Chapter 506: Breakup

"Just like that, I had to leave that place. I can't truly stay anywhere, and I might even affect my friend, making him lose the wealth he worked so hard to obtain."

Lumian took another sip of the emerald-green absinthe.

The bar boss, Paval Paval Nisen, put down the glass in his hand and said with emotion:

"That is indeed sympathetic."

Lumian revealed a smile:

"Alright, my story is finished. Shouldn't you treat me to a drink?"

Paval, who had an artist's ponytail, was stunned for a moment.

Near midnight, Charlie, wearing a black coat, left the underground bar of the Golden Rooster Hotel and returned to the apartment he rented.

On the autumn night, the wind was very comfortable, neither making one shiver nor bringing a coolness that felt like the body and mind had been washed. Charlie couldn't help but take a deep breath.

"Shit, which drunkard is peeing everywhere again?" The smell of urine in the wind ruined Charlie's mood.

Just then, he saw a figure turn out from the darkness ahead.

The figure had gold-tinged black hair, bright and sharp blue eyes, and a handsome, masculine face. It was none other than Charles Dubois.

You haven't left Trier yet? Charlie felt a surge of joy and was about to ask.

Almost at the same time, he noticed Charles's expression was extremely gloomy, with a storm seemingly brewing in his eyes.

Charlie was startled. As thoughts raced through his mind, he instinctively said:

"I, I wanted to notify you..."

Before he could finish, Lumian had already walked up to him, raised his right fist, and *smack* hit him in the face.

This punch was quite forceful. Golden spots of light immediately appeared in Charlie's vision, his body tilted, and he staggered back a few steps as if unable to maintain his balance.

Lumian said with a gloomy face:

"Considering our past friendship, I won't kill you this time."

After saying this, he, wearing a dark jacket, turned his body and walked toward the alley on the side that had no streetlights.

Charlie clutched his red and swollen face, looking at Charles's back gradually disappearing into the darkness, and said anxiously and angrily:

"But I couldn't find you! How was I supposed to notify you that you were wanted?"

Lumian didn't respond to him and disappeared into that alley.

Charlie, standing in place, couldn't help but curse.

He was both angry and felt a bit wronged:

Why did this person suddenly become so unreasonable?

It wasn't my fault you were wanted; I tried my best to provide help!

I'm just a small clerk; there's only so much I can do!

The next morning, just as Charlie sat down at his office position beneath St. Robert Church with a meat pie, before he could even brew a cup of coffee, he saw Deacon Angouleme, wearing a brown double-breasted coat, walk up to him.

"Good morning, Deacon." Charlie stood up instantly and greeted him flatteringly.

Angouleme glanced at the blue and swollen mark on his left cheek:

"What's wrong? Got beaten up?"

"No, no, I bumped into, bumped into a statue!" Charlie suddenly became nervous and waved his right hand, "You might not believe how crazy those bastards can get when they're drunk. Some shout about overthrowing the government, some think what they vomit is gourmet food, and others move heavy statues to corners. I wasn't paying attention and bumped into one."

Angouleme stared at this clerical staff member and said in a calm tone:

"Your lie is clumsy. Do you remember the clause in the contract you signed about not concealing important matters?"

Charlie's expression froze. After his lips trembled for a moment, he stammered:

"It, it was Charles, Charles Dubois who beat me. He might be resentful that I didn't notify him in advance that he was going to be wanted by us."

Angouleme listened silently, and after two seconds, said:

"Very good. This is what a qualified 'Purifier' clerical staff member should be."

"Where did you meet him?"

"Outside the Golden Rooster Hotel, outside the first alley walking toward Market Avenue." Charlie answered nervously and anxiously.

After Angouleme asked a few more details, he said to Charlie:

"Because Charles Dubois's true situation exceeds our expectations, we reviewed all the files related to him and found that you were closely related to him. We also found that he had a presence in the extraordinary case of Susanna Mattis, and after placing him into that matter, I can clearly see that you concealed quite a few details."

Hearing the deacon's words, Charlie tensed up, and dense cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"I, I..." He didn't know what to say, as if he had already seen his miserable end.

At this moment, Angouleme asked proactively:

"Was it Charles who forced you to conceal it?"

"No, not forced." After Charlie answered instinctively, he hurriedly added, "It was requested by him."

"It really was requested by him." Angouleme nodded slightly and turned to ask about every detail of the Susanna Mattis incident.

Charlie, whose psychological defense had already been broken, told this "Purifier" deacon everything he could remember.

After he finished speaking, Angouleme said seriously:

"Concealing the true details of a case like this as a 'Purifier' clerical staff member, normally, even if you aren't thrown into prison, you would be fired immediately..."

