Chapter 361: The End of the Despicable

Just when the "Admissions Office" of the Academy was in panic because of Prince Kelin's test paper, the Eagle Rock Territory on the other side of the border was not idle either.

Two days had passed since Sir Richter's righteous triumph.

In these two days of chaos, this noble master had long forgotten the "spoils of war" he had captured back to the castle.

At this very moment, he was busy appeasing his furious wife, who was ready to leave home at any time, and had no time to care about the dozens of women added to the dungeon.

The dungeon was cold and damp, the water droplets seeping from the walls carried a moldy smell, and the air was mixed with the smell of decay and despair.

More than a dozen thinly dressed women were locked in the same cell, huddled together, cold and hungry, their gorgeous makeup long ago ruined by tears of fear.

Most people were sobbing in low voices, but not everyone was willing to bow to fate, for example, a red-haired girl named Lina, whose thick arms still retained a trace of vitality like wild grass.

She grabbed the cold iron bars, shook them with force, and shouted at the guard soldier who was dozing off in the corner with a hoarse voice.

"Hey! How long are you going to keep us locked up? Sir Richter's anger should have subsided by now! The money has been given to you, what else do you want? That thing? Then reach in, I happen to be hungry too."

The guard on duty was woken up by the rude shouting, spat out the grass root in his mouth with disdain, walked over lazily, leaned against the side of the cell, and mocked.

"Be content, you witch-women who sold your souls to succubi. If it weren't for the lord's benevolence, you guys who should go to hell would have been hanged on the city wall long ago!"

The guard's scolding scared many of the beautiful girls into crying, but Lina was not afraid, instead sneering.

"Go to hell? Ha, just for this little thing?"

The soldier sneered.

"Girl, this is not a small thing. I think you don't know your position in the Holy Word Book. My lord can execute you now, and no one will say anything."

"Don't use the stuff in the priest's hands to scare me. I wish they would shine a light on my old man's coffin with holy light."

Lina put her hand on the cold railing and lowered her voice, suddenly changing into a tone full of temptation and incomparable sobriety: "Soldier, let me ask you, our sisters can't earn a few gold coins even if we break our waists all night. If it's said that for this little money, we are qualified to go to hell, where should those nobles who snatched the farmers' land, the tycoons who swallowed tens of millions of gold coins for the nobles... and those who forced us here go? Should they go to heaven?"

The guard was stunned by her question, opened his mouth, and for a while couldn't think of how to refute, only squeezing out a sentence after a long time.

"This is two different things... If someone really did this, I believe holy light will definitely sanction him."

"Then let's assume it's like this. It seems Sir Richter is a pious exception."

Lina suddenly changed the subject, her tone becoming soft: "But... before holy light shines on us, won't it shine on those who are worse? Don't beat around the bush. Let's make a deal. It's cold and wet here, and the sisters need to eat, and you need money, don't you?"

"You take four out of ten of the money we earn in the future. In exchange, next time the lord goes crazy, you tell us in advance, and we'll hide. Don't make things so ugly, you also benefit, right?"

Hearing "money," the soldier's heart skipped a beat, so much so that his pious face wasn't so pious anymore.

He had no interest in this unwashed girl, but he was really moved when he heard about money. His captain was about to retire soon. If he found the butler to handle things, it wasn't impossible to take a step forward.

And who would want to guard the cold and wet castle dungeon?

Moreover, he felt that what this guy said wasn't completely unreasonable. Since holy light pays attention to first-come-first-served when bestowing blessings, there's no reason for it to be equal when descending heavenly punishment.

Since those real villains live well, praying to Saint Xisi every day, and wouldn't die unless they provoked someone they shouldn't... where would hell have time to take care of his kind of servant of the lord?

He couldn't even go if he wanted to!

And, most importantly, the risk of this matter was extremely low.

Sir Richter had never stepped into this smelly and rotten dungeon, and walked away frowning as soon as he smelled the rotten stench.

In case the knight master suddenly had a whim and really remembered these people, he could also say that these women caught the plague and died, and were dragged to the suburbs to be buried for fear of polluting the castle.

Unless the noble Prince accidentally visited these women's tents, otherwise what could happen?

