Pillar of Yita

They were wearing a long cloak with purple and yellow edges, hanging down to the ground, wrapped like a giant banner, with both hands hidden beneath it, making it impossible to tell if there were any weapons.

The person in charge was relatively tall, almost on par with Aierna. In the sunlight at the inn’s doorway, he seemed like a long shadow rising from the ground.

His sinister gaze scanned across the hall, finally looking over in this direction.

Fang Hong initially thought the trio came for the Princess, or someone from the Royal House of Penelope, but unexpectedly, the person’s gaze finally landed on him and he asked:

”Is Mr. Ade here?”

Everyone froze for a moment.

Including Tianlan and Gita, who also showed surprise in their expressions. The tone of the visitors was clearly unfriendly, but they had no enemies here, right? Even the Dragon Worship Sect wouldn’t be so brazen in coming to find them?

But before Fang Hong could speak, Lady Aierna stood forward and asked: ”Who are you?”

The man then shifted his gaze from Fang Hong, looked at Aierna, and answered coldly: ”Madam, this is none of your business.”

”I am Aierna Vasa, Chairman of the Tansnier Crafting Association, and I ask you to state your purpose, or don’t blame me for being rude.” Aierna’s tone was equally firm, and she simultaneously reached inside her coat to take out a Lingus Guard.

The man frowned slightly before answering: ”Lady Aierna, we are secret spies of the Royal Household, looking for Mr. Ade to clarify some matters.”

”Royal Household? Which Royal Household?”

”Colin Royal Family.”

Aierna hesitated slightly upon hearing this name.

While Hilveld furrowed her brows upon hearing it.

Fang Hong turned back and even saw Bakins had already reached behind him. Since it was an audience with the Grand Princess of the Penelope Royal House, they hadn’t brought noticeable weapons. The ever-alert Bosun had a dagger hidden behind him.

His heart sank; he already sensed something ominous.

But how did the Royal Household find their way here, knowing he was in this place? And how did they know Hilveld was beside him?

He couldn’t find the answer to the problem at the moment, but his mind flashed like lightning, and understood immediately that it was imperative for him to step forward at this moment.

He took a step forward, looked directly at the person’s eyes, and answered without humility or arrogance: ”I am him; what do you want from me?”

”You are Ade?” The person’s gaze returned to him, cold as a poison snake.

The other party wasn’t in a rush but confirmed repeatedly.

Fang Hong nodded.

”Very good,” the person finally replied, ”We need your cooperation for an investigation.”

As he spoke, his gaze turned to Hilveld, with a cold gleam flickering in his grey eyes: ”And this lady beside you, we need to take her for the investigation too.”

Indeed, Fang Hong felt the ominous sense in his heart coming true.

Bakins was about to step forward.

But Fang Hong blocked him and Hilveld, raised his head, and asked the person: ”Why?”

The person remained unhurried: ”Because we suspect she is closely involved with a traitor.”

Only Fang Hong skipped over this question and asked: ”But how can I trust you are from the Royal Household?”

The person responded leisurely: ”If you wish to see, we can prove it.”

”Alright then,” Fang Hong replied, ”Mr. Spy, but there could not be anyone closely involved with a traitor in our squad.”

”That’s not up to you, Mr. Ade.”

Fang Hong turned back, looking at Hilveld—his dark brown eyes carried a definite gleam, a reflection of his long-standing unconditional trust in the girl.

Besides this gaze, he had no extra gestures or expressions, but Lady Noble seemed to understand, and her slightly furrowed brows relaxed, standing calmly in place.

Fang Hong turned back to the three people, answering: ”That’s not necessarily true.”

The person’s voice became even colder: ”Are you siding against the Colin Royal Family?”

”Not at all.”

”Then—”

Fang Hong directly interrupted him, replying resolutely: ”But my word counts, gentlemen.”

The person stopped, looking at him coldly.

At the next moment, without any visible action from the person, a gunshot rang out, a burst of sparks igniting under his large cloak—clearly, the other party anticipated a confrontation.

Just before the spinning bullet reached, a Great Shield suddenly angled forward, blocking Fang Hong. With a muffled ’thud,’ the lead bullet embedded halfway into the shield, scattered wood debris.

Luo Hao sneered: ”Idiot, pretending I’m not here?”

The person’s face turned ugly, retreating a step, and simultaneously spinning to draw a Type Seven ’Cigar’ Handgun from under his cloak—the six dark barrels aiming in a new direction and pointing at Hilveld.

But before he could pull the trigger, he suddenly felt unsteady underfoot; the ground buckled, ’swish, swish, swish’, reaching out several sharp spikes. The person had to retreat swiftly, shocked—what kind of spell was this?

Upon their final step back, a spike shot across, piercing the handgun, sending it flying into pieces scattered back to the ground.

The person looked up to find a gigantic Nautilus Construct appearing behind Fang Hong, its tentacles emanating a faint glow—a youth pulling out a silver handgun from behind, cocking the hammer.

Not far behind him, the Albert Family’s girl held an identical silver handgun, raising it, pointing its dark barrel at him.

The Royal Household’s secret spy hadn’t expected such decisiveness from the other side, and their strength far exceeded his expectations, especially that peculiar spell disrupting his tempo completely.

He shouted, flustered: ”Wait, you’re a Holy Chooser, you can’t interfere in our internal matters!”

Fang Hong heard these words, and suddenly had an epiphany.

He finally understood why the Royal Household’s spies knew he was in this place, and why the daughter of Sir Mawei was by his side, someone deliberately leaked this information—

His heart was crystal clear, yet he remained outwardly calm.

Just looking at the person, answering faintly: ”Alright, I won’t interfere.”

A gunshot.

Hilveld’s gun blazed out, sending the person flying sideways.

...