What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

"No self-harm allowed," Lena commanded.

"Ah!" Bishop Beckett opened his mouth in a struggle, stopping his self-harming act of biting his tongue.

“Tell us everything you know about the Earl,” Reina began.

Bishop Beckett trembled uncontrollably and refrained from speaking.

Leon couldn't help but admire Bishop Beckett's will. He had personally experienced Lena's allure. Without her werewolf form, he was powerless to resist her with blood or saliva as a medium. Of course, this might be because he trusted Lena deep down, while Bishop Beckett was full of hostility and resistance towards them.

“Aren’t you confident that I have no chance of winning against the Earl? Then what’s the impact of you revealing the information? Don’t you also lack confidence in your master? Don’t you think I’m courting death? Why not grant my wish?” Leon began to persuade Bishop Beckett.

His words poured into Bishop Beckett's mind, truly cracking a fissure in his otherwise strong will, allowing Lena's will to slip through.

Bishop Beckett's eyes glazed over, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he opened his mouth and began to reveal information in a broken voice.

Leon listened quickly to what was said, occasionally letting Lena ask follow-up questions.

He was unable to learn the Count's whereabouts from Bishop Beckett. The Count's whereabouts were always unpredictable. Bishop Beckett could have used the second-tier basic blessing of the Mystic God to create a hidden mark that could last for several days for location purposes.

Ordinary people cannot detect the markings, but superhumans can sense that someone is sensing them. Superhumans of the same level can directly use their power to resist and remove the markings.

However, Bishop Beckett never marked the location of the Earl or the badges he held, because the Earl did not want anyone to know his whereabouts in real time, not even his confidant Bishop Beckett.

But Leon still obtained a lot of crucial intelligence, including the military forces under the Earl's control.

Although he had expected it, the count's strength still exceeded his expectations to some extent.

The count not only had an army within his territory, but also, through his connections and the people he had cultivated within the church, he could mobilize at least one regular knightly order to assist him. However, he had to do so under the church's name, just like when Bishop Beckett and Aaron worked together on a case last time.

However, Leon was not worried about this. The counts of these regular troops probably wouldn't use them to deal with internal issues. The counts of the labyrinth on Arend Island would definitely still need them. They wouldn't want to be discovered by the church, and their own sudden military action from their own territory would also raise questions.

But the Earl didn’t need to do that. He had private mercenary groups in several territories in the south, acting as guards for his merchant guild. There was even a mercenary group in the River Valley that Leon was completely unaware of. All his officers and their troops were under his command.

The number of blessed individuals he secretly cultivated alone reached twenty-three. The count himself, who had once been a knight commander, was also a second-tier War God Blessed Individual. The divine magic he mastered was "Divine Weapon," a divine magic that could greatly enhance the destructive power of weapons. Ordinary guns in his hands could penetrate steel city gates, and a wooden sword in his hands could cut through iron like mud. Even with just his fists, he could easily smash a wall.

After learning the detailed difference in combat strength, the situation seemed to become even more hopeless.

However, there was some good news: the most elite force the Earl could command, namely the fleet led by Johnny Wellman, was currently sailing to Moilland to fulfill a deal with the Great Witch Alexie. It would take at least a month and a half for them to return.

Hearing this, Leon felt a surge of excitement. Johnny's absence was undoubtedly fantastic news for him.

He had personally witnessed Johnny easily slaughtering the earth dragons with just a few men. That kind of force was on par with the Church's elite knightly order. And Johnny's powerful ability to control lightning... If it weren't absolutely necessary, he really wouldn't want to face Johnny.

Dealing with the Earl is a completely different story with and without Johnny. This time, luck is on his side!

However, after hearing all the intelligence, the situation remained grim and far from optimistic. The Earl himself knew, of course, that Johnny was not there, but the gap in strength between him and Leon was still like that between an elephant and an ant, so the Earl didn't care about that at all.

Leon's only way to win is to exploit the Count's weakness.

“Tell me, where is the Count’s daughter, Ophelia?” Leon continued to ask.

Chapter 174 The One Who Gazes into the Abyss

After hearing Leon's words, Lena did not immediately relay his question, but instead gave Leon a deep look.

Leon calmly looked back at her; he had anticipated Lena's reaction.

He had thought of Ophelia as early as when he first considered the Earl's weaknesses.

Ophelia is an illegitimate child without a formal identity, a witch, and the heir to a criminal business.

Unlike the count, who had a publicly recognized noble status, she was not allowed to show her face in public at will.

