Chapter 622: Confront
Chapter 622: Confront
Edwin trailed her from the shadows unbeknownst to Evelyn, stalking her like a predator. His footsteps were silent, his expression stone-cold. The dim glow of the street lanterns cast jagged shadows across his face, sharpening the hunger in his eyes.
’Is it the Paladin? Or someone else?’ he wondered, fingers twitching near the hilt of his sword. The mana within it pulsed in response, eager for blood.
Someone had dared steal what he considered his.
And he would make them regret it.
...
Evelyn ran like a hunted animal.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as she darted down Crystal Lane, past silent storefronts and shuttered inns. The cold night air bit into her wounded shoulder, the fabric of her dress clinging to her skin with sweat and blood.
No one cares.
Bystanders glanced at her as she ran desperately.
Some looked at her with pity, others with indifference—but none stepped forward. It wasn’t because of the danger of interfering in others’ affairs.
The sole reason was that Evelyn looked different from the locals.
She was basically a foreigner.
Even though this city was said to be watched over by the Gods and was called ’Sacred City of Order,’ the reality was far from anything sacred. The basic education level was pretty low, and the people here were overly religious. They hate foreigners, especially Mages.
Discrimination against outsiders was common.
’I just want to leave this place.’ Evelyn muttered as she ran.
At the far end of the street, she spotted the building—modest but heavily guarded, its iron gate gleaming under the moonlight.
This must be it...
The house the mysterious mage had mentioned. The last flicker of hope in her chest flared.
She stumbled toward the gate, only for two armored guards to cross their spears before her.
"Halt," one barked, his voice like steel. "State your business."
Evelyn instantly noticed the symbol engraved on the guards’ armor and turned grim.
’They belonged to a Noble house.’ As a spy, she had learned basic information about the nobles of the Sacred Empire and pondered what to do next.
’Sh*t! Do I have to make a fake story? That mysterious man said nothing about it being a noble’s house.’
Evelyn clutched her side, her voice trembling. "Please... I need help. A man is chasing me, an inquisitor. He’s trying to kill me. Someone told me to come here... said I’d find help."
The guards exchanged a glance. The taller one frowned. "You’re mistaken, miss. This is Baron Cedric Silvercrest’s guest house. The one staying here is his fourth son. No one else."
"And he isn’t strong enough to protect anyone." The smaller one said with a laugh, but met with a glare from the taller guard.
"Watch your words, Ricky. Though he is an illegitimate son, he still carries the noble’s blood." The taller guard scolded him.
Meanwhile, Evelyn’s stomach dropped.
’Had she been tricked?’
Before she could react, a voice cut through the tension—mature, commanding.
"What’s the commotion?"
A woman stepped onto the porch, her presence silencing the guards instantly. Tall and poised, she wore a black gown that accentuated her regal bearing. Blonde hair framed a stern face, but her sharp eyes softened slightly when they landed on Evelyn’s wound.
’Lady Stella.’
Though technically a servant, she held more influence and also had special ties with the fourth young master. The guards stiffened, bowing their heads in deference.
"Lady Stella," the senior guard said, "this woman claims she’s being hunted. Says a stranger directed her here for protection."
Stella’s gaze flickered to Evelyn. "Is that true?"
Evelyn nodded, tears welling. "His name is Edwin. He’s an inquisitor of the Order Church. My husband—or at least, he was." Her voice cracked. "He’s been torturing me, convinced I betrayed him. I escaped, but he’s been hunting me ever since. I didn’t know where else to go."
’Inquisitor? That’s a troublesome matter.’ But her gaze softened upon noticing the wounds on her body.
’If we send her away, there is a high chance the pursuer might find her and take her back. In the worst-case scenario, she will die.’
Stella studied her for a long moment, then gave a sharp nod.
"Let her in."
The guards hesitated, but one look from Stella had them stepping aside. Evelyn murmured a weak thank you before stumbling inside.
The warmth of the sitting room was a stark contrast to the cold streets. Plush carpets, ornate furniture, the faint scent of lavender—it was a world away from the filth and terror she’d endured.
"Sit," Stella ordered, gesturing to a velvet couch.
Evelyn obeyed, her legs finally giving out.
"Now," Stella said, settling across from her. "Start from the beginning."
Evelyn inhaled shakily and began her tale. She talked about how good Erwin was all these years.
"But all ended just a few weeks ago. He started asking strange questions like who I’m meeting with, and even said I’m cheating on him. When I said I’m not cheating on him, he didn’t believe me and started beating me violently." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she narrated the story.
"As days passed, he abused me every day and even tortured me using weapons. If that man hadn’t come, I would still be locked up in the house and getting tortured."
