Night Ranger

”What?”

An angry voice echoed from the inside of the room. It came from a charming blonde youth.

”You said that guy was killed?”

”And the killer is that bastard’s older brother, White River Valley’s Marvin? Isn’t he a waste? Someone who didn’t even have a battle class?”

He stood in front of a small black clothed man. The latter said in a low voice, ”Young Master White, according to our intelligence, Baron Marvin really didn’t get any battle class.”

”Then how did he kill my subordinate along with two fighter followers, under the gazes of countless people, before the law enforcement team stopped him?”

White looked extremely angry.

He got that guy to take care of that matter, but he didn’t even manage to settle it. Instead he lost his own life.

That small bastard was already a bother; he didn’t expect that the older brother would be this troublesome.

”I do not know. Maybe there is something wrong with the information.”

The black clothed man bowed once again and apologized, ”I hope Young Master can understand; a small place like White River Valley is too remote and our intelligence network hasn’t been set up there.”

”No matter how, it impossible to make a mistake this big!”

White took a deep breath, displaying a pondering expression. ”This Marvin isn’t as simple as he looks. He is shrewder than his brother.”

”Being able to kill an apprentice wizard and his followers is a proof that even if this guy’s strength is of the 1st rank, he is at the peak.”

”Decisively using that Ninth Month Medal, it looks like he want to makes this affair big…”

”I have to admit, he is smart. But in front of the Unicorn family, these tricks won’t help him. They will instead send him to the underworld!”

The black clothed man nodded.

The Ashes Tower is in the middle of getting in touch with the South Wizard Alliance’s arbitration staff. I guess they will go through a process.”

”It’ll be easier to handle the process.” White sneered, ”The arbiter, the judge, switch them with our people.”

”I’d like to see what trick this Baron Marvin could use!”

”Yes! I’ll take care of it right away!” The black clothed man immediately withdrew.

...

Meanwhile, in a side room next to the dorms.

A dense smell magic medicine filled the atmosphere. There was even some mist in the room.

An incense burner was set up by the bedside, emitting some kind of peculiar smell. It had the effect of increasing focus.

Marvin silently entered. There was another person apart from the unconscious Wayne lying down on the bed.

It was a young girl, looking about 11 or 12 years old. She was surprised to see Marvin coming in.

”I’m Wayne’s older brother, White River Valley’s overlord, Marvin.”

He introduced himself in a simple manner.

”Ah! Greetings.” A hint of shyness could be seen on the girl’s face. ”I am Lulu, Wayne’s classmate.”

Classmate?

It wasn’t that simple, right?

Marvin speechlessly looked at the girl and the unconscious Wayne. Feinan’s nobles matured very early in that regard. They usually wanted to experience the forbidden fruit at around 11 or 12 years old. Wayne was only 9 and already had a girlfriend?

This was too fast.

But with the wizards status being very high, looking for a few women wasn’t very hard. Marvin looked at this Lulu girl. An apprentice wizard with the potential of an alchemist. But her talent wasn’t high. Thus progressing any further would be very difficult. Her looks were pretty good, but still not to the point of attracting upper layer’s wizards.

She stood at Wayne’s bedside, somewhat pale.

”Miss Lulu has stayed to take care of Young Master Wayne after he caught the illness.” The old butler’s explanation arrived just on time.

Marvin nodded and thanked her.

But he soon changed the discussion. ”Miss Lulu, you probably exhausted yourself these days. Since I already arrived, you can go rest as I’ll take care of my younger brother.”

After looking blankly for a moment, she glanced at Wayne, reluctant to part with him. Then she nodded and left.

Only the old butler and Marvin remained in the room. The two looked at each other as the former seemed somewhat surprised by Marvin’s changes.

That was a kind of spiritual transformation. Even though Anna sent a letter mentioning this, when the real Marvin was standing in front of him, it felt like an illusion.

The current Marvin was like his grandfather when he was young.

Wise, full of energy and full of determination.

These were essential qualities to be an excellent overlord.

