After Annan sealed himself with the ability to cast spells, the atmosphere did ease.

And after the atmosphere eased down a little, everyone subconsciously chose to agree with the idea that Annan had put forward before: it is better to sit down and have a good talk.

After all, Annan took the initiative to suffer in front of everyone first.

While no one will benefit, there will always be a time when people think they should feel guilty.

The level of guilt is not deep, and if Annan really asks them to harm their interests, they will probably refuse immediately.

But it was only at this time that Annan made an offer that was good for everyone...... At least not bad for everyone.

Then at this time, they will subconsciously obey this harmless command of Annan.

That's an opportunity.

If Annan can grasp the initiative in the next conversation, then Annan's words will still carry weight in the next move.

Although "Gerald" has no combat effectiveness, his status is not high, his background is not good, and his appearance is even less noticeable. But people will still subconsciously obey his commands.

This is because of the human instinct of laziness.

An instinct that cannot be realized without being specifically pointed out.

Because it takes a lot of energy and risks isolation to discern "whether a new leader is trustworthy" and to stand up against authority in the collective.

This is especially true when the leader does not actually have so much power as to shake their fundamental interests. Then it's even less worth it.

This model is somewhat similar to the class committee election when I was a student.

Students can often find that most class committee elections are elected, although in principle adjustments are allowed. But often people don't choose the best answer, but continue with the original choice.

Therefore, until there are great setbacks and temptations that shake the authority of the temporary captain, people tend to continue to obey the command of the temporary captain...... Even if everyone is convinced, this person is not the best choice.

And what Annan has to do is to be this "useless temporary captain" and let them form thinking inertia.

If they are accustomed to following Annan's commands, then when they hear a command that is harmless to them, they will subconsciously think "whether it is good to do it" instead of questioning "whether it can be done".

Then Annan mixed some personal work into the decision-making, and they would not be able to detect it.

Led by Uncle Gilandaio, the crowd came to a tearoom.

Although the disciples were dismissed, it was clear that the tea leaves in the tea hall would not be taken away...... They haven't fallen to this extent.

With the help of Benjamin, the transformation wizard, they quickly brewed black tea, and as Annan said, they sat down and decided to talk calmly.

"......Uhh

Claire took a sip of warm black tea and breathed a sigh of relief.

She lay lazily on the table, as if melted into a ball.

Maria's ice-blue pupils, unfeeling, still swept rapidly through the crowd.

"Speaking of which," she asked, suddenly turning to Benjamin, "I remember that you were the famous mentor of Zediheta......

"You're trying to question why I was chosen."

Benjamin easily saw through Maria's meaning and directly picked her out.

He looked at Gerald with a somewhat complicated expression, and was silent for a moment, as if organizing words.

However, the idol school wizard Eugene Melvin on the side spoke for the first time after entering the White Tower:

"Because four of his students died cleanly.

"It's all by this ...... Killed by the Dark Wizard David Gerald. ”

His voice was distant and ethereal, as if it carried some kind of divinity.

But his words once again made people look at Annan.

There are many wizards who know about this. But I don't know, or I only know about it.

Annan also touched his nose and thought about what kind of expression he should use at this time......

- So he just smiled wryly and lowered his head, and didn't say anything more.

I see.

He muttered to himself.

Is this why Salvatore had to kill Gerald?

According to the time, Salvatore should have entered Zedi Black Tower by this time, but had not yet become a disciple of Benjamin. And it was precisely because Benjamin's disciple was killed by Gerald that the dark wizard Gerald was removed from the list and wanted by Blacktower......

But looking at Benjamin like this, it seems that there is another story here.

Seeing that the two of them looked a little strange, the faces of the other wizards also obviously showed some interest.

- I want to hear the story.

- But to say it directly is too unreserved.

"Say," Claire looked up from the table, looking at the thin old man with sunken cheeks, deep eyes, and little energy, "if Her Highness Maria is a wizard of the Imperial Decree School...... Then this ...... who has not spoken all this time"

"His name is Merlin Manning."

