Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 54: The Bishop’s Arrival

The next day, the atmosphere in the castle grew even more tense.

In the morning, Murphy was grooming Red Leaf while Old John and Allen spoke in low voices in a distant corner of the stables.

"Did you hear?" Allen lowered his voice. "Even Lord Arthur was called in for questioning."

Old John glanced around cautiously, making sure no Guards were nearby. "Not just Lord Arthur. All the followers are being investigated. I saw Lord Luca coming out of the council hall this morning with a grim look on his face when I went to the Inner Castle to deliver some harnesses."

The brush in Murphy’s hand paused for a moment, but he quickly resumed grooming Red Leaf’s mane.

Allen continued cautiously, "I heard every follower has to give a detailed account of their whereabouts on the night the Lord Baron died, and they need witnesses to corroborate their stories."

"This is so unusual," Allen said worriedly. "For even the followers to be interrogated like this... Could it be..."

Old John cut him off immediately. "Watch your tongue! These are not matters for us to discuss."

Just then, Duan ran in, panting. "I just came back from the kitchens. I heard even the lords who were on leave were recalled last night!"

Old John frowned. "Even those on leave... Just as I thought..."

Everyone fell silent in unison.

In the afternoon, while Murphy was cleaning harnesses alone in the stables, Bart came to find him quietly.

"Murphy," Bart whispered, "I heard the scope of the investigation is expanding. Now even the servants who are close to the followers are being questioned."

Murphy gently polished a saddle without looking up. "That has nothing to do with us."

"But..." Bart hesitated. "I heard Lord Arthur’s Attendant was taken away last night too. As Lord Arthur’s Groom..."

Murphy put down the harness and sighed. "Then we’ll do as we’re told. We’re just Grooms. All we have to do is our job."

As evening fell, Allen brought the latest news. "I heard the investigation is focused on the followers who were on good terms with Lord Sylvan."

Hearing this, Old John commented, "It seems Lord Kelvin is particularly concerned about certain things."

「Three nights later」

Murphy was practicing his Cultivation in his dormitory as usual.

Bart and Hank visited again, their expressions even more solemn this time.

"Things are getting stranger and stranger," Hank said as soon as he entered. "I heard the Roton Knight is personally presiding over the questioning, just like three years ago."

Bart added, "And the questioning is getting more and more detailed. They’re asking for every single detail from the days before the Baron fell seriously ill."

Hank said uneasily, "Everyone in the castle is whispering now. They’re saying there might be more to the Baron’s death... that maybe, just like three years ago, it was..."

Murphy cut Hank off. "Don’t believe those rumors."

After seeing them out, Murphy stood alone by the window.

In the moonlight, his figure was veiled in a faint Black Light, a profound glow so deep it seemed capable of devouring the moonlight itself.

The next day, as Murphy was fetching water from the well as usual, he overheard two washerwomen talking in low voices.

"Even the followers are being questioned in such detail. It’s exactly like three years ago, or maybe even..."

"I heard the Roton Knight stayed in the council hall very late last night. They said he was waiting for Bishop Alberto to arrive and take charge..."

Murphy lifted his bucket and walked away, his expression unchanged.

...

「Two days later.」

A lavishly decorated white carriage slowly drove into Baron Duval’s Castle. Four pure white steeds trotted with elegant steps, their silver harnesses glinting in the sunlight.

The sides of the carriage were intricately carved with a pattern of a crescent moon embracing a star, and the silver filigree on its surface flowed with a soft luster.

Inside the Baron’s Castle council hall, the Roton Knight and Kelvin stood solemnly before the Bishop.

Kelvin stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Your Excellency, thank you for making the arduous journey to preside over my father’s funeral. The Duval Clan is deeply honored by your presence."

Bishop Alberto had a gaunt face. His long, silver-white hair was immaculately draped over his shoulders, and just as he had five years ago, he wore a snow-white robe embroidered with silver thread and a Silver Crown inlaid with a Moonlight Stone.

He nodded slightly. "May the light of Oriane guide lost souls. I sense that the threads of fate in this land have fallen into an unusual state of disarray."

Kelvin maintained his respectful posture. "Your Excellency is as perceptive as ever. Since my father’s passing, an inexplicable sense of unease has indeed permeated the castle."

Bishop Alberto’s gaze was as deep as the night sky. "The paths of the stars do not lie. On my way here, I observed an abnormal shadow over the skies of the Northern Territory. This foretells that a dark power is spreading across this land."

Roton’s expression turned grave. "Your Excellency, are you referring to..."

Bishop Alberto said solemnly, "Five years ago, a Witch left her mark here. Now, the threads of fate are entangled once more. I have come by divine oracle to bring you a disquieting message: a dark power has reawakened in this land."

Kelvin and Roton exchanged a worried glance. "Your Excellency, could this be related to my father’s death?"

Bishop Alberto slowly raised his hand, a faint silver radiance appearing at his fingertips. "The boundary between life and death is never a secret under the gaze of the stars. But I need time. I need to find the trail of truth in this land."

He turned to Roton. "Knight, take me to where the Baron rests. Let the truth of Oriane guide us to see the reality hidden in the mist."

When the group arrived at the chapel where the Baron’s body lay in state, Bishop Alberto stopped before the coffin.

He crossed his hands over his chest in a gesture of embracing the stars and began to chant an ancient prayer in a low voice.

A silver light flowed from his hands, spilling over the coffin like moonlight.

"The path of fate has indeed been twisted here, but the source of this distortion does not come from a mundane power."

Kelvin asked eagerly, "Your Excellency, what have you discovered?"

Bishop Alberto’s gaze grew even deeper. "Under the guidance of the stars, I saw a black-robed figure and a power that should not exist in this world. This power is identical to that of the Witch from five years ago."

A look of grief appeared in Roton’s eyes as he knelt on one knee. "Please instruct us, Your Excellency. What should we do?"

Seeing this, Kelvin immediately followed Roton’s example, kneeling on one knee as well. His voice was filled with earnestness. "We implore you to show us the way forward, Your Excellency."

Bishop Alberto said, "First, we must hold a funeral befitting the Baron’s status, and let the Holy Light of Oriane purify the shadows upon this land. As for the rest..."

His gaze drifted toward the stables. "The stars themselves will guide us to the answer."