Chapter 107: CH 107

“More important things?” Nemo’s attention quickly shifted. Since Oliver followed him, it meant that it wasn’t a matter that could be procrastinated. After the experience of this day, he couldn’t imagine what more serious thing could happen for the time being.

“Mr. Virgil is good at mind control, but we all know he can’t control you.” Oliver stretched out his left hand that was covered in the metal armor and awkwardly straightened the armor around his neck. “Our side… Um, we got some information. He’s especially good at erosion spells. If he finds out you have the strength of a demon warlock or higher, I don’t know if he’ll try to exorcise you.”

“I just met Dylan and Mr. Cross in the nave, and they didn’t mention anything like that,” Nemo pulled the mask to the right top right of his head.

“Actually, I tried to inform them, but… their luck seems to be pretty bad. They’ve been in constant battle and the magic interference to call them is too high. It’s safer for me to come in person than to wait,” Oliver poured out the words like was spilling the beans. “Don’t worry. Ann’s also providing support outside. I gave her a communication crystal that can receive messages. Those disposable crystals can still be used— What are you laughing at?”

“No,” Nemo couldn’t control the smile on his face. “I thought one of these explanations would be ‘I wanted to see you’.”

Oliver suddenly choked. His face flushed suspiciously. He was silent for a few seconds, then silently buckled his helmet back to his head.

“…But this is indeed a problem.” Nemo changed the subject empathetically. “If this happens, I can’t deliberately let him control me.”

“That’s right,” Oliver said. “The way he behaves is completely different from the rumors. You have to be careful. And you need to move faster because Au—”

“Aurora is coming and the Church of Silence will be sealed soon,” Nemo took over smoothly. “If necessary, I’ll try my best to suggest to Mr. Virgil to act in advance.”

Oliver’s stiff chuckle came from his helmet. “Well, let me guess. Dylan and Mr. Cross should be looking for the human sacrifices, right?”

“That’s right, captain,” Nemo’s voice became a lot lighter.

“I should let you be my vice-captain.”

“There are only five of us! ……So what are you going to do now, Ollie?” Miraculously, Nemo found a lot of peace in his heart.

“I haven’t thought about it yet. It’s imperative to solve the potential danger of mind control.” Oliver’s equally brisk voice came from the armor. “Well, let me think about it… Have you found Bagelmaurus? We can add ‘uncontrollable’ to one its talents.”

“Yes, but it’s following Mr. Cross.” Nemo scratched his hair. “After all, you can’t use the communication crystal, but at least Bagelmaurus can always find me… Ah.” He suddenly stopped scratching his hair.

“Do you have an idea?”

“You can go with me, Ollie.” Nemo reached out and tapped the metal armor on Oliver’s chest lightly, avoiding the dangerous thorns. “But I may have to wrong you.”

Duran Virgil was making final preparations.

He unfolded a tool bag. The badly worn buffalo skin emitted a faint smell of blood. Inside was a whole row of brushes, each of which was well maintained, and the wooden brush holder had a warm luster. Virgil brushed the pens with his fingertips, as if he was counting silently.

After he retracted his hand, he was in a daze for a while. He then carefully took out a delicate crystal bottle from his pocket and put it together with the brushes. They were neatly arranged and dim in color, inexplicably like a funeral procession.

This day had finally arrived.

The relaxation and depression that the goal was about to be achieved rushed into his throat, but there wasn’t any emotion related to joy in the mixed feelings. Truthfully, Duran Virgil didn’t care about the incoming Aurora, but he wanted to take care of things before the place was completely sealed. To say the least, even if the Church of Silence sealed up, he believed that with his own understanding of this place, it would be easy enough to save a demon worshipper in the chaos.

Virgil raised his hand. He saw the cocoons full of eyes, and the smell of death that would never be washed away lingered between his fingers.

He knew what his reputation was, and he had no intention of accepting it. Duran Virgil had never been a silent hero who “guards the people”. These hands had indeed ended countless troublesome demons, and even several “compatriots” who were also demon warlocks, but that wasn’t out of any virtue, and he knew this very well.

The root was just a very selfish and cold wish.

He puffed up his chest and sucked in as much air into his lungs as hard as he could, as if he had never really breathed before. He stared at the brushes and “paints” on the wooden platform. They were once his last warmth, which he had turned into weapons of murder with his own hands. The tall man lowered his head and slowly rolled up the leather bag, moving softly and carefully.

There was only one last step left.

However, Virgil’s “last step” brought him a lot of surprises. The seemingly honest demon worshiper came back soon after sunset, which was what he expected, but Virgil never thought…

“Are you…?” Virgil held his brush and looked at the person behind him. A Knight of Silence was following the handsome black-haired young man step by step who hung his head slightly and was dressed as a believer of the Abyssal Church. It’s just that he didn’t wear his mask seriously, while he held the black staff firmly in his hand.

The bone ball at the top of the staff floated with his movements.

