Toliado Never Thinks the Drama Is Big Enough

"Princess Alexia?" Lanqi murmured the name. He wasn't particularly surprised, yet there was still a faint touch of surprise. "You know her?" Abigail observed Lanqi's expression. "I met her long ago in a Shadow World. We were both students back then, and we happened to enter the same Tier 5 Shadow World," Lanqi replied, looking up at Abigail. Back then, it was only the second Shadow World he had challenged at Ikerite Academy, during the leisurely campus days he spent on student council duty alongside Frey and Hyperion. In the Banquet of Temple Rogues, there were twelve challengers divided into four teams. Aside from Lanqi, Hyperion, and Frey, one team from the Creti Empire had consisted of the Saintess of Destruction, a direct soldier of the Cardinal of Destruction, and Alexia, the Third Imperial Princess of the empire. The night before the vampire count attacked, Lanqi had exchanged intelligence with Alexia and rekindled her hope. When the Shadow World finally concluded, Lanqi had promised Alexia that he would come to the Creti Empire later to help her. Lanqi gave Abigail and the others a rough summary of how he and Alexia had met. "I certainly remember that! In that Shadow World, you did in the Cardinal of Destruction's saintess. Made my day! Right then, I thought, how wonderful would it be if the Cardinal of Destruction's holy son bit the dust too one day?" Toliado clapped his hands repeatedly. Though the price had been getting half-beaten to death, he was still overjoyed. "And later, the Holy Son of Destruction really was done in by this guy," Talia recounted, thinking back on the ambush in the South Vantina domain. "I knew it! How could an honest fellow like High Priest Loren silence the Holy Son of Destruction? Nine out of ten, someone was playing tricks behind the scenes! According to my intel, Loren's student just happened to have travel records of returning to his hometown in South Vantina, so you definitely had a hand in it. I wired the money to Ikerite Academy on the spot—fast as lightning!" Toliado smugly recounted to Lanqi the story behind the twenty thousand pounds of charitable donations. "So that's why there was such a massive deficit in the accounts! You used my money to donate to a school, didn't you?!" Having heard Toliado's confession, Abigail mentally calculated the dates when the funds vanished and suddenly saw the light. Unable to bear it any longer, she seized Toliado by the throat, determined to throttle him to death right here and become the cardinal herself. Yet she realized she truly couldn't kill the Tier 8 Toliado. Besides, Toliado wore an expression of having zero intention to resist, sapping her mood to keep tussling with him. "Since you know Alexia, Lanqi, that makes things much simpler. I won't waste time giving you a detailed introduction to Her Imperial Highness," Abigail said, tossing Toliado aside like garbage before turning back to address Lanqi, Talia, and Iphatia on the opposing sofa with serious business. "She is also someone Barton trusts deeply. Barton leaving the military to join the mafia in the first place was likely on her account. After forming an alliance with us, Barton introduced her into the fold." Abigail looked at Barton, the mafia boss seated at the other end of the sofa, as she spoke. "Her Highness Alexia is someone who can resonate with the Syros Heroic Spirit Sword, one of the empire's guardian magic artifacts," Barton began, speaking of Princess Alexia with heavy gloom. "The heroic spirits of her ancestors protect her from evil spirits, and in turn, she can sense the presence of certain wicked creatures that ordinary people cannot detect. After accidentally touching Emperor Saint Bardo's sword once, she caught sight of numerous blood-red phantom shadows lingering right around the imperial palace. From then on, she gradually realized that the fate of the Creti Empire rested squarely on her shoulders." Back then, the helpless Alexia could only turn to Barton, who was serving as a colonel in the Imperial Palace Guard at the time. Barton also understood just how desperate she must have been—and how much she trusted him—to reveal such truth to him. Had she confided in the wrong person, certain death would have awaited her. Later, after Barton became a boss of the gray syndicate, a series of investigations finally confirmed his suspicions: beneath the placid surface of Brillda, a mad, dark undercurrent followed like a shadow. "The Syros Heroic Spirit Sword?" Talia asked. It was the first time she had heard the true name of the Creti Empire's imperial sword. She was familiar with "Syros." Lanqi had told her about it when teaching her history: the Creti