Star Forge Titan

"Understood." Now that it was time to get down to business, Khayang also became serious.

But the next moment, he couldn't help showing a look of surprise.

"Wait! Something's wrong!"

Before Alvin had time to ask what happened, he heard Khayang's surprised voice coming from the communicator.

"Not a soul in the room reacted!"

"what?"

At the same time, armed soldiers wearing power armor also used sledgehammers to smash the locked ward door.

Boom! The wooden door shattered, and fragments flew into the room, but it did not cause any reaction from the people inside. The armed soldier who had rushed into the ward first suddenly stopped at the door.

The scene before them was so shocking that they all stood there in a daze.

Like the ward where Alvin had stayed before, this was also a single room with neat white walls and doors, looking like a neat piece of white paper.

However, at this moment, this piece of white paper is infected with an exceptionally eye-catching color.

It was a bright red like the setting sun.

Joseph Kerr, who should have been lying in the ward resting, now looked like a newly made butterfly specimen.

A staff pierced through his chest, nailing him to the snow-white wall. The spreading blood was like a blooming flower, silently mocking the visitor who broke into the ward.

The suspect died in a closed room.

The clue was broken again.

Chapter 61 Visitors to the Temple

Early in the morning, in Swan Castle, Lutetia, the capital of Linde in the Central Empire.

This palace with its pure white exterior walls looks as if it were built of pure white feathers.

The designer broke down the traditional castle's massive supporting pillars into smaller pieces, separating the compressive structural members that bear the palace dome from the tensile structural members that bear lateral stiffness. These pillars are then dispersed laterally in the form of slender columns, giving the entire structural system and the building itself an equally vague and ambiguous feel.

From a visual perspective, the structure of Neuschwanstein Castle defies people's usual perception of gravity and common sense, so the entire building does not look like a traditional castle that gives people a heavy and stable impression. Instead, it is filled with a sense of lightness, like a bird that is ready to take off at any time.

At this moment, on the balcony of a bedroom high up in this beautiful and light castle, a blond playboy wrapped only in a sheet was singing loudly in the most standard Genoese common language.

Yes, on this beautiful sunny morning, His Majesty Emperor Conrad Karl Drusus Carolingian, patron of the God of Light, ruler of the great empire, happy supporter of the people of Lind, direct descendant of the noble blood of the Carolingian royal family, is celebrating the arrival of beautiful freedom with a song of praise to the sun.

“Chebellacosaenaiurnataesole…” (Ah, what a brilliant sunshine! After the storm, the sky is so clear. The fresh air makes me feel refreshed.)

I have to admit that this guy performed very well, both in terms of singing and the use of Genoese intonation.

When Miss Catherine, the Duchess of Loire with her blonde diamond braids, went to the steel city of Vulcan, Conrad was like a salted fish in the sea or a wild boar rolling in the mud, finally ushering in the long-awaited complete liberation.

Everyone who passed by the balcony, whether they were servants in the castle, guards on patrol, or nobles who arrived early, all showed an expression of "seeing a ghost".

Everyone knows that His Majesty the Emperor, who is in this state early in the morning, will definitely not go to work today!

If I knock on the door, I will only get the reply "Your Majesty is attending to urgent official business". I can clearly see the hairy legs under the sheets and hear the beautiful singing voice with a wonderful resonance like metallic vibrations.

Can! yes!

Whenever a request was made to see His Majesty the Great Emperor, the only response received was, "His Majesty is attending to urgent official business!"

However, things are not always absolute. A pair of anxious-sounding footsteps quickly approached the emperor's bedroom.

Conrad frowned, and the singing came to a temporary halt. He raised his hand to lift the probe from the record, and the gorgeous accompaniment recorded by the Royal Orchestra also stopped.

Not long after, there was a series of knocks at the door with a familiar rhythm.

Normally, Conrad would pinch his voice and pretend to be a servant, shouting out the excuse that "His Majesty is dealing with urgent official business", although because he liked to be alone, he often would not let servants and attendants enter his room.

But the rhythmic knocks on the door revealed the identity of the visitor.

"Gallar, Gallar, why do you come knocking on my door on such a beautiful morning?" As if reciting a poem, Conrad opened the door with a helpless expression:

Through the opened door, the person who appeared before him was indeed Galar, the captain of the guard, childhood playmate, and close confidant.

The Galar Knight didn't immediately answer the question of his lord, but rather rudely peered into the bedroom. Privately, the two of them didn't really care much about the relationship between superiors and subordinates, let alone etiquette.

Based on Galar's understanding of his best friend, there would most likely be a second person in bed at this time, but the news he was about to say was not suitable for outsiders to hear.

However, the scene he saw from the bedroom made Galar stunned, so he asked directly:

"You didn't bring a woman back yesterday?"

"Because I dealt with the Countess in the wine cellar!"

Shaking his golden hair, which was shining brightly in the sun, Conrad, who was still a little tipsy, raised his thumb to himself and said frankly with an extremely proud tone:

“…” Galar held his forehead.

"Forget it, I'm not here to hear about your 'hunting' results. I have something that requires your personal presence today."

