Above The Sky
Chapter 462 - 462 432 The Biggest Winner 23

462: Chapter 432: The Biggest Winner (2/3) 462: Chapter 432: The Biggest Winner (2/3) “What’s wrong?”

At this point in the conversation, having revealed Ian’s identity as the Labyrinth Master, Marquis Barton took a bottle of wine from the maid’s hand.

He bit off the neck of the bottle and drank half of it along with the shards: “Aren’t you frightened?”

“The general has a high opinion of me.”

After pondering for a moment, Ian said, “Otherwise, he would not have talked so much.”

“As for the Labyrinth Master…

it’s really just that.

I believe you understand, general.”

“Hmm.

Not bad, with your level, you’d qualify to be a formal Inspector Knight, especially since you never really intended to fully deceive me, just using eloquence to skirt around the truth.”

With satisfaction, the Marquis nodded, “Relax, don’t be so tense…

after you get to the Imperial Capital, give my regards to Lady Erlen.”

“As for Little Grant, if you’re willing, tell him he can do as he pleases; after all, he’s the one delaying both his own time and that of Harrison Port.”

Finishing the bottle in one gulp, the old general patted the table: “As for now, just eat up.”

“After you finish, someone will take you to get the armored clothing and documents, and then you can leave whenever you want.”

Truth be told, this was one of the few times in recent years that Ian had eaten without much taste.

He rarely couldn’t understand something, but this time, he just couldn’t.

The young man simply couldn’t grasp why Marquis Barton was so favorable towards him and why he was being so patient, saying so many heartfelt and advisory words—the point about being the Labyrinth Master being uncovered was not surprising; even Viscount Grant himself didn’t think he could fool anyone.

But as Marquis Barton said, why would he stop himself from going to the Imperial Capital to see Yisen Gard and Lady Erlen?

He was indeed a military man but not without emotional intelligence; he would certainly give face to the favored princess.

It was exactly because of this that Viscount Grant let Ian leave Harrison Port as quickly as possible…

as long as Ian left the port, no one would stop him over the matter of the Labyrinth Master.

However, Marquis Barton gave him too many pointers.

At one point, Ian even suspected that he might be Marquis Barton’s illegitimate child—if not, his charm couldn’t possibly be that great, could it?

So, after eating a meal fit for someone with the First Energy Level Fairy Bloodline, the young man took his ‘Patrol Knight Apprentice’s registration document’ and took his leave.

Marquis Barton watched Ian’s departing figure and picked up a tiger-leg bone, biting into it.

He whispered, “Your Highness, what do you think?”

“Quite impressive,”

A barely discernible Spirit Light flickered on the old general’s shoulder, and a bird similar to the one formed by Master Oak’s Spirit Substance but even smaller and with less condensed power, yet a clearer voice, emerged.

This exquisitely detailed bird, though smaller than the nail of a little finger, instantly brightened the entire room: “Ever since I heard from my sister that a White Folk from Harrison Port saved my nephew and Master Gossay, I’ve been thinking that the Empire’s frontier actually has such a talented youth.”

“I never expected that the person would be even more interesting than the rumors.”

“The night he arrived in Leyan Territory, Labor and that Solas from the Spirit Wisdom Institute (Night Snake) both died…

and he even tracked Labor’s movements all the way to Solitary Flame Peak,” said Marquis Barton as he ate his dinner and communicated with the Heart Light bird on his shoulder through thought.

“Had I not known this, I might have truly believed that the boy was merely helping the Huai Guang Church’s nun stabilize the situation in Leyan City.”

“But now, I have every reason to suspect that he used some method to induce Solas and Labor to fight each other.”

“Why couldn’t it be that he advanced to the Second Energy Level and killed both Labor and Solas?

Keep in mind, my sister sent him a full set of Second Energy Level Fairy materials, and he’s also an alchemist,” the radiant bird chuckled.

“Well, that would be too exaggerated—I guess Ian demonstrated his dual talents as a Spirit Energy User and a Sublimator, luring the Spirit Wisdom Institute to act against him, and then during the time Solas was tracking him, he led Solas to the scene where Labor was reviving his child.”

