Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 2351: Chapter 2352: Cindy

Although Angelo’s presence in the entire story is not prominent, it doesn’t mean Angelo didn’t leave any clues.

"If the stories in the rumors are true, then Angelo returned to the Manbadger family at least twice." Nis: "When the Silver Lady revived and at her funeral, Angelo certainly came back."

Angel: "I think, back when the Silver Lady was still Miss Silver, she was paralyzed and then recovered, which might also have been Angelo’s doing."

Ironclad Granny nodded in agreement, "The Viscount’s wife died suddenly, and rumors spread outside, yet this Viscount did not control the public opinion. It’s very likely he didn’t dare to, to give an explanation to someone he dared not provoke."

This person whom even the Viscount can’t provoke is naturally the extraordinary Angelo.

Following this logic, regardless of whether the Silver Lady was paralyzed, the Viscount’s wife’s death is probably inseparable from Angelo.

Nis pondered for a moment: "What you said makes sense; at any rate, it is just speculation, let’s assume Angelo returned three times."

"The first time, the Silver Lady unexpectedly paralyzed, Angelo returned two months later."

"The second time, the Silver Lady ’died’ from an illness... personally, I think she was in a false death state; if it were a true death, even an official wizard would find it hard to save her. Let’s not discuss specifics for now; back to the point. Angelo arrived two days later and saved the Silver Lady."

"The third time, the Silver Lady died, and Angelo appeared at her funeral two days later."

"From these three returns of Angelo, quite some things can be deciphered."

For instance, every time the Silver Lady experiences an accident, Angelo can sense it immediately, surely having a method to know the Silver Lady’s condition.

But how exactly he sensed it is hard to trace back now, so let’s set it aside.

"Furthermore, from the timing of Angelo’s return to the Manbadger family after the Silver Lady’s incidents, more observations can be made."

The first time Angelo returned took two months, the latter two times only took two days. If Angelo returned from overseas by ship to Nirvana, two months would be normal, even fast. But arriving in two days is noteworthy.

Either Angelo was very close to the Silver Lady and could arrive within two days.

Or Angelo had already become an official wizard, able to return through a plane corridor.

Most tend to believe the first scenario because, by time deduction, Angelo is at most in his forties, and an official wizard that age would already be a prodigy, unlikely to be so unknown in the Southern Domain Wizard World.

Moreover, if Angelo really were an official wizard, reaching the Silver Lady’s location wouldn’t take two days; he could open a plane corridor and arrive in moments.

Thus, they speculate that Angelo’s real location, at least three years ago when the Silver Lady died, should have been within a two-day reach.

"According to the usual trajectory, thirty years ago, Angelo was just a teen, his strength likely not strong, being able to cure the Silver Lady’s paralysis, possibly reaching mid to late Level 1 apprentice. At that time, he probably couldn’t use a vehicle, taking two months by ship to Nirvana."

"Fifteen years ago, assuming Angelo’s talent was good, reaching the level of a third-Level apprentice at most, he certainly could use vehicles. Then, the place he was in is somewhere two days’ reach from Nirvana."

"Now we need to find where by ship takes two months to reach, and by vehicle, could reach Nirvana in two days."

Of course, all this is the optimal situation Nis laid out; there are certainly many variables, but there is no need to pinpoint Angelo’s exact location now, just sketch a general range.

After Nis finished speaking, Angel manipulated the illusion node, creating a sea map illusion in the center of everyone.

The sea map centered on Nirvana’s Night Lily Kingdom, extended outward, quickly showing a large scaled-down sea map before everyone’s eyes.

It included Nirvana, Devil’s Corridor, Revelation Continent, Feran Continent, and various islands, while the seas encompassed parts of Whisker Sea, Long Beach Sea, and Devil’s Sea.

This was set by Angel using the White Shell Marine Transport Company’s highest-speed cargo ships as a benchmark, marking places reachable in two months by ship.

Now, using the sea map illusion, Angelo’s activity range can be narrowed.

The first area everyone locked onto was Revelation Continent because the Underground Cavern is in Central Empire there.

