Chapter 18: The Secret Key, the Greatsword, and the Trap

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The City Hall of Riskan, the administrative hub of the bustling harbor city, stood as the vital heart ensuring the smooth operation of the metropolis. Of course, the residents of Riskan rarely referred to it simply as the City Hall. To them, it was the Governor’s Mansion. This was not merely a nickname or a colloquialism; when the Empire revoked the governance rights from the local nobility, it transformed the former noble estate within Riskan directly into the City Hall.

The first governor appointed directly by the Empire, a man of integrity, did not commission a separate residence for himself. Instead, he renovated the garden behind the City Hall to serve as his home. Although his successors expanded the residence over time, they all built upon that original foundation, a tradition that has continued to this day.

Moreover, Riskan had changed dramatically over the years. Land prices had soared so high that no governor possessed the wealth required to construct a new mansion for their successors. Yet, amidst the daily hustle and bustle of the City Hall, one corner remained unusually quiet today.

“Still haven’t caught that witch?”

Behind the desk that once belonged to Governor Clay sat a gaunt middle-aged man, his piercing, sinister gaze making the black-clad subordinate before him visibly nervous.

“Mr. Park, our men have just located the witch and her accomplice. They’re in a café near the City Defense Headquarters.”

Mr. Park did not answer immediately. Instead, he idly twirled a cup on the desk. “Let me guess—when you idiots found them, your first move was to rush in and try to snatch the ‘Key,’ right?”

“Y-Yes…”

“And not only did you fail to seize it, you also spooked them and alerted the City Defense?”

Park rose from his seat as he continued, “You didn’t even think to bring more people to surround them, did you? You just barged in, ready to shoot with your pistols.”

“I don’t recall the Brotherhood lowering their recruitment standards to the point of hiring morons.”

The black-clad man barely had time to defend himself before an invisible grip seemed to clutch his neck and hoist him off the ground.

“Ghh… ghh…” he emitted a dying gasp, his legs flailing wildly, eyes bulging as if his next breath would be his last.

“Do you know how much effort we’ve spent tracking down the ‘Key’? How much the Brotherhood has invested in deceiving that witch and that damned elf?” Park’s voice was low and threatening.

“The chance for success is right before us. I won’t let you fools ruin it.”

Crack.

The black-clad man’s neck snapped, and his lifeless body fell limp like a heap of sludge. Two more black-clad men entered swiftly and carried the corpse away.

Park inhaled deeply, his eyes half-closed as he murmured, “The ‘Key’… no wonder those academic lunatics from the Continental Historical Society managed to uncover something like this.”

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“Even sealing divinity and authority together?”

“But soon, the day of unsealing will come…”

Knock, knock, knock.

A voice called from outside, “Mr. Park, the carriage is ready.”

“Good. Make sure everyone else is prepared.”

“The plague rats in the sewers are nearly ready. Have the sorcerers controlling them stand by. The moment we obtain the Key, unleash the rats from the sewers.”

“Yes!”

…

“Colonel, the investigation results are in. The revolver shows no abnormalities, but the bullets they used are specially crafted alchemical rounds. Preliminary analysis reveals they are spell-melt bullets.”

“Being struck by these rounds causes the victim’s magical circuits to burn out if they instinctively channel mana, which most likely results in instant death.”

“We also checked the man killed by Miss Kalia in the café. He is not a local of Riskan, and there are no records of his entry into the city.”

“We’ve contacted the city’s trade guild alliance as well. He doesn’t belong to any guild, nor is he a crew member on any ship…”

“Stop.” Oldmeyer interrupted the report. “Immediately, at your fastest speed, take the most elite combat squad and find Roland and Kalia. No, I’m coming along.”

With that, the old colonel waved his hand, secured the longsword at his side, and charged out the door.

When Roland departed, Oldmeyer quietly investigated his history in the capital. Years of experience in the military taught him that if he wanted to live a comfortable life, he’d better ensure nothing happened to this man in Riskan.

And as for that witch—she was even more significant.

Although Lady Flamm’s records never mentioned her anger, any forces or individuals who crossed her had vanished without a trace. Oldmeyer dared not imagine what chaos would ensue if anything happened to Kalia in Riskan.

Though the situation remained unclear to him, and he had yet to find that damned fat man Clay for answers, he could wait no longer.

What he had hoped would be a trump card turned out to be two untouchable living legends.

It was time to exercise his authority over the city defense forces.

“Adjutant, order a citywide lockdown! Arrest any suspicious individuals immediately. Close all city gates, docks, and mage train stations. Seal off every exit!”

“If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility! I will explain the situation to the Empire afterward!”

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By the harbor, Roland and Kalia sat side by side on the seawall, gazing silently at the sun sinking into the horizon.

“So you’re saying this pendant is actually a sealing device containing part of Lady Flamm’s divine power and divinity—taken from the demon lord’s corpse after she and the heroes defeated him all those years ago?”

“She was truly talented and bold…”

“Now it all connects. Those people want this pendant because they intend to activate the inferior divine plague they’ve concocted, right?”

Roland spoke with a light tone, as if a long-standing mystery had finally been solved.

Beside him, Kalia hung her head in a listless manner.

“Ah… I shouldn’t have told anyone…”

Muttering to herself, she covered her face with both hands.

Roland patted her shoulder. “It’s okay. You can contact your teacher now. If this thing is so important, there’s no way she wanted you to deliver it alone to the capital.”

“At least, if it were me, I wouldn’t let you do something like that.”

“According to you, this pendant was originally kept inside the treehouse barrier personally set by Lady Flamm. Only you and she could freely enter it. No one else can get in without your permission.”

“The barrier’s strength is such that even legendary-tier warriors cannot break it quickly.”

“As long as it stays within that barrier, there’s no need to worry about its safety.”

“It’s actually you taking it out to deliver it to the capital that puts it at risk.”

“We can basically conclude that the message we received was false.”

Roland stood. “If you feel awkward doing this, I can help.”

“I even made some friends in the capital during the assessment.”

Kalia shook her head. “No, no. I’ll handle it myself.”

Realizing she might have caused trouble, Kalia hoped to earn some leniency.