Chapter 294: Chapter 270: A Reminder, What Do You Mean the Castle Stood Up?

As the voice fell, a cloaked, unremarkable figure suddenly appeared, drawing the gazes of Jon and his three companions.

Jon was one thing—just an unremarkable Official Level Professional. But Claudio, Finian, and Royce were all genuine Advanced Level powerhouses, and their gazes undoubtedly carried considerable weight.

’We’re in the middle of a conversation. What right does an outsider have to butt in?’

’And where the hell did he pop out from? How did the three of them not sense his approach?’

’With that kind of stealth, if his intentions were malicious—’

The gazes of the three powerhouses instantly turned vicious.

Faced with such immense pressure, the newcomer, though an Advanced Level himself, couldn’t help but falter for a moment.

He had no doubt that if he failed to provide a reasonable explanation, the situation would not end peacefully.

But he was in a difficult position—duty called, and he had no choice but to appear.

So, he spread his hands and gave a crisp, shallow bow—the angle was just right, conveying respect without sacrificing his dignity. He then threw back his hood, revealing a plain face, the kind that would disappear in any crowd.

"Please forgive me, sirs. I had no intention of spying on you."

His voice was somewhat hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing gently together.

"It’s just that Shadow Walking is like breathing to me. Hiding my presence is merely a habit."

He didn’t argue or make excuses, directly admitting that he was in the wrong.

His candidness, however, served to slightly diffuse the tense atmosphere.

Then, his gaze passed over the three Advanced Level powerhouses and their terrifying auras, landing precisely on Jon.

"His Highness Jon, please allow me to formally introduce myself."

"My name is Bagget. I belong to the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs, codename ’Night Owl.’ I am responsible for assisting the nobles in Heta County who remain loyal to the Empire with quelling the rebellion started by Nerva Heta."

Bagget faced Jon and executed a crisp, formal noble’s salute, his posture even lower than when he had faced the three powerhouses.

"I appear now on behalf of the Northern Guardian of the Empire, His Grace Duke Feldren, to extend his deepest gratitude to you all."

"Thank you for grievously wounding the fiend and saving Heta County from the brink of ruin. The Empire will remember this great service."

Listening to this impeccable officialese, the corner of Jon’s mouth turned down almost imperceptibly. He was neither pleased by the flattery hidden in the man’s words nor angered by his sudden appearance.

"You said you had information for me. What is it?"

A glimmer flickered in Bagget’s eyes, but he was not at all surprised by Jon’s cold response.

Wisely deciding not to press his luck, he immediately dropped all pleasantries, took a small step forward, and lowered his voice.

"Yes. Regarding the woman you have captured, her identity is somewhat... complex."

"Her name is Carina Delorin. She was once a member of the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs’ ’Raven’ division, codename ’Violet.’ She defected from the Empire five years ago, and we have been tracking her whereabouts ever since."

At these words, Jon’s brow twitched, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

’Bagget risked a beating to come here and give this warning. He wouldn’t lie about a detail so easily disproven.’

"So, you’re trying to persuade me not to form a Soul Contract with her, to prevent her from leaking the Empire’s hidden secrets?"

But Bagget slowly shook his head, his plain face devoid of expression.

"Not exactly. It’s been over five years since she left the ’Raven’ division. The channels, secret orders, safe houses, and even personnel identities she once knew have long since expired or been replaced under the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs’ protocols."

"Even if that information were to be learned by an outsider, it would be of little consequence and wouldn’t cause any real trouble. I’m revealing her identity to you for one reason only: every agent who officially joins the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ ’Raven’ division must undergo a special kind of soul-level conditioning."

"It isn’t some evil ritual, just a safeguard. It’s a ward branded deep within the soul to prevent core members from passively leaking secrets under extreme circumstances. It is strong enough to render most forms of torture or Mind Control ineffective."

He paused, his heavy gaze falling on the unconscious Carina, his expression growing complicated.

"However, Carina Delorin... she not only managed to defect, she did so *after* completely breaking and erasing that soul ward."

"This means that something deep within her soul—or perhaps, some Power she has mastered—is capable of subverting the known Laws of the soul. That is by no means something an ordinary person can accomplish. I implore you to be extremely cautious."

’Something like that is possible?’

A chill ran through Jon.

As a player who had "adventured" in the Harvia Empire’s territory for a long time, he was no stranger to the infamous reputation of the Imperial Ministry of Internal Affairs and its ’Raven’ division.

The organization was like the Empire’s shadow network—astonishingly efficient, with members whose loyalty was beyond question. From what he knew, successful defections from the Ministry of Internal Affairs were almost unheard of. Even if one did occur, the defector would be swiftly and silently eliminated.

For someone like Carina to not only escape successfully but also break a soul ward, survive to this day, and get entangled in such a bizarre incident was completely unprecedented.

He turned his gaze once more to the barely breathing woman on the ground.

Her pale face was slightly contorted in pain. The hem of her deep violet dress was tattered and scorched, and her once-exquisite makeup was now a ruin. She didn’t look any different from an ordinary person.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, he suddenly spoke, asking a seemingly unrelated question.

"Your Ministry of Internal Affairs... do you still want her back?"

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