Chapter 281: Lies

The wizards from the Kema Duchy were vaguely polite toward Saul. Whether it was because of the Wizard Tower backing him or for some other reason, no one could say for sure.

Since Yura had thrown a tantrum and locked herself in a private carriage, they invited Saul to rest inside their carriage instead.

But Saul, now just one step away from becoming a Third Rank apprentice, had no mind for social niceties.

“Thank you, but there’s no need. Can you tell me what actually happened here?”

Buri, however, hesitated.

Just then, a sharp bird cry rang out in the sky, and almost everyone tilted their heads to look upward.

Moments later, a giant, deep-brown eagle descended from the sky.

It hovered about ten meters above the ground. The rider on its back didn’t dismount but leaned over the side and shouted down to Saul, “That guy ran off again. Do you know where he might be headed?”

Saul shook his head.

Kira pouted, “What the hell is Kismet doing on the Western Continent? He’s like a vulture drawn to the scent of blood. So annoying!”

“So you do know his name,” Saul scoffed inwardly, “Then why did you keep calling him ‘silver-hair’? Kismet’s probably driven half mad by you.”

She asked Saul again, “So how did you end up with him?”

“After I escaped from the town—”

Bang! The carriage door was flung open again, crashing hard against the frame.

“This is Tower business. No need for an outsider like you to interfere!” Lady Yura was still inhabiting that puppet body.

Even though she could only blink and move her mouth, her face stiff and expressionless, the chill radiating off her made it crystal clear how angry she was.

Only Kira dared talk back to her, “Some princess from Kenas sent here for a political marriage walked into that town and is now nothing but bones. Of course I’m going to question Saul! Even if Gorsa were here, he wouldn’t say a word. You try jumping around again, and I’ll split open that shell you’re hiding in!”

The joints of Yura’s puppet body creaked ominously, but she said nothing more.

The aura of a Second Rank wizard wasn’t something to trifle with.

Saul quickly recounted what had happened after he entered the town—at least the parts he could afford to reveal.

The court wizards from the Kema Duchy, standing nearby, were visibly chilled by the tale.

The Wizard Tower had actually lost a Second Rank apprentice and two Third Rank apprentices in there!

Fortunately, they’d waited for Grand Duke Kira to arrive before going into the town to retrieve people.

Had anyone rushed in ahead of time last night, they likely would’ve become part of that bloody town themselves.

But toward the end of Saul’s account, the Kema wizards began to express doubts about parts that seemed unclear.

“Lord Saul,” said Court Wizard Buri, his tone still respectful but tinged with obvious suspicion. “If that girl Penny was tricking people into dying, why would she help you escape?”

Saul didn’t get angry. He understood that anyone in their position would feel skeptical.

“First, I saw through the so-called escape route—it was a trap. She couldn’t fool me. Second, I struck a deal with her in exchange for my freedom.”

Another court wizard frowned, clearly not buying it and about to speak when Kira cut him off.

“That’s enough. He’s Gorsa’s personally trained apprentice. What’s the point of pressing him so hard?”

At the mention of Gorsa, the whole scene fell silent.

That man was one of the top Second Rank wizards on the Western Continent—and more importantly, completely unreasonable.

Forget whether Saul was hiding anything; even if he’d slaughtered the whole town himself, who would dare question him?

“What you need to concern yourself with is already clear. The princess from Kenas entered the town after Saul. Whether they were tricked or walked in on their own doesn’t matter anymore—they’re all dead. Tell the Grand Duke of Kenas to either stop wasting time sending princesses and start sending gold, or if he wants someone to take the blame, go after Kismet—he’s a rogue Second Rank wizard running around wreaking havoc.”

Kira glanced at Saul again. She clearly knew he was hiding something.

But whether Saul had used underhanded means or was simply concealing his spoils, Kira didn’t care.

Gorsa’s stance had already made things clear—he valued Saul highly.

Kira had no reason to make things difficult for him over some foreign princess.

“I’m heading back. Clean up this place and keep the corruption from spreading!” With that, Kira gave the bird’s back a light pat.

The giant eagle let out a sharp cry and flapped its wings, soaring away from Grind Sail Town.

The remaining people all looked at Saul with a hint of fear in their eyes.

They didn’t fear Saul himself, but the man behind him, Gorsa.

Wizard Buri, the first to speak, now stood opposite Saul, as uncomfortable as if a thousand bugs were crawling over him.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now,” Saul said with a polite smile, bidding farewell to the Kema delegation.

The mood on the other side instantly lightened, and everyone looked ready to cheerfully see him off.

Trying to smooth things over, Wizard Buri offered Saul a more luxurious carriage for the journey.

But Saul declined.

He returned to his own carriage and found Lady Yura still looking displeased. Angry women were not to be trifled with.

Saul lowered his presence and asked respectfully, “Vini, should we head back now? There are still some details about the town I’d like to explain to you.”

The unspoken meaning: there were things he couldn’t say to the others, but Yura needed to know.

The puppet’s tight lips suddenly relaxed. She tilted her head slightly and said in a soft voice, “Get in.”

Before leaving, Saul entrusted the mad old man to Wizard Buri.

Buri, eager to ease tensions, would surely take good care of him.

He might never be cured of his madness, but at least he’d live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Though Saul outranked Buri in status, he was far less experienced when it came to managing worldly affairs.

He even reminded Buri not to give the old man any flashy treatment—just let him live a peaceful life.

Wizard Buri accepted the disheveled old man from Saul’s Mage Hand and solemnly promised to do as instructed.

Just as Saul turned to leave, he heard the old man mumble under his breath—

“The butterfly… flew away…”

Saul paused for a second, and Penny’s voice and face flashed through his mind.

He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his face had returned to calm.

The carriage started moving, but they weren’t headed back to the Wizard Tower just yet.

They were going to Black Castle first, to handle the inheritance left by Mochi Mochi.

In the carriage, Saul recounted the deaths of Mochi Mochi and Angela in detail and emphasized that it would be difficult for Billy to have escaped the town.

“Madam, did you see Billy escape when you were outside the town?”

“I did,” Yura admitted bluntly. “It was because Billy came out while Wright and I were near the gates that Wright got dragged back into Grind Sail.”

So Wright had been dragged to his death by Billy?

The Kema delegation had already confirmed there were no survivors in the town. Though the flesh-blood corruption was still contained within the walls for now, without careful handling, it would soon spread—and spark a massive blood-soaked panic.

A curse that not even a Third Rank apprentice could escape could easily wipe out an entire large town.

So as Saul and Yura departed, the Kema delegation remained behind to continue containment.

“So did Billy get away?” Saul asked.

“He ran off,” Yura said offhandedly, fiddling with the frills of her puppet maid’s skirt. “After he used Wright as a scapegoat, he didn’t dare face me and just fled. Not that I care. I’d already gotten everything I needed from Wright.”

Saul lowered his gaze.

He’d seen people pull this kind of stunt before—using others as sacrifices to save themselves. If he hadn’t stayed alert and made preparations in advance to counter such betrayals, who knew if he’d still be sitting here now?

The wizarding world was like that—either you pursued knowledge, or you pursued profit.

Those who chased knowledge would die for it.

Those who chased profit would kill others for it.

(End of Chapter)

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