Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 426 The remnants
"As for you, Miss Redhead."

In an instant, several unfamiliar faces slowly entered the study. Mir-Bloodthorn also retreated to the ranks. Compared to the manor's guards, the newcomers were imposing and could be identified at a glance as high-level superhumans.

The man in the black cloak glanced at the broken window behind him and said, "If your idea is to escape through the back window, Cedric and the Imperial Army are guarding outside right now, so I advise you to surrender. It will be easier for both of us."

As he spoke, he took out a photograph.

“Ever since that day, I’ve been thinking about the relationship between you and the witch. Since you know each other so well, yet you coexist peacefully, there’s only one answer…”

The photo shows the scene today where Bi'an and Ethan are sitting side by side outside the Bloodthorn family manor, eating hard bread. "Now it's clear why you infiltrated the capital. Are you remnants of the Violet Commune?"

This godforsaken place has a Violet Commune too?

The person on the other side was taken aback.

However, the man in the black cloak was not wrong. Winter was indeed a member of the Violet Commune. Although Ethan did not explicitly state their purpose for entering the palace, judging from their style of doing things, their plans were probably similar to those of the Violet Commune in the past.

In the eyes of the man in the black cloak, the other side's reaction was tantamount to admitting his speculation.

That happened during the reign of Henry V.

Compared to the "Demon King," the root of all evil, the Violet Commune once genuinely posed a threat to the rule of the Silver Empire. This was because a family of a "Spark" holder had also participated in that massive movement, providing weapons to the rebels and cultivating several high-level superhumans who were capable of threatening members of the royal family.

At that time, they were only one step away from success.

Meanwhile, inside the royal palace.

Bathed in moonlight, Balmont-Margaret walked alone into the empty and desolate palace. A majestic figure sat on the throne, looking down at Balmont who had come to visit in the dead of night.

What a nostalgic view.

Balmont looked around; his father had reportedly been here as well.

They fought their way through the Imperial Army and the palace guards, and with the escort of their family's loyal followers, they arrived before His Majesty.

Margaret was the surname of a servant in the household. As for her father and their family, they had given up their titles and surnames that originally symbolized honor because they had become a disgrace to the Silver Empire.

Perhaps Henry VI was here when he witnessed that upheaval that nearly overthrew the empire.

Balmon had a vague premonition, but he still bowed to the figure on the throne with a calm expression. "I wonder why Your Majesty has summoned me here?"

"Barmont, Barmont, Barmont..."

The figure on the throne silently recited his name, as if carefully savoring the meaning it represented.

From an ordinary noble family in Gear City, whose ancestors were once barons, Balmont had long lost contact with the capital. By the time of Balmont's generation, the noble status was practically nonexistent. Yet, this unknown nobody climbed all the way to the position of Imperial Chancellor after arriving in the capital.

Many nobles in the capital had screened Balmont’s family for noble status, but in the end, apart from the results of “country bumpkin” and “illegitimate bloodline”, they could not find much to attack. Even for Balmont’s potential political enemies, his status as an ancestor baron seemed more like a mess from the time of Henry IV or III.

Every dynasty had its share of minor figures who received titles in peripheral cities, while those far away in the capital could not possibly remember every single debt.

Henry VI's gaze suddenly became incredibly sharp.

Until his children uncovered some long-forgotten history.

"I think this isn't your real name."

"I don't understand what you're saying, Your Majesty."

Balmont responded with a smile.

"We still have plenty of time, I'll help you remember."

Henry VI looked down at Balmont, who was smiling beneath his throne, and for the first time found the man's fake smile incredibly irritating, stirring up some unpleasant memories deep within him.

The same location, also inside this great hall.

He was not yet king at that time, but he witnessed firsthand what is known as the "shame of the empire."

The imposing figure on the throne confronted the intruders who had stormed into the hall, their bodies bathed in blood.

Violet Commune.

That was the name he only learned after the dust of the revolution had settled, all the rebels had been sent to the guillotine, and they had been executed in front of countless imperial citizens—a revolution initiated by a high-ranking nobleman in the capital, the holder of the "Spark," and the commune he had funded and established. It was no longer just a simple rebel army or rioters; they were organized and disciplined, and had been plotting for years in this place closest to the royal family.

Worse still, the emergence of the Violet Commune has cracked the apathy of the Empire's inhabitants, giving them a glimpse of another possibility for the Empire.

This is also why he had to restart the "Hero and Demon King" game after taking power.

The greatest harm caused by the Violet Commune's reforms was that it prompted the people of the Empire to start thinking, especially after the "Demon King" had disappeared for nearly a century. They couldn't help but question whether the royal family and nobles were truly their "protectors," or whether, after gaining power, they had quietly become exploiters.

The Silver Empire doesn't need such thinking, nor does it need anyone to raise questions or even turn it into a public issue worthy of debate.

This country was built on a policy of keeping its people ignorant, and it will not need any changes in the future.

However, the remnants of the Violet Commune should have been completely eliminated. In the subsequent purge, anyone involved in the change, even if they only provided financial assistance to the Commune or expressed their support on different occasions, was sent to the guillotine on charges of treason.

The ducal family had not even a single servant left.

After that, bankers, munitions factory owners, newspaper reporters, and even doctors who had treated the wounded in the commune were not spared. The purge lasted for several years until his father, Henry V, determined that all traitors had been eliminated, and then the operation was stopped.

This is why he never doubted Balmont-Margaret. Even now, he doesn't know how Balmont, as a descendant of the founders of the Commune, managed to escape the Great Purge and flee to Gear City incognito.

but……

He will soon find out the truth.

