Night Ranger

”It’s not the work of the twin snakes cult.”

Marvin pointed at Wayne’s thin face and said, ”If it was the twin snakes cult, Wayne wouldn’t suffer that much.”

”On the surface it looks like [Hibernation], one of the twin snakes cult’s trademark curses, which makes the target enter a permanent coma. But hibernation wouldn’t kill someone.”

”His heartbeat is also extremely strong, and this isn’t a symptom of hibernation.”

A hint of shock passed through Hanzer’s eyes. He couldn’t help but ask, ”How do you know?”

”My grandfather was a high level wizard.”

Marvin had already prepared his reason. ”Before setting off, I read through many books in the study, learning a lot of knowledge.”

”You and Wayne are just as smart, it’s a pity you didn’t have the talent to be a wizard.”

Hanzer nodded. ”Right, I also felt that some people deliberately imitated the work of the twin snakes cult.”

”But how did you know it was Lulu? You should have just arrived?”

Marvin smiled. ”Under the disguise of the hibernation curse is another curse that drains vitality. This kind of curse needs at least a week of daily contact and constant chanting of the curse incantation.”

”Wayne is a little antisocial, so he wouldn’t stay close with many people for a long period of time. Apart from the old butler, who is left?”

The only person remaining that had daily contacts with him was his little girlfriend, right?

A very logical deduction.

Hanzer shrugged helplessly. ”You must be a very capable overlord!”

”Since you are here as well, do you want to join me in visiting the culprit behind Wayne’s situation?”

”This is your right.”

...

Magore Academy’s prison.

A young girl was sitting alone on the edge of a fence, looking exceptionally frightened.

This prison was set up on a nine story tall tree. Every branch ended in a wooden prisoner cell, hanging in mid air.

She was looking at the vast black liquid below.

If she fell down into this black liquid, she would dissolve and not even a bone would remain!

There weren’t many prisoners in the prison because most people that looked for trouble in Magore Academy would die.

Just as she was looking around, frightened, the prisoner’s cage started moving!

She was scared at first, but she soon reacted. ‘Someone’s is controlling this branch!’

There were two faint silhouettes on a distant platform.

The tall silhouette was chanting an incantation and that branch carrying her began to slowly move.

In the end, the prisoner’s cage landed on the platform.

She saw two people standing in front of her as the cage opened.

”Come out, Miss Lulu,” Hanzer said in a low voice.

Lulu timidly walked out from the prisoner’s cage.

”I don’t understand, why did you do this?”

”Who did I offend?”

Lulu displayed an innocent appearance. She looked completely clueless.

”A woman’s acting…” Hanzer surprisingly said before Marvin could say anything.

”I have to say, I am deeply impressed by your acting skills.”

As a 2nd rank wizard, Hanzer had a sense of humor that didn’t fit with his outfit.

”As an apprentice alchemist, why would you do this? You’ve been with Wayne for more than half a year, why curse him? Did you really think we, the teachers, are blind?

Lulu turned silent.

She had already prepared herself for this. But once things really happened, she was still bewildered.

She knew that Hanzer had enough proof since she had already been put in jail.

Anything she said would be useless.

”I love Wayne. Really.”

She began to sob. ”But, I really couldn’t do anything about it.”

”Looking at him everyday was so painful, I also felt like a knife was being twisted in my heart.”

”Someone forced me to do this. If I didn’t, I… In short, I would die in a very frightening way.”

”I was scared. Thus I did what he said. I didn’t expect it to be this serious.”

”I know I’m wrong. I truly didn’t want to put him in this state.”

...

The girl’s weeping became more and more mournful. Making people feel pity for her.

But it only gave Marvin the urge to vomit.

Using a pitiful appearance to gain sympathy, trying to come out clean after committing such a crime...

A 11 year old girl could be this shrewd?

This cruel world was truly forcing children to mature early.

”Shut up!” Hanzer strictly interrupted Lulu’s weeping.

”I only want you to do two things. First, tell us who made you do this.”

”Second, remove Wayne’s curse!”

