https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-742-Lanchi-s-Encounter-with-the-Mafia-Don/12585234/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-744-The-Sisterly-Confrontation-Between-Ifateeria-and-Thalia/12585236/
Chapter 743: Lanchi is Being Watched by His Mother-in-Law
Chapter 743: Lanchi is Being Watched by His Mother-in-Law
Ursula and Elsa watched anxiously as the boss of the Mafia and Professor Landry nearly confronted each other in the dark alley before them.
Fortunately, there was no sign of a fight breaking out between the two.
"Meow... Imperial Power, Faith of the Empire, meow."
Cat Boss monotonously recited Lanchi's lines to bolster his courage. He actually wanted to retreat into Lanchi's shadow, but now he had to protect these two young girls, so he couldn't back down.
After all, he was one level higher than Barton, the Mafia boss!
However, according to Barton, he had no intention of being aggressive.
This guy, Barton, was surprisingly easy to talk to. He didn't misunderstand them due to the Mafia corpses lying around, nor did he resort to violence without discussion.
Considering Tata's time limit for taking action, engaging in a fight with Barton, a former Imperial Army Seventh-Rank War Stabber, would be unwise. At the very least, Elsa and Ursula would be in grave danger.
It seemed that Lanchi's trump card was indeed this King's Cat.
"Mr. Barton, I caught this vampire myself, so please excuse me for not handing him over to you," Lanchi replied politely.
His earlier battle with Viscount Carmel had been quite restrained, and he had tried to muffle the sounds as much as possible.
The only time there might have been a strong magical fluctuation was when Talia broke Carmel's mechanism to prevent him from using his authority to escape and forcibly brought him back.
Unexpectedly, Barton Hall, the boss of the Mafia, had still detected them.
"What would it take for you to hand him over to me?" Barton asked, not intending to take it by force.
However, his attitude was clear.
The worst-case scenario today would be to forcefully buy this vampire, but he would not let anyone take this vampire out of his port territory.
"I'm afraid this isn't up for negotiation, but Mr. Barton, could you tell me why you want him?" Lanchi asked, feeling that Barton was someone he could communicate with.
He was much easier to communicate with than Nikolai, the Red Falcon, who was also an imperial soldier.
Nikolai would approach negotiations with a suspicious attitude, whereas Barton seemed to start from a place of trust, perhaps also because Lanchi had taken action against the vampire, leading Barton to be fairly certain that he wasn't an accomplice of the vampires.
"…."
The Mafia boss, Barton, fell silent.
"Mr. Barton, if we were to fight here, it would undoubtedly be a lose-lose situation for both of us," Lanchi said sincerely. "So, I hope that no matter what, we can resolve our issues through communication rather than force. Even though we've just met, trust can be built over time. If you're not willing to trust me, I can take the first step and trust you."
Carmel, the Viscount, was not only the first vampire Lanchi had captured in the Krexe Empire, making him invaluable for intelligence, but also because this vampire had a seven-digit sin value.
Lanchi wanted to reform this vampire and present him to Huberian. He was certain she would be delighted.
"Are you sure Huberian will like this gift?" Talia asked. While she didn't quite understand human concepts of merit, she knew she wouldn't want an all-automatic merit-printing machine. She wasn't sure if the machine was adding or deducting merit.
In the past, when Talia slept with Huberian, she often heard Huberian muttering in her sleep, "Goddess, please stop deducting my merit..." "Lanchi, you're being wasteful..." "Boo hoo, I really don't have any merit left..." These words made Talia feel sympathetic.
As a devout follower of the Goddess of Fate, Huberian firmly believed in the connection between merit and luck. Ever since she was a child, whenever she did something bad, her luck would turn sour, but when she did good deeds, her luck would improve.
However, Talia suspected that when Huberian was a child, Duke Mikaya might have been manipulating her "luck."
If Huberian perceived this as a deduction of merit, she might cry, not because she was superstitious, but because she truly believed in it like a child.
"No problem, Double Vampire. I still need to catch one more to replicate the fully automatic merit machine from the Shadow World's Holy Church's villainous banquet," Lanchi assured Talia.
"If she cries, I guarantee I'll beat you up," Talia said, indicating her agreement with the project.
"Don't worry, Tata. Huberry Ann smiled. Back then, in Lichtenstein Castle in the Shadow World, she ceremoniously activated the All-Automatic Merit Machine button under the watchful eyes of the clergy. She couldn't hold back then," Lanchi explained.
Lanchi's biggest regret was not being able to bring the All-Automatic Merit Machine out of the Shadow World. Now, the opportunity to restore the glory of the Merit Machine in the present world was right before him. He had to consider if this was his only chance in this lifetime, as vampires were extremely difficult to find in this era.
After a long internal debate with Talia, Barton finally spoke up.
"I cannot disclose the details, but I assure you, if you hand him over to the Empire, he will soon disappear without a trace, and you will never find peace again."
He shook his head and, fixing his gaze on Lanchi, spoke in a low voice.
Upon hearing the words of Barton, the boss of the Mafia, Ursula and Elsa exchanged puzzled glances.
Although Barton spoke in riddles, they surprisingly understood what he meant—
Handing Viscount Carmel over to the Krexe Empire's military was as good as letting him go free. Undoubtedly, those in power would swiftly sweep the incident under the rug, and the next step would be to find a way to silence Landler and his sister for good.
Just like what had happened to Ursula's brother, Marquis Ryan. The power brokers within the Empire seemed to be controlled by an unknown force working behind the scenes. They could twist the truth however they wanted, and the citizens of the Empire were left powerless against them.
"So, you are also aware of the extent of the blood tribe's infiltration into the Empire?"
