TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 99

Although there were no obvious external injuries on Gold, he didn’t look well.

It was somewhat similar to the aftereffects of healing magic. While healing magic could quickly close wounds, its ability to restore stamina, mental energy, and magical power was fairly limited.

Moreover, Gold usually loved adorning himself with all sorts of glittering accessories, yet today he looked unusually plain.

Albin frowned with concern. “Did something happen?”

He remembered that the last time the adults had gone to subdue abyssal monsters, they had also returned utterly exhausted.

With practiced ease, Albin instructed the attendants to prepare food. Gold wasn’t picky about what he ate, but Albin certainly was. Sutanlai never lacked ingredients, yet the local chefs specialized in rich, overly sweet desserts, so special instructions were necessary.

After arranging for food that would help replenish Gold’s energy, Albin stepped forward and began massaging his shoulders while channeling some of his own magic into him.

It wasn’t meant as treatment.

He simply wanted Gold to feel more comfortable.

There were many matters he couldn’t participate in or help with, but he still wanted to contribute in whatever ways he could.

“Is there anything I can do?”

Being cared for so sincerely softened Gold’s expression. The warm magic felt like the harbor of a home, making him feel as though he were sinking into a bed of soft clouds.

This was one of the joys of being alive.

“It’s nothing. I just had Zeman put me through some training. I’ll recover soon enough.”

Realization dawned on Albin.

That wasn’t unusual.

Although Gold was intelligent and possessed considerable wealth and influence—enough to hire many bodyguards—his personal combat strength wasn’t particularly impressive. He was only barely at the level of a high-ranking monster, and even his ability to assume a human form had required special techniques.

The White Apostles were highly conspicuous figures. Some magical beasts harbored extreme hatred toward humans and regarded them as enemies, leading to constant incidents of sabotage, attacks, and assassination attempts.

Gold was famous throughout the Demon Realm and had extensive connections, which unfortunately also made him an easier target.

Monsters generally respected the law of the strong preying upon the weak. To ensure that Gold could firmly maintain his position as a lord, several members of the White Apostles had personally trained him to increase his strength.

Since it was training, expending some energy was only natural.

Albin understood this well. Anyone who wanted to become stronger had to endure the hardships of training. He himself had gone through the same process.

Relieved, Albin said, “You can ask me to help train you next time.”

Gold twitched at the corner of his mouth.

“That won’t be necessary… If I got defeated by you, I’d be pretty devastated.”

Even after losing his memories, Albin had retained his body’s muscle memory. He had quickly regained his former magical abilities and had spent the past three years continually training and growing stronger. His progress had been astonishing.

“What do you mean? I’m really strong. Why would losing to me be embarrassing?” Albin stared at him unhappily, refusing to let the matter drop without an explanation.

Gold hesitated before answering.

“Because I want to protect you… I don’t want you to see me at my worst.”

If he were defeated by the very person he wished to protect, Gold truly wouldn’t know what expression he should wear in front of Albin afterward.

Albin paused, then smiled.

“That’s fine. I want to protect you too, Gold.”

Still, since Gold’s pride clearly objected, Albin didn’t press the matter further.

Honestly, these adults were just like children sometimes.

Instead, he asked curiously, “Since the two of you came together, is there something going on?”

Wasn’t Father supposed to be passing through Gold’s territory while handling other business?

Why had they come here together?

Everyone was usually busy. For minor matters, they could simply communicate through their communication bracelets, so it was rare to see them gather in person.

Over the years, the communication rune bracelets had improved considerably. Originally they could only flash runes, requiring users to consult codebooks to decipher messages. Now they could transmit letters and even simple text messages, making communication far more convenient.

Gold exchanged a glance with Zeman.

After a brief pause, he said, “We’re here to discuss something with Sutanlai. Also, I mentioned before that I’d take you to see Thorn City. I plan to take you there today.”

Albin could tell that they didn’t want him present for the discussion that followed, so he nodded.

