Witch Hunter Rhapsody

"I don't think we've met before, Your Excellency."

Vitas did not like his name to be widely known, even during his time with the Knights.

The task of communicating between the Knights, their employers, and others is usually handled by the vice-commander, while Vitas himself maintains as much mystery as possible.

The only time Vitas personally negotiated a business deal was with Nectus, which subsequently led to the destruction of the entire Knights Order.

"Really? Perhaps someone misremembered. Anyway, bring Mr. Vitalius some water and food."

The two men next to me brought me water and a small snack, a kind of noodle product that looked like a cake but had a very delicate texture.

Vitas removed his helmet and gauntlets, and noticing that Raymond had been watching him, he changed the subject.

"So, what do you want to know?"

"I heard a few days ago that a wizard died in the city of Ortham, did you know?"

"I've heard of it."

"Has anyone come to investigate?"

"The local viscount should be investigating."

"Does a wizard need such a distinguished person to intervene?"

"Perhaps because she was Draco's student."

Raymond feigned surprise, and Vitas genuinely thought his acting was terrible.

"Draco? Is that the Draco I've heard of? That highly respected old wizard?"

"Yes."

"Does everyone know about this?"

"Indeed."

A hint of doubt flashed across Raymond's face. He appeared and disappeared quickly, but Vitas still noticed him.

"I see, that's really strange."

"Are you planning to move to Ortham City?"

Wizards usually have their own fixed residence. Moving is troublesome for ordinary people, and even more so for wizards.

"Oh, of course not, Your Excellency. We are simply traveling. By the way, Lord Vitas, it is getting late. Why don't you rest here for the night and come back with us to find your companions tomorrow?"

"No need to trouble yourself, I just need to rest for a bit."

Vitas didn't want to stay here any longer. Raymond was the student of his enemy, and he even wanted to kill him right here, but he couldn't.

Raymond sat opposite him, with two attendants beside him. A wizard's attendants are either trusted confidants he has trained or magical creations.

They kept staring intently at him, which Vitas found ridiculous. He was fully armed, yet it was the kind of attire that made it most difficult to assassinate someone.

To kill him, unless...

"Alright, I won't insist. By the way, Mr. Vitalius, if you're a mercenary, could you please leave a way to contact us? As wizards, we also have many needs. Judging from the armor, your commission must be quite high."

Haha, actually Vitas is just at market price now.

Raymond had been observing Vitas, or more precisely, the mottled marks on Vitas's breastplate, which should have been a family crest.

He felt that the sense of familiarity he had just experienced was worth taking seriously.

"Your family crest looks like a moth. Is a moth the Vitalius family crest? Wait, a moth, Vitalius?"

Suddenly, Raymond seemed to remember something.

"Is it the Vitalius family of the Levin Alliance?"

Vitas was puzzled; how did he know about his family? Instantly, this doubt was replaced by fear.

It was precisely because his family was so mysterious that almost no one knew of its existence that he was able to so brazenly reveal his real name, although such situations were rare.

For eight years, he had never heard of his family's name outside of his family's territory!

Raymond was still overjoyed and didn't notice the astonishment on Vitas's face at all.

"So it really exists! I thought this family was just a legend. Teacher, you were wrong, Vitalius... Hahahaha, I'm truly a magnificent wizard!"

Vitas felt somewhat embarrassed and stood up to speak.

"My family is not something you can laugh at, sir. I'll take my leave now!"

Of course, Vitas had long since severed ties with his family.

He just had a feeling that the person in front of him was quite bad.

"snort."

A staff suddenly appeared in Raymond's hand, which he then slammed heavily into the ground. Instantly, countless black tentacles emerged from the floor.

Vitas was incredibly fast. He drew a dagger from his waist to attack the tentacles, but the blade passed right through them the moment it made contact.

However, some other tentacles were able to touch Vitas.

Vitas instantly realized the spell's purpose: to trap him.

Then, two servants on either side rushed forward wielding weapons, while the woman remained expressionless; this kind of thing seemed to happen frequently.

"Praise be to you, great goddess of magic! I had thought the revelation you bestowed upon me this morning was a trick, but it seems it was not!"

"ha?"

Vitas gradually discovered the secret of the tentacles: their invulnerable state had a fixed frequency, and as long as he seized this gap, he could sever them!

Raymond began chanting the incantation: "Ancient forest spirit, silent, bound old man..."

He seized the opportunity and stabbed the man in the neck with his sword, but the man pounced on Vitas. Just as Vitas was about to push him away, tentacles wrapped around him, and another person also grabbed him. Vitas lost his balance and fell with a loud crash.

Raymond's ten fingers intertwined in a bizarre manner, and the instant the spell was completed, thousands of finger-thick vines sprouted from the ground, tightly binding Vitas.

"Mr. Vitalius, this morning I used a precognitive spell. It told me that staying here would bring unexpected gains. I thought it would be the murderer of Viya, but it turned out to be the descendant of Vitalius, whom I have been searching for for so long. So tell me, is your family truly a hidden member of the Knights of the Round Table?"

"No comment."

"It's alright, I have plenty of ways."

Vitas watched as Raymond produced a cube and a small hammer engraved with strange symbols.

"My research focuses on genealogical souls, which may be difficult for you to understand. Simply put, it is the cumulative changes that occur through the inheritance and succession of the soul of a family."

What is this guy saying?

"I once heard about the Vitalius family in an ancient book. This family of knights possesses qualities far beyond those of ordinary people and the potential to be completely immune to wizardry."

Where is this book? Vitas needs to find a way to destroy it.

"Alright, let's use a slightly more efficient way to communicate."

Raymond was ready, and the new chant began.

"The goddess of dreams walks at my fingertips, the souls of all things melt in my words..."

His finger touched Vitas's forehead.

"Nexus's Soul Reading Technique!"

Immediately, Vitas roared out in anger.

"Take him down, you who swore allegiance to me!"