The fact that Ryan valued this meeting so highly meant it was likely related to either the Nightmare Cult or Rudolph’s situation.
It was highly probable that they wanted him to provide some clues.
Luca had already prepared a narrative in his mind, so he wasn’t concerned.
“Let’s go,” he nodded and stood up, following Charles to the second floor.
Before long, they arrived at the familiar conference room in the City Lord’s Mansion.
“My lord, Viscount Luca is here,” Charles announced after knocking on the conference room door.
Ryan’s steady and powerful voice echoed from inside, “Come in.”
The two of them pushed open the door and entered. The room had already been cleared out, and many people were present.
Besides Count Ryan, there was Dean Kruse, Director Fred, Lucia, Lord Kurk, and a few others.
“My lord, you asked for me?” Luca feigned confusion and asked politely.
Sitting at the head of the table, Ryan smiled warmly. “Have a seat wherever you like. There’s no need to be tense. The reason I called you here today is to get more information regarding Rudolph and the Nightmare Cult.”
“The Nightmare Cult is a grave threat. We cannot allow them to go unchecked. We must root them out completely.”
As soon as the Nightmare Cult was mentioned, Vice Dean Kruse sighed deeply, “Unfortunately, those rats are incredibly cunning. I’ve already searched the Beast Forest, but aside from that large summoning array and evidence of a blood sacrifice, we found no other clues. We still don’t even know what exactly they were trying to do in the Beast Forest.”
“That’s why we’d like to hear from you,” Kruse continued.
Luca instantly understood. Since Ryan and the others returned too late, they were unaware of the Nightmare Cult’s plan and had no idea that Jormungandr had already been enslaved by him, rendering the Nightmare Cult effectively defunct.
Fortunately, he had already prepared a plausible story.
Luca gave a slightly edited version of the events after he was captured by Tia, recounting them for the group.
He told mostly the truth, with the exception of Jormungandr’s enslavement, making it nearly impossible for even a truth-detecting secret technique to find any flaws in his story.
After listening to his account, everyone’s expressions turned grim.
Bayou frowned and speculated, “Could it be that these lunatics were trying to summon the King-level monster they worship? Otherwise, there’s no way the Nightmare Cult would go to such lengths…”
Their thoughts aligned closely with Luca’s earlier deductions—everyone had correctly guessed the Nightmare Cult’s intentions.
Kurk gritted his teeth. “Those damned maniacs! Is there nothing they won’t do? If a King-level monster were to descend upon the Clinton Empire, it would trigger an unprecedented catastrophe!”
Kruse furrowed his brow. “The problem now is that we have no idea if their plan succeeded or not. If they really did summon that monster into the Eternal World, we must report it immediately!”
Everyone nodded in agreement. If it were an unknown-tier King-level monster, it was beyond their ability to handle. They would need to report this matter to Dawn City and have the capital send specialized personnel to resolve it.
After a moment of feigned contemplation, Luca spoke up, sharing his conjecture. “I believe that the Nightmare Cult’s plan most likely failed. That cultist named Tia seemed extremely frustrated at the time and then left Beast Forest alone. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made it out alive.”
Fred nodded in agreement. “If their plan had succeeded, there’s no way we wouldn’t have noticed. The commotion caused by that nine-headed monster could be seen from a hundred miles away.”
The others found Luca’s words to be reasonable, and collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as that King-level monster hadn’t been successfully summoned, everything was manageable. If it had, it wouldn’t just be Riverfall City suffering the consequences. The entire Clinton Empire could have been severely impacted once that monster reached its full strength.
No one suspected Luca of lying; they couldn’t fathom any reason for him to do so in such a serious matter.
Naturally, this issue wouldn’t be resolved so easily. The Nightmare Cult had managed to survive and grow into such a large organization over the years. It must have its own means of concealment and covert channels, making it difficult to completely eradicate in a short period of time.
After discussing some follow-up actions, everyone agreed to report the situation to Southwind City and let Marquis Bronte make the final decision.
The meeting concluded, and everyone began to leave.
Just as Luca was about to follow them out, Ryan called out.
“Luca, wait a moment.”
Luca’s heart skipped a beat, fearing that he might have let something slip.
He started thinking of ways to cover himself.
But soon realized he was worrying over nothing.
Ryan approached him and took out a white envelope sealed with a red wax stamp, handing it to him.
“What’s this?” Luca asked curiously.
Ryan smiled and explained, “You killed Rudolph and Matthew. Lina and the Franco family won’t let you off easily. This is an admission recommendation letter for Red Maple Academy. With it, you can gain entry to the Academy and have an audience with Orf.”
Luca thought about it briefly and was about to politely decline.
Riverfall City could no longer satisfy his leveling and growth needs. It was only a matter of time before he moved on to Southwind City. However, he hadn’t considered joining an academy.
Given his current strength and knowledge, he could probably teach those students himself. He didn’t have the time to waste on so-called academic pursuits.
Spending his time searching for the secret realms filled with treasures from his previous life would be far more beneficial. Those hidden locations were where he could achieve the fastest progress in improving his strength.