“Then you guys talk first. I’ll go make preparations for the trip.”

After Albin left, Sutanlai frowned.

“What exactly happened?”

Unlike Albin, he wasn’t so easily fooled. Training sessions were common enough, but for these two to rush here together clearly meant something more serious was going on.

Zeman spoke first.

“Gold encountered that kid called ‘Black.’”

Sutanlai immediately turned toward Gold, his expression grave.

“The Sun God’s soul fragment?”

Gold nodded, his fingers tightening around a gold coin.

“An arrogant little brat.”

The numbering of the White Apostles was determined entirely by strength. Gold was the Seventh Apostle—the lowest-ranked member.

But even being last among the White Apostles still meant standing at the pinnacle of power.

In all these years, this was the first time he had ever lost to an outsider.

He had nearly died at the other’s hands.

And that opponent had been an underage kid.

Well… that kid was a fragment of the Sun God, after all.

To fulfill Albin’s dream of peaceful coexistence between humans and monsters, the most thorough solution was naturally to kill the gods themselves.

That was also the goal of the White Apostles.

Zeman continued:

“Moon and I can’t appear directly before him. We might scare the Sun God away. Padma and Larimar are publicly known as priests, so they could also raise his suspicions. Only you and Emerald should be able to approach him without attracting attention.”

After the incident with the Sea God, Zeman had realized that the gods were even more cowardly than he had imagined.

“Black” was the only lead they possessed.

If the Sun God escaped again, they might never find him.

They had to proceed carefully and make sure they finished him off this time.

Sutanlai already understood why they had come.

“You want me to deal with him…”

After a moment’s thought, he nodded.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

The lion within him surged with fighting spirit.

A chance to battle a god was an opportunity that came only once in a lifetime.

Zeman nodded.

“Later, I’ll have Emerald assist you. Gold can issue a continent-wide bounty on him and force him to flee in your direction.”

“Wait.”

Gold suddenly interrupted.

His brow furrowed as hesitation appeared on his face.

“That kid resembles the ‘Little Black’ Albin has been searching for. The age matches too.”

Black hair.

Dark blue eyes.

A tear mole beneath the left eye.

No matter how much time passed, those features wouldn’t change.

Gold took a deep breath.

If fulfilling Albin’s wish required sacrificing Albin’s best friend…

Zeman froze and stared sharply at him.

“Are you certain?”

“About eighty percent. He resembles that queen somewhat. And he seemed to be asking about you. He appeared to hold a grudge against you, though I didn’t tell him anything. I don’t know whether that was the Sun God’s influence.”

Zeman’s gaze darkened as he fell into thought.

When he had arrived at the battlefield where Gold and Black fought, Gold’s magnificent castle had already been collapsing. Black had been carried away by his companions, and Zeman had never gotten a clear look at him.

But if Gold said so, then the conclusion was probably correct.

The Sun God’s fragment.

Little Black.

Zeman closed his eyes and remembered the day, eight years ago, when he had severed ties with the Sun God.

On that very day, Albin’s closest friend—the adopted son of Jacques—had vanished.

When he reappeared, he had somehow become the vessel of the Sun God’s soul fragment.

Was it because of him?

Because of his battle with the Sun God?

Had the fragment attached itself to the nearby child called Little Black?

For a long time, Zeman remained silent.

It felt as though time itself had stopped.

Even the air around him seemed frozen by the weight of his thoughts.

After hearing Gold’s explanation, Sutanlai asked:

“…Is there another way to deal with the Sun God?”

He didn’t want to kill someone Albin cared about.

Zeman opened his crimson eyes.

They were deep and unreadable.

“I’ll handle this matter. Don’t tell Albin for now.”

His voice was cold.

“We can’t let Albin get close to the Sun God’s fragment.”

For the Sun God, Albin would also make an excellent vessel.

“Sutanlai, proceed according to the original plan. Defeat him…”

“Defeat?” Sutanlai caught the change in wording immediately.

