Chapter 104: Complete Madness

"Quiet Forest Rest" tavern, at the table near the bar, three drunks were lying drunk as mud.

With his head buried behind an oak wine glass, Alex hiccuped and shouted toward the bar.

"Boss! Hic—another beer! No... four! Fill it up for my good brother Luoluo too! This meal must be on me!"

Luoluo really didn't lie to him, the beer here was indeed good, and a faint mushroom fragrance permeated the pure wheat aroma.

It's just that for some reason, the seemingly bland wine was exceptionally intoxicating.

Usually, he could drink five big cups of beer like drinking water, but now he was dizzy and unstable after only four cups.

If it weren't for Finis and Xiuwen already lying on the table, he would have suspected whether his drinking capacity had become worse.

The boss sitting behind the bar was obviously seeing drunks who could get drunk on beer for the first time, and couldn't help but mutter in his heart whether he had served the wrong wine, serving the good wine that hadn't been watered down.

Refilling four big cups of beer, he signaled the female waiter on the side to serve it to the guests.

The female waiter looked at the boss in confusion, asking incomprehensibly.

"Isn't there only three people at that table?"

"Don't worry about them, they ordered four, you just serve it to them." The boss rolled his eyes and sent her away.

Without a doubt.

The guy who brought them here had already slipped away from the front door.

This kind of thing of dodging the bill is not uncommon in the adventurer circle, as the hotel boss, he only needs to ensure that one person pays.

Mist Town has guards, and they are guards hired by the Adventurers' Guild, so there's no need to worry about anyone really daring to make trouble and not paying.

Seeing the boss say so, the female waiter didn't say anything more, carrying the heavy tray to the side of the wine table.

However, just when she was about to place the full beer glasses on the table, she was attracted by that handsome face.

So handsome—

However, she always felt a bit familiar.

The female waiter couldn't remember where she had seen this face, only feeling that the more she looked, the more familiar it was.

And just when she was about to put away the empty wine glasses on the table and leave, her peripheral vision swept across the wanted poster beside the bar.

The moment she met the gaze of those purple-to-black pupils, she felt her heart stop for two seconds, and then quickly looked at the guy who was drunk as mud beside him.

It was also a face with distinct edges and corners, the high nose bridge and the slightly curled bangs complemented each other under the candlelight.

Especially those purple-to-black pupils... she swore that as long as she saw them once, she would never forget them.

There couldn't be a mistake!

This guy was the fugitive on the wanted poster!

That necromancer and alchemist who made the million residents of Lei Ming City talk about him with fear, the serial killer who carried 27 lives!

Her eyes turned from surprise to fear, and then every cell in her body trembled uncontrollably.

"Clatter—!"

The empty oak cup in the tray suddenly fell to the ground.

"Sorry—!"

She hurriedly squatted down, apologizing with a voice that was about to cry, while picking up the cup back into the tray in a flurry.

"Watch it, Miss! If you get that on my pants, I'll have to make you... make them clean." The drunk Fenis was unexpectedly bold, even changing his usual shy and reserved image as he stammered while teasing the waitress.

Only Xiuwen stared at the leader motionless, that dull expression was like a koala that fell from a tree and was stupid.

"Alex..."

Noticing Xiuwen's burning gaze, Alex raised his head to look at him, smiling heartily and saying.

"What's wrong? Looking at me like that, is there something on my face?"

The drunk Xiuwen shook his head, silently poured a mouthful of beer, and muttered in a low voice.

"I feel like you've become a different person, maybe I saw it wrong..."

"You guy! If you envy me, just say it, don't talk in circles, hahaha!" Alex laughed while drinking, pulling the empty chair beside him, "Brother Luoluo, let's have another drink! By the way, what exactly is your surname? I told you, you should tell me—"

The empty chair naturally couldn't answer his words.

The female waiter tremblingly picked up the cups and tray, and escaped back behind the bar amidst Finis's whistling.

"What are you doing! Clumsy!" The boss behind the bar scolded, but saw that the expression on his employee's face was unnatural.

Realizing that something might have happened, he frowned slightly, and pulled the woman who was about to cry into the door curtain of the back kitchen.

"What happened? Did that guest take advantage of you?"

If so, he had to collect money.

Facing the boss's aggressive gaze, the female waiter covered her mouth, glancing at the wanted poster beside the bar with tearful eyes.

The hotel boss was stunned for a moment, then his face gradually turned pale, ran into the back kitchen, and grabbed the apprentice who was helping the chef to the window.

"Quick! Quick, go find the guards!"

The apprentice was confused, but seeing the expression on the boss's face was obviously not joking, he immediately climbed out of the window and ran toward the guard's duty booth nearby.

