Witch Redemption

The middle-aged man was dressed in what appeared to be ordinary adventurer armor, with a black iron longsword strapped to his back. Although his strength was not apparent, he had actually concealed all his aura. If the old man hadn't been quite strong, he would never have realized just how terrifying this middle-aged man was.

The old man dared not look away, secretly observing the middle-aged man with his long, graying hair haphazardly tied back and a stubble on his thin face. He quickly deduced that the man was very likely the handsome man's bodyguard. "This guy is very strong! His strength is probably at the level of a legendary adventurer. The only family that can have such a bodyguard is probably the royal family of the Viana Divine Kingdom!"

Facing the old man's gaze, the middle-aged man, a man who had seen the world, took the initiative to take the long sword from his back, placed it on the counter, and said in a deep voice, "Is there any special service here? I will be with him."

Before entering the brothel, weapons with great destructive power must be placed on the counter below; this is the rule.

The old man immediately understood the meaning. This old thief was also a knowledgeable man. "No matter how many people, there is only one condition: the ladies here are very delicate. You can play around, but don't hurt them. Even if the king comes, if you hurt the ladies here, you will be in big trouble."

"Of course, neither my master nor I are those kinds of people, please rest assured."

Both sides indicated no hostility, so the old man naturally wouldn't expose these two "wolf in sheep's clothing" fellows. Instead, he resumed his usual laziness and took out a stack of rosters. "Hank's Mansion is divided into five upper floors and ten underground floors. The first and second floors above ground are for humans, with lower prices. The third to fifth floors are mainly for Naga, elves, and fox people, and are also the most expensive. The first five underground floors are mainly for orcs and other intelligent races. You two guests can choose as you see fit."

He took the roster, which actually belonged to the handsome Randall Richard, the sixteenth prince of the Viana Theocracy, and excitedly flipped through it. "How are the men and horses?"

The middle-aged bodyguard reminded him, "You're probably not tall enough; you'll need a chair. Also, let me warn you, centaurs aren't as beautiful as you imagine, and you won't get anything interesting with them. More importantly, centaurs and similar orcs have extremely high body temperatures, so humans generally don't choose them."

"And what about the elves?"

"The Elven race is a race that values ​​strength above all else. They are skilled in archery and can draw bows. They are definitely not weak. Their muscles are very well-developed. You should be prepared for that."

"Um," Randall said, somewhat annoyed, "can I get a recommendation?"

"Fox-people are petite and more in line with human aesthetics. Although they don't have human features, they are born with an alluring instinct. However, fox-people are also very fragile. Generally, those who choose this type must be certified by a brothel, and if necessary, they must take drugs to suppress their own power. Of course, I personally recommend the Naga race. This intelligent race with human bodies and snake tails has extremely tough bodies by nature. However, the position is difficult to choose, and reptiles all have cloacas, understand?"

This middle-aged bodyguard, who spoke with the air of a seasoned veteran, had a serious expression on his face, but little did anyone know the helplessness he was feeling inside.

"Alright! Very good, then it's decided! Naga! Also, don't follow us, you really can't hold on!"

The middle-aged man hesitated for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Alright, don't stay too long. What would it look like if people found out a prince secretly escaped to do this? Two hours. In two hours, you must come with me to the western noble district to meet some distinguished guests from the Empire. In the afternoon, I also have to take you to meet your father-in-law, Ivan Hank..."

It was unclear whether the handsome man called "Prince" was listening or not; he just kept registering his information at the counter, and after obtaining the necessary paperwork, he immediately followed a waiter upstairs.

"Hey......"

Seeing the middle-aged bodyguard's extremely helpless expression, the old man reminded him again, "Guest, come here, there are still seats available. If there is any emergency, we can see you from here."

Brothels, no matter what, will have a set of security measures. Each room will have a distress rope; as long as it is pulled down, the person below can receive a message immediately.

"Thank you."

The middle-aged man did not refuse, after all, standing at the door would also affect other people's business.

