What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

He sensed that Ophelia's attitude was subtle, but he still hadn't figured out why.

“I can’t blame you for that. Most people wouldn’t think of that either. I’m already twenty-three years old. By ordinary standards, I should have been thinking about marriage long ago. Even someone like my father would be anxious about this,” Ophelia said with a forced smile.

Leon frowned slightly upon hearing this, and it took him a few seconds to understand what he meant.

So, this inspection was actually a blind date arranged by the Earl?

“But…” Leon was caught off guard.

He had only been with the Count for a little over half a year, and the Count was already considering arranging a blind date for him with his daughter. To say that the Count appreciated him was an exaggeration.

Who could have imagined this?

“As you said before, Father intends for me to inherit the business he built from scratch, and he hopes to arrange someone to assist me. First of all, that person must be in this industry, have a certain status and ability, and it would be best if they could also have a respectable identity in public, such as working in the church, which could provide me, an illegitimate daughter and a witch, with a legal identity. After screening all this way, there are actually only Beckett and you who meet the requirements by Father’s side.”

Ophelia rested her chin on her hand and said, "It's a pity that Bishop Beckett is too old; I can't accept it. You took half a year to become an officer and obtain a rank, and I don't know why Uncle Johnny was willing to give you face. In my father's eyes, your appearance is simply like a twist of fate."

After listening, Leon blinked. Thinking about it, he realized that his conditions in this regard did indeed seem exceptionally good.

“But I don’t think so. There’s something I need to confirm,” Ophelia said, looking at Leon. “I heard that you chose to sacrifice another woman with a terminal illness to save that witch. I want to know, was this decision based on value judgment or emotional judgment?”

Leon didn't react for a moment, so Ophelia changed her tune: "What I mean is, when you say that witch is your lover, is it because you want to use her to your advantage, or do you genuinely love her? If it's the former, I can accept it for now. Let me hear your answer."

Leon frowned. Ophelia's statement made him slightly unhappy, but since she had at least expressed her true thoughts, he had to properly and formally refuse.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ophelia..." After thinking for a moment, Leon slowly began to speak.

“That’s enough.” Ophelia interrupted him directly. “Based on the fact that you didn’t give an answer immediately, you’re already eliminated by me.”

Leon was momentarily speechless, then Ophelia said expressionlessly, "This isn't a question of whether you accept or reject me; it's me choosing you, understand?"

“I understand,” Leon replied calmly, having recovered his senses.

Ophelia's lack of interest in him was actually a good thing for him. Becoming Ophelia's partner and assisting her in inheriting the count's business would undoubtedly run counter to his current goals.

“Then, please work hard for our cause,” Ophelia said to Leon, swirling her glass in her hand.

Chapter 138 A Handy Tool

That afternoon, after Ophelia left by boat, Leon and Lena sat together in the rest area of ​​the temple deep in the labyrinth, talking about the day's events.

"A blind date?" Lena, who was pouring water, trembled slightly when she heard Leon say that, and the tea spilled onto the table.

“Yes, this is actually a blind date.” Leon calmly stood up and wiped the tea on the table with a cloth. “It’s called inspecting the maze, but actually the count sent his daughter to inspect me.”

"You refused, didn't you?" Lena immediately stared intently into Leon's eyes, her gaze filled with unease.

Ophelia's inexplicable attitude towards the two of them, as well as her decision to have dinner alone with Leon, were now explained.

Becoming the Earl's son-in-law and inheriting this underworld empire alongside the Earl's daughter is an incredibly tempting prospect.

“I didn’t have a chance to say it,” Leon replied.

"What did you say?" Lena once again looked as if the sky had fallen.

What does it mean to not have time to refuse? Doesn't it mean you couldn't say no?

Did this man ultimately abandon his wife and children for personal gain?

“Ophelia eliminated me before I could even refuse. She couldn’t accept that I had feelings for her. She also emphasized that she was choosing me, not me making the decision. She has a very strong sense of pride and probably couldn’t accept me rejecting her,” Leon said.

