving, His Holiness left this sentence. Agnes raised an eyebrow, feeling that the tone, full of meaningless, exaggerated drama, was like that of self-righteous elves.

On the way back to Lockburg, her steps were unusually heavy. She knew she was going to get the help she wanted to find Ante...... But does that really make sense? He's no longer the real enemy.

Unconsciously looking up, she saw a three-storied tower towering over a corner of the city.

The black tower seemed to melt completely into the night, just a vague shadow, but it was still terrifying.

The temple of Nethers is on the other side of the three-storied tower.

She suddenly realized that she had one more option...... The results that might have made her shudder.

But at the end of the day, how much worse could things go?.

(To be continued......)