They all call me Great Master

Otherwise, a counterfeit is utterly useless.

Thinking this, Arthur pulled Marinda slightly back a step.

Though it was just a simple action, Marinda opened her mouth and blew out a smoke ring.

"Cautious Arthur.

Impressive secret technique... Hmm, is it a secret technique combined with your talent?

Very powerful.

Marinda, you're outstanding too."

The 'Old Lion' across from them spoke.

That tone was entirely like that of a senior.

This made both Arthur and Marinda frown.

Their relationship with the other party clearly hadn't reached this level.

Almost instinctively, Marinda began checking her surroundings again.

She believed there might be traps she had overlooked around them, otherwise, the other party wouldn't need to stall for time.

Arthur, on the other hand, spoke with a look of helplessness—

"Sir, could you please explain your purpose?"

His words were polite, yet shadows were secretly twisting and spreading.

Even though Arthur had mellowed out quite a bit, it didn't mean he wouldn't take action.

"Frightening fellow."

As he said this, the 'Old Lion' waved his hand.

Immediately, a unique force field isolated the surroundings.

Including Marinda.

Sound and sight were completely cut off from this place.

Arthur looked at the sheepskin scroll in the 'Old Lion's' hand, noting the slightly yellowed color from the passage of time, and straightforwardly asked, "An imperial product?"

"Yes, an imperial product.

When our mother created us, she sought a lot of Mystic Side knowledge, among which 'the empire's legacy' was most important, so we are quite familiar with these.

Of course, using it also requires some accumulation for us.

No!

To be precise, it's difficult for me.

For him?

Quite easy."

The 'Old Lion' spoke, wearing a helpless expression.

"Mother? You?"

Arthur questioned.

"Our mother is Robin, the rebel.

We are myself and the Old Lion—above the eight General Puppets, we are Marshal Puppets.

However, I am the Vice Marshal.

And the Old Lion is the Grand Marshal."

The 'Old Lion' explained.

This was very vague, to the point of being bewildering.

However, Arthur was not confused.

The young spirit medium's face showed a look of disbelief.

Robin, that name was not unfamiliar to him.

The rebel of the Holy Era, who had once escaped from the Holy Empire's encirclement in 'Imur Town', then faced with the powerful Holy Empire, countless informants, and countless traitors, Robin trusted no one. She began to learn more knowledge from the remnants of her deceased companions, eventually finding a new path in Alchemy, known as 'the Human Puppet'.

General Puppets were already at the entry-level.

Marshal Puppets were naturally of the Ascending Level.

Of course, none of this was important.

The important part was the words just spoken by the other party: 'myself and the Old Lion'!

In an instant, many speculations appeared in Arthur's mind.

"Severus Hamlet has long been dead! Always read from the source: M|V|LE4MPYR.

All who appeared afterward are—

You, right?"

Arthur asked in as calm a tone as possible.

He also deliberately pronounced the name of the Old Lion completely.

Because if his guess was correct, then it was truly astonishing.

No one could have imagined that the 'Old Lion' had actually long been dead.

Thus, the previous occasional killings of guards in the 'Lion Palace', aside from the gold mines, were also for this reason — no, perhaps the truth was that the counterfeit Old Lion, to cover everything up, deliberately claimed to have discovered a gold mine, not forgetting the pure gold brought in by 'the Pirate King' Edward.

Back then, there must have been collaboration between the parties.

It was just unexpected that there really was a gold mine beneath the Lion Palace.

'Destiny's favor'!

This thought unconsciously popped into Arthur's mind.

But soon, the young spirit medium changed 'favor' to 'toy'.

"Yes."

The 'Old Lion' nodded as he looked at Arthur's expression.

He continued—

"The general situation is pretty much as you guessed, Arthur.

But remember some details.

Initially, the one who actively awakened us was Severus Hamlet.

It was also Severus Hamlet who signed the contract with us.

