Dekan's Victory Banquet

Two weeks later.

A banquet is being held tonight in the royal palace of the Randir Kingdom to celebrate the great victory in the war to protect the nation.

Of the four bishops sent by the Resurrection Church, the Bishop of Corruption Fahim was killed in battle, the Bishop of Frenzy Clay fled, and the third bishop, who had never appeared, was also confirmed by the Astrologer to have left the Randir Kingdom.

Only one bishop remains, presumably lingering near the border of Landir.

However, this is a normal phenomenon and there is no need to worry.

It wasn't until yesterday, when the Astrologer confirmed the whereabouts of the three surviving bishops, that the Randir Kingdom finally felt certain of the outcome of the battle and was able to relax.

Therefore, a celebration banquet was held tonight, and Dekan and his entourage were invited as the most distinguished guests.

In addition to the nobles of the country who came to witness the ceremony, there were also foreign envoys, such as other teams participating in the seventh-tier assessment, as well as reinforcements from other countries that came to the Randir Kingdom.

At this moment, the Beautiful Soul Squad is traveling to the palace in the same luxurious carriage.

It was a specially made carriage that looked a size larger than the surrounding carriages. Its body was painted with flowing gold powder, and the lanterns on the carriage were made of polished immortal crystal.

Compared to the vehicle that initially greeted them from the outskirts of the city, this one was clearly an upgrade to the highest-spec vehicle the Randir Kingdom could offer.

The carriage was getting closer and closer to the palace along the palace path.

Along the road lined with rows of meticulously pruned cedar trees, the carriage traveled along the lapis lazuli-paved road and was soon to arrive at the palace.

"Look ahead, meow."

Following the meow of Cat Teacher, the Beautiful Soul Squad saw a wide square not far ahead of the palace, already filled with all kinds of luxurious carriages.

The members of the Beautiful Soul Squad had all seen a lot, so they remained relatively calm.

Only Tata, seeing the various badges on the carriages, was both curious and somewhat dazzled, and couldn't help but rub her eyes.

They couldn't leave Tata alone at home to come to the victory celebration.

Of course, the considerate king knew that their team had kidnapped a child after arriving in the Randir Kingdom, so he made an extra mention in the invitation that they could bring their relatives and friends.

"Tata, if you don't want to talk to strangers later, just hide behind us."

Dekan looked at Tata beside him and said.

"Um."

Tata nodded seriously.

Arriving at the royal palace, she felt both joy and a little fear.

Although she has now tied her horns into the shape of hair ornaments, put on a pretty little hat, and Mie has also helped her disguise the color of her right eye.

But she was still worried that her demonic features would be exposed.

Dekan seemed to understand Tata's feelings and said with a sly smile:

"Don't worry, with your looks, no one will dare to mess with you. Just enjoy the banquet."

"OK."

Seeing Dekan's face and hearing his words, Tata gradually felt relieved.

Suddenly I felt like I had a powerful backer.

Moreover, there's no need to actively bring out your backing.

With just her face, people would assume she's Dekan's sister.

As the carriage approached the palace, a group of attendants strode up. These attendants were tall and strong, but all were very polite.

They had exceptional respect for Dekan and his group.

Although Dekan was merely a commoner from another kingdom.

However, the current level of hospitality is at least equivalent to welcoming princes from other countries.

Moreover, on the way to the palace, everyone, whether servants or nobles, showed reverence for Dekan.

Of course, respect might account for 10%, while fear might account for 90%.

Dekan's reputation was known to everyone in the Randir Kingdom, especially in the Royal Capital.

Have you ever heard of the Bishop of Pain?!

It can stop a child from crying at night!

However, no one dared to jokingly call Dekan the Bishop of Pain; they only dared to think so in their hearts.

Although most people have very mixed feelings about Dekan.

But.

At least the appearances must be done well!

Just toast him in front of him, that's all!

Regardless of whether Dekan is a hero, a true Bishop of Pain, or a fake Bishop of Pain, "Don't mess with Dekan" has become common knowledge among the people of Landil.

Otherwise, Fahim's fate will be sealed.

Before they even reached the palace gates, the king himself came out of the palace to greet the group who had just alighted from their carriage.

After exchanging pleasantries, Dekan found the King of the Randir Kingdom to be as approachable as a friendly neighbor.

Back in the border town, it seemed that this was the attitude his neighbors all had towards him.

Have you decided when you'll return to the Norton Kingdom?

The king asked as he led them into the palace.

"Let's do some sightseeing in the Royal Capital tomorrow. We should go back to school after that, otherwise most of the semester will be wasted."

Dekan thought for a moment and then said.

Although they thought the Randir Kingdom was a good place.

But they've had enough fun.

We can't let ourselves sink into this state.

The reason Dekan and his men stayed in the Randir Kingdom for two weeks was that the Randir Kingdom relied heavily on Dekan's defenses until the crisis was over.

