Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The interior of the lord's castle was simpler than Hao Ren had imagined.
Hao Ren, Charlemagne, and the others followed Graeme along the corridor of the castle to the room where Grand Duke Owen was. The slightly gloomy corridor echoed with their footsteps. Only one side of the corridor had open windows. Sunlight shone in through the high and narrow windows and fell on the decorative shield on the other side of the wall, creating a hazy halo on the surface of the shield. Dust fluttered in the halo like smoke.
The guards and maids along the way bowed respectfully in front of this special group of "visitors" and retreated to the sides of the corridor. From their unconcealable expressions of fear, it could be seen that although Grand Duke Owen had woken up, his condition was definitely not good.
At the door of the grand duke's room, an old man in a white robe with blue edges pushed open the door and walked out.
Graeme stepped forward and nodded to the old man. "Scholar Holman, I have brought the distinguished guests that the grand duke has asked to see."
The old man, who was called Scholar Holman, looked up at the group of people in front of him. His eyebrows twitched slightly, and there was a trace of dissatisfaction in his voice. "I have not heard of so many people. The grand duke is not in good condition. Seeing so many people at once …"
"The grand duke has asked to see them," Graeme emphasized again. "Scholar, as far as I know, you are only responsible for treating the grand duke's injury, not selecting the guests he wants to see."
Scholar Holman straightened his back and said in a loud voice, "Reducing the number of visitors is also part of the recovery!"
As soon as his voice trailed off, he heard an even louder voice coming from the room. "Holman! I'm just a little injured, and I'm far from dying! Let the guests in. Don't block the door! "
Scholar Holman's face twitched a little. He let out a sigh of relief and stepped aside silently. "You can go in. Try to be quiet."
Grand Duke Owen was lying on the large oak bed in the middle of the room, looking at the six people who came into the room — Hao Ren, Charlemagne, and Charlemagne. He was an old man with a strong physique that made people wonder if he had barbarian blood. His thick beard and hair were quite characteristic of the north. Although he was lying on the bed after being seriously injured, his huge body, which could not be covered by the bedding, was still full of vigor.
Sunlight shone into the room through the bedroom window. The sunlight should have brightened the room, but for some reason, the first thing Hao Ren felt when he entered the room was darkness. Darkness was everywhere, and everything in the room seemed to be covered with a veil of shadow. Even where the sun shone directly, the floor seemed to be covered by something, showing a dim and decaying color.
There was another person in the room. It was a silver-haired woman in a white dress with an expressionless face. She stood beside the grand duke with her head slightly lowered. She seemed to be the maid who took care of the grand duke's daily life. She only looked up slightly at Hao Ren and his entourage before she lowered her head again and did not move.
"Ah, you are here." After the door closed, the old man lying on the bed said with a smile. His voice was calm and powerful, completely unlike the rumor that he was seriously injured and almost dead. His eyes swept over Charlemagne, Charlemagne, and Hao Ren, and he began to greet them like an ordinary old man. "The Prince and Princess of Izzo. Ha, I have heard about your experience. It is not easy for you to come here. How is the country on the other side of the world? And you … the mysterious people from the Basilica of the World Tree … How mysterious. I have asked the best scholars to investigate, but no one knows where the Basilica of the World Tree came from. You guys really came out of nowhere. "
"Grand Duke Haywood Owen." Charlemagne stepped forward and bowed to the old man lying on the bed. Although he was a member of the royal family, he still paid his respects to a legendary veteran like Haywood Owen from the bottom of his heart. "I heard that you were seriously injured, but I am relieved to see that you have regained your spirit."
"Aha, what bullsh * t recovery," Haywood Owen laughed out loud. "I'm still alive for the time being. I still have time to meet the two of you and … the mysterious friends who came with you."
As he spoke, Grand Duke Owen's eyes fell on Hao Ren. As he was leading two ladies and a little girl, Hao Ren was the most eye-catching among the four of them. "I heard that you guys walked through the Black Forest like it was a stroll, and easily defeated the Gorgon Lord?"
"It's just some special abilities," Hao Ren said with a smile. "We have eyes that can see through the mist of the Black Forest, and we happen to have some experience in dealing with ancient weapons like the Gorgon Lord."
