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Dean Bruce glanced at her and noticed a red flame mark etched on the back of her hand, a mark that immediately gave him a sense of familiarity.

It looked like something from the Magic Guild!

However, the Magic Guild did not have the tradition of tattooing such marks. This must have been done by the girl herself.

Realizing this, Dean Bruce roughly understood the girl\'s identity. He stood up straighter, revealing the Soul Blood Oath on his chest, and said calmly, "How did you know we were here?"

"Insolence!"

Before the girl could respond, the surrounding soldiers\' faces turned hostile. They glared at Dean Bruce, shouting coldly, "Who are you? How dare you speak so rudely to the Princess?"

Hearing the girl\'s title, Dean Bruce\'s heart skipped a beat. Why would a princess take such an interest in the residence of a battle-hardened general?

Dean Bruce and his companion had only just arrived at the mansion, yet she was able to lead a group of elite soldiers to surround the place so quickly. It was clear that she had been keeping an eye on this location!

The girl froze for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "What do you mean by that? Shouldn\'t I know if someone enters my territory?"

Dean Bruce shook his head slightly and pointed to the Soul Blood Oath on his chest. "Don\'t you recognize this emblem?"

Previously, no matter who he encountered, as long as they were affiliated with the Magic Guild, they would immediately sense and acknowledge Dean Bruce\'s identity.

Therefore, he had deliberately puffed out his chest and asked that question, but to his surprise, the girl showed no reaction!

It wasn\'t until Dean Bruce pointed directly at the Soul Blood Oath that the girl blinked, her expression shifting slightly. She gestured for the soldiers to lower their weapons and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "I didn\'t realize that an elder had come. Please forgive my rudeness."

The moment she finished speaking, the soldiers looked astonished. They couldn\'t believe that the princess, who they held in such high regard, would treat someone as young as Dean Bruce with such respect.

Dean Bruce replied calmly, "There\'s no need to talk about offense. I\'m just curious—how did you get here so quickly?"

The young girl responded respectfully, "The General\'s mansion was the first place where strange occurrences were reported. I thought something was definitely wrong, so I stationed people to keep an eye on it!"

Furrowing his brows slightly, Dean Bruce didn\'t fully believe her explanation. It sounded reasonable enough, but she arrived far too quickly!

Even for someone from the royal family, it takes time to gather soldiers. Yet, she managed to get here almost instantaneously, as if she had been prepared in advance.

After a moment of consideration, Dean Bruce asked, "What position do you hold within the Magic Guild?"

"Reporting to the Elder, I belong to the Tino Branch and serve as a Level 2 Deacon," the girl replied. "I also reported my return to the capital to the branch president, and received permission."

Dean Bruce nodded and asked, "What\'s your name?"

"Miranda Joy," she replied softly. "Elder, have you discovered anything? If you have, please let me know. I represent the royal family in thanking you, and we will present you with a generous reward!"

"No, nothing yet." Dean Bruce shook his head. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the sound of hurried hooves echoed from the distance.

He looked up to see a soldier dressed in light armor riding in quickly, his face showing signs of panic.

The soldier dismounted beside Miranda Joy and said urgently, "Princess, something terrible has happened again! The Treasurer\'s entire family has also been taken away by ghosts!"

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, Dean Bruce\'s eyes lit up, and his heart began to anticipate.

The incident at the General\'s mansion had occurred too long ago to find any useful clues. But if someone was truly behind this, the scene of the new incident might still have traces that hadn\'t been wiped clean yet.

Miranda Joy and her subordinates looked visibly grave.

Taking a deep breath, Miranda Joy bowed to Dean Bruce and said, "Elder, would you like to rest in the city for a while? I\'ll go check out the situation and get back to you!"

After a slight pause, she added, "The capital is fraught with danger right now. Elder, it would be best if you left for now."

"No need," Dean Bruce replied calmly. "I have an old connection with the Battle General, and I came here specifically to investigate this matter. I wonder if I could join you for the next part?" MVLeMpYr-hosted

Hearing this, Miranda Joy\'s pupils contracted sharply. She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something, but stopped herself.

Dean Bruce said calmly, "Just say whatever is on your mind. After all, this is your territory. There\'s no need to worry too much about positions within the Magic Guild."

Although he said so, Miranda Joy didn\'t dare to act casually around Dean Bruce. Even though she didn\'t know who he was, she was aware of the power that every elder in the Magic Guild possessed. Almost all of them were at the level of a Grand Magus, or even an Archmage. How could she dare to be disrespectful?

