Lord Black Lives Forever!

"Who told you?"

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"He did. It was posted in the readers' group announcement."

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"His own announcement?"

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Quill was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Good. Very good."

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Knowing he'd be surrounded if they found out, yet still daring to show himself and hold a book signing—just like Sean had gone to the Black Berry Rainforest despite knowing he might die while searching for the Spring of Enlightenment. It seemed this author was trying the same trick again.

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He admired Sean's courage.

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"It's also possible he's deliberately deceiving us, trying to distract us and hide his real location," the orderly offered.

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The source was reliable. They had someone embedded in Sean's readers' group, but whether Sean's words could be trusted...

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That was hard to say.

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The man was cunning.

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"It doesn't matter. If he doesn't go to the book signing, we'll just keep looking for him, and I'll stay in a bad mood. Personally, that's certainly not good news for me, but it won't cause the hospital any unnecessary losses." Sean's appearance had put Quill in an exceptionally good mood, and he rarely spoke this much with his subordinates. "But if he really dares to go, this time I'll make sure he can't escape."

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"I believe he'll go."

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The people who knew you best were often not your friends, but your enemies. Quill and Sean hadn't had much contact—they'd only met once—but Sean's composure and decisiveness had left a deep impression on him.

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In a way, Sean was a madman, too. His way of doing things was very different from that of the other patients at the hospital. The more dangerous something was, the more he might want to try it, because greater risks meant greater rewards. A man who wasn't afraid to trade his life for an enemy's—Quill believed Sean had the guts to attend the book signing.

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"Then who are we sending this time?" the orderly asked.

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Winster and the others' total defeat had already proven that ordinary Witch Hunters and guns and ammunition posed little threat to Sean. They would have to increase the dosage to save this stubborn patient.

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"We're sending no one."

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Quill gazed at the empty cage hanging by the window. His sickly smile was reflected in the glass.

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"This time, I'm going myself."

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Old Sigel City.

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Sean wore a hooded sweatshirt, his head lowered as he hurried through the crowd.

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It had taken him two days to get out of the Black Berry Rainforest, then another two to hitch a ride from a couple on the highway, politely asking them to take him as far as the border of West Raker State. After that, he found a car that did smuggling runs and rode it all the way to Old Sigel City.

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There were five days left until the book signing on the first. Whether Quill could guess that he'd come early didn't matter.

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Because he had a "bodyguard."

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Today marked exactly one week since the great Mr. Black had given Kate his instructions.

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Sean had rented an apartment in Old Sigel City for a while in the past, so he knew the city fairly well. First, he found a motel and rented a room to sort out his accommodations for the next few days.

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Before leaving Holkodo, Sean had gone to the bank and withdrawn all his savings. He didn't have much left after buying a house and making mortgage payments, but if he was careful, it should last until his royalties came in on the fifteenth of next month—unless Quill had someone freeze his bank account.

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One reason he'd chosen a motel was that it was cheap, better value than a hotel. More importantly, he didn't need to show ID, which lowered the risk of being tracked down.

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The girl at the front desk was thin, with a rose tattoo on her hand. She thought Sean was handsome and gave him a discount: eighty yuan a night, breakfast included. Then she handed him a little card featuring a sexy woman and said with a sultry look, "Give me a call tonight~"

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Sean made it clear he wasn't interested. "I don't need that kind of service."

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"Then I'll call you. I need it."

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Sean: "?"

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He decided to lock the door with a True Formula that night.

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Under the girl's possessive gaze, Sean left the motel with a blank expression and took a taxi to the eastern suburbs.

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He didn't have the driver take him straight out of the city. Instead, he got out downtown and walked to the abandoned factory himself.

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This was the address he'd given Kate.

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The area had been deserted for years, and few people came by. That also meant anyone spotted there would easily become a suspect, and it would be hard to shake off anyone following them. So it wasn't exactly an ideal place to meet and hand something over—nowhere near as good as a crowded place like the train station or the pedestrian street. Sean could easily imagine Kate looking over his shoulder every few steps as he approached.

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After all, he'd done the same himself.

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And that was exactly the effect Sean wanted.

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Two strangers meeting at a busy train station might be a coincidence, but if they met in an empty, abandoned factory, it had to be intentional. That saved them a lot of pointless conversation and made people instinctively read more into it. Besides, a secluded, enclosed place could give the more powerful party a greater sense of security.

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Just as Sean had expected, Kate arrived cautiously.

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This was the first time he'd met Kate in person, and he realized the man was an exceptionally good actor.

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Kate wore sunglasses and a scarf, along with a jacket that made him look like a country cowboy. He dragged a suitcase behind him, looking around as he walked and stopping now and then to think. He looked exactly like a lost tourist who'd just arrived in Old Sigel City.

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He kept up this act until he "found his way" into the factory and saw Sean, who was just as thoroughly bundled up and wearing a mask.

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"!"

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Kate was startled.

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There was someone else here?

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Sean was startled, too.

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Flames instinctively sprang up in his palm.

