Just as the great battle outside the Holy City was about to begin, the anticipated crisis was also sweeping toward Leilin.
"Sir! Our head of the coastal branch has sent word — there's no information on this Nick whatsoever. It's as if the man appeared out of thin air!"
A guard with triangular eyes and a sinister expression reported to Thomas.
"Furthermore, we've contacted all the other Pure-Blooded White Devil nobles, and none of them have any record of a 'Nick' in their family lines. Perhaps he's just from some obscure branch..."
"Can't find his background? Perfect! Then we'll arrest him on charges of espionage! Move out immediately!"
Thomas stroked his chin, a vicious glint in his eyes. He could endure this no longer.
As for considering the bigger picture? Ha! That had never once crossed Young Master Thomas's mind.
"Yes, sir!" The triangular-eyed guard immediately took his orders and departed.
If the previous butler Manbas were still around, he might have tried to dissuade Thomas. But this guard had no such intention — if anything, he seemed eager to fan the flames.
After all, as minor figures, they only wanted to seize every opportunity to climb the ranks. The bigger picture? Ha!
A menacing group arrived at the front of Leilin's tower residence and shoved the door open.
"Nick! Your crimes have been discovered! I'm placing you under arrest for espionage!"
Thomas held his head high, a look of gleeful satisfaction on his face, as though he could already see the other man's panicked expression.
"Oh? So you've held out until now. Agnes must have been the reason, then?"
But the response was clearly not what Thomas had anticipated. Upon hearing this news, the man showed not a shred of fear or panic — merely stroking his chin in thought.
"What's going on?"
Suddenly, a sense of foreboding washed over Thomas's entire heart. He felt a faint twinge of regret, as if he had done something exceedingly foolish today.
"Seize him!" The triangular-eyed guard at Thomas's side had no such complicated thoughts. Seeing Leilin looking so frail and decrepit — his life force diminished to the bare minimum — he issued the order without hesitation.
Several guards lunged forward, sparks flying through the air from the sheer speed — the garrison of the Holy City naturally boasted exceptional strength. Third-level limit was the bare minimum, and even squad leaders possessed the power of Fourth-level Wizards.
"Annihilation!"
But Leilin remained half-reclined in his lounge chair, not even moving a finger. He simply exhaled two syllables from his lips.
Crack! Crack!
The air seemed to freeze in an instant, followed by the sound of something shattering like crystal.
The guards who had lunged forward, along with the triangular-eyed one, were all consumed by a ring of black gas — not even their souls remained.
"That kind of power... and that black annihilation gas — you're... the Great Thief Dudé, who stole the massive stockpile of Holy Light Crystals! ...Ghk..."
As the heir of the Stuart Family, Thomas possessed at least this level of awareness. His teeth immediately began to chatter.
The Great Thief Dudé! This was a name that had recently emerged in the Holy City. The individual had done only one thing, yet it was enough to send massive shockwaves through the land.
Within the heavily guarded Holy City, the thief had struck directly, stealing the entire stockpile of Holy Light Crystals — and had even killed several of the most powerful guards in the process!
And the thief's most signature ability was precisely this black annihilation gas!
If it weren't for the ongoing state of war, Thomas believed that this feat alone would have been enough to make the thief's name known across all seven continents!
This act was a direct insult to the Stuart Family, the protectors of the Holy City. Even Thomas's sister Agnes had sworn she would bring the culprit to justice, but not a single lead had ever surfaced.
Yet Thomas had never imagined that the terrifying Great Thief Dudé would be hiding in his own home — and that the thief was none other than Nick!
The bizarre sense of contrast was so jarring that Thomas felt an overwhelming wave of unreality.
"You're the Great Thief Dudé, then why... why..."
Thomas stumbled back several steps, his face a mixture of panic and humiliation.
He had already realized it — the reason the other man had been so tolerant and accommodating before was that he'd been using Thomas as a cover all along. And here Thomas had been so smugly self-satisfied, when in reality he'd been played like a fool!
"You dare... you dare treat me like this! I will have my revenge, I swear it!"
Beneath the overwhelming humiliation came bone-deep hatred, coiling like a venomous serpent and gnawing at Thomas's heart.
On the surface, Thomas still wore that expression of fear tinged with humiliation. But in truth, the large ruby ring on his finger was already emitting a hidden, secret pulse.
"Do you know... why I chose to strike today, even at the cost of exposing myself?"
Leilin, however, seemed entirely oblivious to the small gesture, still half-reclined in his chair, asking calmly.
"N-no idea~" Thomas leaned against the wall, terrified that backing up any further would invite Leilin's pursuit. But inside, he was screaming: "Yes! Yes! That's it! Humiliating your prey before the kill — very well, bring it on! Just give me a little more time. Once the family's reinforcements arrive, I'll pay back the humiliation you've given me tenfold — a hundredfold!"
"You're probably thinking... that I'm like a hunter who wants to humiliate his prey a little before the kill!"