Another Possibility

Bals was taken aback, not expecting Sart to answer that way, but he quickly recovered and laughed, brushing the matter aside.

With a gentle push, the Spirit Letter floated before Sart. "Since you are an apprentice of Star Tower, please keep this letter safe."

Sart didn't refuse. He casually took a pinch of Spirit Powder from a pouch on his waist and sprinkled it on the envelope.

An unbelievable scene unfolded. As the Spirit Powder touched it, the envelope was once again suffused with a deep blue, and he casually tossed it into the crystal ball.

Yes, Aaron watched, wide-eyed, as the utterly unremarkable envelope vanished into the crystal ball.

Although everyone present hadn't seen such a spectacle before, most were well-traveled and unfazed.

Only the Curiosity Baby, Aaron, who truly hadn't seen much of the world, couldn't help but ask, "Why can that letter be put inside a crystal ball?"

If anyone else had asked, Sart might have ignored them completely, pretending not to hear.

Spirit Letters were a special form of communication for Star Tower; or rather, they were more than just letters.

At the very least, Sart knew several ways to use Spirit Letters, such as directly communicating with his mentor, Julian, using it as a medium, or as an auxiliary material for certain large-scale rituals, or even as a rudimentary container for spices…

Something so important, anyone would keep it secret. This actually involved some of Star Tower's confidential information.

However, since it was Aaron asking…

Sart pondered for a few seconds, carefully choosing his words. "You can think of it as a form of transformation. I'm not at liberty to disclose the specifics."

Aaron replied with a sound, a flicker of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

It wasn't because Sart was being vague, but because the system hadn't prompted him to gain Knowledge Points?

He should have received a certain amount of Knowledge Points just by witnessing a supernatural phenomenon. Now, was this letter not supernatural enough?

Aaron felt a bit dejected.

According to the system, as long as he could continuously experience all sorts of supernatural events, he would gain an enormous amount of Knowledge Points, which meant he could continuously level up.

This was definitely the most direct way to improve his abilities.

It just seemed now that gaining these Knowledge Points wasn't as easy as he had imagined…

On the other side, Bals cleared his throat, his gaze shifting slightly.

As a city lord, he wasn't as rough as his appearance suggested. At the very least, he noticed that Sart's attitude towards Aaron seemed a bit too respectful…

"You?" He casually glanced at Aaron, his smile widening.

"Lord Bals, you should tell us about Tien's death," Alice finally spoke up.

Noble etiquette dictated patience, but she could no longer wait.

Upon mentioning Tien, Bals's expression tightened slightly. He pondered for a moment and then said to Alice, "Is your attendant trustworthy?"

As soon as he said this, before Alice could even react, the useful tool, Ed, showed his displeasure. "City Lord Bals, I'm not sure what you mean by that statement."

Alice clasped her hands together, her expression growing a little more serious. She looked directly into Bals's eyes and said, "Uncle Ed watched me grow up, and he was also my first swordmaster. He is absolutely loyal."

"Yes, of course, I trust his loyalty. In fact, our previous conversation was quite pleasant…" Bals paused, then glanced at Aaron again. "However, they lack Mind Protection. You should know that Heretical Cultists are skilled at stealing thoughts and peeking into people's hearts, especially concerning the death of Master Tien…"

Before he could finish speaking, Ed had already risen abruptly, muttering words no one could understand, and angrily turned to leave.

"Then, Sir Aaron…" Bals naturally turned his gaze to Aaron.

Aaron glanced at Ed's departing figure. His curiosity wanted him to stay, but his reason told him it was best to leave.

Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly felt someone gently take his hand.

Was it Alice?!

He froze, and before he could react, he heard Alice say firmly, "City Lord Bals, he is my fiancé. I will watch over him."

Sart also cleared his throat and gave Bals a slight nod. "I will also keep a close eye on Lord Aaron at all times."

Although Ed had already informed him of this marriage earlier, Bals still showed a hint of surprise. However, he said nothing, merely giving Aaron a profound look.

"If that is the case, then please have Master Sart set up a simple barrier."

Sart raised an eyebrow but still took out a pinch of Spirit Powder and sprinkled it on the crystal ball, activating the barrier.

What exactly had happened to make Bals treat this matter with such seriousness?

Not only did he have to dismiss the servants, but he even needed to construct a barrier?

"City Lord Bals, you can speak now, can't you?" Alice asked, her tone already showing dissatisfaction. "The House of Iris places particular importance on Tien's death. He was one of the family's few Diviners, and we sent him to Leyden City out of trust in you. Now, you have clearly failed to live up to our family's trust."

"You can't say that…" Bals casually rested his hand on the round wooden table, causing it to groan. "Do you think if it were merely Tien's death, Star Tower would be paying attention to this matter?"

"Isn't it because there's an unusually powerful Heretical Cultist in Leyden City?" Alice frowned, sensing something was wrong, but she still instinctively retorted.

"An unusually powerful Heretical Cultist?" Bals chuckled in amusement. "It seems you truly didn't study the information materials I provided for your family carefully…"

"You mean…"

Not only did Alice's expression turn grim, but Sart's also soured.

He vaguely guessed a possibility but couldn't be certain.

"Yes, Tien died in his room without any signs of struggle. All protective gear was removed, and there was a strong Heretical aura in the room. All of this points to an unknown Heretical Cultist…"

Bals drew out his words. Although he still had a smile on his face, it was a fake smile; there was no amusement in his eyes.

Aaron sighed inwardly.

Why not just say it directly?

"However, there's another possibility," Bals said, staring into Alice's eyes and enunciating each word: "He himself is a Heretical Cultist."

Alice's face instantly changed. "That's impossible!"

She even instinctively clutched Aaron's hand, squeezing his knuckles until they creaked!

Aaron's Constitution stat of 5 indicated he was under immense pressure.