Chapter 196: The Butler's Request

“There’s definitely a secret about the Dead Wizard’s Diary hidden here!”

For a moment, Saul forgot all about the pain. A smile crept across his face.

He had almost missed the secret hidden in this place entirely.

If he could deepen his understanding of the diary, he could turn it into a locator much faster.

Perhaps he could even unravel more of its mysteries and deduce additional ways to use it.

Just then, the eerie pressure behind him surged again. Saul didn’t look back. He kept his eyes fixed on the diary.

He stepped forward and began channeling magic according to the pattern illustrated on the diary’s black page.

As several nodes on the array connected, the large gate embedded in the ground creaked open a narrow gap.

Joy flashed across Saul’s face. He quickly crouched down and lifted the entire gate.

He dove into the underground chamber. From the back of his neck, Little Algae stretched out and helped pull the gate shut behind him.

The moment Saul jumped down, his feet landed on something soft and yielding.

Looking down, he realized the staircase was made of girls’ arms.

He’d never seen a man’s arm so slender, pale, and with such dainty joints.

“Whoever made this staircase must’ve been seriously twisted.”

Saul had always been a pragmatist. If it weren’t for research purposes, he’d never bother with something meant purely to frighten people.

That said, if others did this sort of thing, he didn’t really care either.

Especially when the person who made it was likely already dead and rotting.

He hopped down the steps quickly and took in the underground room.

No doubt about it. This was the laboratory of the Ralph Estate.

But compared to Saul’s own lab… it was a bit pitiful.

Not that it lacked equipment.

The room was filled with books and materials of all kinds.

But on closer inspection, most of the materials were either cheap or common. The books were mostly ordinary texts, notes, and handwritten copies.

In terms of variety and depth, it didn’t even match the library Saul had visited, let alone the Tower Master’s private collection.

Still, the place was crammed full—an echo of a fallen wizard family’s final persistence.

At least it was safe for now.

Saul exhaled deeply and pulled out a potion to treat his ear.

The wound wasn’t serious. A minor spell plus some potion would fix it.

In a place this dangerous, losing his hearing was a serious handicap. If he ran into Victor again… well, he could afford to go deaf one more time.

Just as he swallowed the potion, Saul caught a figure out of the corner of his eye.

Instantly, he reached for the scroll tucked into his coat pocket but didn’t use it yet.

“Wizard, sir.” A man stepped out from behind a bookshelf.

Saul recognized him immediately. “You’re… Knight Olaf?”

The tall knight, clad in metal armor, walked without making a sound.

He was no longer among the living.

Through his body, the bookshelf behind him was faintly visible.

Once Olaf revealed himself, he placed a hand on his chest and gave a knight’s salute.

“Do you still remember me? And everything that happened at the entrance of the castle?” Saul asked.

“Yes, sir.”

Saul eyed him up and down. “You were just a regular man. Your mental strength never even reached the minimum threshold for a wizard, and yet you’ve kept your soul intact after death. Someone must’ve helped you.”

The knight saluted again. “Yes, sir. An old man here in the estate helped me. He also knew I came here to take shelter.”

“So you’re here on his behalf?”

Olaf replied, “Yes, esteemed wizard. He didn’t come to greet you himself, not out of pride, but because he truly cannot move. His name is Hunter, and he was once the butler of this estate. He hopes to make a deal with you. If you’re interested, please follow me.”

Didn’t show up when I was unlocking the door,but jumped out the moment I entered… Knows how to pick his timing, that’s for sure.

Saul glanced around. Sensing no hidden magical fluctuations, he decided to meet this Hunter.

Seeing Saul nod, Olaf led the way, taking him deeper into the basement.

At the back of the lab was another chamber.

But the door to this room had been smashed open, now lying pathetically on the ground.

As Saul passed, he noticed it had been broken from the inside.

He took in the traces around him and followed Olaf into the small room.

It wasn’t large—barely ten square meters. No sealed books here, only stacks of notebooks piled waist-high and papers scattered all over the floor.

The moment Saul entered, he stepped on a few sheets.

Some were filled with writing, others just random scribbles.

Scanning the room, Saul spotted… an old man’s head resting in an open wall cabinet.

The old man had snow-white hair, hollow cheeks, and dark, sunken eye bags. He looked ancient and exhausted.

“I apologize, Wizard, sir. This is the only form in which I can meet you.”

“Spare me the pleasantries. Who are you, and what deal do you want to make?”

Saul wasn’t in the mood to waste time with a talking head. If there were no clues here, he still needed to search for more information about the diary.

The old man’s lips tightened slightly. When he spoke again, his words came faster.

“I am Hunter, the steward of this estate. My master was a First Rank True Wizard—Lord Ralph. I wish to trade this estate’s greatest treasure in exchange for your help in releasing my master.”

“Releasing him?” Saul frowned, then suddenly understood. “That human-faced worm outside… was Ralph?”

Butler Hunt’s face twisted with sorrow. “Yes.”

“My master once offended a powerful figure and was gravely wounded. We returned to the estate to recuperate. If everything had gone smoothly, he would’ve recovered in five years.”

“Who did you offend?” Saul immediately thought of a certain figure and pressed him.

“…It was the Tower Master.”

Saul’s eyes widened, though inwardly he muttered, So it really was him.

That meant the Tower Master had quietly helped him once, back then.

“You don’t need to worry about offending that great man,” Hunt continued. “My master has no way out now. We originally planned to leave as soon as he recovered enough to move again… but nothing went according to plan.”

“When we first returned, we deliberately activated some of the estate’s defensive wards to keep intruders away. To normal people, it felt like a haunting. The first year passed in peace. But in the second year—ten months ago—a wizard suddenly broke into the estate. He captured me and said he had a gift for my master.”

“That person… Was it Victor?”

The butler tried to nod but only blinked instead. “Yes. But, sir, I must tell you, that’s not his real name. A magical seal prevents me from speaking it.”

“When Victor found my master, he told him plainly that even if he recovered in a few years, he’d be permanently weakened and would only await death. But Victor claimed he could help my master recover faster and even become stronger.”

“Ralph agreed?”

“No. Though my master was severely injured, his mind remained sharp. He immediately sensed something was wrong and refused. But he had no choice. Victor played a tune… and let him see the hidden dangers inside his body. If left alone, he would die in a few years. So, he had to take the risk.”

“What did Victor do?”

“He gave my master a potion. Then he began sending people into the estate for my master to devour. At first, my master was cautious and analyzed the potion thoroughly. But eventually… he lost control. When only a sliver of his consciousness remained, he hid me here. Since then, he’s been stuck in the fourth-floor study. Victor continued bringing in victims. But later… he didn’t just send people anymore.”

No wonder Victor claimed he’d never killed anyone. He’s just a delivery man—feeding people into the worm’s maw.

But if Ralph had devoured other beings, that kind of cross-species fusion likely caused serious problems until he became neither man nor worm.

This whole man-eating estate… was Victor’s design from the start.

This guy… probably wasn’t as simple as Saul had thought.

“Do you know how strong Victor really is? Can he get in here?”

“No. My master always met him in the fourth-floor study. He never let him in here.”

That put Saul a bit at ease.

Still, to be safe, he asked Morden for his opinion through the diary.

But Morden’s reply made Saul’s heart lurch once more:

[No. Because I broke the seal this time, the array has likely lost its original energy. If no one replenishes it, it’ll completely fail in about an hour.]

(End of Chapter)

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