"What! The Elrond people are attacking?" Conrad pretended to be shocked.

"Should I pack my bags right away?"

"Although we always said when we were drinking that people who have no interest in power should be allowed to become officials or emperors, but you..."

Even though he knew his best friend was just joking, Galar, who had been busy since before dawn, still felt like his nose was about to be crooked with anger.

"Okay, okay, it was just a joke. What happened?" Conrad asked as he put on his pants.

"Remember that incident half a month ago? It was when the exorcist stationed at the Temple of Knowledge's Linde Bird's-Eye Tower unexpectedly went into a temporary madness while doing a divination. At the time, they issued a notice saying they had detected an unfamiliar spatial fluctuation signal, suggesting a demon from the depths of Hell might be descending, and that we must remain vigilant."

Galar said this while helping a slovenly guy take down his shirt that had been thrown onto the chandelier. This guy must have been drunk to the point of going to see the Holy Father last night.

"Oh, I remember. They said something happened at the Rock of Truth, but it was finally settled, wasn't it?"

Conrad thought about it, and although his brain, which had been marinated in alcohol all night, was still aching, he finally tried hard to recall the events mentioned by Galar.

"Yes, so the robed nobles from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent them away as usual. Less than two weeks later, they unexpectedly sent someone directly here. They say they've drawn a remarkable conclusion from the strange fluctuations they detected at the time. They're already at Neuschwanstein Castle, and Grandpa Alfredo has put them in Reception Room 3."

"What!?! What's going on? Even the Temple of Knowledge has sent people." Hearing this, Conrad almost put both legs into the same trouser leg. As a result, he lost his balance and fell backwards.

The tall Galar rolled his eyes and held Conrad under his arms to prevent him from falling under the bed.

"My level is not high enough. They said the message must first be passed to the ruler of the country, that is, you. Then it is up to you to decide to which level the information can be spread."

Hearing this, the Emperor, who had finally put on his trousers, stood there for a moment, stunned, and then spoke:

"So, they're sending a paladin? The one with silver hair and red eyes?"

"Yes, the person who came is a Grand Knight Commander from the Sword Wielding Department, the Secret Keeping Angel Knights." Galar had just finished speaking when he suddenly realized something. He didn't care about the difference in status between the two, and hurriedly pressed his best friend's shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't get carried away this time! They're from the Temple of Knowledge. You know how brutal they are when it comes to killing demons and the Fallen?"

"As the Emperor, if you were to be burned at the stake for groping a Temple Paladin, something so unbelievable that it would be a complete loss of face for the entire Empire!!!"

"What are you thinking! Not to mention that as an emperor, I can't be tied to the stake." Conrad slapped Galar's hand away with an impatient look on his face.

"I actually just want to invite that lady for tea."

Thus began the Emperor's beautiful morning in an atmosphere of immense freedom.

At the same time, in the downtown area where Lutetia factories are lined up, workers with numb faces are walking towards the factories with tired steps.

Occasionally, a cough or two could be heard from the squirming crowd. Beneath the patched work clothes, the workers' stiff bodies were mostly covered with scars from frostbite, burns, and various other injuries caused by the poor working environment.

The only difference is that some of the workers seem to be in slightly better spirits than usual.

Although their complexions were only slightly better than the others, their steps were longer, their breathing was heavier, and judging from the creaking bridge surface, they even seemed to weigh more than the other workers.

Moreover, there were no messy scars on their bodies and faces, only some vaguely visible metallic particles with shiny black luster.

It was like freckles that were slightly larger than normal, evenly distributed on everyone's face and body, flickering at a level that was imperceptible to the naked eye, accompanied by their heavy breathing that sprayed out white mist.

Chapter 62: Conrad didn't move

In the reception room, Alfredo, the old butler who had been loyal to the Carolingian royal family for many years, placed a cup of fragrant black tea on the coffee table.

"How does it feel to revisit an old place?" The old man, dressed neatly, even his mustache meticulously combed, smiled and asked the visitor standing at the window with his back to him:

"It must be admitted that compared with sixteen years ago, this city has changed a lot, even more than all the changes in the past hundred years combined." The visitor, who was looking at the city scenery through the floor-to-ceiling window, showed an expression of some emotion.

"Besides, you're getting older, little Al."

The guest with long silver hair turned around and revealed a young face like that of a sixteen-year-old girl.

There were no visible wrinkles on her fair and smooth skin, but her striking red eyes revealed a look that looked as if she had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

She wore a full-body suit of golden armor. Ancient historical texts were engraved on the curved surface of the armor. Parchment strips with chapters from ancient books or excerpts of sages' phrases were written on them, and were fixed with a red wax seal that had melted and then solidified. The emblem on the circular wax seal was a long sword standing upright in front of an open book.

However, the most eye-catching thing was the pair of white wings folded behind the newcomer. They were not the wings of the angels of the upper planes, but wings of light formed by the convergence of faint white light, the ends of which were connected to the wing-like components on the back of the golden armor.

The entire reception room seemed to become sacred because of the faint white light emitted from the pair of light wings.

"I haven't heard this title for many years, respected Ms. Celestine." Hearing the other party calling him by his nickname, Alfredo couldn't help but pause, and the expression on his face became sad.

