Chapter 276
Chapter 276
276 A decade apart
“People died, and others need healing. The deceased Viscount and his men simply took too much fun accelerants in a short time and regrettably passed away. Thus, I announce no interrogation is needed, and the Lionheart family can lodge a complaint if they so desire.”
“Furthermore, I confirmed this property has become owned by Lilith Lionheart. However, she has to apply for an official inheritance decree formally.”
Biro then sternly looked at Vincent and warned, “But don’t lodge a complaint if you aren’t politically strong enough with powerful backers.”
[Quick, ask him if he is the one who helped us when we tried to enter the city.]
[His family name is Hawkins, and he knows about Feng Mengli. Could he be Hawkeyes? But he didn’t look at the women behind us with a weird assertive hawk-like look Feng Mengli mentioned.]
-I’ll give it a try.-
“My lord, one moment please. Are you the one who helped us when we arrived in this city?” Vincent asked.
“Sorry, but I have to answer that question later because I have a lot on my plate right now. Sending messages to notify a couple of families with the proof we acquired takes top priority. We have to discuss how we should present the Viscount’s body in a ~presentable~ manner to the Blackheart’s main family branch.”
“But worry not, the Lionhearts are in safe hands with our people of the royalty faction protecting them after hearing about the truth. The Blackhearts will have to think twice with the collection of evidence in our hands. ”
.....
“And...” Biro winked at Vincent and said before he turned around and left, “Viscount Demel Blackheart died from a pleasure potion overdose after all. No one in here was involved, correct?”
[Wait! Does Biro suspect our involvement regarding the overdose? Is he letting us go because of the documents in the office!?]
[Did Feng Mengli’s identification save us again from questioning?]
-No wonder he let me speak my mind and only mentioned Sakura as if it was his job to ask and overlook her presence regardless of the answer.-
-Could Biro Hawkins be one of the people Ben managed to contact? And did Biro already plan for a scenario with a similar outcome? Biro breezed in here and acted as if he knew everything.-
Vincent and Kazumi had a lot of questions, but Duke Biro Hawkins told them to leave the questioning for another time. However, the wait might drive the curious Kazumi crazy.
The soldiers, Vice Captains with black and blue capes, and Royal Soldier Duke Biro Hawkins left the mansion. Only the old Lionheart soldiers remained in front of the gate as if waiting for someone.
Biro looked at the mansion one last time and said, “This day will be one to remember. Vincent, you don’t know what you started by killing the Viscount. But man, I never would have thought of stealing his wife on the same day. I look forward to our next encounter if you marry into nobility.”
Biro turned around and saw a carriage rushing towards them. “Let the carriage pass and order for the healers to hurry. I have a lot of healing to do while interrogating the sponsored pricks. I would have helped if I had the time and energy.”
The Vice Captains heeded his orders and instructed the soldiers to call for a few healers. Soon, dozens of soldiers left the property with an imposing march.
*New Lionheart’s mansion*
Vincent and Gevan were discussing the fake quest when a man ran inside and shouted, “Lilith. My little angel! Where are you!”
Everyone turned their gazes on the golden-haired man. It was Lilith’s father, Leonis Lionheart.
Lilith burst into tears the moment her eyes laid upon her father. Her father didn’t look as young and healthy as he used to be. Ten years apart was a long time.
“I am sorry I could never contact you, my lord. I would have sacrificed my life if there was someone else around my lady... but I couldn’t leave my lady alone.” Maid Xu said apologetically.
Leonis rushed to embrace his crying daughter and gently patted her back. “No one is at fault other than me... I fell into a trap that caused our family so much suffering... forgive me, my lovely little angel.” He warmly said with tears, unable to stop raining on her shoulder.
Vincent went to Maid Xu and told her how he and the others would go to a different place. Leonis overheard the conversation and felt grateful for this gesture.
The people in the large guest hall split into four groups.
The first one was the Lionheart group. It consisted of Leonis and Lilith hugging each other while crying. Maid Xu stood a few steps away to give them space.
The second one was the leaving group. Gevan and Abigail left as they weren’t needed anymore. Ester also left running to bring Lupa, Iris, Olive, Lian, and the horses.