Mary glanced at him and whispered, "It was...... The 'Winter Hand' of our country. ”

…… Hands of Winter!

Hearing this title, everyone's eyes lit up.

The legend is a disabled wizard who completely freezes his inner feelings, and an emotionless watcher...... The covert intelligence service of the Duchy of Winter – or rather, the elite thugs of the spy agencies.

Hearing Maria introduce herself, the old man looked up, slowly stood up, got up, and bowed deeply to the crowd with some awkwardness.

He pointed to his mouth and shook his hand.

Maria added: "Of course...... He retired five years ago because of a leg injury. He doesn't have a tongue, so he can't speak. ”

If you don't have a tongue, you don't have it easy to leak secrets.

After all, because of the old winter hand, there are too many secrets to know.

Even if the new generation of Winter Hand can prevent documents and envelopes from going back and forth, the verbal transmission of information still cannot be prevented.

Information can be encrypted, cannot be written, and can only be communicated verbally a limited number of times. But there are Soul Reavers in this world...... In the case of being able to control the mind directly at close range, cutting out the tongue is a simple, convenient and inexpensive way to keep it secret.

Of course, they can also live without cutting out their tongues, but then they can only live in the specified range.

Consciously cutting off the tongue is also to reduce the work pressure of your juniors. Let you have fewer people to take care of yourself, and your retirement life can be easier.

…… But even the retired Winter Hand doesn't dare to underestimate anyone.

This is a wizard who can hunt wizards.

A lot of spies are Soul Snatchers.

It is not easy to defeat the Soul Reaver in a one-on-one battle. Although there is also a premise that they are extremely resistant to mind control...... The Hand of Winter, which completely freezes the mind, can almost be said to be the exclusive killing of the Soul Relayer Wizard.

But being able to work until retirement without any obvious disability is enough to show the terrifying fighting ability of this mute old man named Merlin.

"Now that we all know each other."

Eugene Melvin, a white-haired boy with a faint but divine voice, said, "I just suddenly had an idea that I wanted to share with you.

"I don't think you knew it before. A detail from the master's suicide note...... That is, 'murderers cannot kill'.

Have you ever thought that the place of death of Master Michelangelo may not be inside the White Tower? If that's the case, then the killer should be able to kill because he didn't trigger the spell.

"But if Michelangelo had died in the tower. Then there are only about two possibilities...... The first is that the murderer has taken away the master's curse, then he should have advanced to gold; The second is ......"

When he said this, he paused slightly.

The crowd had understood what he meant.

In the silence, Annan was the first to speak.

He looked directly at the white-haired, white-eyed, strangely divine young man: "You mean......

"All of us, now in the nightmare of Master Michelangelo?"

As soon as Annan's words came out.

Everyone's eyes immediately changed.

“…… It's entirely possible. ”

Miss Claire said slowly.

The red-haired boy Jin also nodded silently.

Maria's brow was still furrowed, and she was lost in thought with her hands on her chest.

Gilandaio scratched his hair in annoyance.

Benjamin sighed deeply with a sad face.

Merlin, the mute old man, suddenly raised his head, his gaze first at Annan and then at Eugene Melvin.

Melvin's words gave everyone two directions to think about.

As we all know–

Dead transcendents can turn into nightmares if no one collects their bodies.

Well, if Master Michelangelo has become a nightmare.

Now, how can they be sure that they are not in a nightmare?

If Master Michelangelo hadn't become a nightmare in the tower......

Then it shows that the method of killing people to verify innocence is problematic.

Because Master Michelangelo died outside the tower.

So the murderer was not entangled in a curse.

And if they are indeed in a nightmare......

So kill and die in a nightmare...... There won't be any problems, right?

Annan frowned slightly.

These two directions of thinking lead to the same result:

They have no way to win.

It is necessary to think about who could be the murderer......

— and then killed him.