Who hid My Corpse!

Bai Wei smiled, "Otherwise, how could I be here?"

Ina realized she had asked a pointless question, and her brow furrowed slightly, "If you don't tell me your true purpose, why should I help you? You can't expect me to trust someone I know nothing about. What if you have some bad intentions, I..."

"You need to be responsible for Lyra, I know that." Bai Wei said with a smile, "Back then, your father was just as cautious with me."

Upon hearing the word 'father', Ina's serious expression suddenly shifted, and she stared at Bai Wei, a previously buried absurd idea once again surged in her mind.

So Ina asked, "Have we met before?"

"Of course." Bai Wei said, "I am your father's friend."

"But I have no impression of you at all." Ina said, "You can't say it happened when I was a child, not to mention your age is about the same as mine, even as a child, I wouldn't..."

"'You don't need to worry about who I am, you just need to know the circumstances in which your father met me.'"

Ina's expression completely stiffened.

Because she was all too familiar with that sentence, so much so that after that, she had numerous nightmares, nightmares where her father stood in a burning refinery with a teasing smile that felt utterly unfamiliar to her.

"You are from that time..."

"Yes, that's me." Bai Wei admitted with a smile, "That's why I said, we've met long ago."

Ina's breathing gradually became heavier, and she whispered, "Sure enough, my father's mind is okay."

"Yes, his mental state has always been good." Bai Wei said leisurely, "It's just that back then, he was under a lot of pressure, having to face you all and guard against me, but he was largely normal."

Ina pursed her lips, and upon learning that her father's mind was always okay, an indescribable emotion surged in her heart.

Some discomfort, some melancholy, and some... relief.

But she soon collected these emotions and looked at Bai Wei again, speaking slowly, "So... who exactly are you?"

The atmosphere reverted to being heavy again.

After a long time, Bai Wei asked, "Do you truly have no guesses in your heart about who I am?"

Ina didn't speak, she just stared at Bai Wei.

"Though I really want to tell you the answer, I once promised your father." Bai Wei said with a smile, "I wouldn't get you involved."

Upon hearing this, Ina subconsciously clenched her fists.

"It's always like this." She said softly, "Brother is like this, father is like this, everyone says they don't want to involve me, and in the end, I'm the only one left."

Bai Wei looked at the daughter of his old acquaintance in front of him and asked, "Do you think they wronged you?"

"Of course not; those who survive can never blame those who sacrificed for them." Ina shook her head gently. "But I also don't want to always be the one who is left behind."

After speaking, Ina realized she had somewhat misspoken, so she immediately got up and returned to her previous brisk and capable demeanor, "I misspoke earlier, please don't take it to heart. Since you're a friend of my father, then I also..."

"What if I told you your father hasn't left yet?"

Ina's just-recovered expression stiffened again, and she stared intensely at Bai Wei, "What did you say?"

"Oh? You really didn't notice?" Bai Wei propped his face with his hand, and with a half-smile, looked at Ina, "Or has his presence become so low?"

Ina opened her mouth, and in her mind appeared the image of the Order Sword standing tall among the ruins.

Though she had long had a premonition and guessed, she hadn't dared to be certain until now...

Ina took several deep breaths to finally steady her slightly trembling body, and when she looked at Bai Wei again, there was something new in her eyes.

"I understand." Ina nodded slightly, "Thank you for telling me."

"Just the crazy words of an unknown person." Bai Wei shrugged, "I'm not responsible for what I say."

Ina smiled, and only then did she truly let her guard down against Bai Wei. At the same time, she became increasingly certain of her guess about Bai Wei's identity.

Aside from the legendary one, Ina couldn't think of anyone who could achieve such things.

"Apart from helping you hide your identity, is there anything else I can assist you with?" Given this, Ina could persuade herself to do more things.

"Just take me to the gathering point." Bai Wei could also feel Ina's change in mood, but he didn't intend to involve Lyra, after all, before retrieving his body, he had to be cautious, "I will handle the rest myself."

"But we've been here for about two weeks, and there's been no news from the Contract Land." Ina said, "We're not sure when the gathering will actually start."

They waited in place for two weeks? As expected of Lyra's team, even with the god gone, they're this focused on order and rules.

Could this be Gerard's influence?

Bai Wei teased inwardly but didn't say it, instead, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, they'll arrive soon."

Soon? How soon? They hadn't caught wind of anything...

"Lady Ina." Suddenly, a guard's voice called from outside, "The Envoy from the Contract Land has requested us to set off immediately; the gathering is about to start."

...so soon?

Ina looked surprised, but she didn't ask Bai Wei how he knew, and after briefly responding to the guard outside, she told Bai Wei, "If so, I'll prepare for you now. I will arrange an official identity for you, ensuring the Envoy from the Contract Land won't discover anything."

"Actually, there's no need for such trouble."

"Hmm?"

Bai Wei said with a smile, "Now their focus isn't on us."

...

Isaiah walked out of the inn, and Mina immediately approached him, looking tense, "Teacher..."

"No need to say more." Isaiah interrupted Mina, "I already know."

Then Isaiah's gaze passed Mina, looking behind her.

Overnight, the once-ruined Nameless Town had become "lively" again, hundreds of Contract Land Guardians surrounded the inn tightly, giving an inexplicable sense of pressure, making the Magicians of the Star Relic delegation inside feel like lambs awaiting slaughter, even their breathing became involuntarily soft.

Only Isaiah's expression showed little change, he looked around at the Guardians, and finally focused on an Envoy approaching him.

"Mr. Isaiah." The Envoy spoke first, his tone somewhat stiff, "We've been ordered to inform you that the gathering is about to start."

"Really? Just informing?" Isaiah said calmly, "From this scene, I thought you were here to declare war."

"What are you saying?" The Envoy said with a barely smiling expression, "You are not an enemy of the Contract Land, why would we declare war on you? We are here to ensure your safety, after all, as you know, the Wanted Criminal who has four Corpse Blocks is still missing."

Isaiah discerned the deeper meaning in the Envoy's words but didn't point it out, just nodded slightly, "Alright, lead the way."

"Sure, please follow me." The Envoy turned and left; his attitude seemed more like dealing with a criminal than treating a guest.

Mina stepped up, whispered by Isaiah's side, "They arrived overnight, and moved very stealthily. By the time we noticed, we were already surrounded."

"Elite of the Contract Land, very normal." Isaiah said calmly.

"But their actions were too fast, right?"

Isaiah chuckled lightly, "Perhaps my acquaintances couldn't sit still anymore."

Then he turned to look at the other side, if he remembered correctly, Rhein's troops were stationed not far from them.

However, it was now deserted.

"Teacher, I've already inquired." Mina said, "Bishop Rocky from Rhein fled overnight."