Ch.55 The Imperial Princess’s Invitation
“I need to inspect this cursed skull myself…”
Back in his bedroom, Luo Nan locked the door, drew the curtains, and activated the room’s built-in aura-isolation rune array.
“Better safe than sorry. After all, this artifact from a ‘Nature’-affiliated acolyte surely carries traces of Abyssal energy. Even if no one in the manor would report , the fewer who know, the better.”
Only after confirming the rune array functioned properly did Luo Nan retrieve the black skull from his spatial storage.
Through his ‘magic-vision’—awakened earlier by the Infinite Tree—he could see countless dark-hued currents swirling over the skull’s surface.
“Are these also magic particles? They don’t look like normal ones…”
“Holy crap—don’t tell … this is Abyssal energy? Can it really leak out like this?”
Luo Nan imdiately leapt backward, terrified of being contaminated by the murky aura.
“I’ve never seen it myself, but based on ‘The Shining Myriad Trails’ description of such cursed dium artifacts, this must be it.”
“As a curse conduit, I recall this black skull can be used to trace back to its creator.”
“This was sold to the auction house by that grinning dwarf—aning he must have ties to the ‘Nature’ acolyte.”
Pacing his room, Luo Nan ticulously reviewed all the clues he’d gathered.
Suddenly, he seed to rember sothing.
He pulled out the ledger he’d found in the cellar near Apartnt No. 23 and flipped through its pages.
“…”
“August 2, 1795: Lord Priest allocated 100 Surs in funding; 100 Surs credited. (Note: The originally promised 200 Surs was halved. Lord Priest said the economy’s bad and the patrons are running low on supplies—but I suspect the real reason isn’t that simple.)”
“This is it! The scribe’s marginal note not only reveals their superior—‘Lord Priest’—but also implies their operations are backed by a hidden benefactor.”
“Lord Priest… Could the ‘Nature’ acolyte who crafted this skull be the very ‘Lord Priest’ ntioned in the ledger?”
Luo Nan felt his deduction was sound.
Logically speaking, in Opalia—the city second only to the Church’s Holy See in its ruthless suppression of Abyssal cultists—it would be nearly impossible for powerful heretics, especially Tier Three
entities, to operate openly.
They’d only risk sending strong operatives into Opalia if absolutely necessary, fully aware of the chance of annihilation by imperial forces.
And Luo Nan doubted assassinating him—a figure still perceived as an ordinary noble youth to outsiders—would warrant such high-level involvent.
If he were truly powerless, lacking the ‘Thousand-Scale Radiant Armor’, even a single Tier One martial artist could easily kill him.
Thus, the real challenge of the assassination wasn’t the kill itself, but the preceding steps: intelligence gathering, bribing officials, forging identities, and logistical coordination.
“In that case, there’s a high probability that the ‘Lord Priest’ in the ledger is indeed the creator of this skull.”
“Though I’d love to involve the Duke Manor’s full authority, I worry Serela might misinterpret my intentions.”
“Fine. I’ll investigate independently—as a victim. That way, even if Serela finds out, my actions remain justifiable.”
“I should wrap this up soon. The longer it drags on, the more it might interfere with my handling of the upcoming ‘collusion with demons’ plot point.”
With that, Luo Nan took out the ‘Tears of the Howling Wraith’ and dripped one drop onto the black skull, another into his right eye.
“If these tears can track Abyssal residue from a ‘Nature’ Mark, tracking the origin of this skull should be effortless.”
As the artifact activated, Luo Nan’s right eye saw the black mist rising from the skull coalesce into a thin thread stretching far into the distance.
“I’ll grab lunch first, then prepare thoroughly before heading out myself.”
After eating, Luo Nan stuffed his spatial magic device to the brim, donned the Thousand-Scale Radiant Armor, and clipped the Silent Hamr to his belt, ready to depart.
“Young Master! Miss Anya… is here to see you again.”
Just then, the maid Aina ca running up, breathless, delivering the news of Anya Sivans’s arrival.
“What does she want? Didn’t I say she doesn’t need to report daily?”
During his days of seclusion, Luo Nan had t with Anya only once—on the first day—and after gaining no useful leads, instructed her to stop coming every day.
“I… I don’t know…” Aina lowered her head, her voice muffled and oddly downcast.
Luo Nan paid little mind to Aina’s mood; his full attention was on Anya’s unexpected visit.
‘Could there be progress?’
…
“Anya, if you’re here, does that an Serela’s investigation has made real headway? I’ll warn you—I’d better not be wasting my ti. Otherwise, heh…”
Entering the reception room, Luo Nan adopted his usual arrogant noble-brat deanor: lounging on the sofa, legs propped on the low table, voice dripping with condescension.
‘Sigh… how long must I keep up this ‘hostile’ act with her?’
He silently asked Cheat Device Miss in his mind.
‘Cheat Device Miss, how long do I need to maintain this antagonistic relationship with Anya Sivans?’
[……]
‘Cheat Device Miss?’
[I don’t know.]
‘What? Weren’t you the one who warned
not to improve relations with her too quickly? It’s been over a week—surely that’s not ‘too fast’ anymore?’
[Ti alone is aningless. You must assess your relationships with them based on the arrival and evolution of ‘key plot nodes.’]
‘Got it. So you don’t know either.’
[……]
‘This complicates things. Without clear criteria, I can’t decide whether to show Anya Sivans my true, courteous self.’
Wearing this mask around her felt so awkward.
He desperately wanted to wrap his arms around the Chosen Hero’s long, sleek legs—sheathed in over-the-knee black socks, firm yet shapely, radiating flawless ivory allure!
His gaze drifted downward, following his thoughts. Between her battle shorts and the tops of her black socks lay a tantalizing strip of bare skin—the ‘absolute territory’. Though not silk, the sock’s edge pressed gently into her soft white flesh.
‘Indentation is civilization!’
Anya seed oblivious to Luo Nan’s stare. She gulped down a mouthful of Suran black tea, spat out the tea leaves, and exhaled sharply before speaking:
“Luo Nan von dillion! What kind of task did you assign ? The Royal Guard won’t let
anywhere near the primary cri scene! They’ve practically turned West Sixth Street in the Lower District inside out these past few days, but I’ve been stuck waiting in the cordoned-off zone they assigned !”
“So… you’re not here to deliver good news about the case—you’re here to complain?”
Luo Nan slamd his palm on the table. An aristocratic aura surged outward. “I pay you 30 Surs a day—do I also have to manage your ntal well-being?”
Anya froze for a mont, caught off guard by his sudden outburst. Despite his reputation as a wastrel, the innate nobility bred into him since childhood genuinely made her heart skip a beat.
“…Why are you yelling?! Can’t you let
finish?!”
“Go on.”
“Her Highness Serela sent
to invite you to see her. She says she has urgent matters to discuss with you.”
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