”Young Master Marvin…” The old butler said in a low voice, ”You don’t need to be too worried. The Academy’s teachers were quite angry, they are working hard to look for the culprit.”

”I believe they’ll find an answer soon.”

Marvin didn’t say anything. Rather, he silently look at Wayne lying down on the bed.

A thick blanket was covering his own younger brother. His pale face looked terrible, his cheeks were hollow and his hair had started to wilt like a withering tree.

”Hmm?”

Marvin frowned.

He softly opened the blanket. Wayne’s stomach was ice-cold but his heart was still beating vigorously.

”He would wake up three times everyday in the middle of the night due to nightmares, and then keep crazily vomiting.”

”The things he keeps vomiting are… Filthy things,” the old butler explained.

”Toads, poisonous snakes and so on. I already explained everything in the letter.”

”Wayne’s teacher said it could be the work of a twin snakes follower.”

Marvin calmly covered him with the blanket and slowly shook his head. ”It’s not a twin snakes follower.”

”Ah?” The old butler was somewhat stunned.

”It’s not the work of a twin snakes’ follower. It’s someone copying the twin snakes cult’s tricks.”

Marvin’s eyes turned cold.

”This isn’t an ordinary curse. It’s some kind of compound curse.”

”On the surface, it looks like the twin snakes cult’s [Hibernation]’s curse. But in fact, under the disguise of Hibernation, there is one more curse that’s constantly draining Wayne’s vitality.”

”He is currently very weak and I have to immediately remove the cause of the curse!”

Marvin firmly readied his two fists, overworking his brain.

Sure enough, it was not the twin snakes’ skill; this was just a pretense, nothing more. Someone else was behind it.

And it was definitely someone in the Academy.

And someone close to Wayne!

”Hold on…”

Marvin suddenly raised his head.

He seemed to have guessed who!

...

Magore Academy, in a certain meeting room.

”I think I found the origin of Classmate Wayne’s curse.” A gloomy voice echoed.

”We have to severely punish this culprit.”

”What did you find? The final qualifying round will begin in a week, I’m afraid your apprentice won’t be able to take part in it,” said a sharp voice.

”How come?” The first voice angrily yelled, ”Don’t tell me that someone openly framed my disciple, openly cursed Magore’s apprentice, and everyone standing here aren’t the least bit concerned?”

Everyone was silent.

Finally a voice broke the silence. ”Hanzer, since this is your student, you suffered the biggest loss and you set out.”

”But that person should be a student at our affiliated college, if she wishes-”

”If she hands over the antidote to remove the curse, I’ll spare her life,” Hanzer firmly said.

...

”Thud thud thud! Thud thud thud” Someone was knocking on the door

The old butler was surprised.

Who would pay a visit at this time?

Following Marvin’s gesture, he opened the door.

A man was dressed in a full set of black clothes and wearing a black hat. It seemed very old fashioned, but very awe-inspiring.

Peak 2nd-rank wizard.

Marvin guessed in a split second. He didn’t dare to use inspect, as that would simply be an offense to that wizard. It might anger him.

He estimated from experience.

”Sir Hanzer?” The old butler said surprised.

”This person is?” Hanzer was looking at Marvin in a odd way.

”I am Wayne’s older brother, White River Valley’s overlord, Marvin.” He introduced himself once again.

”Greetings. We quickly met when Wayne’s entered the Academy.”

Seemingly recalling something, Hanzer’s severe face displayed a slight smile. ”And you also dared to kill at the gate of Magore Academy. You are the first in 300 years.”

”Someone wants to frame my younger brother.”

”I’ll make them pay the price.”

Marvin’s voice was very calm, but exceptionally cold. Even Hanzer, this kind of Master, couldn’t help but take a second look at him.

This youth seemed somewhat different from last time. When he heard about Marvin killing at the gate, he thought he was quite hot-headed.

But apparently he wasn’t.

But he didn’t come for this.

Hanzer said, ”I already caught the culprit that put Wayne in this state.”

”It was his young girlfriend, Lulu, right?” Marvin finished his sentence.

”You knew?” Hanzer choked.