Charlie had expected such a disposition, but when he actually heard it, it felt like he had been hit hard on the head with a wooden stick. His body swayed, and he was about to lose his footing.

Before he could make a final plea, Angouleme changed the subject:

"But you have performed quite well over the past few months. You are diligent, steady, and work hard to learn. And it seems you didn't sell information to Charles, which is why he became resentful of you."

"As a deacon of the Market District Tribunal, I don't think I should push someone who is working hard to climb out of the abyss back down, destroying their last hope. Since you haven't committed any substantive errors after becoming a 'Purifier' clerical staff member, and the matter with Susanna Mattis was real, I will give you another chance. I can't just push you out and wait for Charles to kill you, or for the 'Mother Tree of Desire's' gift to find you again, right?"

"You are fired, but you can still intern here. Your salary will be adjusted back to the level of an intern for a period of six months. During these six months, if you perform well and don't make any more mistakes, you can be re-hired. Otherwise, get out immediately."

"Simply put, your punishment is probation for six months."

Hearing the deacon's words, Charlie felt a huge joy, as if he had fallen into hell and been pulled back to heaven.

While thanking him frantically, he sat back down in his seat as if all his strength had been drained.

Watching Angouleme leave, Charlie's mind was a mess, and many images flashed by.

After a few seconds, he raised his right hand and *smack* slapped himself.

He said to himself with annoyance and regret:

"I was still bragging in the bar last night that Charles and I were friends who had experienced life and death..."

Not long after returning to his office, Angouleme received a telegram.

It came from St. Genevieve Church, from Plessis Descartes, who was in charge of the Trier diocese.

This cardinal asked Angouleme to go to St. Genevieve Church; he had something to discuss with him.

St. Genevieve Church.

After spiraling up the magnificent staircase to the area near the dome, there was a small room. This was one of the places in all of Trier closest to the sun.

Cardinal Plessis, wearing a white robe with gold thread, stayed here year-round, bathing in holy light.

He was an old man with high cheekbones and white-blond hair. His temperament wasn't strict, but he possessed a radiance that made it impossible for people to look directly at him, to the point where there wasn't a single shadow in the entire room.

"The disaster the night before last, although you couldn't handle it in time due to various accidents and the interruption of information, you showed quite high quality in both the grasp of key information and subsequent arrangements. And over the past year or so, we haven't ignored your various performances in the Market District." Plessis said with a kind attitude.

"Praise the Sun!" Angouleme opened his arms, attributing the glory to the Lord.

Plessis was increasingly satisfied:

"Based on the current situation and the foreseeable future, we plan to form three more 'Purifier' squads directly under the Trier diocese to handle various extraordinary events with mobility."

Speaking of this, the cardinal smiled rarely:

"You have indeed been too busy in the past six months, and you seem to have been complaining privately about not having time to rest. Don't blame yourself; this is a normal human reaction. After becoming a deacon of the Trier diocese's direct squad, you should be quite free usually, only needing to handle those cases that the 'Purifiers' of each district can't handle or don't have time to handle."

"Of course, this also means danger. You must clearly realize this."

"Francois, Sequence 4 is a node of qualitative change. There are still quite a few people in the Tribunal waiting to become saints. If you want to surpass them, you must make outstanding contributions. The first step is to be a deacon of the diocese's direct squad, the second step is to accumulate contributions and hold a holy object, and the third step is to wait for an opportunity."

"Do you wish to be this deacon? I respect your wishes."

Mobile power... handling cases that the 'Purifiers' of each district can't handle... usually should be quite free, there aren't that many big things... I don't know if the doomsday prophecy 'Gandalf' mentioned is true or not, but improving oneself is never wrong... Angouleme thought carefully and said:

"Your Eminence, your will is my wish."

Plessis smiled slightly:

"As a deacon, you are responsible for selecting the members of the squad."

"Yes, Your Eminence." Angouleme opened his arms and praised the Sun again.

After returning to the basement of St. Robert Church, he called the mixed-blood Imre into his office and told this subordinate about the Trier diocese's direct squad.

"Are you willing to follow me?" Angouleme asked.

Imre smiled:

"Does this mean I can increase my sequence and get a higher salary?"

"I have no problem!"

After agreeing, the mixed-blood asked:

"Who else should we select?"

Angouleme was silent for more than ten seconds and said:

"Don't ask those like Valentine who have wives and children. Find single team members to ask."

"The direct squad is both glory and danger."

Speaking of this, Angouleme sighed softly:

"Which 'Purifier' with a happy family doesn't hope to see their children grow up, doesn't want to spend more time with their wife? Let us single guys bear these things."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 507 =====