The force of that slap was so immense that it nearly shattered Anbaixiu's Polymorph.
Anbaixiu quickly bowed and stepped back. "Your Majesty is wise. I shall see to the arrangements at once. As for these gentlemen..."
Anbaixiu glanced toward the three court wizards and noticed they were all rather nervous.
After what had just been said, the veil of civility had basically been torn away. The Raging Tide Kingdom might settle scores with them right here and now. So when Anbaixiu looked over, they were already braced to make a move.
Yet they were deeply worried; if a fight broke out, the odds of them being killed were exceedingly high.
Sharlock was an alchemist and possessed little combat capability in the first place. The Raging Tide Kingdom could never afford the research and development of golem puppets, and he had come to this meeting completely unprepared, carrying barely enough potions.
The necromancer was even more on edge, barely restraining himself from summoning his undead minions. Yet he lacked any confidence, having noticed the King of Raging Tide's eyes already turning a silvery white. At such close range, a necromancer like him could easily be struck down in an instant by this storm priest.
A necromancer was no lich; he had no phylactery to grant him rebirth.
As for the final court wizard, since he hadn't yet had a falling-out, he was already shrinking off to the side, firmly resolved not to lift a finger.
"Don't be so tense, gentlemen. With a formidable enemy at our gates, your powers remain vital. Besides, now that everything is out in the open, it's actually easier for us to cooperate, isn't it? Or do you think that after fighting your way out of here, any other kingdom would hire you as court wizards?"
Anbaixiu's words stunned both Sharlock and Winston. Things had deteriorated to this point, yet they could still cooperate?
"Come now, you can't possibly think a bankrupt alchemist with zero credibility and an exposed necromancer could find another job like this? Aside from continuing to work with the Raging Tide Kingdom, you have no other choice. Why would we give up on you? At the very least, your retainer fees for next year... can be discounted, right?"
Anbaixiu's pitch caught everyone off guard. Even the King was dumbfounded.
Business could be conducted like this?
The King couldn't help but ask, "Mengge, why are you still planning to keep them?"
Anbaixiu hastened to reply, "Your Majesty, forgive my bluntness, but our kingdom cannot compare to the others. Vast though the ocean may be, what we can dredge from it is far too little. We need Master Sharlock's alchemical potions, and we need Master Winston's spell scrolls. We simply don't wish to keep playing the fool.
"Now that everything has been aired out, I trust both masters will make amends for their past misdeeds, won't you?"
After saying this, Anbaixiu turned his gaze back to the two court wizards. Sharlock and Winston hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded. "Your Majesty, what occurred before may have simply been a misunderstanding. We will provide the kingdom with a satisfactory account."
The King of Raging Tide hadn't even processed it. How had they reconciled just like that? Moments earlier, he had been primed for combat. With his capabilities at this range, he was confident he could smash at least one of them to death on the spot.
Such an abrupt turn of events was truly beyond a mind accustomed to solving problems through violence.
Anbaixiu had no intention of letting them fight. In such cramped quarters, any brawl would blow his disguise. Once his identity was exposed, how could he profit as the fisherman watching from the shore?
Getting the two court wizards to yield and putting everything back on track was the optimal outcome.
Regardless of what these two court wizards were plotting, they wouldn't openly turn hostile right now. By the time they tried any underhanded tricks, Anbaixiu would likely be long gone.
"Very well, I trust the two of you will keep your word. Your Majesty, I shall go arrange the combat deployment first."
His work here done, Anbaixiu bowed out and turned on his heel.
Leaving the cavernous council hall, he was just heading out to issue orders to the Raging Tide Legion when Ariel blocked his path.
Anbaixiu truly had no desire to face this violent princess, yet he had no choice but to offer a respectful greeting.
"Your Highness, did you need something from me?"
Ariel fixed her emerald-green eyes on Anbaixiu. Only after a long pause did she say, "Mengge, your knack for deceiving people is far greater than I thought. How did I never notice before?"
Anbaixiu was startled and hurriedly said, "What do you mean by that, Your Highness? When have I deceived anyone?"
"Still denying it? I eavesdropped on everything that just happened! You didn't just trick the undead of the Silent Night Pirates, you tricked Sharlock and Winston too. You definitely aren't going to let them off easy, right? Because you didn't expose the last wizard's crimes! I don't believe for a second that the final court wizard is clean. You must have a follow-up plan to wipe out all three of them, don't you?!"
Staring at Ariel's excited expression, Anbaixiu wondered what wild fantasies this woman had concocted in her head.
Yet Anbaixiu was no stranger to people like this. Many hot-headed youths with formidable fists had an urge to invest in intellect, believing they ought to master both might and cunning. They habitually overthought everything, deriving a smug sense of superiority—the feeling that while everyone else was drunk, only they were sober.
Ariel was the textbook example of someone who had maxed out her strength stat and now wanted to show off her wits.
And the best way to handle such a person was to flatter her.
"Your Highness's wisdom puts me to shame. Such petty tricks could never slip past you. However, with the kingdom in grave peril, I must ask Your Highness to keep this confidential. If they caught wind of it, the kingdom might descend into instability, and how then could we confront our powerful foes?"
Hearing this, Ariel broke into a radiant smile.
