878 The Change of the Nobles Attitude (1/2)

Rentato's night was no different from any other cities'. Except for the cathedrals and the district of nobles that were illuminated by the everlasting light, the other places only had the light of the moon or the stars. Therefore, at such a pitch-dark night, Rentato was particularly cold and gloomy. The only thing that could be seen was the occasional lanterns.

”Blue Grace” Sharp stood next to the window in his bedroom and looked at the darkness outside attentively, as if the darkness that had nothing worth appreciating was the greatest significance of his life.

He raised his right hand and touched the lump on his nose. His vigorous blue eyes carried slight uneasiness. Other people might not know that Alfonsol, a giant of the Inquisition, had already left to hunt the sorcerers of the Tower of Destroyers. However, as the deputy captain of the Sword of Truth's Knights and one of the king's most trusted subordinates, he had enough sources for him to learn the fact. Therefore, he was waiting for an outcome.

Dum, dum, dum.

Somebody rushed close fast, with the thudding noises of iron boots and the clinking noises of his armor.

”Captain…” The knight who came to deliver the message breathed heavily. It took him only one minute to reach Lord Sharp's villa. ”The Heart of Time is back, heavily wounded. Alfonsol and all the clerics and night watchers he brought were killed!”

”The Heart of Time?” Unusually, Sharp failed to control his face. He was puzzled why Kritonia was involved in all this.

”The message is from the Radiance Church, but the details are unknown.” The knight said in a hurry, ”Captain, Kritonia accuses you of conspiring with the sorcerers to kill Alfonsol. He said that he came late and could only save his own life. He apparently wants you dead!”

The royal family had bribed a lot of bishops of the Holm parish, who were not strong or prominent but could deliver intelligence at the critical moments.

”Alfonsol saw through it. Or maybe somebody sold the operation plan to Kritonia. However, if he was involved, why is Alfonsol still dead, and why was he heavily wounded…” Sharp was in such confusion that he forgot he was in danger himself. He could not figure out the reason at all.

The knight suddenly fell on his knees; his armor bashing into the floor heavily. He cried, ”Captain, you should run! The Church won't let go of you! They need a scapegoat for their failure! They will set you on fire! As long as you hide until His Majesty is back, you will be innocent again!”

After a brief silence, Sharp held back his confusion and worries and said to his subordinate with his usual leadership, ”If I run, it will mean that I admit my crimes. I don't believe that the Church will sentence a duke to death with no evidence except for the jibber-jabber of the sorcerers, which would chill and terrify all the nobles.”

It was one of the scenarios he had in mind in case the operation failed and a sorcerer confessed after being captured. He had been prepared for that and believed nothing would happen to him under the king's protection. The only thing that bothered him was that the accusation was from Kritonia, another duke and a legendary knight. It was much more powerful than he imagined!

Clang!

The window quivered, and a cluster of fire penetrated through, turning into a brawny, tough-looking man in short hair.

”Captain, run now! Some red robe proposed to capture you!” He was ”Demon Igniter” Gourcuff.

Sharp clenched his right fist, but he was still calm. ”Don't worry. It's just regular capture and interrogation. They have no evidence. I'll be fine. If I run now, I will never be able to explain myself.”

”My lord, you cannot trust the Church. In the past, they judged many nobles that they were only suspicious of and sentenced them to death!” While Gourcuff admired the deputy captain for being so calm and steady in such a dangerous moment, he was still quite anxious because Francois might be on his way!

Sharp shook his head and grabbed the hilt of his longsword. ”They are all nobles below the rank of an earl, and I am a duke accoladed by His Majesty in person.”

”My lord…” Gourcuff almost decided to drag the deputy captain to flee, but Sharp's determined attitude made him hesitate. ”Why don't you hide in the Nekso Palace for now? I don't think the Church dares to break in. You can wait until His Majesty returns.”

”About that…” Sharp was tempted.

At this moment, a bolt of lightning struck in the sky, and a young man who had few strands of hair, which were all standing, appeared in his bedroom. He was surrounded by silver electric arcs, and his pupils and his skin were in the unusual silver colors. ”My lord, the Radiance Church has decided not to capture you. Instead, a red robe is sent to appease you.”

He was another one of Sharp's deputies, ”Argent Punishment” Cesc.

”What?” It was Gourcuff and the knight who came earliest who exclaimed in shock.

”Did something happen?” Sharp, as their leader, was equally astonished, but he still pretended to be cool on the surface.

Cesc shrugged. ”I don't know. We haven't received any updates yet. Maybe they just decided to respect the nobles…”