Chapter 258: Detection

"Longwei has no BOSS—"

At fifteen minutes past midnight, in the Frankes mansion. Another 'Philip' of the Teutonic Cross, Philip Luxembourg, stood high above, frowning as he looked toward the direction of the Gerald Fine Works seven miles away.

"The fighting over there seems to have subsided as well."

But he had no idea what was actually happening inside—whether the Calamity Flame Dragon Maiden Adriana had successfully revived and slaughtered Andrea's subordinates, or whether the latter had succeeded in rescuing someone, thwarting the Dragon Witch Cult's scheme.

Frankes himself was equally conflicted; he too couldn't figure out what had happened. Though he was using secret arts to penetrate the space divided by the magic tower array and spy on the situation inside, the bottom floor of that base had always been a place he couldn't reach.

"Their people on the first floor and the surface are still intact, with no signs of evacuation. I think Her Highness the Princess wouldn't have such a generous heart—"

Frankes said in an uncertain tone, then his expression shifted slightly: "The people from the New Light Church have gone down; there's no fighting below."

"Then it should be a success."

Philip Luxembourg's expression immediately became somewhat complex: "Just now it was indeed the dragon might of the Calamity Flame Dragon Maiden Adriana. They scared me; I wonder what exactly happened inside?"

"But that has nothing to do with us."

Frankes waved his hand, dispelling the spying spell, then picked up his bear-shaped sleeping cap from the nearby sofa: "Go back to sleep, Philip. Though it's incredible, in Atlanta, Andrea's power has indeed risen. That little guy actually managed to take down the Blood Hand Gang and the Dragon Witch Cult—truly hard to believe—"

Philip Luxembourg shrugged and walked toward the door. He appeared nonchalant, but his eyes held a hint of gravity.

…

When Alonso Jerome, the Knight Commander of the Atlanta Cathedral of Light, led his men into the second floor of the base, he found Li Mochen, clad in heavy armor, carrying a fourteen-year-old girl in a coma as he walked out of the vast underground hall. Behind him were the Natural Punisher Dainn Stacy and the Eye of the Sky Howard Eisenhower.

"Wow, our guardian knights arrived just in time."

Howard Eisenhower chuckled at the sight of the fully armed knights: "The Calamity Flame Dragon Maiden Adriana is finished, and Antonio and Cressy Jakes have both gone to hell. They say the police always arrive after the crime; you knights of the Cathedral of Light are no different."

Jerome's face flushed slightly. He had broken into the underground passage of the Blazing Club thirty minutes ago, but the dragon might that erupted then made him hesitate to lead his men deeper.

At that time, Jerome believed Adriana's resurrection was inevitable and that Stacy, Eisenhower, and the others would surely die in the dragon maiden's Calamity Flame Prison, so he was unwilling to throw his men into certain death. But the result was unexpected; the dragon might that had pressed down on the base and the aura of the Calamity Flame Dragon Maiden Adriana had completely dissipated. And after weighing his options, when he finally led his men down to see what was happening, the battle below was already over, and the Natural Punisher and the Eye of the Sky were unharmed.

"Sorry! I am ashamed; this is my dereliction of duty."

The Knight Commander was a man who dared to take responsibility, directly admitting his mistake. Then he turned his gaze to the girl Li Mochen was holding.

"This is Hazel, right?"

Because Hazel's current appearance didn't match the photo; the former Hazel was an eleven-year-old girl, but Alonso Jerome now saw a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old maiden—tall, with a slender figure and a beautiful face.

"She's the BOSS's cousin."

At this moment, Li Mochen was also extremely weak. The price he paid to seal Hazel's power was beyond imagination. But still, he mustered his spirits.

"Mr. Jerome, thank you for this matter. I will truthfully convey your great help to my BOSS and Bishop Lyndon. You at least helped us pin down at least eighty Dragon Witch Cult combatants. But now, please excuse us; Hazel's condition is very bad, and we need to take her away from here as soon as possible."

Jerome's face showed shame and embarrassment; he couldn't even meet Li Mochen's eyes. But he still frowned and said, "Sir, could you let me see Hazel's condition? Also, I hope you can tell us in detail what happened inside."

"That's going too far, Knight Commander Jerome!"

Dainn Stacy replied coldly on behalf: "Since you didn't participate in the battle, what right do you have to ask? I know you're curious, but the process of our repelling the Calamity Flame Dragon Maiden Adriana involves our personal privacy and is not convenient to disclose to others. Of course, if you can find out through traces at the scene or other methods, that's another matter. As for Hazel, I swear in the name of a Temple Knight that she is not Adriana."

At this point, Stacy's voice also carried a tone of mockery: "If the Calamity Flame Dragon Maiden had truly revived, or even just a part of her power descended into this world, no one here would survive."

Jerome hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside to make way. He saw persistence and dissatisfaction in the eyes of the three; clearly, they would not yield.

But as Li Mochen passed by him holding Hazel, Jerome's eyes glowed with golden light as he stared at Hazel.

Li Mochen knew this divine art; it was called 'Detect Evil,' specifically used to detect evil forces and the pollution of the mind by evil forces.

But he had enough confidence in his seal, so he didn't stop him. Strictly speaking, most of the Calamity Flame Dragon Maiden's power came from the dragon race and her bloodline itself, which couldn't be categorized as evil.

And if the 'Detect Evil' spell were always effective, beings like Cressy Jakes would never have climbed to the position of City Council Speaker in Atlanta.

Even if it detected something, so what? Would the Church of Light kill Hazel? That would only be a great help to the Calamity Flame Dragon Maiden.

Li Mochen expected some trouble but was confident he could handle it.

Jerome indeed found nothing abnormal. Facing Dainn Stacy's gaze, he shrugged frankly: "Sorry, I was just being cautious; it is my duty after all, Ms. Stacy."

"That's enough!"

Li Mochen stopped Stacy from retorting. He thought these knights of the New Light Church had ultimately played a role and helped him. Though their masters had their own interests, there was no need for him to speak harshly.

"Then, Knight Commander Jerome, I'll leave the follow-up and finishing work to you and Bishop Lyndon? I think none of us were here tonight, and the BOSS's cousin Hazel was personally delivered home by you, right?"

This time, Alonso Jerome very readily placed his hand on his chest: "You may leave; the rest is our work. Please also convey to Mr. Willtenstein our gratitude for his generosity!"