"A woman needs to find a man to rely on, otherwise your possessions will be coveted by others."

Saying this, she leaned towards Carl.

"A reliance?"

Dana narrowed her eyes, "But according to the ledger, the profit-sharing indicates that both of you seemed more like business partners, even..."

"You had a bigger share!"

"What use is so much money to me, a woman?" Lady Annie shook her head, "My share was supposedly higher, but in the end, wasn't it all spent by him? I'm not very clear on how it was spent. Such things are troublesome."

"Is that so?" Dana shook her head, "Madam, your father was a wealthy merchant, and your husband an aristocrat with numerous properties."

"After their deaths, all the money went to you..."

"Looking back now, it seems a bit unreasonable, doesn't it?"

Lady Annie's mother was just a prostitute, and the mother and daughter were not well-regarded at home. The wealthy merchant had sons and daughters, yet why was it Lady Annie who ended up with the estate?

And that Earl, although he had no close relatives, he did have distant kin. It made no sense to leave the inheritance to a widow.

"This was found in the manor."

Dana took out a palm-sized statue and placed it in front of them, "The Spider Goddess Iris, it seems there are never any male followers, and besides Robert, you were the owner of the manor, Madam. How would you explain this?"

The statue had a human head and a spider body, with long, black hair cascading down, life-like yet eerie.

An idol! The idol of the Spider Goddess!

The lady in front of them, bewitching enough to captivate even women, was a follower of Iris.

It was even possible that the deaths of her father and husband were connected to her.

"Commander," Carl was somewhat speechless, "If you suspected her, why didn't you bring more people with you? Or notify the Church?"

"Why bring people?" Dana shook her head, "What does it matter if she's a follower of an Evil God? Wasn't she still tied up by Robert and locked in a secret chamber?"

"I am a Knight, why should I be afraid?"

As she spoke, the thought of Lady Annie bound made her cheeks flush with a wave of heat.

"Hehe..." Lady Annie chuckled seductively upon hearing this, her laughter trembling like flower branches, "Miss Dana, you couldn't possibly still be untouched by a man, could you? That really would be a pity!"

"Bondage..."

"It's not necessarily being confined by others. It might also be playing some 'adults only' special games."

"It could also be..."

"To please the Mother Goddess!"

Mother Goddess?

So, she truly was a follower of the Spider Goddess Iris!

Dana's face darkened, and as she looked at Lady Annie, who kept giggling, her right hand suddenly moved towards the hilt of her sword.

SHINK!

A shadow flashed and vanished.

"Hmm!" Dana let out a muffled groan, her legs gave way, and she knelt directly in the middle of the carriage, blood streaming from her shoulder.

What was that? What happened?

She looked around blankly, only aware that in that instant, something had penetrated her shoulder. By the time she came to her senses, her arm had already lost all feeling.

"Quite a pretty girl, and what's key is she's still untouched by men." Lady Annie bent down, reaching out to lift Dana's chin, "It would be such a pity if you died like this, wouldn't you agree?"

"Carl?"

Dana's face was ashen, her body trembling slightly, as she faced what was, undisputedly, an extremely beautiful and delicate woman. But in her perception, it was as if a terrifying beast was sitting before her—a bloodthirsty monster. The deep, bone-chilling, intangible pressure was so intense it even caused her blood to cease flowing and her heart dared not beat.

Terrifying! Dangerous!

It seemed as if with a single light move, the other party could crush everything. It was also as though numerous steel needles were pressed against her skin, ready to pierce her with countless holes at any moment.

"Madam." Carl sat up straight, likewise not moving an inch, his powerful senses acutely aware of the terror of the woman beside him.

A Great Knight? Even if not, she seemed to be almost as formidable.

"I'm about to leave Sigerno City. Whatever you want to do has nothing to do with me. Can I get out of the carriage?"

"Leave?" Lady Annie curled her lip, "Go where? To the Black Swamp?"

"You know?" Carl expressed surprise.

She even knew such secrets among Wizards! Though, considering she knew Robert, it was understandable.

"Of course." Lady Annie laughed lightly, "They say that Grey Robed Wizard Adison has succeeded in advancing to the Second Circle, and has recruited many to explore the Black Swamp."

"But what of it?"

"The new King of Kolon is anointed in Holy Light at birth. He has Divine Blessing, destined to restore the former glory of the Ferro Empire. Today, Kolon's Knights, priests, and Wizards all follow the new king's command. One day, the iron cavalry of the empire will trample the Swamp. Do you think you can avoid disaster by going there?"

"Naive!"

Carl's expression turned grim.

The other party had information far beyond his own. Grey Robed Wizard Adison had already advanced to the Second Circle. No wonder he was recruiting Wizard Apprentices from all over to go to the Black Swamp, intending to establish a Wizard Organization.

However... the new King of Kolon, who could master the secular, divine, and mystical forces represented by Knights, priests, and Wizards, was truly astounding.

The unification of the nations, the reestablishment of the empire?

"The Gando Kingdom is just the start," Lady Annie said, "Sake, Toksik and other countries will also be integrated into Kolon's territory."

"Join us now, and you will be a noble of the empire, able to receive an Official Wizard's inheritance!"

"Do you think Robert's witchcraft came from nowhere? It was all bestowed upon him by the Kolon Wizard Association."

"Hee hee..." She chuckled, leaning closer, "I know you're a mysterious Wizard Apprentice just like Robert, but at such close range, even an Advanced Wizard Apprentice wouldn't be able to escape my control."

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