It was a drizzly afternoon in Brierda. Slender raindrops fell like silver needles, shrouding the Karchi Art Gallery at 84 Charing Cross Road in a hazy mist.
Despite the dreary sky, carriage and foot traffic bustled outside the entrance in an endless stream.
Built in the sixteenth century of the Solar Calendar, the three-story building possessed an archaic elegance. Time had etched indelible marks upon its structure. Relief carvings accented ivory-white walls, brick-red roofs peeked through climbing ivy, and bronze wind chimes beneath the eaves swayed gently in the breeze, chiming crisply.
The gallery’s main doors were shut tight. Under the dim, yellow glow of the streetlamp, a "Temporarily Closed" sign swayed with a cold sheen, silently turning away passing pedestrians who might have paused.
Now and then, a few passersby hurried past under black umbrellas, reduced to blurred silhouettes in the curtain of rain.
Founded nearly a century ago by Harrison Karchi, a professor at the Royal Academy of Arts of the Creti Empire, the private gallery had changed hands several times yet had always maintained its art business.
Today, however, an employee still tended the gallery, quietly awaiting the arrival of several reserved guests.
"..."
The receptionist at the front desk idly flipped through a magazine, glancing up at the entrance from time to time, waiting for the heavy oak door to be pushed open.
At last, right at two o'clock in the afternoon, accompanied by the chatter of young women, the heavy oak door creaked open by its brass handle, and a rush of damp air swept inside.
"It was only overcast this morning, but by the afternoon it started drizzling. I wouldn't be surprised if it poured later."
The leading woman looked around, a touch of weariness in her tone.
"The weather has been so cold and damp lately, it feels like my heart's about to rust."
"Before we knew it, it was already November twelfth," another female voice chimed in. "The day after tomorrow is the Moon Goddess Festival. Maybe we could visit Saint Creti Monastery to see the rites."
Antanas was by no means someone who sought excitement for its own sake.
Though such an extraneous excursion might introduce unnecessary danger, offering prayers to the divine remained necessary to a certain extent; it might bring good fortune and protection.
Besides, in the days since they had arrived in Brierda, they hadn't received any clear assignments.
Only today, right around noon, had they received word of a meeting with Miss Unity, their Allied spy contact.
"Teacher, do you think we can go?" Hyperion asked, turning to the Ice Snow Witch beside her.
The Ice Snow Witch was the true decision-maker here. Antanas and Sinora were practically pure muscle, while Pranay rarely spoke, never offered opinions, and was solely responsible for securing the perimeter of their residence.
"I have no objections."
Although the Ice Snow Witch Almis was a priestess of the Church of the Goddess of Fate, she shared an affinity with the Moon Goddess as well and held devout respect toward the deity.
Legend had it that during the full moon, the Goddess of Healing and the Silver Moon bestowed her grace upon living beings, soothing past misfortunes and pain.
The Moon Goddess was also celebrated in countless hymns and cherished tales.
"Then we'll see how things stand when the time comes."
Dressed in a navy blue, double-breasted woolen overcoat and carrying a Birkin bag, Hyperion led the way into the Karchi Art Gallery.
She took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of regal, amber eyes.
Droplets of rain on her coat glistened under the dim lighting. Antanas and the others followed close behind. Though they too were speckled with rain, their conversation carried an easygoing air.
The group walked straight to the counter.
"Hello. Are you Miss Milian, who made an appointment to view the paintings?"
A young male clerk in a black uniform with a nameplate pinned to his chest looked up from behind the counter, asking in a tone that was affable yet polite.
"Yes. I heard you received another new piece by Mr. Mallet, so I scheduled an appointment to view it over the next couple of days."
Hyperion’s tone was indifferent, as if she were merely an art aficionado visiting out of admiration.
"Please follow me."
The clerk promptly stood and led the group through the exhibition hall toward the stairs leading up to the second floor.
The gallery was suffused with the faint scent of vetiver and cedarwood.