"From Revelation Continent by ship to Nirvana... two months should be doable." Nis pointed to Revelation Continent and then gestured to Nirvana, his fingertip emitted a faint glow, drawing a line between the continents.

"Without any external factors, with the cargo ship at maximum speed and in favorable winds, Revelation Continent to Nirvana takes a month and a half." Angel also drew a line in the illusion, but his was a curved, winding regular shipping route, unlike Nis’s straightforward line.

"It seems Revelation Continent should be within Angelo’s activity range." Nis: "But upon closer thought, the shadow of Hurricane Tower looms behind Revelation Continent, and Neya has operated in the Central Empire for decades. To avoid exposure, Angelo and his people shouldn’t use Revelation Continent as a stronghold."

For now, Revelation Continent is set aside.

Everyone’s gaze continued to wander the sea map, finally settling on Sidro Misty Island.

Nis: "Sidro Misty Island... this island should also fall under Angelo’s activity range, and I’ve noticed, removing the Devil’s Sea factor, it is exactly a two-month journey from Nirvana. With a slightly higher-grade vehicle, it could also reach Nirvana within two days."

"Compared to Revelation Continent, Sidro Misty Island seems more like Angelo and his group’s base."

However, all remains speculative, without concrete evidence.

Nis pondered, then turned to Julington: "Regardless, continue searching for Angelo’s information in Nirvana and surrounding areas. Also, check if any Talented Ones were recruited by any witcher organization in Nirvana back when Angelo hadn’t left the Manbadger family."

Although Nis thinks Angelo may not have been recruited by a witcher organization, it’s worth checking.

Julington nodded gravely: "Okay, I’ll tell the others in the team now."

After speaking, Julington bowed to everyone, then returned to reality ahead.

Once Julington left, everyone studied the illusion sea map further, continuing to narrow down Angelo’s potential range. However, the range remained large, requiring more evidence to shrink it.

"I wonder how the exploration on Sidro Misty Island is going?" Nis sighed.

Based on current deductions, Sidro Misty Island still has a strong possibility of being within Angelo’s activity range. But further proof is needed.

"Any news from Wizard Ferro?" Angel asked.

Nis thought and replied: "Not entirely without news; four days ago, Ferro came online, saying he had arrived at Sidro Misty Island. However, no further information has come since, unsure if they’ve found anything."

Angel: "We’ll have to wait for Wizard Ferro to go online again to see if there’s any new news."

"That’s all we can do."

After a sigh, Angel put away the illusion of the sea chart, and casually chatted with Nis and Granny before preparing to return to reality.

Just as Angel finished saying goodbye, he heard the crisp sound of footsteps coming from the stairwell.

Turning back, he saw Tullas walking up quickly.

"Sir, there’s a lady named Cindy Cummings outside looking for you, saying she was sent by Wizard Ferro."

Angel paused and looked at Nis.

Nis and Angel exchanged glances, and a hint of surprise flashed in their eyes: they hadn’t expected that the moment they finished talking about Wizard Ferro, Ferro would send someone over; what a coincidence.

Nis quickly said, "Invite her up."

Angel sat back down, quietly waiting for the appearance of this Cindy the Witch.

Before long, a woman dressed in black leather trench coat, her black hair cut in sharp and cold edges of the dark style, appeared before them.

"Lord Nis, Lord Pat, and... Ironclad Granny," Cindy greeted respectfully, initially struggling to recognize Ironclad Granny’s identity, but upon confirmation, a trace of humility flickered across her previously indifferent expression.

"Look up," Nis examined Cindy, clicking his tongue a few times, "You, I remember you’re with Wizard Ferro’s team?"

Facing the lecherous look from Nis, a trace of disgust was apparent in Cindy’s eyes, but she managed to hold her expression in check and replied with lowered eyes, "Yes."

"Then..." Nis reached out and stroked Cindy’s smooth hand, "Then I’m curious, what have you discovered?"

Cindy wanted to pull her hand away, but the renown of Nis restrained her, and she ultimately bit her lip and remained still.