Zeman had clearly changed his mind.

But if he no longer intended to kill the fragment outright, what exactly was he planning to do?

The three men discussed the matter for a long time.

After hearing Zeman’s instructions, Sutanlai still had some doubts, but he ultimately agreed.

“No problem. I’ll also try to determine whether he really is that Little Black.”

When the discussion ended and Gold was about to leave to find Albin, he nodded toward Zeman.

“Thank you for saving me.”

Even now, the memory left him shaken.

He had lost to that kid.

His castle had been destroyed in their battle.

Its former magnificence had been reduced to ashes.

When the enemy’s companions rushed in and carried the boy away, Gold’s own subordinates had already fled in all directions.

Not a single one had thought to rescue him.

Half-dead, he had lain sprawled across the crimson carpet, staring blankly up at the massive golden chandelier trembling overhead.

Had Zeman not arrived in time, he likely would have been crushed beneath it and buried forever within the ruins of his castle.

How ridiculous.

He would have died because of the wealth he had always taken pride in.

And he had been saved by Zeman—the very person who had once nearly killed him.

Zeman stopped walking.

His cloak settled behind him.

Without turning fully around, he said:

“Thank Albin. He asked me to bring you a gift while passing through your territory.”

Under normal circumstances, Zeman would never have visited Gold’s domain.

He tossed the gift over.

“I see…”

Gold laughed softly and caught it.

It was a crudely carved circular metal charm.

One side bore a compass rose and runes.

The other side displayed a rather distorted image that, after considerable examination, Gold guessed was supposed to represent his monster form—a leopard.

Gold’s mouth twitched.

“What is this?”

“He says it’s a protective charm. I have one too.”

Zeman pulled out his own charm necklace to show him.

The others probably had them as well.

As Gold slipped it around his neck, he grumbled:

“He must’ve been doing arts and crafts with Moon again. After all these years, Moon still hasn’t given up?”

Albin was hopeless with handicrafts.

There was no doubt Moon had been a bad influence.

Yet as Gold ran his fingers over the charm, the cold metal somehow warmed his heart, much like Albin’s magic had.

He had heard that the priests of the Love God called Albin the Child of Miracles.

Perhaps they were right.

That child truly did bring miracles.

---

Albin and Gold set out together for Thorn City.

Ever since Albin had lost his memories, everyone insisted on accompanying him wherever he went, as though they feared disaster would strike the moment they looked away.

Albin thought they worried far too much.

The encounter with the Sea God had been a special case.

Gods weren’t exactly something people ran into every day.

As for ordinary magical beasts, he could handle them easily.

But the adults had long since rejected his protests.

For this trip, he didn’t travel under his identity as the Holy Child. Instead, he used the false identity that Gold had previously arranged for him.

His magic academy was located in Thorn City.

The great fire eight years earlier had destroyed a large stretch of forest, leaving plenty of land available for construction.

Additionally, Thorn City lacked any significant temple influence, making it an ideal location for the academy’s philosophy.

As for the city’s poor public safety, that too had gradually improved over the years.

The academy’s construction had created large numbers of jobs, and somehow Gold had managed to become the city lord. Working together with Albin’s vision, he had launched a major crackdown on crime and corruption.

From Gold’s perspective, if Thorn City could be properly developed, it would become a vital transportation hub and an extremely profitable investment.

The city’s problems were difficult to solve.

Yet with the magic academy serving as a catalyst, fresh vitality had begun flowing into the once-dark city, gradually transforming it little by little.

Albin’s false identity was that of the mysterious new lord of Thorn City, while Gold acted as both his agent and financial backer.

Upon learning that their new master was visiting for the first time, the butler and the castle servants lined up to welcome him.

Their eyes were fixed on the carriage that had stopped at the entrance.

What was unusual was that the carriage bore no family crest or banner.

The first person to step out was a blond man. The butler recognized him immediately—Mr. Gold, the wealthy magnate who had been entrusted with managing the estate.

