Just a short while ago, an apprentice scholar had declared that Baron Leech Clarence—the new heir to his late father's castle—had little more than a day to live. Fortunately, the apprentice added, Baron Leech would be able to pass the last moments of his life in a painless coma.
After his passing, Baron Leech's younger brother, Leo Clarence, would inherit the barony and the dilapidated Porcupine Castle. And when Leo, in turn, returned to the embrace of the Four Gods, he would pass the title and fiefdom on to his eldest son, ensuring the Clarence line would continue forever.
That was, of course, assuming Baron Leech actually died.

'So, what is that yellow dot?'
'My golden finger is summoning tombstones? Am I supposed to crush people to death with them?'


Fingernails scraped against an iron plate, producing a sound so grating it set one's teeth on edge.


Leech followed Hawke Wood to the residence of the Three-fork River Castle's scholar. He hadn't expected the scholar's door to be made of iron, with nothing but a small, palm-sized square opening.


A face suddenly slammed against the opening, a pair of wide eyes staring out at Leech.


Caught unprepared, Leech was genuinely startled.


The man's mental state was clearly abnormal. His eyes were vacant and lifeless, and his behavior was bizarre. It would be impossible to get any useful information out of him.


"My master became like this after he came out of the mine," the young man beside them said.


Leech turned to the young man. "Master? And you are...?"


The young man replied, "I'm Vic. I'm an apprentice."


"Tell me what happened to your master."


Chapter 290 - Chapter 274: A Little Bit of Pity