Chapter 208 (1): Here Comes Spring, the Season of Awakenings

Lando Estate.

As usual, Megan stood at the door to the study with a soundproofing barrier set up. As usual, Auston had his antique silver coin in his hand in the study. Before Wayne could say anything, he said bluntly, “I have something to tell you, so I’ll go first.”

“Let me go first. It’s more important.” Wayne fancied himself a well-mannered man, especially when he was dealing with older people, but Auston was an exception. He quickly continued, “When I went to the detective agency today, I saw someone washing the ground. I asked around and found out that a few people died at the Dawn Detective Agency across the street.”

“Dawn Detective Agency...” Auston caught the keywords. He said bemusedly, “The detective agency is related to the faith of Death. It’s the Death Knight’s creation, in fact. Who would dare to dance on his grave?”

“That’s what I thought, so I sent my secretary, Mona, to investigate. It turns out that something did happen.” Wayne lowered his voice. “Although she hasn’t heard anything, she’s a clergywoman and detected traces of hell around the detective agency. She told me with confidence that Londan is facing another demonic intrusion.”

“How troublesome.”

“You can say that again!” Wayne sighed. “Although I’m Mona’s employer, she is, in fact, planted by the Church of Heavenly Father to keep an eye on me. Occasionally, she provides me with information on demons. Due to the previous coincidences, the church mistook me for a good man. That was why they alerted me this time.”

“What a serious misunderstanding,” Auston commented.

Wayne rolled his eyes. He couldn’t be bothered with defending himself. “According to Mona, the demons and the Church of Death have clashed, and the Death Knight is the target. They are going to make a great ruckus with Londan as the battlefield.”

“So? Isn’t it a good thing for them to be at each other’s throats?”

Wayne didn’t know what to say to that. If he weren’t the Death Knight, that would indeed be a good thing.

“I know what you’re suggesting,” Auston said. “Neither demons nor the Death Knight are going to pull back, so the Ministry of Magic should be notified as soon as possible to prevent accidents, yes?”

“No, I don’t trust the Ministry of Magic. The legendary mages, especially, will be the first to seek a deal if they know that there are living demons in Londan.” Wayne spread his hands. Obed was the best example of what the legendary mages were capable of.

“It would depend on the demons. Legendary mages are picky. They won’t just work with any of them.” Auston played with his coin. Mages came in different ranks, and so did demons. Both sides wanted to work with the top dogs.

Using Obed as an example again, he wouldn’t have settled for the Thousand-Eyed Demon if any of the Seven Demon Lords had agreed to work with him.

“I understand, but... they are demons, representing hell. They are experts in tempting people, and the legendary mages are easily tempted...” Wayne expressed his concern in a roundabout way.

Regular demons weren’t threatening, and neither was one legendary mage. But when they banded together? Their combined destructive power would be greater than the sum of their individual strengths.

“I’ll notify the Minister,” Auston responded. Glancing at Wayne, he said, “No one likes demons, neither you, me, nor the Minister. The legendary mages are no exception. However, this is the human world, and the most threatening beings here aren’t the demons. They are outsiders at the end of the day.”

“Are you saying that the Church of Heavenly Father is more threatening?”

“Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about the human heart.” Auston sighed. “You’ve looked into the Snow family. You should know that to keep the Church of Heavenly Father in check, the Ministry of Magic will happily work with demons.”

When he said the Ministry of Magic, he meant the royal family. He didn’t spell it out since he knew that Wayne would understand. They should leave the Queen with some dignity intact.

“Outside of working with the demons, does the Ministry of Magic not have other means at hand?” Wayne grumbled in exasperation.

“Many, including the Forgotten Ones, the Astral Plane, and the faiths. The Ministry of Magic also oversees many subordinate research departments. The dragon-blooded mutants you encountered before are an example. In comparison, demons account for only a small percentage of the ministry’s arsenal.”

“Still, it’s effective and gives a high return on investment, so it’s the Ministry of Magic’s ace against the Church of Heavenly Father, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Both of them fell silent.

“Auston, what do you think the Queen will do with the demons in Londan?”

“Depends on the demons.”

The conversation made a full circle. Wayne felt resigned. Blood Tyrant had established themselves in hell. Although they weren’t one of the Seven Demon Lords, they did rank higher. The two other demons who had descended were likely familiars, too, and their masters would be similar in ranking to Blood Tyrant.

The Seven Demon Lords regularly ghosted mages, making the strategic appeal of the higher-ranking demons like Blood Tyrant skyrocket. The Ministry of Magic wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation. That was what worried Wayne.

He huffed, “How is the rabble going to build a robust nation?”

“What? Do you want to do things like Franc?” Auston snorted. “The Francan circle of magic is much more complacent than Windsor’s. You may find our way of doing things disagreeable, but you can’t deny that the world of magic has maintained order in Windsor. In the long run, the Ministry of Magic has been a net plus.”

“In the long run, the Ministry of Magic has been patching an increasing number of holes. Once tension reaches a tipping point, there will be an explosion, and nothing will remain.”

“Yes, that is how things are throughout history.” Auston nodded. “Then what do you propose that the ministry do? Just disband and let religious powers rule over Windsor, returning to the chaotic time in the past?”

ε=(´ο`*)))

Wayne sighed. History recorded reality, and reality... well, it was too damn realistic.

“Wayne, don’t bother worrying about something you cannot shoulder. Just fulfill your duty as the heir. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I’ll seek out Veronica tonight to fulfill my duty as the heir, extending the Lando family’s bloodline and producing a child every year.”

Auston pulled a long face. After a moment of silence, he said, “Two days from now is the birthday of the new mayor of the Financial Town, Angelo. You’ll attend the birthday banquet with me. Remember, it’s another person’s birthday celebration. You and I are guests rather than the main star, so watch your mouth.”

“Can I bring my secretary?”

“Only I can!” Auston flaunted his authority as the head of the family and said sarcastically, “January eleventh is your birthday, isn’t it? It’s five days away. Are you not doing anything?”

“I’ll just do whatever. I don’t care about my birthday.”

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Wayne shook his head. That was the birthday on his personal document, but since he was a double agent, the birthday was most likely fake. There was no point in celebrating it. Besides, juggling wasn’t easy. If he dropped a ball and caused a chain reaction, he would end up hurting himself.

Auston looked at Wayne with a glint of interest in his eyes, his lips curled into a slight smile. He planned to invite a few women to the celebration on the eleventh. The intimate celebration would be held at the young master’s mansion.

He expected an entertaining show!