Edward took the gold coin and nodded.

After Edward left, Ellie also left the empty vault.

After going down the stairs, she met Catherine, who was waiting there in the main lobby on the first floor.

Catherine looked at her with undisguised disgust and said sarcastically, "Madam, the Sphinx has foretold that the fighting on the front lines is getting tough. Are you going to look for another way out?"

Li Aili didn't feel angry.

She felt that she had become particularly Buddhist since returning from the Papal Court.

Li Ai Li walked past Mrs. Catherine until she reached the door, then remembered something and curiously turned back to ask:

"As far as I can remember, you disliked me from the very first time we met?"

Why is that?

Li Aili could only think of one possibility: "You also like the Duke?"

Catherine's expression twisted for a moment; she was so angry that her snakes sprouted out.

The snakes were furious, baring their fangs and claws at Li Aili, as if they wanted to pounce on her and bite her.

"You know perfectly well what good deeds you've done!"

Li Aili recalled the painting in the basement, "Are you talking about that lady from over 1000 years ago?"

Catherine's face gradually turned into a snake's face, and she couldn't help but hurl insults, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

Li Aili replied, "The storage ring is outside the forest. I retrieved the item, put it in the study, and then left."

Catherine: "I will go. Please leave now."

Li Aili nodded. "Okay, then please tell Conrad for me that he thanks me for taking care of him, and goodbye."

Catherine flicked out her forked tongue and sneered, "Ha, you're still as hypocritical as ever! You know how to win people over!"

Li Aili frowned: "I am not the lady in the painting."

Even if there is such a thing as reincarnation, please don't burden people with inexplicable debts. Ms. Catherine.

After saying that, she walked out of the castle gate, ignoring Catherine who was furious and whose scales were bristling.

The Sphinx stood guard by the fountain in the castle courtyard.

He licked his paws and looked at Li Aili.

"Alright, I know you're leaving."

"The great Sphinx has decided to indulge its contractor this once, and will let you sit on my back while I fly you to the central city."

Li Aili finally showed her first smile of the day, "Okay."

The blonde beauty flipped herself onto the Sphinx, shouting, "Let's go! I'm going to become a lord~ Time to start farming, getting rich, and building infrastructure!"

...

The next day, the front pages of major newspapers were abuzz with it.

The final battle in the capital of Clark was marred by the Scourge of the Undead.

Even when the cardinals of the Holy Light and the high priests of the Dark Church joined forces for the first time ever, they still couldn't defeat a single lich.

Just as newspapers were sternly condemning this heinous lich and explaining the dangers of the undead race to the public...

Then came the unexpected twist.

None of the common people in the capital of Clark died, and most of the nobles of Clark also survived.

According to reliable insiders, those who were killed were also personally killed by the insane Harry Clarke.

From then on, Clark's last monarch earned the infamous nickname "The Mad King" in the newspapers.

After three busy days, Arthur finally lost his patience and dumped all the political and historical matters of the capital on his brother Alberk, the sorcerer who never needed to sleep.

He abandoned the Knights and tore through space to return to Constantinople.

The man was overjoyed at the thought of seeing his wife, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

The smile on his face froze the moment he stepped out of the portal.

Conrad walked out with a very ugly expression and knelt on one knee before the horrifying-looking Duke.

"Your Highness, it was my fault..."

Arthur didn't want to hear any nonsense. His eyes suddenly turned into the cold, vertical pupils of a dragon. "And her?"

But when 'her' is mentioned, the voice becomes so gentle it makes your heart tremble.

Conrad's face turned pale, and his lips trembled as he spoke, "Madam... has left."

The Duke frowned slightly, his intimidating aura subsiding.

He asked with a headache, "Is she angry? Did she go to stay in Tankar?"

Conrad's lips trembled. "Your Highness... the Lady took that magic contract..."

The next moment, a sudden gust of wind arose, directly throwing Conrad, the Demon Lord, to the ground.

Conrad got up, completely disregarding his inelegant and unseemly appearance.

He immediately contacted the Crown Prince, who was far away in the capital.

I can't even imagine how crazy the Duke would go if he knew the truth.

The most urgent task now is to bring His Highness back and calm him down.

The first thing Arthur Cold Jade found was the dragonstone necklace that had been left behind, and the letter that was underneath it.

It's unimaginable that a man who is invincible and decisive on the battlefield would have his hands trembling so much that he almost couldn't hold a light letter.

He unfolded the letter and read it word by word.

Then, the first thing I saw was 'Your Excellency, Duke of Cold Emerald'.

He subconsciously touched the area around his heart.

It looks like someone stabbed you hard there.

He endured the pain and read the letter word by word.

When he finished reading the letter, he felt as if he had been cut to pieces.

...

When the lich Albert arrived, he happened to find his brother going mad.

It didn't even give his older brother, who was working late into the night handling government affairs, a chance to catch his breath.

All the goods inside Constantinople were thrown out.

Conrad fell from the sky and nearly crushed Albert's bones in an instant.

Fortunately, Albert dodged quickly enough.

Then, something happened that stunned him.

The entire city of Constantinople was swallowed up by a huge black sphere of light.

The next moment, the black sphere pierced through the heavens and earth.

The enormous castle vanished into thin air, leaving behind a huge, black, circular abyss.

Albert: "..."

His skull twisted with a 'clunk,' and the forest-green flames of his soul stared at Conrad.

"Conrad, can you tell me?"

What has my wretched little brother become?

(End of Volume 1)