“Mr. Virgil. My disguised was discovered by a Knight of Silence so I had to mind control him,” Nemo’s voice wasn’t loud, and his speech was vague and brief. “As for bringing him back… I think he should be of some use for your plans.”

Knights of Silence were usually demon worshippers, but after swearing loyalty to the Bishop of the Abyss, they could gain dangerous spells and transform their physical body. Strength was an important indicator of the success of mind control. Although the Knights of Silence aren’t as powerful as a real demon warlock, they would never be controlled by an ordinary demon worshipper.

There could only be one answer. Virgil had a bad hunch— If that staff was a mind control weapon…

It wasn’t impossible. Virgil’s mind was spinning. No matter how inconspicuous the strength of a single person was, this Black Chapter team was snake-level. Besides, his teammates have also mentioned that his staff wasn’t ordinary.

“It’s really useful,” Virgil said in a deep voice. “…But are you sure he won’t break away from your control?”

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“No,” Nemo looked at the floating bone ball. “I’ve controlled something stronger than him, and it hasn’t failed.”

“I see.”

“Although it’s not a good weapon, it…” Nemo weighed the staff in his hand and his tone became a little stiff, “has seventeen mind drain arrays, five exploration runes, and eleven control immunity arrays. Will this convince you? Since you know the Church of Silence, you must also have researched a lot on Abyssal magic.”

Vergil thought, judging from his stiff tone, the demon worshiper seemed to be a little unhappy. He roughly estimated the attributes provided and the design seemed intentional. From his many years of experience, although this kind of ratio was extremely rare, it was feasible. Light shouldn’t be talking nonsense. After all, it was a frighteningly number of calculations to design a reasonable array to make it a suitable weapon.

Unless the other party knew his strength in advance, it would’ve taken at least a month to complete the calculation adaptations for the weapon designer than in just a single day.

Thing were getting troublesome. If this thing was in Light’s hands, he wasn’t sure if he could successfully control him. There were also the exploration runes. Once he fails to mind control him, Light will immediately find out. Rather than trying to get rid of the staff… it was better not to have any unhappiness with this demon worshipper before reaching his destination. 

“I understand.” Virgil’s expression calmed down and he nodded. “I believe you.”

The demon worshipper took out a klebator salamander’s heart from the bag at his waist and slowly stuffed it into his mouth. The Knight of Silence behind him shook slightly and a roll of black smoke on the edge of his cloak made a trembling mark in the air.

“The information on my side is almost the same.” Virgil pinned the rolled belt of items around his waist. “I’m afraid we have to act tonight, Mr. Light.”

“Isn’t the defense at night tighter?”

“It happened suddenly. By sunrise tomorrow, it’s estimated that martial law will be imposed here,” Virgil sighed with melancholy. “It can only be tonight. I can talk to you slowly about the details on the road… To be honest, things will be much easier with an obedient Knight of Silence. I have to thank you.”

“…Nn.” Nemo responded.

“Let’s go. When we get there, you can contact your team captain.”

“Don’t you need to prepare something?”

“No need.” Virgil reluctantly tugged the corner of his mouth. “I’m all ready.”

He did made all the preparations, just like many years ago. Was it hundreds of years ago? Virgil couldn’t remember.

He was also dressed like this back then. He was alone, with a large bag on his back, and his whole body was covered with traces of paint. The easel and the drawing board were tied to his backpack, and the brushes and paints were hung on his wide belt. It was just that those packages were not full of murderous drugs and materials; rather it was filled with dried food.

At that time, although he was tall, he was abnormally thin, and his fingers could detect the obvious depression of his cheeks. There was no smell of blood from others on his body; only his own. Roscoe’s forest was vast and beautiful. It was a suitable place to die quietly— especially for a person who was being corroded by the toxins from the Abyss.

The memory was too early. He may not be as free and lax as he remembered, but he was determined to refuse to die without dignity on a hospital bed.

Time flew by so fast. Virgil grinned at the old stone bricks on the sole of his feet. When he first came “here”, there wasn’t even a shadow of the Church of Silence. There was only a huge, slowly decaying skeleton.

And a single person.

Even if all other memories fade, only this will not blur or disappear. At that time, he probably had just fixed the easel into the soil, or he might have sat on a tree stump and looked at the weird skeleton, calculating its proportions with a brush. A voice came from the tree, cold and unhappy. The pronunciation was weird and wasn’t normal…

“Human,” a strange young man leaning on tree said. “What are you doing?”

“Painting.” He raised his head and replied obediently, deciding not to care about any special pleasantries.

“What else?”

“Waiting to die,” he continued to answer. “What about you?”

“…Me too.”

The author has something to say：

Virgil: I don’t think you know my abilities.

(Really know)

Virgil: It shouldn’t be calculated on the spot.

(Really calculated)

Virgil: Light’s tone is a little stiff. He should be unhappy.

(Really nervous)

Oliver, who was watching, wanted to laugh hysterically, but as a Knight of Silence he couldn’t make a sound. It was really hard.

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