Versatile Mage

Lingling raised one of her eyebrows. ‘So, it looks like they have a pretty complicated relationship!’

Lingling had briefly gone through some information a while ago.

Actually, Kaede Takahashi was not the one with the most outstanding performance in the State House. Sinchino was better than him.

Originally, Sinchino was most likely to be selected for the National Institute. However, not long ago, there was some major issue with his attitude. Even though the Mochizuki family had stopped the issue from spreading, Sinchino was disqualified from becoming a member of the National Institute.

After Sinchino was disqualified, Kaede Takahashi became the next in line.

Lingling was curious to know who Sinchino had lost his control for, and what was the outrageous thing that he had done. She also wondered if Kaede had done something to Sinchino that caused him to be disqualified.

Lingling sensed hostility among the trio.

She had to wait for Mo Fan to wake up from his sleep before she could find out what exactly had happened in the Mochizuki family. Otherwise, Lingling could not possibly find out the truth.

Kaede Takahashi, Nagayama, and Sinchino Mochizuki had been so close with one another. However, their relationship turned sour due to some recent issues. Lingling wondered if they had been affected by the Red Demon’s magnetic field that caused them to reveal their dark sides, or if it had been a hidden issue within themselves.

“Sinchino, don’t go overboard. You can’t expect me to apologize for something like that happening to you!” Kaede Takahashi was angry. He did not expect Sinchino to say those words to him.

Sinchino turned his head around and glared at Kaede Takashi. He sneered and left the restaurant.

The restaurant was crowded. The two raised their voices. For a moment, the crowd stared at both Kaede Takahashi and Sinchino.

After some time, the crowd discussed the issue fervently. Kaede Takahashi felt uncomfortable in the tense atmosphere. But Linling was still eating her food, so he had no choice but to stay around.

“I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to show you such an embarrassing scene. Actually, we are very close. We studied, trained, and played together. However, Sinchino was in a very bad mood ever since he was disqualified. It’s only normal for him to put the blame on others. I shouldn’t have said those words to him.” Kaede Takahashi let out a sigh.

“That’s right. They always bicker with each other. I bet Sinchino will come and send Kaede off on his departure day. There’s nothing to be calculative about. Regardless of who gets chosen for the National Institute, both of them are making us proud!” Nagayama said with a smile.

“Nagayama, how’s your uncle recently? Does he still have insomnia?” asked Kaede Takahashi.

Nagayama sighed. “I would rather not bring him up. At nighttime, he screams like a banshee, as if he has run into ghosts. We’ve hired Psychic Mages to check on him. One of them is certain that my uncle has a psychological issue,” said Nagayama.

“Nagayama’s uncle is a watchman at the East Guardian Towers,” whispered Kaede Takahashi to Lingling.

She nodded.

The East Guardian Towers was the Red Demon’s birthplace. It was a prison, and it held the most heinous criminals. These criminals were capable of casting extremely powerful and evil magic.

Nagayama’s uncle had taken sick leave. However, his current state was no different from being possessed by a haunted spirit. The Psychic Mage and Light Mage had examined him. They did not find signs of any spirits wandering around him. The Mages considered him to be under some kind of curse but then came to the conclusion that it wasn’t so.

In the end, the Mages confirmed that it was a psychological issue. Hence, his uncle had to solve the issue on his own. All the Psychic Mage did was to comfort him and let him have a good sleep that day.

Lingling asked detailed questions because Nagayama’s uncle was a watchman of the East Guardian Towers. He could have been easily affected by the Red Demon’s aura.

“This was how it happened. There was a commander who practiced evil spells. The commander spread his evil spells across the East Guardian Towers so that the prisoners became his congregation. The Chief of the Towers was unaware of the existence of the gang that practiced the evil spells. But he was unaware of their presence until the gang became so powerful that they threatened the prohibition of the East Guardian Towers. As such, the Chief of the Towers made up his mind and executed all the prisoners who were likely to be a member of the evil gang.”

“Truth was that the number of the members were not as many as the Chief of the Towers thought. However, his fear caused him to kill many people. It was at that time that my uncle accidentally murdered a prisoner.”

“Originally, prisoners held in the East Guardian Towers was more wicked than those sentenced to a death penalty. Even though these prisoners were killed, the killers did not feel that guilty.”

“The prisoner that my uncle killed was found to be innocent. He was framed. But the crime for which he was held prisoner was still heinous. The prisoner died inside the East Guardian Towers. As a result, countless people sought explanations from the Chief of the East Guardian Towers. The Chief of the Guardian Towers dared not reveal the truth that he had killed so many prisoners out of his own fear of the evil gang. He made it appear as though the prisoners died of suicide and suppressed the news.”

Nagayama was a chatterbox, and he could not hide anything from others. He easily spilled out the East Guardian Towers’ past events. The past event was something that could severely damage the East Guardian Towers’ reputation.

Lingling listened to his explanation attentively. She briefly understood why Nagayama’s uncle was in a state that made him look as if he had been haunted by a ghost.

The moonless night was about to come. The Twin Guardian Towers looked like it had been shrouded by a bizarre aura. Those who had no one else to pour out their pain to, and the crimes that took place in the dark corners but were unattended, and the desperate screams seemed to have coalesced into a restless and terrifying aura. The aura gradually affected those who carried guilt and secrets close to their hearts.

And all this was likely to herald the arrival of the Red Demon Kazuaki!

…

“I can look around on my own. You still have training in the afternoon, so you don’t have to accompany me anymore,” said Lingling to Kaede Takahashi.

“I’ll ask an officer to accompany you.” Kaede Takahashi was worried about her.

“No need.”

“Okay. Shall we meet again for dinner?” asked Kaede Takahashi.

“Okay.”

Lingling walked to the higher ground of the West Guardian Towers alone. The sturdy castle was built of large rocks. Most of the military forces were stationed in it. The West Guardian Towers military castle expanded following the Ocean Demons’ invasion.

Lingling got the pass, so she could stroll around the military area by herself. She walked toward the drawbridge.