But the probability of this was too small; even his lord looked down on these mediocre beauties from the bottom of his heart.

This deal was a sure win!

After a fierce internal struggle, the soldier finally decided to take this deal that could change his life.

However, in order to maximize the benefits, he cleared his throat and put on the majesty of a soldier again.

"Four out of ten is not enough," he said in a deep voice, "the risk is too great, and I can't earn this money alone... I need four out of ten to be enough to share! And, you are not allowed to wear that kind of sheepskin coat anymore!"

Lina raised her eyebrows and asked back.

"Not allowed to wear sheepskin coats? Saint Xisi above, this is the North, do you want us to freeze to death on the snowy plains?"

"This is the bottom line!" the soldier said stubbornly. He didn't want to lose his job, which was not much money but stable, because of this little thing, "Sir Richter already knows that women wearing sheepskin are prostitutes! I can close one eye and open one eye, but you must at least change your style!"

Looking at the worried women in the cell, the soldier suddenly had an idea and blurted out.

"You... can dress up as nuns! I've been to the church in the city, those nuns' clothes are thick and black, and quite warm."

Opening the valve of imagination, he became more excited as he spoke, and even his head was held high.

"This way, when you are 'doing things,' it's easier for us to explain for you. For example, if someone asks what you are doing, we will say... you are nuns, 'confessing' for those lost lambs! Unlike those demons in sheep's clothing!"

Hearing this incredible idea, all the women in the cell quieted down.

They looked at each other, their expressions changing from astonishment to absurdity, and finally all turned into the shape of "This works too?!"

Lina was even more surprised, and didn't say a word for a long time.

She looked the man in front of her up and down—a man who seemed foolish but was actually quite repressed—and finally gave him a sincere thumbs-up.

"Damn, it's still you guys in the castle who know how to play."

Praise the vigorous Sir Richter, she seemed to have scolded too early.

She seemed to have seen how popular the nuns' confession business would be in the traveler camp with people coming and going.

At the time when the Academy's top brass were in an uproar because of a swapped scroll, the culprit Milos had long since fled to the Eagle Rock Territory on the other side of the border like a frightened bird.

He hid in a dilapidated tent he rented in the traveler camp that never saw the sun, his heart filled with the lingering fear of being exposed, mixed with a trace of lucky celebration.

He never imagined that the "unlucky egg" he carefully selected would be a Prince of the Empire! He couldn't understand even more why that noble gentleman would be bored enough to personally participate in a student recruitment exam that he considered so low-level!

However—

It didn't make sense to think about these things now.

The only thing to be glad about was that he was safe for the time being.

The Luo De Kingdom and the Academy had always been at odds. No matter how angry the mage masters were, the Academy's law enforcement team would never dare to easily cross the border to arrest a small person like him, and they didn't know where he was at all.

As for the lord of Eagle Rock Territory, that fool named Richter, he was even more of a fool who only recognized noble titles. Everyone in the entire Eagle Rock Territory knew this.

Milos decided to hide here.

On one hand, he could quietly probe for news to see how far things would ferment. On the other hand, he also needed to wait for news from his "senior" before deciding whether to fly far away or return to the Academy in a low profile. This was always safer than running around like a headless fly.

And, he actually wanted to go back deep in his heart.

Those big shots were very busy and wouldn't put all their energy on a small person like him. It wouldn't be long before they forgot him.

Until today, Milos still believed that he did all this for magic.

Becoming a respected sage was his lifelong dream, and money was just a tool for him to realize his dream, not his pursuit.

In the boring days of waiting for news, the huge pressure made him almost unable to breathe.

Just then, he discovered that those prostitutes in the camp who had been arrested by Sir Richter had returned collectively recently.

Moreover, they seemed to have some kind of "organization" and had undergone a reborn change.

They no longer wore the cheap sheepskin coats that covered the smell of their bodies, but changed into a set of tight, even somewhat conservative black nun habits.

Similarly, they no longer solicited business loudly, just standing at the door of their respective tents with a compassionate smile on their faces.

What was even more amazing was that this batch of "nuns" seemed to be much younger and prettier than the previous batch, and they emitted the smell of clean soap, not cheap perfume.

Milos initially thought he was dazzled.

