Azrael wasn't surprised by Lucian's appearance. After all, he'd been the one who informed his teacher of his whereabouts.
The good news? The expected exposure and siege hadn't materialized.
The bad news? The pressure on Velkairos seemed to have intensified dramatically.
The young man briefly organized his thoughts before recounting what he'd witnessed today. "Teacher, it appears Jin has successfully won over Marcus and the Skinner."
"I saw their operatives at the base today."
His words carried a strange implication. After all, the chaotic City Within City in Australia had originally been founded by Jin and four other Master-level Lore Cardians. Logically, the four should have been allies from the start.
But as Azrael had suspected when he first arrived, not every corner of this world was as peaceful as the Empire of Aetherlight.
Some regions didn't even have a clear distinction between so-called illegal Lore Cardians.
Perhaps the relationship between the four Master-level Lore Cardians in City Within City wasn't as harmonious as Azrael had imagined.
Hearing the young man's words, Lucian's expression turned grave. The old man couldn't help but frown, muttering to himself, "Are they also targeting Jin's experiment?"
Lucian already had his suspicions about what his old rival had been researching.
Azrael quickly added, "But [Inverted Cross] Chris didn't send anyone."
Lucian nodded slightly and offered a casual explanation. "Azrael, you've been to Europe and dealt with members of the Fallen Cult."
"You should understand the reason for their existence."
Hearing this, Azrael suddenly understood.
Indeed, while the Fallen Cult members weren't exactly paragons of virtue, they certainly weren't as ruthlessly evil as Jin.
Combined with Caliburn's inability to completely release its restraints and Chris's harsh attitude toward Jin in City Within City, it made sense that the two groups wouldn't see eye to eye.
After a moment's silence, Azrael spoke gravely, "Teacher, the Crimson Oath Society seems to be making a major move in five days."
"They've ordered me to hand over the duty roster for the Nirvale District secret realm."
"I believe it's time we close the net."
This was the young man's carefully considered opinion. After all, he couldn't gamble with the lives of the entire Nirvale District population.
Furthermore, judging by the current situation, Jin had never fully trusted his subordinates.
One and the others had no idea of the old man's specific arrangements, much less Azrael, who had joined later.
Even if his status had been elevated slightly through a series of successful operations, at best he was no more trusted than One and the rest. Continuing to lurk within the Crimson Oath Society would see the risks far outweigh the advantages.
However, thanks to Azrael binding his life with Shiraori's, he didn't have to worry about Jin's potential desperate actions.
So when it was time to spring the trap, there was no need to hesitate.
Lucian sighed softly, then patted Azrael's shoulder with his withered hand. "You've done more than enough. Now, trust us old men."
He had originally disapproved of Azrael continuing to lurk around Jin, but he hadn't been able to change the young man's mind, so he'd let him proceed.
But now that his young disciple felt the time was right, it was time for them, the old generation, to shoulder the responsibility.
"Teacher, what about those Crimson Oath Society members?"
Azrael wasn't referring to One and his companions, but to ordinary Crimson Oath Society members like Fredrika and Magnus.
It wasn't that they were innocent, but if Azrael defected, Jin would undoubtedly transform every Crimson Oath Society member he'd contacted into the monsters he'd seen in the secret realm.
The Empire's once-promising situation would be instantly shattered.
Lucian's eyes flickered with calculation.
He pondered for a moment, then sighed heavily. "You're right, Azrael."
"Originally, we old folks thought outsiders shouldn't interfere in the Empire's affairs. Now it seems we were being somewhat pedantic."
"I'll take care of it. Don't worry."
Azrael was startled by this revelation. From what his teacher had said, it seemed there were still people in this world who could deal with Jin's contracts.
They just weren't in the Empire of Aetherlight.
Hesitantly, he asked, "Teacher, don't you want me to compile a list of names?"
Although the young man knew only a fraction of the Crimson Oath Society members, that was based on the overall organization.
Unexpectedly, Lucian shook his head slightly, rejecting his suggestion with a mysterious smile. "No need. That person isn't as weak as you might think."
An endless ice field stretched across the edge of the Earth.
Shrouded by a vast shadow, several massive dimensional rifts stood at its center.
Within the protective shield surrounding these dimensional rifts, a deep blue vortex flickered in the air.
