Chapter 144: The Empire’s Border... The Demon Lord Lin Wei Seeks the Hero!

​The suite was vast and lavishly appointed—a display of opulence born from deliberate intent.

​Even now, after the audacious spectacle of his arrest and detainment by the Holy See, Duke Ous enjoyed comforts most commoners could only dream of, his high nobility status granting him lingering privileges.

​“They still haven’t paid this month’s taxes, have they?” His voice was cold, eyes fixed beyond the window where shafts of sacred light flickered in silent procession.

​Duke Ous’s expression was dour. Yet, within that ethereal glow, even his stained soul seemed—for a fleeting heartbeat—almost at peace.

​“No, Your Grace.” The butler dipped his head respectfully, carrying on with his usual duties, as if Ous’s captivity were a mere formality.

​For a noble of his rank, even imprisonment became something singular. Since his arrival, the only true limitation was his freedom to come and go. Guests visited without hindrance; the supposed confinement resembled a change of scenery for a leisurely retreat more than a punishment.

​Because of this, the anger from his initial detention had mostly faded. Instead, Duke Ous found himself relaxing—basking in the warm, holy radiance streaming through the windows.

​“Hah… Ungrateful rabble, the lot of them.” A scowl wrinkled his brow as his fingers drummed idly on the chair’s armrest.

​With unwanted leisure forced upon him, Ous had found ample time to reflect upon recent events.

​The joint Tribunal investigation was set to begin that very day.

​He wasn’t the only target—his estates and his dealings with other powerful nobles were likely to be swept up by scrutiny as well.

​Fortunately, his steward’s loyalty had proven ironclad, each estate kept under strict control—just as the High Council had subtly arranged for this window of time.

​Had the Holy See caught any rumor and launched surprise raids on his fellow nobles, real disaster would have followed.

​“As long as their investigation turns up nothing,” he muttered to himself, “the Holy See will have no choice but to let everyone go.”

​“And when that day comes, I’ll see to it that every newspaper in the Empire hosts my account—so that Pope Selena, and that Lin Wei brat, know precisely…”

​“To cross a Duke of the Empire is to invite ruin!”

​His thoughts spiraled again toward the reason he found himself confined to these bleak chambers reserved for suspects.

​Ous’s fists tightened; a dangerous gleam flickered in his eyes, fury simmering just beneath the surface.

​“Shall we suspend the current plan to collect seasonal taxes, then?” The steward asked cautiously, reading the Duke’s barely contained rage.

​“No. Proceed as planned.” Ous’s reply was crisp. “Let Carlos and Randy execute my orders—those two villages, erase them.”

​Despite years of loyal service to House Ous, the steward lifted his head in alarm at the command.

​“My Lord… are you certain?” Though his loyalty was unshakable, this order was so reckless that even he dared protest.

​“The Holy See is already digging everywhere for evidence,” the steward cautioned, voice low. “If Carlos and Randy massacre villages now, won’t it only stoke suspicion?”

​“It might be wiser to wait, just a few days—until Your Grace’s release before acting. There’s no harm in patience…”

​He never finished. The Duke silenced him with a wave, dismissing the concern more gently than usual.

​Perhaps because it was his own butler, and boredom gnawed at him during these days in the Hall of Judgement, Duke Ous decided, for once, to explain himself.

​“It’s precisely because of the current state of affairs that I order them to proceed,” he said calmly.

​“Oh?” The butler’s curiosity flickered behind his respectful mask.

​“The Holy See suspects me of colluding with the Cult of Evil Gods,” the Duke continued. “So, by all logic, I—the so-called culprit—should be cowering here, halting all operations for fear of exposure, correct?”

​“In other words, the Holy See is at their least vigilant right now.”

​The butler blinked. Such audacity was something even he hadn’t anticipated—but in a flash, he comprehended the depth of his master’s gambit.

​“They would never imagine I’d risk everything for a handful of taxes now,” the Duke pressed on, his eyes shining. “Nor could they fathom that I still dare to target the frontline’s crucial supply lines—to ensure that the moment I walk free, Pope Selena loses her throne!”

