292 Dekan suspected he was here to cause trouble.
During the holiday celebrations at noon, the Capital City square was always flooded with people, resembling a large expanse of flowing patterns.
And the ancient pillar standing in the center of the square, which replaced the sundial, indicated that it was already three in the afternoon.
Looking afar at the square, the three girls all sighed.
“We should go somewhere else, Mia, Cornelia.”
Alice said helplessly.
Today was the second day of the off-season.
Tomorrow, the Hero Festival would feature the final showdown between the Bishop of Pain and the Empire Sword Saint.
The organizers were taking advantage of the buzz to further hype up the atmosphere.
As a result, the festive ambiance of Philovent Capital City had already reached its peak.
The three girls moved away from the most crowded tourist spots and strolled along the road towards the suburbs, following the clattering of horse-drawn carriages.
In the sky dotted with sparse clouds, flocks of birds flew by in the distance.
The first breeze after moving away from the dense crowd gently caressed their cheeks as it breezed past. Alice closed her eyes in comfort.
Inadvertently relaxing, she almost forgot about the crucial match for Dekan tomorrow.
From what she had heard in many analyses,
If Dekan didn’t plan to pull any outside tricks, his chances of defeating the Empire Sword Saint in a duel in the Phantom Canyon were very low.
After all, a fifth-rank facing off against an eighth-rank contender.
The Empire Sword Saint was a genuinely versatile genius, an outstanding figure among the eighth-rank.
Alice didn’t know how Dekan would win tomorrow.
But for some reason, she felt Dekan could do it.
Because, in her view, Dekan was simply on a higher level!
And Dekan looked completely unperturbed today, having gone early to deal with idol group matters with Chloix.
The idol group, which was so popular among people, kept them, as the head of the office and producer, quite busy.
It was said that after tomorrow’s match and the award ceremony, Dekan would have to rush to prepare for the concert.
Unconsciously, Beautiful Soul Squad’s free-time activities were once again divided into male and female groups, just like during the last seventh-rank squad evaluation.
Only this time, there was also a friend outside the squad, Alice.
Alice, already a close friend of Mia, had, over the time, become close with Cornelia.
Facing this enthusiastic and open princess, Cornelia sometimes didn’t know how to handle her quirky behavior, but deep down, she felt she was someone who was easy to get along with.
Unconsciously, Cornelia gained another good friend.
When she first began studying a year ago, she was worried that during her time at Hewenlit Academy, she might not make any friends until graduation.
But now, when she was with her friends,
Even when the holidays ended and they returned to school, there was no dull day.
“What should we do this afternoon?”
Cornelia asked herself.
“Cornelia, is there something on your mind?”
Mia stared at Cornelia, noticing that her brows and eyes betrayed a certain mood she couldn’t hide.
Since this morning, after receiving a letter, Cornelia seemed to be distracted at times.
Alice also gazed at Cornelia.
“It seems my mother is sick, I want to go back to see her…”
Cornelia quietly admitted.
She seemed reluctant to let Dekan know and worry, which might affect his upcoming final match,
So she hadn’t planned to tell Dekan today.
“Don’t worry, after telling Dekan tomorrow, he will accompany you immediately.”
Alice gave Cornelia’s back a pat and grinned as she said.
Per the original plan, after the Hero Festival matches, they were supposed to travel around the Philovent Kingdom for a while.
And Dekan, as the producer of the idol group and a specially invited guest for this Hero Festival, was invited to various activities and card-making competitions.
But now both Alice and Mia knew.
No matter how busy Dekan was, anything related to Cornelia would make him drop all his work and go with her.
Cornelia nodded gently, her lips curled into a faint smile.
“I really regret not going with you to Randir Kingdom last time!”
Alice mumbled while wandering around.
When she learned that during their seventh-rank squad examination, Mia and Cornelia spent their time leisurely traveling throughout Randir Kingdom, she couldn’t help but appear a little regretful.
She had never ventured so far abroad, let alone wander freely with her friends without an escort.
After all, these companions of hers were much stronger than any escort.
“Actually, that trip was quite dangerous.”
Mia looked helplessly at Alice and poked her cheeks.
Looking back now, if it hadn’t been for that blue person, the corrupt Bishop Fahim would have probably turned the Capital City into an earthly hell at least.
Alice, a fourth-rank genuine staff, would have required a significant part of the combat force just to protect her.
Although the Philovent Capital City was extremely secure during this event, with strict security checks, security personnel, and alarm barriers.
But the barrier protection required an attack to activate the alarm and quickly summon the security force.
If there were an all-out attack, it won’t provide protection instantly.
In fact, this situation didn’t need to be worried about.