The surroundings were utterly silent. The snow that should have been accumulating had melted, revealing bare ground.
However, a closer look would have revealed heavy snowfall still drifting in the distance.
The reason for this strange sight was naturally because...
"Mr. Lucian, what did you need from me?"
A middle-aged man in a dark blue suit tilted his head in confusion as he stood before a massive spatial rift.
"Is there something important you want to discuss? A deal to let me choose from the Empire's collection of Sovereign-level materials?"
The man couldn't help but feel tempted by the message on his communication device.
Sovereign-level materials were always extraordinarily rare, and even he didn't have many, considering his country wasn't as well-stocked as the Empire of Aetherlight.
"And Lord Lioren had already eliminated the vampires here a while ago, right?"
Recalling the blazing aura he'd sensed not long ago, he looked up at the massive circular mechanical structure in the sky, large enough to cover half of Antarctica.
"Quetzalcoatl, I leave this to you."
As the man finished speaking, he vanished from the scene, leaving only the mechanical creation spinning slowly in the air.
The setting sun shone through the window onto the pristine white hospital bed.
President Lian stared at his wife, who had fallen into a deep sleep.
After a long moment, he stood up like a zombie and mechanically made his way to the door.
As soon as he left the room, the middle-aged man said in a dry voice, "Come out. I won't run."
Two figures materialized in the hospital corridor, one in front and one behind, blocking President Lian's possible escape routes.
"Can you tell me how I was exposed?"
The two men didn't respond to his question, simply staring at him in silence.
"Okay. I understand."
"I'll cooperate with you. I just hope my wife doesn't find out about what happened today."
"If possible."
"Just tell her I died in the line of duty."
"Please."
The two men moved forward, stepping up to secure President Lian.
One of them said calmly, "President Lian, raise your request with Master Lucian later."
With that, the two men disappeared from the hospital with President Lian between them.
Elsewhere, at the Velkairos Cardian Master Association headquarters, President Dareth looked nervously at the middle-aged man with striking features standing beside his old friend.
He had never imagined he would meet a Master-level Lore Cardian from another country in his lifetime.
"Mr. Edley, thank you for coming. Is everything going well in Antarctica?"
The man known as Edley shrugged casually. "Don't worry. With Quetzalcoatl watching over things, nothing will go wrong."
"But I'm quite interested in the deal you mentioned, Mr. Lucian. Please tell me in detail."
Seeing the conversation reaching the crucial point, Lucian's expression turned serious.
In reality, Lord Lioren, as a Master-level Lore Cardian, was better suited to entertain this foreign dignitary.
Unfortunately, his health wouldn't allow it.
One should never harbor harmful intentions, but one must always remain on guard.
If Edley had seen Lord Lioren in that deteriorated state, who knows what might have happened.
And remembering the history of the Indo-American Federation, Lucian didn't want the same fate to befall the Empire of Aetherlight.
"Don't worry, Mr. Edley. There's still a crucial person who hasn't arrived."
The old man had barely finished speaking when a bewildered President Lian appeared in the president's office.
He glanced at Edley, then at Lucian, and finally, with a gloomy expression, said, "Master Lucian, I, "
Before he could finish, Lucian reached out and stopped him.
Meanwhile, Edley, with a strange expression on his face, circled President Lian twice. "Smells so familiar."
"?"
Edley ignored President Lian, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
He thought of certain individuals in his homeland who should have been hung from streetlights long ago.
Lucian looked at Edley with interest and asked, "So, do you have a solution?"
"It's just this level of contract? Of course I do," Edley nodded confidently. "Is that all for the deal?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he was already eager to act on President Lian.
Such a simple task could yield a Sovereign-level material. Edley couldn't wait for more deals like this.
Hearing the foreigner's words, Lucian was momentarily speechless.
The old man couldn't help but think, 'Greedy foreigners!' Then he shook his head and said, "Mr. Edley, you'd better stop daydreaming."
"The deal is that you must help terminate the contracts of everyone like him throughout the entire Empire of Aetherlight."
Lucian had certainly considered having Edley eliminate Jin and the others directly, but ultimately, he and Lord Lioren had rejected this plan.
This would lead to a direct problem.