Directly ahead stood a flowing fountain sculpture in the style of the Elseyer Sanctuary, its clear water gurgling softly in the quiet space. Beyond the foyer, an expansive high-ceilinged exhibition hall of about five hundred square meters opened up.
The group stepped onto the stairs lined with a deep-red wool runner, the wooden steps creaking faintly beneath their feet.
On the brown walls, several bronze sconces cast a dim, yellow glow, illuminating landscape paintings that seemed to depict the lakes and mountains on the outskirts of Brierda.
The clerk guided them down a winding corridor and stopped before an unassuming wooden door at the far end.
"Miss Unity is inside. Thank you for coming."
He pulled a finely crafted brass key from his pocket, slipped it into the keyhole, and gave it a gentle turn. With a crisp click, the heavy wooden door slowly swung open, revealing the office beyond. He stepped aside and gestured invitingly.
"A containment barrier has already been established here. You may speak freely."
The clerk respectfully took his leave and closed the door, leaving Hyperion and her companions inside.
The secret chamber's walls were adorned with carved marble reliefs, and the curtains were pulled shut tight, shutting out the outdoor light and clamor.
"My apologies for summoning you on such short notice today."
Beside the coffee table in the center of the room, Unity stood up from the sofa and gave the group a slight bow.
"Not at all. We're here to help you, and we're ready for your word at any time."
Hyperion stepped forward and took a seat opposite Unity.
"Thank you. The mission I have for you this time... was mentioned before. In short, it is exceptionally difficult," Unity said gravely.
With that, she drew an envelope sealed with red wax from inside her coat and presented it to Hyperion.
Hyperion accepted the envelope, slit the seal, and removed the contents.
Inside was a photograph accompanied by a detailed dossier of the subject's recent itinerary.
Page after page.
"Take him out. Can you do it?"
Unity lowered her voice slightly as she asked Hyperion, directing the question to her four mysterious protectors as well.
"The evil Professor Landry?" Hyperion asked, looking up at Unity after scanning the intelligence.
The young man in the photograph had eyes as blue as a tranquil lake. He wore a fedora with a modest brim, its simple elegance paired with a loose overcoat over a grey suit vest, accentuating the cool, solitary demeanor fitting a military engineer.
Hyperion had also been following recent events and news concerning the Creti Empire. This Landry's prestige in the imperial academic community had been growing by the day, and within the next few days, his status would likely leap to that of director for the empire's soon-to-be-established New Magical Energy Institution Committee.
The only reason the Allied forces had not treated this exceedingly dangerous individual as their primary assassination target was that they temporarily maintained a brief collaborative relationship with him.
Professor Landry was a sly old fox with profound cunning. He could effortlessly win the trust of the Imperials around him, moved through the Imperial Special Operations Department like a fish in water, and enjoyed the favor of Director Dex. He was even bold enough to play dangerous gambits, leveraging Allied influence to muddy the waters and keep his political rivals from laying a hand on him.
"That's right, him," Unity said, her expression solemn and laced with worry.
Cooperating with Landry had been a compromise forced by circumstance, essentially nursing a tiger that would eventually turn on them.
A schemer like Professor Landry posed a threat to the Allies that would only ever exceed or equal whatever benefits he brought. Once he severed ties, he would become an absolute ticking bomb.
Because her superiors had long since granted Unity full authority over all matters regarding Professor Landry, she was empowered to assess, decide, and act according to the situation before reporting back.
Unity had originally possessed no means to eliminate Landry, but upon meeting powerful reinforcements like Hyperion, a glimmer of hope had finally emerged.
"Why make a move now?"
Hyperion handed the dossier back to Unity after reading it, and Unity casually incinerated it with a magitech tool.
Hyperion did not know what new upheaval had taken place within the empire.
"Unless something unexpected happens, Landry will likely terminate his cooperation with us very soon—and he may turn right around and stab us in the back. That man is more than capable of it."
Unity clenched her fists.
The humiliating defeat she had suffered against Landry on the Brierda train was still fresh in her memory.
Today, the Imperial Special Operations Department happened to lower part of its surveillance on Landry.