"So?" Lena blinked.

"This matter is probably over," Leon shrugged.

Lena breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but seeing Leon's thoughtful expression, she became a little suspicious again: "You, do you think it's a pity?"

"What a pity?" Leon raised an eyebrow at Lena, then burst out laughing. "Why?"

“Because if you marry that woman, you’ll be the Earl’s son-in-law, and you can inherit this business. You’re already the head of the Inquisition in the church. With this kind of business support, you’ll have a chance to get the same status and power as the Earl, right?” Lena muttered to herself.

"Ah!" Leon suddenly looked enlightened, then slapped his thigh. "That's right! How come I didn't think of that?"

"Hey!" Lena's eyes widened.

“Just kidding.” Leon grinned, then quickly wiped the smile off his face. “But, inheriting the Earl’s business? Gaining the same status as the Earl? When it comes to jokes, yours is more entertaining.”

"What do you mean?" Lena asked, looking completely confused.

“If I married Ophelia, this would be impossible,” Leon said seriously. “Lena, to be honest with you, even without you, I would try my best to avoid getting involved with this woman.”

"Really?" Lena clearly didn't believe it.

“Ophelia has made it very clear that what the Count wants is someone who can assist her, not someone to inherit the throne in her place. She has been by the Count's side since childhood, working alongside her; she is the second Count! When the topic of Arend Island came up, she said she could kill Viscount Arend and his daughter to obtain the land. She cannot accept that I like other women but says she can accept me using you emotionally. Do you think someone like that would be willing to share power with others?” Leon countered.

Lena was stunned; Ophelia's values ​​were something she simply couldn't comprehend.

"Lena, how do you think the Count treats me?" Leon asked.

"It's alright... The conditions he offered are quite good. He's provided all the support mentioned in your agreement, and he's even considering having his daughter marry you. It seems like he really admires you," Lena replied hesitantly.

"Then why do you think he appreciates me?" Leon continued to ask.

"Isn't it because you have similar experiences to him?"

“Is it really that similar? Let’s assume that my experience was exactly the same as his. If I had chosen to give you up back then, and without you, I wouldn’t have been able to manage the labyrinth and supply him with magic energy, and he knew that I was Fenrir, what do you think he would do to me?” Leon asked, staring into Lena’s eyes.

“Uh…” Lena was speechless for a moment.

“There’s something I don’t think I’ve told you yet. The Earl used to have an official in Riverdale County, nicknamed Gerald, who was the Earl’s nephew. He was said to be very trusted by the Earl. According to Father Auden’s assessment, Gerald wasn’t very good at management, but the Earl was still willing to use him, probably because of that blood relationship. Gerald was at least trustworthy to the Earl.”

But during the turmoil in Hamel, Gerald sent an assassin to kill Potter without authorization, almost jeopardizing the Earl's plans. Because of this mistake, Gerald was executed by the Earl. That's why we were allocated land in Vale," Leon said.

"His own nephew? Executed?" Lena was stunned.

“Yes, he can execute even his own nephew, so think about it, what does his son-in-law mean to him?” Leon smiled slightly.

Lena was speechless.

“Lena, the Count appreciates me because of my value. My value is high enough that I am a talent to him, a useful tool. The Count only has genuine feelings for his daughter Ophelia, which is why he wants to hand me over to her. But for them, a tool will be discarded on the spot if it becomes unusable.” Leon said calmly.

The count said he appreciated him, but regarding which church he should join and his dealings with Weiss, the count issued orders directly through Bishop Beckett without consulting him at all, because a tool should not have an independent will that contradicts its master.

Leon still remembers that the Count's deepest feeling about Icarus's story was that one should not fly too low, nor too high.

His internal conflict with the cadre Bal was left to be resolved by the Count and Bishop Beckett, who chose to stand by and let him handle it himself. So, he could only rob Bal's goods to teach him a lesson.

