Chapter 1525 - 1221: Grand Family Head
Chapter 1525: Chapter 1221: Grand Family Head
To the north of Saint Paul lies a lavish and opulent district of the wealthy.
Yet, in the deepest reaches of countless manors and mansions, there stands a desolate, abandoned, and out-of-place dim church.
Under the pitch-black night, dim and yellow candlelight is reflected on the iron crucifix inside the church. A hunched, gaunt, and cloaked old man in a black robe is gently sweeping the floor with a broom.
At that moment, under the bright moonlight, a black speck grows larger and larger, as a four-winged bat slowly flies from afar to the window.
The dim red glow on the four-winged bat’s body flares up, effortlessly entering the church enveloped by a barrier, and slowly flies to the front, perching on the top of the iron crucifix.
The old man in the black robe does not shoo away this divine-defying four-winged bat, not even raising his head, continuing to hold the broom and sweep, as if completely unaware.
The four-winged bat surveys the inside of the church momentarily but does nothing more, simply staring intently at the old man in the black robe, without making any sound.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour...
An hour passes in the blink of an eye, and the old man in the black robe sweeps the dust aside, puts down the broom, and picks up a nearby rag.
The four-winged bat sees this, its reddish eyes flickering slightly, faint impatience surfacing.
But at that moment, a dry and aged voice emerges from the old man’s mouth.
"A late-night visit to this dilapidated church of mine, truly brings light to this humble abode..." the old man in the black robe slightly lifts his head, gazing toward the four-winged bat, "Honorable Round Table Knight."
The old man’s face is wrinkled, his skin withered, but his cat’s-eye stone-like green pupils glow with a profound and mysterious light under the dim candlelight of the night.
Blood circulates through the four-winged bat across, its form swelling, transforming in a breath or two into a slender, sharp-eyed man—
It is none other than the Qiguang Round Table Knight, Constantin, who once led the "Holy Plan"!
Constantin bows slightly, laughing softly, "Lord Lael overpraise, what use does the identity of a Round Table Knight have in front of the Family Head? It is my honor as a junior to pay a personal visit..."
The old man in the black robe retracts his gaze, picking up the rag and continuing to wipe down rows of pews inside the church, "Your progress is rapid, your Demon Principle has reached the Eighth Stage Limit, it’s feared that you’ll soon break through to the Ninth Stage."
Constantin’s lips curl slightly, "Even so, there’s still a bit of distance compared to the Family Head~"
Despite saying this, there is no concealment of the arrogance within Constantin’s eyes, and little respect is found in his gaze toward the old man in the black robe.
The old man in the black robe doesn’t mind, merely bowing his head, silently wiping the pews, "So... why has Sir Constantin come here?"
Constantin sits casually on a nearby broken stone step, saying, "The people from Great Flame have gone to the Royal Knight Academy, I assume Lord Lael is aware?"
The old man in the black robe shows no reaction, quietly waiting for Constantin’s further words.
Constantin laughs, "Great Flame’s masters immediately injured the deans and hundreds of teachers of the Four Academies upon arrival.
It’s said Dean Floyd was intimidated on the spot, extremely embarrassed, which may damage the prestige of the Five Great Families~"
The old man in the black robe doesn’t respond, rinses the dirty rag, and then slowly speaks, "At the Round Table meeting last month, the vote for a deep alliance with Great Flame was 10 to 2. Among the two opposing votes was yours, proving that Sir Constantin indeed does not get along well with Great Flame..."
Constantin’s eyes flicker, then he laughs and praises, "Indeed! Worthy of Lord Lael, your intelligence is really astute, even being able to easily grasp our Round Table meeting’s secrets."
The old man in the black robe does not pause, continuing, "Earlier today, your colleague stationed as the Third Rank was supposed to wait for Great Flame at the front of Qiguang City, but they too did not appear on time, it seems... because of you, perhaps?"
Upon hearing this, Constantin casually laughs, "Had she accompanied the Great Flame people, the Four Academies wouldn’t have had a chance to embarrass Great Flame. Many wanted her to be hindered~"
The old man in the black robe folds the rag, sits on a clean pew, staring at Constantin, "That Great Flame talent has just shown their hand, yet Sir Constantin has come to my humble church...
It seems, Sir Constantin is particularly concerned about the attacking Great Flame envoy?"
Constantin slightly narrows his eyes, his face darkening somewhat, seemingly having been seen through.
In just a few words, the other party gains the upper hand in conversation, and Constantin realizes the difficulty of the old guy before him.
Constantin opts not to play games, directly saying, "As far as I know, this time the Great Flame folks came for the matters of the Five Great Families... or rather, for you."
The old man in the black robe responds blandly, "I’ve long not concerned myself with outside affairs, nor do I wish to get too involved with the Imperial Empire, let alone Great Flame."
"You say you’re uninvolved, yet so informed?" Constantin seems to have caught a flaw in the other’s words.
But the old man in the black robe’s expression remains unchanged, not saying much more.
Constantin slightly frowns, but still says, "Regardless, since that’s the case, the Family Head and I are on the same side."
The old man in the black robe wrings the rag, stands to continue wiping, as if issuing an unspoken expulsion.
Seeing this, Constantin is unsure of the other’s true intentions, though for now, this Ninth Stage master is still against deep engagement with Great Flame...