Having received the mission to capture
No matter how this matter developed, it would ultimately be detrimental to the Ouroboros Circle.
The betrayal of a Morning Star
However, since it was
Still, he had a nagging feeling that this matter would not be so simple.
……
"Welcome, Leylin!"
Robin burst into hearty laughter and pulled Leylin into a hug, his face beaming with joy, seemingly completely unaffected by the news he had received.
At this moment, Robin still appeared as a remarkably young man—if one ignored the multitude of runic symbols adorning his face.
Compared to their last meeting, the markings on his forehead had grown far more terrifying, covering nearly half his face and giving Robin's original features a ghastly, fearsome appearance.
"Senior Robin!" Leylin managed a stiff smile.
The brief physical contact moments ago had sent a jolt through his entire body, every pore tightening instinctively.
It was as though Robin had transformed into some savage beast, triggering an immediate and instinctive alertness in Leylin's body.
Leylin's gaze slipped past Robin and swept over the clan members standing behind him.
Robin's clan was known as the Barber family—an ancient noble lineage even within the Ouroboros Circle, renowned for its exceptionally pure bloodline and considerable influence.
During their previous adventure, Robin had casually dispatched five Tier 3 warlocks and even brought along a pure-blooded nephew, demonstrating the clan's deep reserves of power.
But now, the young men and women following behind Robin all wore dark expressions—to be precise, they looked utterly lifeless.
What surprised Leylin even more was that not a single clan elder was present. There were hardly any warlocks above Tier 3, and even Roya had vanished without a trace.
"Something major must have happened for things to be like this!"
The premonition in Leylin's mind grew ever clearer, but his expression only became more sincere, tinged with a hint of apology. "I'm sorry, senior, but these are the Master's orders…"
"Oh! Don't worry about it. This whole thing is a complete misunderstanding! I'll go back to headquarters with you tomorrow to explain everything!" Robin put on a look of utter sincerity.
With that, he stepped forward warmly and invited Leylin, "You haven't been to my castle or my laboratory yet, have you? Stay here tonight. Your vassals are honored guests of mine as well—I've prepared a lavish banquet for them, and I'm sure you'll love it here…"
Faced with Robin's enthusiastic hospitality, what could Leylin possibly say? He had no choice but to lead his vassals, who had followed him all this way, into the guest rooms Robin had specifically set aside for them.
The oak floorboards gleamed with an oily luster, the air was thick with the fragrance of incense, and the walls on all sides were hung with portraits alongside suits of armor and longswords.
Though Pike had never formally studied the art of appraising such things, he could tell with certainty that this was one of the finest rooms in the entire castle.
"My lord… you…" But Pike had no interest whatsoever in examining the legendary helmet supposedly decorated with the feathers of a five-colored bird. He stood before Leylin, his face etched with worry.
"I know. You're going to say that I was sent here to arrest Robin, and now I'm fraternizing with him—it's bound to invite suspicion and accusations from all quarters…"
Leylin reclined in an armchair studded with enormous rubies and waved his hand to cut off whatever Pike was about to say.
"But what choice do we have? Robin is my senior, after all, and until this matter has been fully investigated, we can't just jump to conclusions!"
"He's already agreed to come back with us tomorrow. There's nothing else we need to demand of him…"
Listening to Leylin's words, the bitter smile on Pike's face did not fade.
Of course this was the most logical course of action, but the Robin standing before them now—even by Pike's own judgment—seemed to be showing signs of madness. He was simply not someone who could be predicted by reason.
Moreover, there was no guarantee that Robin wasn't merely lulling them into a false sense of security before cutting them all down in one stroke.
On the lands of the numerous bloodline nobles, they were the undisputed overlords. Even orders from headquarters sometimes met with resistance, whether open or covert.
"Knock!" "Knock!" "Knock!"
Just as Pike was about to say something more, a steady, rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.
From beyond it came a young girl's voice, "Your Grace! The banquet has begun!"
"Enter!" Leylin nodded.
The door swung open to reveal a girl dressed in a maid's uniform, her cheeks still carrying a touch of baby fat, standing before Leylin and Pike.
It seemed like this was the first time she had encountered such a high-ranking guest, and there was still a flush of nervousness on the young maid's cheeks.
"Youth really is something…" Leylin said brazenly as he stepped forward and pinched her cheek, pushing the blush all the way down to her neck.
From this girl, he could sense a pure Kemoyin bloodline aura — she appeared to be some sort of relative of Robin's, and not a distant one at that.