The old man chuckled, "Haha, youthful vigor is a good thing. Now that I'm old, I can't even indulge myself like this young man anymore."

Little did he know, while making jokes, the old man was actually looking at the name "Randall Richard" on the registration information and thinking to himself, "This is quite a rare guest!"

This place of pleasure was originally reserved for adventurers living on the edge of danger, a haven of comfort and comfort. But unexpectedly, even a prince of such high birth would come here.

Chapter 40 Tripartite Meeting

The western noble district of Kobe, a border town of the Viana theocracy.

In this luxurious building, Imperial Major General Arnold Hopkins sat in the living room, his face almost ashen.

Three hours have passed since the appointed time, and Prince Randall Richard of the theocracy is only now arriving late, which is clearly disrespectful to the empire!

Although he wanted to unleash a torrent of abuse, the high standards of education he had cultivated over the years prevented him from doing so. In the end, he could only coldly question, "Prince Randall, you are late!"

"Haha, sorry, something happened on the way."

Randall Richard, beaming with joy and taking his seat with composure, had changed into a new outfit: the white robe-style uniform unique to the Viana theocratic royal family. This made him look far more handsome than ever before. His shoulder-length black hair, styled with hair wax, paired with his sharply defined smiling face, gave him a kind and approachable air.

"Koenidik, please step back. There are some things you are not in a position to listen to right now."

Upon hearing his master's request, the seemingly weathered middle-aged man hesitated for a few seconds before exchanging a glance with Arnold Hopkins, as if warning the empire's major general not to act recklessly, before stepping out of the room.

The moment the ornate yellow and white wooden door closed, only Major General Arnold and Prince Randall remained in the reception room.

"To make a long story short, does the kingdom have any new instructions for sending His Highness the Prince here this time?"

"Hehe, Major General Arnold, you flatter me. The Theocracy cannot command a soldier of the Empire like you. I've come here in the past few days for three reasons."

"Oh? Would it be convenient for you to tell me more details?" Arnold asked tentatively.

"It's alright. One thing is that I'm about to marry my fiancée, Lachesis, and subsequently officially take over the management of the Bay City Merchant Guild. I may need Major General Lauanold's guidance at that time. The second thing is that my father, the King of the Theocracy, hopes that I can reach a new agreement with the Empire. Once it's done, our country will send Kingdom Knights to fully assist the Empire in finding the whereabouts of the Sixth Apostle, Kalamiti. I wonder..."

Before Randall could finish speaking, Arnold interrupted him, "I need to know what it is before I can make a decision."

"The Theocracy hopes to use the Empire to eliminate Viscount Ivan Hank!"

Randall's words were startling. As he spoke, his smile vanished, and his usually squinted eyes opened slightly, revealing a barely perceptible killing intent in his gray-brown pupils.

Arnold hadn't expected such a request from the start. He was stunned for a moment, then said heavily, "What's the reason?"

"Viscount Ivan Hank has always been an unruly and unconventional figure among the nobles of the Theocracy. He has always pursued the culture of your country and has even committed treason for it. Otherwise, he would not have been exiled to this border city. Now, the Theocracy is once again determined to kill him, mainly because he has shown signs of rebellion since a month ago."

Randall's handsome, sharply defined face displayed a perfectly serious expression. "News has come that he has assembled his own guard, and all members of the guard are between Platinum and Diamond-level adventurers. This undoubtedly crosses the line for the Divine Kingdom..."

Arnold listened quietly as the prince rambled on. Would he really believe such words?

will not.

The saying goes, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext." Arnold had seen this kind of logic many times in the history of small countries. Wasn't it all about eliminating dissidents? Did he need any other reason?

"If the theocratic state can no longer tolerate this viscount, why not take matters into their own hands and get rid of him? Whatever charge they set, the theocratic state would surely be able to carry it out. I have learned from the histories of many theocratic states that your country has eliminated quite a few nobles in the past hundred years, one of whom was even a Grand Duke of the theocratic state."

Having apparently grasped the sarcasm in the words, Arnold's expression changed slightly, but he did not react. "Major General Arnold, do you know why this country is called a theocratic state?"

