Chapter 380 179: "Unless you find a real Grand Mage...

Severely wounded, he could no longer even break Bofunova's Magic Shield.

In that moment, Sopea was the very definition of faith and trust.

As Bofunova's two fingers were about to pierce his eyes, he didn't even blink.

He was an old man, but at that moment, he was tougher than the toughest of men.

"Elise." Sean finally spoke.

The girl replied with a smile, "Yes, Master!"

The next second.

Bofunova felt a terrifying aura envelop her, making her heart pound violently.

It was her body's instinctive reaction to danger.

In that instant, the air around her seemed to solidify, locking her in place. Her fingers were only centimeters from Sopea's eyes, yet she couldn't move them another fraction of an inch.

Sopea knew the Eleanor Sisters had intervened. His heart settled, and staring at the fingers before his eyes, he taunted, "Miss Bofunova, has no one ever told you how hideous your nail polish is?"

"That gaudy red... makes you look like a ghoul."

Bofunova, however, was in no mood to deal with Sopea's provocations. As she struggled against her invisible bonds, she snarled, "Who's there?!"

"Show yourself!"

"It's just me, Sister Bofunova."

Elise appeared behind Bofunova with a grin. She reached out, grabbed a handful of her beautiful golden hair, and sniffed it.

"Smells pretty good."

Then, she gave a light tug backward.

The invisible cage of air shattered. Bofunova's body shot backward like a cannonball, slamming violently into the wall.

"Thank you," Sopea said.

"You're too kind, Mr. Sopea," Elise said with a smile. "It was all the Master's wish."

"Seeing" the girl casually fling Bofunova away with his own "eyes," the Night Watcher was both shocked and terrified. For a moment, his eyelids strained to open wide.

'How is that possible?'

'Isn't this little girl Sean's Maid?'

'Why is she so strong?'

At his current Tier, the Night Watcher couldn't perceive Elise's aura. But he knew Bofunova's strength, and by comparison, his most direct impression was that this girl was strong—terrifyingly so.

"Are you all right?"

Sean walked up to the Night Watcher, bent down slightly, and offered him a hand.

The Night Watcher turned his head. Seeing it was Sean, he grunted before taking the offered hand and letting Sean help him up.

He noticed Eleanor standing beside Sean.

'The sisters looked nearly identical—they must be twins. If Elise is this strong, Eleanor can't be far behind.'

'No wonder Sean walked into this trap at Ivan Pharmaceutical, even though he knew what it was.'

'With a pair of Maids this powerful, wiping out the Florist Family suddenly makes sense.'

'He had to admit it: he'd underestimated Sean.'

'He had no idea where Sean had found two such powerful bodyguards.'

But he still wasn't going to be pleasant to Sean.

"Don't expect me to thank you,"

the Night Watcher said coldly. "This whole mess started because of you."

Sean was the one who'd spirited his old friend away, bringing Sopea to Sonaros State.

And it was because of Sean that they were now surrounded by a pack of Witch Hunters.

If Sopea hadn't been here, he never would have revealed himself.

He would have at least waited for this conceited young man to suffer a bit before stepping in to save the day—not that he was sure he could have, anyway.

The Night Watcher expected Sean to argue back.

'Young people these days were all like that, refusing to back down to anyone.'

But to his surprise, Sean didn't argue. Instead, he nodded and said quietly, "You're right."

"It's all because of me that everyone's in this situation."

"And it's because of me that you lost your eyes."

Sean still didn't know the reason for his "disappearance," but he had now personally witnessed its consequences.

The Hall of Truth was destroyed by the Church Court, Kovri City was razed, and the families who had been on good terms with the Holy Sanctuary, who had given it their academic support, were uprooted and purged as Heresy.

What followed was the Witch Hunt Operation that swept across the entire Farm World.

Eliminating all dissent in the name of religion.

If he hadn't disappeared, or if the Night Watcher hadn't been a man of the Holy Sanctuary, the Long Night Union would never have been besieged by multiple Witch Hunter Families, and he never would have lost his eyes.

All of this truly had started because of him.

The Night Watcher: "?"

He didn't understand.

But that didn't stop him from maintaining his tough exterior.

"My eyes have nothing to do with you. Don't ask about them. Just worry about yourself."

"I can't do that."

Sean shook his head. "I didn't even go to the Gate of Hell. I stayed to get revenge for you."

"I don't need it," the Night Watcher said, his face cold. "I'll get my own revenge."

He didn't know Sean well. What he meant was that he didn't want to be indebted to him.

But then Sean suddenly turned his head. "Then go on."

"Let's see how you do it."

The Night Watcher: "?"

He felt an urge to curse.

Sean raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? Can't do it?"

"Then shut your mouth, watch quietly, and learn."

The Night Watcher: "?"

This time, he really wanted to curse someone out.

'What's with this attitude?'

'Who does this guy think he is?'

"Sean!"

"Don't think just because you have two Maids—"

Sean cut him off. "Eleanor, seal his mouth."

"Yes, Master."

Eleanor turned to the Night Watcher with an apologetic smile, then sealed his lips with a Silence Spell.

Sean looked at him and said, "Don't give me any of that 'your revenge, my revenge' nonsense. I said I'm getting revenge for you, and that's what's going to happen. Understand?"

The Night Watcher: "Mmph!"

Sean couldn't be bothered with him anymore. He said to Elise, "Turn on the lights."

"Yes." Elise cupped her hands. Magic Power ignited within them, forming an oil lamp. The flame grew from a dim flicker to a brilliant light, as bright as the sun, banishing all the darkness within the factory.