After all, after eliminating Fahim, he could be considered the number one figure in the world Resurrection Church.

Despite the inherently high level of danger in Dekan.

But in the midst of the crisis, the king preferred to trust Dekan.

In recent decades, there have also been heroes who have defeated bishops of the Resurrection Church.

But there has never been a record of defeating two bishops in such a short period of time.

In a sense, Dekan did manage to repel the Bishop of Frenzy Clay.

The King said, "Very well, please tell me if you need anything. You are welcome to come again."

Dekan: "... Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

Dekan increasingly felt that the king was like the uncle next door.

When Dekan left the town, the uncle next door looked similar.

She seemed eager for him to leave, but dared not show it.

Dekan was used to it and didn't care.

Norton Kingdom is his home.

They don't care about other places either.

After entering the banquet hall.

Generally speaking, as the main characters at this celebration banquet, there will be many people of various backgrounds trying to curry favor with them.

However, the current reality is that, apart from a few bolder groups, such as those from the Southern States, who dare to come and have a friendly encounter with them.

Everyone else kept their distance with great politeness.

Whether out of politeness or some other emotion, everyone in the banquet hall was praising Dekan's achievements.

He proved with his abilities that even without the title of Bishop of Pain, he was a true Bishop of Pain.

If it were the last time in Tristin City, many people would think that Dekan and Croix were the support, while the main force that defeated Evans was the eighth-tier special- Card Crafter Ice Princess and the Holy Knight Judith of the Sun God Church.

This time, everyone realized that it was Dekan who truly destroyed Evans.

Clearly, he managed to deal with the two bishops this time without relying on the assistance of any eighth-tier powerhouses.

He is an extremely Terror and demonic man.

They should not be underestimated.

What was supposed to be a celebration banquet where they were the main characters now felt somewhat out of place.

So the group could only huddle together and helplessly chat with their own people.

"Actually, I really felt that I wasn't the MVP this time..."

"I'm so frustrated, "Dekan said.

Although everyone is praising him this time, he himself feels very depressed.

During his trip to the Randir Kingdom, many things turned out contrary to his wishes.

It felt like several parties were plotting their own schemes and interfering with each other, ultimately leading to a chaotic situation where no one could predict how things would develop.

Dekan, by sheer chance, seized control of the situation.

It felt like a lucky accident.

It also felt like everything was fine even without using your full strength.

This strange luck pleased Dekan, but not entirely.

His sister card didn't even get a chance to appear!

Looking back now, the real turning point actually began when Dekan met Clay.

Everything went too smoothly, which led to a series of subsequent plans and actions.

"You're not referring to that Bishop of Frenzy as the MVP, are you, meow?"

"Cat Teacher asked, perched on Tata's head."

It is no longer afraid of Tata.

Although it is aware that Tata is also an Underworld Card Crafter, it seems far more benevolent Dekan at the moment.

There is no threat.

After getting to know the rest of the team, the third person Tata started to become close to was Cat Teacher.

She appeared very calm.

But his eyes couldn't hide the fluttering desire to touch Cat Teacher.

"Who else could it be? Clay gave away a huge advantage, and Fahim was already mostly defeated before he even appeared on the field."

Dekan highly values Clay's Man of the Match award.

"Does Fahim still have any hope of escaping from you?"

Mie, standing to the side, asked with a smile.

"If Clay hadn't made that epic sacrifice of his teammates at the end, Fahim might have actually escaped from me. But whether he could have escaped from Shadow Bishop, I don't know."

Dekan waved his hand dismissively, as if it were nothing.

Mie nodded, but then seemed a little doubtful and asked:

How did you know it was the Shadow Bishop?

Dekan: "Just guessing."

The two then smiled but remained silent for a while.

"If Clay knew Morion was still alive, would he have gone to the Southern States to pester Morion relentlessly?"

Croix suddenly remembered something and asked.

He felt that if Clay heard about Morion, he might actually go to the Southern States to track down Morion's whereabouts.

If these two were to meet, it would probably be quite a spectacle.

However, Dekan shook his head, looking conflicted, and said:

"To be honest, I really can't figure Clay out anymore. Is he genuinely stupid, or is he just pretending...?"

After carefully reviewing the entire process, Dekan began to have a question.

Whenever he's had too much luck, Dekan wonders if there's some inevitability hidden within the randomness.

After all, low-probability events are unlikely to occur frequently.

Just in case.

Clay isn't stupid; he's a real Zhuge Clay.

Thinking about it this way, it's terrifying.

Fahim's death was truly deserved!

As a witness to the entire event, Croix understood Dekan's meaning and began to ponder.

But he soon had a question and asked:

"If Clay really wanted to help you, why didn't he just approach you and express his opinion directly?"

"If he comes directly to me seeking cooperation, I might not only distrust him, but I could also potentially sabotage him. So, revealing his true identity to me directly is too risky and would expose the identity he has painstakingly cultivated."