For the count, the greatest benefit of this internal checks and balances was preventing any one person from becoming too powerful.

That person wouldn't allow his subordinates to fly too high.

Ophelia's style is slightly more immature than the Count's, but overall it is still consistent with his. Ophelia allows him to treat Lena as a tool, and from another perspective, Leon is also a tool to her.

Ophelia was very straightforward with him, but the essence of that straightforwardness was that she didn't really take him seriously; a tool in her hand naturally didn't make her feel threatened.

Choosing to completely depend on them may bring temporary glory, but ultimately, one's fate is always in their hands, and one wrong step will lead to utter ruin.

"Fortunately, this matter was resolved peacefully..." Lena suddenly felt a little uneasy.

“Yes, we can’t be their enemy, but we also can’t get too close to them. We must stick to our goals.” Leon sighed. “Now that this matter is resolved, I should put my plan on the agenda. How about the day after tomorrow? Is that alright?”

Weiss's medicine has been proven to be effective in reversing the disease in monsters. The next step is to give the medicine to Selene, but before that, they need to have Selene undergo a ritual to become a witch.

Now that Leon has become the head of the Inquisition and has secretly placed two of his own subordinates there, and he also has full control over the local prison, he can still manage to get Selene to complete the ritual by using his authority a little.

Lena also possesses the knowledge of the inheritance ritual for becoming a witch left by her grandmother, and the conditions are basically all in place.

"Any day is fine, I'm just a little unsure, since I've never tried it before." Lena was still a little worried.

"There's always a first time for everything. Let's try it first," Leon encouraged with a smile.

……

Two days later, at Rønnft, the largest port in the Frei region.

Countless ships of all sizes are concentrated in this port. The water is filled with ships entering and leaving the port. If you look down from the perspective of soaring seabirds, you can see that the ships are like swarms of ants attracted by a piece of candy, crowding and moving back and forth in this area. The roads around the port area are also blocked by cargo trucks.

Lowenfeld, a commercial center established by the incredibly wealthy Earl of Frye, is also the largest port of entry for the Empire's countries and colonies facing the Eastern Continent.

During this busiest time of day, an armed cargo ship sailed straight toward the port, ringing its bells to warn surrounding vessels to make way. The other ships indeed made way, allowing the cargo ship to cut in line and enter the port.

Because the ship flew a flag embroidered with the sun emblem, which was the coat of arms of the Earl of Frey.

This means that this is the ship of the local lord, Earl Frey, the owner of the port, and naturally has the right to use the port first.

The Bauhinia, flying the flag bearing the coat of arms of the Sun family, soon docked in port, and Ophelia, dressed in a long dress and wearing a veiled hat, disembarked accompanied by a group of attendants.

With attendants clearing the way, she could move freely on the dock.

She crossed the port area and came to the main road, where a luxurious carriage was already waiting. The middle-aged gentleman who was waiting in front of the carriage like a butler immediately smiled and bowed respectfully to Ophelia: "It's been a long time, Miss Ophelia. You must be tired from your long journey."

“Long time no see, Bishop Beckett.” Ophelia nodded to Bishop Beckett as well.

"Please get in the car." Bishop Beckett opened the car door.

Ophelia boarded the carriage, where Count Frey sat with his cane in the spacious compartment, his eyes full of smiles: "Ophelia."

The arrogance that had lingered on Ophelia's face finally faded, and she smiled sweetly at Count Frey, sitting down opposite him: "I'm back, Father."

"You've met the person, haven't you? What did you think?" Count Fry asked as soon as he opened his mouth about the "blind date."

“Just as you expected, he refused, and I eliminated him before he refused,” Ophelia said.

"Refuse?" Count Fry nodded without surprise. "That just proves he has the right to refuse."