Henry VI's gaze shifted to the trusted minister beneath his throne. With a mere lift of his right index finger, Balmont was sent flying by immense force, crashing into a palace pillar, his broken right arm rolling to the other side.

The stench of blood quickly spread throughout the hall.

There were no screams, no arguments, and no pleas for mercy.

Henry VI saw Balmont struggling to his feet with his only remaining arm, sweat beading on his forehead from the intense pain.

He didn't like that look in his eyes.

This reminded Henry VI of what had happened in that very hall.

He pointed into the shadows of the palace and ordered, "Lock him in the dungeon, and don't let him die."

Meanwhile, on the other side.

On a rare free night, Ethan planned to relax until Winter finished attending the bathing party hosted by Queen Elizabeth, but he didn't expect that shortly after Winter left, their residence would be visited by an uninvited guest.

She was dressed in the uniform of a maid in the royal palace, but her entrance was quite unbecoming of a maid. She climbed in through the window.

An elderly man, whose height had shrunk to just over 1.4 meters, was hunched over, and the wrinkles on his face made it almost impossible for him to open his eyes.

This old woman was a formidable character. In her words, the palace was no different from her own backyard, and she even remembered the patterns on the floor.

But Ethan was skeptical, because the old woman clearly didn't have a very good memory.

Like many elderly people Ethan had met, she knew everything that had happened decades ago, but only had the memory of fish when it came to what was happening right now.

"This is the story of the Violet Commune."

The old woman spoke tremulously, then fell into deep thought. After about a minute, she looked puzzled and asked, "Huh? Why should I tell you this? Who are you?"

As she questioned him, her eyes suddenly turned sharp, and in an instant, five hidden weapons shot towards Ethan.

Ethan, who was already prepared, shifted his body to the right, and the five bread dough pieces landed in the corner of the room. This had happened four times already. Although the hidden weapons themselves had no lethality and even emitted a sweet smell of powdered sugar, it was not hard to tell that the old woman must have been a formidable assassin in her youth, with skills no less than those of Zoffy, who was known as the master assassin.

Another thing that puzzled Ethan was how many loaves of bread were hidden on the old woman's body.

Did she open a bakery in Gear City?

"My name is Ethan, you can call me Senzi."

"Shenzi, what skillful moves you have!"

The old woman fell into deep thought again. Ethan waited a moment longer, and then she asked him again, "Then who am I?"

“You are a member of the Margaret family.”

Although the old woman did not introduce herself, Ethan recognized her from the distinctive ahoge (cowlick) on her head.

“Oh, yes, I’m from the Margaret family… And who are you?”

"It's Senko."

"Shenzi, what skillful moves you have!"

Ethan felt a lump in his throat, but thankfully the old woman didn't repeat the question about her own identity again.

"Given what has happened, why did Balmont come back here?"

Ethan tried to steer the conversation, "To avenge Henry VI?"

"No, no!"

The old woman shook her head like a rattle-drum. "Young Master wants to change this country with his own strength, just like Master. He is a stubborn man, and no one can change his mind, not even Death... I know that you and that white-haired girl remind him of the Violet Commune."

Whenever the old woman talks about the past of the Violet Commune, her wrinkled face softens.

Despite severe memory loss, he remembers everything that happened decades ago with perfect clarity.

Although they address each other as "Young Master" and "Master," Ethan can feel the trust between them, which is like that between family members.

Unfortunately, he arrived decades too late; the vast capital was now only populated by misfits like Grand Duke Esh.

"Ginseng!"

The old woman suddenly raised her voice, but fortunately Ethan was already used to this kind of startling style.

"I'm here."

Her expression suddenly turned serious. "But this road is dangerous, and you might also be harmed by them. So for your safety, you now have two choices."

"Mother-in-law, please speak."

"First, leave the capital and never come back. I know a secret passage that can get you and that white-haired girl out of here."

"What about the second one?"

"Secondly, if you choose to stay here, you must learn to protect yourself! I will pass on my life's work to you, which may help you escape danger in the future."

At this point, the old woman took a deep breath, her eyes becoming kind and gentle, "Shenzi, I knew you would choose to stay!"

"I haven't made a choice yet!"

"Next, I will pass on to you the ultimate techniques I have mastered. These are the insights I have gained throughout my life as a master assassin!"

The old woman was used to talking to herself, Ethan sighed, but she wasn't wrong; he and Winter wouldn't be leaving the Silver Empire so soon.

He suspected that the old woman was carrying a storage space with her, and she magically produced a transparent container with a wave of her hands.

Next came a bag of flour.

There is also a small bottle of salt.

"Ginseng!"

She exuded confidence, her former charm undiminished. "Listen carefully, the key to everything lies in these two spoonfuls of salt! That's the secret to making the pizza crust pliable. And then there's the mozzarella cheese, and finally, you absolutely must sprinkle some basil leaves on top. I'm passing these secrets on to you alone!"

As the old woman continued her story, the footsteps in the corridor grew closer.

They drove along, trying their best not to make too much noise, and by the time they finished talking, the footsteps had already reached the door.

The next moment, the door was kicked open.

Silver-white armor, and the emblem of royalty—a tangled mix of thorns and black lilies—engraved on it.

The royal guards were mobilized.

These were guards handpicked by the Henry family from among the empire's elite ranks of extraordinary individuals.

The old woman turned around, glanced at the menacing guards, and asked, "Guest, what would you like to eat today?"

The guards ignored her question and glared at Ethan, clearly targeting him.

"Balmont-Margaret has been imprisoned."

The head of the guards said coldly, their movements as they drew their swords in perfect unison, "We are here on orders to wipe out the remnants of the Violet Commune!"

(End of this chapter)