Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 62: Death of the Wizard Apprentice

A soldier’s voice echoed through the dining hall, trembling noticeably. "Sirs... we found several bodies at the edge of the Black Wood Forest... One of them was wearing a White Robe with the emblem of a crescent moon embracing a star..."

Although not everyone had seen Bishop Alberto in person, the magnificent White Robe, a symbol of high status within the Church Court, was enough to identify the deceased.

When Arthur, Luca, and Lawson hurried to the scene, they were met with an even more horrifying sight.

Bishop Alberto’s body lay amidst the chaos, his magnificent White Robe stained red with blood. A wound on his chest was so deep it exposed the bone.

Even more ghastly, his eyes had been gouged out, leaving only two bloody, empty sockets.

The bodies of several Assistant Priests lay nearby, all in an equally gruesome state.

The color instantly drained from Arthur and Luca’s faces, leaving them paler than the winter snows of the Northern Territory.

Arthur’s voice trembled. "This... this is a catastrophe. Bishop Alberto was murdered in our domain. The Church Court will never let this rest..."

Luca gripped his sword hilt, his voice hoarse. "We must report to Lord Kelvin at once. This is the grave sin of desecrating a holy office. The entire domain will face the wrath of the Church Court."

Lawson stood to one side, a solemn expression on his face, but he was secretly gloating.

Although he had never seen Bishop Alberto in person, he had become familiar with the bishop’s characteristics while gathering intelligence on the Church Court and the Shepherd Headquarter District for his master.

He couldn’t help but rejoice on his master’s behalf, seeing this thorn in their side—this so-called "Traitor"—lying dead in the wild.

"Please, both of you, calm down," Lawson said in a placating tone. "Our priority is to secure the scene and uncover the truth. I’m confident Lord Kelvin can handle this situation."

He lowered his voice. "Perhaps... someone is deliberately trying to frame our Baron’s Domain."

Arthur and Luca immediately latched on to his words. "That’s right! It must be a frame-up!"

It dawned on them then. The Bishop’s power was far beyond anything the Baron’s Domain could handle.

And it was even more unlikely that any noble would dare to assassinate a Bishop.

The Church Court had countless methods for tracking down a culprit. In the face of the Church Court, even the nobles—so high and mighty in the eyes of commoners—were insignificant.

"So it must be the work of dark forces! It has to be the Witch!" Arthur exclaimed, pointing to the body of a thinly clad female slave from Rosenia on the ground. "This must be one of her minions, used as a Disguise!"

But even as he said it, a deeper fear gripped Arthur and Luca.

If a noble were behind this, they might at least follow certain rules. The hope would be slim, but there would be a sliver of a chance for survival.

But a Witch would follow no rules. If she cornered them, their deaths would be certain.

"We have to leave, now," Luca said urgently. "We need to return to the castle and report this immediately."

’Secure the scene? That was out of the question.’

No one thought of simply fleeing. For one, they didn’t have the courage to just abandon their families. For another, there was the Church Court’s infamous ability to hunt down culprits.

Arthur turned to Lawson. "Are you coming back with us?"

Lawson straightened his back and declared righteously, "No. I will remain. For the good of the Baron’s Domain, the border must always be guarded."

Arthur and Luca immediately looked at Lawson with admiration.

Arthur said solemnly, "Your loyalty and courage are inspiring. After this is over, I will make sure you receive the position you deserve."

Luca quickly added his own promise. "I’ll put in a good word for you with Lord Kelvin as well."

Just as they were preparing to leave, a faint gasp echoed from the woods ahead.

The three men froze, instantly on alert. Arthur gestured for them to go around.

But at that moment, a figure in a black robe materialized out of thin air, collapsed heavily to the ground, and lay still.

"We should still go around," Luca suggested cautiously.

Arthur agreed. "Appearing out of nowhere like that is too strange. We’d be wise to stay away."

But Lawson’s face had suddenly become even paler than the winter snows of the Northern Territory.

He immediately broke away from the group and rushed toward the black-robed figure.

"Be careful!"

Arthur cried out, but Lawson paid him no mind.

Arthur and Luca were once again impressed by Lawson’s loyalty and courage.

Watching Lawson’s hands tremble as he examined the black-robed figure, Luca remarked with a sigh, "To persevere with his duty even when he’s this afraid... That’s truly admirable loyalty."

At that moment, Lawson let out a piercing, agonized scream.

"It must be the Witch’s curse!" Arthur cried in a panic.

Fear and retreat were plain in Luca’s eyes. "What do we do?"

Arthur, however, was a battle-hardened veteran and still had a measure of courage.

He thought that if he could perform some great service, he might be able to secure his good-for-nothing sons positions as a Knight’s Attendant in the Baron’s Castle, without having to rely on Murphy or wait for the next generation to improve their lot.

He gritted his teeth and said, "We’re already caught up in this. Whoever’s responsible might not let us go. Besides, look... that person doesn’t seem to be breathing anymore."

Luca carefully observed the black-robed figure, confirming that the person was indeed no longer breathing. Only then did he nod reluctantly. "You’re right. We should go see."

When Arthur and Luca cautiously approached the black-robed figure, they found Lawson weeping with sorrow.

They rushed to ask, "Lawson, are you alright? Are you under some kind of curse?"

Lawson froze for a second before catching on. "Yes, that’s it! I’ve been hit with a damned curse!"

Inwardly, however, he was screaming. ’Damn it! What have I done? Why did I ever obey that Demon’s commands!’

In the moment the Wizard Apprentice died, Lawson’s grief was short-lived. He finally regained his senses, but what followed was boundless terror.

He knew full well that he would never dare report the truth to the Church Court.

The Church Court was no place of mercy, and it certainly wouldn’t believe any claims that "the implicated are innocent."

An ordinary, ignorant commoner might believe the Church Court capable of such mercy.

But Lawson, having recently gathered intelligence for Roger, had long understood that the Church Court operated on the principle of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free."

If the Church Court discovered he had been under someone’s control, he would be utterly finished.

Thus, claiming to be "cursed" was the perfect excuse.

Arthur and Luca began to cautiously inspect the corpse.

The black-robed corpse looked no different from that of an ordinary person, but they didn’t dare touch any of its belongings for fear of contracting a terrible curse.

Throughout this process, Lawson acted exceptionally fearful, his earlier courage having completely vanished.

Not only did he keep his distance from the body, but he also volunteered, "I... I think I’ll return to the Baron’s Castle with you."

Arthur and Luca didn’t look down on Lawson for this. They figured that anyone afflicted by such a curse would hardly behave any better.

Putting themselves in his shoes, they imagined they wouldn’t be faring any better if they were the ones who had been cursed.

After confirming there were no more clues to be found on the black-robed corpse, the three men hastily departed from the ghastly scene.

Lawson cast one last look at the body before he left, his heart a whirlwind of emotions. But the instinct to survive spurred him to quicken his pace and follow closely behind Arthur and Luca.