"It seems our negotiations have failed," Wizard Fei said, aiming the hand holding the Magic Card at the Demon Hunter. "But I won’t kill you. I need to take you back for questioning, so I will purify you instead."

’Questioning my ass,’ Baron thought. ’I don’t know where Carmen went either. Even if I found her, I’d probably be the one trying to collect a debt.’

The Demon Hunter’s face settled into an expression that said, ’This is such a pain, but I’ll have to deal with it.’ He didn’t draw his weapon, however.

Instead, under the palpable pressure emanating from the Silver Mage, he knocked on the door behind him. "Mr. Stephen, are you in there? If you don’t come out soon, you might just get to watch me die."

The door was pushed open, and the Silver Demon Hunter, Stephen, was standing right outside.

He had already arranged to visit Baron tonight, so his appearance here was reasonable enough.

Stephen’s gaze swept across the room before finally landing on Silver Wizard Fei.

"Mr. Fei, it’s been a while." Stephen bowed politely to Wizard Fei.

Fei nodded in return.

They knew each other. Baron had the sinking feeling that he’d backed the wrong horse.

Stephen then said, "You’re visiting Mr. L late at night. Could it be that you also wish to invite him to join the Wizard Tower?"

"Mr. L is indeed exceptional. He solved the Mundra Blood Demon Case, became the champion of the Hunting Competition, and made significant contributions in the battle to eradicate the Immortal Church," he said. "Furthermore, his profession is, after all, a Demon Hunter. Therefore, the First Hunter Association has already extended a sincere invitation for him to join us."

The implication was clear: ’I don’t care what the Wizard Tower wants, this man is under my protection.’

’So domineering, Mr. Stephen!’

Baron’s pride in having a powerful backer came surging back. It felt great.

Wizard Fei looked at Baron, then at Stephen. His incomparably handsome face was silent for a moment before he finally nodded. "It was presumptuous of me. Mr. L is indeed a rare young talent. My congratulations, Mr. Stephen."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the room. Baron’s pupils contracted. He couldn’t even see how Wizard Fei had disappeared; it was as if an eraser had simply wiped him from existence.

’Is this the power of a Silver Mage? Good thing I latched onto a powerhouse beforehand... Carmen is a Silver on the verge of becoming Gold. Doesn’t that mean she’s just as strong as him?’

Stephen looked at Baron and said slowly, "Wizard Fei, the next Tower Master of the Wizard Tower. For him to come looking for trouble with you... L, you certainly have a lot of enemies."

Baron gave an awkward smile. "That just means there are also many who admire me."

Stephen chuckled. ’Demon Hunter L might not be as unapproachable as he appears,’ he thought. He and Baron then fell into another conversation.

A brief summary would go something like this: Stephen said, "Mr. L, you’re awesome."

The Demon Hunter said, "No, Mr. Stephen, you’re the awesome one."

Mr. Stephen said, "Mr. L, have you considered joining the Association?"

The Demon Hunter said, "Holy shit, I’d be a complete idiot not to join under these circumstances."

Mr. Stephen grasped the Demon Hunter’s hand and said, "That’s wonderful! Chairman Liuxia read about your exploits in the news. He invites you to help him become the Emperor."

’Becoming the Emperor by rising above the seven Electors... that sounds interesting. It would be even more interesting if you swapped the title of Emperor for the Holy Grail, and threw in a few Demon Hunters as "Masters." They’d have to be from the Silver Faction, of course, since there are three Command Spells.’

Baron said, "It would be my honor to fight for Chairman Liuxia."

Afterward, the two exchanged more pleasantries and subtle inquiries.

By the time their conversation wound down, a thick, late-night fog had begun to gather outside the church window, and a crow perched on a lamppost, hunting insects in the light.

Mr. Stephen said, "So, Mr. L, when do you plan to leave for Steel City? Lady Arilan and I are scheduled to depart tomorrow. The selection ceremony in Gillian is in two months. You can attend and sit by my side. At that time, I will introduce the champion of the Hunting Competition to the entire city..."

Baron replied, "I don’t plan to travel with you, however. As one of the Feinan People, I’ve decided to measure this land with my own two feet. Perhaps it can be considered a form of training."

"I’ll see you in Steel City, then."

"See you in Steel City," Stephen said, rising to his feet.

The door closed. Just as Baron was lamenting how he had to use the real-world social skills from his past life’s business dinners even after transmigrating to an Otherworld, a sudden, chilly gust of wind blew in from behind him.

Baron got up to close the window, but after the curtains fluttered for a moment, a ghostly figure appeared by the window.

Almost instinctively, Baron’s muscle memory took over. He raised his gun, pulled the trigger, and a spark flew from the muzzle.

BANG! But it wasn’t a bullet that shot out. It was a flower—a single, light-purple tulip.

The ghostly figure had appeared in front of Baron at some point, dressed in a form-fitting, rose-red gown. Her long, cloud-like hair cascaded down like a fiery sunset.

Her rose-gold eyes were clear and bright, yet full of life. Her bare, shapely feet, however, were covered in scars that looked like a mixture of blood and scales.

She took the flower and offered it to Baron, a childlike smile on her gorgeous face. "Mr. L, this flower is for you."

From this one gesture, Baron knew who stood before him.

It was a Witch, but not Carmen.

It was KK.

KK sat on the bed, hugging her scarred feet, her hands cupping her face and squishing her cheeks like a dumpling.

"To be honest, I don’t know what happened either... I woke up looking like this. I’ve recovered a little of my Spiritual Power, but not much... You asked why Carmen left you?"

KK tapped her chin with a finger, her small fangs glinting slightly. She then shook her head. "I don’t know... I don’t have any memories about that..."

’Trying to get out of paying her debt, is she?’

Having been warned by both Triss and Wizard Fei that Witches were nothing but trouble, Baron was convinced that anyone who trusted them was a moron. He fully expected to be tricked and had already decided he had to settle things while this Witch was still weak. Annoyed, he said: