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The coffin of Duke St. Hilde sat in the main hall of the church.

Who could have expected that just yesterday, this Duke of the North Territory had presided over the wedding of Colin and Vera, and now, he had closed his eyes forever.

The unfathomable nature of fate is like pollen in water undergoing Brownian motion, its next trajectory impossible to predict with the limited wisdom of mortals.

The coffin lid was open, and nobles from the North Territory came up in turn to express their condolences.

Colin stood by the coffin, hand in hand with Vera, staring blankly at the duke’s remains, lost in thought.

The broken body of Duke St. Hilde had been reassembled, and the artisans’ skills were excellent. Apart from the unremovable cracks, there seemed to be no difference from the original.

Anyone who has tried to piece together a broken vase would understand how difficult it is.

In a sense, Colin was also an accomplice to the death of Duke St. Hilde.

If it weren’t for the blood slave under his control that let go at the critical moment of Mr. Ji casting a spell, this forbidden spell may never have succeeded.

If it happened again, Colin would still choose to let go and let Duke St. Hilde die.

He would never forget the humiliation the Northern Duke had inflicted upon him, and the harm he caused to Vera, to Marquis Garcia.

If he missed this opportunity, he really wouldn’t know how to deal with this Northern figure who stood at the peak of both military and intellectual strength.

Perhaps Colin would forever be at the mercy of the Northern Duke, just like at Vera’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Although this ruthless Northern Duke seemed to stand on Colin’s side, his existence brought only infinite pressure to Colin. As long as he was in the North, Colin could only remain obedient.

Furthermore, he constantly feared turning into a chess piece that could be easily sacrificed by the other party.

Don’t be fooled by Colin’s current status as the son-in-law of the duke. This ruthless duke could even sell his own son at will, a son-in-law would matter even less.

This way, he also indirectly avenged Vera and Marquis Garcia.

As for whether or not this would cause the situation in the North to collapse, Colin wasn’t overly worried.

‘Chaos is a ladder.’

Although Marquis Dawson had said this with ill intentions, it still resonated with Colin.

For an ambitious man like Colin, a chaotic North might be more suitable for him.

So, it’s better that the duke is dead.

The only thing that Colin regretted was that after Duke St. Hilde turned to stone, his blood seemed to have disappeared.

Otherwise, he would have seized the chance to taste the sweet blood of a holy knight.

Once the nobles concluded their mourning, Bishop Pers stepped forward and sprinkled holy water into the coffin while chanting prayers.

Finally, under the guidance of the bishop, everyone observed a moment of silence in memory of Duke St. Hilde.

The wake thus concluded, but the Duke St. Hilde couldn’t be buried yet.

Having been the ruler of the North Territory, Duke St. Hilde could not be buried casually in Ice Rock City like the noble-less Charles. He had to be transported back to Winterfell City and given a grand funeral.

At that time, the Royal Family of the Empire would send representatives to attend.

It would also be the time to decide the new Northern Duke.

“Colin, I’ll stay and keep vigil, you should go back,” said Vera softly after everyone had left.

Her complexion was somewhat pale, pain in her eyes barely concealed, but what was more visible was her concern and uncertainty.

Colin gripped her cold hand, speaking warmly, “I’ll stay with you for the vigil.”

“Okay.” Vera smiled faintly, leaning on Colin’s arm and resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed deeply.

Once Bishop Pers closed the hall’s door, only Colin and Vera remained.

The cold moonlight was cast onto the marble floor through the colored glazing, fusing with the light of the magic crystal chandeliers, creating peculiar patterns.

A gentle breeze seemed to have slipped in from somewhere, bringing the tranquility of the spring night with it.

“Colin…” Vera suddenly spoke, her voice like it was from the distant cosmos, profound and ethereal.

“What’s wrong?” Colin turned his head to kiss Vera’s hair.

“Do you think… I should hate him?”

“What do you think?”Colin didn’t give an answer, because he understood that at this time, perhaps what Vera needed was not an answer, but a place to vent her feelings.

Regardless of how despicable Duke St. Hilde’s past actions may have been, he did, after all, raise Vera for twenty years, and that fact was indisputable.