We didn't deceive him."

As Arthur listened to the other's supplementary and corrective words, confusion flickered in his eyes.

In his eyes, the opponent didn't need to explain so much.

As if the opponent shouldn't appear here.

Unless...

Contract binding?!

Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Arthur, your wisdom is like Severus's. When he awakened us, he probably anticipated the current situation, thus a series of contracts bind us.

He became our master.

He promised that when he became the South County's master, he would release us from our bindings.

However, he faced the layout of that person and directly met a tragic end.

We had no choice. To avoid being eradicated by the contract, we could only live on under the 'name' of the opponent—this was the only condition we managed to secure that made us feel fortunate.

It's also the only condition that left me with regret."

The 'Old Lion' spoke with a bitter smile.

"Thirty years, I'm still me.

Thirty years, it is no longer itself.

Now it only wants to become...

God!"

"Yes, a very good dream, most people would think like this."

Arthur nodded, without sarcasm.

"If it had heard your praise of it looking like a human thirty years ago, it would have happily invited you, but now it would kill you.

Thinking that you're desecrating it.

It acquired the power left by that person.

No!

To be more precise, it's part of the ritual's power."

The 'Old Lion' said, his light golden eyes looked at Arthur.

The opponent was obviously testing how much Arthur knew.

And the opponent's presence here was not entirely benevolent, definitely not out of concern for Severus Hamlet's ties or such.

The opponent came with a purpose.

The opponent came to remove the bindings.

In Severus Hamlet's various contracts, there might be something like as soon as he dies, if his direct descendants recognize the opponent, they could release the contract bindings.

Of course, it's more likely—

The opponent, out of jealousy, started to stir the pot.

Trying to provoke a life-and-death struggle between him and that Marshal Puppet.

For such a Marshal Puppet that has developed self-will and is completely human-like, Arthur would not be careless.

Because the opponent might also be that Old Lion's trump card left here.

Upon hearing his identity as a member of the Golden Lion Family, compelled to jump out and eliminate them utterly.

Every possibility exists.

Arthur's mouth curled up.

No matter which one, he accepted all.

Moreover, he knew he might have unexpected gains.

So, the young Spirit Medium directly said—

"It borrowed part of that ritual's power to 'marry and have children', yes?

Gleisa, Hamlet, Dieudonne Hamlet, Pistri Hamlet are the children it bore after it became him.

Also borrowing part of this power, it became perfect.

Became like the Old Lion.

Additionally, leaving you to serve as a shadow, making people subconsciously ignore the blind spot that he may be a Human Puppet."

"Yes, that's probably it."

The 'Old Lion' nodded.

"Borrowed part of that ritual, it must fulfill the ritual—it transformed into him, became the Old Lion, and had to fulfill the Old Lion's wish.

Unify South County.

Only then, does it truly complete the ritual, allowing it to proceed to the next step of the plan."

Arthur continued speaking.

Words appeared as questions, but were actually confirmations.

The face of the 'Old Lion' across him flashed with surprise but immediately nodded.

"Yes, like this.

And that is also why I appear here.

I don't believe we can seize Severus Hamlet's property, I want to return this ritual to you.

Although it has become incomplete, its power has not diminished.

On the contrary, because of our performance, it is constantly recharging."

The 'Old Lion' spoke with a trace of guilt appearing on his face.

Especially when his hand reached out from the sleeve, and a light ball the size of a ping pong ball appeared, the 'Old Lion' lowered his head even more.

Power!

Pure power!

Just standing beside that small light ball and breathing, Arthur felt his flesh and blood gain unprecedented vitality, but what truly concerned Arthur was—

[Bluff]!

The [Bluff] which had long reached Lv99 now started flashing rapidly!

The frequency, far surpassing horse racing.

The brightness, like a searchlight!

At the same time, an unprecedented hunger appeared in Arthur's heart.

He, was hungry.

He, wanted to eat this light ball.

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