The three people sitting in the hotel lobby drank and drank, suddenly finding that only their table was left in the lobby, and the guests next to them didn't know where they had gone, and the boss and waiter behind the bar had disappeared without a trace.

"Strange... what's going on?"

Alex muttered, just wanting to ask the "Luoluo" beside him if he noticed what happened around, but saw a large group of guards wearing light armor striding across the threshold and walking in.

"Is this catching a fugitive?" Finis curiously stared at that group of people, but saw them walking straight toward their side.

Before the three could react to what happened, a sharp shout interrupted the silent atmosphere in the hotel lobby.

"It's him! Miranda! The evil undead alchemist!!!"

Miranda?!

Hearing this name, Alex and others froze instantly, breaking into a cold sweat, and even the beer that they hadn't drunk much of woke them up.

Looking at the murderous guards surrounding them, even if they were stupid, they realized that those people were coming for them, hurriedly grabbing the weapons leaning against the table, and jumping up from the chairs.

"Wait a minute! Is there some misunderstanding in this?!"

"Put down your weapons! I'll only warn you once!"

The guard captain wearing armor looked like he was facing a great enemy, roaring while waving his hand to signal the shield-ship first row to open the formation.

At the same time, the mercenary musketeers in the back row placed the thick and long iron tubes on the shields, aiming at the three people in the hotel lobby.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out! Although realizing that there might be some misunderstanding, Alex also had his own pride, and it was absolutely impossible to surrender to a group of mercenary guards.

Bullets?

His sword was much faster than that thing!

Just when he was about to act, a dense sound of footsteps suddenly came from the door.

Looking at the shiny armor appearing at the door, a look of ecstasy appeared on Alex's face.

Grand Duke Campbell's Trident Knights!

This person was Knight Commander Meier.

Extremely lucky!

Although he didn't know why the Trident Knights appeared here, he had met this Knight Commander at the banquet in Lei Ming County! He believed the other party would definitely help him! "Meier White! Do you still remember me, I am Earl Spinor's—"

His voice hadn't fallen yet when it was interrupted by the sound of a long sword being unsheathed.

"We meet again, Mr. Miranda, or... I should pretend not to have seen through your identity and call you Bond."

Alex: "???"

Bond?

Miranda? What the hell happened?!

Alex was completely stunned, standing in front of the wooden table, looking at the Knights surrounding him, unable to say a word.

Just then, Xiuwen suddenly noticed the wanted poster posted on the bar, and then looked at his leader's face.

That missed expression instantly turned into horror, the bow and arrow in his hand fell to the ground, and he said in a stuttering voice.

"Alex... your face."

Face? Alex's expression shifted slightly; he reached out to touch his own face and, sure enough, discovered something unusual in the stiff contours and lines.

That wasn't his face!

Meier stared at him fixedly, pointing his long sword at the tip of his nose, sneering and saying.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Alex took a deep breath, quickly calmed down and said.

"I was drugged... this isn't my face!"

Meier narrowed his eyes and stared at him.

"Drugged?"

"That's right... a man and a woman, the woman is gone, and the man is also gone," Alex swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said with a trembling voice, "It's that Luoluo! That guy is the real Miranda! He... drugged me after getting me drunk!"

Meier frowned, his sharp gaze staring at him, trying to read traces of lies from it, but it was a pity there weren't any.

The armed priest carrying the mace walked to his side and whispered in a low voice.

"Maybe it's a transformation potion... if that guy is an alchemist, configuring such a potion is not a difficult thing for him."

Meier asked in a low voice.

"Is there any way to identify it?"

The armed priest said with a positive voice.

"Very simple, the transformation potion can't be maintained for too long, short ones two or three hours, long ones twenty-four hours will expire... and, just touch it and you can see if it is."

The appearance adjusted by magic potion is ultimately not one's own, just touch it and you can immediately feel the unnatural traces.

Meier gave him a look, and the latter immediately understood, holding the mace and walking toward Alex's direction.

"Don't be nervous child... if you are really drugged or cursed, then put down your weapon, let me take a close look at your face."

This time Alex didn't resist, decisively inserting the sword back into the scabbard, while signaling his companions to put down their weapons.

Facing the knights of Grand Duke Campbell, they were no match at all.

These guys had fought hand-to-hand with the Demon King's army on the battlefield, and didn't know how many demon lives were in their hands.

Legend has it that even Trident Knights without transcendent power could defeat demons with Black Iron-tier

Seeing that this group of fierce-looking thugs finally hadn't started fighting inside his shop, the owner of the Forest Rest finally wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Alex, arms spread wide, looked at Mel, who was holding a longsword, and said in a serious tone.

"Alex Spinor, my father is Count Spinor... I can swear to Saint Xisi that everything I say is the truth."

Mel did not speak; another knight standing beside him stared at him and asked.

"Why would a noble become an adventurer?"

