Wizard Earl

Chapter 446 Connor's Two Choices

Although he remembered Paredes' ordinary figure and face, which would ensure that Connor could recognize him immediately when he saw him, Connor did not take it too seriously. Since this Mr. Paredes had the ability to disguise his identity under his gaze and secretly monitor Connor without his spiritual sense at such close range, it was obviously not particularly difficult for him to find a mask to wear.

"Damn it! Where did this guy come from?" Connor thought to himself, feeling quite annoyed. As a psychic wizard, his mental strength and spiritual awareness far surpassed those of wizards of the same level, but the abilities that this Mr. Paredes displayed seemed to be subtly superior to his own.

Although Connor was not yet certain about the level of this man who called himself "Paredes," he tentatively regarded him as a high-level wizarding apprentice, just like himself, because of the extraordinary abilities he had shown. The reason for this assumption, rather than that of a full-fledged wizard, was the letter that Paredes had the waiter give him.

If Paredes is a formal wizard, Connor doesn't believe that in the wizarding world's hierarchical system where strength is paramount, a formal wizard would use the honorific "respectfully yours" to address a senior wizarding apprentice. In fact, even among wizards of the same rank, the honorific "respectfully yours" is rarely used. This honorific is generally used by wizards of lower cultivation to address wizards of higher cultivation.

The use of honorifics and the abilities Paredes displayed created a stark contrast, arousing Connor's intense curiosity about Paredes.

Reaching the front of his apartment, Connor glanced intently at the mailbox standing in front of the door, knowing that something was waiting for him there.

Connor opened his email inbox, took out all seven letters, then took out his apartment key, opened the apartment door, and went inside.

As soon as he entered the apartment, looking at the room furnishings that seemed exactly the same as they had been a month ago, a subtle glint appeared in Connor's eyes. The seemingly unchanged apartment made Connor feel something was off. Although the oddity was very slight, Connor felt it very clearly. It was as if someone had entered the house, stayed for a while, and then left.

Connor used his mental powers to carefully examine the entire house. After confirming that there was no one else in the rooms, Connor reached out and activated the only remaining alchemical mechanism he had set up in the apartment, retrieving a crystal ball hidden in the apartment wall.

Immersing his mental energy into the crystal ball, Connor examined the video footage stored within, showing his apartment during the month he was away. He discovered the source of his unease: late one night two weeks prior, a hunched-over, very old-looking figure in a gray robe appeared in his apartment. This person stayed for about five minutes, seemingly confirming Connor's absence, before immediately leaving. The crystal ball recorded the last image of this figure before he left Connor's apartment, allowing Connor to confirm the person's identity.

The scene depicts the elderly man in gray robes smiling behind the wall where the crystal ball is hidden. Clearly, he has discovered the existence of the crystal ball within the wall. The half of the wrinkled face revealed by the man in gray robes is also what Connor immediately recognizes as this uninvited guest. He is none other than his mentor Reyes's butler, the person he is determined to kill—Old Victor!

Looking at the slightly mysterious smile on old Victor's face in the video recorded by the crystal ball, Connor's heart sank. After a long while, he opened all seven letters in the mailbox. Then he found the "special letter". Unlike the other six letters, this special letter only had an address and a time, and nothing else!

"The 17th villa in the suburbs of Rune, 12th..." Connor read the contents of the letter aloud, a cold smile slowly creeping onto his lips. Although the letter did not state its purpose, Connor could immediately discern, by looking at it together with the image of old Victor's smile in the crystal ball in his villa, that this special letter clearly meant that old Victor had come to his house but could not find him, so he had come to invite him.

"If that's the case, then this 'Mr. Paredes' who paid for his meal and reminded me of the mail in my mailbox seems to be a member of the Secret Society as well?" Connor thought to himself. "Today is the 9th, and the 12th is three days from now. The Sensi Villa District is a villa area located on the outskirts of East Rune, built by the well-known Rune real estate development company, Raiola Real Estate Construction Company. It's considered a high-end suburban villa area in Rune, and it's one of the choices for many wealthy businessmen and nobles in East Rune to spend their holidays. Old Victor asked me to meet him there, so it seems like there should be a Secret Society outpost there!"

Old Victor extended an invitation to him, and Connor faced a dilemma: to go or not to go. He had to make a decision within three days, and this decision could very well determine Connor's life!

If Connor chooses to "go," given the underhanded tactics Old Victor has used on him during this period, such as the "Mental Spring Potion," the "Kasyapa Demon Body Technique," and the "Radiation Source in the Book," there's a significant chance he'll be captured directly.

If he chooses not to go, then it is clearly a public break with the Secret Society, and next time Connor will likely face direct arrest by old Victor.

Connor's cold smile gradually turned into a self-deprecating one. Then, with a thought, a small flame appeared at his fingertips, burning the special letter to ashes.

In reality, there are no two choices. If Connor wants to stay in Rune, he can only go to Villa 17 in Sensi as Old Victor asked. Although Villa 17 might be a den of wolves for Connor, otherwise, in Rune where even Bishop Edel of the Storm Church is a member of the Secret Society, even if Connor stays in his own apartment, it is no different from staying in Villa 17 in Sensi. The entire city of Rune will be a huge trap for Connor!

Connor shrugged casually, feeling fortunate that he had seen the letter at this time. It was the 9th, and the agreed date was the 12th. He had three days to prepare. Three days was neither a long nor a short time, enough for Connor to make some preparations. This was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune!

(End of this chapter)