"Ha, that's because you've reached the age where people call you grandpa." The 'girl' called Celestine chuckled, with a good-natured teasing in her tone.

"However, I never expected that the polite young butler who stood behind the previous Emperor Linde at that time would become a powerful fourth-level champion swordsman a few decades later." The visitor changed his tone.

"Or should I call you the respected Silver Wolf Sword Saint?"

"Please stop teasing me. Before I have completely created my own extraordinary sword skills, the title of Sword Saint is really embarrassing." Alfredo waved his hands repeatedly.

"Really? You're still pursuing perfection as always, little Al." Celestine sighed softly.

"My pursuit of perfection and etiquette is like your beauty, which will not change with the passage of time." Alfredo put his hands behind his back and stood beside the sofa in a very elegant posture, fully interpreting the word "etiquette" with his own behavior.

"You're really good at talking." With a chuckle, Celestine turned around and continued to look at the scenery outside the window.

Her eyes kept looking into the distance, passing by the running trains, until they stopped outside the main city gate, also known as the Gate of Heaven, at the distant lower city dotted with a few lights.

Then, the Grand Knight Commander from the Secret-Keeping Angel Knights, a branch of the Sword-wielding Enlightenment Department of the Temple of Knowledge, repeated once again:

"Compared to 16 years ago, the changes here are really huge."

At this moment, there was a rhythmic knock on the door, and Alfredo stepped forward to open the door of the living room. Then, a young woman with golden hair walked leisurely into the spacious and private living room.

Conrad coughed lightly, then noticed that Alfredo's eyes were full of meaning, which made him shudder subconsciously. He quickly recalled what Galar had said to him before, and immediately put away the frivolous smile on his face, and immediately gave up the intention of stepping forward to kiss his hand.

"Ahem." After a pretentious cough, Conrad spoke first in a bright voice:

"Welcome to Linde, dear lady."

"According to the etiquette and customs of your country, you should address me as 'Madam', young Majesty." Celestine, with long silver hair, said in a slightly old-fashioned manner:

"Is that so? Please allow me to apologize for my previous rudeness." Conrad touched his chest slightly to express his apology.

According to the interests of the nobility, as a person of high position, he did not need to make obvious gestures such as bowing even when apologizing.

In fact, if the lady in front of him who looked like a 'girl' did not have a very high religious status, he would not even need to touch her breasts.

Of course, if necessary, Conrad could easily perform a 360-degree split to apologize. As for nobles' dignity and etiquette, those familiar with this salty fish knew he never cared.

"Okay, let's put aside these tedious and useless things. For an old man, wasting time is a very shameful act. Besides, facing the following information, we don't have any extra time to waste." Celestine said in a serious tone:

"Appreciate further details."

Hearing this, although he was a little curious about the girl calling herself an 'old man', Conrad also put away the last trace of relaxation on his face and became serious for the first time.

"The Temple of Knowledge's bird's-eye view tower in Linde has sensed demonic presence several times before. Although for an ancient and vast country like Linde in the Central Empire, it's just like the dust that inevitably appears in the corner, it's not too uncommon. But what happened afterwards forces us to be more vigilant." Celestine emphasized:

As a temple specifically designed to deal with demonic invasions, the Temple of Knowledge has built special wizard towers called Bird's-Eye Towers in various countries.

Taking into account the feelings of various countries, these wizard towers do not have offensive capabilities, but they have specially enhanced detection functions. They can detect demonic auras with an intensity exceeding a certain threshold within a large range, just like a bird overlooking the earth from a high altitude. This is also the origin of its name "Bird's Eye Tower".

Exorcists stationed in the bird's-eye view tower are often proficient in prophecy spells. They will regularly use the power of the bird's-eye view tower to conduct wide-area divination to prevent malicious incidents such as large-scale demon invasions from occurring in their jurisdiction.

"We? Are you talking about the headquarters of the Temple of Knowledge?" Conrad frowned and realized the seriousness of the matter from the other party's words.

"Yes, the exorcist in charge of divination actually went insane for a short period of time because of the scene he saw, which attracted the attention of the librarians in our headquarters' library. Although the exorcist himself has not yet regained his sanity, the divination signals retained by the bird's-eye view tower have allowed the librarians to analyze some very serious signs." Celestine's tone became extremely serious.

"Judging from the spatial fluctuations and the characteristics of the demonic aura, it's possible that the four great enemies themselves are involved."

Hearing this, Conrad couldn't help but hold his breath, and even the fourth-level strongman Alfredo, the butler beside him, frowned.

No wonder this news had to be delivered to Conrad, the emperor, first. The things involved were really too exaggerated.

You know, for the Paladins of the Temple of Knowledge, the so-called "great enemies" naturally refer to the four most powerful evil gods.

"However, officials from your country's diplomatic department used the excuse that 'this is Linde's internal affairs' to deny entry to the Temple's professional team. Please note that if the Four Great Enemies are truly involved, it will be a matter far beyond the capacity of one or two nations. It will be a major event requiring the unity of the entire continent."

Celeste sighed and glanced out the window.