After all, with Captain De’Erkan involved in the security checks, it was almost impossible for members of the Rebirth Church to enter the Capital City.
It should have been like this originally.
But now, there were some changes.
There was a group of dangerous individuals.
Initially, they didn’t hate Dekan, so it was easy for them to pass Captain De’Erkan’s security checks to enter the Capital City.
Now, after these days, they hated Dekan intensely.
They were the devotees of the Lord of Misfortune —— the Sect of Misfortune.
Dekan, who declared war on the Lord of Misfortune in public and successfully “punished the Lord of Misfortune,” had now become their top enemy.
It’s unimaginable what kind of revenge these people might take on Dekan.
There was no need to worry about the armed idol group of twenty ranks, as they wouldn’t dare to touch.
Even the combination of Dekan and Chloix’s Bishop Killing Machines would require at least one bishop from the Rebirth Church to handle.
So, among the entire group,
Alice was the only weakness.
Of course, Dekan had instructed Mia and Cornelia well in advance not to let Alice be alone and to maintain vigilance within the Capital City to protect her.
Therefore, Cornelia, who had served as a part-time scout in the initial team, along with Mia, who possessed professional scout skills, quickly realized that someone was indeed following them.
From the Capital City square to a more suburban area, someone followed them all the way.
However, they couldn’t leave Alice to strike back actively.
They just needed to wait for the opponent to make a move, then deliver a decisive blow.
Mia and Cornelia exchanged glances and silently reached an agreement.
They had a wealth of relevant business experience.
“What should we do as it’s our last afternoon together?”
Seeing that there were no clear itinerary plans at the moment, Mia asked.
Cornelia shook her head, seemingly without any ideas.
However, Alice seemed to have thought of something, her eyes sparkling as she said:
“To tell the truth, I still want to try placing a bet; I am going to bet on Dekan’s win!”
Mia and Cornelia exchanged looks, both feeling a bit troubled.
They felt Alice wanted to boast back in the kingdom after a big win about herself being a gambler.
Anyway, win or lose, it was all profit for her.
Even if she lost, she wouldn’t feel any pain, and if she won, she’d have more to brag about.
Although Philovent Kingdom’s laws forbid it,
However, since the Kingdom Union still encouraged adding more entertainment value,
So some behaviors were tolerated.
For example, all transnational chambers of commerce, the Philovent Kingdom’s branch offices, during the Hero Festival, provided cross-border betting services.
That is, bets could be placed in other kingdoms remotely within the Capital City.
Of course, a service fee would be charged.
This made it more expensive than the expected value, more for entertainment.
Anyway, Alice didn’t seem to care much about profits and losses. She did it just for the experience.
So, to help Alice fulfill her dream of becoming a gambling saint,
Mia and Cornelia accompanied Alice to the I’noth Chamber of Commerce.
This chamber of commerce with the characteristics of a gang they had seen in Randir Kingdom before.
Without discussing whether their business was all legitimate, at least they had a certain level of integrity.
Of course,
According to what Dekan said,
If they were not honest, it would be better.
That way they would directly become an ATM machine.
That’s why, when Mia returned from Randir Kingdom, she often suspected what Dekan exactly had in mind when he preferred cooperating with the I’noth Chamber of Commerce on some international projects.
…
Soon they arrived at the I’noth Chamber of Commerce branch in the Philovent Kingdom’s Capital City.
Before they even stepped into the luxurious chamber building, an overseer immediately came out to greet their three VIPs.
“Two guests from Happy Group and Princess Alice, welcome to our chamber.”
The overseer was exceptionally courteous as he ushered them into the chamber.
After simply explaining their intentions, the overseer quickly led them through a VIP channel.
However, as they walked along the channel, they noticed that there was already a young man standing in front of the VIP-exclusive counter.
Apparently, he was also a VIP.
“Damn it, is this bastard going to cheat again in the next round!”
Even before they got close, they heard the young man’s voice of discontent.
It seemed a poor fellow had been continuously betting on Dekan losing.
Now, before the final round started, he was hesitating whether to place another bet.
Under the guidance of the overseer, the three of them were quite patient as they waited on the sofa, not in any hurry.
After all, they themselves were feeling quite idle.
Mia, supporting her chin, watched the young man in front of them with great interest.
Even though she had never met this person,
But Mia, who possessed the skills of a disguise expert, quickly realized that the young man had concealed his true appearance.
“If he doesn’t continue his tricks next time, what if he finds another way to cheat tomorrow…”
The young man muttered to himself, appearing quite conflicted.
He was serious about wanting to win.
As he thought,
“I’ll teach you: bet on Dekan’s win, it’s guaranteed profit!”
Alice, with no intention to rush him, kindly offered advice and sat on the sofa to suggest.