Rumor had it that the department was caught in internal turmoil. An Allied spy had been captured—and it was one of the department's high-ranking officials.
Unity could not confirm the exact details at the moment.
However, Landry was about to slip beyond their control.
Once he claimed the position he desired and no longer had to fear the imperial aristocrats seeking to make trouble for him, he would have no further need for Allied help. His first move would undoubtedly be to cut ties, and his optimal strategy would be to round them up in one fell swoop to claim merit.
If they didn't act now, the tiger would escape.
"I see. A thoroughbred running dog like him brings zero peace of mind as a friend; you'd always have to watch out for a knife in the back,"
Hyperion nodded after hearing Unity's latest intelligence.
Her gaze grew progressively chilling.
Merely hearing Unity recount Landry’s exploits stirred an uncontrollable, rippling surge of killing intent within her heart.
"Landry is extraordinarily powerful. In fact, he isn't the real Landry at all, but a mysterious Imperial. You must under no circumstances treat him as a mere Tier 6."
Noticing Hyperion's shift in demeanor, Unity already knew her answer. Hyperion clearly considered this mission an inescapable duty.
Unity genuinely held Hyperion in high regard. As fellow Allied operatives, Hyperion commanded formidable escorts yet put on no airs whatsoever, standing as a comrade who shared her unwavering conviction in fighting the imperial invaders.
"Miss Unity, have you fought him yourself?" Hyperion asked, her gaze softening slightly.
"His mental magic is terrifying. He can even read an opponent's memories to a certain degree..."
Unity gave a firm nod and recounted what had happened to her aboard the Brierda train.
He had forced her to recall her most cherished memories, only to twist them into an unattainable dream.
Just thinking about that bastard prying into her mental world on the train filled Unity with profound dread.
"Miss Unity, pardon me for a moment."
Before the Ice Snow Witch even finished speaking, she raised a hand and lightly tapped her fingertip before Unity’s forehead.
Accompanied by an invisible ripple of magical energy, Unity froze in slight astonishment.
She felt no discomfort whatsoever, merely surprised by the other woman's blistering speed—she hadn't even had the chance to react.
A few seconds later, the fluctuating air in the room settled into calm. Nothing happened, and the Ice Snow Witch drew back her hand.
"You are fine. I cast the negative-status-cleansing divine spell [Heart Cleansing Divine Incantation] on you, but there are no signs of mental manipulation."
The Ice Snow Witch offered Unity an apologetic nod.
"No, not at all! Thank you so much for casting a cleansing spell on me,"
Unity waved her hands hurriedly, secretly marveling inside.
She had indeed been worried that Landry might have tampered with her mind that day.
Fortunately, this arrival of reinforcements was truly unfathomable.
Hearing that her mental state was normal brought immense relief.
"Huh, Teacher, can that kind of cleansing spell remove mind-control spells?" Hyperion asked curiously.
Wouldn't that mean Rasheal's authority, [Blood Mind Control], could be dispelled as well?
"To begin with, if the opponent is a Tier 8 War God, it isn't easy to land a cleansing spell cleanly and have it take effect. Furthermore, if it's a higher-tier mental affliction, my divine spell wouldn't be able to dispel it either; it could only expose its presence. Unless there is a more specialized cleansing spell—such as one cast by a high priest of the Moon Goddess—there might be a way to break it,"
the Ice Snow Witch explained to Hyperion.
This was also why she believed the likelihood of the Sixth War God, Violet of the Aquamarine, being controlled was exceedingly low. As a grand priestess of the Moon Goddess, Violet was very likely completely immune to mind-control magic.
Of course, being controlled by [Blood Mind Control] also required a major prerequisite: having a fracture in one's heart. Against someone whose mind was flawless, Rasheal's authority would have no effect.
"Understood."
Hyperion could now be reasonably certain that Landry was not an alias of Rasheal, the Third Progenitor of the Blood Clan.
If it had been Rasheal, he would have forcibly dominated Unity on the spot.
