The coffin of the Duke of St. Hilde rests in the nave hall.
Who would have thought that just yesterday, the Duke of the North presided over the wedding of Colin and Vera, but now, he has closed his eyes forever.
The elusive fate is like pollen in Brownian motion in the water, and its next trajectory can never be predicted with the limited wisdom of mortals.
The coffin was open, and a group of northern nobles stepped forward in turn to express their condolences.
Colin held Vera's hand and stood by the coffin, staring blankly at the Duke's body, wondering what he was thinking.
The broken body of the Duke of St. Hilde has been put together again. The stonemasons are quite good at their craftsmanship. Except for the cracks that are difficult to erase, there is no difference from the original one at all.
Anyone who has ever tried to put a broken vase back together knows how difficult it can be.
In a sense, Colin was also an accomplice in the death of the Duke of St. Hilde.
If the blood slave he controlled hadn't stopped at the most critical moment when Mr. Ji cast the spell, I'm afraid this forbidden spell would not have succeeded at all.
If it happened again, Colin would still choose to stop and let the Duke of St. Hilde die.
He will never forget the humiliation that the Duke of the North brought to him, as well as the harm to Vera and the Marquis of Garcia.
Missing this opportunity, he really didn't know how to deal with this man who stood at the pinnacle of the North in terms of force and intelligence.
I'm afraid that from now on, Colin can only be at the mercy of the Duke of the North like he did at Vera's coming-of-age ceremony.
Although this ruthless Duke of the North is currently on Colin's side, his existence will only bring endless pressure to Colin. One day he is in the North, and Colin can only behave with his tail between his legs.
And you have to worry about whether you will become a chess piece sacrificed by the opponent at all times.
Although Colin has now become the duke's son-in-law, but this duke is a ruthless character who even sells his own son, a son-in-law is nothing.
This can be regarded as revenge for Vera and Marquis Garcia in disguise.
As for whether this would lead to the collapse of the situation in the northern border, Ke Lin was not too worried.
Chaos is the ladder.
Although Marquis Dawson's words were uneasy and well-intentioned, they won Colin's heart.
For an ambitious man like Colin, a chaotic northern border may be more suitable for him.
Therefore, it is better for the Duke to die.
The only thing that made Colin feel pity was that after Duke St. Hilde's blood was petrified, he didn't know where it went.
Otherwise, he can take the opportunity to taste the blood of the paladin, how sweet it is.
After the nobles finished mourning, the bishop of Perth stepped forward and poured holy water into the coffin, chanting prayers.
Finally, under the guidance of the bishop, everyone mourned for Duke St. Hilde together.
This concludes the wake, but the Duke of St. Hilde cannot yet be buried.
After all, he was the former Lord of the North. The body of the Duke of St. Hilde cannot be buried in a cemetery in Ice Rock City like Charles, who has no title, but must be transported back to Cold Winter City for a grand funeral.
At that time, the imperial family will send people to attend.
At the same time, the candidate for the new Duke of the North will also be decided.
"Colin, I'll stay and watch the night, you go back."
After everyone left one after another, Vera turned her head and whispered to Colin.
Her face was a little pale, and there was unconcealable sadness in her eyes, but more worry and confusion.
Ke Lin held the other's cold little hand, and said warmly, "I'll stay and watch the night with you."
"Okay." Vera pursed her lips and smiled, put her arms around Colin's arm, rested her head on his shoulder, and let out a long sigh of relief.
After the Bishop of Perth closed the door, only Colin and Vera were left in the hall.
The cold moonlight shines on the marble floor through the glass, and merges with the brilliance of the magic crystal chandelier, forming strange patterns one by one.
A slight breeze came in from nowhere, and brought the tranquility of the spring night into the hall.
"Colin..." Vera suddenly spoke, her voice seemed to come from a distant starry sky, deep and ethereal.
"What's wrong?" Colin turned his head and kissed Vera's hair.
"You said... should I hate him?"
"What do you think?"
Colin didn't give an answer, because he understood that what Vera might need at this time was not an answer, but a confession.
