Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 570 The Traitor Hiding in the Shadows (Please Subscribe!)
The cardinals' decision quickly spread throughout the monastery, sparking much discussion among the monks. Some sighed with regret, while others expressed their understanding.

Of the three factions in the monastery, the Inquisition, being Herbert's own family, had its chief inquisitor support his proposal, but most of the others opposed it.

The judges were mostly rational. Although they wanted to support Herbert, they knew better than anyone that blindly venturing into the depths of the mountains would be tantamount to suicide.

They generally felt that Herbert's radical proposals were somewhat inappropriate, too idealistic, and too presumptuous.

However, while these people opposed the proposal, they had no objection to Herbert himself.

On the contrary, Herbert's youthful courage and decisiveness won over more of the judges.

In particular, Herbert was not one of those naive teenagers who were ignorant of the ways of the world, and what he said was not the ramblings of a child with empty fantasies.

He is a true powerhouse qualified to challenge the gods.

He truly does what he says!
If he says he's going to do it, then he will definitely work hard to achieve that goal.

Having ideals and beliefs is important, but most importantly, having the ability is crucial.

A paladin who is practically perfect.

Even monks who didn't agree with Herbert secretly admired him for this.

Within the Knights, Herbert's popularity was rapidly rising to its peak.

Lord Herbert!
Godslayer!
quack!
We love and respect you!

The paladins were nearly driven to a frenzy by the crazy suggestion.

Just ask.

What paladin wouldn't want to say such a thing?
Which paladin hasn't dreamed of becoming the leader of the momentous event that ends destiny?
Herbert did it.

He spoke of the deepest desires hidden in the hearts of the paladins, and their willingness to shoulder the most arduous responsibilities.

Would they oppose Herbert's proposal?
joke!

Forget about opposing them, they wish they were Herbert!

Some of the paladins who had sparred with Herbert became incredibly enthusiastic, training even harder.

Especially those brothers who were doing special training by kicking each other in the groin, were so anxious that their eyes turned red, and they couldn't wait to join Herbert's ranks at any moment.

—Of course, it could also be caused by being kicked in the groin.

Q: Why are their eyes often filled with tears?
A: Because my brother's kick was so accurate and powerful, I couldn't stop the tears from flowing.

Some of them looked at the Knight Commander with particularly resentful eyes, as if silently blaming him for rejecting Herbert's proposal.

Even with the Knight Commander's aloof personality, he was secretly sweating when he was being secretly stared at like that by the members of the Knights.

He couldn't help but feel dissatisfied and resentful towards Herbert, annoyed that he had made him take the blame.

Actually, it wouldn't be a problem for him to play the bad cop; he's naturally a serious person, so it wouldn't be difficult for him.

But why, and by what right, can that "idiot" be a good person?
The Knight Commander expressed utter disgust at the Judge's behavior of taking advantage of the situation to gain favor with others!
However, outside the sight of the many cultivators, the atmosphere inside Ophidia's secret room was completely different.

"So, this is the result you wanted?"

Ophidia tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, her expression blank, and frowned slightly in displeasure as she looked at Herbert, who was smiling in front of her.

"A rejected proposal, a performance as you wished."

Seeing her displeased attitude, Herbert was in no hurry to explain. He gave an elegant bow, a sly smile on his face, and winked at her gently.

"This is a necessary performance, thank you for your cooperation."

"Cooperate?"

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, her eyes showing even more displeasure, and snorted:

"Hmph, don't misunderstand."

“I didn’t promise you anything. My rejection of your proposal was based solely on rational judgment, which was that I thought it was too risky.”

Look!

Such a classic example of tsundere.

It's no wonder it's a veteran from the previous version; even its reactions are outdated.

Herbert thought to himself, blinked, and raised an eyebrow with a smile:

"It is precisely this 'rational judgment' that allows us to work perfectly together without needing to, that proves our tacit understanding, doesn't it?"

We're so in sync!
"You! You bastard..."

