https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-594-Hubertian-and-Sigil-s-First-Encounter/12584917/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-596-Lanchi-Will-Always-Be-Gentle/12584919/
Chapter 595: How Cardinal Lanchi Fell into the Pleasure Quarters
Chapter 595: How Cardinal Lanchi Fell into the Pleasure Quarters
Nica Island.
At noon in Demon King City, the sun blazed in the sky, its scorching rays reaching every corner of the wasteland.
Far from the royal palace and the bay, away from the bustling commercial district of Demon King City, lay a military stronghold known as the Midnight Demon Workshop Institute. Here, heat waves distorted the air above the ground, creating a warped landscape.
Cardinal Lanchi walked alone across the wasteland until he reached the entrance to the underground institute, where he was greeted and escorted inside by the respectful Demon King's Army.
Lady Hepburnian had no desire to return to Nica Island, where the royal palace was located, so Lanchi suggested she relax and enjoy the bay at Lis Island with Sigil.
Nearby, at the McKassy Restaurant, Lord Gareth of the Thunder and his cousin, Dia, were guests, ensuring the area's safety.
Lanchi's thoughts wandered as he passed through layer upon layer of barriers and protective doors forged from anti-magic steel, venturing deeper into the institute.
In contrast to the blistering outdoors, the interior offered a welcome respite from the heat, and the harsh daylight gave way to a softer, indoor glow.
Despite it being lunchtime, many demon researchers in the institute were still hard at work. Their voices, mixed with the rumble of heavy machinery and the hum of magic power lines, filled the laboratories with a unique symphony of sounds.
Lanchi strolled slowly past the laboratories lining the corridor, his eyes filled with anticipation as he regarded the busy demon researchers.
He continued until he reached the innermost part of the institute—the core restriction control room.
"Good afternoon," Lanchi greeted, removing his soft felt hat, which featured a rounded top and a small brim.
Today, his hat had clean, simple lines, and he paired it with a loose overcoat that hung stylishly over his vest, accentuating the scholarly air of calm and restraint he exuded.
A figure in the core storage room immediately turned their gaze toward him.
"You're here," Midnight Shadow, Esmod said from behind a desk piled high with magic engineering equipment. "We've been working according to your instructions for a whole day now."
They had finally captured the Fourth Ancestor, Eduardo.
Fall Knight Calliera wanted to send Eduardo to be sealed in Purgatory City, Pasquale, as soon as possible.
However, Nameless Knight McKassy felt that the ninth-rank blood clan member, Eduardo, was too valuable to be wasted like that.
And so, for an entire day, under the Nameless Knight's orders, they had embarked on an emergency project, with McKassy's familiar, the Great Lover Poet, beginning a comprehensive transformation of Eduardo.
"But to make him submit, we need to break through his psychological defenses, even if only for a moment, so that he willingly agrees to our demands," Esmod continued, her voice muffled by the black cloak and shadows that concealed her, except for her pale blue eyes. "We've tried every torture imaginable, but Eduardo remains unyielding. I see no hope of making the Fourth Ancestor submit."
Esmond sighed and shook her head, as if urging Lanchi to give up on trying to break the Fourth Ancestor.
Due to Ranph's cruel actions, even Midnight Shadow was beginning to feel afraid.
If they didn't seal Eduardo away, she felt she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.
"..."
Lanchi fell silent for a moment.
Staring into those blue eyes, he wondered if the Great Lover Poet was pretending to be Midnight Shadow and playing a prank on him.
It was only when he caught a glimpse of the Great Lover Poet's silhouette that he confirmed the figure shrouded in the black cloak was indeed the real Midnight Shadow.
Midnight Shadow Esmod had become the leader of the experimental team. As the demon with the most magical engineering talent in Demon King City, she quickly grasped the principles of the forbidden curse seal taught to her by the Great Lover Poet.
Unlike Midnight Shadow, who had risen through the ranks through her own hard work despite her humble beginnings, Misty Shadow Orion was born into a prominent noble family in Demon King City, Nicaulis.
"When can we eat? I'm so tired and hungry," Misty Shadow Orion complained, his black hair and cold, golden eyes contrasting as he held up his bloody metal gloves in distaste.
It was challenging to dissect a ninth-rank blood clan member without the help of an eighth-rank great demon general.
As a member of one of the demon world's prestigious noble families, he rarely got his hands dirty like this.
Especially with that female demon, Lanph, instructing him to use various tortures unknown to the Seventh Army Group of the demon world.
But to repay Lanchi for saving them, he had promised to assist Lanchi in any way he could.
And so, he, too, had joined the experimental team, assisting the Great Lover Poet Lanph and Midnight Shadow Esmod.
Lanchi looked at Misty Shadow Orion, feeling an inexplicable urge to laugh.
"Nameless Knight, why are you looking at me and smiling?" Misty Shadow Orion asked, noticing Lanchi's expression.
"I'm not smiling," Lanchi waved his hand dismissively.
"You definitely are," Misty Shadow Orion insisted, stepping closer and fixing Lanchi with an intense stare. "Tell me why."
"Perhaps... because seeing you makes me happy?" Lanchi replied after a moment's hesitation, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he spoke uncertainly.