Chapter 139 The Great Witch Alexie

“Father, what kind of standard is this? He’s unwilling, but you say he’s qualified. Does that mean if he’s interested, you’d reject him? That’s too contradictory.” Ophelia didn’t quite understand the Earl’s assessment.

"Back then, he risked exposing himself to save that witch; that wouldn't have been possible without a foundation of affection. Ophelia, you've only just met him. If he abandoned that witch and chose to approach you at that moment, what do you think his motives would be?" the Count asked with a smile.

“What else could it be? Power? Wealth and luxury?” Ophelia raised an eyebrow. “If he’s really that easy to bribe and can let that woman go, I think I might consider it.”

"To abandon those around you in order to climb the social ladder, that's not just ordinary ambition, it's genuine drive. The person who stays by your side must never have that kind of ambition. If he can abandon the witch beside him today to get closer to you, he will take your place once he gets the chance," the count said slowly.

“That does sound a bit ominous.” Ophelia thought for a moment and tentatively agreed with her father.

“If we compare a person’s ability to a number, then once they have ambition, it’s like adding a negative sign before that number. The higher their ability, the more dangerous they become.” The count looked at Ophelia and said earnestly, “I have many reasons for recommending him to you, but the most important one is that he has no ambition and is safe enough. This is more important than anything else. Only in this way can he be considered.”

“But Father, what should we do with that woman? We can’t get rid of her right now.” Ophelia crossed her arms and legs and said, “I’m still your daughter, I can’t just eat someone else’s leftovers, can I?”

If the count were to include Leon Seth in the candidates according to his wishes, it wouldn't be unacceptable to her.

However, she found it difficult to accept Rena Lothark's problem on a psychological level, but she was also very clear about the value of this witch to their cause. Being able to consistently extract magic essence with a purity of 80% was not something that ordinary witches could do, at least not she herself.

“Manipulating people’s hearts takes time. If you are willing, these problems can be solved gradually,” the count said patiently.

"Forget it, I'm not in a hurry for this." Ophelia didn't seem to care much about the matter. "Instead of worrying about this, you should focus on dealing with more important things first. Your teacher must have arrived by now."

For Ophelia, choosing a marriage partner wasn't a big deal. Leon Seth was also valuable to them as a subordinate, and a marriage wasn't a necessity.

They have an even more important matter to deal with right now.

“Johnny brought her here from Moilland this morning,” the Earl replied.

“Then we’d better hurry, the teacher hates waiting,” Ophelia said.

About fifteen minutes later, the count's carriage passed through the bustling streets and approached a magnificent hotel.

The Palace of the Sun is the most upscale and luxurious hotel in the port town of Rønnft, and also one of the Earl's properties in the area.

On weekdays, this hotel is always full of distinguished guests, with nobles, tycoons and celebrities from all walks of life from the east coming and going daily to hold banquets and salons.

However, the Sun Palace is temporarily closed today for interior renovations, and all servants or butlers who came to inquire about reservations were politely turned away by the waiters at the door.

As the count's carriage arrived at the entrance of the hotel courtyard, the waiter immediately noticed the family crest on the carriage. With just a glance, the waiter swiftly opened the gate and bowed to welcome the carriage inside.

The carriage came to a stop, and the coachman opened the door, bowing respectfully to welcome the Earl alighting.

The count, leaning on his cane, stopped beside the carriage, turned around, and reached out to help Ophelia down.

Following closely behind the carriage into the courtyard was Bishop Beckett on horseback. As soon as he dismounted, a servant quickly led the horse to the stable.

"Let's go." The count, leaning on his cane in one hand and supported by his daughter in the other, strode into the Sun Palace, accompanied by Bishop Beckett.

The hotel is not accepting guests today, but it is still brightly lit.

A large red door at the back of the hall was guarded by two rows of fully armed guards. The count strode over, and two men immediately opened the door for them, and everyone bowed in unison.

They walked through a long underground passageway, an area not open to guests except for those personally invited by the count.