[He swaggered off, leaving the two men to naturally burst into combat.]

“Without him leaving, there’s no way Solas could defeat Labor; he greatly underestimates the mountain people’s legacy secret technique of the Leyan Family.

That’s the only inheritance left by The Empire for the mountain people, capable of advancing to the Third Power Level.”

Marquis Barton shook his head slightly: “The Spirit Wisdom Institute always thinks their plans are effective, little do they know that all the data they have are superficial, available for them to see.”

“The mutual destruction of those two must have been influenced, or even outright orchestrated by Ian.

The Huai Guang Church doesn’t plan to muddy the waters, otherwise, they might have seen some clues…

to incite the conflict and play both sides is very much in line with the Inspector Knight’s standard.”

[To be precise, it’s the Mirror Sea Guard’s standard.]

The small bird known as His Highness said: [Of course, they’re more or less the same.]

[General, just what is my elder brother trying to do?

His men are gathering at South Ridge; he must have some plan, and I don’t want to be too passive.]

“I can’t speculate on the Great Prince’s thoughts.”

Marquis Barton laughed, beginning to eat his fish: “But His Highness has stretched his hand too far, slightly hurting my feelings…

Chris, who followed me for twenty-five years, actually dared to lie to me for the sake of his mission.”

“The little hunting dog I raised back then isn’t listening anymore.”

At this point, he even felt a twinge of sorrow: “Ah, I really am getting old, but I still plan to give him a chance—if he comes to me on his knees and apologizes before Ian leaves, I will let him return to his hometown to farm.”

“If he can shift the suspicion onto someone else, even just for show, I will let him continue as the head of the Knight Order, until he truly betrays me, then I will kill him.”

[It’s your style.]

The radiant bird chuckled: [But what if he doesn’t know better and continues to strike at Ian?]

“If he really can’t even recognize the Dragon Marks on a Labyrinth Master, and insists on opposing the new members of the Dragon Worship Cult at South Ridge.”

The old general’s expression darkened as he took a large gulp of wine and slowly said: “He will die.

And I will not concern myself with how he dies.”

“Even if he ends up utterly disgraced.”

Speaking of this, Marquis Barton suddenly laughed again: “But honestly, I can’t see it either—if this Concealment Technique didn’t require Dragon Blood, I’d want to learn it too.

The disguise is too good; even my ‘Eagle’s Eye’ can’t discern any clues.”

“If it weren’t for Man Cliff’s strange tone of voice, plus the matter of the Labyrinth Master and the Crystal Dragon, I wouldn’t have had the slightest guess.”

[The Dragon Worship Cult indeed has its heritage, not to be underestimated.]

The radiant bird, or rather, the Heart Light Body of Second Prince Michael Setar of The Empire, turned his head toward the direction in which Ian had left.

He mused: [Speaking of which, I’ve always wondered, did grandfather (Inega II) really leave no plans in place?

Even the Dragon Worship Cult has their trump cards, let alone his old manhood…]

[The Chehalorvo Family might have had all their transcendent beings eliminated, but from what we can see, they left behind quite a bit of heritage.

They and the Grant Family were both placed at the very edge of the Southern Territory, and right beside them happens to be a Great Labyrinth that has yet to be explored…

Although others may not know, I am aware that the Grant Family was one of the most loyal to my grandfather back then.]

[Harrison Port at South Ridge…

If the natives are subdued, there couldn’t be a better stronghold.]

“Don’t overthink it, Your Highness.

In the end, there will be no outcome.”

Marquis Barton picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth—he had just finished eating all the food on the table: “What the Former Emperor ultimately wanted to do, how could we, the younger generation of his subjects, possibly fathom?

”

“During the Dark Moon Uprising, we lost too much information…

especially since Marshal (Hiliard) actually managed to leave alive.

Almost all of the hidden forces that stirred the rebellion, nearly all the troublemakers and dissidents in The Empire, were wiped out in that chaos.”

“In a sense…

No, in fact, the Former Emperor won.

The Former Emperor traded his own death for the rebirth of The Empire.”

“And the second winner, who is also the biggest winner, is none other than His Majesty today.”