The black sun hangs high

Chapter 23 Thief
Hugh was completely unaware of the events that had occurred at the south gate of Seren.

After leaving the Peace Newspaper, he immediately returned to Ernst’s old house and carefully examined his “loot” in Philip’s office.

Inside that palm-sized, exquisite iron box was indeed a magic certificate issued by the Legal Committee. Its appearance was basically the same as other passes issued by the Legal Committee, except that the one in front of me had a handshake pattern symbolizing the Ceasefire celebration in Seren City engraved at the top, while below it was engraved the iris symbol unique to the Delan royal family.

Hugh reached out and gently touched the iris symbol. He then realized that it was not a decorative pattern, but a real magical emblem. Magic was constantly flowing back and forth within the intricate patterns. When Hugh tentatively released his own magic, the power hidden deep within the magical emblem suddenly became violent.

They reacted to the external probing with astonishing speed. In that instant, Hugh felt as if an invisible, sharp blade had pierced his palm. The intense pain made him instinctively pull his hand back, and the magical proof in his hand fell to the ground.

"hiss……"

Hugh gasped. He quickly checked his palm and found a distinct red mark on his palm. Although the magic power stored in the magic symbol was extremely violent, its total amount was ultimately limited and not enough to cause him any real harm.

After the pain subsided, Hugh put the magic certificate back into the iron box.

"That's not right."

Hugh stared at the exquisite iris pattern, his brows gradually furrowing.

In conventional understanding, the Legislative Affairs Commission has always maintained an extremely tough stance and used extremely forceful methods to control these important documents and certificates circulating in the official environment, regardless of time or place.

These passes are infused with corresponding magic power for pre-set magical rituals in specific locations. Under normal circumstances, once a location is locked down due to special requirements, anyone who does not carry the correct pass will be excluded by the ongoing magical ritual. Depending on the power of the ritual, the form of this exclusion will vary.

Generally speaking, intruders are simply thrown back or knocked to the ground by the magic in the ritual. However, in some extremely important occasions, the Legal Committee will deliberately increase the power of the magic ritual, which may result in some intruders being crushed into a pulp by magic.

The "Three Warriors of the Kingdom of Walter" incident, which is famous throughout the Lovi Plateau, is a typical example.

At the coronation ceremony twenty years ago, three scholars who opposed the current king, with the conviction that they would die, resolutely stepped into the coronation venue and were ultimately "executed" on the spot by a terrible magic spell set up in the square. The horrific scene shocked the entire country and left many people with severe psychological trauma.

"How could the Legal Committee allow the people of the Kingdom of Delan to use the royal magical emblem in such a place?"

Hugh pulled out the sheet of paper filled with various clues and evidence, and soon his eyes were fixed on the surname "Morel".

After connecting the recent activities of the nobles of the Kingdom of Delan, the Peace Newspaper, and the extremely special magical pass before him, Hughes deduced a new conjecture from the known clues.

"The pass bears the emblem of the Delan royal family. If such a pass can be used normally, it means that the magical rituals used to seal the gates of Seren have been secretly altered and adjusted at some point."

"Judging from Verin Ernst's previous reaction, a considerable number, or even most, of the members of the Legal Committee were completely unaware of this matter... However, among the higher-ups of the Legal Committee, there must have been some who had reached an agreement and tacit understanding with the Kingdom of Delan. Only with the cooperation of these spellcasters could the Delan royal family have completed this series of operations so smoothly."

"So, what exactly do they want to do in the city of Seren?"

Out of a professional habit he had developed in the past, Hugh pulled out a blank sheet of paper and drew a thin, straight line on it, preparing to try to use the clues he knew to create a rough timeline.

However, before Hughes could even put pen to paper, his ears caught a very faint sound.

The sound was very faint, and its source was in the kitchen near the entrance hall.

In the past, given Hugh's poor physical condition, he probably wouldn't have noticed such a faint sound at all. However, after completing the magical inscription, Hugh's reaction, strength, and senses were significantly enhanced. Therefore, he not only heard the sound but also made a judgment very naturally.

He was certain that the sound was not made by a mouse or any other small animal.

“Footsteps…and there was more than one person.”

The magic disc in Hugh's mental world began to spin faster, and the dark green crystal embedded in the center of the disc began to slowly emit its dim light in all directions. Under its influence, the black tentacles and three-tailed rat patterns embedded in the grooves became extremely active.

"I never expected that even the Ernst mansion, known as the haunted mansion, would one day be visited by 'thieves'."

Hugh silently put down his magic pen, reached into a drawer, and placed the manuscript paper on the table and the special magic pass into the deepest part of the drawer.

He then stood up from the chair and gently stretched his neck and wrists.

In the past, he would have felt uneasy and fearful when faced with someone who had inexplicably broken into his mansion, and would have even made running away his top priority.

But now, facing the immense pressure accumulated over the past few days, the many grievances he harbored about the people and things in Seren City, and the suppressed urge to use magic hidden deep within him... Hugh felt inexplicably excited.

Regardless of who broke into his home, he was prepared to give them a grand "meeting gift".

……

If the unique architectural style and refreshing sour beer represent the bright side of Seren, then this old and gloomy Ernst House symbolizes the dark side of Seren.

Among the many buildings in Seren, this old mansion belonging to the Ernst family stands out. Its gray color is out of place with the colorful paint of the Deland-style buildings, and its old and outdated shape is clearly different from the pointed-roof houses that originated from Walter.

