On the third floor of Lichtenstein Castle.
Lanchi and Hughberlian stood before the master bedroom that had originally belonged to the Castle Master and knocked lightly twice.
"Is that Lanchi?"
"It's me."
Lanchi immediately turned the lock and pushed open the Castle Master's bedroom door.
Through the crack in the door, a slightly dazzling flicker of light instantly pierced the dim corridor.
Lanchi entered the room with Hughberlian.
The walls of this spacious room, which resembled the grand hall at the heart of an ancient castle, were covered with countless carvings and decorative details. It was like an open history book, its rich colors and delicate lines making people involuntarily want to uncover the stories behind them.
A magnificent, blazing fire burned in the marble fireplace. In the distance, dark-brown floor-length curtains concealed the night outside, making the entire room feel even more secretive, as though some unspeakable ritual were underway.
Beside the four-poster bed at the center of the room stood the same three familiar figures.
The three now-multitalented clergymen wore masks and were concentrating on modifying a dried corpse.
"If all the prey's soft tissue has been dehydrated and dried out, including the internal organs, then we need to use a bit more force when taking it apart. Yes, just use your strength. Don't worry about damaging the prey."
Frei stood nearby, still instructing the three clergymen.
"Stop... Stop it...!"
The thin, withered corpse surrounded in the middle had pale skin, its texture as clear as ancient parchment.
What defied common sense was that the dried corpse was still struggling in agony. It was horrifying!
The instruments in the three clergymen's hands turned over the corpse again and again.
Sometimes gently, sometimes violently.
Either way, they elicited faint, shrill cries from Earl Parocas.
The high-pitched sounds mixed with