The Ash Bishop, who had intended to maintain a stern and businesslike demeanor, felt a stirring within him at those words. He wanted to refute them, but deep down he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Yes, that proves we have a great understanding...

Ophelia, conflicted, twitched at the corner of her mouth, but was ultimately silenced by Herbert's words.

Herbert had no intention of bullying a good woman who could be manipulated with a single sentence, and walked up behind Ophidia with a smile.

!!!

Upon sensing the hot breath behind her, Ophidia reacted by widening her eyes and straightening her back, looking tense.

You're here again!?

Just as the embarrassed and angry Ophidia was about to throw Herbert out as a way of cheating, he surprisingly didn't do anything inappropriate.

He not only very gentlemanly pressed down on her slender shoulders, but even his fingertips only lightly touched them.

Ok?
Transitioned?

No, what am I supposed to do if you become a gentleman?!?

"Ophelia".

Herbert leaned down and whispered in the ear of the bewildered Ophidia, "Thank you for believing me."

"Without you here, my plan certainly wouldn't have gone so smoothly."

Thank you again.

That's it again.

He reveals his unusually serious side even when he's being unserious.

"You are this person..."

Ophelia's tense body softened at the whisper, she sighed helplessly, leaned back, and fell into the arms of the person behind her.

She closed her eyes, let out a long breath, and asked, "So, you don't need help this time either, and you want to come by yourself?"

Are they going to make me do nothing again, just like before?

Ophidia opened her eyes, turned around, and looked resentfully at the wicked man who didn't understand women's hearts.

No, how could this guy not understand!

He clearly knows what I'm supposed to do, but he just won't cooperate.

This is even worse!

"Yes and no."

Herbert shook his head slightly and smiled as he met the disapproving gaze.

Instead of explaining directly, he changed the subject and said, "You know what? The performance I asked you to put on wasn't just for the monks in the monastery."

"Ok?"

Herbert squinted and looked up, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through the chaos of the demiplane and reach even higher.

"The audience isn't just those few people."

The more Herbert learned about the world, the more he realized that the Misty Abbey was far more extraordinary than it appeared.

Its presence here is too weak.

Despite possessing a monster like the Archbishop, standing on the edge of the forbidden zone of the gods, and guarding the remains of a god... from any perspective, this is a special organization with profound foundations and terrifying strength.

But in the eyes of the world, this is just an ordinary monastery supported by a small kingdom.

The Misty Mountains are less well-known among the powerful than they are among ordinary people.

This doesn't make sense.

This is utterly unreasonable!
Herbert remained unconvinced; judging from the details revealed by Nenasha, He certainly wasn't a simple person at His Peak.

How could such a "legacy" left behind not attract the attention of the gods!
Everything here seems to have been erased by some great force, making it harmless and nonexistent.

Was it the presence of the archbishop that deterred all the villains and prevented them from harboring evil intentions?
Or are those people still there, but just hiding?

Of the two guesses, Herbert leans more towards the latter.

Behind the curtain, a pair of eyes watched silently, waiting for an opportunity.

Or perhaps, it's not just one pair, but many that are silently waiting?

Does the archbishop know about these people behind the scenes?
Herbert was unable to verify this.

Even if the archbishop were here, let alone now, he probably wouldn't answer honestly.

Why was Herbert so certain?
Because if it were him, he wouldn't say anything either.

There's nothing we can do; they're just that arrogant and willful.

"This performance has two purposes."

Herbert put one arm around Ophelia's shoulder, held up two fingers in front of her with the other hand, and said earnestly:
"One of them is to increase my reputation among the cultivators and pave the way for my future actions."

The three cardinals could all see this and knew that Herbert was trying to promote himself.

"And another thing is that I need to convince certain 'audiences' that the Misty Monastery still adheres to its thousand-year-old rules and remains stagnant."

"No matter what the circumstances, nothing will change."

A calculating glint flashed in his eyes, and he said in a low, menacing voice:

“I want them to believe that no matter how much I, this ‘variable,’ stir things up, the monastery remains conservative and predictable.”

"That way, when I actually take action later, they will feel more at ease and won't react immediately."