Because Unity had just bluntly confessed her deepest regrets to Hyperion—precisely the kind of vulnerability within Rasheal's controllable scope.
"Hyperion, if you feel it's too dangerous, there's no need to take the risk. Your safety comes first."
Unity valued Hyperion and the combat strength she brought; they could be put to far greater use elsewhere.
If Landry truly proved impossible to kill, there was no reason to gamble the finest assassins the Allies currently had in Brierda.
"Don't worry. He won't live past tonight."
Hyperion’s expression remained as calm as ever, but her eyes had taken on the cold hue of an executioner.
She detested imperial lapdogs of his kind.
She still remembered the newspaper from that day: beneath the administrative building of the Imperial Special Operations Department, several secret service officers warmly received that young imperial professor in a grey overcoat. Their collusive, overbearing arrogance was written all over that ceremonial banner:
*Loyalty and Bravery First, Guarding the Nation with Iron and Blood.*
And Landry had stood there proudly, his spine straight, giving a thumbs-up.
"That war criminal, that invader..."
Hyperion’s teeth gritted at the thought. She had long wanted to carve this imperial military engineer—a man developing bio-extinction weaponry—to pieces.
Anyone in that photograph could have been harboring hidden motives, but not that professor; his warlord temperament was definitely not an act.
Unity breathed a sigh of relief.
"Right, Hyperion, regarding the public screening cast of *Holy War Romance: Ash Princess* you asked me to look into last time—Abigail has kept the lead actor and actress's identities completely hidden. Supposedly, they signed non-disclosure agreements. They're superstar rookies she scouted, involving trade secrets, and their information won't be made public until her next major project. We can't dig up anything for now."
Having concluded the mission briefing, Unity set the weight off her mind aside for the moment and engaged Hyperion in idle chatter.
Though she would still feel tense and worried for Hyperion until tonight's mission yielded results, seeing Hyperion and her companions so confident and composed made Unity feel that Landry would truly not survive past midnight.
"Oh, alright. Thank you," Hyperion nodded.
She had also heard of Director Abigail.
As the chief director of the Brierda Opera House, Abigail was simultaneously one of the Creti Empire's premier genius magitech artisans. Her interests, however, did not lie in magitech engineering at all. Due to her unique talents, the empire sometimes had no choice but to beg for her services, so it came as no surprise that Director Abigail possessed extraordinary connections and means.
"Don't worry, Hubao. There's no way those two could be Lanqi and Tata," Sinora comforted Hyperion from the side.
Even though the suspicion was absurd,
Sinora knew that while Hyperion's request to Unity last time had seemed casual, ever since she saw that public opera, Hyperion had been overthinking and agonizing inside, worrying that Talia and Lanqi had gotten together over the past few months.
Still, that stage play truly had been a bit strange; without genuine feelings between the actors, it might have been difficult to perform like that.
"No, I trust them. I really trust them," Hyperion shook her head stubbornly, denying it to Sinora. "I just felt a strong sense of déjà vu from those actors. Maybe one of the leads was played by Lanqi or Tata?"
Hyperion spoke with conviction.
Her aunt and her prospective boyfriend were clean and innocent. They had gone traveling for half a year, and she felt completely at ease—they would definitely never cross the line.
Yet the more she thought about it, the more restless she felt inside.
She wanted to get down to business quickly; only that could calm her mind.
"Do be careful," Unity urged once more, rising to see them out.
Lately, Unity found Landry to be an increasingly chaotic individual.
He already had two fiancées, yet he had actually asked her to send over an Allied fiancée as well.
Unity suspected Landry simply wanted her to offer up a female spy as a sacrificial offering for his amusement. Such depraved tastes left Unity at a loss for words.
"Miss Unity, tonight, I'll show you what it means when King Yan calls the roll,"
Hyperion gave Unity a chilling smile, delivering her promise.
Setting aside her own Tier 7 stealth skills, which had long reached perfection—
with four great demons backing her up, once she stepped inside Landry's house, whoever she named would die.
Chapter 819