Sword of Dawnbreaker

He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze slipping into temporary bewilderment, and at the moment his focus disappeared, the warm lighting, the roaring fireplace in the corner, and the neat furnishings vanished simultaneously.

The room plunged into darkness, with not even a candle, nor a burning fireplace. In fact, apart from a single chair by the window, there was no furniture at all.

The man named Grando stood quietly in this empty, pitch-black room, at the entrance, in a daze for a full two minutes.

Two minutes later, he blinked, and the room instantly returned to its previous warm and bright appearance, with the black-robed Bishop Daniel reappearing in the chair before him.

A chill ran down his spine, and Grando shivered involuntarily, realizing he had just undergone a thorough ”examination” by the powerful Eternal Sleepers’ bishop in front of him, he couldn’t help but nervously and fearfully speak: ”My lord, I...”

”Your memories have been modified,” Daniel stated bluntly, ”The investigation ends here; do not delve any deeper.”

”...Understood,” cold sweat dripped from Grando’s ear, laden with fear, ”Thank you for the warning.”

”Mm,” Daniel nodded, ”Also, avoid long connections to the mind network recently, and if you must connect, maintain a shallow access, do not delve deeply.

”Lastly, a Supreme Council of Bishops’ archbishop may contact you soon, inquiring about your recent investigations. When the time comes, do not hide anything for me, speak candidly.”

Grando couldn’t help but show a shocked expression, instantly realizing the truth about his memory modification. He blurted out, ”My lord, could it be the ones who modified my memory and concealed the truth are the archbishops...”

He stopped mid-sentence, closing his mouth watchfully, and asked in a low voice: ”My lord, what exactly has happened with the mind network lately?”

”Don’t ask too much,” Daniel interrupted lightly, ”Knowing too much is not always a good thing.”

Another bout of chill swept over him, Grando swallowed nervously, cautiously refraining from speaking further.

Then, everything in his vision suddenly swayed.

The lights vanished, the fireplace disappeared, the furnishings all gone, and Black Iron Lane No. 14 reverted to a dark, empty room. The man named Grando blinked, completely alert, finding himself standing at the room’s entrance, hand reaching behind, still maintaining the posture of casually closing the door.

The powerful, mysterious bishop of the Eternal Sleepers has departed, from Grando’s mind.

...

In the Mage District of Aldernon, inside a brightly lit and elegantly decorated villa, Daniel was sitting on an armchair in the study, holding a scroll and casually flipping a page.

Behind him, the artificial nerve cord lay quietly and obediently, with only its end poking out from beneath his clothes, slightly swaying near the chair’s backrest.

”...It’s time to consider how to deal with certain Archbishop’s inquiries,” the old mage sighed silently to himself, ”just not sure which one I’ll be facing...”

The Supreme Council of Bishops is indeed trying to hide a great secret, and this secret definitely involves extensive ramifications, with great impact. They are closely monitoring all information related to this secret.

Daniel felt a sense of relief.

Fortunately, he had been strictly following his master’s instructions, controlling the extent of his investigation, meticulously managing the details of his actions. Even though he was investigating the fluctuations in the mind network, his behavior wasn’t overly abnormal, but more like a loyal follower concerned about the mind network’s operation, actively troubleshooting issues upon discovering anomalies.

An excellent, passionate, proactive Chief of Security.

Apart from some overreach, his loyalty was almost beyond words.

...

In the Obsidian Palace, Emperor Rosetta Augustus was seated behind his broad desk, while Duke Ferdinand Wendell was seated diagonally across.

Watching the emperor reading the letter, Ferdinand suddenly felt a wave of emotion.

Since the rise of the Cecil Clan, since the situation unexpectedly turned in a direction no one anticipated, the Typhon Ruler, tormented by the curse of the family, suddenly seems revitalized, his spirit renewed and full of vigor. As for himself, he had been summoned by the emperor more frequently, visiting the Obsidian Palace more often than usual.