Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

The physical trauma, the mental strain, and the relentless toil day and night piled up, completely crushing this resilient ordinary man. Before long, he succumbed to illness and never recovered. Knowing his days were numbered, he meticulously wrote down all his observations, the truths he uncovered late at night, and all the hidden passages he discovered during construction in a diary, hiding it in a secret corner of his home. This became his only keepsake and a warning for his son.

Ultimately, this ordinary man, who saw through the truth of the church and dared to risk his life to explore, passed away quietly, tormented by both illness and fear.

At that time, Reese was still young and ignorant, completely unable to understand the secrets and sorrow behind her father's death. Her mother, having lost her husband, completely lost her only pillar of support, her grief overwhelming her with nowhere to turn. She threw herself into the church faith with increasing fanaticism, devoting all her remaining obsession and piety to it. Day after day, she was completely brainwashed by the doctrine, obeying the priest's every word and command. Her mind became increasingly paranoid and delusional, no longer resembling a normal woman.

The real tragedy was about to unfold.

Sienna recounted the cruel past, the deepest part of Rhys's memory, which had been completely sealed away. Her tone was calm, but every word she spoke was piercing.

One year when Rhys was young, the church secretly issued an order to hold a sacred blessing ceremony for the children of the town, selecting the devout to be blessed by the Lord. Upon hearing this, Rhys's mother almost immediately volunteered, sending her own son to participate in the ceremony without hesitation, believing it to be a blessing from heaven that would taint her child with holiness and bring him a smooth life.

In the fragmented memories that Rhys had left behind, he only remembered drinking the "holy wine" offered by the nun along with a group of children his age. His consciousness gradually blurred, and the rest was a blank. When he woke up, he was already at home. He thought it was just an ordinary blessing ceremony and had no other impressions.

In the real scenes that Sienna relived, everything was a complete hellish picture.

The so-called blessing ceremony had nothing to do with holiness; it was merely a live selection experiment targeting children. The children who participated were no more than five or six years old, and no more than ten. They were all immature and easily manipulated. After drinking the special medicinal wine, they did not fall into a complete coma, but the drug stripped them of their autonomy. Their eyes were vacant, their gait stiff, like soulless walking corpses, completely at the mercy of the clergy, utterly powerless to resist.

The group of bewildered children were quietly led into a secret underground chamber deep within the church. That hidden space held no trace of holiness, only a chilling cold and endless eeriness. Inside, various sophisticated yet grotesque experimental instruments were neatly arranged, the walls were covered with specimens of monsters of all shapes and sizes, and countless mutilated monster carcasses were preserved in glass jars. The liquid was murky and had a pungent odor, creating a sinister and terrifying experimental atmosphere.

The Chosen Ones stood around, methodically carrying out their cruel experiments. They forcibly fed the children flesh, glands, and essences extracted from various magical beasts, and injected extracted magical beast elixir and special secret potions into the children's tender bodies one by one, meticulously observing the body's reactions of rejection, integration, and mutation throughout the process.

The ground was engraved with layers of complex magical incantations, the magical patterns shimmering and locking the entire space in place. A group of black-robed figures and clergy stood on the outside, calmly recording data, analyzing discrepancies, and selecting samples throughout, turning the children's life-and-death anomalies and painful struggles into cold experimental data.

Rhys was one of them.

Fortunately, his body was extremely unsuitable for the experiment, making him a "low-grade experimental subject" completely unable to fuse with the power of magical beasts. He could not produce any effective mutations or have any research value. Like several other children who failed to adapt, after being repeatedly experimented on and thoroughly confirmed to be useless, the church erased this cruel memory and quietly sent him back to town.

When they woke up, they knew nothing and had no recollection of the hellish ordeal they had endured. All that remained was a chilling and fearful feeling that lingered deep within their subconscious.

Sienna recounted this buried, dark past in a soft, even tone, which only made Ryuka's heart feel heavier and colder.

The Chosen Ones' ambition and madness have far exceeded his expectations. They not only deciphered the secrets of life from the ancient demonic sword, mastering the forbidden abilities of lifespan swapping and potential grafting, but also cultivated this border town for decades, quietly conducting experiments on the fusion of human and magical beast flesh and blood, attempting to break down racial barriers and combine extraordinary powers.

"Among the believers I see today, many are around the same age as Rhys, including the chosen man. Could it be that among them are the children from that experiment back then?"