Leon guessed that she probably had a relatively fixed hiding place, and it should be in the Earl's territory, that is, the eastern region, not too far from here.

The count's whereabouts were uncertain, and he had to consider his territory, his business, and another family. He couldn't always take care of his daughter personally, so he had to entrust many things to trusted subordinates. Therefore, Bishop Beckett probably knew where Ophelia was hiding.

Given that the Count went to great lengths to avenge Ophelia's mother, Leon assumed that the Count couldn't be completely indifferent to his daughter.

Of course, it's also possible that the Count cares more about himself than others. Leon has also speculated that the Count might not actually care that much about the mother and daughter. It's even possible that Ophelia's mother didn't commit suicide back then, but was killed by the Count. Just like the priest advised him to kill Lena, which was the most reasonable way to protect himself in that situation. The Count's revenge at any cost might also be because he felt humiliated by being forced to make that choice at the time, and he sought revenge against Archbishop Rogers to regain his damaged self-esteem.

If that's the interpretation, then he also wouldn't tolerate losing his own daughter to someone as insignificant as Leon. That would be a humiliation for the Earl. Now that he has achieved such a position, how could the Earl tolerate the same thing happening to him again?

It can be said that Ophelia is both the Count's Achilles' heel and his weakness.

Strictly speaking, however, he didn't have any deep-seated hatred for Ophelia. Using the Count's daughter to kill the Count was essentially no different from the Count using Weiss to take revenge on Archbishop Rogers. If viewed from a moral standpoint rather than by underworld standards, it would be considered despicable.

But Leon didn't hesitate much, because if this method could defeat the Count, he would consider it.

During his year under the Earl and Bishop Beckett, he unknowingly began to follow a logic similar to that of people like them. In this respect, they could indeed be considered Leon's teachers, or perhaps... he was essentially the same kind of person as the Earl, which is why the Earl recruited him.

Lena looked at Leon with a complicated expression, offering no rebuttal, but simply asking softly, "Are you sure?"

“Ophelia is the Earl’s heir. She killed the Earl through other means, but we still have to deal with her problem. It’s just a different order now. Lena, this is a war of the underworld. Many people will die. Those who simply serve the Earl have no grudge against us, but we have to kill them too. Ophelia’s life is no more noble than theirs,” Leon replied calmly.

Lena suddenly remembered the day Leon and she killed Granny Hannah together; it was the first time they had ever killed someone.

Unbeknownst to her, Leon had reached the point where he wouldn't hesitate to use other people's blood relatives. But Lena found that she could still understand Leon. Seeing how Leon had been planning to kill the count, she vaguely guessed that Leon might do it.

He who gazes into the abyss will also be gazed into by the abyss, and will gradually be drawn into it.

Approaching the abyss inevitably leads to being stained with its colors, even for someone as timid and kind as she once was.

In the end, Lena didn't utter a single word of rebuttal. She simply sighed, turned to Bishop Beckett, and uttered the command: "Where is the Count's daughter, Ophelia?"

Bishop Beckett hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly, as if his subconscious sensed something was wrong and was trying to struggle against the command.

"Listen to me, speak quickly." Lena intensified her magic.

Bishop Beckett's struggle was suppressed, and he returned to his vacant gaze: "She lives... on the border of the Foley region... in a farm south of Burano town..."

Leon then had Lena inquire in detail about what Beckett knew about Ophelia's itinerary, the layout of the farm, and information about Ophelia's abilities as a witch. Bishop Beckett answered each question in a broken voice.

Leon quickly thought it through in his mind. The farm where Ophelia lived was described as being in a secluded location with a considerable level of security, but overall it was still relatively limited.

After all, for Ophelia, a witch, the safest thing to do is not to attract the attention of the church and the count's enemies. Guarding the hideout like a fortress would only arouse suspicion from the outside world.

The greatest advantage of a hiding place is its secrecy, but by the time Bishop Beckett revealed the information, secrecy had vanished for Leon.

The remaining defensive forces were a little troublesome for Leon, but not insurmountable; at least it was easier than assassinating the Count directly.

As Leon pondered this, Bishop Beckett's expression began to change drastically, and Lena also sensed a shift in the fluctuations of magic.

"He's trying to break free," Lena warned.

Bishop Beckett's rebellious spirit was still too strong. The control that could originally be achieved for an hour using blood as a medium was shortened to less than half. If he wanted to use blood to hypnotize the target again in a short period of time, the effect would be greatly reduced.

