After the slave owners went bankrupt, they all wanted to keep me as a mistress.

Don't let his legendary status fool you; he's a respected figure everywhere. But if he offends the Empire, even an epic-level professional like him will be in deep trouble!

The prestigious status of legendary professionals is based on maintaining good relations with the empire, or at least not being its enemy.

Even if someone violates imperial laws and commits acts of murder and arson, they are often overlooked.

But what they did was not as simple as murder and arson...

"Of course I know you don't have the guts!"

Duke Blaine snorted and said, "I didn't ask you to take action against the investigation team. Since they came all the way north from the capital, they will most likely pass through Taka City."

Taka City.

Upon hearing this name, Lorenzo's expression subtly changed.

Many people may not have an impression of Taka City, but if you mention the Golden City, every citizen of the Orion Empire will proudly stand tall!

"Your Grace, do you mean...?"

"Aren't you the best at illusions?"

Duke Blaine seemed to know Lorenzo quite well; he tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table covered with a pristine white tablecloth, and said in a calm tone:

"Your legendary specialty—Master of Illusions—is difficult for even those of equal strength to break free from, let alone the Iron Law Institute's specialists who excel at investigation rather than combat."

"We cannot touch the investigation team. Even if they did not die in our Earth City, but died on the way, it will still alarm the capital."

"The best way to prevent them from focusing their attention on us is to let heroes investigate heroes, and let trouble... solve trouble!"

Although Duke Blaine did not say it explicitly, Lorenzo understood what the Duke meant.

The investigation team members should also be implicated in the case, and preferably, it should be a heinous and high-profile murder case!

If those investigators were to be implicated in a murder case, especially the murder of a wealthy businessman from another region, then even if they wanted to leave the City of Gold, they wouldn't be able to leave!

At that point, these investigators will be ordered to cease their investigations and undergo an internal review by the Iron Law Institute.

Let the investigators investigate the investigators!

Thinking of this, Lorenzo's eyes lit up.

The Golden City is one of the most prosperous cities in the Aurian Empire, attracting wealthy merchants from all over the world. It boasts the most open business policies and is one of the few places in the Aurian Empire that allows people of other races to live there.

There are only three routes to get from the capital to the city of the earth: one is to cross the Gamar Mountains and then head straight northeast.

However, the Gamar Mountains are prone to storms from July to September each year, and even caravans will detour around them during this period to stay away from the Gamar Mountains.

Another route is to go through the Silent Forest and then head northwest, but the Silent Forest is full of poisonous creatures and requires a detour, so the investigation team probably won't take this route.

The shortest route is to pass through the City of Gold and head north along the trade route.

This is the closest and safest route.

The investigation team will most likely choose this route, as long as they can successfully frame a murder case for them...

Even if the impartial and incorruptible consul were to intervene, it would likely be difficult to quell King Taka's rage.

However, Lorenzo still had one last concern.

King Taka is no pushover either. He's the current emperor's uncle, with a notoriously volatile temper and fiercely protective nature. If someone were to harm his people on his territory and use him as a pawn, what would happen if King Taka found out…

"Your Grace, you ordered me to take action in the City of Gold. What if this matter is discovered..."

"If it is done discreetly and flawlessly, no one will be able to detect it."

Duke Blaine seemed quite confident. He glanced at Lorenzo and said in a flat tone, "Don't forget who raised you from a wandering Silver Poet into the legend you are today. I hope you won't make any unwise choices at this time."

Lorenzo felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew that the Duke was warning him not to try to turn himself in.

Although the contract was automatically torn up after he became a legend, what they took was not the Duke's money, but the Empire's cake!

If this matter is exposed, let alone a mere legendary professional like him, even if he becomes an epic, the empire will never let him go!

At that time, his fate will be either to be forced to sign a slave contract by the Gray Arbitration Council, with death as the only option if he refuses, and his legendary advancement will be cut off if he signs, preventing him from ever achieving epic status and forcing him to serve the empire as a dog for the rest of his life, completely losing his freedom, or... he will be sentenced to death by the Supreme Court!

He nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "I understand, Your Grace. After tonight, I will set off for the City of Gold."

"Ah."

