Come On, Steal Me!

Creeaak! The Paulownia Wood Gate of the square courtyard swung open as Harry pushed it with force.

“Oh, praise be to all gods! My honored friend, His Excellency Divine Grant Earl Brockman, you finally grace me with your presence again. Your last disappearance caused me such distress!” As the door opened, Du Chen rushed out, bowing slightly according to noble etiquette, his handsome face brimming with pleasant surprise. “When you vanished so suddenly in the Misty Forest, I feared… I feared you had met with misfortune, after all, the Misty Forest is such a perilous place!”

Brockman nodded inwardly, thinking, *Francis is still that same pure and kind… child!*

His expression filled with the emotions of an old friend's reunion, Brockman spoke with a hint of indignation and displeasure: “Alas, Your Excellency Francis, you have truly put me through the wringer!” He shook his head and sighed—a sigh that was entirely genuine!

Du Chen looked puzzled. “Why do you say that? And my Andy, who disappeared with you, how could he…”

“No more talk of Andy, Your Excellency Francis, do you know why I left without a word?” Brockman suddenly raised his voice, waving a hand. “I was kidnapped by your Divine Pet, Andy!”

“Kidnapped? How could that be? My Andy is just a pretty face, all show and no substance. I remember distinctly telling you then that Andy was actually… oh, right, I recall now, my daughter Belmonde interrupted me before I could finish!” Du Chen looked apologetically at Brockman.

Brockman gave a wry smile. “Indeed, your words were interrupted. As a result, that very night, Sinos and I were enjoying a late-night snack when Andy suddenly burst into my tent, demanding all our food and threatening us to lead him deep into the Misty Forest to hunt High-level Aberrant Beasts for him… to satisfy his craving! Er, I apologize, but I must ask, were you perhaps too harsh on Andy’s diet back then?”

The unspoken implication was: *If you hadn't been so stingy, Andy wouldn't have kidnapped me!*

As they conversed, they walked towards the main hall. As Brockman reached this point, suddenly, a Snow Wolf, gleaming silver-white from head to paw, bounded out of the hall. Its aloof, solitary, and cold, menacing aura immediately startled Brockman.

However, this Snow Wolf was vastly different from the former Andy, whether the chubby one or the handsome one—the biggest difference being the color of its claws and eyes. This Snow Wolf's claws were platinum, and its eyes glowed with a dark golden light, sharp and captivating! Furthermore, while it was strikingly handsome and independent, its aura was merely that of a common Snow Wolf!

“Awoo…” The Snow Wolf glared fiercely at Brockman, letting out a drawn-out howl!

Harry lunged forward, pinning Andy by the neck, and slammed a Brick right on its head. “Damn you, Andy! Do you know you're disgracing your master? This is the master's good friend, His Esteemed Divine Grant Earl! You are utterly impolite!” After scolding Andy, he turned back, grinning sheepishly. “Esteemed Excellency, this is the master’s new Divine Pet. Because the master missed the previous Andy—even though it was quite useless—he named this one Andy too! This Andy is from the deep mountains… and hasn’t been properly trained yet. Alas, it’s truly ill-mannered! I’ll teach it a lesson shortly!”

“Oh, Your Excellency Francis is truly a nostalgic soul!” Brockman, quite naturally, failed to recognize Andy. After all, the difference in Andy's appearance and aura was too vast!

Du Chen apologized, “My deepest apologies for the trouble the previous Andy caused you, and for the current Andy’s impoliteness! Harry, lock it in a cage! Three days of solitary confinement! Then quickly prepare a feast to entertain my best friend!”

Seated in the main hall, under Du Chen’s persistent questioning, Brockman sighed and said, “My friend, the previous Andy truly caused me much grief! When we reached the depths of the Misty Forest, for some unknown reason, a group of masked assailants suddenly attacked us—only later did I deduce from their actions of seizing Andy that their target was surprisingly Andy… Alas, poor Sinos, my loyal attendant, was cruelly murdered trying to save me!”

He looked disheartened, sighing repeatedly.

Du Chen thought inwardly, *I truly underestimated this Brockman before. At least, Sinos was clearly killed by his own hands, yet he can mournfully claim Sinos died bravely protecting his master—such brazenness, not just anyone can achieve!*

Du Chen then continued to apologize for the previous Andy “kidnapping” Brockman, his attitude utterly sincere! Brockman listened for a few moments, then said mournfully, “Never mind, we are the closest of friends, aren't we? Sinos, as a Battle God, died bravely upholding his oath to protect me, a fitting end for him, fulfilling his Battle God mission! Though I am heartbroken, I will not blame my friend for this—this, it is all the arrangement of the Goddess of Fate!”

Du Chen responded with a few platitudes, and then the two moved on to other topics, chatting idly.