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They spoke at almost the same time:

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"Who are you?!"

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"Why are you here?"

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They eyed each other warily.

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Kate noticed Sean's hand and spoke in a cold voice. "Are you a wizard?"

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But Sean's voice was even colder, edged with a hint of murderous intent. "Aren't you?"

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He knew about wizards, but wasn't one himself. That could only mean he was a Witch Hunter.

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With one sentence, Sean had made his position clear.

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Kate's thoughts raced. When he first saw Sean, his initial reaction had been that their secret had leaked, but after thinking it over, that didn't seem likely.

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Lord Black had specifically stressed that he handle this himself, implying that he didn't want anyone else to know. So Kate hadn't told a soul, not even his teacher, Adev.

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Apart from Lord Black and Kate himself, no one else knew this location.

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Lord Black had no reason to harm him, either. And even if he did, he wouldn't send Sean. The moment Sean had revealed his magic, Kate had seen that he was only a Tier One Newborn wizard. Kate, meanwhile, had already reached Tier Five and earned the unique title of "Light Servant." With no one else around, if they fought, Sean would be easy pickings. He wouldn't last a single move against Kate.

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But if Sean wasn't an enemy and was actually an ally, what was he doing here?

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Could it be...

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"Were you sent by Lord Black, too?"

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Sean was taken aback. "Too?"

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From his reaction, Kate knew he'd guessed right. He was fairly good at reading people. He let out a sigh of relief and said, "Put away your magic. My name is Kate. You've probably heard of me."

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Sean was astonished. "Kate? The Light Servant who made it to the second level of the Holy Temple?"

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Kate took off his sunglasses and puffed out his chest proudly. "That's right. You're looking at him."

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The misunderstanding was cleared up.

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The flames in Sean's hand went out. Kate asked him, "What did Lord Black send you to do? Can you tell me?"

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He wondered whether the materials in his suitcase were supposed to go to Sean.

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Sean hesitated, then replied, "I'm not sure."

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"How can you not know what you're here for?" Kate asked, puzzled. Thinking Sean still didn't trust him, he decided to be blunt. "I'm a pretty straightforward person, so don't take this the wrong way."

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"With my rank, if I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. You wouldn't still be standing here. Or I could capture you and slowly interrogate you with mind magic until I got what I wanted. I wouldn't even have to worry about you lying. There's no reason for me to waste time saying all this."

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His mission might have something to do with Sean. Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered asking so many questions.

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"Of course, if Lord Black told you not to reveal anything, you don't have to say a word," Kate added.

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"That's not it." Sean seemed persuaded. He gathered his thoughts and said, "Actually, Lord Black didn't ask me to do anything this time. I ran into a problem and went to Lord Black to pray. That's why he told me to come here today."

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A problem?

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"What kind of problem?" Kate asked.

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"I've been targeted by a doctor named Quill from Floris Hospital in Holkodo," Sean explained. "I'm an author, and I have a book signing on the first of next month. It could be dangerous."

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"Then why not just skip it?" Kate asked, baffled. "You don't need me to tell you which matters more, money or your life, do you?"

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"No. I have to go. It's not about money," Sean said seriously. "My book is called The Moon and the Knight. I did dramatize some parts to make the story more compelling, but essentially, it's still a biography—a record of Lord Black's magnificent life."

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Sean's voice was utterly resolute. "You may not know this, but Lord Black has always been my faith. Even though the Scholar Era has passed, that will never change."

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"I won't forget him, and none of us should. Without him, the Empire we have today wouldn't exist."

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"I don't expect everyone to see the truth of history or remember Lord Black's name, but I'll keep doing my best."

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"Faith can't be defeated by danger. On the contrary, it only makes me more steadfast. The more my enemies oppose me, the more it proves I'm doing the right thing. Even if one day I really die and they nail me into my coffin, I'll still shout from my grave, in this decaying voice—"

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"Lord Black lives forever!"

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This wasn't just about Karl Black himself. It also stood for the spirit of daring to resist the oppression of the Witch Hunt. As Sean spoke, he grew more and more impassioned, his powerful emotions surging out like a tide and enveloping Kate until his eyes reddened. What heartfelt conviction!

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Was Kate not one of Karl Black's staunchest supporters, too?

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So there was someone else in this world who regarded Lord Black as his lifelong faith.

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Looking into Sean's eyes, which showed no fear of death, Kate understood.

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Sean's appearance at the book signing wasn't for himself. He was representing Lord Black.

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At last, Kate understood why Lord Black's instructions had been so simple. The materials weren't the point. What Lord Black really wanted was to see where Kate stood.

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He wanted the same resolute attitude Sean had: to charge ahead without hesitation, even knowing the road ahead was fraught with danger!

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"I understand!" Kate's gaze grew fervent. It was as if something inside him had caught fire. He said to Sean, "Go ahead and attend your book signing five days from now. I'll stay by your side the whole time."

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"Quill, is it?"

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"If he dares touch you, I'll make sure he never leaves!"

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All right, that's settled.