Dekan explained with a helpless expression.

Croix nodded after listening.

He pondered, resting his chin on his hand, while muttering his reasoning:

"... So Clay arrived in the Royal Capital early, his primary goal being to disrupt the Resurrection Church's plot against you, hoping to at least save you... He waited for us on the outskirts of the city until we entered Tata, during which time Clay secretly monitored us... Once we entered the casino, Clay deliberately pretended to be stupid... well, then dramatically lost the Bishop's Token to you, handing over all the intelligence and initiative to you like that. Wouldn't that arouse your suspicion?"

Croix finally understood Dekan's deduction.

"You know what, it actually makes a strange sense."

Dekan said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

If he and Clay were truly a willing buyer and a willing seller, then Fahim was completely tricked and killed by the two of them.

Even if one of the traitorous bishops hadn't appeared yet, Fahim truly had no chance to retaliate.

"Wouldn't that make us look like the villains, completely lacking in martial ethics, setting traps to hunt down Bishop of Corruption?"

Mie listened to their reasoning and sighed.

"Let me put it this way, it's not just 'like,' our team's reputation is completely ruined!"

Dekan gave a wry smile, as if he had already given up on himself.

The problem now isn't just that the male members of the Beautiful Soul Squad killed Fahim in an extremely cruel way.

The girls' group also felt off.

Although the two women and the cat did not appear at all during the main battle.

However, the armies from the Northern Nations did not appear at all.

Anyone with eyes to see would know that the forces from the Northern Nations would definitely cause trouble for Dekan.

If this team emerges, the outcome of the final battle between Dekan and Fahim could very well change.

The fact that the teams from the Northern Nations could disappear so mysteriously is undoubtedly largely due to the efforts of the seemingly inactive "Beautiful Soul Squad" girls' team.

What is truly terrifying is--

All five members of the Northern Nations' group became mentally impaired.

They are still in the hospital and can only say "Aba Aba".

The tests revealed that their brains had all been damaged by toxins.

Apart from the team leader, Alik, who was attacked by Clay, the other four were all ambushed and instantly killed.

It would be almost impossible for anyone other than an eighth-tier expert to do this.

It's hard to imagine how a group of girls could have accomplished this.

Moreover, no matter how many clues were investigated, it showed that the girls' group had done nothing wrong!

The situation of these people in the Northern Nations has absolutely nothing to do with them!

Clearly, the locations of the girls' group and the teams from the Northern Nations largely overlapped before they disappeared!

But it just so happens that it can perfectly clear one's name, leaving no room for doubt.

This perfect method of crime sent chills down the spines of the security forces of the Randir Kingdom.

The final conclusion can only suggest that this unsolved case was most likely the work of the bishop who never appeared.

The report's findings immediately angered the eighth-tier powerhouses from the Northern Nations who had come to their aid, causing them to leave.

To say this has nothing to do with these Underworld people is just fooling the ghosts!

This conclusion is undoubtedly meant to fool idiots.

Or perhaps it's due to the Randir Kingdom's bias towards the Beautiful Soul Squad.

Or perhaps they simply don't dare to investigate any further.

Dekan seemed somewhat distressed by the team's current reputation.

"No, it's okay. Back when it was just Dekan and me, our reputations were already pretty bad, and we never expected them to improve!"

Cornelia comforted Dekan, saying...

"What you're saying sounds like 'marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog' kind of thing..."

Mie couldn't help but complain.

"No, no!"

Cornelia seemed a little embarrassed after hearing Mie's words.

"Tata, I... let's go eat."

"Good..."

Although Tata is still a little afraid of Cornelia and Mie, she has temporarily confirmed that these two dangerous older sisters will not harm her and will even protect her.

Those who are willing to protect her are all good people.

So Cornelia took Tata's hand and left.

"Dry rice? Did you teach that word again?"

Mie looked at Dekan with utter disdain.

These strange yet vivid words most likely originated from Dekan.

"Oh dear, I was wrong. I shouldn't have taught her the language. Croix should teach her..."

Dekan said with some shame.

However, at this moment, Croix was still seriously analyzing Clay's composition, muttering to herself:

"If Clay isn't an idiot, then not only is his combat ability at its peak, but his strategy and acting skills are also Terror good. What a top-tier intelligence agent he is..."

"If you keep going down this line of reasoning, I won't know if you're praising him or badmouthing him, meow..."

Cat Teacher finally couldn't help but interrupt Croix's reasoning.

"Forget it, if this keeps up, I'll end up in Dihua too. Who cares what kind of background Clay has? Anyway, I'm really looking forward to seeing him again."

Dekan patted Croix on the shoulder and said with a helpless smile,

"Let's go eat too."

"Cooked rice!"

"Cooked rice!"

"Dry rice meow!"