Empire had been formed by merging three titans in the southern half of the Southern Continent—the Syros Empire, the Elsaya Sanctuary, and the Vince Free Federation—with the Syros Empire serving as both the ultimate victor and the primary core. It was hardly surprising that the ancestors of the Creti imperial family were the royalty of the Syros Empire. "Even as an officer of the Imperial Palace Guard, I rarely got a close look at Emperor Saint Bardo's sword, let alone dare to appraise it. Nor does history contain any detailed records of this blade," Barton said, shaking his head. "Yet I am certain it is the strongest weapon in the world today, far beyond any ordinary epic magic artifact. It not only grants the wielder numerous immunities and blessings, but also bolsters their power tremendously. Back during the Holy War, an ancient emperor at the peak of Tier 8 wielded it and fought on equal terms against a Tier 9 archdemon." The higher one's tier, the better one understood just how irrational such an amplification was. Yet by the same token, only those possessing imperial blood could wield this divine sword. "Could it be an undamaged Red Legendary?" Lanqi mused, propping his chin on his hand. "Red Legendary?" Many of those present found the term unfamiliar. In their knowledge, whether it was magic cards or magic artifacts, the highest grade was Orange Epic. Even the Original Slates peaked at Orange Epic. "Orange Epic can be considered the theoretical highest grade. Red Legendary belongs to an off-the-charts tier," Lanqi explained. "We only had the fortune of coming across a damaged Red Legendary magic artifact once, during that once-in-a-century upheaval in the Kingdom of Posen." Lanqi brought up Palroni's Record of Resentment, the damaged Red magic artifact he had encountered in Palieu, the City of Flowers. "Would the Blood Clan target it, then?" Talia voiced her concern. Were it not for the fact that Palroni's Record of Resentment posed perpetual harm to innocent demons, based purely on its power, even she would have coveted that book-type Red Legendary weapon. Even a tiny fragment of it had allowed Perlman to undergo a qualitative leap in a short span. "They would indeed. But based on the properties Barton described, the Blood Clan is more likely wary of it and eager to eliminate it. The sword poses far too great a threat to them," Lanqi concluded directly. This left him puzzled as well. If the Creti Empire possessed such a divine sword that repelled evil spirits and safeguarded the realm, how did the Blood Clan ultimately neutralize it and seize complete control over the empire in the timeline shown to him by the Goddess of Fate? It didn't add up. Could it be that aside from the Blood Clan, someone with even greater greed was scheming within the Creti Empire, ultimately leading to the vampires' victory? "Don't overthink it for now. The calamity of the Blood Clan is already upon us. Do the important things before they become urgent," Talia said, echoing his own words back to him as she sensed his doubts. "Right." Lanqi nodded. It appeared the princess hadn't given up and had been actively striving to save the country. With Alexia's preparations in the Creti Empire over the past year and an alliance with her, Lanqi felt their chances of storming Blood Moon City directly had increased by another notch. "Is Alexia safe right now?" Lanqi asked the three across the sofa. The three of them had long known openly that Alexia was Number 5 of the Silver Moon Restoration Society, so they naturally understood her recent situation in the empire better than he and Talia did. "She makes the fewest requests in the society," Abigail replied. "Because she is under the unseen surveillance of numerous vampires and remains confined to the imperial palace, she rarely gets the opportunity to take out her sacred communication magic card and speak. Ever since the Sixth War God, Violet of the Aquamarine Seat, left Brillda, Alexia hasn't uttered a word." Usually, Alexia could only speak when she left the palace and visited a trustworthy location equipped with a shielding barrier, but she couldn't make such trips frequently. The fact that she hadn't made a peep lately likely meant she no longer dared to leave the imperial palace recklessly. "Contacting her with a sacred communication magic card might not be as practical as finding a suitable opportunity to meet her directly at an event she attends officially," Toliado said, spreading his hands. In any case, getting in touch with Alexia would likely prove exceedingly difficult until Violet returned. In Alexia's assessment, at least one between the First War God, Hyacinthus of the Diamond Seat, and the Sixth War God, Violet