As an NPC, having a lot of skills is quite reasonable, right?

The courtyard was in a mess after the battle.

The air was filled with the smell of burning. The once magnificent main house was now blackened by smoke, and half of the main gate was about to collapse.

After a while, Moen walked to the headless female mage's corpse, squatted down, and began to search the body.

Besides a few bottles of potions, he found a letter in the mage's hidden pocket.

The envelope was unsigned, but the sealing wax stamp was exactly the same as the personal seal that Moen had previously obtained from Olson.

Upon tearing it open, the contents were concise and to the point, all about how to cooperate with the court to purge heretics and frame the vagrants.

Moen expressionlessly put the letter into his backpack.

The Star Pattern Academy is thousands of miles away, with a vast ice field and the Atlas Ridge in between, and it would take several months to get there.

We must avenge this, but we don't have the means to do so right now.

"Mr. Mohn."

Elwin walked over, holding the [Ether Interference Device] in his hand: "Although the outer shell is damaged, the core of this [Forbidden Stone] still has half of its energy left. We can still use it in the future, provided that the Star Pattern Institute doesn't find out that we have it."

"Keep it; you can't just throw something this dangerous away in some random corner."

Just then, a night breeze blew by.

Moen placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes fixed on the shadows in the corner of the courtyard.

There, someone had appeared out of nowhere.

Wearing a gold-threaded mask and an elegant tailcoat.

That was Night Owl, the Nohanville head of the Anmi Society.

Moen narrowed his eyes slightly.

He's in terrible shape right now, his health is almost gone, and he's used all his trump cards. If Night Owl is here to cause him trouble, he has no way to fight back.

Seemingly sensing Moen's hostility, Night Owl did not approach, but instead raised his hands, palms facing outward, to indicate that he was unarmed.

"Don't be nervous, Mr. Moen."

Night Owl's voice, still carrying that uniquely magnetic laugh, came from behind the mask: "You've made quite a commotion here tonight, but don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble."

Moen remained vigilant: "Why should I believe you?"

Night Owl sighed, a hint of apology in his voice.

"I have an informant who can't keep his mouth shut. He took a bribe from François and leaked your information."

At this point, Night Owl snapped his fingers.

From the shadows, two men in black dragged a sack out and casually tossed it on the ground.

The sack writhed and made a muffled groaning sound.

"According to the rules of the Secret Society, the tongue of the whistleblower has been cut off and fed to rats, and his hearing and sight have been deprived by magic."

Night Owl spoke in a flat tone, as if he were dealing with a piece of trash: "As for his life, it's now yours. Just nod, and he'll disappear instantly."

Moen glanced at the sack and said coldly, "Kill him."

"It's my pleasure." Night Owl bowed slightly.

The two men in black dragged the sacks back into the shadows, followed by a soft cracking sound of bones breaking, and then silence.

After dealing with the traitor, Night Owl looked at Moen again and solemnly placed his right hand on his left chest: "To express the Anmi Society's apology, we will be responsible for all the battlefield cleanup and house repairs tonight."

"Please rest assured, I swear in the name of Urdan, the God of Arcane Arts, that I have absolutely no ill intentions toward you this time."

Upon hearing the name "Uldan," the wariness in Moen's eyes lessened somewhat.

In this world with gods, swearing an oath in the name of the supreme deity is the highest contract, and if broken, divine punishment will descend immediately.

"Deal." Moen loosened his grip on the sword hilt.

"Thank you for your understanding."

The owl clapped its hands.

In an instant, a dozen short, shadowy servants emerged from the shadows of the courtyard.

They moved swiftly and skillfully, moving corpses, washing away bloodstains, and even beginning to repair the walls with some kind of black mud.

"The manor is unavailable tonight. I have prepared a suite for you and your friends at the Star Mansion in the city."

"That's the private property of the Anmi Society; it's absolutely safe and comfortable."

"Thank you for your generosity, but I might need to trouble you with something." Moen approached Night Owl and whispered a few words in his ear.

"Haha, no problem. Mr. Moen has provided enough information. I will have someone take care of what you asked for."

……

The next morning, when Moen led the group back to the mountainside, they were all stunned.

Overnight, this place seemed to have changed completely.

The charred gate was replaced with a stainless steel gate with black rose reliefs, and the withered vines were cleared away and replaced with blooming purple night-blooming jasmine.

Stepping inside, the walls were freshly painted, the burned furniture had all been replaced with mahogany furniture from the south, and even the carpets were covered with thick wool, leaving no trace of the fire that had occurred the previous night.

Moen touched the brand-new leather sofa and looked at Night Owl suspiciously.

"Do you possess some kind of forbidden spell for one-click renovation? Or are you actually a renovation team disguised as an intelligence organization?"

Night Owl stood at the door, smiling with obvious satisfaction: "In the Security Council, efficiency is life. Also, I really like your sense of humor."

He handed Moen a brand new mithril key: "You can stay here in peace. Based on your request last night, the Judgment Division of Nohanville will not bother you again."

"As for that Bishop François Valen..." Night Owl paused, his tone becoming meaningful.

"I did as you suggested and gave him a polite greeting. I think he will behave himself in a short time."

"Of course, if he takes any further action, I will inform you immediately."

Moen looked at the masked man, surprised that he had acted so quickly. Moen had thought it would take at least a few more days to get the results.

"By the way, I would like to express my apologies for the attack you suffered earlier. I have found out the reason behind it, and the information is in your bedroom."

"However, I would like to kindly remind you not to delve too deeply into the deeper matters. Although François was forcibly promoted to the position of Discipline Bishop, he still possesses strength approaching that of a Celestial Phenomenon, which is beyond your current capabilities."

After saying this, Night Owl gave a gentlemanly bow, and his body turned into a cloud of black mist and dissipated into the air.

"No, are you playing the riddle-solver with me?"

Before Moen could ask any more questions, Night Owl had already vanished without a trace. He had a deep loathing for people who spoke unclearly.

"Could the beast tide incident be related to François?"

Anyway, things have settled down again.

As for François, he'll find a way to make him suffer a little; there'll always be a chance, won't there?

[Office of the Discipline Bishop of the Diocese of Noxsa]

"Bastard! Bastard!!"

A priceless bone china tea set was violently swept to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Bishop François Valen of the Noxsa diocese stood before his desk, his face ashen.

When he woke up this morning, he found a black dagger neatly placed next to his pillow.

Beneath the dagger lay a black card with only a faint silver owl emblem and a line of elegantly written Common language:

"Your Excellency, you have overstepped your bounds. If you overstep further, the next thing to appear beside your pillow will not be a dagger, but your head. — Respectfully submitted by the Inspector General of the Secret Service"

There were no magical fluctuations, and no alarms were triggered.

Someone broke into his bedroom and placed a knife next to his pillow while he was asleep, and he didn't even notice!

François stared intently at the dagger.

"Damn it, if I weren't in such a weakened state right now."

Even in its weakened state, it was still close to the strength of a celestial being. The only ones capable of such a covert infiltration could be the elusive Grand Inspectors of the Secret Service.

Those lunatics from the Anmi Society actually dared to threaten a regional bishop for the sake of a slightly talented adventurer!

"Guards!" François roared.

"Pass the order: temporarily halt all surveillance operations against Moen!"

"And one more thing," François paused, "bring me a new tea set."