My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Chapter 652 The Ritualistic Assassin

On a newly acquired estate outside the capital city, in a manor recently purchased by the Duke of Elliott.

Chris has been troubled by the need for further improvements to greenhouse cultivation techniques. She bought this estate specifically to test these techniques, given that it came with a sizable plot of land.

To avoid the fatigue of traveling, Chris has been staying at this manor for the time being, and Wayne has accompanied her without hesitation.

After filing the documents that the president needed to review for the Lily Society one by one and putting them into the briefcase he would take to the academy tomorrow, Wayne picked up a few more documents on his right and began to examine them carefully.

It was a factory's operating report, along with a list of important job appointments. These were the identities of Laird's remaining old subordinates after their reorganization and change of status.

Under Wayne's behind-the-scenes instructions, Ross concealed Norman Laird's disappearance from the public, continued to issue orders in his name, and secretly shrank his sphere of influence.

Wayne knew very well that Bulwer would report Norman-related intelligence to the rebels' rear headquarters. Therefore, for these restoration forces who had lost their leader, the rebels were no longer trustworthy.

However, perhaps wary of Echoes' reaction, Bulwer also refrained from publicizing Norman's whereabouts. According to information gathered by Ross, the rebel headquarters seemed to have other plans for these former Laird followers, neither actively seeking cooperation with them nor revealing their next steps.

It seems they're plotting something else.

As for the plans Norman Laird had made for revenge, Ross dared not hide them from Wayne, and unsurprisingly, Wayne stopped them indefinitely.

"Lonnes's custom wooden small commodities industry has a broad potential market and sufficient demand. Seventeen orders have been negotiated, and four production lines have been put into operation. It is expected that the cost can be recovered within six months."

After reading the final production report submitted by Ross, Wayne closed his eyes and shredded the paper with pure magic.

With him acting as a go-between, these loyal descendants of the old country have no problem making a living.

However, don't even think about getting involved in those complicated political struggles again.

Wayne sighed inwardly, rubbed his temples to clear his mind, and was about to get up and go back to his bedroom to rest when his expression suddenly shifted almost imperceptibly.

'Who's this greenhorn trying to test me now?'

A flash of blue light appeared, and the not-so-spacious study seemed to instantly transform into another space. As if submerged underwater, all the sounds of the wind rustling through the leaves and the faint chirping of insects outside the window vanished.

Wayne remained seated comfortably in his chair.

After carefully recalling whether the city guard had received any rumors recently, Wayne silently ruled out any threat caused by the exposure of Eikos's identity.

"Tap, tap tap..."

Someone knocked on the door a few times.

You're quite the ritualist, aren't you? You even set up the protective magic and still remembered to knock on the door.

"Please come in."

A tall man in a black trench coat pushed open the door and walked in, his hat barely brushing against the door frame.

His leather boots made a dull thud on the carpet, and Wayne suspected that he was secretly and deliberately making his footsteps heavier to increase the sense of pressure as he approached the other person.

Under Wayne's disapproving gaze, the tall man removed his hat and bowed slightly. But his face remained hidden behind his high-turned collar.

"You're hiding your face and acting suspiciously. Are you ashamed of your appearance?" Wayne asked suspiciously.

The man behind the collar twitched, his breath catching in his throat.

But he quickly recovered, and a powerful magical aura instantly filled the entire space. The surrounding water vapor condensed and materialized, and a water chain passed through the wall, attempting to restrict Wayne's movements.

With a snap of his fingers, a wall of earth elemental energy surged forth without flinching, shattering the water elemental chain in front of him. Just as it was about to touch the door, it vanished as a wisp of smoke.

"Excellent magical control skills," the man praised in a flat tone.

Picking up the briefcase casually placed on the corner of the table, Wayne asked seemingly casually, "There's a lot of important data here; it would be troublesome if it got damaged. Why don't we go outside and make a call?"

The man hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, with the demeanor of a master, he succinctly and coldly said, "Okay."

The water element barrier wall expanded instantly, enveloping the entire manor.

Wien's lips twitched. He really wanted to ask if this person's IQ was below 70, or if he was afraid that his own guards wouldn't notice the unusual fluctuations in magic power.

"Who sent you?"

“You don’t need to know.” The man stood sideways in the half-open doorway of the study, the cool moonlight sweeping over his shoulders and arms and falling onto the carpet in the room, casting his tall shadow.

But this somewhat hazy and poetic scene didn't last even two seconds before his figure was completely engulfed by the raging flames that suddenly rose from beneath his feet.