After exchanging a few probing remarks about each other's backgrounds, Du Chen casually mentioned Arthur—the matters between him and Arthur were easily discoverable by anyone with interest, so there was nothing to hide. “Actually, I have very few friends. You are one, Arthur is another. But now, I truly feel ashamed to face Arthur. Because I promised to help him navigate Reno’s network and save General Leonardo’s life, but… I couldn’t deliver on a promise to a friend. Alas, let’s not talk about it!” This was a genuine statement from Du Chen, truly without any hidden meaning, just a sigh of regret. But Brockman, a keen listener, thought to himself, *I need to ascertain Francis’s background for His Excellency Philip, and to do that, I must first gain his friendship and complete trust. I’m almost there, and now is the perfect opportunity to deepen our ‘friendship’!*

*Leonardo, merely a general. If I can exchange his life for Francis’s complete trust, making him owe me a favor, that would be a sure-win deal!*

Thinking this, Brockman smiled. “I’ve heard a bit about the situation in Reno, and coincidentally, my family still holds some influence on the Azure Heaven Continent. Perhaps I can help you work something out!”

Du Chen was secretly startled. A mess that even the Holy Church dared not meddle with lightly, yet Brockman might have the ability to resolve it? Had that organization’s influence grown to such an extent!?

Brockman said, “It might be very difficult to reinstate General Leonardo to his original position, but I think I might be able to save his life. How about this, some other day, you, Arthur, and I can discuss it in detail, alright?”

With such a good opportunity presenting itself, Du Chen naturally wouldn’t refuse. By now, Harry had prepared the banquet. Du Chen looked at the lavish dishes, rubbed his nose, and smiled!

Just as everything was ready for the pre-meal preparations, Du Chen suddenly stood up and excused himself. “Your Excellency Brockman, my friend, when I am home, I always pray before the Spirit Tablets of my ancestors and deceased mother before every meal. Could you please wait a moment?”

This was perfectly natural. In fact, many devout believers in the Battle God World prayed before meals, especially families like Du Chen’s, whose ancestors were gods. Brockman quickly said, “May I join you in prayer to God Sigurd, and may I also pay my respects to your esteemed mother?”

“Oh, of course, please do. The prayer room is in the back hall!”

Du Chen shot a glance at Harry, and the Shieb quickly scurried over, opening the side door to the back hall—which was precisely the room Du Chen had just redecorated.

The back hall was not large, but it was arranged with great reverence and elegance. On an Altar directly opposite the door stood a two-foot-tall Divine Statue of Sigurd, and to the lower left of the statue was Phil’s Spirit Tablet, while to the lower right was… a Sacred Artifact Box, an ordinary Sacred Artifact Box. In other words, a Sacred Artifact Box that anyone with power and influence could easily acquire!

Brockman himself was a master of etiquette; his prayer and ritual were performed even more perfectly than Du Chen’s. But after the ceremonies, he looked at the Sacred Artifact Box and the many noble female items beside it with curiosity.

“Is something perplexing you?” Du Chen asked with a genuine, smiling expression.

Brockman apologized, “I am being impolite, but I am merely curious. You are such an elegant and well-mannered noble, why… *h’m*, you have placed some very ordinary items next to the deity, and even aligned them with your esteemed mother’s Spirit Tablet, this is somewhat…” He stopped short, not finishing his sentence.

Du Chen chuckled, “That is indeed a bit impolite. However, this Sacred Artifact Box is a relic of my mother, and it holds profound significance for me, which is why I have placed it here.”

*Phil’s relic? Something left behind by His Excellency Philip’s experiment—Phil?* Brockman’s heart stirred. He smiled and said, “Oh, so that’s it. I spoke out of turn!”

He secretly glanced at the Sacred Artifact Box, a thought suddenly forming in his mind. However, Brockman didn't think Du Chen was too careless by placing such an important item in such a conspicuous location—*what if someone stole it?* Because this box was also a Sacred Artifact, and it operated on the same principle as other Sacred Artifacts that weren’t feared stolen: unless one possessed immense power to force a Sacred Artifact to acknowledge mastery, even if stolen, it could be retrieved!

In fact, Battle Gods often displayed slightly higher-grade Sacred Artifacts openly, never fearing theft!

Du Chen said as if casually, “Actually, this item is also a test from my mother! It should have many layers. Currently, I’ve only made the first layer acknowledge mastery. The contents within… I fear I’ll only be able to communicate with the artifact spirit and make it acknowledge mastery once I reach the level of a High-level Battle God… So, I place it here, looking at it every day, as a way to urge myself to progress!”

“I see, you truly are strict with yourself!” Brockman praised, but his eyes involuntarily drifted towards the Sacred Artifact Box. A level four Sacred Artifact, an artifact that no one in the current era, save for a Titled Battle God, could decipher. No wonder Francis confidently displayed it openly… Gradually, an irrepressible urge welled up in Brockman’s heart—his “artistic inclination” was once again piqued.

*Should I fan the flames a bit more?* Du Chen thought inwardly, *Brockman, go ahead and steal it. I truly hope you succeed in pilfering what’s inside. There’s nothing much, just a small item with a minor curse, capable of drawing the pursuit of the Undying Death God family…*