"In the Viana Theocracy, a nation that worships the Goddess of Darkness, divine authority supersedes royal authority. To some extent, the influence and power of the Dark Order are no less than that of the monarchy. Yet even the Dark Order cannot take action against this Viscount Ivan Hank. Major General Arnold must be wondering if there's something fishy going on here, right?"

The major general nodded. "Indeed."

“Indeed, I will not hide anything now. Viscount Ivan Hank is a special being who has been granted the protection of darkness by the supreme deity, the Goddess of Darkness. This means that as long as this viscount does not show any hostility towards the royal family or the dark cult, or commit any serious crimes, we cannot take direct action against him.”

That happened twenty-three years ago. Many people only know that Ivan, the nobleman, murdered the entire family of Vanessa Wagner, a commoner, and then frantically grafted the spirit of his fiancée into his own body, but they don't know how many terrible secrets were involved.

As the sixteenth prince of the Theocracy, Randall knew quite a bit about this, including why Vanessa died and why no power in the Theocracy dared to lay a hand on Ivan.

The story begins with experiments related to "witch summoning," a secret weapon controlled by numerous powerful nations. Only those of noble blood who had interacted with the gods in ancient times knew the specific rituals.

The origin of witches has always been a mystery to small countries, but one thing is known to all: if a witch becomes powerful and is killed, her natal magic book will produce an "ash" effect, turning into a divine weapon, meaning "a weapon bestowed by the gods".

Any hero who can wield a divine artifact will experience a qualitative change in their strength, and may even directly advance to the level of a demigod.

In other words, the so-called "witch summoning" is not only a symbol of a great power, but also a symbol of strength, so it is normal that many small countries would flock to it.

"The specifics are now lost to history. Archbishop Laurent Leeson of the Dark Order murdered a civilian, Vanessa Wagner, for a small experiment, thus offending Viscount Ivan Hank. Grief-stricken, the viscount began to circumvent the taboos of the Theocracy, secretly praying to the Goddess of Darkness and performing a flesh sacrifice in an attempt to resurrect his deceased fiancée..."

Randall, of course, wouldn't be foolish enough to explain the experiments related to the witch summoning to the empire's major general. Instead, he portrayed it all as an accident, presenting the viscount as a devoted man. In reality, only those who experienced it firsthand knew how bloody and cruel the experiment truly was.

"It was this blood sacrifice that alarmed the gods, causing the Goddess of Darkness to descend upon us... In addition, the viscount's unintentional act of betrayal afterward led the royal family to decide to exile him to the border of Kobe City. And because of the Goddess of Darkness's descent, both the royal family and the Dark Order must uphold the will of the gods and must not take action against him unless they find conclusive evidence."

Unfortunately, only half of the prince's words were true. The murder of Viscount Ivan's fiancée and the appearance of the Dark Goddess's avatar were facts. The other half was a lie: the goddess never truly issued a decree, and no one had ever been able to confront this descending deity directly, because those who had seen him either went mad or died.

Ivan Hank is the only person who has personally met the Goddess of Darkness and is still alive today.

It is precisely because of this that this theocratic nation dared not take action against Viscount Ivan. The reason is simple: they were not afraid of the viscount, but rather of the entity behind him.

“I see,” Arnold was still pondering the veracity of these words. “Regarding the matter of dealing with Ivan Hank, I will have to consult with the Imperial high command before making a decision. In a month, I will give you my personal answer.”

Prior to this, the Empire had repeatedly stated that they should not take action against Viscount Ivan. No matter how stupid Arnold was, he would not believe that the matter was as simple as the prince had described.

"Then I'll have to trouble Major General Arnold... As for the third matter, namely the numerous official documents entrusted by Major General Arnold, I have already delivered them."

...... ...... ......

The villa where Ivan Hank lives in the northern part of Kobe City.

After hearing the informant's report, the red-haired middle-aged man's face paled considerably. No matter how vivid his imagination was, he would never have imagined that this young prince would secretly head to Hank's Mansion for drinking, gambling, and whoring as soon as he arrived in Kobe City.