"Let's leave it at that for now." Leon activated the Cursed Blood, causing Bishop Beckett to return to a mild petrification state. He wouldn't die in this state for a while, but he would remain unconscious.

Lena and Leon remained silent in the dark room for a long time.

After a while, a third voice rang out in the darkness: "Leon, what do you plan to do with that count's daughter you just mentioned?"

Leon turned his head, and the one who spoke was Weiss, who had been silently hiding in the shadows.

The potions for revenge and the medicine to paralyze the jaw muscles needed for this interrogation of Bishop Beckett were all prepared by Weiss, and she was also responsible for adjusting the dosage.

She did not appear in Bishop Beckett's sight, and Bishop Beckett, whose blessing power was sealed by the Water of Vengeance, could not sense her presence.

"I don't need to spell it out for me, do I? I plan to try using her first, and if that doesn't work, I'll resort to more forceful methods. It's that simple," Leon replied calmly.

Weiss wanted to say something more, but Leon interrupted her first: "We don't have time to hesitate, so don't make pointless attempts to persuade us."

“I’m not trying to advise you, I just want to confirm what to do next,” Weiss asked.

“Once we’ve messed with Ophelia, the Earl will quickly find out, and then we’ll face his wrath. Before that, we need to settle Mrs. Hershey and Melissa, protect them, and at least make preparations for their escape,” Leon said.

He already had plans to bring Sally out of prison and Melissa out of the reformatory.

Before you can attack someone else's weaknesses, you must first know how to hide your own.

“The Earl will surely realize he can’t contact Bishop Beckett soon, won’t he? Do we really have that time?” Weiss asked.

“I have already dealt with all the people Bishop Beckett had placed in Hamel, and next I will deal with the Earl’s men in Southport County. Bishop Beckett is the Earl’s eyes and ears here, and since we can’t contact him, the Earl certainly knows that things are out of control. But even if the Earl decides to immediately gather troops from Foley and march there, it will take time, and we only have this much time.”

"If we can use this time to kidnap Ophelia and safely return to Arend Island to hold our ground, we'll have a chance. If, when we return, the Earl has already beaten us to it, then we'll escape together," Leon replied.

Bishop Beckett was completely loyal to the Earl, but he couldn't withstand Lena's abilities. Lena's abilities were a blind spot for the Earl, one of their few advantages.

Leon estimated that even if the Count couldn't contact Bishop Beckett, he would at most think that the Count was so audacious as to kill Beckett when Beckett issued him an ultimatum. He had no idea that the Count already knew Ophelia's hiding place.

“Seriously, why don’t we try contacting my father? Maybe with his help, we can find more solutions…” Weiss asked tentatively.

"The Church is also looking for you. Doesn't it consider the possibility that you contacted your father? How much can he restrain the Earl? What will your father's reaction be if he finds out about my existence as a heretic?" Leon asked Weiss in return.

Weiss was speechless for a moment.

Leon had no intention of using Archbishop Rogers, even though in theory Archbishop Rogers could be an ally in dealing with the Earl. However, Archbishop Rogers was currently under investigation because of the Weiss incident, and the Church was keeping a close eye on him.

With various factions of the Church searching for Weiss all over the world, they would naturally consider the possibility that Weiss might contact Archbishop Rogers. At this critical juncture, if he were to rashly contact Archbishop Rogers, it might attract unnecessary attention from the Church. He has no spare capacity to deal with anything other than the Earl.

At the same time, the Earl is certainly keeping an eye on Archbishop Rogers as well. The Earl has been plotting against Weiss for years and even knows the secret of Weiss becoming a witch. How could Archbishop Rogers not have someone placed by the Earl around him? The Earl will likely be the first to discover any contact.

Bishop Beckett also made it clear that he had already put him on the suspect list. The day the count told him the truth was probably not just to confide, but also a test. The count hoped that after he knew the truth, he would try to contact Archbishop Rogers, and in that way, his suspicion would be confirmed at that time.

Since the count dared to test the waters like this, he probably wasn't worried at all that Archbishop Rogers knew everything. He already had a way to deal with Archbishop Rogers; he just needed Weiss to carry out the revenge he wanted.

As a criminal himself, Leon couldn't fully trust Archbishop Rogers, whom he didn't know very well. After all, Rogers was a member of the Church and a former Inquisitor. Archbishop Rogers might not completely trust him either. Rogers might do everything in his power to give Weiss justice, but expecting Weiss to let him go out of gratitude was too optimistic, not to mention other members of the Church. Any involvement of the Church was risky for Leon. With the Earl's power, he couldn't be touched without solid evidence. Even if he anonymously reported him and the Church successfully took action against the Earl, as one of the Earl's subordinates, he could still be traced back to the Earl.

