What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

This was a farewell party, just like the one they had held when they said goodbye to Aaron.

The Church's order has been officially issued. Today is the last day that Bishop Beckett will serve as the Director of the Inquisition. After that, he will return to his civilian post in the military department of the Church of War. The position of Director will be taken over by the current Deputy Director, Leon, who has just received his rank and blessing from the Church of the Prophets.

Bishop Beckett stood up straight with his hands behind his back in front of everyone and nodded in acknowledgment: "Thank you all for your kindness. I am grateful that you have given me the same treatment as the former director, Sir Dias, as we part ways. I really do know that I am not as good as Sir Dias in your eyes, especially for those young, unmarried ladies."

Everyone chuckled softly at the joke, and then Bishop Beckett continued:

"But regardless, although it was just a transitional handover, you all gave me tremendous support over the past six months. It has been an honor to work with you. In the period following the death of Mr. Griffin Henry Porter, we successfully dealt with the remaining heretical forces in Hameltown and firmly controlled the local illegal trade..."

Leon listened quietly with the others, knowing that illegal transactions in Hamel hadn't disappeared, but had become more covert and regulated.

After he took control of Southport County, other scattered underworld forces could hardly touch the potion and magic essence business anymore. He produced extremely high-quality magic essence locally, which was no match for smuggled magic essence from outside. In addition, with the dual pressure from the Inquisition and his own mercenary organization, there was no magic trade chain outside of his control that could survive locally.

As for his own business, the Inquisition wouldn't even bother to investigate, and he maintained tight control over internal intelligence, ensuring no clues were leaked. Aside from him and Bishop Beckett, the Inquisition consisted of other people appointed by the Earl as lower-ranking judges; almost no one knew that illegal transactions in Hamel Town had actually increased significantly compared to last year.

"...What pleases me most is that during my tenure, a rising star has emerged among us. Judge Set, congratulations on your promotion to Intermediate Judge." Bishop Beckett's gaze settled on Leon. "I am very pleased. If it were you, you would certainly be able to handle this position well."

“Thanks to your guidance.” Leon saluted Bishop Beckett again.

This cannot be considered mere formality. To Leon now, Bishop Beckett is like a patient teacher, guiding him step by step to gain a foothold in the Earl's power and to acquire power by utilizing the rules of the Church.

Although Bishop Beckett supported him primarily for the Earl's benefit, he performed his duties diligently and skillfully, which greatly helped Leon.

So to some extent, he was very willing to respect this person, even when they were rivals. You know, back then, his relentless pressure on the Earl really pushed him to the brink.

“My time is up. Now it’s up to the young man. Let’s invite the new director to speak.” Bishop Beckett stepped aside, gesturing for Leon to step forward.

Amid applause, Leon stepped forward as instructed, turned to the crowd, and began to speak:

"When I first joined the team, what I hated most was my superiors' long-winded speeches, and I believe you all understand this deeply. So I won't say anything more. Thank you, Director Beckett, for your guidance, and thank you all for your support. Without you all, I wouldn't be where I am today. So please allow me to... raise a glass to you all!"

As he finished speaking, Leon turned around and took two glasses from the table, holding one in his hand and handing the other to Bishop Beckett.

"Gentlemen, please raise your glasses." Leon raised his hand.

The group lined up to get their glasses, and led by Leon, they took their first sip.

"There's one more thing, everyone can listen to me while you eat, it's good news," Leon continued after finishing his drink. "It's almost the end of June, the middle of the year, and I've applied for a bonus. I'm announcing here that in early July, everyone here will receive an extra month's salary as a bonus!"

These words did not elicit a response; instead, many people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Could such an application for a stipend be approved? Based on their understanding of the church, it was simply impossible. What Leon said was nothing but a ridiculous joke.

"Some people might be wondering how this can be done? You may have misunderstood. What I applied for wasn't funding from above, but rather a request for approval to use the money I've earned from running my business to make a targeted donation to the church as a reward for my colleagues' hard work to date! And I've already received approval!" Leon announced loudly.

Only at this moment did everyone at the party realize that Leon was serious, and they cheered and jumped for joy. All the Inquisitors raised their glasses to toast Leon, and the atmosphere of the party was quickly heated up.