Sienna shook her head at Ryūka's question, not to deny it, but because she didn't know. She could only read the host's experiences, and after so many years, even if Rhys had seen those children back then, he wouldn't recognize them now. But she also thought Ryūka's speculation was possible.

From children to adults, from superficial drug adaptation to live flesh implantation, this long and cruel experiment lasted for a full two decades. Countless innocent people became test subjects, their fates unknown, their results unseen, and no one knew how many forbidden rules these madmen had discovered or how many bizarre mutations they had cultivated. This unknown danger instilled an extremely strong sense of oppression in Liu Xia's heart.

Although the core experimental memories were completely erased, the trauma of his childhood remained deeply imprinted in Rhys's subconscious. After reading his father's diary and seeing the true face of the church, he fully understood what he had experienced back then and utterly despised his stubborn mother.

He completely severed ties with his increasingly delusional mother, abandoned that false faith, and wandered alone on the streets, struggling to survive at the bottom of the town, relying on his worldliness and forbearance to survive with difficulty.

It was during those turbulent years that he met Ryan, a young mayor who shared his deep hatred for the church and harbored rebellious intentions. The two saw through the church's hypocrisy and cruelty, and knew that the aid from the capital and the Inquisition was a long way off. So they secretly banded together, lay low in the town, quietly accumulating strength and stockpiling weapons, waiting for an opportunity to overthrow the cult's rule and end this darkness.

While this intention was admirable in Ryūka's eyes, it was tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. Although Sienna said their secretly formed 'Cornwall Redemption Society' had hundreds of members, including locals like Walter who had remained since Cornwall's heyday, and whose years had made them formidable figures in the eyes of ordinary people, Ryūka clearly understood that while the strength of a Grand Master was unattainable for ordinary people, they were nothing more than ants in the eyes of their opponents. Even with the enhancement of magical weapons, the outcome of their battle against the Chosen Ones would remain unchanged.

“However, now that we know this, we can try to cooperate with them. After all, they have an organization that has been hiding under the noses of the Chosen for so many years. Just Rhys alone has so much information. Others, like Mayor Ryan, probably know even more.”

Ryuga felt that Sienna's proposal made sense. At that moment, he led Sienna to the marked location—Gavin Reed's hideout.

Liu Xia looked up at the church property, sensing the atmosphere emanating from it, and smiled slightly:

"If we're going to cooperate, we should offer some incentives to convince the other side."

Chapter 35 The Aura of the Demon Sword Fragments

The entire church district is uniformly imbued with a heavy and rich religious style, and the small manor house built against the mountainside in front of Liuxia is no exception. Its exterior is softly decorated, with white walls paired with arched windows and cross reliefs, at first glance resembling a church-run sanatorium. The manor is backed by a steep mountain wall; continuing uphill along the path behind it leads to the central cathedral of the Cornish Church, its towering bell tower piercing the clouds, casting a huge shadow overhead.

Before Ryūka could carefully consider his infiltration route, Sienna, hidden in his arms, spoke first, revealing the hidden secrets of this place. The little insect slightly shifted its body, recalling the records it had gleaned from Rhys's father's diary, and analyzed in a low voice:

"The cliff behind this manor shows signs of large-scale excavation in the past. If the records left by Rhys's father are true, the interior of this mountain in the center of Cornwall has probably been completely hollowed out long ago. The hidden entrance under the manor should be connected to the cathedral above, and the mountain is full of secret passages."

Ryuu nodded slightly in agreement. With the Chosen One commanding a large number of earth dragons, hollowing out an entire mountain to construct an underground fortress wouldn't be difficult. Combined with the existing clues, Gavin Reed's magic wand's magical signal was located here, and Ada had previously mentioned living nearby, which was enough to show that the father and daughter had already settled in the manor.

But a question quietly surfaced in my mind.

No. Ryusha calmed down and carefully reviewed the information. Ada had the authority to freely enter and exit various places, and her actions were largely unrestrained; on the other hand, Gavin, all signs indicated that he was being held under house arrest. Comparing their behavior at Thunder Fortress, it was not difficult to judge that, compared to her father Gavin, Ada was clearly more trusted and accepted by the Chosen Ones.

"Our primary objective on this trip is to find Gavin, and we should try to avoid Ida as much as possible during the operation."

Ryuga finalized his plan of action. Referring to the architectural layout information provided by Sienna, he silently chanted an incantation, and a thin, almost imperceptible membrane of invisible magic slowly enveloped his body. Once ready, he moved swiftly, silently scaling the low fence and sneaking into the manor.