The mysterious young man was startled by Alice’s words, then turned around and shouted angrily:
“I will not bet on that scoundrel to win!”
Alice asked in surprise:
“Hmm, do you know him?”
It felt like there was some personal grudge…
Mysterious Young Man: “I don’t know him!”
Alice: “Then why do you have such resentment towards him…”
Mysterious Young Man: “Who has any resentment towards him! Don’t you think this person wins every round in such a despicable way?”
Alice: “Hmph, victory is justice, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you argue with others if you lost your bet?”
“…”
The young man seemed to be silenced by Alice’s one sentence.
And the authority in Alice’s tone when she spoke was like that of a true old gambler.
Highlighting a certain amount of superiority.
Seemingly perceiving the hesitation of the mysterious young man,
Alice took the initiative, pulling the stored-value crystal card from the young man’s hand and slapped it on the counter.
“Bet everything on Dekan! Trust me, it won’t be wrong!”
Alice said assertively and with great generosity.
“You?”
The mysterious young man quickly stopped the manager’s operation by pressing his hand on the counter, glaring at Alice with anger.
This wasn’t her money!
And did she even know how much was in this card?
Treating a ten-thousand gold bet as a game was either a true gambling master or a complete amateur!
Alice: “I will compensate you if I lose, you will give me half the profit if I win, and then call me Gambling Saint. Is that not fair enough?”
Mysterious Young Man: “Do you even know how much is in this card? And then compensate me… really…”
Alice ignored the young man.
She placed her own card on the counter and casually informed the manager: “Bet ten million.”
Mysterious Young Man: “???”
He suspected his ears were playing tricks on him.
Ten million? What is this?
Even the manager at the counter was startled and almost fell off the chair.
It wasn’t until he personally confirmed that the manager indeed transferred ten million from this girl’s card and successfully placed the bet, that the young man was sure that this person was really outrageous.
She even remained extraordinarily calm after betting ten million.
Her breathing frequency did not change a bit!
It was as if this ten million meant nothing to her, or she truly believed she would definitely win.
“Are you a mining tycoon’s daughter?”
The young man stared wide-eyed and asked.
“Not really… Hmm, I suppose if we count the mines of Norton Kingdom as mine, it isn’t wrong.”
Alice pondered for a moment. It seemed like it might not be incorrect to say that the mines of Norton Kingdom were hers.
Actually, she initially hadn’t planned to bet so much, just a hundred thousand gold to have some fun.
But sensing an opportunity to act superior, she instantly decided to go all-in.
Presumably, this VIP was also some unknown important person.
Taking this opportunity to show off in front of him, if she succeeded this time, it was guaranteed that someone would surely spread her legend somewhere unknown in the future!
Ten million was indeed close to all the wealth Alice had accumulated so far.
The young man standing by the counter seemed lost in deep thought with complex emotions.
After receiving this promise of assurance from the rich girl, betting on the Empire Sword Saint losing meant losing everything, whereas betting on Dekan winning, while the profit would be halved, but if she lost he would be compensated for his entire principal investment. Considering the expectations, no matter what, it was better to bet on Dekan for a sure win.
Looking at this rich girl, she didn’t seem like someone who would cheat over ten thousand gold.
In the end, the young man decided to go all-in on Dekan too.
Though he really disliked Dekan, the young man really wanted to get his first win.
Of course, if Dekan made him win a large amount, he decided he would temporarily no longer hate Dekan as much.
After exchanging bank account numbers, the pair subsequently left the I’noth Chamber of Commerce.
The sun sets, its light gradually fading behind the horizon. The afternoon festival of today will eventually come to an end.
Replacing it is the moonlit night targeting the zenith, accompanied by a layer of faint purple haze.
The night sky is filled with countless stars, appearing like cold holes of light scattered about.
The streets begin to be gradually enveloped by darkness, and the energy of the pedestrians seems to be hidden away, falling into silence.
Whoosh! Whoosh! The wind sweeps past the few figures standing at the entrance of the chamber.
It’s summer.
Yet, the people at the chamber entrance instinctively feel a shiver down their spine.
It’s unrestrained killing intent!
Mia and Cornelia immediately grew serious in their expressions.
They realized that during the time they spent together in the chamber, the people who had been following them had now prepared their move!
Finally, the revenge of the Sect of Misfortune was going to come.
“Buzz!”
As the sound of breaking through the air materialized into something physical, it caused an intangible gust of wind.
A figure darted towards Alice, who was at the center of the three, while Mia and Cornelia had already readied themselves for combat.
However.
The young man who had exited the chamber first just happened to be standing close to that figure.
