They all call me Great Master

The tea shot upward, immediately forming a perfect arc of a water curtain above Arthur's head, each droplet still dark red and translucent, competing with the bright moon hanging high above.

Dark red as blood.

Bright as frost.

For a moment, they resonated with each other.

Even if arrows fell like rain and bullets like snow, they would seem dim in comparison.

The lethality of arrows and bullets vanished into thin air within a breath.

Only one thing remained...

Death Qi!

The Death Qi that enveloped the entire manor seemed to grip the attackers' necks with countless hands, robbing them of their last vestiges of vitality.

One body after another tumbled down from the steep cliffs.

By the time they hit the ground, they were already shattered to pieces.

With each sound of flesh and bones breaking, more people appeared atop the cliffs, recklessly scattering the Coarse Salt they held in their hands.

The hissing sound was incessant.

The similarly blessed Red Brick Powder was even poured down from the cliffs right beneath their feet.

Soon, these Red Brick Powders connected end to end, forming a 'circle'.

A 'circle' that trapped the young Spirit Medium.

Within the remaining, and final, 'gap'—

Step, step-step!

The clear sound of footsteps echoed non-stop in the mountain trail.

A somewhat hunched middle-aged man with graying temples emerged from it.

The middle-aged man walked slowly.

Because every step he took left a trail of Red Brick Powder.

Ten steps meant ten lines.

A hundred steps meant a hundred lines.

By the time the middle-aged man walked out of the gully, the original 'gap' had already become the most fortified point.

Not just because of the barriers formed by the Red Brick Powder.

But because of the middle-aged man himself.

"Good evening, Lord Kledos,"

the other party greeted the young Spirit Medium warmly.

The young Spirit Medium rubbed the tear at the corner of his eye due to a yawn, and instead of lowering his leg, he leaned back in his chair, slouching as if boneless.

"I'm glad you could come here.
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But I don't like the tone of your voice."

Listening to Arthur's words, the middle-aged man looked surprised.

"You know me?"

he asked.

He then proceeded to mutter to himself without waiting for Arthur's answer.

"Of course you should know me!

If you didn't know who I was, why would you bother setting up this arrangement?

There's no 'Hilt Tower' inheritance inside Yumir Manor, right?

What you're doing is simply aiming to draw me out."

The middle-aged man stated confidently.

'What an ego!'

Arthur thought to himself, but outwardly he merely shrugged nonchalantly.

"Once Freeman informed the Lord Count, I knew I would be found soon—even though I had set up an Alert Line in the 66th Staff Group.

He could only buy me time.

But...

That was enough."

While talking to himself, the middle-aged man pulled over an empty chair and sat directly across from Arthur, with the light from the Vigilance Oil Lamp revealing his features more clearly.

A gaunt face and deeply pronounced laugh lines made his cheekbones stand out, creating the impression of a mean, difficult person.

Especially those eyes that seemed as if they could bore into your flesh and dig out your internal organs.

Yet, his sitting posture was perfectly proper; his back straight without leaning against the chair, his hands rested on his thighs, and he continued speaking.

However, this time it wasn't a monologue, but a query.

"Lord Kledos, could you guess what I was doing while he was buying time for me?"

[Insight], [Eagle Eye]flashed rapidly.

Arthur saw smugness and pride.

He saw a trace of pleasure too.

Immediately, Arthur guessed it.

"How are the other members of the 'Staff Group' doing?"

"Of course they're fine!

The people of the '16th Staff Team' and '66th Staff Group' that accompanied me are all in good order—regrettably, not everyone is here, otherwise, I would definitely laugh out loud!

Those bastards, who do they think they are?

If it weren't for His Highness's order, how could I possibly work with such foolish people?

Really, do they think that I, Melvil, would join the '16th Staff Team' because I feared the 'Death Poetry Society'?

They think too highly of themselves."

A smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face.

"Otherwise?"

Arthur retorted.

Immediately, the smile on the middle-aged man's face stiffened.

"I, Melvil, once the leader of 'Death Mask', not only founded 'Death Mask', but was also the strongest in 'Death Mask'!"

The middle-aged man's voice raised slightly.

"Ah, right right right!"

Arthur curled the corner of his mouth.

He had clearly decided the other was only choosing to join the Countess of South Los due to fear of the 'Death Poetry Society'.

Of course, Arthur had never heard of this name until just now.

Before, he had never heard this name.

He had not heard of 'Death Mask' either.

But that did not prevent him from provoking the man.

Under the effects of [Bluff], Arthur's words and expressions were perfectly timed; at least when Melvil heard the 'Ah, right right right,' uncontrollable anger surged from the depths of his heart, and when he saw Arthur's mouth curling, he was even less able to control it.

"I did not fear the 'Death Poetry Society'!

I have fought them several times!

They even acknowledged my strength!

Though those battles were only named 'death,' it is by my strength that I earned their respect!"

Speaking, Melvil raised his head proudly.

Then, ignoring Arthur, he started to pick up the teacup on the table and pour the brewed tea into his own cup.

Seeing the other's demeanor, Arthur felt puzzled at heart.

'Does the [Minor Curse Technique] affect the mind as well? Personality?'

The moment the man appeared, Arthur began to gather Death Qi and cast the [Minor Curse Technique] at him.

Although the effect of the curse had not yet shown, one thing was certain, the man's [Spirituality] was affected.

Usually, there probably wouldn't be any issue, but once it touched on a truth that the man did not want to face, even a single word would make him irritable.

Otherwise, he would not be showing this demeanor.

'Another one like Toad, Harris?'

Arthur thought internally as he slowly said aloud.

"Don't just drink tea from others."

"Oh?

Don't tell me you've poisoned the tea!"

Melvil looked at Arthur with great interest, confident to drink the tea as he was certain that there was nothing in it.

Besides, it was quite full-bodied and tasted good.

Arthur stared at him, and his body, slumped in the chair, straightened up.

The young 'Spirit Medium' stated deliberately—

"No, I wouldn't poison the tea!

I just wanted to remind you that in such compost-fermented teas, if they are not carefully selected, there might be hair, boogers, fingernails, stones, insects, and yes, possibly even…

foot skin!"

Pfft!