Lu Li looked at the professor from Claire University, awaiting an explanation.
"No second exorcist returned. There was only you."
Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne revealed the truth.
The leadership of Claire University had been too hasty with their announcents; they hadn't bothered to confirm Lu Li's identity before starting to promote him.
The University, the Church, and the mayor's office couldn't stop them in ti and were forced to correct the blunder by creating another, more important exorcist who would replace Lu Li, expose him, and thereby protect him.
It wasn't easy. The story of Lu Li single-handedly dealing with the Third Calamity had thundered across the Wastelands. Finding soone more famous was practically impossible.
So they resorted to a ruse, using the na of one of Midnight's founders, the exorcist Yenard Matthews.
He wasn't as famous as Lu Li, but to Midnight, he ant much more.
Then they chose Stan Losano, the lead actor from Midnight's most famous theater, to play the role of Yenard Matthews.
The plan of substitution was set in motion.
That was why "Yenard Matthews" appeared a day later than Lu Li.
The plan went off without a hitch. The appearance of "Yenard Matthews" and the accompanying fanfare quickly overshadowed Lu Li.
However, a mistake nearly occurred: the disguise the University had placed on "Yenard Matthews" was almost broken by Lu Li's left hand.
Realizing the hidden undercurrents in Midnight, they moved on to the final stage of the plan: the substitution.
Stan Losano, playing Yenard Matthews, led a squad of knights to storm the Lange family's party, "exposed" Lu Li, and took him to the dungeon under the pretext of protecting him.
Having completed all the preparations, he went to the city square to give a speech and simultaneously lure out everyone hiding in the shadows.
The heretics and conspirators did indeed cause so trouble. Despite the sweet bait in the square, so of them, suspecting sothing, found the dungeon and tried to free Lu Li.
That was the source of the sounds he had heard in his cell.
Once all the culprits and conspiracies were exposed, they released Lu Li and brought him to the Alchemy Tower to explain everything.
The outco was quite successful: the conspirators were eliminated, the air in Midnight was clearer, and the fake Yenard remained alive.
Not counting a few unlucky prisoners in the dungeon.
They gave Lu Li the chance to verify their words, inviting him to touch Stan Losano and dispel the illusion.
Lu Li didn't refuse. Taking Stan Losano by the wrist, he felt the man wince in pain.
A few seconds later, Stan Losano's skin began to lt away, revealing his true face—a middle-aged man with fair hair.
A barely perceptible trace of Humanity flooded into Lu Li's body after the illusion dissipated.
Was it so kind of anomaly?
"You didn't need to deceive ."
Lu Li removed his hand. The probability that they were lying was infinitesimally small.
"We just wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble," gi from the Midnight Church replied coldly.
"We had to be wary of anomalies that can read minds," Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne explained.
He signaled for Stan Losano to leave. Stan bid everyone farewell, told Lu Li, "It was a pleasure to et you," and left the top floor of the Alchemy Tower.
Lu Li returned to the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked at them calmly.
"What are you going to do next?"
"The substitution plan is complete, and the air in Midnight has been cleared... You can leave at any ti, but for your own safety, we don't recomnd drawing too much attention to yourself. None of us wants to lose a hero."
Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne looked at Lu Li's profile, silhouetted against the panoramic window, and added:
"If I may ask, what do you plan to do next?"
"Leave Midnight and head to the Main Continent."
The wrinkles at the corners of Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne's eyes deepened.
"Because of our mistake...?"
Lu Li averted his gaze.
"I have to find... the Shadow Maiden and the rchant."
"With your status, you don't have to do everything yourself," Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne advised.
"And, in my opinion, you should study so of the knowledge of the Age of Anomalies to protect yourself."
Much of the knowledge from past eras is now useless.
However, for so reason, Lu Li declined his suggestion. Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne took a step back and invited Lu Li to visit the University.
This ti, Lu Li did not refuse. They agreed that the professor would pick him up from Claire University tomorrow.
gi from the Midnight Church seed to want nothing to do with Lu Li. Aside from that single phrase, she said nothing more and did not express the Church's position.
It was possible to descend from the top floor of the Alchemy Tower without using the "cabinet." Before leaving, Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne, as if rembering sothing, said kindly:
"Don't worry about the rumors that you're an imposter. They only spread among the upper echelons of society, and since everything has been cleared up and your na has been cleared, your reputation won't suffer."
"Until tomorrow."
After Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne said his goodbyes, gi's black mantle suddenly sagged like a deflated balloon and remained lying on the sofa.
"What happened to her?" Lu Li frowned.
"That is the knowledge of the Age of Anomalies," Professor Ernie Hamilton Wayne replied aningfully.
"I need to discuss sothing with the alchemist. You may go."
Lu Li didn't reply and descended from the top of the Alchemy Tower via the spiral staircase.
Knights were stationed around the tower at all tis, and a carriage was waiting at the entrance.
Lu Li got into the carriage, and it slowly pulled away from the Alchemy Tower.
Tomorrow, after visiting the University, all the mysteries would be revealed.
The carriage headed for Claire University. Lu Li's return allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief—the news that he was an imposter had nearly made them faint. Fortunately, his na was soon cleared, and it all turned out to be just a conspiracy against the conspirators...
Or rather, a plan.
Katerina wasn't there. Rector Rolens said she was a guest at the Lange family estate.
This had happened shortly after the knights had taken Lu Li away.
Had the shrewd Tur Lange uncovered the truth? Or was it just aristocratic speculation?
But one thing was clear: from the very beginning, the aristocratic faction had been nothing more than a pawn in soone else's ga...
Tur Lange warmly welcod Lu Li, declaring that he would throw another party for him so other ti, but Lu Li declined.
Tur Lange also shared so interesting news: Katerina had been hired as the captain of his personal guard.
When Lu Li found her, she was dead drunk in a luxurious hotel suite.
"The food, the wine, the servants... it's all just magnificent..." Katerina murmured, clutching a bottle in her hand.
"But none of it compares to you..."
While Katerina whispered her innermost thoughts, Lu Li quietly left the room.
It was ti to part ways.
Lu Li had co to Midnight and gotten the information he needed.
Katerina, too, had gotten what she wanted.
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