His eyes instantly locked onto the figure with a sharpness resembling an eagle.
Without any doubt, the figure was an assassin aiming to attack the trio of girls.
The young man quickly made a judgment, seizing the assassin’s neck with ease, akin to picking up a chick, and violently slammed him to the ground.
But, the young man didn’t expect the assassin to be carrying out an extreme suicide attack.
Interrupted, the assassin detonated immediately.
“Boom!!”
The explosion emitted a terrifying sound, with flames erupting everywhere. In an instant, it illuminated the street at night, followed by a thick cloud of smoke rising.
After a few seconds, the smoke gradually dispersed.
Although Alice and the remaining two girls were unscathed far away, the young man was covered in soot.
His physical constitution seemed incredible as this explosion hadn’t injured him.
The horrifying dried bloody traces on his body appeared to be the assassin’s.
He looked like a demon from hell now.
Less than half a minute later, the loud commotion drew a large contingent of security forces.
In this situation, running wouldn’t be possible as it would lead to more trouble.
So, in order not to make a bigger issue, the young man waited on the spot.
“Thank you!”
After a brief daze, both Cornelia and Mia nodded to thank the young man after realizing what had happened.
Even though all this happened suddenly, after Mia and Cornelia explained the situation, a relieved Alice also expressed her gratitude to the young man.
“If Dekan loses, I’ll have to ask you for repayment, that’s all.”
The young man waved his hand and said.
It seemed to him, such a trivial effort wasn’t worth mentioning.
Soon, the law officers arrived and cautiously surrounded the young man, asking him:
“Mr., what happened here?”
“There was someone trying to attack them, I stopped them, and then he exploded.”
The young man calmly explained.
It was obvious.
Why even ask?
“…”
However, the security officer looked at the scene and the terrifying appearance of the young man.
The security officer didn’t believe it was that simple…
So they questioned those around who were witnesses.
Aside from the trio of Alice confirming the young man’s act of bravery,
The other witnesses all said ——
“At that moment, this young man randomly grabbed a passerby, then smashed him to the ground with a ‘snap,’ and the passerby exploded.”
Each verification resulted in the same response, which left the security officers trembling with their lips twitching.
Now,
Both versions from the witnesses were somewhat outlandish.
But based on the years of experience of the security officers,
Combined with the present situation,
Regardless of how they looked at it, the second version seemed more convincing.
“Please come with us.”
The security officers could not clearly analyze the situation at the moment, so they kept a respectful distance from the young man while calling for reinforcements and said.
“…”
The mysterious young man’s face was dark as soot.
He realized there was a big problem in the previous incident.
From a commoner’s perspective, it indeed seemed like another situation…
Ah, helping save someone would still lead to arrest.
Worthy indeed the Kingdom Union.
A hint of disdainful smile curved at the corner of the youth’s mouth.
“Let’s go!”
He proudly extended his hands and said, letting the law officers cuff him.
…
On the morning of the next day.
Dekan sat in the living room reading the newspaper. Today, he had plenty of rest time before his afternoon match.
“Yesterday afternoon, a murder case occurred in the Capital City of Philovent. Due to the inability to identify the dead and the extreme horror of the killing method, there are many doubts in the case, which is still under investigation…”
Dekan saw the picture in the newspaper of the man being detained, and for some reason, he felt that the pose of the pitiful but highly confident man looked oddly familiar.
Cornelia was eating some fruit snacks nearby and glanced over.
Cornelia: “Ah, wasn’t he the kind person who helped us yesterday? Alice and Mia are going to testify for him today.”
Dekan: “Tell me the details.”
Cornelia recounted yesterday’s events after Dekan listened to the deeds of the mysterious young man’s bravery.
Dekan frowned unconsciously.
Though this man changed his hair color, appearance, and identity,
Dekan felt absolutely certain who this secretive young man was.
If anyone in the world was entirely unpredictable to Dekan,
One would be Cornelia.
The second would surely be the freest man in the world, Krey!
“However, the Bishop’s Certificate of Madness I have in my possession hasn’t expired… It means Krey hasn’t obtained a new Bishop’s Certificate and can’t contact other bishops through this object over long distances… Thus, after he is imprisoned, all his cards will be confiscated and, without a communication card, this fellow will temporarily lose contact with the outside world…”
Dekan pondered.
Considering this, Dekan could speculate what the Rebirth Church’s actions might be during this Hero Festival.
Since even the bishop has come.
However…
Krey continues to perform as expected.
Even before the Rebirth Church begins to cause trouble,
The comrade has already imprisoned himself.
Dekan could already imagine how Carlos, the Illusory Bishop, would feel when he realizes that Krey suddenly disappeared and is in jail when planning for some chaos…
