Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

"Of the 137 nobles from different regions, four survived and one perished. Therefore, the five regions, including Cassandel, will be designated as untouchable zones. The division of human power in this world should be about 40% complete..."

Sheriu looked up at the sky. “This world is beyond your imagination, Mr. Hamlet. All you have done is like a frog in a well, foolish and ridiculous.”

"And I will become the most dazzling star."

……

"Lyle, do you want some?"

Lyle glanced at the few old sheets of paper Kevin handed him.

"This is... a land deed?"

"Yes, the land deeds for Hamletshire are all here. I just found them."

What incredible luck! In the same space, I found nothing, but you found the most precious land deed.

"If you've found it, it's yours. Besides, I don't know what to do with this godforsaken place. We're not short of money right now, so let your noble lord run it."

"I don't want this awful place either. I was planning to get a fiefdom and establish a Kevin County without my father. But this place is so unlucky, with vampires and evil gods. I'm sure I won't sleep well at night. How about I give it to my father and let him sell it, and we can split the assets among ourselves?"

"This godforsaken place can actually be sold?"

“As long as it’s labeled as a fiefdom, even a burial plot can be sold.”

As the two chatted and laughed, they arrived at the stone chamber outside.

"Gurgle!"

Upon hearing Nia's familiar voice, Lyle instinctively raised his arm, only to be swallowed up by the swarm of tentacles.

Kevin stared blankly at Nia's new form for a moment before quickly pulling Lyle out of the pile of tentacles.

Nia's tentacles have increased in number, to the point that they can cause psychological trauma.

Looking at Nia, who now had a human form, Lyle felt a sense of fatherly emotion.

Aside from her appearance, nothing else had changed. Nia still habitually hid inside her clothes, the extra volume seemingly having no effect whatsoever.

Hines had already woken up and was standing not far away, watching Lyle and Nia's interaction.

“Thank you, Mr. Hines. Without your help, it would have been very difficult for us to defeat the Duke of Hamlet.”

“Your talent…” Hines looked at Lyle, his mouth uttering a dazed murmur.

"what?"

"It's nothing. Now that we've eliminated the source of the corruption, Fanila and I will begin the purification work on this land. Goodbye, Plague Doctor. In the future, you and your friends can come to the Withered Habitat in District 5 of Light. We will extend the warmest welcome to the guardians of nature."

Hines led Fanila out of the secret passage, leaving William behind as they departed. Elian and Karen appeared to be the first to leave.

Kevin walked over and patted William on the shoulder.

“Bory family magician advisor, your bodyguard mission is complete. Lyle can take care of my safety on my return journey, so don’t hesitate to take action.”

William looked at Kevin's smiling face, the eagerness that had been in his eyes vanished, replaced by a dashing air befitting his handsome appearance. "Let me complete my mission perfectly, my young master Kevin. If I accept your kindness now and satisfy my impulses, I'm afraid I'll never have the courage to be the brother of the generous Kevin."

"Are you just going to watch this opportunity slip away?" Kevin was more inclined to let him pursue possible happiness.

"What belongs to me, no one can take away; what doesn't belong to me, I shouldn't force. Now it's time to celebrate the friendship we can see. Kevin, have you achieved your goal?"

“I’ve obtained the land deeds; this land is now the property of the Borui family. The Hamlet family is extinct, and my inheritance ceremony will most likely be impossible to proceed. I’ll just leave the land deeds to my father to sell, and we can split the proceeds. Oh, and remember to come to the reception later; let’s fulfill our previous agreement—no one can be absent!”

"Okay." "Definitely."

The three walked into the secret passage, and after a long journey, they left Hamlet's castle.

It was just as dawn broke, and the first rays of light appeared on the sea, bringing back the exhaustion of the three of them from a sleepless night.

"Go back to the hotel for another night's sleep? This time it should be free."

"No, I'd rather sleep in the jungle."

Following the road down, through the town of Hamlet, the old registrar and her rocking chair disappeared, but the parchment with Kevin's name on it remained.

“I almost forgot about this. This seems to be some kind of sorcery scroll. William, could you lend me a light? Let’s burn it.”