of the Aquamarine Seat—the two stationed in Brillda—should be trustworthy. Therefore, only when both War Gods were present did she dare step outside the core barrier of the imperial palace to move about Brillda. "Is she safe staying all alone in the Creti Imperial Palace right now?" Iphatia understood all too well what it felt like to be entirely isolated in danger, except Alexia's living environment was under even higher pressure than hers had been. "Direct members of the imperial family are protected by the bloodline of Tier 9 ancestors and empowered by the faith of the entire nation. Combine that with the royal magic artifacts they carry, and threatening an imperial member within the palace is no easy feat," Barton explained from his past professional experience. "After resonating with the divine sword, her resistance to mental magic is extraordinarily high." "That's a relief." Having verified Alexia's situation, Lanqi knew there was no need to rush to find her just to put her mind at ease. Naturally, he would fulfill the promise he made to Alexia. This was one of the few massive commissions he had ever taken on. "Mr. Barton, in your view, which of the empire's War Gods have aroused suspicion recently or are suspected of being controlled?" Lanqi realized that Barton made an excellent imperial insider; the man was intimately familiar with the imperial military. Matters Lanqi couldn't even ask about in the Imperial Special Operations Division could be queried here with complete confidence. "From what I currently know, those whose wills have likely been altered are the Fourth War God, Jasper of the Jasper Seat; the Fifth War God, Lukayed of the Mica Seat; the Eighth War God, Zircon of the Zircon Seat; the Ninth War God, Ryan of the Amethyst Seat; and the Twelfth War God, Bianca of the Cat's Eye Seat." Barton understood Lanqi's intent. In the latest intel the other party had shared, the Blood Clan possessed a Tier 9 Progenitor capable of controlling wills, which aligned perfectly with Barton's deductions based on various signs. None of these five War Gods favored war, yet after a certain point, every single one of them had turned into war supporters. "What about Sardonyx, Bloodstone, and Jade? Are their intentions not necessarily altered?" The Third War God, Goyate of the Sardonyx Seat; the Seventh War God, Philip of the Bloodstone Seat; and the Eleventh War God, Simonro of the Jade Seat. Lanqi had a distinct impression of these three War Gods. "Sardonyx and Bloodstone were inclined toward battle long before the war started. Jade is more neutral—if war breaks out, he simply participates." Barton traced his fingertip lightly across the coffee table, sketching numbers. One, Two, Six, and Eleven belonged to the neutral faction. Three, Seven, and Ten belonged to the radical faction. Four, Five, Eight, Nine, and Twelve belonged to the conservative faction. "Reasonable," Lanqi agreed. On a strategic level, deploying three uncontrolled War Gods to fight in the eastern region allowed the controlled War Gods to operate together in the western hub, erasing the slight risk of War Gods noticing discrepancies among themselves. "Wait, why is there another radical besides the Third and Seventh War Gods?" Iphatia counted and realized the original warmongers weren't just Goyate and Philip. "The Tenth War God is Julius of the Rubellite Seat," Barton said, his gaze turning complex, as if thoroughly acquainted with Julius's terrible leadership. "He is always aggressively scheming for power and tossing out schemes, wishing for nothing more than for Hyacinthus to collapse so he can immediately seize the supreme commander's authority and lead the imperial military to victory." In the past, as an elite powerhouse who was closest to the War Gods—someone who might even have become one in the future—Barton had crossed paths with most of them. "..." Lanqi and Talia had indeed heard about him. The Tenth War God, Rubellite Julius, had performed exceptionally fervently on the battlefield lately, yet he was far too reckless and greedy for merit. He was reportedly the only man capable of sending First War God Hyacinthus's blood pressure soaring. "What about the First War God? What do you make of his situation?" At present, Lanqi was most concerned about First War God Hyacinthus, who oversaw the imperial military headquarters in Brillda. If the First War God were controlled by the Blood Clan, the severity of the issue would far surpass all the other War Gods combined. "In my memory, he is a gentle yet formidable man, deeply trusted and beloved by the people of Creti," Barton evaluated in a weary voice. "Yet his stance is complex and contradictory. Coming from commoner origins, he