Until he saw a rude mercenary whisper a few words in the ear of a "nun," and was led into the tent obediently.

Later, a wooden sign saying "Confessing" was hung outside the tent, and he understood everything after hearing the confession sound.

'Sister Nun, please accept my confession.' 【361-

"Saint Xisi will forgive your sins!"

A rustling sound came through the door curtain.

"Damn it, a genius... a real fucking genius!"

Miluo Si couldn't help but curse inwardly, thanking Saint Xisi and Sir Lixite; he felt both the absurdity of it and a shred of genuine admiration.

During those boring days waiting for news from his senior, his restless heart began to stir under the immense mental pressure.

Carrying a fortune large enough to buy a small town, yet forced to hide in a tattered tent in constant fear, this torture was driving him nearly insane.

Why not repent a little?

Miluo Si felt the voice of a devil—oh no, a nun—appearing in his ear.

He could no longer endure it; he had to "confess" his sins, even if just once. He had sacrificed too much for magic, never living a single day for himself, let alone experiencing any joy.

At dusk, he found a "nun" who looked the most agreeable.

After hearing his request for "repentance," the other party revealed a holy smile and said softly, "The Holy Light will forgive every lost lamb. Please come in, my child."

Miluo Si swallowed his saliva and walked tremblingly into the tent, just like the first time he entered a church, not knowing where to put his hands.

It is shameful to say.

The books he had read could fill ten bookshelves, and the number of colleagues he had pushed aside was countless, but he had never seen this before.

Not until the nun walked over with a donation box did he hurriedly fish out the coins in his pocket and drop them in, squeezing out an awkward smile.

Clang—

The crisp sound dissolved the awkwardness and guilt in his heart, and the holy incense relaxed his taut nerves.

Under the nun's gentle, attentive comfort and professional guidance, he even temporarily forgot all the dangers and troubles of the outside world. Here, he was not a fugitive with an uncertain future, but a helpless "child" forgiven by the gods.

"Saint Xisi above... wuwuwu, please forgive me..." Miluo Si cried out, truly like a child who had made a mistake.

The nun stroked his hair, comforting him softly.

"He will forgive you, my child."

He felt that all his sins had been absolved.

And this feeling made him completely addicted...

Inside the study at Eagle Rock Castle, the fireplace flames flickered, just like the anger and determination burning in Sir Lixite's heart.

Just a short while ago, he had learned shocking news from his liege—a baron of the kingdom!

The famous Prince Kelin, while visiting the Academy, had taken a whim to participate in the apprentice recruitment exam, only for his paper to be impersonated by someone underneath!

That bold fugitive had already crossed the border, but likely hadn't run far and was still on the land of the Northern Duke.

As for why the baron knew, it was of course because the Academy had found the baron's liege—the noble Northern Duke.

The baron told this as a joke to his lieges, but clearly, this master had no interest in the fugitive, only a special interest in mocking the Academy's mages.

"A problem that could be solved by a single anti-counterfeiting label was blown out of proportion by them; I think they've studied magic until their brains went bad! I said it before, those farmers from the Luo De Kingdom shouldn't be allowed to tinker with that stuff."

He always felt he was smarter than others and possessed great wisdom; his territory was orderly, the people were moral and of good character, and even the cows could read the "Holy Word Book"—it was absolutely impossible for such a low-level mistake to happen there.

Lixite laughed along with the baron, but silently kept the matter in his heart. As soon as he returned, he couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart and began pacing in his study.

"An opportunity! This is a god-given opportunity!"

He paced back and forth in the study excitedly, his face glowing with an excited flush. He believed this was a perfect opportunity bestowed by Saint Xisi to make amends! As long as he caught that sinner and presented him to the Prince, all previous slights and negligence would be wiped clean!

The Prince would even remember the Lixite family because of this, and perhaps even take their legend back to the Holy City!

"Someone, come!" He immediately ordered the butler to summon all the guards in the castle, and commanded with high spirits, "Even if you have to turn the Eagle Rock territory upside down, find that shameless scoundrel who dared to offend the Prince!"

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, looking at one another.

Turn the Eagle Rock territory upside down...

This master had probably forgotten how many transient people were in his territory, and how vast the snowfields were.

Furthermore, who would stay in place after committing a crime?

