Westminster Bank

Chapter 273: Chapter 168: Letter from an Unknown Woman

Baron didn’t know what his so-called cousin was thinking. His gaze traveled past the contestant seating area to scan the Fan Area on the other side.

Simply put, the area seemed to have been established solely for the Silver Lion Knight, Wilder. A gaggle of chattering beauties surrounded him, all vying for his attention.

The remaining girls were all gathered around a Bronze Saint who seemed to be named Elvin. As for the Faith Knight from the Holy Cross Association, no one was bothering him.

It was probably because everyone knew that such religious fanatics weren’t interested in anything other than the "Eight Virtues." This made Brother Sorrowful, Zhan Jiale, seem like an anomaly.

According to Jack, the Faith Knights of the Holy Cross Association were divided into many factions based on their different beliefs, with the main one being the Cross Faction.

However, Jack also said that this division of faith was actually pointless, because regardless of who a Faith Knight believed in, they ultimately had to abide by and use the "Eight Virtues."

Baron glanced at the other parts of the Fan Area.

Aside from the throngs of beautiful girls who had been drawn away, the rest of the Fan Area was occupied by men who considered themselves respectable. Their gazes roamed unabashedly over the black and white silk stockings, adorned with openwork Cross patterns, visible beneath the two Battle Nuns’ robes.

Only when the Battle Nun named Lian—the one with the long, straight black hair and a tachi—pushed the blade at her waist a centimeter out of its scabbard with her thumb did they reluctantly withdraw their gazes.

After spending some time exploring the Inner Side, Baron had more or less figured out the abilities of the Battle Nuns.

Because they weren’t backed by a Professional Law, it wasn’t a traditional Law Enforcer profession, but something more akin to a Dragon Guide.

Their main combat strength was entirely bestowed by the "Holy Marks" branded on their bodies, which were somewhat like artificial Silver Faction Alchemy Circuits that primarily affected the user.

A "Holy Mark" needed to be branded before every battle. They had various effects, and their Tier was differentiated by the Holy Mark’s color.

Many people easily confused Alchemy Circuits with Holy Marks and Alchemy Array Patterns, so a distinction must be made here:

Alchemy Circuits are woven from the Spiritual Power of a Silver Faction Demon Hunter. Besides passively strengthening the Demon Hunter’s physical constitution, they also grant "Unique Traits" based on the Magic Potion consumed upon Promotion, such as "Agility," "Power," "Insight," and "Fierce Poison"...

Furthermore, an exceptionally talented Silver Faction Demon Hunter can extend their Alchemy Circuits to cover the Alchemy Weapons they wield, bestowing their own "Unique Traits" upon them.

As for Secret Techniques like "Burning Blood" that modify Alchemy Circuits, they work by altering the passive physical enhancements and "Unique Traits" to gain a different kind of power.

Alchemy Array Patterns, on the other hand, are carved from various alchemy materials that possess Spiritual Essence and Spiritual Power. They are applied to Alchemy Equipment but cannot be used on the human body. Generally, only an Alchemist of exceptional skill can engrave them.

Because they are expensive and have a long production time, few people bother to do this.

In Prole, only the fabulously wealthy Wizard Country, also known as the Golden Palmer, could afford to field Palmer Witch Riders—these artificially created all-round warriors.

As for Holy Marks, while they share the characteristic of affecting the user’s body like Alchemy Circuits, they do not provide comprehensive physical enhancement. Instead, they grant abilities analogous to "Unique Traits."

One Holy Mark is equivalent to one Unique Trait, although its power and range of applications are somewhat greater than those granted by a typical Alchemy Circuit.

Inscribing a Holy Mark also has its own costs and requirements, but Baron had no idea what they were.

It was said that some powerful Battle Nuns could even match a Golden Tier expert in combat for a short time, though the price was perhaps the burning of their soul and life force.

But as he was thinking about this, Baron suddenly remembered the complete "Shadow Clone Version of Burning Blood" he had learned from Ferdinand. He had never had a chance to use it. ’Given my current string of bad luck,’ he estimated, ’today might be the day.’

Past the Fan Area was the Bigshot Area. Basically, everyone there was either a Patriarch from one of the major Old Blood Clans or a high-ranking member of a Law Enforcement Organization.

By combining their attire with the attendance information Jack had gathered earlier, Baron could guess the identities of most people present with a fair degree of accuracy.

That stern, unsmiling middle-aged man who resembled Soron must be the current acting Patriarch of the Constantine Clan—his maternal uncle, Field.

Just like the treatment the Pound Siblings were receiving, Field was being mostly ignored by everyone in the core power circle of Patriarchs, save for a few individuals.

Combining this with the news Baron had eavesdropped on last night, he understood this was likely the bitter reality for a declining clan.

Conversely, that Daoist, whose style seemed completely at odds with that of the Beowulf Family, was quite respected.

Baron’s hearing had improved considerably after his promotion to Bronze Dragon Rider. He could now specifically enhance his hearing in a certain direction.

Most were asking this Daoist Zhou if the Celestial Master Sect had any new enrollment plans, and if they could send their children there.

From the whispers of those around him, Baron gathered that the reason was "Little Taoist Nun Lucy," whose style was as peculiar as Daoist Zhou’s and who seemed completely out of place.

They had probably seen that Lucy, who was once wild and mischievous—and in truth, still was—had nevertheless become a Law Enforcer of the "Daoist profession."

Meanwhile, the children they had sent to the Wizard School or the Demon Hunter Association for training since childhood were not only mischievous, but their results were mediocre as well. They couldn’t even manage to acquire a Lawbook, ending up as nothing more than an ordinary member of the Old Race.

The only difference between them and the Bloodless was that their Spiritual Sense had successfully awakened, allowing a certain amount of Spiritual Power to circulate within their bodies.