The Duke was not surprised by his reaction.

Lorenzo was a legendary professional whom he had personally trained. The legendary rank that Lorenzo had forged incorporated the principle of never forgetting gratitude, which was one of the conditions for Lorenzo to become a legendary professional.

Only by adhering to this principle can he go further on the legendary path!

Although after the other party became a legendary professional, their relationship naturally changed from a master-servant relationship to a cooperative one. After all, no legendary professional would willingly become someone else's slave, but the other party could still be considered half one of their own.

Moreover, the bard's profession and expertise in illusion make it easy for the capital to detect if the family's children are trained in this direction.

However, Lorenzo was just a wandering bard on the surface, with no connection whatsoever to the Parker family, and no one would associate the poor, silver-level boy from back then with the legendary professional before them.

After leaving Lorenzo's table, Duke Blaine returned to his gentle demeanor, flashing a hearty smile as he chatted with the guests around him.

Soon, he came to the side of an old man who looked rather unkempt.

The disheveled old man, dressed in long clothes stained with oil and old medicine, was grabbing a huge, charred, and juicy lamb chop and gnawing on it with his mouth full of oil.

"Master Richie, did you enjoy the dishes tonight?"

The Duke of Blaine smiled.

"Mmm! Not bad! Quite good! The heat, the spices, especially the sauce..."

Aldridge looked up, grinned, revealing teeth yellowed from tobacco, and patted the Duke's shoulder hard again, leaving several clear oily fingerprints.

"Bryan, you're always so attentive, it's never for anything good! Just tell me, what trouble have you run into this time?"

“Master, you’re joking. It’s not a big deal.”

Duke Blaine remained unfazed and spoke in a nonchalant tone: "It's just that my subordinates are inefficient and have caused me some trouble. I need your help to create a batch of 'cleaners'."

"Just this little thing?"

Aldridge waved his hand dismissively, his greasy fingers tracing patterns in the air. "Perfect timing. Isn't your underground city in a bit of a mess? The temple's probably going to order a batch of alchemical dolls too. I'll stay here a few more days and take care of it all at once!"

"Thank you so much, Master!"

Duke Blaine's smile deepened considerably.

"..."

Then, Mu Qiu saw Duke Blaine walk to the side of several legendary professionals. However, Duke Blaine was much more polite to the others and did not make any further requests to them.

"This duke doesn't seem so honest..."

Mu Qiu touched his chin.

The priest of the temple said that the Duke of Blaine was a kind and generous man who had a particular fondness for collecting antiques and rare treasures. He was an old nobleman who lived in seclusion and was gradually falling into poverty.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; no matter how down on his luck he is, he is still a hereditary duke.

But now it seems that the Duke of Blaine clearly has his own agenda.

Not only did he secretly recruit legendary professionals, but he also personally trained one of them.

Judging from his conversation with the legendary professional, the duke seemed well aware that he could not withstand scrutiny.

Even being the descendant of a hero's companion, a member of a heroic family, or holding the title of a hereditary duke might not be enough to protect him!

I wonder what kind of serious crime this must have been committed?

By this time, the banquet was nearing its end.

Many nobles and wealthy merchants who knew they had no chance of being included in the subsequent auctions began to leave. They had come here mainly to make an impression on the Duke or to take this opportunity to make friends with other nobles.

In the end, those who remained, including Mu Qiu and his two companions, numbered only about twenty, all of whom were either truly wealthy or possessed formidable strength.

The waiters quickly cleared away the tables and replaced them with more comfortable and spacious sofas and small coffee tables. The lights in the hall were also focused on the auction stage at the front.

Duke Blaine stepped onto the auction stage again, looking radiant under the lights. He clapped his hands lightly and said in a loud voice, "Thank you for staying, distinguished guests. Without further ado, I believe that the little trinkets I have prepared tonight will not disappoint you."

"I hereby declare the auction open!"

Chapter 113 Such a good potion, of course we should buy it for our maid!

After Duke Blaine finished speaking, his gaze lingered on Mu Qiu and his group for a moment.

He was a little surprised.

In the past, those who held temple invitations would not participate in subsequent auctions, but these people today seemed to have come specifically for the auction.