No matter how bad the Duke of St. Hilde's behavior was, after all, he has been kind to Vera for twenty years, which is irrefutable.
What's more, he gave Vera what she needed most—identity.
Colin didn't know which beauty Marquis Garcia had an affair with and gave birth to Vera, but without the Duke's adoption, she would only be a despised illegitimate daughter.
"I don't know..." Vera said in a low tone.
However, Colin didn't hear a trace of hatred from it.
"If you don't know, just keep this question in your heart for the time being. Maybe one day, when you look back at an experience, you will have the answer."
Ke Lin resolutely sent a "chicken soup" to soothe the girl's hurt heart.
Vera savored Colin's words, and her brows relaxed a lot: "I see, thank you, Colin."
so coaxing...
Colin smiled and patted Vera's arm, signaling her not to think too much.
The hall fell into silence again, and Colin began to study the lines on Duke St. Hilde's body in the coffin out of boredom, as if there was some mystery hidden there.
But not long after, Vera asked again: "Colin, what do you think father was killed by?"
"I guess it should be a spell, but if it can kill a paladin, it must be a forbidden spell."
Speaking of this, Ke Lin suddenly remembered the scene in Falling Eagle City that he saw through the eyes of the blood slave.
The terrifying sight of the burning city made Colin feel a biting chill.
"I guess it's also a forbidden curse." Vera nodded, "Also, it's very similar to a forbidden curse I've seen before."
"Oh?" Colin cheered up immediately, and he suddenly remembered that his wife beside him was also a mage, so she might know some useful information.
Then he asked: "Do you know this forbidden spell?"
Vera nodded, then shook her head again: "I have seen a similar forbidden spell in the teacher's library. However, it is impossible to release that forbidden spell now, because one of the most important casting materials has long been lost. turn up."
"Oh? What is the forbidden spell?"
"Eye of petrification."
"Eye of petrification?" Colin looked at the Duke of St. Hilde who had become a stone statue in the coffin, a little dazed.
"Yes. However, this forbidden spell is not the same as the petrified eye. I remember that the forbidden spell of the petrified eye uses the caster's eyes as the release medium. Anyone who looks directly at the caster's eyes will become a stone .
However, on the day my father got the spell, there was no suspicious caster in the Red Castle. Moreover, I looked up and saw the mysterious blue eye in the sky, but I was not petrified.
Therefore, although the two are similar, they are definitely not the same forbidden spell. "
"It is probably a new spell modified based on the forbidden spell of the petrified eye." Colin touched his chin and said, and then he noticed an important message in Vera's narrative, "You said you were in the teacher's library. Did you see the casting scroll of the petrified eye?"
"Yes."
"Who is your teacher?"
"It's the deputy speaker of Yevil's mage council—Lord Cusius."
"Cushius?" Of course, Colin had never heard of this name, and he knew almost nothing about the city of wizards, Yeville.
"Then do you know Mr. Yu?" Colin said the real caster's name.
"Well, I met him a few times in Yeville. His background is very mysterious, and his relationship with the teacher seems to be quite good, and we often exchange research experiences together."
Ke Lin looked at the bewildered Vera, and said bluntly, "Actually, this Mr. Xie is a descendant of the Saint Sean family."
"Saint Theon?" Vera was really surprised.
"Yes, and, I suspect, it was this Mr. Gu who killed the Duke of St. Hilde."
Vera frowned: "Then... do you think that Mr. Xi developed the forbidden curse to kill his father based on the petrified eye collected by the teacher?"
"Probably."
Vera pondered for a moment, then immediately said: "Then I will write to the teacher after I go back and ask him about this matter."
"Well, it's best to ask him again, what are the conditions for the release of this forbidden curse, what price does it need to pay, and is there a way to break it?" Colin was a little worried that one day he would become the target of this forbidden curse.
This forbidden spell was so terrifying that paladins could be directly petrified. He felt that if he became the target, the characteristics of the blood race might not be able to save him.
"OK."
(end of this chapter)