No need to ask, that guy must have run off to the Whirlpool Sea in the south or the ports of the North Sea to hide long ago; he might even be on a ship to the New World by now.

However, just when everyone was at a loss, an unexpected "hero" appeared.

That man was named Kabin, a guard in the castle and also the "father" of all the "nuns" in the Eagle Rock territory.

He originally didn't want to get involved in this mess—how could a bounty compare to the money from confession? However, if the master's bullheaded temper flared up again and he really turned the Eagle Rock territory upside down, it would be his head on the line.

For the sake of his future and income, he had to bite the bullet; even if this fugitive wasn't in the Eagle Rock territory, he *had* to be!

Fortunately, through the nuns in the camp, he really did find a guy who looked like the culprit.

That was a strange mage.

He kept a low profile but spent lavishly, and unlike those apprentices coming to take the exam, he had real skills and even used the Holy Light to heal an old injury of a nun.

Upon hearing this, Kabin was ecstatic. While threatening Lina not to alert the enemy, otherwise everyone would be finished, he found the castle butler and claimed he had an acquaintance at the traveler's camp who had seen the suspicious guy.

Sir Lixite was overjoyed, immediately rewarded Kabin, and designated him as the next commander of the castle guard!

After speaking, Sir Lixite took out his dusty armor, picked up his ancestral sword, and swore to lead the team himself to bring that "morally corrupt mage" to justice!

Kabin was startled by Sir Lixite's determination and hurriedly tried to persuade him with earnest words. It wasn't that he was afraid the person would escape, but he didn't want the lord's grand display to smash his chicken coop.

"My lord, my lord! You absolutely must not! Your divine power is unmatched, but that mage is a cunning rat; a large army pressing in might scare him away. To deal with this bronze-tier mage, there is no need for you to mobilize the masses; this humble one has his own methods."

"Master, I also suggest this... since Kabin has a way, why not let him try? I believe he won't let you lose face." The butler also advised, not because he had taken money, but mainly because he was worried his master would really lose face on the battlefield.

Lixite thought this made sense, so he patted the soldier's shoulder and handed this "holy mission" entirely to his subordinate to handle.

If this young soldier really had the ability, he would be worth cultivating.

After receiving the order, Kabin didn't dare to delay, mounted a fast horse, and rushed to the traveler's camp, not daring to bring a single person with him.

That night, in a "nun's" tent, specially made calming incense was rising in wisps.

Miluo Si, in the gentle embrace of repentance, had long since let down all his defenses, lying on warm thighs to enjoy the peace of the "sage time."

This nun was already an old acquaintance of his.

Although he hadn't told her his entire experience, he still trusted her a little bit.

At least he didn't have to worry about her stealing his money.

"Lily, sometimes... I really can't understand. If I could choose again, I definitely wouldn't be a mage. I've decided, when I go back this time, I'll redeem my parents and then go to the New World to start over..."

"You are tired, my poor child. Don't think about so many troublesome things," the "nun" persuaded softly while massaging his temples, "Lie down, and leave everything to me..."

Smelling the calming incense, Miluo Si felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. In a dizzying sense of comfort, he drifted off to sleep comfortably without realizing it.

And when he woke up again, he discovered in horror that he was tied up tightly, his mouth stuffed with a rag, and two men wearing pitch-black masks were looking at him with a sinister grin...

Time passed, no one knew how long, long enough that perhaps the noble Prince had already forgotten this matter.

A dazed Miluo Si woke up in a biting cold wind; a second ago, he was still in his mother's arms.

He first smelled the fishy scent of soil and rotting grass in the air, then felt the damp cold of rotten wood under his knees, and the chilling metallic cold behind his neck.

He opened his eyes wide and found himself kneeling on a strange gallows, surrounded by a crowd of strangers.

He didn't just see himself; kneeling beside him was the ashen-faced butler—he vaguely remembered his name was Yankov—with whom they had made the deal at the Adventurer's Home tavern.

And around the execution ground, the cold wind made the flags snap; fluttering there were not only the Lixite family crest but also the black-bottomed white wolf flag of the Northern Duke!

Miluo Si's heart was filled with despair, instantly sinking to the bottom.