”If you do that, I, in the name of Magore Academy, will pardon your behavior!”

Hanzer’s words had an immediate effect.

Lulu immediately stopped weeping. Her eyes displayed a hint of hope, ”Really?”

Hanzer glanced at silent Marvin.

”Of course it’s true,” Hanzer affirmed.

He only wanted his disciple to recover at the moment. The rest…‘Hmph, the debt will be written down, no need to worry.’

Lulu stopped weeping and instead began to sort through her thoughts. She slowly said, ”Firstly, I actually don’t know who. Don’t misunderstand, I truly don’t know. About a month ago, I got into gambling… In the end, the people schemed and I lost a lot. It was a huge amount and once Wayne knew, he said he would think of a way.”

”He was quite good to me, I knew this. But how could he find a way? He was struggling to pay for his own studies. There was nothing he could do to help me deal with that debt.”

”The people I owed money to were very frightening. Their power covered all of Magore Academy. I think Sir Hanzer might be able to guess.”

”I really couldn’t do anything about that debt and these people drove me crazy. In the end, one of the people in charge gave me an opportunity to settle my debt.”

She took a break after saying this.

”It was to curse Wayne?” Marvin asked.

She nodded timidly.

One must admit, even if Lulu’s charm could only be considered above average, her pitiful appearance could truly make someone sympathize with her.

”Who? The name.” Hanzer firmly said.

”[Blue Morphine]... That person’s name is Earl.” Lulu said.

”Earl? What kind of name is this. It’s a nickname at most,” Hanzer snapped, dissatisfied.

”I already told you everything I know,” Lulu said. ”Removing Wayne’s curse is also very simple. There is a box under my bed. Burning it would be enough.”

Hanzer and Marvin glanced at each other.

”What’s Blue Morphine?” Marvin asked.

Hanzer stiffened. ”An organization in Three Ring Towers. A group made up of children from great wizard families.”

Marvin nodded, no longer saying anything. But he kept in mind this Earl nickname.

Lulu shouldn’t have lied. Since the people behind the scenes wanted to do something like this, they certainly wouldn’t reveal themselves.

They were ready to use this terrible plan. After all, this was the wizards’ domain and Lulu being investigated was also a matter of course.

...

”Sir Hanzer…” Lulu looked at him full of hope.

”I love Wayne! If it wasn’t because I was forced and had no way out, I wouldn’t have done something like this.”

Hanzer was disgusted, but he still said, ”I, in the name of Magore Academy, pardon your crime for the time being. If something comes out during the investigation that you didn’t explain beforehand, then the consequences… Hmph!”

”Thank you Sir!” Lulu was overjoyed at the good news.

But how could she have expected Marvin to suddenly walk toward her.

Hanzer looked distracted, apparently wanting to stop Marvin, but he ultimately didn’t move.

”Magore Academy pardoned you, but White River Valley hasn’t.”

”Wayne is White River Valley’s first heir. I am his older brother, and I still haven’t forgiven you.”

Marvin’s voice was very calm but it made Lulu very frightened!

”Sir Marvin! I really didn’t do it because I wanted to.”

”I really love Wayne! I looked at him suffering like that, and I felt pain as well. For real! I would have burnt the box a week later, and Wayne would have woken up. They only wanted to make him unable to compete, that’s all.”

”And he also loved me!”

Looking at Marvin getting closer step by step, she started talking incoherently. A magic seal had been put on her body, so she had no mean to resist.

”You said he loved you?” Marvin leaned to her ear and whispered, ”But I don’t think you two go well together.”

The next second, Lulu felt a pain in her stomach!

Marvin had ruthlessly kicked her and the girl fell down from the edge of the platform!

She let out a miserable shriek, before ultimately falling in the black liquid. Her body and bones were corroded in an instant, only leaving black liquid behind.

That scene was simply too frightening!

However, Marvin didn’t blink once.

”Whoever harms my brother must die,” Marvin muttered in a low voice, before turning around.

Hanzer looked at him for a long time and then asked, ”Why did you not use a dagger?”

Marvin walked past him and stopped. ”Filthy.”