At the same time, accompanied by the sound of shattering glass, another figure suddenly smashed through the window and rushed into the room. Amidst the flames, Butler Joels shouted anxiously, "An assassin! Is Master Wayne alright?!"

With a slightly helpless click of his tongue, Wayne quietly pressed down the magic incantation he was forming in his hand.

"I'm fine. Grab this guy and don't let him get away."

As soon as he finished speaking, the raging fire darkened, and several water arrows parted the flames and shot towards him.

Butler Joels stepped in front of him, his longsword glowing brightly, clearly enchanted. All the water arrows were swept back by the immense magical power.

"Boom—" A huge hole was torn open, along with the window and the wall.

"Where are the family guards!" Wayne shouted.

Several powerful magical auras converged from four directions, illuminating a patch of the night sky.

"You!" The man rolled on the ground in the courtyard before standing up. His clothes had been burned with a large hole, but he didn't seem to be injured.

He gave Wayne a deep look. "I didn't expect you to have brought so many guards with you. Are you afraid of dying?"

Wayne pretended to be arrogant.

“There’s no other way. My family cares a lot about my safety. They know I’ll be staying outside the city tonight and they insisted I bring more men with me. See, this comes in handy now.” He said thoughtfully, “But you, you didn’t think dealing with a college student like me would be a piece of cake, and you confidently barged in to see me without even checking the defenses of the manor, did you?”

In truth, Wayne didn't need so many guards. To him, too many eyes watching him would only be a hindrance, making it inconvenient for him to do anything. But these people weren't just there to protect him; they were also there to prevent the defenseless Chris from encountering any emergencies outside, so he reluctantly accepted them.

"It was my oversight." The man readily admitted his mistake. "I only wanted to test you out, but the result is the same. You are stronger than I expected."

Wayne gave a cold laugh.

He could indeed sense that this person had intentionally controlled the intensity of his magic when they first met. In his judgment, this person was probably stronger than his own mages, and the guards in the manor probably wouldn't be able to stop him. This showed that the other party did indeed have the right to be arrogant.

Chapter 653 is truly wondrous; the human heart...

However, since he dared to come, he had to leave something behind. He wasn't without a backup plan to trick him.

Thinking of this, Wayne said, "How about we talk alone for a while longer?"

This person was so tall that he couldn't be concealed at all, making him easily recognizable. Logically, such a powerful individual would hardly remain unknown and would always be on the city guard's high-priority watch list. The reason the city guard had such a list was because Bulwer wanted to be able to quickly locate specific suspects or narrow down the investigation scope in the event of a serious case in the future. He had secretly dispatched members of the special operations team to conduct door-to-door investigations and compile a list.

But Wayne had never heard of a water mage appearing in the capital before.

Could it be that they only recently arrived in the capital?

His first suspicion fell on the Vatican exchange group.

If the Vatican has other plans, it wouldn't be hard to understand why they would plant one or two undercover agents with ulterior motives among these unfamiliar faces.

"I have nothing more to say to you. See you next time." The other person ignored his reaction, flicked the hem of his clothes with a big hole burned in it, and walked out the door in a magnanimous manner.

"Leave him behind!" With Wayne's order, the arriving mages rushed forward without hesitation.

Wayne snatched the enchanted longsword from the butler's hand and followed closely behind.

"So many of you ganged up on me? Where's your aristocratic spirit?"

“I just had a gem worth five thousand gran pounds stolen, and I have nothing to say to burglars.”

Leo, who had just knocked the four mages away, almost couldn't catch his breath after hearing this: "Five thousand Gran pounds? Why don't you just rob someone!"

As a frontline member of the inquisition, his income, including position allowances and bonuses, far exceeded that of most bishops. Even so, his salary at the Papacy was only around fifty Grand pounds a year. This damned brat actually dared to extort money from him—money he could save up for a hundred years without eating or drinking! Those wicked nobles, they don't value money!

Leo, who originally wanted to get away as soon as possible, is now really angry.

This arrogant brat needs to be taught a lesson. In a moment of weakness, instead of immediately shaking off these people and leaving the scene, he turned and rushed back towards Wayne.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

"Young Master Wayne, be careful!" Joels also unleashed his flames, but no one noticed the calm and collected look in his eyes; he seemed completely unconcerned.

Wayne was afraid that this person would only be concerned with running away and would not want to fight him, so a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips. He slapped the magic spell in his hand onto his longsword and then threw it at him.

The man's eyes initially showed confusion, as if he was pondering the meaning behind this seemingly simple act of gifting a weapon. But the next moment, when he saw the magical radiance on the enchanted longsword surge dramatically, his expression changed drastically, and only visible terror remained in his eyes.

