Chapter 139: How Could Dekan Have Taken Over The Lord's Mansion?
Judith was well aware that the crucial matter now wasn't the cultural changes in Tristin City but dealing with that wicked man - Cardinal Evans. If he had truly infiltrated Tristin City, then it might only take one night for the entire city to descend into hell!
"This Evans is too cunning. Even though I chased him desperately the entire time, I was still eluded by his tricks," the female knight Judith gritted her teeth, "Although the direction Evans escaped to wasn't towards Tristin City, this is still the most likely place for him to come after giving it some thought. After all, he seems to have some obsession with Tristin City."
Lord Lampard responded, "Yes, he does indeed..."
"Don't be afraid. Even if I have to stake my life, I will protect the people of Tristin City and ensure that the tragedy won't repeat," Judith's voice carried an unmistakable sorrow. For her, the disaster at noon was still vivid.
...
Lampard was somewhat speechless. Judith seemed to be in a hurry, only concerned with giving instructions and not giving him a chance to speak.
"I'll be going now."
However, just as Judith was about to turn and leave, she unconsciously sniffed her nose. It seemed that from the beginning, she felt something was off with the mansion. Now, her sense of discomfort grew stronger.
"The smell of blood? And the smell of something burning?"
Judith suddenly became alert. She solemnly unsheathed her sword and quickly walked in the direction where the faint smell of blood was coming from.
That was how Judith walked straight to the reception hall.
She saw three unfamiliar faces and, on the floor, a wrapped corpse emitting the scent of blood!
Her arrival also drew the attention of the three people in the hall. Croix turned his head to look at her. He was leaning on the back of the sofa, appearing somewhat fatigued and frowning.
Cornelia and Dekan, on the other hand, were sitting across from Croix, facing Judith as she entered the reception hall.
Cornelia had her hands on her thighs, expressionless, seemingly indifferent to the wrapped corpse on the floor.
What horrified Judith the most was, without a doubt, Dekan. He appeared nonchalant and lazy, squinting his eyes. In his hands was a glass of grape juice that looked like high-quality wine.
The crimson liquid, stirred by the ice cubes below, was emitting a slight chill. Tiny condensation droplets formed on the glass. This tempted Judith, who had come a long way and was quite thirsty, and caused her to feel the urge to gulp.
Dekan, as if oblivious to Judith, leisurely brought the beverage to his lips and took a small sip. After tasting it, he finally seemed to notice the unexpected guest in the reception hall.
"Oh? Another visitor?" Dekan said with a smile.
Observing the unsettling atmosphere in the reception hall, Judith's hair stood on end. She remained vigilant against Dekan.
Soon, Judith finally understood why she instinctively felt this guy was the most dangerous. Because a careful sniff revealed that, in addition to the corpse bag on the floor emitting a bloody smell, the gray-haired youth also had a faint, lingering scent of blood that couldn't dissipate quickly. It was an evenly distributed scent of blood from someone who seemingly applied perfume all over their body.
Judith had encountered it before. It was from a Resurgence Church's cardinal, someone as wicked and unforgivable as the Cardinal of Ruin Evans, the Cardinal of Corruption. He enjoyed torturing people in various cruel ways, even experimenting on live subjects. For example, Blood Evaporation, a nefarious spell, was the Cardinal of Corrpution's masterpiece.
Judith would never forget the scent that clung to the Cardinal of Corruption after using Blood Evaporation — it was similar to the current Dekan. If the three individuals in the reception hall were minions of the Cardinal of Corruption, then Tristin City was in imminent danger. Dealing with just one Cardinal Evans was already troublesome for her. Without support, if the Cardinal of Corruption were involved as well, she felt powerless. Moreover, the worst part was that the Lord's Mansion might have already fallen.
"Lady Judith, please calm down! They are my friends!" Viscount Lampard hurriedly ran from the entrance to explain.
He realized that the current issue seemed to be more than just explaining Evans' situation to Judith! The three individuals in the reception hall exuded a strong presence and seemed remarkably relaxed, treating the place as if it were their own. Add to that the corpse sack on the floor, like a finishing touch! Even to him, the three of them looked like dangerous terrorists who had hijacked the Lord's Mansion.
However, upon hearing Viscount Lampard's words, Judith just shook her head. She positioned Viscount Lampard, who had followed her into the reception hall, behind her. Her actions only made Dekan even more vigilant.
Judith: "Lampard, don't worry for I am here."
Viscount Lampard: "No, I haven't been kidnapped..."
Judith quickly "understood" Viscount Lampard's meaning and shouted at the three people on the sofa: "You three! Surrender and release Lampard's family immediately or you will soon die by my sword!"
"..."
Upon hearing this, Dekan furrowed his brows slightly. He probably guessed from Lampard's faintly audible conversation at the door that this person was the tier 8 expert who had been beaten by Evans.
To be beaten by Evans, what kind of retard were you?
"Have you considered the possibility that we three are the good guys?" Dekan asked somewhat helplessly.
"You don't look like normal people at all!"Judith, perhaps due to the intense mental torture she experienced today, was now too tightly wound, and her emotions seemed a bit agitated.
"Haah," Dekan sighed wearily. He thought he had already wrapped up his day. Little did he expect that an actor who seemed to have wandered into the wrong film set would disrupt his peaceful evening rest.
Initially, Dekan could have immediately told the female knight that the body on the ground was Evans. But he changed his mind now. How could he casually let go of this heaven-sent visitor?
"Well, let's make a bet. If I can't prove in the next minute that I am not from the Resurgence Church, I will surrender without resistance. But if I can prove that I am not from the Resurgence Church, how will you apologize to me?" Dekan asked with a somewhat provocative smile.
"Haha, ridiculous. I've never seen someone so blindly confident like you," Judith sneered.
Clearly, the scent of blood on you has been exposed, yet you continue to act. The more realistic the acting, the more laughable it becomes.
"Just tell me how you would apologize if you were incorrect," Dekan repeated, seeming a bit impatient.
"If I wrongly accuse you, I will apologize until you are satisfied!" Judith said coldly and decisively.