NOVEL NEXT Chapter 139: Invitation
Richard thought it would be easy to observe this small city with his spiritual waves, so he immediately spread a thin wave to locate the Lord of the Crimson Veil.
And he found him easily — in the mansion of the city's ruler, who appeared to be hosting a small banquet attended by certain nobles who were, in truth, official members of the Order of the Crimson Veil.
The Lord of Moon Town was a middle-aged man with a tough demeanor, seemingly on friendly terms with the Lord of the Crimson Veil.
Richard even saw Aldous there — the man whose son he had killed.
He also saw Lilith, who had just arrived and was approaching the Lord of the Crimson Veil, appearing to converse with him.
Lilith clearly wasn't too afraid of him. Though weaker, she was confident she could escape from him if needed — especially since the one present in the capital was merely her weak clone. Even if it were destroyed, it didn't matter at all; she could simply make another one.
That was why the Lord of the Crimson Veil couldn't force her directly and resorted to other means, such as kidnapping her friend.
Richard scanned the surroundings but couldn't sense Sister Lisa's presence anywhere in Moon Town.
"Queen, let's head to the city lord's mansion," Richard said.
The Fire Spirit Queen followed his order, instantly transporting Richard's airship to the mansion and landing directly in its courtyard.
The noise naturally drew the attention of everyone inside.
The front wall of the main hall was made of glass — they could clearly see outside.
Richard's sudden arrival shocked them.
But their gazes couldn't help but be drawn to the crimson-haired woman beside him.
Her beauty and charm were overwhelming, even though she emitted no aura of power, making her seem almost like an ordinary human.
It took them a moment before they noticed Charles — bleeding from the head and looking utterly powerless.
The moment they saw Charles injured and captured, everyone froze in disbelief.
"Queen, bring him," Richard ordered before stepping into the mansion.
The Fire Spirit Queen merely followed him, carrying Charles with a faint trace of her power — his body floated helplessly in the air, dragged behind her.
"Crimson Veil Lord, if you wish to have your disciple back, return Sister Lisa," Richard declared as he entered the Moon Town Lord's mansion, acting as though everything was firmly within his control.
The Lord of the Crimson Veil furrowed his brows — he clearly hadn't expected this boy to show up and interfere.
And worse, he had brought his disciple as a hostage.
But how could he allow himself to be used so easily?
He suddenly extended his hand toward the Fire Spirit Queen, who was holding Charles.
His hand, hidden under his robe, appeared to enlarge — or perhaps it was merely an illusion. Relying on his power, he could reach across a vast area to seize anything he wished.
He intended to snatch Charles directly from the Fire Spirit Queen.
But suddenly, flames ignited from his hand.
Buzz!
They burned his flesh to ashes at an unimaginable speed, his eyes widening in shock.
His other hand moved swiftly, turning razor-sharp — and he used it to sever his own arm before the fire could climb up to his shoulder.
In an instant, his hand fell — only to turn to ash as well.
The sight made everyone tremble, their breathing heavy as they stared at the Fire Spirit Queen, finally realizing how terrifying this woman truly was.
Yet, even with his arm severed and blood dripping from the wound, the Lord of the Crimson Veil showed no sign of pain whatsoever.
"Crimson Veil Lord, unless you wish to fight," Richard said, narrowing his eyes in threat.
"Return him, and I'll return the woman to you," the Lord of the Crimson Veil replied.
"You haven't shown me where Sister Lisa is," Richard countered.
"I'm holding her within my Hidden World. With a single thought, I can ensure her death."
The man wasn't intimidated by Richard's threat — instead, he countered with one of his own, his tone firm and calm.
After a moment of thought, Richard glanced at the Fire Spirit Queen, signaling her to throw Charles.
He could afford to yield for now. If the Lord of the Crimson Veil dared to play tricks, the Fire Spirit Queen could easily kill him — and his disciple along with him.
Bang!
The Fire Spirit Queen didn't bother being gentle — she hurled Charles with tremendous force toward the Lord of the Crimson Veil.
Charles, still somewhat conscious, was slammed hard enough to jolt him fully awake.
He looked enraged, but before he could speak, the Lord of the Crimson Veil pulled him into his Hidden World.
Moments later, Sister Lisa's figure appeared before them, unharmed — though she looked confused as her eyes darted around the unfamiliar place.
Whoosh!
Her body was instantly pulled to Richard's side.
The Fire Spirit Queen had been instructed beforehand to retrieve Sister Lisa the moment she appeared.
Those nearby exhaled in relief, seeing the exchange proceed smoothly.
It was certainly better than if they had started a fight.
What surprised Richard, however, was that the Lord of the Crimson Veil looked unusually calm afterward, his eyes fixed on him.
"Richard," he called out, using his name instead of "boy."
"What?" Richard replied curtly.
"We, the Order of the Crimson Veil, would like to invite you to join us. If you do, we can provide you with everything you could ever need," he said.
Given how he had just treated him, Richard was surprised the man could still extend an invitation in such a calm tone.
"Hehehe, Crimson Veil Lord, I think your Order still isn't being sincere," Lilith suddenly interjected with a teasing smile. "You should know how extraordinary Richard's talent is. But when inviting him, you only talk? At least offer him a gift directly. And to think you even dared threaten me, his fiancée."
"Everything can be mended," the Lord of the Crimson Veil said evenly. "The only reason I acted that way was because the Grand Ancestor — the one who desires your Clone Artifact — has been pressuring me as well."
Richard had to admit, he was somewhat impressed by the man's composure.
He couldn't tell whether this was his true nature — or whether he was simply a master at concealing his real face.
"So, what do you say, Richard?" the Lord of the Crimson Veil asked again.
"In the Order of the Crimson Veil, a genius like you could gain great authority — perhaps even authority greater than mine."
"What if I'm suddenly robbed the moment I arrive there?" Richard asked skeptically.
"When you possess treasures, many will covet them. That is normal. What happened before was due to a few individuals within our Order — not the Order of the Crimson Veil itself. Even if I were the one who acted, that would not represent the Order as a whole.
If we speak of the true Order of the Crimson Veil, it can only be represented by our most powerful Grand Ancestor, who holds absolute authority over us all. I can tell you this — that Grand Ancestor would never be interested in something as minor as the Dragon Knight's inheritance. Such things only attract people like us.
But if you obtain great authority within the Order, tell me — who would dare rob you then?"