has dedicated himself to upholding the imperial authority while balancing the conflicts between the nobility and the commoners. If the internal strife of the empire reached an unavoidable crisis, he might also agree to this war for the sake of the empire." He believed Hyacinthus might have started the war because he was controlled, but he couldn't say for sure. "..." Lanqi now had a general grasp of the War Gods' circumstances and the empire's internal workings. When opportunities arose in the future, he still needed to gather more information about the War Gods from locals he could reach, which might help him better deduce whether they were being manipulated. For example, the Ninth War God, Ryan of the Amethyst Seat, head of the Marquis Roland family, was Ursula's older brother. Based on Ursula's intel, Lanqi and Talia could already be almost certain that Marquis Ryan was controlled by Blood Clan Progenitor Rasheal. "Talia and I have to visit a Shadow World next week, so you might not be able to reach us for a while. But as soon as we return to the mortal realm, we'll contact you immediately." Lanqi glanced at the clock, stood up, and addressed the group. As they talked, midnight was nearly upon them. It was about time they left the Brillda Opera House and returned to their respective places. "No problem. We'll still meet at Abigail's place. Buying an admission ticket makes gathering at the opera house entirely justified," Toliado said, raising a hand to see them off. It had to be said that the interior of the opera house was an exceptionally fine location for secret gatherings. Coming to watch an opera every week or two wouldn't arouse suspicion in the slightest. "There's one more thing I need your help with, Toliado," Lanqi said, turning back to remind him. In Lanqi's teaming experience, Sido was the exceedingly reliable sort when it came to getting things done. "I guarantee I'll find you a perfect fiancée worthy of Principal Rocky McCarthy. You won't even be able to stop your heart from fluttering for her," Toliado promised Lanqi. "..." Talia didn't know what Toliado was so thrilled about. Yet that was just how Yabo was. Back in the Demon Realm, whenever complicated situations arose, Pranay would steer clear, while Yabo would scramble over as fast as he could to watch the drama unfold. "It doesn't matter if you can't find one. I can back him up anyway," she said, looking rather nonchalant, though her voice rose half a pitch. "Do you really think my mana is infinite? Sister Tata, you are truly a burden too heavy to bear," Lanqi sighed. He was already exhausted, merely holding it together. He had relied on Talia's help repeatedly tonight, even summoning her to act through an entire stage play, which had nearly drained his mana completely. He would inevitably have to sleep until noon tomorrow just to clear his head. "I'm not heavy at all!" Talia's cheeks flushed red as she argued with Lanqi. Seeing that Talia and Lanqi were about to start bickering again, Iphatia quickly linked arms with Talia, winking slyly at Lanqi as she helped smooth things over. "It's fine, Big Sis! It's just for undercover work, a fake fiancée! What are you worried about? She won't be any competition for you at all!" She knew what Toliado loved watching. She loved it too! "Fine," Talia said, relenting with visible reluctance. "Iphatia, you're injured, so go to bed early and get plenty of rest." She let go of Iphatia's arm. "Okay, Big Sis, see you soon! Once my injuries are healed, I'll definitely come over to your place to taste your cooking!" Iphatia bounced cheerfully back through to the other side of the spatial portal. Talia watched her younger sister and Barton return to the other side of the spatial portal, not looking away until the glowing arc of space fully closed. Not that she wanted to be Lanqi's fiancée anyway. Only if the prospective fiancées from both the Allied Forces and the Resurrection Church turned him down simultaneously would she agree, just to bail him out in an emergency. "Well then, Miss Abigail, see you later." "Next time, just come find me at the opera house directly. Whenever there's an opera performance, I'm almost always downstairs." Lanqi and Talia bid farewell to Abigail, left the residence, and followed Toliado into the second-floor corridor of the Brillda Opera House. "You two can head to the Shadow World without worry. By the time you return, even if I have to cast teleportation magic, I'll bring that fiancée right to you!" Toliado patted Lanqi on the back with supreme confidence. "Tsk, tsk. What kind of fiancée could possibly make his heart flutter?" Talia remarked without a shred of jealousy. "Could she ever compare to this princess?"