The manor's front hall was no different from any other church sanatorium. Several ailing townspeople sat quietly inside, while nuns and priests moved about, tending to them with care—a scene of gentle holiness. But as Liuxia's gaze swept over the vessels of medicine in the nuns' hands, the murky liquid causing the horrifying subcutaneous implantation ceremony in the church chapel to involuntarily surface in her mind. A chilling suspicion rose in her heart—could this seemingly life-saving sanatorium be repeating the same dark deeds?

He didn't linger in the outer hall, but ventured deeper into the corridor. Not long after passing the main hall, a faint, almost imperceptible scent of blood drifted into his nostrils on the breeze. Liu Xia's gaze sharpened as he looked towards the source of the smell. A deep, narrow passage stretched into the heart of the sanatorium, and deep within it, several fluctuations of extraordinary power, varying in strength, flickered faintly.

Liu Xia concealed all extraneous scents and slowly walked forward, following the smell of blood. Just as she reached the corner of the passage, she encountered a group of people. The leading priest, accompanied by several nuns, stepped out from inside the passage.

Ryuka instantly held his breath, his heart sinking slightly. Although he had never met this priest before, he exuded an indescribable sense of familiar pressure. The priest's aura had not yet reached the threshold of the Heavenly Rank, but his innate profound majesty was overwhelming. Ryuka's instinctive vigilance constantly reminded him that the person before him was definitely not to be underestimated.

Just then, Ruklati's panicked cry suddenly rang in Ryusha's mind:

"Ryuka! He has fragments of mine on him!"

The exclamation sent a jolt through Ryuka's mind, and her gaze involuntarily locked onto the priest. A delicate gold chain hung around his neck, the pendant hidden beneath the collar of his white priestly robes. The familiar yet unsettling faint aura emanated slowly from the priest's chest.

The fragments of the Demon Sword that Ruklati lost have appeared in Cornwall and are being worn by this person!

"Ok?"

As if sensing the sudden, focused gaze, the priest abruptly stopped, his sharp, hawk-like eyes sweeping directly towards the direction where Ryūka was hiding. His blond hair was neatly combed back, and he wore exquisite gold-rimmed glasses; beneath the lenses, his eyes held a deep, unyielding ruthlessness. But his field of vision was empty; apart from the quiet corridor, there wasn't a single person in sight.

"Strange, just now..."

He frowned slightly, carefully sensing the surrounding airflow and traces of magic, but found nothing. However, the piercing feeling on his skin, as if someone was watching him closely and locking onto his vital points, was incredibly real.

Liu Xia, hidden in the shadows, was already on high alert, a sharp spiritual energy quietly gathering at his fingertips. If the other party continued to probe and was about to discover his invisibility, he wouldn't hesitate to strike instantly, piercing straight through the other's chest with a single finger. He was secretly shocked by the other person's keen senses; in just a moment of eye contact, he had almost revealed his whereabouts.

In Ryusha's arms, Sienna, in her insect form, was tightly curled up, her limbs gripping the fabric, barely daring to breathe. The area was filled with a thick aura of holy magic, precisely the kind of environment that witches naturally resisted and feared most, making her constantly uncomfortable.

Just as the priest was about to continue his investigation, his unease growing stronger, a huge commotion suddenly erupted in the distant sanatorium. Heart-wrenching screams and the nuns' panicked cries mingled together, accompanied by the sounds of shattered utensils and overturned tables and chairs, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Father Mayocles!"

Seeing the leader standing there, lost in thought as he stared into the empty corridor, an older nun behind the priest couldn't help but speak up to remind him. This nun's voice carried a faint, resonant quality, and she herself possessed considerable power, clearly not that of an ordinary servant nun.

Pulled back to his senses by the sound, Mayokris suppressed his doubts, frowned impatiently, and stopped dwelling on the inexplicable feeling of being spied on. He turned around and walked unhurriedly toward the commotion in the sanatorium.

Only after the group's figures completely disappeared at the end of the corridor did Liu Xia's tense muscles slowly relax, and the chilling killing intent that had gathered at his fingertips gradually dissipated. He murmured to himself, searching his mind for relevant memories:

“Mayocles… I’m sure I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”

With the crisis temporarily averted, Sienna's tense nerves finally relaxed, and she even felt a bit playful, taking advantage of the confined space to tease and provoke:

"Can't remember right now? Do you want your older sister to help you recall?"