However, he had never seen this person before, and he probably wasn't a wealthy nobleman or a tycoon, so it wouldn't affect tonight's auction.

Duke Blaine didn't think much of it and said in a deep voice, "As is customary, all items tonight will not be offered in gold coins, but only in Starstones, or can be exchanged for treasures of equivalent value that have been appraised by a joint panel of masters!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Duke Blaine raised his right hand, and the captain of the guard immediately carried a rosewood tray to the stage. The tray was lined with black velvet and had a gray ring on it.

The ring was forged from some unknown metal, with no elaborate carvings on its surface, only subtle signs of wear left by time.

More precious than the ring itself are the gemstones set in the ring band.

"Could this gem be the legendary Shadow Agate, capable of devouring light and even presence?"

Not far from Mu Qiu, a legendary professional dressed as a wandering knight exclaimed in surprise.

"Exactly, everyone, please take a look!"

Duke Blaine smiled slightly and raised the gray ring in his hand. The shadow agate on it did not reflect light like ordinary gemstones; instead, it greedily devoured all the light around it.

Then he placed it under the candlelight. The surrounding flames immediately dimmed eerily, as if an invisible barrier of darkness enveloped the gem, preventing even light from escaping its pull.

What's even more incredible is that, despite the darkness being extremely conspicuous, they all subconsciously tried to avoid it.

"This item is a legendary accessory—the Whisper of the Mist Ring!"

Duke Blaine proclaimed, "Besides the Shadow Agate, this ring also bears the special mark of the Shadow Guard of the Mist Dynasty, the most powerful kingdom in the Dark Ages!"

"According to tests, its effect is not ordinary invisibility, but once a day. Once activated, it can briefly shroud the wearer in mist, during which time the wearer cannot be seen or detected by most legendary-rank and below true vision and prophecy spells!"

"Under normal circumstances, it also has the effect of absorbing light and reducing its presence."

"Starting bid: twenty low-grade starstones, or equivalent items!"

Mu Qiu raised an eyebrow slightly.

Although according to the simplest chronology, this world can be roughly divided into the oldest age of gods, the ancient period from the end of the age of gods to a thousand years ago, and then the modern period of the last thousand years.

However, in reality, several eras occurred during the tens of thousands of years from the end of the Age of Gods to the killing of the Demon King a thousand years ago. Therefore, some scholars use the era method as a calendar algorithm.

The first era was the Age of Gods, and the second era was the post-Age of Gods era, also known as the Chaotic Era. It was the most chaotic period after the Age of Gods, and there are very few records about these two eras.

Afterwards, with the emergence of ancient heroes, the world ushered in the third era of prosperity for all races—the Golden Era!

It is said that the current goddess of wealth was born in this era.

Following the Golden Age came the Fourth Age, the Twilight Age, which is over ten thousand years old.

After the Twilight Era came the Dark Era, in which the Demon King continued to rise, heroes were left in short supply, and the Abyss launched a counterattack against the continent. This was also the shortest-lasting era, dating back 11,000 to 7,300 years ago!

When the long tug-of-war ended, the Demon King was defeated again and retreated into the abyss, thus bringing the Dark Ages to a close and ushering in the Dawn Age.

Since the Dawn Era, the Abyss has been unable to invade the surface until the Demon King was completely destroyed a thousand years ago, ushering in the current Seventh Era - the Revival Era!

After the long war ended, all races were in dire need of rebuilding. The human race, which had once relied on the powerful divine magic and ancient magic of the elves, has now developed more advanced modern spells and potions. The Orion Empire has also become increasingly powerful over the past thousand years!

However, Mu Qiu was more curious about its name than its status as an ancient ornament from the Dark Ages.

"Judging from the name... it seems to be related to the Child of the Mist that the duke just mentioned?"

Mu Qiu thought to herself.

At that moment, a very subtle commotion arose from the audience.

Twenty low-grade starstones were something everyone present could easily afford.

If they couldn't even afford this much money, they wouldn't have come to this auction.

But this is only the first item up for auction. If we sell now, will we still be able to compete for the other treasures?

After a brief silence, a cold voice rang out from the corner: "Twenty-five low-grade items."