For You, I Flayed Their Skin

At Godfather Ferdinand's words, Du Chen was puzzled, yet he subtly observed his father's reaction; Duke Anjes, too, wore a look of utter bewilderment.

Ferdinand then added, "I'd like a private word with Francis, if I may?"

"Of course, Francis, please escort Godfather to your chambers!" Anjes replied deferentially.

Du Chen led Ferdinand to his modest tower. Upon seeing Du Chen's living quarters, Ferdinand's brows furrowed. "Duke Anjes," he began, "does your son, *the Virtue of Saint John City*, truly reside in such humble surroundings? I've heard rumors of your strong disfavor towards Francis, and I must say, this is improper!"

"Yes, Godfather is absolutely right; I shall arrange for his new chambers immediately!" Faced with the Godfather, Anjes shed all pretense of his authority as Vice-Commander of the Imperial High Command, behaving more like an inexperienced junior.

"Very well, everyone shall wait outside. Francis, you will accompany me within."

Ferdinand took Du Chen's arm and ascended to the tower's third floor. Surveying the cramped bedroom, he spoke, seemingly absently, "Francis, how much of your past do you truly recall?"

Du Chen was utterly bewildered, entirely missing the implication, yet he cautiously answered.

"Esteemed Godfather, as you know, my faculties were… less than sharp before. After my grave illness, though much has become clear, I've also lost many memories. At present, my understanding of my past is almost entirely blank."

"Indeed, I am well aware of that. So, if you wouldn't mind, permit me to recount two episodes from your childhood!"

Ferdinand settled into Du Chen's mahogany chair, resting his hands on the tabletop, and spoke slowly. "When you were seven, you once wandered off alone and lost your way, eventually reaching the Nuvel River outside Saint John City. There, you clashed with some children playing by the banks. Oh, believe me, it was nothing more than a common childish skirmish, but those children inadvertently pushed you into the river… Can you guess what transpired next? Please, sit."

Du Chen sat on his white velvet bed, a faint smile touching his lips. "I presume I was fortunate enough not to drown, then?"

"Precisely. You were saved by a fisherman downstream. Upon your return home, however, you were unable to articulate the full story, leading Duke Anjes to believe you had merely been carousing and soiled your own clothes, for which he severely chastised you!"

"As you know, my father harbors considerable disfavor towards me," Du Chen said, shrugging lightly.

"Indeed, I am aware. But I wish to share something you are not – the very next day, several children's bodies were discovered by the Nuvel River. Every single one of them had been… *flayed*!"

"That's barbaric! They were mere children!" Du Chen cried out, but he instantly grasped the implication Ferdinand was making…

"Given the ancient 'Flaying and Shrouding Rite' as their method of death, the Holy Church took charge of the investigation. Yet, it ultimately yielded nothing, and the deaths of those children became a major cold case for the Holy Church!"

Ferdinand's deep purple eyes bore into Du Chen, as if seeking to unearth some hidden reaction. But he was disappointed; Du Chen genuinely knew nothing, his face a canvas of candid bewilderment.

"The second incident occurred when you were twelve. A certain lord mocked you as… Forgive me, but to convey the truth accurately, I must employ some rather crude terminology. That official scoffed that your hair did not match Sigurd Saint-Shine's fiery red, branding you a mongrel. He even secretly dispatched men to brutalize you. Yet, the very next day, he too was found… flayed! And just like the previous case, this matter vanished without a trace, becoming yet another cold case!"

Ferdinand's tempo quickened abruptly, his voice urgent. "On Divine Peace Day, Frith attempted to murder you. The very next day, he was found flayed within Saint John Cathedral, and his entire family of twenty-seven were subjected to the Flaying and Shrouding Rite almost simultaneously!"

Could Frith's demise truly be connected to *him*? Du Chen stared at Ferdinand, utterly stunned.

"Today, precisely because the 'Flaying and Shrouding Rite' is such an ancient method of execution, I confined my investigation to a select few ancient families. I meticulously examined the records of all Titled Battle God Scions within the Lanning Empire over the past decade. Fascinating, isn't it? I uncovered a chilling link between these three incidents: every single person who was flayed had first attempted to harm you, and their deaths occurred the very day after their threat!"

Ferdinand motioned for the visibly tense Du Chen, who had risen to his feet, to sit back down, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Such events occurring once, or even twice, might be dismissed as mere coincidence. But a *third* time… can that still be attributed to chance?"

Having spoken, he gazed calmly at Du Chen.

All intelligence pointed to a profoundly powerful Battle God secretly safeguarding Du Chen. Anyone who threatened Du Chen would inevitably be flayed! Furthermore, this Battle God possessed the capability to silently dispatch Frith within Saint John Cathedral, despite hundreds of experts standing guard. Such power meant this individual had reached a level where the Holy Church could no longer afford to ignore them!

For centuries, it had been a sacrosanct tradition of the Holy Church to tolerate no power beyond their control. Thus, Ferdinand's personal visit to Du Chen today, and his revelation of these facts, served to gauge Du Chen's reaction. Concurrently, he intended to personally inspect Du Chen's living conditions, hoping to unearth clues about the mysterious Battle God.

However, Ferdinand was left disappointed; both the intelligence at his disposal and the facts he observed firsthand indicated that Du Chen genuinely knew nothing.

"Godfather, perhaps these *are* merely coincidences?" Du Chen feebly argued, though inwardly, he already accepted the grim truth.

Damn it all, how much crucial information was truly missing from little Francis's memories!?

The world of Battle Gods was a theocratic society. For someone to commit murder on his behalf within the very Cathedral was a direct challenge to the Holy Church, an act that would undoubtedly bring colossal trouble upon him!

"Heh heh, my dear child, there's no need to panic. I believe you genuinely have no knowledge of the identity of this mysterious guardian Battle God!" Ferdinand spread his hands placatingly. "After all, High-Tier Battle Gods are often quite eccentric. I myself am a peculiar old fellow, and can readily comprehend the peculiar ways of High-Tier Battle Gods."

Du Chen's mind raced, a sudden idea sparking within him. He offered a knowing smile. "Esteemed Godfather, I am a Titled Battle God Scion, a faithful adherent of the Holy Church. Thus, my guardian Battle God must also be an ally of the Holy Church. Would you, then, be willing to forgive both him and me for any perceived transgressions?"

"This young rogue, quite the intriguing fellow, isn't he?" Ferdinand's smile deepened.

Indeed, a formidable Battle God stood behind him, and crucially, this Battle God *could* be an ally to the Holy Church.

As for the *nature* of that alliance, it would hinge entirely upon the mysterious Battle God's true power. Thus, Ferdinand had already dispatched swift messengers to the Holy See, requesting the urgent presence of experts in criminal law. These specialists, by examining the mysterious Battle God's flaying technique, would be able to discern the true extent of their formidable power.

Before the investigative results were complete, Ferdinand's immediate task was to offer that Battle God a preliminary gesture of goodwill – a 'meeting gift' – ensuring a favorable impression should their paths cross in the future.

And that gift, naturally, would be bestowed upon Du Chen.