The "help" she spoke of was, without a doubt, a means of using her parasitic abilities to invade Ryūka's consciousness and rummage through his memories. Sienna clearly had a strong interest in the boy before her. Faced with the witch's eager advances, Ryūka coldly and without hesitation refused.

"No need, I've already remembered!"

Mayo Chris!

On that day, when the power of the Protoss was used to rewind the past, the black-robed leader who led the group of Chosen Ones who appeared on the mountaintop and talked with Lilith and coordinated everything was none other than this person!

Chapter 36 The Sanatorium Scandal

Ryūka gazed at Mayokris's receding figure, his eyes hardening and sharpening once more. The man carried a fragment of Ruklati's shattered demonic sword hidden in his chest; combined with the images he had seen through the Protoss's rewind, it was enough to confirm that he was a core member of the Chosen Ones. Even though his own strength far surpassed his opponent's, Ryūka dared not underestimate him. An opponent carrying a fragment of the demonic sword always harbored unpredictable trump cards.

"Jukrati, what kind of power can your fragment grant Mayocles?"

To proceed cautiously, Ryusha first silently inquired of Ruklati in her mind. The sword spirit, inherently proud and self-possessed, calmly replied:

"The source of its power is the same as my own authority, so even if its power is greatly reduced, it can still control and suppress the mind. It can at least be considered a high-level control-type magical artifact. In addition to the authority related to control, it should also greatly enhance the wearer's strength!"

"should?"

Ryūsha was deeply dissatisfied with this ambiguous answer. Ruklati had spoken so eloquently, only to find it was all speculation in the end; he couldn't help but sarcastically remark:

"That's part of your true self, and you can't even give a straight answer?"

These words instantly struck a nerve with Ruklati, and the sword spirit's tone suddenly turned fierce as she retorted angrily:

"How would I know! The sword was shattered! Even my consciousness was extracted! This is the first time I've ever experienced something like this! If someone ripped your soul out and then dismembered your body into eight pieces, each piece still retaining your power, do you know how strong each piece would be?!"

"This... if I were torn to pieces, I'd be dead already. I really can't empathize with swordsmen," Ryuka thought to herself, having no interest in arguing with Ruklati. She simply confirmed again:

"Since you can sense that it is a fragment of yourself, can you try to control its power?"

"Well……"

A single question left Ruklati speechless, and after a long pause, she finally uttered three words in a muffled, resentful tone:

"Hard to say."

Hearing this vague reply, Ryuga understood that relying on the sword spirit to control the fragments on Mayocles was simply unrealistic. But Ruklati suddenly became unusually attentive, constantly urging and encouraging him in his mind, eagerly hoping that Ryuga would reclaim the fragments:

“Good master~ If you help me retrieve this fragment, my overall strength will definitely increase dramatically! I can clearly sense that the fragment on his body is quite large. After repairing this missing part, my strength will be enough to support you to roam freely in this town. Even if you encounter a high-level witch or a lost ancient secret technique, no one will be able to stop you!”

Ryuga only listened to these empty promises of benefits with indifference, not taking them to heart. He had indeed been eyeing the fragment of the demon sword that Mayocles wore, but Cornwall was fraught with undercurrents and dangers. Acting rashly to seize it would only alert the enemy. Everything had to be carefully planned, and he could only act when he had absolute certainty.

Turning her gaze back to the passage Mayocles had just emerged from, the heavy stone door was slowly closing, and Gavin's magic wand's locating signal was coming from inside. Behind the door was no ordinary resting room; it was highly likely a secret experimental chamber connected to the mountainside. After investigating, Ryuka realized the situation behind the door was unclear, and it was impossible to break in silently. Weighing the pros and cons, Ryuka temporarily abandoned her plan to force her way into the chamber and decided to follow Mayocles, waiting for an opportunity to find a way in.

Having made up her mind, Liu Xia concealed her aura and silently followed Mayocles back to the sanatorium hall. The hall was already in chaos. A middle-aged man undergoing treatment lay on the ground, convulsing violently, his face contorted in agony, emitting hoarse, painful roars. Veins bulged on his limbs as he kicked and clawed wildly like a mad beast. Tables, chairs, and medicine bottles were scattered everywhere. Several young nuns responsible for his care were at a loss, none daring to step forward to restrain him.

"What happened?"