Alex said without hesitation.

"Because I want to become stronger! Stronger than the bottleneck I was destined to reach! Is that reason enough?" "Enough," Mel said, staring at his face with an emotionless gaze, his tone cold. "It is also enough of a reason for having gone astray. If you were truly devout, you would know that Saint Xisi has his reasons for doing this."

"I know... but I also have my own reasons."

Gritting his teeth as he said this, Alex stared at the unfeeling Mel with an incredulous look, never expecting that the latter truly didn't remember him at all.

The armed priest carrying a mace walked up to him, reached out to pinch his cheek, and then tugged on his ear.

Soon, an expression of surprise appeared on the priest's face; he turned back to look at Knight Commander Mel and said.

"The skin is hard; this is definitely not his face!"

Mel's gaze turned sharp in an instant.

"Where is that person called Luoluo?"

Alex answered truthfully.

"I was too drunk at the time to remember clearly... You'd be better off asking the owner here; he definitely knows when the guest who sat at our table left."

Seeing the Knight Commander's gaze shift to him, the owner of the Forest Rest felt his knees go weak with fright and hurriedly explained.

"I, I don't know! My lord, but I can swear to Saint Xisi! The person who came with them definitely does not look like the one on the wanted poster!"

Seeing his state, Mel knew nothing could be learned from him; he didn't waste any more time on him and immediately ordered.

"Search this inn! Don't miss a single room!"

"Yes!"

The group of knights rushed toward the stairs, their thumping footsteps nearly causing the dilapidated wooden staircase to collapse! Seeing that his suspicion was finally cleared, an expression of relief appeared on Alex's face, and he then looked at Knight Commander Mel and said.

"Can I go now?"

Mel looked at him without any leniency and said expressionlessly.

"You can only clear the suspicion that you are not Damier, but you cannot clear the suspicion that you are not his accomplice."

Alex argued anxiously.

"That logic makes no sense at all! If I really were his accomplice, why would he put his own face on my head? Is this helping me or harming me?"

As he spoke, he began to feel his skin itching.

Soon—

Signs of festering appeared first below his nose, followed by large patches of skin flakes falling to the ground, spreading outward with his nose as the center.

"Who knows?" Mel stared at Alex indifferently and continued in an uninterested voice, "But I think after I catch that guy, everything will come to light—"

Before his words had even finished, the sound of a window breaking suddenly came from outside the inn.

"Crack—!"

Immediately after, a black shadow landed on the side of the inn, used the buffer of a carriage to roll onto the ground, and then took off running toward a nearby alley.

That clumsy movement naturally could not escape Mel's eyes.

Almost at the same time the shadow landed, Knight Commander Mel shouted, "Keep an eye on this guy!", and then took the lead in chasing after it.

Miranda ran through the alleyways, twisting and turning in an attempt to shake off the pursuers behind him.

However, that guy clad in heavy armor was as agile as a cheetah, charging through the narrow alley without feeling restricted in the slightest.

Seeing the distance between that guy and himself closing, Miranda, driven into a dead end, finally felt deep despair rise on his face.

"Damn it! Nuoweier?! Is this the necromancer you were talking about?!"

The voice from the void did not answer him; the boundless silence was like the night gradually enveloping the alley.

After an unknown amount of time, Nuoweier seemed to finally remember its apostle whose life was hanging by a thread—the young man who had welcomed It into this wonderful world out of a thirst for truth and knowledge.

It was just that, at this moment, Its interest had long since shifted from this uninteresting soul to another, more interesting one.

That guy had seen through his own fate.

And what was interesting wasn't just that; not only did he not avoid or submit, he instead jumped off the chessboard and sat across from It, reaching his hand toward the board.

Rather than calling it interesting.

It would be better to call it incredible.

"However, this isn't bad either."

"Hehehe..."

The unpredictability of fate lies right here; the hunter may become the prey at any time, and until the very last moment, no one knows who is the sheep to be sacrificed and who has become the god's favorite.

It decided.

Not Miranda, and not Mel.

The one It chose was that person—

The eerie, manic laughter made Miranda's hair stand on end, and the mad dog in hot pursuit behind him made him feel there was nowhere to escape.

He felt he had been tricked by this guy again.

"Damn it—"

Miranda cursed, filled with regret.

He shouldn't have believed this guy's nonsense!

Just as Knight Commander Mel and Miranda were sprinting through the alley, Luo Yan, sitting on the roof, was watching the show while looking out over the dusk-filled alley.

Miranda had used wind-element magic to increase his movement speed, but his constitution and strength were ultimately no match for the knights under Grand Duke Kanbeier.

If he just kept running blindly, then being caught was only a matter of time.

Floating beside Luo Yan, Hearing You You circled him excitedly.