"Just a little experience …" Grand Duke Owen laughed at this. "Haha, what an understatement. Do you know how many people in this world can go straight through the Black Pine Forest from the Lost Zone like you? How many can defeat the Gorgon Lords? Forget about defeating them, a single Gorgon Lord can destroy an entire army, and you … tsk tsk, your Basilica of the World Tree has quite the background. "
Charlemagne suddenly realized that the grand duke's main focus was on Hao Ren and his team (or rather the Basilica of the World Tree), and he could not help but speak up. "Grand Duke, forgive me for interrupting, but my sister and I have an important mission and need to meet Princess Constance as soon as possible. May I ask if she …"
"She is now at the frontline, but she already knows that you are coming," Grand Duke Owen said with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry, she will meet you soon. Patience, young man, patience is the most important trait, second only to having a good tolerance for alcohol, understand? "
Charlemagne opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Awenna spoke first, "We understand."
She then whispered a few words into Charlemagne's ear, and the latter looked at the silver-haired woman next to Grand Duke Owen in surprise before nodding and saying nothing.
"You guys, and your Basilica of the World Tree," Grand Duke Owen turned his attention back to Hao Ren and his team. "I don't think it's as simple as an 'independent occult organization', right?"
Hao Ren did not know what Grand Duke Owen was up to, so he went along with the topic. "What do you mean?"
"Are you …" Grand Duke Owen frowned as if he was trying to organize his words. "Do you have any ancient legends or prophecies that bring you back to the modern world at a special time? For example, about the change of eras … Ha, logically speaking, shouldn't a hidden organization like yours, which suddenly appeared in the world, take the initiative to mention this after seeing me? "
"Oh, it seems that according to most of the books," Hao Ren said, patting his head. "Sorry, I've only been in this business for a few years, and I don't have much work experience. But then again, don't you want to find a way to stabilize yourself before you talk about this? I'm afraid you won't live to see tomorrow. "
Charlemagne and Awenna's eyes widened in surprise. They looked incredulously at the energetic Grand Duke of the North who was lying on the bed. The silver-haired woman, who had been looking down, could not help but raise her head and glance at Hao Ren.
The Grand Duke of the North was startled for a moment, and then he laughed. "Haha … You are a little interesting, a little interesting …"
"Grand Duke Owen, you …" Charlemagne could not help but say, "You are now …"
"As I said just now, I am only alive for the time being." Grand Duke Owen looked at Charlemagne. "It's just that ordinary people can't tell."
Then he turned to Hao Ren and said, "You're right, I'm dying, but how did you know?"
"Don't worry about that," Hao Ren said bluntly. "Let us take a look at your wound."
"It might be scary," the old general said with a smile. "There are not only a few ladies here, but also a little girl. Do you really want to see it?"
"That's what I want to see." Rheia stepped forward and pointed to Grand Duke Owen's chest. "Open it. The bandages and ointment inside are useless."
Grand Duke Owen put away the smile on his face and nodded silently. The silver-haired woman next to the bed stepped forward and gently lifted the quilt covering the Grand Duke.
The old general's upper body was not clothed but wrapped in a thick layer of bandages, but there was no blood seeping out from under the bandages.
The silver-haired woman did not dismantle them. Instead, she gently brushed her hand over the bandages, and the thick bandages broke and opened, revealing the shocking truth below.
Under the bandages, a large piece of flesh on Grand Duke Owen's chest had long festered and mutated. A twisted and torn wound was on his right chest, and the flesh around the wound was black and purple as if it had been corroded by strong acid. The most terrifying thing was that the wound and the festering flesh around it were "alive"!
The rotten and mutated flesh was wriggling as if it had a life of its own, constantly expanding its range of festering. At the junction between the rotten and normal flesh, the rotten parts even grew tiny spikes and teeth, tearing and devouring the surrounding healthy flesh and blood.
With just a glance, Awenna retreated with a pale face, but at least she didn't scream.
After all, she had seen the glory of the Ebon Blade Knight after the mutation.
"It hurt a lot at first, but now it's nothing." Grand Duke Owen looked down at the wound on his chest. "They are gradually replacing my body, and some of my nerves have been 'eaten' by them. It's a relief."
"Have you tried to treat it?" Charlemagne's face was pale, but he still said in a calm tone.
"I have tried to cut off the rotten flesh, but it will grow back immediately, and it looks exactly the same as before. It doesn't work even if I dig out the whole wound. The rot does not seem to be rooted in the flesh, but in my soul," Grand Duke Owen said calmly. "I have tried ointment, magic, and even elven blessings. This change is irreversible. Only Scholar Holman's secret skill has worked. He cut off part of my soul so that I can talk to you with a clear mind. But this state should not last long. I can already hear some small voices buzzing in my head. Those are profane words. They are like the granules and teeth, slowly gnawing through the spiritual shield set up by Scholar Holman … "
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