novelraw Chapter 65 : Chapter 65
Chapter 65 : Chapter 65
Chapter 65. Reynard
Logaris’s tone was calm, yet it carried unquestionable confidence.
Reynard did not relax his guard.
He could clearly sense that the man before him possessed the power to annihilate him instantly.
“I hunt sinners. That is all.”
He responded coldly.
“Mm.”
Logaris nodded.
His gaze fell upon the emblem on Reynard’s shoulder armor.
It was a balanced scale pierced by a sword.
“A sword piercing the scales… the Lex Talionis Tribunal.”
Logaris stated the name calmly.
“An interesting organization.”
Reynard’s brows instantly furrowed.
Although the Lex Talionis Tribunal held a certain reputation in the underground world, it was certainly not common knowledge.
Yet this man had revealed it immediately.
Alarm bells rang in Reynard’s mind.
Just who was this man?
Logaris’s gaze then shifted to the deep-blue hair swaying in the night wind.
His mind quickly began analyzing.
That hair color…
It was extremely rare across the continent.
If he remembered correctly, it was a distinctive trait of the nobility from the long-destroyed Xilan Kingdom.
A Justiciar carrying the hatred of a fallen nation?
Things had suddenly become interesting.
Logaris had already formed a conclusion internally, but he did not say it aloud.
However, the gaze that seemed capable of piercing through everything was itself a kind of invisible pressure.
Reynard found it deeply uncomfortable.
Just as the atmosphere on the scene began to grow tense once again—
A series of urgent yet steady footsteps approached from afar.
“Your Highness!”
The Shadow Guards immediately knelt on one knee.
Escorted by several personal guards, Sylvia arrived swiftly with her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
The moment she appeared, her sharp silver-gray eyes swept across the entire scene, instantly grasping the situation.
Logaris.
The injured Esmeralda.
And the mysterious archer confronting them.
When Esmeralda saw Sylvia, she immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and reported loudly.
“Your Highness! The cultist stronghold has been eliminated! During the operation we encountered a Fifth-Tier cultist leader, who has been executed on the spot! This… gentleman assisted us when we were locked in a fierce battle.”
Sylvia nodded slightly.
Her gaze passed over Logaris and settled on Reynard standing on the rooftop.
She did not release any pressure.
Instead, she slightly lowered her body and performed a flawless noble salute toward Reynard.
“Thank you for carrying out justice within Winter City.”
“I am the Acting Governor of the Northern Territory, Sylvia Van Astrelia.”
Her voice was cool and pleasant.
Her posture was elegant yet sincere.
She had both declared her official identity and expressed clear goodwill.
With that single action, the intense pressure created by Logaris was instantly eased.
Reynard looked at the current ruler of the Northern Territory and, for a moment, did not know how to respond.
He was accustomed to speaking through arrows and spears.
Dealing with politicians who clearly possessed countless hidden schemes was something he was completely unskilled at.
Sylvia sensed his awkwardness and revealed a perfectly measured smile.
“This place is stained with blood. It is not suitable for conversation.”
“If you do not mind, perhaps you could come to the Duke’s Manor for a discussion? That way we may properly express our gratitude.”
A classic maneuver of advancing by retreating.
Reynard fell silent.
Should he go, or refuse?
If he went, he would become entangled with official authorities, violating his principle of acting alone.
If he refused…
He glanced at Logaris standing nearby with an expressionless face.
He had absolutely no doubt that if he dared to say “no,” he would probably be “invited” there anyway.
A Fifth-Tier mage.
And a ruler who held immense authority.
As a mere Fourth-Tier standing before two Fifth-Tier powerhouses, he had no real freedom of choice.
After weighing the situation, the balance in his heart slowly tilted.
Seeing Reynard’s tightly pressed lips and shifting expression, Sylvia did not press further.
Instead, she turned to Esmeralda and issued an order.
“Esmeralda, remain here to handle the aftermath.”
“Conduct a thorough search of these ruins. See if there are any survivors or other valuable clues.”
Her mind was meticulous.
She would never miss even the smallest opportunity to uncover more intelligence.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Esmeralda accepted the order.
Before leaving, she even winked at Reynard and silently mouthed, “I will be waiting.”
Reynard ignored her completely.
He took a deep breath and finally made his decision.
He slowly lowered the giant bow in his hand.
That movement represented his silent consent.
Seeing this, Logaris wasted no time.
He raised his hand and casually drew a line through the air in front of him.
Space was torn open once more.
A stable and luminous short-range portal unfolded on the cold marble floor of the Council Chamber.
On the other side of the portal was the brightly illuminated Council Chamber of the Duke’s Manor.
Sylvia gestured politely toward Reynard.
“Please.”
She stepped through first.
Reynard hesitated for a moment before finally stepping forward and following her inside.
Duke’s Manor, Council Chamber.
The cold marble floor shone like a mirror.
Portraits of past rulers of the Northern Territory hung upon the walls.
Their solemn gazes silently watched this night torn open by magic.
The light of the spatial portal slowly faded.
When Reynard stepped out of the portal, his body was still tense like a fully drawn bow.
He looked around.
Everything here was completely different from the ruin of blood and fire they had just left behind.
Luxury.
Solemnity.
The cold scent of power filled the air.
He disliked that scent.
It reminded him of thirteen years ago, on the eve of the fall of the Xilan Kingdom.
Back then, the ministers inside the palace had argued endlessly.
In the end, they sent their nation straight into the grave.
“Please sit.”
Sylvia’s voice broke the silence.
She had already taken her place near the head seat of the long table, her posture elegant, as though the events of the night had been nothing more than an ordinary evening stroll.
She gestured toward a chair beside the long table.
The gesture did not feel like she was inviting a dangerous figure who had just been confronting them moments ago.
It was more like she was welcoming a distinguished guest from afar.
Reynard did not move.
He remained standing where he was, his golden eyes scanning Sylvia cautiously before finally settling on the man who had given him immense pressure.
At that moment, Logaris was examining a portrait on the wall with clear interest.
Judging from his expression, one might think the painting depicted a breathtaking beauty rather than a bearded old ruler.
He pushed up his rimless glasses, completely unconcerned by the tense atmosphere in the room.
Sylvia noticed Reynard’s discomfort and resistance, yet her smile remained perfectly composed.
“You do not need to be nervous.”
“You helped my subordinate. That makes you a friend of the Northern Territory.”
“And we always treat our friends with goodwill.”
Her words were flawless.
They clearly declared her authority while also expressing generous goodwill.
Reynard sneered inwardly.
Friend?
He understood very well what “friend” meant in the mouths of politicians.
It simply meant a chess piece that could be used.
He was accustomed to speaking through bows and spears.
What he hated most was dealing with people whose minds were more complicated than a hive.
“I do not need friends.”
Reynard’s voice was as cold and rigid as the man himself.
“I only hunt sinners.”
Sylvia’s smile did not change.
But Logaris suddenly lost his patience.
He turned his gaze away from the uninteresting portrait and looked toward Reynard, speaking a seemingly unrelated sentence.
“Deep-blue hair is quite rare on this continent.”