Winter had already set in. The cold evening wind stung like knives. In the withered Sunset Forest, William and five other special inquisitors of the Church of Light killed an adventurer with indifferent expressions.
"These bugs are pretty good at hiding." One of the special inquisitors chuckled. From his unconcerned expression, you'd think he hadn't just killed a person, but merely crushed a mouse.
"Any news from outside?" William asked the other five special inquisitors.
"My lord, everything is normal outside. We've identified the few adventurers who escaped the Sunset Forest. None of them was Xiao Yan," the five replied respectfully.
"Mm." William nodded indifferently. Looking toward the area outside the Sunset Forest, he furrowed his brow slightly. "It seems Xiao Yan isn't in the Sunset Forest. Have we heard anything from headquarters?"
"Nothing yet."
"Where on earth is he hiding?" As William pondered, a figure wearing ordinary knight's armor hurried toward them.
"My lord, a letter from headquarters!" the knight called from a distance, holding up a letter.
"The Zhongyuan Empire has reacted and begun putting pressure on the Church. The pope has ordered you to withdraw for now. Our people must also pull out of the surrounding towns."
"Withdraw!"
Hoofbeats rang out continuously, leaving only a trail of dust on the main road. William and his group rode fast, quickly leaving the Sunset Forest behind and passing through Panshi Town.
On Panshi Town's central avenue, William and the five other special inquisitors led the way, speeding through town. People on either side of the road scrambled to get out of their way.
As he left Panshi Town, William passed a one-armed boy going in the opposite direction.
"Just a nobody."
"You want me to go with you to a party?"
Lynn looked at Kasa, somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected Kasa, who hadn't visited him in a month, to suddenly show up today and ask him to accompany him to a party.
"Hehe, boss, this one's different from the ones we went to before. Let me tell you something in secret..." Kasa lowered his voice as he leaned close to Lynn, as if afraid someone else might hear.
"This time... it's a gathering of descendants of Saint Domain experts!"
After saying this, Kasa raised his head proudly. His smug little expression seemed to say, I'm bringing you along, so doesn't that make me a great friend? You'd better praise me!
Seeing Kasa's expression, Lynn couldn't help but smile, and warmth welled up in his heart.
Kasa truly regarded Lynn as a brother.
Lynn's situation was different from Lin Lei's. Lin Lei's three roommates at Ernst Academy and Lynn's three roommates at the Imperial Capital Magic Academy weren't even in the same league when it came to who could be counted on when trouble arose.
Lin Lei called them brothers, and they truly were brothers.
But Lynn... aside from the guileless Taylor, Leiluo, and Gates, the others might call him brother to his face, but when trouble came and he needed that so-called "brotherhood," those noble scions would show him what reality was really like!
"A gathering of Saint Domain descendants... Is it really appropriate for me to go?" Lynn thought it over carefully, but in the end, he still shook his head and declined.
Seeing this, Kasa grew anxious. "Who'd dare say anything about my boss?"
"Besides, with your talent, boss, you're far better than those good-for-nothings who only know how to rely on their families!"
"All right." Seeing how sincere Kasa was, Lynn realized the invitation came from the heart, so he didn't refuse any further.
I can use this chance to find out what the Church of Light has been up to lately and avoid unnecessary danger, Lynn thought to himself.
That evening, at Blue Sky Cloud, the largest entertainment venue in the imperial capital of the Roland Empire.
Kasa and Lynn, both dressed to the nines, pushed open the door of the luxurious private room, Cuilou Yunyu Pavilion, and entered.
It's huge, and there are so many people! That was Lynn's first impression when he walked in.
As the largest entertainment venue in the imperial capital of the Roland Empire, Blue Sky Cloud was lavishly decorated and incredibly spacious.
Cuilou Yunyu Pavilion, one of Blue Sky Cloud's luxurious private rooms, covered over a thousand square meters. Its furnishings were steeped in old-world elegance, with stone carvings everywhere and the pelts of high-level magical beasts hanging on the walls. Even a Level Seven Magic Core hung in the very center of the room, serving as a light bulb and casting a soft white glow.
If this Magic Core were outside the Sunset Forest, it would be enough to unleash a storm of bloodshed, leaving hundreds dead. Yet here... they've just left it out in the open.
With his Clone Xiao Yan, Lynn wasn't short on Level Seven or Eight Magic Cores, but even so, the sight left him astonished.
Kasa seemed to notice Lynn's surprise and quietly explained, "Blue Sky Cloud belongs to the Zorn Family. The family's ancestor is a Saint Domain expert who's lived for thousands of years, and he's incredibly powerful. Forget displaying a Level Seven Magic Core—if they displayed a Level Nine one, no one would dare steal it out of respect for the old man!"
Then Kasa lowered his voice. "Besides... the one hosting this gathering is Clive Zorn of the Zorn Family. This is his family's property, so he can choose whichever level of private room he wants with just a word. It won't cost him much, and he can make the party look impressive!"
"That's quite impressive," Lynn thought.
When all was said and done, Coiling Dragon was a world where strength reigned supreme. In the original story, Saint Domain experts seemed insignificant, but it took actually crossing into this world to understand that every one of them was a terrifying existence who could easily decide the fate of tens of millions of lives.
These Saint Domain experts and the nobles might both be powerful figures, but there was a world of difference between them.
Blue Sky Cloud was the perfect example. If the force behind it were an ordinary noble family instead of the Zorn Family, then even if it belonged to an imperial duke, hanging a Level Seven Magic Core in a private room would be enough to attract a thief. They wouldn't even have to wait until the next day—it would be gone that very night.
But a Saint Domain family was different. Just as Kasa had said, they could hang a Level Seven Magic Core there, or even a Level Nine one, and no one would dare reach for it.
In Coiling Dragon World, the fist was mightier than the law.
An individual's power stood above everything. The strong could rule the weak.
Lynn and Kasa's arrival drew the attention of only a small number of people.
A young man in a golden robe, his hair combed to perfection, approached at an unhurried pace. He first cupped his hands toward Kasa, then looked at Lynn with a puzzled expression.
"Kasa, it's been a while. Who's this friend?"
"This is my boss, Lynn!" Kasa said casually. Then he turned to Lynn and introduced the young man. "Boss, this is the Clive I told you about!"
Hearing Kasa's introduction, Clive looked at Lynn in surprise.
Clive had heard some time ago that Kasa, the Rivas Family's young genius, had recognized a commoner genius as his big brother. He'd assumed it was just a rumor, but now that he'd met Lynn, he saw it was true.
"So you're Lynn. I've heard a lot about you," Clive said politely, raising a hand. He was exceedingly warm on the surface, but in his heart, he didn't think much of Lynn. So Kasa really did take some commoner kid as his big brother... He's making our Saint Domain families look bad. What an idiot!
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