Unless she had no intention of ever returning to the Magic Guild and intended to rely solely on the Pur-cloud Imperial Capital\'s influence, only then could she afford to take a tough stance.

Miranda Joy smiled bitterly, "It is truly an honor for our Empire of Lane Cloud to receive assistance from an elder like yourself. I just didn\'t expect that the Battle General still had ties with you, Elder. Please accept my deepest condolences."

After speaking, Miranda Joy turned to the reporting soldier and commanded, "Go inform my father that an elder from the Magic Guild Headquarters has arrived. Prepare to welcome him properly! The rest of you, head to the Treasurer\'s residence immediately!"

With that, the reporting soldier, not pausing for rest, mounted his horse and galloped away in the opposite direction. The other soldiers jogged toward the Treasurer\'s mansion.

Miranda Joy didn\'t follow them but instead stood quietly beside Dean Bruce. She asked respectfully, "Elder, do you have a mount? Would you like me to take you there?"

"There\'s no need," Dean Bruce shook his head. He had a nagging feeling that something was off about Miranda Joy, so he naturally didn\'t want to spend too much time around her. He said, "You go on ahead. I will follow shortly."

As he spoke, Dean Bruce gave Nicholas William a look, signaling him to bring the warhorse over.

But Miranda Joy still didn\'t leave. She remained respectful and said, "You\'re an elder. It would be better if I escorted you personally."

While speaking, Miranda Joy let out a soft whistle, and a pure white steed trotted over.

At a glance, Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but show a look of surprise—there was a hint of sorrow in the horse\'s eyes.

He blinked. When he looked at the horse again, its gaze had returned to normal.

"Teacher, the warhorse is ready!"

At that moment, Nicholas William arrived, leading the warhorse Firebolt. Firebolt neighed loudly, startling the white horse and causing it to take several steps back in fear.

Miranda Joy marveled, "Your steed is indeed magnificent, Elder. It seems I was being presumptuous."

"Please, Elder, allow me to lead the way!"

With that, Miranda Joy mounted her white steed and calmed it for a moment before spurring it forward.

Dean Bruce and Nicholas William mounted their warhorses and followed.

The Treasurer was a civil official, and his mansion was located on the other side of the city. However, with soldiers clearing the way and the streets practically deserted, they reached the Treasurer\'s residence in just over ten minutes at full gallop.

At this moment, hundreds of fully armed soldiers had already surrounded the entire mansion.

In front of the gates, an elderly man was sobbing uncontrollably, his face filled with grief.

"Whoa!"

Miranda Joy dismounted swiftly and approached the old man, speaking gently, "Mr. Dinode, we will definitely find out the cause as soon as possible! Please compose yourself and tell us everything that happened in detail."

"…"

Dinode DeLange stopped crying and glanced at Miranda Joy, sighing heavily. "His Majesty summoned me for a meeting, and by the time I returned, there wasn\'t a single trace of my family left in the house!"

"Just like the previous incidents, no sign of struggle whatsoever."

"Princess, please tell His Majesty to lift the lockdown as soon as possible. If this goes on any longer, the entire Empire of Lane Cloud will be doomed! At the very least, communicate with the Magic Guild or the Church of Light and ask them to send their powerful members here!"

"My… my wife and children… they just disappeared like that!"

As he spoke, Dinode DeLange broke down again, sobbing as his fists pounded the ground repeatedly.

Feeling the genuine sadness radiating from Dinode DeLange, Dean Bruce was convinced that these incidents were real and not some sort of deception.

Miranda Joy\'s eyes flashed with a quick thought, and she suddenly said, "Mr. Dinode, there\'s no need to worry. An elder from the Magic Guild Headquarters has already arrived. I believe this matter will be resolved soon."

"Oh? Someone from the Magic Guild Headquarters is here?"

Upon hearing this, Dinode DeLange\'s face lit up with hope.

In everyone\'s minds, the Magic Guild was considered one of the top forces. In that instant, Dinode DeLange seemed to grasp at a lifeline. He quickly turned around and saw Dean Bruce. His face froze in confusion.

Blinking a few times, Dinode DeLange scanned the surroundings but didn\'t see anyone else. His lips twitched slightly as he murmured, "This gentleman… is the elder from the Magic Guild Headquarters?"

Miranda Joy nodded and replied, "That\'s right. With this esteemed elder here, I believe everything will be resolved smoothly!"

Dinode DeLange forced a smile, but seeing this, Nicholas William couldn\'t help but show a look of displeasure. Dean Bruce, however, remained unperturbed and said calmly, "Miranda, may I go inside to investigate for a bit?"