Just thinking about it still left him astonished.

That stingy, greedy Mr. Gold had been remarkably generous in supporting the mysterious city lord. Had he not personally handled those affairs, he would never have believed it.

After stepping down, Gold turned and offered a hand toward the carriage.

A hand wearing a black thorn-shaped ring emerged.

The butler recognized the ring at once—it was the symbol of the city lord.

He stared intently at the figure descending from the carriage.

It was a red-haired youth dressed in a black cloak embroidered with golden patterns. The cloak’s broad hood partially concealed his delicate features, revealing only a pair of crimson eyes calmly gazing ahead.

He wore a black mask.

His expression was somewhat cold, and he remained silent. Everything about him radiated mystery, like a noble scion from some ancient family, yet he lacked the sort of arrogance people found unpleasant.

Anyone capable of becoming a city lord was bound to have an extraordinary background.

The butler had prepared himself for that.

What he had not expected was how young the other party appeared.

“Mr. Ross, Mr. Gold, this way please.”

He led the two into the castle and began introducing its layout, starting from the first floor.

After explaining the various rooms, he casually added,

“And this is the basement…”

The mysterious city lord suddenly spoke.

“I heard that in the past, the servants all lived in the basement. There were even slaves among them.”

The butler hurriedly explained,

“That was indeed the case several generations ago. However, following your instructions, the servants now reside in the annex behind the castle, and all the slaves have been freed. The basement is currently used only as a wine cellar. No one lives there anymore.”

Albin nodded and followed him upstairs to the second floor.

For this false identity, he had taken the alias Ross and dyed his hair red like his mother’s.

He wanted to try being a cool, mysterious guy too!

According to Gold’s investigation, this castle seemed to be the very place where Albin had spent his childhood.

He had heard that someone had stolen him from the forbidden grounds of the Temple of Love when he was young. Somehow he had ended up in Thorn City, where the old city lord had mistaken him for a Sin-Eater and kept him confined in a tower until he was six years old.

Albin remembered that the letters he had exchanged with Little Black also mentioned a tower.

It was probably the tower in this very castle.

The thought filled him with endless curiosity about the place.

Before exploring, however, Gold had something he wanted to show him.

Gold led him into the study, the room where the former city lord had conducted his affairs.

The moment Albin entered, something on the desk caught his eye.

It was a long, slender golden crystal, like a shard chipped off a much larger crystal. It radiated a mysterious power and floated above a pedestal constructed from other crystals. Protective magic surrounded it.

Yet when Albin looked at it, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Gold dismissed the butler and the other servants before saying,

“This crystal was obtained by the old city lord sixteen years ago. It appears to contain immense power, but ordinary mages have never been able to use it.”

Gold looked at Albin.

“As for how you ended up in the old city lord’s hands, only he and the former head butler knew the details. Both of them are dead now.

“However, I found an old servant who was present when you first arrived. He said that when you were brought here, you were already clutching this crystal. The old city lord likely sensed its power, which is why he became convinced that you possessed some special ability and could absorb his sins.”

Albin dispelled the protective magic and picked up the crystal.

Instantly, a familiar sensation surged through him.

It felt just like embracing the Sacred Tree within the forbidden grounds of the Temple of Love.

He cautiously tried channeling magic into the crystal.

The previously dim crystal suddenly lit up, glowing with a gentle golden radiance.

At the same time, a strange green interface abruptly appeared in Albin’s mind.

The text displayed there clearly did not belong to this world.

Yet somehow, he could understand it perfectly.

To promote the healthy development of minors, Jinjiang Comics City has launched Youth Mode. Certain functions will be unavailable while this mode is active.

>> Enable Youth Mode

>> Understood, I am an adult

Albin blinked in confusion.

Somewhere in the depths of his common sense, he felt that this thing was called an app pop-up window.

Without hesitation—and with remarkable familiarity—he decisively selected:

“I am an adult.”

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