Baron Cullen

For a moment, Fiona's aura fluctuated uncontrollably, though she quickly suppressed it.

But Karen, standing in front of the table, still keenly sensed that fleeting... chilling killing intent!

The air in the office seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

"This note...was it found on that vampire?" Fiona's voice was a few decibels lower than before, carrying a sense of suppressed emotion.

"Yes, leader, it was found in the ashes after that vampire turned to ash," Karen answered confidently, while observing Fiona's reaction.

He had a feeling that the leader in front of him, who possessed the strength of a sixth-tier expert, seemed to recognize the writing on the parchment.

Fiona stared at the note, her gaze seemingly burning it through.

After a long while, she slowly raised her head.

The sharpness and killing intent in his eyes had subsided, but a deep chill remained.

"Karen, you mentioned finding that parchment in the manor by the Greywater River..." She seemed to be recalling something, her tone tinged with urgency, "...and the handwriting on it is exactly the same as this parchment?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely certain it's the same handwriting," Karen nodded.

After receiving a definite answer, Fiona seemed to understand something.

She leaned back in her chair and sighed softly.

"Your feeling earlier wasn't wrong, Karen." Her voice returned to its usual coolness, but it carried a heavier weight than usual. "The person who wrote this note is indeed a fifth-tier transcendent."

Moreover, that person is an extremely troublesome existence even among those at the fifth rank.

She gently placed the parchment back on the table, her gaze still fixed on the writing: "Only one person could write such distorted characters..."

Randall, Randall Sal.

Karen felt a chill run down her spine.

really!

The owner emanating that terrifying aura was indeed a fifth-tier transcendent!

"This Randall Sal..." Karen repeated the name, "Do you know him?"

Fiona remained silent for a moment.

Her gaze drifted out the window, as if she were recalling something.

"It's more than just knowing each other..." Her voice was soft, with a hint of elusiveness. "A year ago, there were four deputy leaders in the Order Keeper branch, and he was one of them."

Moreover, he was the most powerful among the four deputy leaders at the time, a fifth-tier mage.

Even the previous leader had high hopes for him, practically designating him as the next leader.

Karen was shocked!

He never expected that someone belonging to an evil organization like the Arcane Society and connected with vampires would be the former deputy leader of the Order Keeper branch!

"Surprised, aren't you?"

Fiona turned her head and looked at Karen.

Her face was expressionless, but deep in her eyes surged an uncontrollable hatred.

"So he betrayed the Order of the Lords..." Karen nodded. "But why?"

Fiona took a deep breath, seemingly hesitating whether to speak.

But soon, she slowly spoke: "Because... he killed my mentor, the previous leader of the Order of the Nation, Evans Ellis."

As a series of news items were released, Karen was beyond shocked.

He couldn't understand why someone with such high talent and great importance would suddenly do something so foolish as to ruin their own future and even be wanted by the entire empire.

Therefore, after thinking for a moment, he still asked, "Chief, if you don't mind... could you tell me why he did this?"

After all, betrayal always requires a reason.

Especially for someone like Randall, who has no shortage of talent, strength, or status, joining an organization like the Arcane Society and having connections with heretics like vampires requires an even stronger reason.

However, Fiona shook her head, her eyes filled with hatred and confusion: "No one knows why he betrayed us, and no one knows why he killed the previous leader."

She stood up and walked to the window, her back to Karen, seemingly not wanting the latter to see her expression.

But her silhouette conveyed a deep sense of loneliness and sorrow.

"That was over a year ago..." Fiona's voice came from the window. "At that time, Randall, as the deputy leader, was highly trusted by the previous leader."

He was in charge of the branch's most important extraordinary research and forbidden item management, which is Martha's current job.

But no one expected that he was secretly conducting experiments on forbidden magic using his position, and it seemed that he had made some extremely dangerous progress.

It was around that time that the previous leader noticed something was wrong and began a secret investigation into him.

But Randall possessed exceptional counter-surveillance skills, and he quickly realized that the former leader suspected him, so he devised a conspiracy.

At this point, Fiona, standing by the window, clenched her fists, clearly trying her best to suppress her emotions.

She quickly continued, "During a mission to explore ancient ruins, he invited the former leader to join him, citing his own lack of strength."

Afterwards, he deliberately triggered an ancient curse left in a tomb deep within the ruins, and also lured the unsuspecting former leader into the tomb.

To ensure absolute safety, he even sealed off the entire tomb chamber, completely eliminating any possibility of the previous leader sending out communications or requesting assistance.

Fiona's narration was concise.

But Karen could imagine the perilous situation the previous leader had faced while locked in the tomb.

Led into a perilous situation by his most trusted subordinate and completely isolated from the outside world, he faces unknown dangers alone…

Fiona continued, "The previous leader was a sixth-tier assassin. Although he was locked in the tomb and attacked by an ancient curse, he still managed to break through the source of the curse and survive."

However, Randall had already decided to kill him. He unleashed some forbidden magic that he had been researching, delivering a fatal blow to the already seriously injured former leader.

The previous leader fought with all his might, severely injuring Randall and breaking the seal on the tomb to send a warning to the outside world, but he himself... perished on the spot.

The office was silent except for Fiona's slightly heavy breathing.

Karen could sense the surging grief and hatred beneath the other person's calm narration.

He could deduce from Fiona's words that the former leader was more than just her mentor; she was like family to him.

But this one family member was betrayed and brutally murdered by his former comrade-in-arms…

The pain is indescribable.

Fiona turned around, her face now calm, though her eyes were slightly red: "We immediately understood what had happened based on the warning issued by the previous leader."

But when I and the other deputy leaders arrived, we saw only the body of the previous leader inside the tomb, and...

It was a headless, mangled body.

Karen was taken aback.

Headless remains...

In other words, Randall not only betrayed the Order of the Nexus division but also plotted to kill the former leader who valued him highly.

They even cut off the head of the corpse and took it away!

This is a complete insult and desecration of the corpse; such heinous behavior is utterly outrageous!

At this moment, Karen finally understood why Fiona, who was usually calm and collected, could not control her emotions when Randall was mentioned.

This is not only a revenge for killing one's master, but also a heinous crime deserving of death ten thousand times over!

Fiona took a deep breath and continued, "After that, Randall completely disappeared from Breathless City, until now, a year later..."

"Only when you showed me this parchment did I realize he hadn't gone far all along!"

As she spoke, she walked back to her desk and took out a roll of paper from a locked drawer at the bottom.

Karen took the scroll and spread it out on the table.

It was a portrait, a half-length drawing of a middle-aged man, depicted with meticulous brushstrokes.

The man looked to be around forty years old, with a refined and scholarly appearance, and a gentle smile on his lips.

He wore a regular, loose robe, with the Order Keeper's badge on his chest.

"This is a portrait of Randall Sal from a year ago." Fiona looked at the portrait as well, her voice icy. "Don't be fooled by his appearance. He is an extremely intelligent and calm man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals."

He was highly skilled in magic, especially ancient magic and barriers.

Karen listened intently while carefully observing the portrait, trying to firmly imprint Randall's image in her mind.

The painting depicts Randall with deep, penetrating eyes that seem to see through everything, exuding a calm and wise demeanor.

Judging from the portrait alone, anyone would think that this is a trustworthy scholar-type leader.

No one would have imagined that such a person could commit such heinous acts of cruelty, and now he has even joined the Secret Society, an evil organization closely connected with vampires.

Without a doubt, he has become a complete heretic.