As the party drew to a close, Bishop Beckett, surrounded by the crowd, left the Inquisition and boarded the carriage sent by the church. Leon also got in and accompanied Bishop Beckett until they left Hamel.

Inside the swaying carriage, Beckett and Leon sat facing each other. Bishop Beckett spoke first: "Using money to win people's hearts is a good tactic, but remember not to overdo it. Both the whip and the candy are necessary. Too much of this kind of 'targeted donation' will cause problems with the paperwork."

“Yes, I know.” Leon nodded.

“I won’t go into the details of your future work arrangements; you can handle that yourself. The three people I’m leaving behind are all very trustworthy and you can use them as you see fit,” Bishop Beckett said.

"Ok."

Leon's response made it clear that the trust Bishop Beckett mentioned referred to Bishop Beckett himself. These three men were handpicked by Bishop Beckett and should be absolutely loyal to him and the Earl's forces.

However, it's uncertain whether Leon can be considered trustworthy. Bishop Beckett's statement was based on the premise that Leon was deeply bound to the Earl's forces.

However, after getting involved with Weiss and establishing a long-term relationship, Leon began to realize that what he was doing was something the Count would never allow.

But he was not swayed by this. He joined the Earl's faction mainly to rescue Selene, and now Weiss is a very important key to saving Selene.

His deal with the count was to manage the labyrinth well and ensure a stable supply of magic energy in exchange for various external conditions to save Seri, while the matter concerning Weiss was not included in their deal.

He could certainly use the three men left behind by Bishop Beckett when their interests aligned with the Earl's, but in other situations, he might have to be a little more cautious. If they discovered his association with Weiss, they would definitely report it.

To some extent, the people left behind by Bishop Beckett could even be seen as spies used by the Earl's forces to keep an eye on him.

Leon had already made preparations in secret. He selected a few people from a group of subordinates with decent resumes who had drunk the blood of the curse and whose loyalty was guaranteed. After he took office, they would join the Inquisition through specific channels. He had to place people who truly belonged to him.

"How is your production going now?" Bishop Beckett asked.

"By acquiring corpses to maintain a small percentage of purity, we can now produce over 80% magic essence, and 150 grams per quarter," Leon replied.

"Compared to the last quarter, the growth isn't that much," Bishop Beckett said.

“But in the past six months, it has already exceeded twice the Earl’s original annual target.” Leon smiled.

“You have performed exceptionally well, and the Earl naturally has high hopes for you. Now that you have a rank, you can ensure your own safety. Go ahead and expand production as much as possible,” Bishop Beckett advised.

“There are still many problems with controlling the maze, but I will try my best,” Leon replied.

He was no longer short of money. If he were to expand the business further, the real need for the increased profits would be for the Earl, not himself.

"The Earl's expectations for you may far exceed your imagination. Think about it carefully. You are young, yet you control the Earl's largest source of goods within the country. You have a rank in the church and are favored by the Archbishop. Mr. Johnny also admires you. With these qualifications alone, no other cadre can compare to you."

"Thank you for your appreciation, Earl." Leon took it as Bishop Beckett being polite and responded politely in return.

“Never mind, you’ll understand soon enough,” Bishop Beckett said with a meaningful smile. “Remember what the Earl told you? After you take up your post here, someone will come to inspect your labyrinth?”

“I remember I was already making preparations,” Leon replied, “but Count Frey didn’t tell me who that person was.”

“Since the Earl won’t say, I certainly won’t reveal it either. Even without an introduction, you should be able to figure it out yourself,” Bishop Beckett said with a smile, adding, “Remember, whatever you do, don’t be disrespectful to that gentleman!”

Chapter 135 The Earl's Daughter

Deep within the labyrinth of Arend Island, in the monster breeding ground, Leon stands with his hands behind his back on a raised platform, supervising everyone as they clean the labyrinth.

"Get moving, men!" Simon, the supervisor, patrolled between the feeding tanks, clapping his hands to urge his subordinates on. "Clean up all the feed buckets, don't let anyone see the blood! Nene, have you cleaned feeding tank number six? I can still smell the stench!!"

After a while, Simon walked down to the foot of the platform, raised his head and respectfully reported to Leon: "Mr. Fenrir, the cleanup is expected to be completed in another fifteen minutes."