This is not just about the royal family's reputation, but also about him, his future father-in-law, losing face.

Marrying his daughter to a young man with strong desires and no sense of responsibility?

It was precisely this intelligence that solidified Ivan's murderous intent: "The sixteenth prince, Randall Richard, is nothing more than a womanizer in the capital, having probably slept with more women than he's eaten meals. This marriage is ultimately just a political alliance; if Lachesis marries him..."

A leopard can't change its spots, and in Ivan's eyes, this prince was practically beyond redemption.

"However, the royal family may have realized that I might take action against this prince, so they have sent the Sword Saint Conniedick as his bodyguard. Now, Dr. Roman probably won't be able to make a move against him, as the difference in strength is too great."

If he were merely the sixteenth prince of the Divine Kingdom, his strength would only be that of a Platinum-level adventurer, nothing to fear.

The problem lies with the prince's bodyguard, a man named "Cornetic," who is one of the few legendary adventurers in the Divine Kingdom. In his youth, he was active in many dangerous areas of the Eastern and Southern Continents, and had killed high-level monsters on his own many times, even surviving attacks from Abyss monsters.

Few people have witnessed this man's true strength, but his unimaginably superb swordsmanship has been passed down in many countries, even earning him the title of "Sword Saint".

There are rumors that his strength may be comparable to that of a general in the British Empire, which is quite terrifying.

"Find a time to notify Dr. Roman again that the mission is terminated here. I must find another way to deal with Lachesis!"

After a moment of contemplation, there were several knocks on the door, followed by a creak as a woman in a gorgeous dress pushed open the door. "Viscount, Prince Randall has arrived. Please come out and greet him immediately."

This beautiful woman, named Emily Richard, is Viscount Ivan's current wife. She was once a princess of the royal family, and her marriage to him is merely a means to keep an eye on him.

After marrying Ivan Hank, the woman gave birth to three sons, who are currently causing trouble. They not only hate their sister Lachesis, but are also fighting amongst themselves for the property of the Bay City Merchant Guild. It seems that things are about to reach a point where they are difficult to resolve.

"I understand, lead the way."

...... ...... ......

When Li Lan received the message, it was already around 3 p.m. Li Lan did not expect that Ivan Hank would directly invite him and Lachesis to the Viscount's mansion.

Perhaps in preparation for this meeting, Thomas, Cozmo, and Debbie, who had been away for a long time, were unusually summoned back by Ivan's informants and had a handover with Li Lan that lasted for several minutes.

"Men, these two are Rebecca and Susan. They will be working with you from now on. Please take good care of them."

Soon, Li Lan introduced the identities of the two elven beauties to his three subordinates. After the introduction, before leaving, he whispered a reminder, "Mira is not a good girl to go out. When Lachesis and I are not around, you must ensure her safety, even if it costs you your lives."

Although he still doesn't know what Mira's background is, as Li Lan's savior, he values ​​this kindness more than anything else.

“Understood!” the three Servants responded immediately.

"Well, that's about it. Lachesis, lead the way."

In the letter Ivan sent, he clearly stated that he and Lachesis had to go. A number of unexpected things had happened in just one day, which was why he had to summon them all. Ostensibly, it was a banquet, but in reality, it would probably be a large-scale negotiation.

"Would the sixteenth prince of the Theocracy, the two dark priests of the Dark Order, and Imperial Major General Arnold also be at Ivan Hank's residence? No matter how you look at it, there's probably something fishy going on here. Besides, what would happen if the mission were to end?"

"Is it because this sixteenth prince is too powerful, or is there some more difficult external factor at play?"

Completely bewildered and lacking sufficient information, he could only prepare corresponding measures in advance before heading there with the little loli Yu Hui.

Faced with this unknown situation, perhaps only Yu Hui's special precognitive ability can be of use.

"These are not major problems. The bigger problem is that Viscount Ivan has been forced to let me intervene. That's what we should be most concerned about!"