Just as he was about to refuse, Ryan’s next words made him change his mind.
Ryan smiled warmly and said, “Once you join Red Maple Academy, not only will you gain access to the vast resources of the Academy, but you’ll also have the opportunity to study under Dean Orf himself. He is a Sky-level Superclass Demonic Rune Mage, and his expertise in magic runes is profound. I’m certain his guidance will be invaluable for your growth.”
Upon hearing this, Luca’s heart skipped a beat.
A Sky-level Superclass Demonic Rune Mage!
In the world of Eternal World, after reaching Diamond-level, the next advancement was Superclass. Superclass professionals were further divided into three tiers: Earth-level at Level 70, Sky-level at Level 80, and Star-level at Level 90!
The difference between each level was astronomical—over ten times greater than the gap between Purple-gold and Diamond-level!
Even in his past life, Sky-level Superclass professionals were well-known powerhouses whose names resounded throughout the land. And now, he had the opportunity to interact with one so early in his journey, who happened to be a Demonic Rune Mage no less!
“Thank you very much, Lord Count!” Luca nodded and agreed without hesitation. This was an opportunity he couldn’t refuse. With a Superclass Demonic Rune Mage to guide him, his progress in the field of magic runes would undoubtedly accelerate.
Ryan’s smile widened. “Vice Dean Kruse plans to return to Red Maple Academy tomorrow afternoon. You can accompany him and his entourage back.”
Luca nodded lightly and then excused himself from the City Lord’s conference room.
Returning to the banquet hall, he noticed that the lights had dimmed, and the soft melody of a violin drifted through the air.
The center of the hall had been cleared, and pairs of men and women began to waltz gracefully across the floor.
It seemed the evening had transitioned into the ball portion of the event.
Luca wasn’t particularly interested in dancing, so he found a quiet corner, sat down, and began to watch the couples twirl around the dance floor. He picked at the sumptuous spread of fruits and delicacies laid out in front of him, savoring the rare moment of leisure.
Not far away, Fratis noticed Luca.
Seeing him sitting alone in a corner, silently indulging in food, a gleam of curiosity lit up in her eyes.
So, Viscount Luca is also a lover of good food…
Luca was lost in thought when, suddenly, a slice of red cake appeared in front of him.
“Huh?” He blinked, puzzled, and glanced to the side. There, Fratis stood, smiling brightly. Her posture was elegant, and her ample curves made her presence all the more striking.
Fratis blinked playfully and said, “Viscount Luca, why don’t you try this cake? It’s a delicacy unique to Redwind City. It’s quite hard to come by anywhere else.”
“Uh, thank you,” Luca replied, amused, as he accepted the cake.
He could tell that this girl genuinely wanted to share the food with him. There wasn’t any hidden agenda; she probably didn’t encounter many people with similar interests among the nobility and saw him as a kindred spirit—just another foodie.
Luca took a bite of the cake. It was sweet and creamy, with a delightful hint of strawberry jam.
“It’s really good, delicious even. But it’s not quite on par with a strawberry shortcake,” he commented, nodding slightly as he offered his assessment.
“Strawberry shortcake? What’s that?” Fratis’s eyes widened in surprise. She had never heard of such a dessert.
Luca snapped back to reality and realized that there were no strawberries in Eternal World. He quickly explained, “It’s a type of food from my hometown. If I get the chance, I’ll bring some over for you to try.”
Fratis’s beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled brightly. “Thank you! The dessert area over there has a lot more delicious treats, and the milk in the beverage section is quite good too. I’ll go get some for you!”
[Ding! Fratis’s favorability towards you +100!]
Seeing the notification in front of him, Luca couldn’t help but smile wryly.
He wondered if all the nutrition had gone to this girl’s chest, leaving her so naive and innocent.
If you’re this easy to fool, do the King and Queen know about it?
“Please, there’s no need for that, Princess. I can get it myself,” Luca quickly stopped her. If he really let Fratis fetch food for him, who knew how much trouble it would stir up?
Hearing him address her as “Princess,” Fratis seemed to realize what Luca was concerned about.
A slight dimness flickered in her eyes. She forced a smile and, without saying anything further, turned around and left.
Watching her retreating figure, Luca shook his head slightly.
For a child born into the royal family to retain such purity of heart was indeed a rarity, like finding a needle in a haystack.
But that didn’t change the fact that she was still… a potential source of trouble.
Shifting his gaze back to the banquet hall, Luca decided to divert his attention to the elegant, seductive figures of the young women dancing gracefully across the floor.
Noticing his gaze, some of the younger girls blushed, quickly averting their eyes, only daring to sneak peeks at him in their shyness.
The more mature ladies, on the other hand, met his gaze boldly, sending flirtatious looks his way—sensual, alluring, and openly suggestive.
Luca savored the sight of these beauties, each with their own unique charm, while enjoying the delectable food. His mood gradually lifted as he took in the delightful ambiance.
“Are the noble ladies pleasing to the eye?” A cool, calm voice suddenly spoke up beside him.
“Very pleasing!” Luca reflexively nodded in agreement.
The moment he realized what he’d said, his expression froze.
