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Join the ServerHaving thoroughly disguised Leon, Gern led him out. They had barely exited the cellar entrance where the Heretic God Cult members were imprisoned when a familiar figure came into view.
He focused his gaze, recognizing the man as Anthony, whose mind had been ravaged and corrupted by the Heretic God.
Anthony seemed to still recognize Gern. Upon seeing him, he began to approach Gern with a strange, shuffling gait.
“Hey~ eh-heh, Ge… Ge… Ge… Gern, I… I… I like… the… the… prin… prin… princess, Your Highness. Stay… stay away… from her… her… stay far away.”
Gern’s mouth twitched. Even in such a state, Anthony was still fixated on Lilia, a fact Gern found truly admirable. If only he could, he would have sworn brotherhood with Anthony and even given Lilia to him, anything to keep her from following him.
He had no desire to live in constant dread, fearing the day Lilia might dismember him once more.
Gern paid little mind to the now-mad Anthony, instead continuing his path outside with Leon.
Leon, for his part, let out a significant sigh of relief. He had just feared being discovered, only for a madman to appear instead, leaving him with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
The two then exited the prison. Leon, inhaling the fresh air, was almost intoxicated by it; his days of incarceration had been a bitter ordeal. He mused that if he hadn’t escaped soon, he might have become ‘marinated’ by the putrid stench of the dungeon.
After Gern briefly outlined future rendezvous points and communication methods, he released Leon.
Shortly after these arrangements were made, Gern encountered Miss Snow, who had just emerged from the prison. For some reason, the way she looked at him struck him as rather peculiar.
“Um… Miss Snow, are you…”
Snow offered a faint smile, taking a few steps forward to whisper softly into Gern’s ear.
“It’s nothing. I merely wished to test the efficacy of a potion on you. Come now, be a good boy, won’t you come to your big sister?”
“Potion efficacy? What…”
Gern hadn’t even finished his sentence when he felt a sudden disorientation of his consciousness. There was no need to explain what this sensation was; it was clearly the effect of a hypnotic agent.
He took several steps back, attempting to maintain distance. With his mental fortitude, the impact would be relatively minor as long as he kept his distance.
“Um… Miss Snow, you…”
“Hmm? Not bad at all. You can actually resist it.”
Observing Gern’s reaction, Snow felt a mix of pleasant surprise and disappointment. She was delighted by Gern’s strong spiritual power, which allowed him to temporarily withstand the hypnotic potion’s mental assault. However, she was dismayed that even a cultivator of Gern’s caliber could resist the potion, suggesting it might be ineffective against the Guild Master.
‘Alas, it seems this concoction requires further refinement. I’ll seek out Selina later; perhaps she has a solution.’
“Alright, Gern, go attend to your affairs. I have matters to see to myself, so I’ll be taking my leave.”
With these words, Snow departed in a hurry. Gern finally let out a soft breath; had his will wavered even slightly just now, he would have fallen into a trance. The danger posed by that substance was indeed high, and he resolved to guard against it carefully in the future.
****
Meanwhile, in the Klett Kingdom, a remote region of the continent, a shocking event of national proportions had unfolded.
It was announced that the royal family had ordered a thorough investigation into the Williams family for their alleged collusion with the Heretic God Cult.
Victor and his son cooperated fully. Based on their intelligence, the Klett Kingdom managed to apprehend nearly half of the nobility within its borders.
Given their cooperation, the royal family did not pursue their utter annihilation, merely stripping them of their noble titles and demoting them to commoners. However, Glot’s corruption was too severe; even with sealed warriors containing the contamination within his body, the kingdom could not tolerate such a hidden threat.
Just as the kingdom prepared to carry out Glot’s execution, a figure suddenly burst into the town’s council hall.
All the high-ranking officials of the kingdom were present, and they expressed a hint of surprise at this unexpected visitor. Some senior officials were about to summon the guards when they were abruptly restrained by a colleague.
The official, still somewhat bewildered and clearly annoyed, was told, “Brother, hold on. This person is dressed in Theoviga attire. They must have a reason for seeking us out. Let’s hear what they have to say first.”
“This… very well.”
The senior official then noticed the visitor’s attire. Upon confirming it was indeed a uniform from Theoviga Academy, fine beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He wiped the sweat away, a look of lingering fear on his face. Had he not been reminded, he might have caused a grave disaster.
“Sir, may I ask if you have an urgent matter to discuss?”
“Oh, nothing else of import. I am merely here on a small errand, by order of our Vice Dean.”
“Please, do tell! Please, do tell!”
“The condemned prisoner, Glot, whom you are about to execute—we wish to take him for observation.”
“This…”
Some officials’ faces showed difficulty; after all, the public notice had already been posted. How could they renege on it now?
“What? Do you have difficulties?”
The representative from Theoviga Academy’s eyes widened, and a powerful aura emanated from their body. Although the person before them was merely a fourth-tier mage, equivalent to the strongest individual present, the Theoviga Academy stood behind them. None of the assembled officials dared to challenge them, and could only offer awkward, placating smiles.
“Sir, it’s not that we are unwilling. Glot has atoned for his past deeds, and by all rights, we should spare his life. It is only because of the Heretic God’s corruption within him that we resorted to this drastic measure. Since your esteemed Academy wishes to take him, then by all means, do so. It saves us the trouble, does it not?”
The official was indeed eloquent. The person in the Academy uniform nodded, exchanged greetings with those present, and then, holding a token, departed.
On the execution grounds, Glot, clad in a prisoner’s uniform, was escorted by a group of people to the execution platform. Gazing at the azure sky, Glot’s heart was filled with both hatred and regret. He hated the Heretic God Cult, and he equally hated his own weakness.
After enduring such events, his state of mind had undergone profound changes, but it was now too late. Perhaps this was his retribution; all grievances could only be settled in the next life, when he could properly repay those bastards from the Heretic God Cult.
Glot clenched his jaw, his fury reaching its peak. Since his ‘other half’ had been sealed, he rarely experienced emotions. Today, however, he felt a flicker of emotion after a long absence.
He walked slowly onto the platform, calmly placing his head beneath the guillotine, closing his eyes, and awaiting the arrival of death.
“Stop the execution!”
Just then, a cry echoed from a distance. The executioner, about to act, and the priests waiting nearby, all turned their gaze towards the source of the shout. When they saw that it was the visitor from Theoviga Academy, they immediately ceased their actions.
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