From the standpoint of bloodline, this girl had great potential; she might even be a direct descendant of the Robin family.
But to receive Leylin, she naturally had to change into a maid's outfit and come over.
"What's your name?" Leylin asked with a smile, while Pike stood to the side with a blank expression, seemingly paying no attention to Leylin's behavior whatsoever.
As a high-ranking warlock who had once presided over an entire warlock family, he was completely immune to this sort of thing.
Even if Leylin did anything right in front of him, he could stand as straight and unwavering as a pine tree.
"Ed… Eda, Your Grace!" The maid's voice was tinged with the verge of tears, as if she might burst into crying at any moment.
At her age, she naturally understood quite a lot.
If this high-ranking bloodline noble wanted her, neither the clan patriarch nor her parents would dare put up the slightest resistance — they would even joyfully send her off.
So, even though she was on the verge of tears, Eda still held them back with admirable composure.
Fortunately, Leylin's teasing ended there. He looked at Eda, whose face had nearly turned entirely red, and asked softly, "I have a good friend in the Barber family named Roja — do you know him?"
"Uncle Roja?!"
The girl blurted out, then seemed to recall something and regarded Leylin with a guarded look.
But it didn't matter — from her reaction just now, Leylin had already learned a great deal.
"Don't be afraid! He and I are good friends. If something's happened to him, I'll definitely help!" Leylin keenly picked up on the hidden hostility deep within Eda's heart and put on his most amiable smile.
"Uncle Roja… he's been locked up!"
The little girl's heart seemed to go through a long struggle before the words finally slipped out, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.
"Understood. I'll try to rescue him!" Leylin patted the girl's head and made his promise.
……
"What do you think are the chances she's telling the truth?"
Once they had sent the maid away, Leylin asked calmly.
"Low. She was sent by the other side, after all." Pike shook his head.
"That's what I'm thinking too, but it's also possible that it's information brought to us by another faction within the Barber family…" Leylin stroked his chin.
He had a feeling that this trip to the Barber family wouldn't be simple at all. More than that, many unforeseen things might well happen.
"Forget all that for now — let's enjoy the banquet!"
The heavy atmosphere in the parlor gave way after a few seconds when Leylin let out a soft laugh, breaking the silence.
"As you command, Master!" Pike nodded and followed behind Leylin. He was dressed in a black tailcoat with a neat bow tie fastened at the collar, as though he had been prepared all along.
While Leylin and his companion indulged in the Barber family's fine wines, sumptuous food, and even the warm attentiveness of their female warlocks, unseen darkness was steadily spreading through the depths of the ancient castle.
"You deliberately leaked the information to the other side — your plan is awfully crude…"
In a dim, cramped room, a blue arcane sigil hovered in midair, and a middle-aged man's voice drifted faintly from it.
"Relax! I know him very well. Once he gets wind of this, he'll absolutely pursue it without hesitation!"
The one conversing with the arcane sigil was a figure shrouded entirely in swirling black mist. Countless writhing veins periodically surfaced within the darkness, dense and crawling — a sight that would make anyone's skin crawl.
"I don't care about your plan, but that Leylin — he must be handed over to me!"
The voice from the blue arcane sigil was tinged with gnashing fury, as though it bore some deep, unforgettable grudge against Leylin.
"Our deals and collaborations aren't exactly the first or second — you can rest easy!"
The figure within the black mist fell silent for a moment before continuing.
"Actually, all of that is minor. What I really want to know is — when do you plan to make your move?"
"Soon… The Elder Council of the Ring of the Ouroboros will become a thing of the past before long. Only then can our plan be set in motion. After all, even a Radiant Moon Wizard would struggle to withstand the counterattack of three Dawn Star Wizards…"
The middle-aged Wizard's final words echoed from within the blue seal, and then the glow faded completely.
"Very soon…"
The figure within the black mist murmured thoughtfully, then suddenly uttered a string of syllables.
The black mist dissipated, revealing a face that Lei Lin knew all too well.
Lei Lin, still at the banquet, was naturally completely unaware of any of this. At this moment, he was like a massive butterfly, flitting gracefully among a sea of flowers.
The enthusiasm of the Barber family's female warlocks was enough to melt almost anyone, and many of the warlocks Lei Lin had brought along had become completely lost in the revelry.
"I can't shake the feeling that things won't be this straightforward…"
Pike leaned against a pillar with a goblet in hand, watching Lei Lin's performance, a flicker of confusion passing through his eyes.