"So, you came to our house?" Herbert frowned.
"Not all Burgundians meet their requirements, and it just so happens that your sister was chosen."
"What do they want my sister for?" Herbert pressed.
"I don't know much either, but according to my investigation, they have existed in the Rhine River basin for a very long time. They are a very ancient organization, and even have some influence within the Church.
They seem to be searching for a mysterious and ancient treasure, and your sister, it seems, just happens to be the key to opening this treasure," Os said. "However, they haven't yet determined the location of that treasure."
He paused, then scoffed, "They must be a bunch of self-righteous madmen."
"Since that's the case, why are you still helping them?" Herbert asked back, suppressing his anger.
"Although they are a bit mystical, it's undeniable that they do possess some special powers. Those days, I was often plagued by nightmares and couldn't sleep, but they performed a ritual for me, and the next day I slept soundly.
Moreover, they offered me a bargaining chip I couldn't refuse. I can even take over your factory with this, so why not?"
"Things suddenly got complicated," Calcifer's voice rang out in Merlin's mind.
"Indeed," Merlin murmured softly.
"But you don't seem surprised?"
Merlin pondered for a moment and said, "The template I used for his destiny is called 'Ezio'. In this template, the organization he belongs to, called the Brotherhood, has been fighting another organization called the Knights Templar for thousands of years.
And the real masterminds behind Ezio's family's death were also those Knights Templars, and, interestingly, those Knights Templars were also searching for certain things.
There aren't that many coincidences in this World."
"Do you mean that the power of destiny created this organization?" Calcifer asked.
Merlin shook his head, "Although, because I haven't adapted to this power yet, I'm not clear about how the power of destiny operates after it leaves me, but I am clear about how much power was used.
That little bit of the power of destiny couldn't materialize such an ancient organization with some influence."
"You mean—"
"This organization might have existed originally," Merlin said.
"Perhaps in the past, Herbert's only enemy was this Marquis Os, and he might never have intersected with that organization.
Or perhaps, even if this organization contacted Marquis Os, they weren't interested in Herbert's family at all.
Although these details are still unknown, I can confirm that it was the power of destiny that connected two previously unrelated entities."
Calcifer was silent for a moment, "Then it seems my feeling just now wasn't wrong."
Merlin looked up at Os, "You sensed it too?"
"Mm," Calcifer responded.
"A seed was buried in this guy's body—an ancient advent magic."
"Thump, thump, thump!"
"Anyone there? Open the door!"
Heavy and urgent knocking came from the door on the stairs behind Merlin. The knocking was rough and chaotic, sounding like many people were knocking, clearly indicating they were officials.
This cellar had only one exit, so at this moment, Herbert was surrounded.
"They're here," Os looked at Herbert. "It seems the place you chose is a bit too close."
He paused, then continued, "You have nowhere to run, but you still want to rescue your sister. I think we can cooperate. Let me go, and I can have these people release you, and I can also contact that organization for you."
Herbert said nothing. He wore a hood, his entire face hidden in the darkness, making his expression unreadable. This caused an inexplicable sinking feeling in Marquis Os's heart, and a heavy sense of unease enveloped him.
"You have no choice."
"This is the second time you've said that to me today."
Heavy kicking sounds came from the stairs above, but fortunately, the cellar door was quite sturdy, though it wouldn't last much longer.
But Herbert didn't seem flustered. He slowly stood beside Os.
"I'm not experiencing the arrogance of you nobles for the first time."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, hovering it above Os's chest.
"I will find her myself."
Marquis Os's expression gradually became agitated. He struggled fiercely, trying to break free, "Without me, you won't be able to find those people at all!"
Pfft~
Herbert's finger twitched, and a sharp spike instantly protruded from his sleeve, piercing Marquis Os's heart.
Os's eyes widened suddenly, looking at him in disbelief.
"As long as it exists in this World, there will be traces. No one can achieve perfect concealment, let alone such a large organization.
As long as there are traces, I will definitely find them.
At least, what's certain is that my sister is still alive, and she's safe now.
I still have time."
Herbert leaned close to Os, whispering in his ear, "From the moment you entered this place, you also had no choice."
Os didn't answer. He had completely stopped breathing. His eyes were wide open, as if he couldn't believe he would die in such an unknown corner.
The whites of his eyes were consumed by an ink-like blackness that emerged from nowhere, leaving only endless darkness in his eye sockets.
However, Herbert didn't notice Os's abnormality at this moment.
Bang!
With a loud crash, as the door was kicked open, Herbert raised his right hand, retracting his hidden blade into his sleeve. Then, he lightly leaped up, propping his hands on the walls on either side of the corner, completely hidden in the shadows of the ceiling.
Then, at the entrance, a group of people in uniforms, carrying flintlock guns, whether Police or military, surged in.
Upon seeing the elegantly dressed person tied to the rack, whose chest was stained with blood, everyone's expressions turned extremely grim.
"Marquis Os!"
After a brief silence, the leading secret Police walked directly up and placed a hand on Os's neck to check for a pulse.
Then, he shook his head at the Police behind him.
Everyone's heart sank at that moment. It wasn't that they cared much about Marquis Os; a Marquis dying in their jurisdiction, whether because of them or not, everyone here would be punished.
One of the Police, about the same age as the other Police, stepped forward and whispered.
"Mark, what do we do?"
Mark didn't respond but sternly addressed the other officers.
"The body is still warm, the murderer must have committed the act not long ago, keep searching! The murderer must be nearby!"
"Yes, Inspector!"
These Police were about to turn and leave to continue searching for the murderer, but then, they seemed to discover something, stopping one after another and looking behind the Inspector.
Their faces were pale, their breathing almost stopped, and their eyes were filled with undisguised terror.
Mark was a bit puzzled, but then, a chill strong enough to freeze the soul surged from behind him. His body tensed instantly.
After a brief silence, Mark's somewhat stiff body slowly turned around.
In that instant, his pupils contracted to a pinpoint, and all the hairs on his body stood on end.
He saw that on the rack, Os, who had completely lost his breath, was slowly getting up.
His head and limbs hung limply backward, his upper body slowly rising in an incredible posture, his mouth wide open, looking lifeless, more like a movable corpse.
And the surrounding blood was actually converging towards his chest.
The entire storage room fell silent at this moment.
Seeing this scene, Herbert's eyes, hidden in the upper corner, instantly froze, and Merlin, who had been observing everything from the shadows, also showed a playful expression. He teased.
"That old man said this is the Age of the End of magic."
"But this is 'Destiny', isn't it?"
Merlin didn't reply but said, "Speaking of which, do you recognize this thing?"
Calcifer recalled, "I seem to have some impression…"