Ignite.

The parchment was discarded on the ground and gradually consumed by the flames.

The other names had turned into blurry, blood-red marks, but Kevin's name remained clear in the flames.

Kevin Hamlet.

Chapter 185 The Emerald Dragon Priest

It was a large tree that shimmered in the sunlight. Its leaves were thin, oval, and translucent; you could see the sky above through the layers of leaves. This tree was made of jade. Its leaves, its branches, its roots—all of it. It transformed the sunlight into its own radiance, lending a dreamlike and sacred air to the surrounding verdant trees.

On the natural path adorned with emerald leaves, a white-haired figure in a grey robe, carrying a white lantern, approached the tree. Hines knelt before the emerald tree, feeling the gaze of its leaves.

“Honorable Jason, I have completed the task you have given me.”

"Am I imagining things, Hines? I hope my stubbornness hasn't bothered you." A soft, kind female voice came from the emerald tree, like a mother worrying about her child.

“No, you are right, Your Excellency Jason. The ominous signs you sensed in your dream have indeed come to pass; Hamletshire has been corrupted by the evil god.”

"Is it...that one?"

"Yes, it is a broken part of the god Triton, one of its hearts. Its heart was obtained by humans, who studied and used it, creating a wasteland."

Hines heard crying right in front of him.

A gaunt figure emerged from the emerald, her dress made of flowers and tender leaves, a fresh flower adorning her cane, and a majestic yet eerie wooden mask covering her face. The aura of authority and antiquity was shattered by the weeping, leaving only a helpless Haynes.

"I'm so sorry, Hines, those poor humans, it's all our fault..."

“No, Your Excellency Jason, those humans brought this upon themselves, and these mistakes should not be attributed to you in any way.”

"No, Hines, it's our fault. If I had discovered it sooner, those humans wouldn't have come into contact with it. No, no, if we had won back then, Brother Moroki's power should have covered all of humanity, and those studious humans wouldn't have come into contact with the remnants of the gods in pursuit of power. No, no, no, if we had behaved better back then, the sealing of Triton wouldn't have left so many remnants of the gods. No matter how you look at it, tracing back to the source, it's all our fault."

Hines held this respected elder in absolute esteem, but the respected Jason was frustrating in one way: no matter what setbacks occurred, she would blame herself and even cry from self-reproach.

For example, if she can't see the moon tonight, she'll blame herself for setting the sleep time too early when she set the rules for the dream elves, or she'll say that the expulsion of the Witherers was because she didn't spread the Wither Magic to her people.

Hines sighed, “Reverend Jason, you are an eternal elder, a pioneer who made the Dream Elf race stand out. Your contributions to us cannot be overshadowed, no matter what mistakes you have made. Please do not grieve. Every Dragon Priest deserves the respect of the race.”

"If you cry again, I'll cry too." It really was about to cry. Was it easy for Hines? To coax this grown-up elf baby, he even had to put aside his dignity as a male adult elf.

This worked. When Jason faced Hines' serious expression, he stopped sobbing. Hines could even feel her surprised gaze through the mask.

"Hains, thank you, thank you all, thank you for your tolerance, which allowed me to retain the dignity of my elders."

No, Your Excellency Jason, this is not our leniency, but rather the loss of your dignity. Every dream elf who has ever encountered you instinctively feels inferior when facing other dragonkin. Our greatest leader and elder is a crybaby, what are we to do?

"Hains, and what was the result? Did you purify Triton's heart?"

Hines, with a hint of melancholy and unease, said, "I'm not sure, Your Excellency Jason. I formed a task force with many companions, and in the end, we did indeed encounter the Heart of God aberration. My Wither spell purified part of it, but another part was devoured by the creations of the Andre Academy members..."

"Devoured it? Did you forget to stop him, Hines? You should know that the corrupting power of an evil god is unstoppable, and the one who devoured the evil god will soon fall into madness as well." Jason's expression became uneasy again, as if he was about to fall into self-blame once more.

"That's what I find strange. After that creation devoured the Heart of God, it absorbed its power and changed, but its mind doesn't seem to have changed."