A beam of light shot upwards, piercing the sky.

The deafening roar shattered the peaceful night outside the capital, eliciting countless startled barks and crowings from nearby dogs.

……

Arrest warrant: Suspect characteristics—

"A reward of fifty gran pounds will be offered for information leading to the city guard regarding the assassin who appeared last night; a reward of five hundred gran pounds will be offered for the assassin's death."

Watching the city guards post bounty posters all over the streets and alleys of the capital, Bishop Smith, hidden among the onlookers, shook his head helplessly.

When he brought the news back to the Royal Cathedral, Bishop Willard, who had also received the news elsewhere, was already waiting for him at the cathedral entrance, his face as sour as if someone owed him tens of thousands of pounds.

“I need an explanation,” Willard said.

Smith wanted to pretend he didn't know, but he couldn't hide Leo's injuries from him, and he urgently needed medication and aftercare.

"The Vatican's arrangements..."

Before he could finish speaking, Willard interrupted him without backing down, asking a question: "What you're saying, is it an arrangement by the [Vatican], or by [certain individuals]?"

Smith's expression changed. "Some things shouldn't be said carelessly!"

Willard showed Smith absolutely no leniency, despite his seniority.

"The Church's bright will must not be tarnished, nor can His Holiness the Pope's lofty ideals be trampled upon!"

He spoke each word with resounding force: "God has bestowed upon us equal personhood, equal souls, and equal salvation. Yet you people use it for petty scheming, forming cliques for personal gain, treating faith as a tool, and turning public affairs into private property!"

"Yes, His Holiness the Pope is only a mortal body. One day he will grow old and lose his title as God's agent. But God will also prepare the best reward for those faithful servants who are determined to serve Him. All who have faith will be delivered."

He looked into Smith's eyes, but it was as if he was looking through him into a distant, yet undeniable, future.

In that burning gaze, there was not only determination, but also fervor.

Smith held back his anger, his face flushed red. At his age, he had never suffered such an insult in the Vatican. But he also knew that if he started arguing with Willard on the spot, he would be the one who lost face.

Perhaps he's right. If one can dedicate everything to the divine, then one will no longer have any weaknesses. A person without weaknesses will naturally no longer be subject to the control of others.

He pretended not to want to discuss the issue.

"Leo won't be discovered for now, but he's injured, which will affect Tasia..."

“No!” Willard rejected his suggestion without hesitation, not wanting to hear the rest of his statement.

Smith had anticipated that he would not agree, so he compromised and suggested that another church doctor accompany him.

Perhaps to avoid involving Tasia, Willard did not veto this time.

Before leaving the cathedral, Smith finally said to him, "Man is not an isolated being. As long as he exists in this world, as long as he has desires and wishes, all his connections with the outside world will become ropes that bind him. No one can transcend this while he is alive."

“Even gods, as long as they feel, witness, and experience, will understand the suffering of human struggles.”

All Willard left him with was a retreating figure that refused to speak.

After silently watching the direction where his figure gradually disappeared for a moment, Smith quickly left.

As the gray-roofed carriage, whose origins were indistinguishable, drove out of the square gate, another unassuming black carriage quietly followed from the corner of the road on the other side of the church.

"Lady Aikos, are we really going to take action against the Vatican?" Although Vera had gradually become accustomed to the special operations team's work, which covered almost everything from major criminals to trivial matters, she was still shocked by the person she was tracking this time.

"Why not?" Wayne, who had been waiting for a long time, lowered the carriage curtain.

"That's the Vatican, after all..."

“Here.” Wayne tapped the carriage floor with his staff. “But the capital.”

Vera immediately straightened up, as if her confidence had been greatly boosted: "You're right, this is the capital. Even the people from the Holy See must abide by the rules of the capital!"

The so-called staff was merely a prop used to create an air of mystery, but because the person wielding it was the astonishing sorceress Aikos, people were willing to believe that it truly possessed some kind of strange magic. How wondrous is the human heart!

Chapter 654 Arriving a Step Too Late

Sitting in the carriage, feeling the slight jolts transmitted from the wheels to the seat, Bishop Smith felt somewhat anxious.

When he was awakened by noises outside his window in the dead of night, he had a vague premonition that something was wrong.

When he saw Leo looking as if he had just been through a huge explosion, his body charred black, his clothes barely covering him, and his face covered in blood, he knew without the other man needing to explain further that he had bitten off more than he could chew.

According to Leo, Duke Winchester has somehow mastered a technique that allows him to store powerful energy in enchanted weapons and detonate them at set times.