The third one was the guard group. Lenn and Renn insisted on staying as guards for the night when Fliara and Eliara decided to repay Vincent by guarding the property for the night. The twins seemed to like the half-sisters as they followed and smiled at them.
The fourth group relaxed in a secondary smaller guest hall. The three little girls played with Plow while Sakura and sofy sat on a sofa while Vincent sat on a luxurious-looking wooden chair in front of them.
Sakura looked nervous for some reason while Sofy mentioned her night service once again, but Vincent changed the subject again.
“You surprised me over there, Sakura. I didn’t think you would be able to gain a skill. You already have a class and two skills, but you used a new one.” He said.
Vincent was surprised when Sakura saved the others from a fireball. He wanted to know what she felt like since he could check the change in her body easily.
“I wanted to ask, but why did Sakura’s slave curse disappear? And what is it about gaining a new skill? I would like that, please.” Sofy asked out of interest. She felt like it was a thing she should know about and maybe also have.
[~Ooo~ this is getting spicy.]
Vincent looked around, and only the little girls were in the hall playing with Plow in their own world of fun. The hall was safe to answer Sofy’s question.
“I don’t like to say this because I want a bond of trust. Every retainer without a class will awaken after they bear my retainer mark. Additionally, it will remove any bad conditions such as injuries, missing parts such as horns and tails, or even a curse. This is the reason I call it rebirth.” Vincent explained.
“So that’s why my horns and tail grew back. But... I am not a blacksmith anymore... my class changed into a weird one.” Sakura looked somewhat sad.
Sakura was proud of the Blacksmith class, but now she is saying that her class changed. To Sakura, the Blacksmith class allowed her to remember her family. It was like a memento.
[You better change the mood. Ohh, and could you be a dear and see what Sakura is talking about?]
[I am a little curious to find out what class Sakura awakened to. The gauntlet with mana surrounding her arms was intriguing. To catch a fireball as if it is a child’s throw is a surprising feat.]
Vincent decided to reassure Sakura first. “Why don’t you check if you are still a pure-blooded demon? Don’t worry. I will take responsibility whatever the result is.” He said while giving Sakura his guild card.
Sakura used the card to make a small papercut and drew a small bead of blood. “At least my blood is still blue.” She added. But her tone didn’t sound positive nor negative.
“Don’t look sad, Sakura. Here, let me check your stats.” Vincent used Inspection on Sakura, and the result caused him to stand up and blurt out, “~Damn~ girl!”
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[Name] Sakura
[Soul Synch] 10%
[Race] Oni
[Age] 26
[Condition] Healthy
[Traits] Blessing Of Synergy, Mana Tempered Body Stage One
[Class] Synergist
[Stats] Strength 70 || Agility 31|| Perception 44 || Mana 1300
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[Class Synergist]
*Ore Refinement
*Core Refinement
*Elemental Glove
*Sharpening
*Core Recharge
*Core Fusion
*Rune Craftsmanship
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[Third Eye activate.]
[Blessing Of Synergy trait description.]
[The user is constantly blessed with the ability to discern a material’s weight, potential, durability, and flexibility with one look.]
[The user will be able to estimate the possibility of usage for their intended craft.]
[The proficiency of [Blessing Of Synergy] will increase after a craft fails with the miscalculated estimate.]
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[Third Eye activate.]
[Ore Refinement description.]
[The user will be able to refine materials from the unrefined phase to the refined phase with the help of mana circulation. The more mana used, the better the results of a perfect refinement with no defects.]
[The user will have more chances to refine a refined material depending on the proficiency of [Ore Refinement] and mana used.]
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[Third Eye activate.]
[Core Refinement description.]
[The user will be able to refine refined or unrefined Magical Cores or fragments by using mana. The handling and refinement depend on the proficiency of [Core Refinement] and mana used.]
[[Core Refinement] will enhance [Rune Craftsmanship] product grade of Magical Cores or fragments refined by the user.]
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[Third Eye activate.]
.....
[Elemental Glove description.]
[Wraps the user’s hands and forearms with a layer of everchanging mana. [Elemental Glove] is immune to fire, water, ice, and lighting elements but offers no physical protection.]
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[Third Eye activate.]
[Sharpening description.]
[Allows the user to sharpen objects or materials memorized with the [Ore Refinement] skill and using mana to sharpen the touched material.]
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