Mayocles frowned, his cold gaze sweeping over the flustered nuns. The eldest nun beside him acted first, unleashing a powerful and imposing aura of holy magic that instantly locked the convulsing man's limbs in place, rendering him immobile. The other nuns, well-trained, quickly stepped forward and together lifted the man onto a wheeled medical stretcher.

"Father Mayocles..."

Among the young nuns, a girl responsible for dispensing medicine looked terrified, her head bowed, avoiding his cold, sinister gaze. A nun who appeared to be the head nurse quickly stepped forward, gently comforting the frightened newcomer while bowing apologetically to Mayocles and explaining:

"I'm so sorry, Father. This child has only been a member of the church for a short time and is not yet familiar with the procedures. It seems that the dosage of the medicine was wrong when it was prepared today."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other believers recuperating in the hall began to whisper among themselves, many with expressions of fear and anxiety in their eyes. But Mayocles showed no sign of panic. He took the medication record book from Anna and carefully examined it, a faint, almost imperceptible hint of joy flashing in the corner of his eye.

"Such a dosage... and he's still not dead... cough cough. Immediately take the patient to my private examination room. I will personally stabilize his condition. Anna, come with me and tell me the complete process of this patient's treatment and medication since his admission."

As he gave instructions to Sister Anna, who had spoken to him, he instantly put on a gentle, reassuring smile and solemnly assured the still-shaken believers that there would never be another medication mishap. Mayocles was highly respected among the lower-class patients, and his humble and gentle words quickly dispelled the townspeople's unease, who instead began to praise the church's grace.

"With Father Mayocles' help, Klaus will definitely pull through safely!"

"If the church hadn't taken us poor believers in for free, we would have died of illness on the streets long ago!"

Amidst the chorus of gratitude and praise, Mayocles maintained a perfectly measured, gentle smile, but his eyes held a deep, disdainful indifference, as if looking at ants. Anna, standing nearby, had long seen through his hypocrisy and felt no respect whatsoever. She patiently comforted the distraught new nun beside her, then bowed and inquired:

"Yes, Father. May I take this child back to the rest room to calm her down? I will personally teach her how to prepare the medication later."

Mayokris casually waved his hand in agreement. Anna immediately helped the trembling, weak-legged new nun and hurried towards the side lounge. Sienna, who had transformed into an insect in Ryūka's arms, gently poked his chest twice with her slender limbs, subtly indicating that they should follow the head nurse named Anna. Ryūka understood, and taking advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the patient on the gurney, he quietly slipped away and followed the two nuns out of the hall.

Before the door to the lounge could be fully closed, the young nun could no longer suppress her fear and burst into tears. Anna gently patted her back to comfort her while whispering a reminder:

"Keep your voice down, don't let anyone else hear. No one here will believe you made an unintentional mistake; they'll just think you're making excuses."

“Sister Anna, I really did prepare the medicine strictly according to the list given by the priest. I didn’t make a mistake…” The girl cried, her whole body trembling, her eyes filled with despair. “I don’t want to stay at the church anymore. I want to go home. But my parents are proud that I can serve God in the church. It’s just that the longer I stay here, the more strange I feel. Many things are not as holy as they seem on the surface…”

“I feel the same way as you, but we were born in Cornwall and stayed in the church, which is already the best way out for ordinary people.”

Anna helped the girl to sit on the edge of the bed. Just as she turned to pour a cup of hot tea to soothe her, a faint breeze swept past her, and the continuous sobbing stopped abruptly. Anna's hair stood on end instantly. She turned around sharply and saw the new nun slumped against the headboard, already exhausted and asleep.

Although a strange feeling arose in her heart, Anna assumed that the girl had been too frightened and exhausted, which was why she had fallen asleep so suddenly. She sighed helplessly, carefully tucked the girl's clothes in, turned around and walked quickly out of the lounge to report to Mayocles's clinic.

Ryūka, concealing himself, followed closely behind. The gust of wind he had just created was a commotion he had deliberately generated. He had darted behind the young woman, lightly tapping the back of her neck with his fingertips, causing her to fall into a deep sleep. At the same time, Sienna, in his arms, vanished silently into Anna's body, planting the false belief in her subconscious that her companion was merely asleep from fright. Simultaneously, she quietly absorbed all of Anna's memories of this place, lying dormant within her, waiting for the opportune moment to secretly support Ryūka's actions.