If Lord Lioren was capable, why didn't the Empire handle it themselves? Why did they need help from Edley, a Master-level Lore Cardian from another country?
Having his ulterior motives exposed by Lucian, Edley remained unperturbed. He simply wiggled his fingers slightly. "No! No! No!"
"I think you've misunderstood, Mr. Lucian. My ability doesn't help this gentleman break the contract. Instead, it transfers the contract's ownership to another person."
"What you should do now is find someone you trust."
The man paused, then added, "And to transfer the contract, the person must have suffered unfair treatment under the original contract holder. Just like this gentleman."
Lucian was taken aback by these words. He hadn't known the specific card abilities of the foreign Master-level before him, only that he likely possessed a card related to contracts or transactions.
However, the old man immediately understood Edley's meaning: he could transfer the original contract holder, Jin, to someone else, provided that person had been subjected to unfair treatment since signing the contract.
That was remarkably simple. The entire Crimson Oath Society was practically composed of such individuals, and Jin didn't even consider them his true subordinates.
Perhaps with the exception of One and the others.
But who should receive the transferred contracts?
Lucian glanced at Azrael, who sat silently with his head bowed.
"That's him."
Azrael looked up, bewildered, wondering why he was suddenly involved.
The young man had naturally heard what Edley had said, but he had never expected this responsibility to fall on him.
After all, in Azrael's opinion, there were many more suitable candidates throughout the entire Empire.
For example, Lord Lioren,
No, that wasn't right. He didn't seem to have much time left.
His own teacher was in a similar situation.
But even so, didn't they still have Tempest and Master Fujimaru?
"Teacher, wouldn't it be better to discuss this with Lord Lioren and the others?"
Azrael asked tentatively.
Lucian nodded in agreement, then pulled out his communication device and sent out several messages.
After a moment, he spread his hands. "They agree."
"Huh?"
Azrael was stunned, wondering if this was some kind of joke.
The young man had somewhat underestimated his position within the Empire's leadership structure.
After everything he'd accomplished, his importance within the Empire of Aetherlight was now second only to the four Master-level Lore Cardians.
At that moment, Lucian let out a hearty laugh. "Just kidding! Master Tempest and Master Fujimaru will also inherit a portion. It's impossible for them to hand everything over to you."
"So, Azrael, you'd better write me a list within the next two days. That will make it easier for Mr. Edley to handle the transfers."
Azrael breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to protest,
No, why was he even involved in this?
But the young man finally nodded. He certainly understood his teacher's good intentions. It was simply a way to leave him with some leverage for the future. After all, even with the best intentions, one couldn't always be completely impartial.
Seeing that his young disciple understood his meaning, Lucian's gaze softened.
Edley, standing nearby, studied Azrael with interest. He too sensed the unequal contract binding Mr. Lucian's disciple.
It just seemed...
It wasn't signed with Jin.
But Edley wasn't particularly interested. He wanted to complete the mission quickly and secure his share of the Sovereign-level material.
Two days later, One was at the Crimson Oath Society stronghold near the Demon's Nest.
He looked at his encrypted communicator, which hadn't received any news from Azrael yet, and couldn't help but look puzzled.
"It's just a secret realm duty roster. As Sixth Brother, how could he, "
BOOM,
Before the fox-faced man could finish his words, a violent explosion echoed through the stronghold, and large chunks of flesh and blood fell from the walls.
One was stunned for a moment, unable to comprehend why this stronghold had been attacked.
But soon, he thought of Three's joke from the other day.
Combined with someone's strange behavior over the past two days,
"Little Azrael!"
It wasn't just him. The other several Crimson Oath Society cadres present reacted the same way.
However, before they could vent their anger, the ceiling of the stronghold vanished, and dazzling sunlight streamed through the broken opening.
A familiar figure appeared in mid-air.
However, One and the others had no time to focus on Azrael, as they sensed an even more terrifying aura surrounding the young man.
It was a Master-level presence,
And a Master-level figure who shouldn't be here.
Meanwhile, Edley stood beside Lucian, his arms folded, as a somewhat peculiar card instantly materialized beside him.
It was peculiar because the card resembled a bank ATM machine.
This was assuming one ignored the fact that it had human-like hands and feet.
[Indo-American Federal Tax System · Gruskepp]
Open the door, Federal Tax Service!