Meredith dusted himself off. "I've explained everything that needed explaining. Do you still want to see Rachel now?"

Todd stood up, let out a long sigh, and said to Meredith, "Everything you just told me only strengthens my resolve to see her."

Meredith clapped his hands with a smile and walked towards the door, saying, "Although I knew you would give this answer, it was still a relief to actually hear it."

Following the woman back into the underground passage, Todd asked, "So, where exactly is Rachel?"

“She’s gotten into trouble and is in jail now…” Meredith said with a smile when she saw Todd’s anxious look. “But you don’t need to worry too much. That child is a smart person and knows exactly what to say to save her life in this situation.”

As they walked along the passageway, Meredith said, "But before we can save her, we need to see someone first."

An hour later, Todd, dressed in a black robe and with his face covered by a hood, stood in a huge room.

Dozens of bookshelves filled the place to the brim, and all sorts of experimental equipment were scattered everywhere.

Meredith, wearing a raven mask, looked at an old man with a long beard, a half-smile on his face.

The latter, however, focused their attention on Todd.

"Who is he?" the old man asked Meredith. "He, like you, carries the aura of the Shadow Kingdom."

Meredith glanced back at Todd. "He's a friend of mine, and an ally of the alien race. In short... Iliad, he's someone I can trust."

The old man, known as Iliad, withdrew his gaze and looked at Meredith, saying in a low voice, "As the Grand Master of the Legion of Conflict, you haven't returned for several years... Forgive this old man for being so talkative, but have you abandoned your father?"

Meredith's smile faded, his eyes slowly turning cold. "Iliad, you've asked the right question. I've returned this time to talk to you about my father—Sutherland."