Its location is so subtle and special that any traveler strolling through the city will inevitably see this eerie old house, and there are countless terrifying legends about it.

Some say that the souls of Ernst family ancestors actually reside here, and that terrifying ghosts who participated in countless conspiracies, assassinations, and wars gather in this old house every night and plot even more horrific events in a language that humans cannot understand.

Some say that Ernst House was actually a hidden dungeon used by the Ernst family during the war. The ruthless Walter nobles tortured and killed many people in this old house. They even used the victims to conduct heinous magical experiments. Exaggerated bats, blood-sucking worms, and various modified half-human, half-beast creatures were frequent visitors here.

This mansion is both wonderful and awkward.

It was stuck in a delicate position, and no one knew exactly how to deal with it. After all, the Ernst family was thriving, and no one would be willing to offend such a family for the sake of an old house.

So it was left behind for a long time. However, in the city of Seren, there is a type of person who is absolutely not afraid of Ernst's old house.

Those were the rogues and thieves belonging to the Brotherhood of Three Colors.

Some of them had been assassins who lived on the edge of death, some had been grave robbers who roamed cemeteries at night, and some had even earned the reputation of "Robin Hood" in certain towns. Even the most low-class among them could nimbly climb up the mansions of nobles alone in the dead of night.

As a group of people who live in the darkness, they have no fear of Ernst's old house and even treat those so-called horror legends as a joke.

As for the frail young man who lived alone here and could only earn money by writing vulgar literature, he was regarded as a laughingstock.

That's why, when Roy, nicknamed "Long Hands," and Bart, known as "Silver Scissors," received the mission from the Brotherhood to "search Ernst's old house," both of them wore expressions of disbelief.

They didn't see anything worth exploring in this place, nor did they understand what their superiors were thinking. After all, they knew perfectly well that there was nothing of any use in this old house. Did the members of the Brotherhood really need the bastard's new manuscript?

Have the fraternity members become this lonely?

But no matter what, an order is an order.

Obeying orders and carrying out missions are the cornerstones of the Brotherhood of Tricolor. They must take every assignment seriously, or they will be regarded as "untrustworthy" by the other members of the Brotherhood.

Thieves and stalkers with such reputations often do not receive help or support from their peers while working, and if they encounter an accident under such circumstances, it is only a matter of time before they are thrown into prison.

So, for the sake of their reputations and careers, Roy and Bart had no choice but to reluctantly carry out the task.

Both of them knew that Putrin, who had a promising future in the Brotherhood, was a friend of the bastard. It was precisely because of this that they did not choose to make their move in the dead of night, but decided to leave their mark on the mansion in the most conspicuous time and in the most arrogant way!

"To befriend a noble is a disgrace to the Brotherhood! Even if that noble is just a bastard abandoned by them!"

"Silver Scissors" Bart followed his companion through the open window, and the two landed on the kitchen floor one after the other. They were very experienced, and even though the wooden floor in the kitchen was very old, they did not make any unnecessary noise.

Bart licked his dry lips and silently turned the fishing net hanging on his arm.

He had already discussed it with Roy before coming.

Whether or not they find anything of value here, they should make that noble bastard suffer... Countless thieves have died at the hands of the Ernst family, including some once-famous master thieves.

Both men believed that torturing members of the Ernst family with fishing nets and ropes would be an excellent way to demonstrate and vent their frustrations.

Roy, who was walking ahead, glanced at the empty kitchen. Although the kitchen was very large, its furnishings had nothing to do with nobility. The cabinets of all sizes were either empty or filled with tableware and utensils. Some of them were even used as junk storage cabinets. Some paintings, sculptures and decorations that did not fit Hughes’ taste were crammed into them.

"Damn, how shabby!"

He mouthed something to Bart, then took out a strangely shaped earmuff with a tiny magic crystal embedded in it.

After putting on the earmuffs, "Long Arms" Roy slowly moved closer to the wall and pressed his ears against it.

This is a small tool commonly used by thieves.

These earmuffs aren't even considered proper magical items, but due to their special structure, the magical crystal embedded in them can make even the faintest sounds extremely clear, making them virtually inaccurate for judging the situation indoors.

Roy squinted, listened intently for a few seconds, then raised his hand and gave Bart a thumbs-up.

This means that there is someone inside the house at this moment.

Known for his "long hands," Roy possessed many special skills. His hands moved rapidly, conveying one coded message after another among thieves.

He's upstairs... and is about to come downstairs.

He was holding something in his hand.

"Get ready to take action."

Roy slashed his hand downwards with force, his face beneath the black hood immediately contorting into a ferocious expression. His companion was very skilled at torturing people; very few could withstand the torture inflicted by the small pair of scissors he carried.

but……

Just as he was ready to cooperate with Bart to subdue the poor illegitimate child, a sound that was clearly not human came from inside the wall. It was a series of footsteps with a very high frequency, and it sounded as if something was approaching him along the cracks in the wall.

"Uh... a rat?"

Roy was stunned for a moment, but before he could make out the sound, it suddenly sped up. A series of rustling sounds came, and before Roy could react, the source of the strange sound was already right next to his ear.

"squeak!!!"

With a sharp screech, the wooden panel of wall that Roy was pressed against was suddenly ripped open.

Immediately afterwards, a huge rat with dark green eyes poked out from the crack in the wall. Before Roy could react, its sharp, huge teeth were already biting down hard on his ear.

(End of this chapter)