"Her name is Nia, Jodnia."

Jason rubbed his head. "Where have I heard that name before? Who is her creator?"

"The Plague Doctor of Andre Academy, and I once sensed him out of curiosity. His life characteristics seemed to be those of a human, a human who had infiltrated the Lich Academy."

“Ah, so it’s the Plague Doctor. Then there’s no problem. That Plague Doctor is an apprentice of Brother Moroki, and Brother Moroki supervised the entire process of Nia’s birth. There’s no need to worry about Nia’s corruption, because she was created from the flesh of a god, so there’s no issue of her mind becoming corrupted.” Jason said with a relaxed expression, revealing what he had promised to keep secret.

Hines jumped to his feet in shock.

"A variant of the evil god created by Elder Morokui, the Dragon Priest?! Why would he allow an evil god to grow unchecked! You taught us that evil gods are absolutely chaotic and twisted, born to be our mortal enemies. Why would the Dragon Priest who once sealed away the enemy of life do such a thing?!" Hines' eyes were filled with disbelief.

"Because that larva and the human plague doctor have a symbiotic relationship. It is a creation born by accident. If it is destroyed, that human will also suffer."

"For the sake of natural balance, anything can be sacrificed, even a human being..."

An irresistible aura emanated from Jason, and Hines began to tremble, kneeling on the ground. He knew he had spoken out of turn, and that he had provoked the elder's rare wrath, as if he were being watched by a dragon.

"Hains, you have no right to order any other life form to sacrifice itself for nature. Neither do you, nor do I. The statement that any sacrifice is worthwhile only applies to ourselves. To sacrifice oneself is noble; to sacrifice others is base."

“Nothing is inherently destined to be destroyed; it’s only the excuses we impose upon it. Even evil gods are no exception. Dragon priests have never been righteous…” Jason’s tone was tinged with melancholy.

“I will heed your teachings, but is the oversight of the Witherers truly unnecessary? If things go wrong in the future, we will face yet another god…”

"Don't worry, Brother Morokui is the wisest among us, there's no need to worry about him."

And so it is; Ison always eagerly boasts about the abilities of other dragon priests, and whenever anything overlaps with what happens to other dragon priests, she becomes completely useless. This is one of the main reasons why the dream elves can't hold their heads high.

"Brother is amazing! Brother is the most reliable! Brother will definitely get things done easily! I don't need to worry about it."

When other dragon priests are mentioned, Isson always relaxes quickly and enters private chat mode.

"Hains, I heard that little Fanila came looking for you, how was it?"

"Not so great. She got caught in a honey trap in the city of wandering, and I got her out of jail."

"Waaah, it's all my fault. If I had made the arrangements first, Fanila wouldn't have ended up in jail."

"No, I think it's good to keep her locked up. Don't cry, Your Excellency Jason."

Chapter 186 The Cleansing of Holy Light

Three days later, they returned to Cassandra. Stepping back into the city, which was adorned with dark clouds and black buildings, the three of them relaxed considerably as they breathed in the cold, damp air.

"Lyle, William and I will head back to the manor now. Don't forget to attend the banquet. An invitation should be delivered to your house tomorrow. Don't worry about the dress; I'll take care of everything."

Lyle smiled, looking at the exhausted Kevin. They'd both been through a lot on this trip. Especially Kevin, an ordinary, lucky nobleman who had gained knowledge of the mystical, practically stepping into the realm of the supernatural. However, the threshold for him was significantly higher than for others. To harm a god with a mortal body.

After saying goodbye to them, Lyle went to the Sheriff's Office and reported the results of his commission to Mr. Garrett.

"Thank you for your hard work, little Buhler." Mr. Garrett seemed to be in a good mood; he even stopped his work and chatted with Lyle while holding his teacup.

"Oh, right, this is for you." Garrett took out an antique nanmu wood cross from his drawer, with peculiar specks of light on it.

“Miss Karen Pombay has resigned from her job as sheriff. There’s some big event going on at the church soon. She asked me to give this to you.”

The small cross rested in Lyle's palm, radiating a warm and reassuring power.