Baron Lonanks

Because of what had happened that morning, Vincent was listless all day. It was nearly evening before he regained some of his spirits, so he sent someone to bring Green to the castle for dinner and to discuss the news about that "anomaly."

Actually, Vincent was still somewhat unwilling to accept things after returning, and the information the auction-house attendant had gathered that morning might not have been accurate. Thus, after coming back, he had specifically sent someone to investigate it more thoroughly. However, the results were not much different.

Since this was not a formal occasion, and the authority of the nobility had gradually declined after the Industrial Revolution, many of the elaborate formalities of the past had been discarded. After giving Vincent a slight bow, Green sat down directly. An uncomplicated yet exquisite dinner had already been placed before him.

Green swept his eyes over the table and realized this was how his predecessor and Vincent usually interacted. He sat down without the slightest hesitation and began eating. As he ate, he listened to Vincent ramble on about the new information he had gathered. Green offered no opinion and merely listened quietly. Just as they were about to finish eating, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the dining room. A sturdy young man wearing light leather armor, with a revolver and a short fighting sword tucked at his waist, quickly entered.

"Rolt, what's the rush?" Vincent asked in surprise. Rolt was his personal guard, an Advanced Apprentice Knight. He was steady and reliable, and Vincent rarely saw him this flustered.

"Young master, something has happened!" Rolt's expression was grim, showing that the situation was extremely serious.

"What happened?" Vincent's expression tightened.

Seeing this, Green felt a faint ominous premonition rise in his heart.

"Baron Lonanks has been murdered! The adventurers staying at the auction house are all dead too—nine people in total, and not one survived." Rolt spoke rapidly, his voice full of urgency.

Green and Vincent were both startled. Baron Lonanks was a major figure in Landon City, on par with the Wilson Family. Although he was only a baron, he was skilled at business, and his family owned a mining company that was one of the renowned mining giants in southern Lorenzo Kingdom. Moreover, aside from his title, Baron Lonanks was also a senator in the Northwest Province council. His influence throughout the Northwest Province even surpassed that of the Wilson Family.

"How did they die? Who was the murderer? Have they caught them?"

Vincent asked three questions in succession, but he already had a certain suspicion. Baron Lonanks had also gone to the auction house that morning. If he had bought those three Elf slaves, then everything made sense.

Besides, the outsiders who had been murdered alongside him were the adventurers. Who else could the murderer be except that "anomaly" that had followed them all the way?

Before Rolt could answer, an elderly silver-haired man wearing a black tailcoat and white gloves entered from outside and gave Vincent a solemn bow.

"Grandfather Lawrence, what brings you here?" Vincent immediately rose and returned the bow. Green also stood up.

No one in the Wilson Family dared look down on this old steward, who had served three viscounts. Even Vincent, as the family heir, had to maintain a respectful attitude toward him.

Steward Lawrence's gaze swept over Rolt as he said calmly, "Young master, you've already received the news about Baron Lonanks, I assume. The lord is going over to take a look. Please accompany him."

"All right." Vincent immediately agreed, then said to Green, "Green, you're coming with me." With that, the two of them quickly followed Steward Lawrence to the castle entrance.

A luxurious carriage bearing the Wilson Family crest was parked outside the castle. The coachman stood beside it, and upon seeing the three of them approach, he immediately came forward to open the door.

Vincent lifted his leg and climbed into the carriage. Green and Lawrence, as stewards, were also entitled to sit in the carriage, but they could not sit as equals with their master. They could only take the two small seats near the door.

Inside the carriage, Vincent's father and head of the Wilson Family, Viscount Paul, sat with an expression as dark as still water. When he saw the three of them enter, he showed no emotion, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Viscount Paul was not yet fifty. He was tall and imposing, and it was said that he had served in the army when he was young and had once possessed the strength of an Advanced Apprentice Knight. But with age, he had put on some weight. He looked less like a knight and more like a capitalist.

