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The food and wine served at the banquet!

Dean Bruce hadn\'t taken a single bite of food, and when people tried to toast him, he skillfully evaded by steering the conversation elsewhere!

The medium must have been the food and wine. That\'s the only way Nicholas could have been affected despite the considerable distance from the one in the shadows.

[In that case, the mastermind must be Miranda Joy or Prani Joy. They\'re the only ones with authority over the royal court.]

[Another suspect is the Gold family, which controls the entire Imperial Guard. They could have easily tampered with the banquet.]

[However, if the Gold family intended to betray the throne, the imperial capital wouldn\'t be this calm. Their approach would be far more aggressive since they aren\'t part of the royal family. They would need to use a show of overwhelming force to subdue the entire Empire of Lane Cloud before they could attempt to usurp power.]

[Most likely, the Gold family is still loyal to either Miranda Joy or Prani Joy.]

[In the royal family, anything could happen.]

Putting his thoughts aside, Dean Bruce looked up at Shelly William and said, "This woman\'s soul has already left her body. I have a plan—would you be willing to cooperate?"

Shelly William smiled and replied earnestly, "Nicholas is the most valued descendant of our family. Since you are his teacher, we are on the same side and allies. I will never abandon a comrade!"

"As long as your plan is feasible, I will certainly not refuse." Sensing Dean Bruce\'s caution towards him, Shelly William first clarified his own stance before asking for specifics. "May I ask, sir, what is your plan?"

Dean Bruce spoke softly, "I have a fairly good guess as to the identity of the one in the shadows. Why don\'t you inject your soul into this body? When dawn comes, we\'ll go find that person together and see how they react."

"Agreed!"

Upon hearing this, Shelly William didn\'t hesitate. He made his soul even more ethereal and then directed it into the woman\'s body.

In an instant, the woman\'s eyes opened, her breathing and vitality restored. She stood up straight without delay.

Shelly William brushed off the loose folds of the oversized magical robe and spoke softly, "This staff and robe are both standardized equipment. The one in the shadows must have some backing. Be careful when you confront them."

Pausing briefly, Shelly William continued, "This mark, as well as the method they use to seize souls, feels oddly familiar to me. This organization must be a long-standing power that has been around for many years."

Hearing this, Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but feel a chill run down his spine.

For someone like Shelly William—an ancient being—to recognize it as a familiar force, it meant that this group had existed for a very long time and likely possessed considerable strength.

After their conversation ended, Dean Bruce noticed that the moonlight was gradually dimming, and the other side of the sky began to glow with the first hints of dawn. He turned to look at Nicholas William, who was still sleeping soundly, and couldn\'t help but sigh, "This kid… While the two of us have been worried about him all night, he\'s sleeping like a log!"

Shelly William chuckled. "You\'re his teacher. Just give him a good scolding during the day."

Hesitating for a moment, Shelly William added, "Sir, since I\'ve been residing inside him all this time, I\'ve heard every spell and incantation you\'ve taught. I truly apologize for this. I promise not to practice any of it. I hope you won\'t mind."

Dean Bruce responded nonchalantly, "It doesn\'t matter. I sensed long ago that there was another soul inside him. If you could understand what I was teaching, go ahead and learn. If you manage to master them, I won\'t be upset. If I were worried about such things, I wouldn\'t have continued teaching him in the first place."

What a joke—Dean Bruce was actually hoping Shelly William could master those spells!

After all, it would mean free system rewards for him!

Unaware of Dean Bruce\'s true thoughts, Shelly William was deeply moved by his generosity. To not care about someone else overhearing high-level spells and even Ultra-High-Level spells was truly impressive. This made Shelly William elevate his estimation of Dean Bruce\'s strength even further.

Sighing, Shelly William maneuvered the woman\'s body to lift the still-sleeping Nicholas William and carried him on her back, following closely behind Dean Bruce.

The two of them quickly headed back towards the city.

With both moving at full speed, Dean Bruce\'s pace wasn\'t slow either. They managed to arrive at the gates of the imperial capital before sunrise.

By now, the city guards who had been affected were still in that peculiar state, only now they were no longer lying on the ground but slumped over a table instead.

Seeing this, Dean Bruce instantly realized that there was more than one person behind all of this—at the very least, there must be a considerable force involved!

After scanning the surroundings and confirming that the assailants had already left the city gates, Dean Bruce chose not to wake the guards. He led Shelly William back to the inn without further delay.