Chapter 37 The Broken Blade of the Demonic Sword

Using invisibility magic, Ryusha followed Anna closely, passing through the isolation gate of the sanatorium and successfully entering Mayocles' private treatment room. The moment he pushed open the door, he noticed that the room was completely out of place with the church's overall ancient and sacred style; the furnishings inside were strangely advanced and incongruous.

The room was neatly arranged with all sorts of glassware, precision tubing, and metal instruments, their shapes bizarre and varied, possessing the rugged texture unique to the early stages of medical exploration, yet already exhibiting the complete rudiments of modern medical specialization, diagnosis, observation, and recording. Clearly, the experimental system here had long since broken free from the shackles of traditional magic and secret arts, moving towards a more obsessive and cold direction of live human research.

Seemingly to deliberately conceal the jarring nature of these instruments, all the metal surfaces were meticulously engraved with intricate religious patterns and holy symbols, attempting to transform the cold experimental tools into sacred church artifacts. However, this forced combination of decorations, instead of softening the instruments' coldness, appeared incongruous, absurd, and ironic, almost causing Ryuka, hiding in the shadows, to burst into laughter.

In the center of the examination room, on the bed, lay the patient who had just suffered the effects of the medication and was convulsing violently. His eyes were now closed, his face deathly pale, and he had completely lost consciousness, falling into a deep coma. The nuns who had brought him in had all left, leaving only Mayocles in the large room.

Seeing Anna enter, Mayokris casually asked a few routine questions about patient admission, treatment, and medication, his tone indifferent and detached. After the brief inquiry, he gestured for Anna to leave, indicating that she didn't need to linger.

Anna bowed in response and quietly left the examination room, closing the door behind her. Ryuuichi lay silently in the shadows, pondering how Sienna, the parasite within Anna, would quietly escape without anyone noticing. Just as he was deep in thought, a familiar, deep, hoarse voice, filled with resentment, suddenly rang out from behind a hidden door on the inner side of the room.

"Hmph, it's your old tricks again. Does manipulating those fools make you happy?"

The hidden door slowly opened, and a slender figure walked out. It was none other than Earl Gavin Reed of Linze Fort, who had fled in panic from Thunder Fort and whose whereabouts were unknown.

The once proud, arrogant, and dignified noble count was now completely devoid of his former elegance. His exquisite long hair was hastily wrapped in a rough headscarf, and his once clean and respectable aristocratic attire had been completely stripped away, replaced by an old apron that had been washed repeatedly and was worn at the edges. He looked like a street butcher, utterly disheveled. The apron was covered with layers of old bloodstains, and even after repeated washing, it still clung to the strong, pungent smell of blood, reeking of a cold, experimental atmosphere.

His tone was filled with endless resentment and unwillingness, but the tense muscles around his body and the taut shoulder line all revealed the fear and apprehension deep in his heart.

Liu Xia observed coldly, understanding the situation perfectly. Once a high-ranking water mage who ruled over a territory, he had now been reduced to the other party's personal servant, washing experimental equipment and organizing surgical instruments day after day, with very few changes of clothes. Such a fall from grace was enough to wear down anyone's pride, and the humiliation and torment he endured were unimaginable.

At the same time, a light and clean scent of soap quietly entered Liuxia's nostrils; it was the unique smell of the Sochi soap that he sold himself.

At this moment, Ryusha finally understood Ada's unusual behavior earlier. That day, she had deliberately appeared on the outskirts of town to purchase supplies, and even bought up all of her remaining soap and towels at once. It was probably to help her father, who was immersed in the bloody experimental environment all day long, cover up the odor. If it weren't for these clean soaps, Gavin's body would have been even more wretched and unsightly with the bloody stench mixed with sweat.

Feeling a pang of sympathy for the father and daughter's restraint and helplessness, Ryuka continued to listen intently to their conversation. Facing Gavin's resentful sarcasm, Mayocles remained unmoved, showing no sign of concern. He slowly and deliberately put on a pair of sterile gloves, his fingertips moving with elegant precision, yet his tone was laced with an extremely grating flippancy and arrogance.

"My lord, please don't be so angry. As a great water mage, using your abilities in this kind of matter is contributing to the great cause of exploring the mysteries of life. This is far more meaningful than being a decadent nobleman, isn't it?"

This utterly hypocritical statement ignited a surge of anger in the listener, making them want to punch him on the spot. However, Gavin had already been worn down by long-term oppression, and despite his resentment, he dared not pause for a moment while washing the dishes. He could only rely on his words to maintain his last shred of dignity.