Angel glanced at Nis, then lightly pressed his index finger against the desk. Accompanied by an invisible ripple, with a series of cracking sounds, a chair formed by a Nightmare Illusion appeared before him.

Pushing the chair gently near Ironclad Granny, he said to Cindy, "Have a seat and tell us."

Cindy’s eyes lit up, and she nodded slightly to Angel, "Thank you, sir."

Seizing the chance, Cindy withdrew her hand and sat on a chair five or six meters away from Nis. After she sat down, Ironclad Granny, smiling, poured her a cup of rose tea.

Nis wanted to say something initially, but seeing Angel and Ironclad Granny’s protective demeanor, he quickly quieted down.

"I didn’t even do anything, do you have to be like this..."

Angel and Ironclad Granny couldn’t be bothered with Nis.

Ironclad Granny smiled kindly at Cindy, "Why didn’t Ferro come himself and instead sent you to convey the message?"

Cindy was initially in a daze, feeling as if she were dreaming when such a distinguished figure as Ironclad Granny poured her tea. It wasn’t until Ironclad Granny inquired that she recovered her senses and replied, "It’s because Lord Ferro temporarily left and hasn’t returned. The rest of us discussed and decided it was best to report to Lord Nis first."

Angel: "Ferro left? When did he leave and where did he go?"

Cindy: "He left two days ago, saying he would first go to that place to investigate."

That place? Which place? Angel initially wanted to ask this question, but upon thinking about it, he refrained and instead said, "Start from the beginning, from when you landed on Sidro Mist Island."

Cindy nodded and recounted everything that had happened in the past four days.

Four days ago.

Under Ferro’s leadership, a group of people finally landed on Sidro Mist Island. Next, they began searching on the island, looking for energy traces left by the group with numerical tattoos from before.

With a general range known, knowing it was along the northern sandy coastline of Sidro Island, the search wasn’t difficult, and soon they found a vast area obviously affected by energy blasts.

Where there is retention, there must be traces. Not to mention, the topography here had changed, making it very easy to find traces.

Ferro used a Level 1 Spell Technique—Breaking Delusion, to review the reality that had occurred from the remaining clues. Then, using the True Sight and dispelling the mists, he traced the route all the way off Sidro Island.

Finally, they ventured into the famously misty belt of the Devil’s Sea.

"After entering the mist belt, we encountered several dangers consecutively, even a massive sea beast over a hundred meters long, but under Lord Ferro’s leadership, we managed to come through unscathed."

"However, the energy field inside the mist belt is different from outside. Although we followed clues to get here, the leads began to lessen and were even eroded by the mist until they vanished."

"In the end, we didn’t find a specific location, only searched within a range for any other clues as indicated by Breaking Delusion’s retrospection."

Nis: "Did you find anything?"

Cindy: "You could say we did, but it wasn’t a clue we found; it was a soul."

"A soul? Is it fallen? Alive or undead?" Nis asked out of habit as it pertained to his domain.

Cindy: "It wasn’t fallen. As for whether it was a living soul or undead, I didn’t pay attention, but Lord Ferro should know."

"Whether it’s alive or dead doesn’t matter," Ironclad Granny interjected, "Since you said you found a clue, does that mean this soul knows something?"

Cindy nodded, "Yes, the reason we suspect this is because this soul has a tattoo on its face. An ’X’ on the left and a number ’1’ on the right."

Given that Ferro set out to find those with numerical tattoos on their faces, the tattoos on this soul’s face clearly indicate a connection to the Earth Cavern Sacrifice and the whereabouts of the Night Butterfly Witch.

Consequently, Ferro captured this soul and brought it to a nearby uninhabited island for interrogation.

At this point, Cindy glanced at Angel, "Right, while heading to the uninhabited island, I kept observing this soul, constantly feeling it looked familiar, and upon confirming its identity, realized my intuition wasn’t wrong."

"I’ve indeed seen this soul before. I reckon Lord Pat might also know of him."

Angel looked over: "Oh? He is..."

"Number 1."