Chapter 134 A Question Shouldn’t Exist - I
Thud, thud, thud. The somber echo of footfalls and the scepter striking the ground reverberated through the vast hall. As Ansel advanced step by step, the torches on the pillars on either side of the hall ignited with a faint purple flame. Saville, who had always obeyed Ansel, stood behind him, his posture markedly different from usual. The old man bowed his head slightly, one hand on his chest, the other behind his back, following Ansel in a manner of paying homage, as if he were in the presence of a great entity, meeting the supreme king he served.
And indeed, that was the case.
This grand hall was a treasure from the ancient Sky Conquering Dynasty, a royal relic of significant weight in the history of the empire, excavated from the Zero Realm Enigma by Flamelle with the combined power of seven pact heads. Flamelle had transformed it into the strongest alchemical fortress in the world. Of course, Flamelle himself was a lover of peace and had no interest in war. He had built this terrifying fortress for deterrence and amusement.
"Oh, the young lord has returned?" A slightly immature boy's voice suddenly echoed in the empty hall.
"...Lawrence." Ansel paused, looking down at his feet with a gentle smile, "Long time no see."
"Hmm... It's been about two months, hasn't it?" At Ansel's feet was a... rat, folding its arms. Yes, a rat with grey-black fur, long whiskers, and a somewhat plump appearance. On the rat's long tail was a snake-shaped ring with its mouth wide open, as if swallowing something.
The rat nodded seriously, "This is the first time the young lord has traveled so far. Old Saville, have you taken good care of the young lord?"
Lawrence of Disaster, the head of devouring. "Mr. Lawrence, the young lord doesn't need anyone to take care of him. What I need to do is just follow the young lord's orders," Saville maintained his respectful posture, "And on the Nostrom, please maintain respect for the lord."
"Ah, you're always so serious, no wonder the young lord wants to take you with him and not me." Lawrence shook his whiskers, shaking his head with a sigh, "Alright, follow me. Although I don't know why the young lord came to see the boss personally, it must be very important."
The plump rat led the way, they passed through the long main hall, navigating through the labyrinthine fortress. Lawrence guided them while chattering: "Young lord, have you heard about Tyrus? That guy crawled ashore from the city of Azurehaven the day before yesterday, dragging a dragonwhale with him. I was wondering where he had disappeared to for half a month, turns out he went on vacation in the Lost Sea, no wonder I couldn't find him."
"Toradon blew up an elemental tower, that Duke of Magus Primus went mad, searching for the culprit throughout the empire, but still doesn't know who did it."
"And Longinus... Longinus is even more amazing, he..." n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"...Hmm? Oh, Ans."
The man turned his head to glance at Ansel, his eyes filled with surprise and delight. He laughed heartily, "Wait a moment, I'm adjusting... adjusting something."
Something seemed to be forming in his palm, an indescribable entity gradually taking shape, existing between reality and non-existence. Its faintly appearing outline caused distortions in the surrounding space.
Ansel closed his eyes, quietly waiting for his father.
Time ticked away, and after an unknown duration, a loud explosion suddenly erupted near his ear. However, the sound vanished as quickly as it had appeared, creating an eerie atmosphere.
"This is quite a challenge... Never mind, Ans, sorry to keep you waiting."
Upon hearing these words, Ansel opened his eyes to see his father had finished his experiment and was looking at him with a cheerful smile.
He looked like a more mature version of Ansel, minus the sinister charm. His hair color was completely different from Ansel's, his somewhat messy medium-length hair was deep black.
The man's laughter was hearty, in contrast to Ansel's inscrutable smile, he seemed more straightforward and kind. Just by looking at him, no one would believe... that beneath this skin, a creature teetering on the brink of madness resided.
"It's been two years, hasn't it?"
Flamelle, the true and most terrifying villain of the empire, stepped forward, patting Ansel's head, expressing his surprise and sentiment, "So much has changed in two years... It's really—"
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