There was something about Orion that reminded him of a departed loved one, especially those golden eyes. Lanchi had almost been fooled by his initially cold demeanor.
"I don't like men; I only see you as a brother—no, you obviously like the princess. Don't joke like that," Misty Shadow Orion quickly backed away, realizing he might have been teased by Lanchi.
Although he had only recently met this Nameless Knight, he didn't dislike their interactions. After all, the Nameless Knight was talented, elegant, and polite—precisely the type he favored, yet there was something elusive about them.
"By the way, what type of woman do you like?" Lanchi asked, shifting the topic.
In the distance, Midnight Shadow Esmod, who had been focused on her work, suddenly paused, as if listening in, even though she didn't turn to look their way.
"What kind of question is that?" Misty Shadow Orion was taken aback by Lanchi's inquiry.
Midnight Shadow Esmod remained silent and continued her work, acting as if nothing had happened and neither feeling disappointed nor having expected anything in the first place.
"Be more specific," Lanchi said. "Do you hope that the woman you'll one day give a ring to will have a gentle or fiery temperament? Are you looking for someone who is adept at crafts or a bit clumsy? Someone who has been by your side for a long time and knows you well, or someone who suddenly appears before you, arranged by someone else?"
Lanchi's tone took on a professional air, as if he were a psychologist, and he slowed his pace, allowing the other man to consider his words.
"Of course, I'd want someone with a gentle temperament, adept at crafts, and who has been by my side for a long time," Misty Shadow Orion replied without hesitation.
However, upon further reflection, he realized that Lanchi's choice of words was intriguing, as if guiding him towards a particular answer, and his instinct was to avoid the latter option.
"If the woman you deeply love one day loses her youth and beauty, will you still love her forever?" Lanchi continued.
"I will," Misty Shadow Orion replied with more conviction than he had shown to any of the previous questions.
"I've been doing some research on psychological tests lately, and I just wanted to try it out on you. Thanks for your help, Orion," Lanchi said with a smile.
"So, what did you find out?" Misty Shadow Orion asked, perplexed.
"I guess it won't be long before you find the woman you're destined to be with," Lanchi asserted with a nod.
"Oh, is that so? Next time you need help, just let me know, and I'll be glad to assist," Misty Shadow Orion said, his face lighting up with a smile.
He found their conversations intriguing, and since the Nameless Knight was an expert in this field, he could even quickly break free from the allure of the Pleasure Quarters.
"By the way, Falling Knight is calling for you. She said she's ready over there," Misty Shadow added.
"Thank you for your hard work. You should go and rest now. Of course, you're also welcome to visit my restaurant. I've instructed the chef to prepare your lunch as quickly as possible," Lanchi said, nodding and patting the other man's shoulder in gratitude.
"Wonderful!" Misty Shadow Orion replied.
After chatting a bit longer, they bid each other farewell.
After seeing Misty Shadow Orion off, Lanchi glanced at Midnight Shadow Esmod, who had been silently watching from a distance, and smiled slightly, conveying the message that he could only help her this far, and the next step was up to her.
He turned and walked alone towards the only passage leading from the core restriction control room to the experimental field.
As he stepped through the automatically opening black waterfall illusionary door, he found himself in a streamlined passage with a corridor of illusions. It felt like traversing a long path, and when he finally emerged into the light, he found himself in a circular enclosed space.
Inside were the Fourth Ancestor, Eduardo, who no longer resembled a human, and Falling Knight Calliera, who was controlling the Blood Duke.
"I think that even if we continue to torture him for a few more days and nights, we won't be able to make him submit. We might as well seal him away in the ancestral land. Since you're planning to go to Purgatory City, Pasquale, anyway, we can take him there together," Falling Knight Calliera said, glancing at Lanchi and shrugging.
Although Eduardo had been tormented by the Great Lover Poet to the point of mental confusion, there was still an unbreakable steel within him that couldn't be severed or destroyed in any way.
"Do as I say and control his dreams," Lanchi conveyed to Falling Knight Calliera through their mental connection.
Within the Pleasure Quarters' barrier, as long as Lanchi relaxed and willingly fell into the illusion, he could allow Calliera to read his thoughts.
After a long while, Falling Knight Calliera opened her eyes, and at the same time, Lanchi woke up from the illusion.
"I understand what you want me to do, but the illusion you've woven is a bit..." Falling Knight Calliera's expression was one of disdain.
It wasn't that she wanted to criticize him.
To be honest, this dream was not only unpleasant but also quite ordinary. She didn't think it could make an enemy fall into its trap.
"Alright, he's already fallen into the Pleasure Quarters," Falling Knight Calliera said, and yet she wove the kind of illusion that Lanchi had asked her to create, prioritizing efficiency over everything else; she wasn't one for idle chatter.
"Leave it to me," Lanchi said confidently as he closed his eyes and entered Eduardo's dream.
"..." Falling Knight Calliera furrowed her brows in confusion.
"Why does it feel like my innate magic has become yours?" she muttered to herself, feeling a bit annoyed. "Let's see what kind of use the Nameless Knight will put my innate magic to this time."
(End of Chapter)
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