“Very good.” Leon glanced at his pocket watch; there were still about two hours until the agreed time.

Just yesterday, a secret letter was sent to one of his liaison points in Riverdale, from Bishop Beckett, informing him that the Earl's men would arrive at the docks on Arendt Island at 10:00 a.m. that day, and that he should clear the area to greet them on time.

To this end, Leon sent men to blockade the docks a day earlier, increased the number of personnel stationed on the island, and then carefully cleaned and tidied up the maze area, reinforcing the railings of the breeding ponds.

Leon walked down the steps from the high platform, through the path between the breeding pools, and into the temple, where Lena was organizing equipment between the experimental tables.

Leon turned his attention to the secret chamber. After completing the ritual in the secret chamber, Leon discovered that as the master of the labyrinth, he could control the door of the secret chamber with his mind, opening or closing it at any time, and he could also sense what was happening inside.

The only thing in the secret room now is the shapeshifter, which has transformed into a cloud of black magic and is wandering around. Leon did not kill the shapeshifter that was created in the secret room, but instead raised it.

Shapeshifters are actually a general term and common name for many monsters. Any monster in this world that can transform into other forms, including humans, or create illusions can be called a shapeshifter.

The shapeshifter they found in the secret room, scientifically known as a "Phantom," is a special monster that does not reproduce on its own and is entirely generated by the magic of the maze. It does not need to eat or drink when kept in the maze; it can survive indefinitely by absorbing the magic of its surroundings.

There's no need for anyone inspecting this secret room or the shapeshifter inside to see it. He doesn't intend to leak any information about himself as the master of the labyrinth and the witch's blessing. Currently, only Lena knows his secret.

"Are all the level 3 monsters locked up?" Leon asked Lena to confirm.

"Yes, they're all locked in caves carved out of the mountainside. Boxes are piled up outside, so no one can see them," Lena replied.

Leon also had Lena control the demon wolves that were guarding the labyrinth and the petrified lizards that had hatched during the previous test of the labyrinth master's abilities, and hide them away.

Although the wolf obeys Rena's orders completely, it may still have a stress response if provoked, and who knows what unexpected things might happen during the inspection.

On the other hand, Leon didn't want the Count to know that he had the ability to raise level three monsters on a large scale.

If high-level magical creatures like demon wolves and petrified lizards were raised on a large scale, the average purity and yield of magical essence could be further improved, and the variety of magical potions could be enriched. The Earl would definitely be interested in this.

Nowadays, by increasing manpower and expanding the size of the breeding pool, Lena no longer needs to use the power of the Blood Alliance to control the monsters.

However, if level 3 monsters are raised on a large scale, Lena will have to feed them blood regularly to maintain order among them. Moreover, given the size of level 3 monsters, they will require a lot of blood, which would be a huge burden for Lena.

Leon had no intention of increasing production scale and profits, so it was better not to let the Count know that they had such conditions. Also, Lena's succubus form ability was information that didn't need to be known to the outside world.

"Should I excuse myself during the inspection?" Lena asked Leon for confirmation.

“Just keep working here as usual, and cover your face so they can’t see it. This is the most crucial part of this so-called inspection. They say they want to help us improve our processes, but I guess they just want to see our operating model before considering replicating it elsewhere,” Leon said.

He has already helped the Earl verify the feasibility of producing magic essence within the Empire, and Leon has no problem with the Earl replicating this model.

Leon helped Lena tidy up the studio a bit, checked the time one last time, and then set off from the maze to the dock.

As it approached ten o'clock, he led his men to look out to sea from the lighthouse and saw the armed cargo ship sailing straight towards them. Just as they had agreed beforehand, the ship was flying the coat of arms and flag of the Earl of Frey.

The inspectors arrived right on time.

"Get ready." Leon commanded his men to line up the honor guard at the dock according to the pre-rehearsed setup.

Leon also came to the pier and waited with his cane, standing straight in the sea breeze.

As they approached, Leon discovered that the ship was even larger than he had imagined, with eighteen rows of cannons on both sides.

As he approached the dock, Leon was even a little worried that the extended pier would be smashed to pieces by the large ship.

Fortunately, the cargo ship safely approached the dock and dropped anchor. The sailors boarded the dock in small boats and secured the ship with thick ropes.