A judge from Dragon View City sat on the sentencing bench, surrounded by a crowd of knights, and coldly pronounced their charges:

"Sinners Ma Ke, Gai Qi, and Miluo Si, for stealing the property of the Empire's Prince, your crimes are punishable by death, and there is no forgiveness!"

Upon hearing the verdict, Yankov, who was kneeling to the side, closed his eyes, and two lines of tears flowed down his aged face.

"I, Ma Ke, Gai Qi... admit to all the charges, only hoping that Saint Xisi will forgive the sins I have committed in this life when I die."

Before leaving, he had said goodbye to his wife and children, telling them he was going to a very far place to hide because their father had offended someone he shouldn't have.

However, he was still lucky; at least the Gai Qi family would treat his family well.

Master Dorian was not a kind man, but he had never broken his word on this matter, and this was the reason his servants were willing to die.

As for his age... that was not a problem; after all, it wasn't just young people who went to the Academy to take the exam, and they just wanted an explanation.

The judge waved his hand expressionlessly.

The executioner's blade fell, and a gray-haired head rolled to the ground.

Warm blood splattered onto Miluo Si's face; seeing this scene, he was scared out of his wits.

The instinct to survive overcame everything; he struggled frantically, his eyes bloodshot, and because his mouth was stuffed with a rag, he made "wuwu" sounds of injustice. He screamed that he was just a small character, that there was a mastermind behind him, that he wanted to see the lord, he wanted to see the Prince! He would tell everything he knew!

Unfortunately—

It was all too late.

If he had shouted earlier and let the Prince hear him, he might have been able to save his life.

Or perhaps he should have just stayed silent, disappeared into the crowd, left with all the unsettled accounts, and lived the rest of his life like a rat.

The judge from Dragon View City ignored his shouting, as if he hadn't seen the death throes of an ant, and coldly waved his hand again.

The trial of justice had never been so fast—

Another hot head hit the ground.

Following the servant's father, this time it was the serf's son.

After a brief silence, the onlookers erupted into satisfying cheers. Although they didn't know the Prince's name, the lord had still treated them to a good show.

It was said that there was a mage among those executed this time!

This was too exciting!

The execution ended, the crowd gradually dispersed, leaving only a few guards to clean up the blood on the execution ground.

The judge from Dragon View City expressionlessly withdrew the temporary court, and when everything was nearing its end, he shook hands with a magic apprentice who had been waiting in the corner for a long time.

"Thank you for your fair judgment, sir," the apprentice said politely, "In this way, our Prince, who loves to look around and neglect his duties, can finally get an 'explanation'."

Professor Heketu had thrown a huge tantrum after returning to the Academy; the words to investigate to the end had already been shouted, so there couldn't be no result.

Now, the case could finally be closed.

"You're welcome, it is my honor to serve you," the judge also returned the courtesy, "Also, Duke Blackwood asked me to convey his greetings to your mentor on his behalf; his youngest son really likes the mage's gift... the little guy is in need of a storage ring to keep the toys he always loses."

The apprentice smiled.

"I will convey this to my mentor."

The relationship between the Luo De Kingdom and the Academy was not good, but that didn't mean Duke Blackwood couldn't be friends with the Academy's mages.

The Academy's mages were always complaining that the Empire was too controlling, but did that stop Professor Heketu from shamelessly throwing a tantrum for the Empire's Prince?

The two smiled at each other tacitly, then went their separate ways.

That magic apprentice was none other than Miluo Si's dear "senior."

He looked at the blood being cleaned up and performed a silent mourning in his heart for his foolish junior.

"Poor child," he smiled on the surface, but sneered in his heart, "The merciful mentor deliberately let you run away; wouldn't it have been better to just disappear into the crowd with those three hundred gold coins? Why insist on staying in a place like this, hoping to come back?"

That kid was quite smart and handled things efficiently; otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen him to do the job. It's just that smart people are sometimes not very clear-headed, living in the dream of becoming a sage.

Now it's done; the three hundred gold coins are gone, and he has firmly shouldered a crime worth a million gold coins, even losing his head.

He shook his head slightly, feeling only pity for the kid's parents, then pulled up his cloak's hood and turned to disappear into the crowd.

(End of chapter)