Upon returning, he shut the main door and hadn\'t even had a chance to head upstairs when the sound of hurried footsteps came from above—the woman Shelly William was inhabiting had come rushing down from the upper floor.

Abruptly, the sound of footsteps ceased, and the woman froze at the top of the stairs. She was about to speak when she noticed another exceptionally beautiful woman standing behind Dean Bruce. Startled, she immediately lowered her head and shut her eyes tightly. Trembling, she said in a fearful voice, "Mercy, my lord! I didn\'t mean to come downstairs!"

"I…I didn\'t see anything! I\'ll go back up right away!"

"…"

Dean Bruce\'s brows furrowed slightly, but he had no intention of killing the woman. He said calmly, "It\'s fine that you came down. Just prepare two more servings for breakfast. As long as you keep your mouth shut, I promise you\'ll stay alive."

"Y-yes, of course!"

The woman\'s face was pale with fear as she stammered, "I\'ll go prepare the food right away!"

Ignoring the woman\'s panic, Dean Bruce led Shelly William directly back to his room.

Inside, Apollon Joy was still asleep, his breathing becoming steadier, showing signs that he would wake up soon.

Nicholas William, still under the influence of the spell, remained deeply asleep.

Shelly William placed Nicholas William onto the bed and remarked, "This body\'s physical strength is quite impressive. Carrying Nicholas and running such a long distance, yet feeling no fatigue at all! It seems this young girl\'s status isn\'t low."

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"She\'s likely been trained," Dean Bruce replied indifferently, not dwelling on the details. "Once we go out during the day, don\'t speak. Move quietly, and make sure your actions are subtle. If she holds a notable position, and you behave out of character, it won\'t shock the mastermind as we need it to."

"Understood." Shelly William nodded and added, "By the way, although I am in spirit form and can hide inside someone\'s body, controlling them continuously places quite a strain on me. I won\'t be able to maintain this for long, so don\'t drag out your plan."

As he spoke, the sound of a yawn broke through the silence.

Not far away, Apollon Joy stretched and opened his eyes. He sighed with relief, "Finally, a good night\'s sleep! But… why does my back ache so much?"

Groaning, Apollon propped himself up and took a look around. His pupils suddenly contracted as he spotted the woman Shelly William was inhabiting. Shock and disbelief filled his gaze as he blurted out, "Linda! You… you and your entire family vanished without a trace! How are you here?"

As soon as Apollon Joy\'s words fell, Dean Bruce was equally taken aback, his brows furrowing deeply.

The woman they had captured was actually the Linda Quirell they had been searching for?

That meant they were very close to reaching their goal!

The body had been found, and now all that remained was to bring her soul back. Once that was done, everything would fall perfectly into place.

Shelly William narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining silent. He continued to stare intensely at Apollon Joy, hoping to exert enough pressure to coax more information out of him.

"Could it be… you\'ve already escaped danger? Quickly! Tell me, who\'s behind all this?"

"Damn it! Once I return to the border and rally the army, I swear I\'ll ensure those who dared disrupt my Empire of Lane Cloud will have no place to be buried!"

Hearing the anger and confusion in Apollon Joy\'s voice and seeing the genuine perplexity in his eyes, Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but shake his head.

At the very least, it seemed that the disappearance of the Quirell family wasn\'t connected to him.

Not wanting Shelly William to reveal himself just yet, Dean Bruce interjected, "There\'s no need for you to concern yourself with these matters. We\'ll handle the person behind all this. After sunrise, we\'ll eat something, and then you\'ll lead the way for us to visit the Gold family."

"Understood." Though Apollon Joy once held a prestigious status, he had been leading armies on his own for years and could clearly see the current situation. He no longer put on the airs of a prince, but instead nodded respectfully. "Then I\'ll be in your debt. As long as you can help me get out of here safely, I promise I\'ll gather the army and take back what\'s ours!"

Pausing for a moment, Apollon Joy suddenly said, "Um… given how powerful you are, would you consider taking me as your disciple? I want to learn that incredible healing magic from you!"

"I remember how severe my injuries were back then. Even in the Church of Light, only a high-ranking cardinal could have healed me, and it would have taken even longer!"

"If you\'re willing to take me under your wing, once I crush the rebels, I\'ll offer you all the treasures within the Empire of Lane Cloud!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Without a second thought, Apollon Joy dropped to his knees in front of Dean Bruce, knocking his forehead against the ground in a show of utmost sincerity and desperation.