As a prominent minister of the Seven Shields Alliance, Thomas's residence was located in the heart of the inner city of the royal city, stretching across nearly three city blocks.
While the salary of a prime minister might be high, theoretically it couldn't afford such a vast estate. As for where the extra money came from, it was self-evident.
Whether he was a capable minister or not, he was certainly not an honest one.
At this moment, Minister Thomas was irritated, yet also tinged with anxiety and unease.
The Black Beast Mercenary's envoy had died, in the palace, right before his eyes.
Although the boxer was a minor figure, he still represented the Black Beast Mercenary Group. If he didn't offer a reasonable explanation, their leader, Walter, would certainly not let him off the hook.
Thinking of that terrifying man, Minister Thomas felt a chill run down his spine, his voluptuous body subconsciously shuddering.
He couldn't imagine how a human could be so powerful. It was practically beyond the realm of humanity, a demon descended from hell.
A rhythmic knock sounded on the door, and a servant-like man entered the room, lowering his brows and speaking softly, "Sir, we've investigated. After leaving the palace, the alien, accompanied by Her Royal Highness the Grand Princess, went to the Heritage Temple. He then returned to a small inn east of the city and has not emerged since."
"Very good... were there any other companions with him?"
"There were also two otherworldly girls, fifteen or sixteen years old, very beautiful, but unlikely to be very powerful." The servant had clearly conducted a thorough investigation.
"Oh? Beautiful alien girls?" Minister Thomas pinched his thick chin, a hint of lust on his face. With a wave of his hand, he declared, "Immediately, take men and surround that inn. Say we're arresting a murderer. Drag anyone from the dungeon to serve as a corpse. It's best if the alien doesn't resist. If they do, kill them on the spot... Also, those two alien girls..."
The servant immediately understood and said, "I understand. Those two girls must be accomplices of the murderer. They must be brought back for your personal interrogation... Your Excellency, you are working for the country. I deeply admire you."
Minister Thomas laughed heartily and patted the servant's shoulder with satisfaction.
"By the way, Your Excellency, I just ran into Mr. Hicks on the road. He asked about his companion..."
At this, Minister Thomas's mood, which had just improved, fell into disarray again.
Hicks was a thief and a veteran of the Black Beast Mercenaries, highly regarded by Captain Walter.
He had come to sign an agreement with the Seven Shields Alliance on behalf of the Black Beast Mercenaries. He had spent too much time in his private dungeon yesterday, and hadn't accompanied the other deputy envoy to the palace. Otherwise, with his skills, he could have easily saved the unfortunate boxer's life.
But it was too late now.
"First, capture that alien. I'll personally apologize to Mr. Hicks..."
Bang!
"My lord, be careful!"
With a sudden loud bang, the door was kicked open from outside. A servant cried out in alarm, standing in front of Minister Thomas, a dignified look of a loyal subject protecting his master.
Standing in the corridor by the door was a figure.
A man wielded a long, red sword, as exquisite as a work of art.
However, the man's face was deliberately obscured by a veil, revealing only a pair of ordinary yet incredibly bright eyes.
Minister Thomas stumbled backward in panic, yanking out a magnificent knight's sword, more decorative than practical, from the wall. He shouted in a timid voice, "Who... who are you? How did you get in?"
"Huh? Were you discovered so easily?... As you can see, I sneaked in quietly."
The masked man spoke calmly. In the courtyard behind him, a mess of his personal guards lay sprawled on the ground.
Minister Thomas: "..."
You call that sneaking in? Can you be even more brazen?
"Who are you, anyway? If you want money, just name the price..."
Luo Jie wasn't in the habit of launching into a fight with a rant. With a single movement, his [Style Blade: Shura Ghost Princess] shone a dazzling, blood-red light through the darkness, charging straight at Thomas within the room.
Minister Thomas, a look of terror on his face, unhesitatingly thrust the servant before him forward. Without a single scream, the servant was split diagonally in two by the blood-red blade, his head and face splattered with warm blood.
"Help! There's an assassin!"
Frantically, Minister Thomas flung his knight's sword towards Luo Jie, screaming for help as he dove under the thick desk, completely oblivious to the fact that most of his body was still exposed.
Just as Luo Jie casually deflected the incoming longsword and was about to strike down the noisy old fat man with a single blow, he suddenly felt an inexplicable throbbing in his heart, a sense of death instantly overcoming him.
An ambush?
At the vague warning of his [Super Sense], Luo Jie quickly retreated without hesitation and unleashed an [Arcane Missile] towards a nearby direction.
Swish!
A long, dark green dagger split the [Arcane Missile]'s air mass in two, passing Luo Jie's side with a near-miss.
At the same time, a thin young man materialized in the empty hall, leaping and flipping like a nimble raccoon cat, and swiftly stabbed Luo Jie several times.
Luo Jie's [Style Blade: Shura Ghost Princess] was a full 1.2 meters long, making it unsuitable for a fight in the confined space of a room. So, after narrowly dodging the opponent's rapid stabs from the long dagger, he leaped through the window and landed in the spacious courtyard.
The thin man clearly understood his own strengths and didn't blindly leap out in pursuit. Instead, he pulled the large dagger he had previously thrown from the wall. His hands swung beautifully, his blade wielding a cynical expression as he tilted his head towards Luo Jie in the courtyard, chuckling softly. "You're a mage, yet you handle a blade well... Who are you?"
"From the Black Beast Mercenary Group."
Before arriving, Luo Jie had already shifted the blame onto the Black Beasts. After all, they had plenty of lives to bear, so one more Prime Minister wouldn't hurt.
"Oh?" The thin man was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "I had no idea you were such a prominent figure in the group. Since we're brothers, why don't you remove your veil and let me see who you are?"