Chapter 2034 - 546: Birds of a Feather (Part 5)

"You go ahead, I want to be alone for a while."

"I'll be back in a while."

Luo Yan gave her an apologetic glance, then stood up and adjusted his collar, following Sarah out of the compartment and into the neighboring car.

Just as the carriage door closed, Luo Yan took out a Demon Crystal and placed it beside the door, casually setting up a silence barrier.

The "clang-clang" sound from outside the window seemed to be extracted from this space.

Sarah stopped in her tracks and took a sealed document from her spatial bag, skillfully handing it to Luo Yan.

"Lord Demon King, there has been progress on the matter you asked me to investigate."

"Based on nearly a year of infiltration and investigation by the Holy Mark Organization, we have finally identified the head of intelligence in the Ryan Kingdom. His name is Marinus, a monk at Saint Roland Cathedral and the tomb guardian of the Ryan Royal Family, as well as the most trusted shadow beside King Theo. Although his origins remain a mystery, we did manage to find some interesting clues from old files."

Saying this, Sarah's mouth curved into a faint smile, her cat ears subtly fluttering in a gesture of pride.

It was an emotion only one person could perceive.

"Well done."

Luo Yan validated her work, then opened the document, his gaze scanning the densely written text, raising his eyebrow slightly.

It was a resume from twenty years ago, based on the note information, it was originally stored in the abandoned archive room of the Ryan Kingdom's Royal Guard.

Probably even the Royal Guard themselves had forgotten such an object existed, yet the Salvation Army's Holy Mark Organization managed to dig it out from the trash pile.

"Twenty years ago, Mr. Marinus was just an ordinary Bronze Level warrior, his strength remained unchanged until he retired at thirty. However, after retiring, he suddenly transformed into an 'Inner Palace Expert' beside the king..."

Luo Yan turned the page of the document in his hand, a playful glint flashing in his eyes.

"Can I interpret it this way?"

Though not entirely understanding the term "Inner Palace Expert," Sarah still grasped Lord Demon King's meaning from the context, nodding slightly.

"As your keen eye sees, aside from the obvious Radiant Knight Heigmer, Marinus should be King Theo's strongest force. Holy Mark Organization's intelligence personnel deduce from indirect clues that his strength likely has reached Master Level."

The intrigue in Luo Yan's eyes deepened.

He followed up on Sarah's words, speaking thoughtfully.

"A mediocre swordsman, with no progress in strength over ten years, yet after leaving the frontline, he encountered successive fortuitous events and climbed from Bronze Level all the way to Grandmaster... If he were the well-known 'Rock Sword Saint,' that would be another matter, yet no one has ever heard of Mr. Marinus' legend. Hmm, this sounds intriguing."

The Power of Faith is a complicated matter, it isn't just a simple variable, but a complex formula incorporating quantity, time, and many multiplier variables.

Yet regardless, a Grandmaster implies 1% of Power of Faith... at least according to the algorithm devised by Linte Isaac.

Sarah hesitated, proposing her own theory.

"Could it be... the Void Realm from the Academic State?"

In her reservoir of knowledge, the Void Realm of the Academic State is an exception, able to acquire extra extraordinary power factors from other worlds.

Luo Yan chuckled lightly, noncommittal about this notion.

"Void Realm Resources, the professors at the Academic State barely have enough for themselves, what benefit could selling them to Ryan's monarch offer?"

Moreover, those mages don't care about mundane resources; they are a community independent from worldly affairs.

Whether or not, at least, that's how these mages perceive themselves.

It's only when scholars find themselves penniless, that they leave the Academic State to serve as tutors for kings, or become heads at Thunder City University.

Luo Yan leaned towards another type of power.

A power he hasn't yet discovered, or perhaps has encountered but hasn't summarized into experience...

At this moment, Luo Yan suddenly raised his head, a faint coldness flashing through his deep purple pupils.

His gaze seemed to penetrate the thick car walls, traversing a hundred kilometers, landing on the shadow outside a watchtower north of Cold Crow City.

Unexpectedly, they really came.

A playful smile curled on his lips.

Noticing Luo Yan's subtle change in expression, Sarah's demeanor also gradually grew serious, cautiously asking in a low voice.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

The Demon King's face returned to its composed calmness, placing the document into his space ring, he casually said.

"Just a few reckless rats, Qianqian will handle it."