“I know, Weiss, you don’t completely trust me yet. Perhaps having your father involved makes you feel safer.” Leon stared intently into Weiss’s eyes. “But you must understand, the one who can protect you now is not your father, but me, only me! You are mine now. Follow my orders. I will deal with the Earl in my own way. Do you understand?”

Weiss stared back at Leon, clearly sensing his charisma.

Now she has gradually come to understand the other side of Leon that carries a dangerous aura. This man is ultimately from a different world than her, but the unknown about him, while making her feel a little afraid, also deeply attracts her, just like the truth she has explored countless times.

He who gazes into the abyss will also be drawn into it.

“I understand,” Weiss replied softly.

Chapter 175 Mother and Daughter Reunited

A reformatory on the outskirts of Castel.

The head of the reformatory, Elder Sister Tran, sat in her office, facing a rare guest who was visiting her for the first time.

Leon Seth, the presiding judge of the Hamelin Inquisition.

Leon's expression was gloomy and unusually somber.

Tran's face was also grave, and a look of pity flickered in his eyes.

"Is it early morning?" Dean Tran asked Leon for confirmation.

“Yes, it was early morning.” Leon nodded seriously. “Melissa’s mother, Ms. Selene Hershey, passed away from chlorination disease.”

“A year has passed, which is not surprising, but it’s so sudden…” Dean Tran sighed, “We didn’t make it to the point where Melissa could see him one last time.”

“I wasn’t there when her condition suddenly worsened yesterday. It progressed so quickly that it was completely uncontrollable. By the time I got back to the institute, Mrs. Hershey had already passed away, and there was no time to inform Melissa.” Leon said with a heavy heart. “I know this will definitely be a blow to Melissa, but she can’t be kept in the dark.”

Just last night, Leon carried out his plan to rescue Selene from prison.

He first used hypnosis to forge a report in which Zona Mendes resigned, and then killed Zona with cursed blood.

He placed his own people in key positions in the prison and used his authority to smuggle Zona's body in and secretly switch Sally out of her cell.

He used the cursed blood to make Zona's corpse appear highly salinized, and also damaged Zona's salinized face. He had his subordinates forge a complete report of Seri's death from illness, and even added details about the rapid salinization process during the body's handling and preservation, including the damage to her face.

He had planned long ago to have Selene "die of illness" and then use her body to switch places. According to regulations, after Selene's death was reported, the Grand Parish was required to send someone to retrieve and examine the body.

However, there is a two to three-day interval between the time a person dies and the time the parish is notified, and then the parish sends someone to examine the body. Serri had salination disease. The body of a person who dies from salination disease will become highly mineralized and gradually collapse into fragments of salt.

If the person conducting the examination arrives with the face already badly disfigured and the details of the body are not easily discernible, then it is impossible to identify the person's identity.

Leon's reports to the church consistently claimed that Selene's condition was deteriorating rapidly. After all, without continuous use of the effective medication, Selene's condition would normally deteriorate quickly. The court's lenient sentence for Selene was based on the premise that she would not live long.

Leon originally intended to carry out the plan after Melissa was released from the reformatory, but due to the current situation, he had to move both Sally and Melissa away to prevent them from being targeted by the Count as tools for revenge.

The church paid little attention to Selene, and reports were generally fine unless someone connected to the church, like Bishop Beckett, became aware of it. But now that Bishop Beckett was his prisoner, the Earl had lost control of Southport County and couldn't immediately learn that he had moved Selene.

“Indeed.” Dean Tran agreed with this statement.

“Dean Tran, I heard from my former superior that he spoke to you on his behalf?” Leon asked tentatively.

“Yes, Sir Aaron, I once mentored him. He mentioned Melissa to me, and he also mentioned you, Judge Set.” Dean Tran nodded. “I just didn’t expect that you would be promoted to intermediate judge so suddenly.”

“Dean Tran, actually, I have a request. I plan to arrange Mrs. Hershey's burial after the body is examined at the parish. So, could we go through some procedures to allow Melissa to temporarily leave the reformatory and be supervised by us for a period of time, so that Melissa can at least attend her mother's funeral and say goodbye?”

"Well, it's feasible in terms of procedures..." Tran thought for a moment.

“I will take full responsibility! I will inform Melissa.” Leon said earnestly. “Please, you must consider Melissa’s feelings. She can’t see her mother one last time, but she shouldn’t miss the funeral.”