"Father!" Vincent was clearly somewhat afraid of him. He lowered his head and sat opposite Viscount Paul.

Viscount Paul grunted, his gaze sweeping over Green before turning to his son. In an even tone, he asked, "You went to the auction house this morning?"

Vincent nodded. "Yes. I heard last night that three Elves had arrived, but those Elves seemed to be connected to the 'anomaly,' so I gave up on them."

A trace of satisfaction flashed through Viscount Paul's eyes. "Not bad. Your mind is still clear enough. You know how to see through the situation and control yourself."

"Thank you for the praise, Father." Vincent secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Clearly, none of his actions had escaped Viscount Paul's notice.

Meanwhile, the carriage traveled along the smooth road toward 25 Westbrus Street, the Landon City mansion of Baron Lonanks—a three-story house in the Baroque style.

Since the distance was short, the carriage arrived quickly.

Quite a few people had already arrived before Green and the others, including the mayor of Landon City, the city council speaker, the police chief, and the chamber of commerce president—important figures who were rarely seen together. 25 Westbrus Street had been sealed off by the police. Nearby onlookers who had come after hearing the news were stopped outside the cordon, where they gathered and pointed, discussing the matter animatedly. Some, knowing only bits and pieces, had already begun embellishing how the wealthy baron had been killed, describing it as though they had witnessed it themselves.

With Viscount Paul present, Green and the others naturally were not turned away. The four of them crossed the cordon and walked straight inside.

The moment they entered, they heard a woman crying. In the first-floor sitting room, a beautiful young woman in her twenties was wiping away her tears. This striking woman was Baron Lonanks's second wife, a baroness of common birth, and she was now the first heir to Baron Lonanks's estate.

Beside her, the president of Landon City's chamber of commerce—a potbellied forty-year-old widower—was obsequiously comforting her.

Viscount Paul exchanged the perfunctory pleasantries required by etiquette, then walked directly into the study on the first floor. This was the first scene of Baron Lonanks's murder. The mayor, council speaker, and police chief were already there, and the police forensic investigators had just arrived.

Because the study was limited in space, Green and the other attendants were kept outside the door. However, through the open doorway, they could still see the baron's corpse hanging in midair.

The rope was tied around the base of the crystal chandelier. The corpse hanging below had a bluish face, bulging eyes, and its tongue sticking out. Its expression was horribly contorted with pain, as if it had seen something unimaginably terrifying before dying. Its hands and feet were also twisted unnaturally. They should have been broken, making it obvious that suicide was impossible.

The corpse was soon lowered, and the police medical examiner began his preliminary examination.

A few minutes later, the experienced old examiner raised his head with a grave expression.

The police chief immediately asked, "Well? Is this an ordinary murder, or something else?"

The old examiner understood what the police chief meant by "something else," as well as what kind of answer he hoped to receive. Unfortunately, the chief was destined to be disappointed this time.

The old examiner's expression was severe as he said in a low voice, "The corpse has clear signs of Psychic Energy. It should have been done by some kind of anomaly."

"Damn it!" the chief cursed under his breath, but there was nothing he could do. He looked toward the mayor and council speaker, then at Viscount Paul and Vincent. "Gentlemen, I'm afraid an anomaly that murders nobles has arrived in Landon City. We must notify the Anomalies Bureau and report this immediately. This is no longer something Landon City can handle."

Listening from outside the door, Green's thoughts raced. In particular, the examiner's mention of "Psychic Energy" gave him an idea.

Psychic Energy was the foundation of all supernatural power in this world. Whether one was a mage, a knight, or some other profession, their supernatural abilities were all transformed from Psychic Energy. Earlier, Green had absorbed the Psychic Energy stored inside half of the Bone Whistle, accidentally activating the Graveyard within his body. Unfortunately, because he lacked sufficient Psychic Energy, he could only open half of it and still needed more.