“Mr. Hamilton!”
The young nobleman in a tailcoat called out to Xia De, who reluctantly stopped.
“May I help you?”
“Could I ask you… to step over here for a word?”
His expression was conflicted, but he still pointed to the southwest corner of the Yodel Palace’s front courtyard. Although that area was part of the open space for the banquet, it was downwind, and a large amount of thick smoke drifted over when fireworks were set off, so there was hardly anyone there.
“What do you wish to speak about?”
Xia De blinked and asked.
“There’s something private I wish to discuss with you. Rest assured, this is Yodel Palace; I won’t play any tricks.”
In truth, Xia De wasn’t worried about the other party playing tricks; he simply didn’t want to waste time on other matters. But seeing Xiao Dimoke’s sincere attitude, he nodded.
“No problem, but it’s best to be brief. Sir, this way.”
So the two of them left the bustling, gas-lit area of the Yodel Palace’s front courtyard.
Xiao Dimoke looked preoccupied. After rounding a flowerbed, they stopped behind it. Because the potted plants in the flowerbed were trimmed into the shape of a gun-wielding knight, others couldn’t see them in the shadows.
“Mr. Hamilton, please allow me to apologize to you. What happened just now was my fault.”
He stammered for a long time before speaking to Xia De. The Outsider, who always suspected others, immediately thought this was another scheme against him, but the other party did seem sincere.
“Then I accept your apology.”
Xia De nodded, thinking of quickly ending this troublesome matter and returning to the second floor.
“I am truly sorry; I was overcome at the time. Before you entered, we were discussing His Highness Prince Sax.”
He actually started to sob. Just as Xia De thought he was reminiscing about the girl who had planned the “Prophet Association assault incident,” the young man in front of him actually sobbed and said:
“If Father knew how I lost my composure today, he would surely beat me. If he knew I didn’t even have the courage to take your gun, he would definitely throw me to the countryside farm.”
This person’s image instantly changed in Xia De’s eyes.
“Don’t worry, I won’t spread this around.”
He kindly comforted him.
“Mr. Hamilton, you are truly a good person.”
Xiao Dimoke wiped his eyes and looked up.
“I am truly sorry today. If it wasn’t for… I apologize.”
“It’s alright. Perhaps The Lady will be released soon; after all, she didn’t truly harm anyone.”
Xia De offered a word of comfort.
“What? The Lady?”
Xiao Dimoke was stunned for a moment, then understood, and said sheepishly:
“Oh, you probably misunderstood. I wasn’t angry with you because of some lady.”
It seemed Leia’s information was flawed.
“Then why?”
“Because of Prince Sax. I heard you repeatedly obstructed rescue plans for him…”
The fashionably dressed nobleman blushed slightly.
“That’s why I took it out on you, but actually, it has nothing to do with you. You are completely an Outsider to His Highness’s capture.”
Xia De felt as if he understood, yet he couldn’t quite believe it.
“Then you…”
“I greatly admire His Highness.”
Xia De carefully took a step back.
“As expected of a world with this kind of background.”
He thought to himself, deciding to keep his distance from the other party in the future, while saying aloud:
“Since the misunderstanding is cleared, I think this matter can end here. We…”
A dark figure suddenly emerged from the blue rose bushes beside them. He was incredibly fast, and seeing the two standing behind the flowerbed, he charged straight at them.
“Nobody move!”
The pistol was pointed at Xiao Dimoke’s head, but the words were for both of them.
Xia De could understand this. Xiao Dimoke’s attire looked more like a nobleman’s, while the formal suit Miss Jialinna had chosen for Xia De, though proper, didn’t look as grand as the other’s.
“Sir! Calm down!”
Xia De wasn’t being held at gunpoint, so he wasn’t as anxious, but Xiao Dimoke immediately raised his hands.
“Whatever you want, you can take it directly from us. This is Yodel Palace. If your gun fires, you’ll… no, you’re going to rob us in Yodel Palace?”
“Shut up!”
The gun butt struck Xiao Dimoke’s nose bridge heavily. The latter cried out in pain, covering his face and bending over.
The stranger who emerged from the shadows was panting, and he pointed the gun at Xia De. Xia De was stunned for a moment, then immediately raised both hands.
“Sir, we don’t know each other. I don’t think there’s any need to draw a gun directly, is there?”
“Hexacle.”
“I know Hexacle. Don’t I recognize Ivan Darkness?”
The person who appeared before Xia De at this moment was none other than Ivan Darkness, whom he had been waiting for so long.
His short, withered yellow hair and the everted eyelids were very obvious.