Lanchi asked the boss of the Mafia, Barton.
"......?"
Barton was taken aback for a moment.
He remembered that Professor Landry should have been a staunch supporter of the Empire, so how did he come to know about the true situation within the Empire?
Ursula and Elsa, standing behind them, were utterly confused.
Has the Krexe Empire really been infiltrated by the blood tribe?
What a terrifying thought.
What exactly do these two know?
"Professor Landry, regardless of what you know, leaving the blood tribe in the hands of the Mafia is the safest option. If you take him out of here, there will be immense risks even on your way back to St. Krexe Abbey."
Barton advised the young black-haired, blue-eyed professor, his expression unchanged.
He believed that smart people would understand both good and bad intentions.
The blood tribe was not only capable of reconnaissance but also divination. If one was not careful, they could easily be targeted. However, the Mafia's territory was a rare blind spot, protected by ancient magical artifacts that even divination magic struggled to penetrate.
There were only two types of people who had a clear understanding of the current situation within the Krexe Empire: those who were enemies of the blood tribe and those who were controlled by them.
While it was possible that the blood tribe had sent an accomplice to lure them with a painful act, sacrificing a Viscount to gain the trust of the Mafia boss, it was highly unlikely that Lanchi was one of their accomplices. After all, his research on "biological modification," "magic energy fission," and "sustainable energy" would undoubtedly make the blood tribe the biggest loser if it ever progressed to the implementation stage.
Should that happen, some people in the Empire would undoubtedly support him, while others would do everything in their power to stop him.
"In that case, Mr. Barton, I will leave this blood tribe Viscount in your care, but only as a temporary arrangement. I must be the one to conduct the research, and you are not to interfere. In exchange, I will share the results with you, and we can discuss the specifics of our collaboration later. If you can give me that commitment, I will hand over the blood tribe Viscount to you."
Lanchi proposed a solution.
A sincere offer deserved a sincere response.
Talia could tell that Barton was not lying, which meant that he was a man of his word and open to negotiation.
"......"
Barton pondered for a long time.
"I cannot make that decision. Only my boss can decide whether and how we should collaborate."
He replied, cautious when it came to making deals or giving promises.
"Then, may I ask to be introduced to this boss of yours?"
Lanchi inquired.
Indeed, there was a mysterious figure pulling the strings behind the scenes of the Brilorda Mafia.
If they wanted an alliance, it seemed that a detailed discussion with the true boss of the Brilorda Mafia was necessary.
"If you wish to meet my boss, I must warn you that you should be prepared to die. If negotiations fall through, she will do whatever she deems necessary, be it robbery, silencing witnesses, or even enslavement."
Barton's gaze shifted to Professor Lanchi and the two students standing behind him as he spoke.
He did not seem to be joking.
Barton Hall was surprisingly upright, despite his current position as the boss of the Mafia. The air of a soldier still clung to him.
Facing such a powerful opponent deep within enemy territory, even with his full strength, Lanchi wasn't confident in securing a victory.
"Lanchi, once we're in the heart of the Mafia's base, it's their home field advantage. What if there's someone even stronger than Barton? Even with my full strength, I might not be able to gain the upper hand!" Talia anxiously reminded him.
Fighting in a trap filled with restrictions and formations laid by the enemy was no different from battling against a fortress.
"They seem to be enemies of the Blood Tribe as well. We can't afford to miss this opportunity to establish an alliance, even if the boss of the Brilorda Mafia isn't someone easy to deal with. We have to take this gamble and talk," Lanchi told Talia, "Don't worry, if there's any danger, I'll protect you."
"Who's protecting whom?" Talia's mental voice grew softer.
She never imagined that she would need protection from a boy from the border.
But she didn't say anything further, indicating her agreement.
"I'll make the call."
Barton reluctantly looked at Landry and took out a long-range communication device.
He had already made his position clear.
If Landry insisted on meeting his boss, he wouldn't delay it any further.
"Boss, someone wants to see you. They want to discuss a deal," Barton said into the communication device, a translucent card glowing with a purple light.
When it came to communication magic, he was always cautious, as any popular communication magic could potentially be intercepted.
"Who?" came a muffled female voice from the card.
"The professor," Barton replied concisely.
"Bring him over." The boss hung up after giving the order.
In the dark alley, the night remained as deep and mysterious as ever, but Barton had already turned and gestured for Landry and the others to follow him toward the core area of the Brilorda Mafia.
...
On the other side, deep within the Mafia's territory, hundreds of meters underground beneath the River Port Building, there existed a secret palace.
This underground space was like a different world, separated from the outside. The six-sided Anti-Magic Steel walls, shimmering with a silvery light, seemed capable of devouring most of the light and sound, and the mechanical dome appeared especially heavy under the sparse lighting, leaving only a deep silence and chill reminiscent of the deep sea.
Several giant Anti-Magic Steel pillars extended upward, supporting this underground palace, flickering with pure white light points. With each flicker, the area filled with experiment tables and magical devices was slightly illuminated.
Through the gaps in the Anti-Magic Steel, one could make out a figure standing at the very center, like a statue covered in frost, surrounded by piles of books.
The person in the ice cave hung up the communication.
Frost covered the walls, similar to the thin layer of ice on her skin, but it would soon be evaporated by the crimson scars that marked her body.
She had short silver hair, with slightly curled ends that reached just below her jawline, giving her a casual and fresh look.
However, her reddish-brown eyes were filled with a manic glee for torture and slaughter.
"I never expected this imperial lapdog to deliver himself to my door..." she muttered as she picked up a willow leaf knife from the operating table, clutching it tightly in her palm.
"Let me dig into your brain and take control of you."
(End of Chapter)
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