Chapter 47: Arthur’s Guest

In front of the main entrance of the City Hall of Dun Er Ke was the largest City Hall Square in Dun Er Ke. On normal days, it was a great place for children to play and idlers to enjoy the cool. Now, the snowstorm swept everything away, and thick snow covered the square. Except for a path laboriously cleared by hired hands sent by the City Hall, all other areas were firmly buried under several feet of snow.

Surrounding the rectangular City Hall Square were ancient buildings made of gray granite. These buildings belonged to the richest and most powerful people in Dornick Port. Large guilds, high-end salons, luxury hotels and restaurants, and some super luxurious apartments were among them. Those who could come and go here were either rich or noble, while ordinary folks could only stare from the square.

Right across from the City Hall was the famously luxurious Green Gem Hotel. The owner behind this hotel was the United Guild of Dun Er Ke, and the headquarters of the United Guild of Dun Er Ke was located on the first floor of the hotel.

At this moment, in the highest suite of the Green Gem Hotel, Arthur was lying on a sofa, squinting his single eye at a shimmering figure inside a water ball floating in mid-air—every move of Blackbeard and Lin Qi was clearly displayed in the water ball.

Pine logs crackled in the fireplace of the suite, making the room as warm as spring. Besides Arthur, there were several other people in the room.

Standing behind the sofa where Arthur was lying was a tall, burly man with dark skin. He wore tight leather pants and was bare-chested. The man was bald and his body was pitch-black, with only the whites of his eyes showing. He was a native from the far-off Black Spirit Continent, separated by two thousand miles of ocean.

The man’s muscles were bulging all over his body, making him look like a lion standing there. His sharp eyes scanned everyone in the room except for Arthur, clearly acting as a loyal bodyguard. Hanging from his waist was a huge Scimitar with an ivory handle. The curved blade was six feet long, exceptionally heavy, and obviously capable of devastating damage once swung.

Opposite the long sofa where Arthur lay was a single chair. Sitting in that single chair was an extraordinarily striking young man.

What made him striking was that his looks were far more handsome and remarkable than Arthur’s. In comparison, handsome Arthur was like a pebble trying to compete with a gem, an utterly vast difference. With blond hair, golden eyes, skin as pale as milk, and an exquisitely beautiful face even more stunning than that of an extremely beautiful young girl, he possessed a breathtaking, delicate beauty.

The young man sat there wearing only a simple black robe, yet he seemed as if he were dressed in full Emperor attire, radiating light all over. Resting on his knees was a thick, large ancient book with a black leather cover, and he watched Blackbeard and Lin Qi’s movements in the water ball with great interest.

On the sofas on either side of the young man sat five youths—three young men and two young girls—with perfect posture. Among the three young men, two wore martial attire, and the other wore a black robe, while the two young girls, clearly twins, wore red robes.

Although the two young girls were exceptionally beautiful, their expressions were serious and as cold as ice, making them unapproachable. On their left chests were two palm-sized emblems—a Holy Cross Emblem wrapped in flames with a crown floating above it.

This was the symbol of high-ranking Clergy from the Church’s Cardinal Hall. Those qualified to wear such red robes held high status in the Church, and when they traveled outside, their position and authority were equal to that of a Bishop in a diocese.

Arthur’s gaze occasionally swept over the faces of the two young girls, his lips twitching slightly. He felt it was such a pity that these two beautiful young girls, and twins at that, were so icy and aloof. What fine beauties they were, so young, yet already high-ranking Clergy in the Church’s Cardinal Hall—such a waste of their gifts.

Sighing inwardly at the extravagance, Arthur lazily straightened up and pointed at Lin Qi in the water ball, saying coldly, “Respected Lord Elham, this is Lin Qi, my foster father’s only son, a thorough scoundrel, a complete little ruffian.”

The black-robed young man, who seemed to radiate light and had an imposing, unapproachable presence, nodded slowly. He said in a low voice, “Your foster father is quite interesting—he is actually a Celestial Knight. The guards around him are all Knights at the Peak of Status. Hmm, I am becoming more and more interested in the terms of cooperation you proposed.”

Tilting his head thoughtfully, Elham chuckled lightly and asked, “Is your foster father planning to run for mayor of Dun Er Ke?”

Arthur said mockingly, “In the future, he might even aim for the position of provincial governor, meaning he wants to become a high official of the Empire. And with the wealth and influence he holds, if nothing unexpected happens, he is very likely to succeed.”

Elham’s interest was clearly piqued. He smiled and said, “Oh? That’s quite good. If your foster father becomes a provincial governor, and if he holds that position for a few years, then suddenly meets with an accident, and your nominal younger brother Lin Qi suddenly disappears, you could inherit his fortune and his power, couldn’t you?”

Arthur frowned and shook his head. “Lin Qi can disappear, but my foster father—I must admit he has been good to me, so I don’t wish for any harm to come to him. One thing is one thing; I desire the immense wealth and power my foster father holds, but I don’t want to hurt him!”

Elham sighed softly and looked at Arthur with pity, shaking his head gently. “That is the most pointless emotion of you sinners. But I respect your choice. Since we are partners in cooperation, I respect your decision. I will use my authority to do my best to help you achieve your wish.”

Arthur said cautiously, “Lord Elham, such cooperation is greatly beneficial to both you and me, isn’t it? You help me obtain what I want, and after I gain all that, I will naturally become the most devout believer. I believe my strength will be useful to you as well.”

Smiling reservedly, Elham nodded and said, “Yes, I have been sent by His Majesty to expand the Church’s influence in the Gaul Empire. I do need people like you to help. So, it’s settled then: Lin Qi will disappear soon, as you wish. As for your foster father, let him become the mayor of Dun Er Ke, and the governor of Arthon Province!”

Arthur rubbed his hands excitedly, picked up a bottle of sparkling wine, and smiled as he asked Elham, “Shall we have a drink, then?”

Elham nodded indifferently. “In the original doctrine, alcohol, which can cause loss of control over spiritual power, is one of the Original Sins… To those old folks, drinking is an unforgivable grave sin. But we are different; times have changed, and we must keep up with them!”

Pursing his lips into a smile, Elham nodded and said, “Let’s have a drink. I prefer wines with a mild taste.”

With a ‘clink,’ several glasses gently touched each other.

Elham’s calm voice rang out: “Ya, Ling, go test that Lin Qi.”