Xia De had been wondering these past few days how he could find the other party in the vast Tobesk, and he never expected the other party to appear on his own.
“Put down the gun, and everything can still be discussed.”
A new voice appeared again. There was a rustling sound from the bushes, and Mr. Sari Pirot, the Thirteen Ring Sorcerer “Steel Right Hand” of the Creation Church, also walked out holding a gun.
After glancing at Xia De and Xiao Dimoke, who was clutching his bleeding nose, the gentleman looked at Darkness, who was holding the gun.
“Ivan Darkness, hand over what you stole from Yodel Palace.”
Now Xia De understood. It wasn’t that he had encountered Darkness again, but that the other party wanted to get some ritual materials from here. Although the royal Cavendish Family was not a Ring術士 family, there were many rare collectibles in the royal treasury that were valuable ritual materials.
Connecting this to the Selected One Ritual, which requires items related to the power of an Old God, perhaps Darkness had received guidance from the Puppeteer's Script.
“If I hand it over, will you let me go?”
The man possessed by the demon asked with a smile. At this moment, his right hand still wore the red glove, much like when Xia De last saw him in Coldwater Port City. However, unlike the black coat he often wore in Coldwater Port, Darkness was now wearing a brown leather jacket that was not suitable for the Summer temperature, and even when the demon was not released, there was still an imperceptible red glow in his eyes.
Seeing him again after half a month, Xia De even felt a bit nostalgic for this person.
“To be honest, no, I won’t let you go.”
Mr. Pierrot said, his tone very gentle.
“Come back to the church with me, and I can swear by the name of my Lord, Lady of Creation, that your life will not be in danger.”
“Oh, come on, do you think I don’t know anything? Not to mention the power residing within me, would you really be at ease letting me become a Chosen One? Do you think I know nothing about the ‘Scripture’?”
Darkness whispered, shifting the gun from Xia De to Xiao Dimoke.
“Let me leave; I won’t harm anyone here. And once I reveal things that ordinary people shouldn’t know in a place like Yodel Palace, you know what will happen.”
Around Xia De and Xiao Dimoke, they basically avoided saying anything related to Ring術士.
“If you do that, then I can also break the church’s confidentiality agreement.”
The Thirteen Ring Sorcerer remained composed. He scrutinized Darkness from head to toe.
“You’ve already been discovered by me. Even if you escape this time, don’t even think about leaving Tobesk.”
“I never intended to leave Tobesk.”
“I see,”
Mr. Pierrot nodded, then looked at Xia De and Xiao Dimoke. Xia De was quite sure that this Thirteen Ring Sorcerer could definitely defeat Darkness, but the problem was that this was Yodel Palace.
If it weren’t for that, even at the risk of being seen by hundreds of ordinary people, Xia De believed he would absolutely not be standing there talking amicably with Darkness.
“Let’s make a deal. Put down the gun, and I can let you leave, but next time it won’t be so simple.”
After some thought, Mr. Pierrot said.
Xia De raised an eyebrow, a little surprised, and Darkness was even more surprised.
“Let me leave?”
“Yes, don’t you want to leave?”
Mr. Pierrot just stood there looking at him.
“Now you can leave. Please go.”
He stared at Darkness, which made the latter hesitate.
“You stand here, don’t move.”
He shook the pistol.
“No problem.”
Mr. Pierrot nodded.
“Put your hands behind your back.”
“That’s simple.”
Mr. Pierrot spread his feet slightly and put both hands behind his back.
“See, you can go now.”
“I can’t let these two go now; I need to ensure my safety… You, come with me.”
When encountering danger, sometimes all you need is to be a little luckier than your companion. Taking two people hostage is a foolish act, and this time, Xia De was clearly the luckier one; Xiao Dimoke was chosen.
The noble young man, who understood nothing, looked at the dark-skinned stranger in surprise, while Mr. Pierrot spoke directly to Xia De:
“Mr. Hamilton, please stay here with me. After this matter is over, you will need to sign some documents.”
Even if not much was revealed in their conversation, Xia De still had to sign a confidentiality agreement.
“Okay, no problem.”
So Xia De walked over to Mr. Pierrot, while Xiao Dimoke couldn’t accept the fact:
“Wait, why did you choose me?”
He asked Darkness in surprise, never expecting the other party to actually answer.
“That person is taller than you, looks smarter, and from his standing posture and walking movements, he has probably received some level of combat training. Also, his appearance is simply too conspicuous. Taking him hostage and leaving has a high probability of being noticed by others, but taking you hostage doesn’t have that risk.”
It was hard to judge whether Xiao Dimoke was more upset by the fact of being held hostage, or by being mocked in every aspect.
