20: The missing blazing fire glue (thanks to Chi Mai for the monthly ticket)

After leaving the conference room, the Earl sent Arthur ahead to the military camp's armory, while he stayed behind to give instructions to Bump.

Wolf Den City's military camp and city walls were integrated, forming an impregnable small fortress.

Wolf Den City had withstood centuries of trials, relying on its sturdy walls and wolf-like warriors to repeatedly repel foreign invaders.

But Arthur, sitting in the armory, was filled with worry.

He feared that this seemingly impregnable city would collapse from within.

The New Temple was the Evil Wolf Family's masterpiece, the result of a decade of effort and countless human and financial resources.

On the day of the inauguration ceremony, dignitaries from all corners of the world gathered, and even the Mother Earth Church from the capital sent representatives.

Imagine, at such a crucial moment, all those influential figures who could sway regional affairs were gathered together.

Then, with a loud bang, not only would the Evil Wolf Family be annihilated, but all their allies would also be dragged into the disaster.

The resulting impact would undoubtedly trigger a series of chaos, possibly even sparking a new Amn civil war.

If Arthur were already on his way to Qingfeng Valley at this time, he naturally wouldn't bother with this matter.

The more chaotic Amn became, the weaker its control over him would be.

But the reality was that as the Son of the Wolf, he had to be present on the day of the inauguration ceremony.

He could, of course, try to persuade his father to cancel the ceremony—which would most likely be futile—and it would also cause the Evil Wolf Family to lose face and become the laughing stock of the entire empire.

Therefore, before receiving his father's billions in subsidies, he could only do his best to investigate and stop this conspiracy.

Heavy footsteps interrupted Arthur's thoughts; he stood up and looked at his father walking towards him.

The Earl was burly, much taller than him, and his robust physique was equivalent to two of Arthur.

He quickly stepped forward, pointing at the sword at Arthur's waist, and asked, "May I see it?"

Arthur unbuckled his sword and handed it over.

The Earl drew the sword, examined it carefully, and smiled admiringly, "Good sword! From Honi, right?"

"Yes."

"He's an excellent blacksmith," the Earl praised, returning the sword. "Come, spar with me."

With that, he walked to the weapon rack and took down two training wooden swords.

Arthur couldn't fathom the Earl's thoughts.

From their interactions over the past month, as a politician, William lacked the necessary political acumen; as a father, he also lacked a bit of patience.

But as a lord, he was ruthless enough.

Perhaps from a modern perspective, this Earl was short-sighted and tyrannical.

But in this world, he was undoubtedly a formidable figure.

Arthur took the wooden sword his father tossed to him and assumed a stance.

In the original owner's memory, such scenes were rare.

The Earl's sword moves were broad and powerful, full of momentum, very different from the swordsmanship Arthur had practiced since childhood.

He understood that these were fighting techniques honed by his father in brutal battlefields.

Like every previous sparring session, he quickly fell.

In the past, the Earl would only shake his head in disappointment and turn to leave.

But this time, he put away his wooden sword and reached out to pull his son from the ground.

"You've never been good at swordsmanship," the Earl said. "I've always overlooked that.

"Just like I spent too much energy maneuvering against enemies at the table, but ignored the cold arrows in the dark."

"Father, I am indeed not skilled in swordsmanship, but I am now a recognized priest of the Church, so it's truly not suitable for me to wield weapons," Arthur explained.

The Earl was very surprised and asked, "When did this happen?"

"Two days ago, Bishop Gutierrez personally performed the sacrament and anointed me."

"That Gutierrez? Are you sure? That Gutierrez who would love to see me hang you?"

Arthur took out the Mother Earth Church's holy emblem from his Arms to prove his identity.

"By earth mother!" The Earl exclaimed, making the earth mother's symbol, "You've given me quite a few surprises these past few days.

"I was wondering why you always carried that dog-beating stick, but now it makes sense."

In the Earl's simple understanding, a true priest should wear a tattered robe, lean on a wooden stick, and shout crazy things about doomsday divine punishment all day long.

As for those richly dressed people in the temple, he never considered them true priests, only blood-sucking parasites.

"You're going crazy, aren't you? That's why you've become so abnormal."

The Earl's words left Arthur speechless for a moment; he could only steer the conversation back.

"Father, let's talk about the Blazing Fire Gel."

"Of course, of course, Blazing Fire Gel. What do you think about it?"

"Falcon, Stag, Greyhound, it wouldn't be surprising if this was the work of any of these families, or perhaps they collaborated.

"After all, these three families weren't on the invitation list, and they've held grudges against us for a long time."

The Earl nodded. "I agree. Such a meticulous plan, such a large amount of Blazing Fire Gel, is definitely not something a small family could accomplish. Have you noticed anything else?"

Arthur pondered for a moment, then continued to analyze, "If they really intend to wipe us all out at the inauguration ceremony.

"They must hide the Blazing Fire Gel throughout the temple. We need to immediately send people to investigate... No!"

He suddenly shook his head, denying himself, "Those craftsmen, stonemasons, and also foreman John, and businesswoman Tina, they weren't killed for embezzlement.

"They either participated in it or accidentally discovered the secret, which is why they were silenced.

"But they didn't kill John? Why? He anticipated that the other party would silence him, which is why he drowned his sorrows in alcohol and became so erratic.

"So he very likely knows where the Blazing Fire Gel is hidden. Yes, that's it."

Arthur paced back and forth excitedly.

"John must have left a trump card to save his life, and that trump card might be the key to finding the Blazing Fire Gel!"

"You..." The Earl was too surprised to speak. "I never thought you could analyze it to this extent."

After his surprise, he walked to the wall and said to it, "Did you all hear that?"

Arthur was confused until the secret door in the wall slowly opened, and Warden Robert and Sheriff walked out, only then did he understand.

"I bet he's high," Warden Robert said with a suspicious look. "Either he's involved, or I don't believe he could have deduced it on his own."

"Perhaps our little nephew is just a late bloomer? Just like you," Sheriff scoffed in rebuttal.

Arthur suddenly felt the embarrassment of performing a talent show in front of relatives during the New Year.

Of the three people present, one was his father, one was his aunt, and the other, Warden Robert, was his uncle.

Robert and Adelaide were full siblings, and he and father William were half-siblings.

Although their kinship was complex, the three had grown up together, and the siblings were intimately close, without any gaps.

This was rare in Amn, a place known as the "Land of Conspiracy."

"Alright, stop bickering," William said seriously. "Adelaide, tell Arthur what he doesn't know yet."