​“So… you’ve already drawn up the map for the Transport Route Plan, haven’t you?”

​Back when the estate was attacked, the Duke had risked invoking the Evil God’s power to force Secretary Rennie to reveal the route.

​The only looming doubt was whether the opposition had changed course in light of recent threats.

​The next update brought some reassurance.

​“I have already passed the supply route map along to Carlos and his men,” the butler affirmed, “and I just received news via the Holy See’s public bulletin.”

​He paused a moment, organizing his recollection of the report, before continuing:

​“Prior to Your Grace’s detainment in the Tribunal, Pope Selena dispatched a covert convoy, moving the supplies to the Northern Fortress.”

​“And just recently, the convoy left the border. By all indications, they are set to arrive at Brook City-State within the next two days—no change to the original route. Your orders, sire?”

​“They set out before the assault on my estate?” Duke Ous’s brow rose in surprise.

​“But the supplies were manufactured only two days ago. How are they nearing Brook City-State so quickly?”

​“Could it be... To secure her seat, Pope Selena resorted to desperate measures—hiring porters to move the cargo via teleportation arrays to the front? The cost would run at least a million gold coins. She would go that far?”

​Extravagant, but feasible.

​Duke Ous nodded slightly; even for Pope Selena, these were extraordinary times.

​To protect her rule and the Church’s lifeline, no price was too high. Failure was not an option.

​“In the end, the windfall all but delivers itself to my hands,” he mused coolly.

​“Pass word to Carlos and the others—burn the villages along the way and reach Brook City-State with all haste.”

​“Pope Selena… you had me hauled before the Tribunal, slandered with countless accusations. Let us see, then, when your supply lines are once again pillaged by ‘demons’—what excuses you’ll muster next.”

​“Whoa… so this is the Holy See’s teleportation circle.”

​The Empire’s Borderlands.

​A ring of formidable stone fortresses enfolded the realm like a steel gauntlet, their walls towering and impenetrable.

​This was the legendary Northern Border Wall—the singular passage out of the Empire’s coldest reaches.

​Beyond, a hundred li of imperial territory formed the buffer, and after that… the foreign lands of the northern nations.

​Behind Lin Wei, luminous traces of the transport spell still shimmered, lingering in the air—a spell that had ferried him from the imperial capital to the borderlands in a heartbeat.

​Truth be told, this was his first time experiencing such a marvel.

​“This is a hundred times more convenient than flying,” he muttered to himself.

​“Let’s see… The City-State of Brook should be over there. I ought to pay my respects to the fallen—”

​“Lin Wei?!”

​A sharp, familiar voice rang out behind him so abruptly that Lin Wei nearly jumped.

​He turned instinctively, arrested by a bold flash of crimson hair. Before him stood a girl—her bearing poised, youthful, and resolute.

​A tailored mage’s robe traced the elegance of her slim, athletic frame. She tilted her chin ever so slightly, lending her a prideful air. Lively confidence colored her voice.

​In that instant, her whole presence—her stance, her expression, her every word—burned with unmistakable personality.

​“I never expected to find you out here, of all places!”

​“Well, what brings you to the borderlands, country bumpkin? Out sightseeing? Or looking for a thrill?”

​“You…”

​That face—he would know it anywhere, even if reduced to ashes.

​Standing before him was the same woman, her lips drawn up in a mocking smirk. Pride glittered in her eyes; even now, her beauty struck him, half with charisma, half with disdain.

​Lin Wei’s hackles rose. He barely managed to swallow her name.

​“Miss Iresha, the city pest with no manners!”

​“Hey! Hold on a second—”

​Abruptly, Lin Wei’s instincts sharpened. His gaze darted around him, senses prickling with alarm.

​That familiar oppressive sensation—like the goddess Alicia herself had set her sights on him—descended, nearly stifling.

​If troublesome Iresha was here, her companions couldn’t be far behind.

​Which meant—the Hero’s Party was here too?

​Am I cursed? Why do I always run into these people!?