In front of Dunkirk City Hall's main entrance lay Dunkirk's largest municipal square. On ordinary days, it was a fine place for children to play and idlers to bask in the shade. Now, a blizzard had swept over everything, and thick snow blanketed the square. Aside from a path painstakingly cleared by the city hall's laborers, every other part was buried beneath several feet of tightly packed snow.
Ancient buildings of gray granite surrounded the rectangular municipal square. They all belonged to some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in Dunkirk Port: great chambers of commerce, high-end salons, luxury hotels and restaurants, and even a few ultra-luxurious apartments. Anyone who came and went here was rich or influential; ordinary folk could only wander through the square and look.
Directly opposite city hall stood the Green Rose Hotel, famed throughout Dunkirk for its luxury. The United Chamber of Commerce of Dunkirk owned the hotel, and its headquarters occupied the ground floor.
At that moment, in the hotel's finest suite, Arthur reclined on a sofa, his one eye narrowed as he watched the flickering figures in a sphere of water suspended in midair. Every move made by Blackbeard, Lin Qi, and the others was revealed within it.
Pine logs crackled in the suite's fireplace, and the room was as warm as spring. Besides Arthur, several other people were present.
Standing behind the sofa where Arthur lounged was a towering, dark-skinned giant, dressed in tight leather trousers with his muscular upper body bare. The man was bald and black from head to toe, with only two white patches where his eyes were. He was a native of the Black Spirit Continent, far to the south across two thousand miles of ocean.
His muscles bulged like coiled ropes, and he stood like a lion. His sharp gaze swept over everyone in the room except Arthur, marking him unmistakably as a fiercely loyal bodyguard. A massive curved blade with an ivory hilt hung at his waist. The blade was a full six feet long and exceptionally heavy; once swung, it would clearly deal devastating damage.
Opposite the long sofa where Arthur reclined stood a single armchair. Seated in it was an extraordinarily striking young man.
He was striking because he was far more handsome than Arthur, his looks almost otherworldly. Beside him, even the handsome Arthur was like a pebble trying to rival a jewel—the gulf between them was vast. Golden hair, golden eyes, and skin as fair as milk; his features were so exquisite and beautiful that his face was several shades lovelier than that of even the most stunning young woman. A suffocatingly delicate, feminine beauty clung to him.
The young man sat there in a simple black robe, yet he seemed dressed in the full regalia of an emperor, his entire body as if bathed in light. A thick, oversized tome bound in black sheepskin rested on his knees as he watched Blackbeard and Lin Qi in the water sphere with keen interest.
On the sofas to either side of him sat five young people, three men and two women, all sitting primly upright. Two of the men wore close-fitting warrior outfits, while the third wore a black robe. The two young women, unmistakably identical twins, wore red robes.
The two women were both breathtakingly beautiful, but their expressions were stern and cold as icebergs, making them impossible to approach. On their left breasts were two palm-sized insignias: a holy cross engulfed in flames, with a crown floating above it.
These were the insignia of high-ranking clergy in the Church's Chamber of Cardinals. Clergy entitled to wear these red robes held lofty positions in the Church; when they traveled abroad, their status and authority were directly on a par with those of a bishop in a diocese.
Arthur's gaze occasionally drifted over the two women's faces, and the corners of his mouth twitched. He couldn't help feeling that it was a pity these two peerlessly beautiful young women—and identical twin sisters, no less—were such ice queens. What a waste of two lovely faces. They were so young, yet already high-ranking clergy in the Church's Chamber of Cardinals. What a waste of their natural gifts.
After sighing inwardly at such a waste of nature's bounty, Arthur lazily straightened up and pointed at Lin Qi inside the water sphere. "Honorable Elham, this is Lin Qi, the only son of my adoptive father. He's a thoroughgoing villain, a complete little thug."
The black-robed young man, who seemed to radiate light and carried himself with such solemn authority that no one dared approach him, slowly nodded. "Your adoptive father is quite interesting. He's a Heavenly Knight, and the guards around him are all peak Earth Knights. Hmm, I'm becoming more and more interested in the terms of cooperation you proposed."
Elham tilted his head thoughtfully and chuckled. "Your adoptive father is plotting to become mayor of Dunkirk?"
Arthur replied with a sneer, "In the future, he may even have his eye on the post of provincial governor. In other words, he wants to become a powerful regional lord of the empire. And with the wealth and influence he commands, there's a good chance he'll succeed, barring unforeseen complications."
Elham's interest was clearly piqued. He smiled. "Oh? That would work nicely. If your adoptive father becomes governor of a province and holds the post for a few years, then suddenly meets with an 'accident,' while your nominal younger brother Lin Qi disappears, you'd inherit his wealth and power, wouldn't you?"
Arthur frowned and shook his head. "Lin Qi can disappear, but my adoptive father—well, I have to admit he's treated me well, so I don't want anything to happen to him. One thing is one thing, another is another. I yearn for the immense wealth and power my adoptive father commands, but I don't want to hurt him!"
Elham sighed softly and gave Arthur a pitying glance before shaking his head. "That's the most tedious sort of sentiment you sinners have. Still, I respect your choice. Since we're partners, I'll honor your wishes and use my authority to help you fulfill them as best I can."
Arthur said solemnly, "Honorable Elham, this cooperation will benefit both of us, won't it? You'll help me get what I want, and once I have it, I'll naturally become your most devout believer. I imagine my strength will be useful to you as well."
Elham smiled with dignified restraint and nodded. "Yes. His Majesty sent me to the Gallic Empire to expand the Church's influence, and I certainly need people like you to help me. Then it's settled. Lin Qi will disappear soon—as you wish, he'll disappear as soon as possible. As for your adoptive father, we'll let him become mayor of Dunkirk and governor of Yasen Province!"
Arthur excitedly rubbed his hands together. He picked up a bottle of sparkling wine and asked Elham with a smile, "Then, shall we have a drink?"
Elham nodded indifferently. "According to the original doctrines, alcohol—which can cause the spirit to lose control—is one of the original sins... To those old fogeys, drinking is an unforgivable crime. But we're different. Times have changed, and we must keep up with them!"
With a smile, Elham nodded. "Let's have a drink. I prefer wine with a mellow flavor."
With a soft clink, several glasses touched.
Elham's calm voice sounded. "Ya, Ling, go test Lin Qi."
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