Ariel said excitedly, "I knew it! I was right. Don't worry, my lips are sealed! Mengge, you're so much smarter than I thought. Were you just putting on an act all along?"
"Well... we can discuss that at leisure when time permits, Your Highness. I truly must attend to my duties now."
Right now, Anbaixiu only wanted to shake off this nuisance and go help Aige take down Ryan's founding emperor. Just the thought of it thrilled him; if he could pull off such an exploit, the Necrotic Codex would surely dedicate an entire chapter to record his glorious achievement.
Yet Ariel suddenly blurted out, "I'm coming with you!"
"Huh? Why?"
Anbaixiu found it bizarre. In Mengge Grayriver's memories, he and the princess had always been at each other's throats. While they might not have bickered every single time they met, peaceful moments between them were few and far between.
Could it be that a few offhand compliments had actually duped this princess into treating him as an ally?
Judging by the gleam of excitement in her eyes, the girl really had changed her attitude.
"I originally thought you merely agreed with my political views, but who knew you had ideas of your own—and far better ones than mine! You can change this kingdom, and I'm going to help you!" Ariel declared resolutely.
*Lord of Storms, rein in your chosen, will you? With an intellect like this, no wonder you can never beat the Lord of the Dawn.*
The Raging Tide Kingdom was perhaps far too remote; the succession of royal power depended entirely on brawn. Over a millennium, it had thoroughly missed out on vital political education.
In truth, political education was hardly viable anyway. In every generation, only one or two people ever reached the realm of legend. Why bother with politics when a single fistfight could settle everything?
By Ariel's generation, there weren't even any competitors left. She had nowhere to flex any political talents whatsoever.
Admittedly, under such circumstances, the fact that Ariel was willing to think at all was already quite an achievement.
Perhaps the Lord of Storms had taken a liking to what little wit she possessed and granted her his blessing for that very reason?
Too many muscleheads around; it was about time for a ruler with at least half a brain.
Yet how could Anbaixiu let her tag along? What if he were exposed?
"Your Highness, though I have pacified those court wizards, it doesn't mean they harbor no disloyalty. What you ought to do right now is guard His Majesty. Ensuring his safety is paramount," Anbaixiu said with grave earnestness.
"No need. Look, they've already left!"
Ariel pointed, and Anbaixiu saw the three court wizards exiting the council hall. They hurried past with brisk steps, showing no inclination to greet the two of them.
Ariel continued, "Lord Mengge, who plans for every contingency, aren't you forgetting something? If they want revenge, you're by far the easiest target! Don't you know how weak you are? If anyone needs protection, it's you!"
Anbaixiu was speechless.
He had completely forgotten that detail. Mengge Grayriver wasn't even a legend, and all his skill points were dumped into leadership.
What utter trash. No wonder Anbaixiu had kicked him flying without the man having any means to fight back.
Seeing Ariel's determined stance, Anbaixiu knew he had no way of shaking her off. He could only let her tag along. As long as he stayed cautious, someone with her intellect wouldn't notice a thing. If he felt vicious enough, he could even sell her off to the paladins as a sparring partner.
Anbaixiu prayed inwardly: *God of Alchemy above, please let Captain Aige pull her weight. He's just a heroic spirit—kill him already!*
On the battlefield outside the royal palace, the square had completely transformed. Giant craters pitted the expanse, leaving not a patch of level ground in sight.
Yet the battle between Aige and Arthur Ryan showed no signs of stopping; instead, it grew fiercer by the second. At first, they had managed to rein in their power so it wouldn't disperse too widely, confining the collateral damage to the square.
Yet as both unleashed their full strength, the shockwaves widened, impacting the surrounding city blocks within a radius of two to three kilometers.
A single mana blast from Aige could level entire swathes of buildings, while Arthur Ryan's sword light began to spill outward, a single Divine Smite tearing a fissure several hundred meters long across the earth.
Had Anbaixiu not immediately ordered an evacuation, the casualties would have been catastrophic.
Aige was genuinely shocked. The heroic spirit before her was dreadfully powerful.
He was merely a heroic spirit whose power was undoubtedly far inferior to that of his true body, yet he had actually pushed her to this extent.
Aige couldn't help marveling, "Arthur Ryan, truly a legend among legends. The founding emperor of the Ryan Empire is indeed extraordinary."
Arthur Ryan swung his longsword, dispersing the nearby aura of decay, and spoke: "Drop the charade. I will not believe it. What Ryan Empire? What seventeen hundred years? These are nothing more than lies the tyrant sent you to deceive me with. I, Arthur Ryan, am no founding emperor—only the most handsome paladin on the continent."
Aige suddenly felt a pang of pity for the heroic spirit before her. To slay the Demonic Dragon Tyrant, he had guarded this place for seventeen hundred years, never daring to relax his vigilance for even a fleeting moment, without his resolve eroding in the slightest. Yet even when his greatest wish had already been fulfilled, he could not bring himself to believe it—nor did he dare.
"Arthur Ryan, you are a human worthy of admiration," Aige remarked, before raising both hands high. "To show my respect for you, I shall hold nothing back."
Vast dark energy converged in the heavens, and a colossal warship emerged from the vortex of black clouds.
Aige decided to summon her true form and crush this opponent with the full might of a demigod.
Giving her all was the greatest respect she could pay Arthur Ryan!
Chapter 185