Moreover, he gave Vera the one thing she needed most – an identity.

Colin didn’t know which beauty Marquis Garcia had fathered Vera with in secret, but without the Duke’s adoption, she would merely be a despised illegitimate daughter.

“I also don’t know…” Vera’s voice was filled with melancholy.

However, Colin didn’t hear any trace of resentment in her voice.

“If you don’t know, then just keep this question in your heart for now. Maybe one day, when you look back at this experience, you’ll find your own answer.”

Decisively, Colin offered some comforting words to soothe the young girl’s wounded heart.

Vera considered Colin’s words and her expression relaxed somewhat: “I understand, thank you, Colin.”

She’s easy to console…

Colin chuckled, patting Vera’s arm in a gesture to encourage her not to overthink.

The hall fell silent again, and Colin, out of boredom, began to study the patterns on the Duke’s body in the coffin, feeling as if they hid some sort of secret.

Before long, Vera asked again: “Colin, what do you think killed my father?”

“I guess, it was probably some kind of spell. But to be able to kill a Holy Knight, it would have to be a Forbidden Spell.”

At this point, Colin suddenly recalled what he had seen through the eyes of his blood slave, the scene in Fallen Eagle City.

The terrifying image of the city engulfed in flames sent chills through Colin.

“I guess it was a Forbidden Spell too.” Vera nodded, “Moreover, it looks very similar to one Forbidden Spell I’ve seen before.”

“Oh?” Colin instantly perked up, realizing that his wife might possess some useful information as a mage.

He hurriedly asked, “Do you know this Forbidden Spell?”

Vera shook her head and then nodded again: “I once saw a similar Forbidden Spell in my tutor’s library. However, that Forbidden Spell is no longer possible to cast now, because one of its essential spell-casting materials can no longer be found.”

“Oh? What Forbidden Spell is it?”

“Eye of Petrification.”

“Eye of Petrification?” Colin looked at Duke St. Hilde in the coffin, turned into a stone statue, and understood somewhat.

“Yes. But the spell that hit father is slightly different from the Eye of Petrification. I remember that the Eye of Petrification uses the caster’s eyes as the spell medium, turning everyone who looks directly into the caster’s eyes into stone. However, on the day father was hit by that spell, there were no suspicious mages in our castle, and although I looked up and saw the mysterious blue eyes in the sky, I wasn’t petrified. Therefore, while the two are similar, they are not the same Forbidden Spell.”

“It was probably a new spell modified from the Forbidden Spell Eye of Petrification.” Colin pondered and then noticed an important piece of information from Vera’s account, “You said you saw the Eye of Petrification spell scroll in your teacher’s library?”

“Yes.”

“Who is your teacher?”

“It’s the deputy president of the Yevir Mage Council, Master Cusius.”

“Cusius?” Colin, of course, had never heard this name; he knew almost nothing about the Mage’s City of Yevir.

“Do you know Mr. Ji?” Colin casually dropped the true name of the spell caster.

“Um, I’ve seen him a few times in Yevir. His background is very mysterious, and he seems to have a good relationship with my teacher. They often exchange research insights.”

Looking at a seemingly innocent Vera, Colin said bluntly: “Actually, this Mr. Ji is a descendant of the St. Sean family.”

“St. Sean?” As expected, Vera was shocked.

“Yes, and I suspect that the one who killed Duke St. Hilde was Mr. Ji himself.”

Vera frowned, “So, you think… Mr. Ji cast the Forbidden Spell that killed my father based on the Eye of Petrification in my tutor’s collection?”

“Very likely.”

Vera pondered for a moment and then immediately said, “In that case, I’ll write to my teacher to inquire about this when I go back.”

“Yes, it would be best to also ask him what conditions are needed to cast this Forbidden Spell, what sacrifice must be made, and if there is a counter-curse?” Colin felt a bit worried, fearing that he might one day become a target of this Forbidden Spell.

This Forbidden Spell was truly terrifying; it could directly petrify a Holy Knight. He felt that if he became the target, his blood clan characteristics might not be able to save him.

“Alright.”