"As expected of the Demon King! I didn't expect you to have this trick up your sleeve!"

Luo Yan smiled faintly and said nothing.

Actually, breaking the deadlock wasn't very difficult.

One just needed to determine what the ritual was and destroy it.

For example, making the "detective" who had lost his way realize that Miranda, who was skilled in alchemy, still had the possibility of escaping judgment using a disguise potion.

For example, making the murderer who was about to escape judgment become a murderer once again.

If one had to say, Hearing You You's contribution was actually the greatest; its ability to sense the general location of the Chaos Evil Spirit's apostle had been a huge help.

And what Luo Yan did was merely to stuff Alex into a sack and throw him out to stir up trouble.

Anyway, that guy was a noble; he wouldn't die just by revealing his identity.

Once the commotion was caused, the guards would inevitably search the inn and even the nearby blocks, and the real Miranda hiding nearby would definitely try to escape.

Shala, who was monitoring the entire street, wouldn't let him get away.

The only thing that exceeded Luo Yan's expectations was that he didn't expect the Trident Knights and that Mel, who was suspected of being involved in the ritual, to be here as well.

But this worked out perfectly.

He was even saved from having to show his face.

Not long after, Miranda finally couldn't run anymore; after knocking over a pile of discarded crates, he stumbled and fell to the ground.

And Knight Commander Mel, who was in hot pursuit behind him, also stopped his pace; his even breathing showed no signs of disorder, as if the chase just now had been nothing more than a jog for him.

Obviously.

He had been intentionally draining this guy's stamina, which was why he hadn't sprinted during the long chase with Miranda.

Looking at the thin, panting man, Knight Commander Mel drew his longsword and pointed it at the bridge of his nose, his voice cold and stern.

"I think you should have a lot to say to me... for example, tell me why you fled from the search scene?"

"Why..."

Propping himself up on the ground with his elbows, Miranda straightened his body, and laughter suddenly erupted from his mouth, laughing until he was out of breath.

Mel frowned slightly, sensing something unusual from the figure before him.

Black aura coiled around his body; that pure darkness seemed like evil energy even more wicked than necromancy.

Using reason to suppress the urge to go up and hack him, Knight Commander Mel asked with a serious expression.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing at your stupidity!"

Miranda, having stopped his laughter, opened his eyes wide and stared fixedly at the knight who had driven him into a dead end.

Although he knew very well that saying anything now was meaningless—the ritual had already reached its end, and the only difference was that the sacrifice had been changed.

Yet, longing to live, he still gave his final struggle with all his might.

"That's right, I am Miranda... but I haven't stepped out of this town all month; everyone in the inn can testify for me. You ask me why I fled from the search scene? I should be the one asking you why you're hounding me! Haven't you realized it? The story about me was fake from the beginning! It doesn't exist! Or rather—it was fabricated by you, who have been hounding me relentlessly!"

"Fabricated by me?" Mel sneered and said, "I've never heard such a funny joke."

"Then you're hearing it now," Miranda stared straight into those eyes, speaking the whole truth, "You! You are the Mad Whisperer! You are the Mad Whisperer! The apostle of the Mist of Deception, Nuoweier, the god-chosen one selected by Him!"

"Your thirst for truth and exploration pleased Him; from the moment you deduced that name through reasoning, you had already completed the ritual and luckily gained His favor!"

"I've done something similar to you; I know very well what kind of feeling that is, but I immediately gave up chasing Him after realizing His identity! And you! Ignorant and fearless, you even followed Him all the way here under His lure!"

"This is the truth! Understand?! If you understand, then wake up! That guy is no good! There's still time!"

Miranda shouted everything he knew in a hysterical voice, then panted like a dead dog, quietly waiting for Knight Commander Mel's answer.

If one were to talk about regret.

He certainly had it.

He should have sought his mentor's help the moment he completed the ritual, or found the high ranks of the Academy for help, instead of running to the ends of the earth alone with the secret, hoping to digest Nuoweier's curse with time... and after everything was beyond saving, naively fantasizing about sacrificing a necromancer to satisfy Nuoweier's appetite for a successful conspiracy.

The current situation was also his own fault.

The alley was silent.

Miranda quietly waited for the verdict of fate.

Knight Commander Mel looked at this young mage indifferently, a sunny, warm smile suddenly appearing on his tense face.

And soon, that sunny, warm smile turned into manic laughter in the desperate gaze of someone.

"Truly... what a blasphemous statement!"

"Mad Whisperer? Nuoweier's apostle? I serve only Saint Xisi, and it was that lord who guided me here!"

"Unless there is one possibility—"

"Saint Xisi is Nuoweier!"

Miranda's eyes turned ash-gray, completely giving up hope.

This guy was already insane.

Everything was already too late.

Chaos, after all, had descended...

(End of chapter)