She then spoke of the mysterious mage who had whispered directions to this house, of the desperate chase through the city, of the hope that had kept her moving even when her body screamed to collapse.
Stella listened, her expression unreadable.
Then, just as Evelyn finished, a sharp knock echoed through the room.
One of the guards entered, his face grim.
"Lady Stella," he said, voice low. "There’s a man at the gate. Claims to be an inquisitor. He’s demanding entry—says his wife is inside."
Evelyn’s blood turned to ice.
...
Outside, Edwin stood at the gate, his posture relaxed, but his eyes sharp. The guards’ spears remained leveled at him, but he didn’t flinch.
"I mean no harm," he said smoothly, raising his hands in a show of peace. "I’m searching for someone important to me. Her name is Evelyn. I believe she entered this house."
The guards didn’t budge.
"We must protect those inside," the senior guard growled. "Unless you have proof or authorization, you’ll have to leave."
Edwin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. He reached into his cloak and produced a golden badge—the Order’s seal.
"I am an inquisitor of the Order Church. That woman is my wife. She’s been misled, and I need to retrieve her for her own safety."
The guards hesitated. The Order’s authority was not something to dismiss lightly.
But before they could respond, a voice cut through the tension.
"Who is she to you?"
A teenage boy stepped from the shadows beneath a nearby tree. His presence was quiet, almost unremarkable—until the guards instantly snapped to attention, bowing.
"Young Master!"
Edwin’s gaze flickered to the boy. A noble’s son? His lip curled slightly.
"She’s my wife," Edwin repeated, his tone dripping with condescension. "And I have the authority to take her back." He tapped the badge. "Interfere, and it’ll be considered obstruction."
The boy, Charles, glanced at the badge. Then his lips curled into a smirk.
’You think I won’t fight you?’
The voice didn’t come from the boy’s mouth.
It echoed inside Edwin’s skull.
His blood ran cold.
That voice—he recognized it.
Max Fireborn.
But that was impossible. He’d killed Max weeks ago.
His eyes darted wildly, searching for the source of the voice.
"Where are you looking?" Charles asked.
Then—
He vanished.
Edwin barely had time to react before Charles reappeared behind him.
At the same time, a short sword appeared out of thin air and firmly landed in Charles’s hand.
"I haven’t forgotten how your Silver Stab tore into my heart," Charles whispered as he covered the sword with a sunshine aura and thrust it.
The sword pierced Edwin’s back in a single, brutal motion.
Precise.
Lethal.
Edwin gasped, his body locking in shock.
He recognized the sword technique.
He knew that voice.
And he realized—too late—that the boy wasn’t a noble’s son.
He was Max Fireborn.
"And the reason I lured you here..." Charles murmured, his breath cold against Edwin’s ear, "...was for something far worse."
With his free hand, he cast [Purple Consciousness], the spell slithering into Edwin’s Inner World. Purple flames spread across the inquisitor’s mind, tearing through memories, devouring secrets.
Edwin wanted to shout for help, but even that thought started disappearing.
His scream died in his throat. As seconds passed, his memories of being together with Evelyn started to disappear.
But that was just the start.
Charles noticed that more memories about his past appeared in his mind.
The memories of his real identity.
’Hoo, I caught a big fish this time.’ The corner of his lips curled up.
As Charles devoured the memories, Erwin’s limbs spasmed, his vision fracturing into fragments of pain and terror.
When Charles finally withdrew the blade, Edwin collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Blood pooled beneath him, seeping into the dirt road.
He still breathed—but barely. His eyes were vacant, his mind hollowed out.
The one that shocked to the core was the guards at the entrance. His swift kill made them realize he wasn’t a naïve young boy but a ruthless monster.
Charles wiped his blade clean on Edwin’s cloak, then turned to the rooftop of the neighboring house.
Hidden observers—spies and mystics—had watched the entire encounter.
None dared move.
’These guys have been a nuisance to me for a while.’
"This is a warning. If anyone still thinks I’m an easy target, think twice." Saying so, he turned around and walked back.
A strange silence appeared.
They had once believed Zephyr’s victory over Kenneth was luck.
Now they understood.
This wasn’t luck.
This was a monster.
Even a Rank-3 Inquisitor of the Order Church had died without understanding how.
No. Everyone saw that he didn’t even have time to react as the young boy’s sword moved at an incredible speed.
’This boy has been hiding his strength all along!’
Killing a Rank-3 Inquisitor wasn’t an easy thing. To kill such a person in a single attack, one had to be a peak Rank-3 Mystic or a Rank-4 Mystic!
At that moment, almost everyone gave up on spying on Baron’s son.
This incident planted a seed of terror in their hearts.