Upon hearing this, Ophelia's expression changed, and she immediately understood his meaning. She frowned and asked, "You mean... there's a traitor in the monastery?"

This isn't a new idea.

Any organization can be infiltrated by outsiders.

Even in tightly knit organizations that require oaths and the sale of one's soul, traitors can infiltrate.

Even the Church of God can be infiltrated, let alone a loose organization like a monastery, which has weaker constraints.

The Misty Monastery naturally had spies planted by various organizations. Ophidia knew the true identities of some of them, but she had been too lazy to deal with them.

As long as they don't cause trouble or cross the line, let them stay.

But judging from Herbert's words, those traitors could actually cause a huge danger?

"Maybe they exist, maybe they don't, but they don't matter."

Herbert also ignored those worthless cannon fodder and reminded her not to mistake the people she needed to be wary of.

"What we really need to pay attention to are the entities behind them that might be alerted."

"You just asked me if I'd be doing it all by myself again this time?"

Herbert nodded and said seriously:

"Yes, I will handle the battle in the Misty Mountains myself, relying on the monsters in the Discipline Hall. I don't need to, and can't, let anyone else from the monastery interfere."

He wanted to use this opportunity to thoroughly clear the names of the monster girls, and he wouldn't allow anyone else to interfere.

"But don't I need your help?"

"No, Ophidia, this time, I need your help."

Herbert shook his head and said seriously:

"I need you to keep an eye on what's happening inside and outside the monastery, and help me find the hidden traitors and who's behind them."

"Moreover, I also need to find out who is behind these people without alerting them, which is quite difficult."

"To unravel the truth from the smallest details requires vast knowledge and exceptional wisdom, and only you can do this."

"I can only rely on your help now."

Ophelia frowned and fell silent, making no further move for a long time.

"..."

After a long pause, she finally reacted. Instead of mentioning refusal, she asked, "...So, you're planning to lead them to cause a ruckus deep within the Misty Mountains?"

Herbert nodded and said frankly, "With the Archbishop absent, this is a very rare opportunity for them to unleash their power freely."

"Anyway, I've already laid the groundwork, so it doesn't matter how much commotion I cause in the mountains afterward."

"It even caused some 'strange movements,' and everyone in the monastery understood what had happened... Huh?"

Herbert was about to continue explaining when Ophidia's snake tail wrapped around his waist, immobilizing him.

"Uh, what's wrong?"

He wanted to explain further, but then he saw Ophidia purse her lips in displeasure and huff.

"No, what I mean is... you're taking them out to cause a scene, but not me? And you want me to do all that trouble?"

"……Um?"

At this moment, Herbert finally understood where Ophidia's dissatisfaction came from—you're not playing with me?

What he had just explained seemed to her to be an extreme example of American bullying.

Hey! We're going to an awesome party, guess who didn't get an invitation?
Hehe, that's right—it's you!

We're going to have some fun, so remember to get back to work!
"..."

Herbert fell into a rare state of speechless silence, a question echoing in his mind.

No?

What's wrong with this monastery?

Why do all the higher-ups want to sneak out and have some fun?!

……

……

While Herbert and Ophidia were having their private conversation, a clandestine dialogue was also taking place at the Legion's encampment.

The legion commander, exuding an ancient and majestic aura, stood silently before a dilapidated statue whose features were no longer discernible.

"..."

His armor, covered in mottled marks, bore witness to countless forgotten battles and testified to his bravery.

Beside him, a lithe female heroic spirit wielding twin blades was reporting in a low voice, her tone carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation.

"The soul imprint left by Garr... has been completely extinguished."

"Judging from the last dissipated fluctuations, it was not destroyed by violence, but more like... it was captured and isolated by some kind of force, and is waiting to be 'purified' and reshaped."

She raised her head, her eyes blazing with the fire of her soul, and said in a deep voice, "They do indeed possess a fully functional pool of heroic spirits, and they use it with great skill."

"It's consistent with the intelligence that person gave us from Eldari."

(End of this chapter)