Under Raymond’s shocked gaze, the prisoner turned back against the light, his expression cold and indifferent. Only the grayish marks on his face and the scars on his body reminded Raymond that this was the same petty thief from before.
No, this person couldn’t possibly be just some petty thief!
He was a terrifying extraordinary being who could silently blow up the church tower!
What was his true purpose? Why had he allowed himself to be captured so easily before? Why had he endured two days of torture and whipping in the prison? Was he plotting something even more terrible?
Raymond’s fingers trembled slightly as he gripped his blade. At this moment, he had to admit that he felt fear toward the person before him.
But in the next second, he remembered his duties as Captain of the Guards, remembered the oath he had sworn before the Queen to protect this nation!
Firm conviction infused him with courage. His hands gripping the blade regained their strength. Raymond made up his mind—he would kill this man before he could use that strange extraordinary power to blow up the palace, even if it cost him his own life.
“Don’t worry, I won’t destroy anything else.”
Raymond’s blade, about to strike, suddenly stopped, but he still maintained a posture ready to attack at any moment, not relaxing in the slightest. “What do you mean?”
The prisoner said, “I mean, is this level of power sufficient for me to negotiate with your Queen?”
Raymond’s pupils dilated slightly. Did this mean that if the other party couldn’t see the Queen, he would continue destroying the capital?
***
“…So I settled him in the mansion near the prison. He said he needed a quiet place to make himself presentable before meeting the Queen.”
Raymond hurried back to the palace and reported the matter to Cabinet Minister Lord Eaton.
Lord Eaton was a middle-aged man with a somber appearance. After hearing Raymond’s account, he said, “You’ve been deceived. The church explosion was caused by heretics who had planted explosives in advance. It has nothing to do with the man you mentioned.”
Raymond couldn’t believe it. “How is that possible? The Four Seasons Church was protected by the Blessed of the Goddess and had so many extraordinary beings inside. How could heretics have planted explosives in advance? And I saw that person with my own eyes…”
Lord Eaton shook his head. “Before the Divine Birth Month, the Goddess had already issued an oracle to relocate the church. This matter had been proceeding in secret; you simply didn’t know about it. The church that was blown up today was just a decoy to lure out the heretics.”
Raymond stood there stunned, at a loss.
Lord Eaton said, “That person is very likely an extraordinary being with precognitive abilities. He’s worth meeting to see what he wants—ideally, he’d be worth recruiting.” However, even an extraordinary being didn’t have the right to meet the Queen at will.
Lord Eaton, led by Raymond, came to the mansion. Before leaving, Raymond had arranged for over a hundred knights to surround the mansion. Guards were also posted at the door of the room that person had entered, but when they knocked, there was no response from inside.
“Sir? Sir?” Raymond called out tentatively twice. The shock that man had given him at the prison—that aura and presence—remained unforgettable, so he was still skeptical of Lord Eaton’s judgment. Only after receiving no response did he grit his teeth, kick the door open, and rush in. Lord Eaton followed closely behind.
The spacious room was completely visible at a glance—empty inside, without even a ghost’s shadow.
Raymond was dumbfounded.
Lord Eaton made his judgment. “It seems he escaped. He’s a shameless fraud. Raymond, you’ve been deceived.”
****
Two hours earlier.
Raymond brought the man to the mansion near the prison. He said stiffly, “What should I call you?”
The man said, “Call me Sal.”
“Mr. Sal, please rest here first. I will go seek the Queen’s instructions.” After Raymond finished speaking, he arranged for over a hundred knights to surround the place right in front of him. And regarding his arrangements, this person calling himself Sal had no objections from beginning to end.
Raymond visibly relaxed, but his brows were still furrowed. Clearly, in his view at this time, this was a terrifying existence who could silently blow up a church, and the other party’s cooperation still couldn’t put his mind at ease.
Before long, “Sal” chose a room and walked in. After the door closed, he heard the sounds of Raymond leaving. After a while longer, confirming that Raymond wouldn’t return, he immediately locked the door, then rushed to the table, grabbed the water pitcher, and gulped down several mouthfuls.
Sal—no, rather Chi Yizhen—collapsed backward onto the sofa. If it weren’t for the delicate patterns on this antique-style sofa providing friction, he would probably have slid down onto the carpet like a puddle of water.
“That was so exhausting. Thank goodness I finally passed this stage.” Chi Yizhen touched his still-pounding heart and wiped the sweat from his face with lingering fear.
At the same time, an electronic voice sounded in his ear: [Prerequisite task completed. Do you wish to settle immediately?]
Chi Yizhen hurriedly said, “Immediately, immediately!”
[Settling now, please wait.]