Then people on deck brought over a section of wooden ladder and placed it between the deck and the jetty.

Leon finally saw the person who came to inspect walking slowly down the deck. It was a young woman with her long hair tied up, who looked about the same age as him, maybe a few years older. She wore a long dress with a gold base and a black tulle cover-up.

She walked down the gangway with her head held high, followed by a tall woman in knight's attire, who seemed to be her squire.

As the woman walked down the gangway, her eyes met those of Leon, who was standing on the pier.

After scrutinizing Leon for a moment, she tossed him a gold coin. Leon caught it and glanced at it. The coin did not bear the shield of the Royal Coin, but rather the sun, the coat of arms of the Earl of Frey.

Count Frey not only had the right to open a bank in the Empire, but he was also one of the few lords in the Empire with the right to mint coins, which were the gold coins issued in his territory.

However, this gold coin is different; the center of the sun symbol is painted bright red.

This was the token that Bishop Beckett had agreed upon in his letter, used to verify the inspector's identity.

"Thank you for coming all this way, Miss Ophelia." Leon put away the token, looked up from the pier below the ship's stairs, and greeted the woman who was coming down.

Bishop Beckett did not tell him the full name of the inspector in the letter, but only asked him to address her as "Miss Ophelia".

There was no such woman among the Earl's officers whom Leon knew, but the Earl specifically sent her to inspect the area, which clearly showed that he trusted her very much.

Both the Count and Bishop Beckett were tight-lipped about the woman's identity, but when Leon saw her face, he already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

The woman's features were very similar to the count's.

Ophelia did not immediately respond to Leon's greeting, but paused just before reaching the pier and extended her hand to Leon.

Leon realized what was happening, stepped forward, took Ophelia's hand, and helped her down the last step.

Leon then released her hand, but Ophelia didn't pull it back. Instead, she turned to stare at Leon, raised her eyebrows, gave a puzzled smile, and said, "Has no one taught you how to kiss a hand, Mr. Fenrir?"

Leon looked somewhat embarrassed before gently taking Ophelia's hand and awkwardly leaning down to kiss her fingertips.

Ophelia covered her mouth and chuckled, then said to Leon, "Thank you for coming to greet me personally."

“Not at all, it’s my pleasure,” Leon replied.

"Where is the maze?" Ophelia asked bluntly.

"It takes about half an hour to travel into the mountains from here. The carriage is ready. This way, please." Leon gestured for Ophelia to proceed.

Ophelia boarded the carriage, and just as Leon was about to ride off, Ophelia called out to the outside of the carriage, "Aren't you going to get in?"

“If you don’t mind,” Leon said, dismounting and getting into the carriage. He then glanced at the older female attendant still standing outside the carriage.

He had assumed that his attendant would board the carriage with Ophelia, but to his surprise, Ophelia waved to him, and the attendant closed the carriage door, mounted Leon's horse, and prepared to travel with the carriage.

Only Leon and Ophelia remained in the carriage.

The convoy began to move, and Ophelia sat opposite Leon with her arms crossed, constantly scrutinizing Leon's face.

“Miss Ophelia, would you like me to give you a brief introduction to the maze beforehand?” Leon asked, taking the initiative to start a conversation.

“No need, I’ll know when I get there.” Ophelia continued to stare at Leon’s face, her gaze neither particularly interested nor indifferent. “Mr. Fenrir, have you guessed my identity?”

"You mean your relationship with Count Frey?" Leon asked in return.

"You've already figured it out?" Ophelia raised an eyebrow.

“Your eyes are very similar to the Earl’s,” Leon nodded.

Looking at Ophelia's overall appearance, it's not accurate to say that she resembles the Count very much.

But with the groundwork laid by the Count and Bishop Beckett, he had already roughly guessed this possibility. If he looked at it from that premise, it would be easy to find the similarities between Ophelia and the Count.

“If you can guess who my father is, then you should be able to guess who my mother is, right? After all, you are one of the few people who know about my father’s past,” Ophelia said with a smile.

“Yes,” Leon nodded in reply.

Earl Frey has only two sons on the surface, born to his wife whom he married after he became earl fifteen years ago. His eldest son is only fourteen years old this year.