Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Stepping out of the gloomy palace, the sunlight was blinding.

Elvia took a deep breath, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up.

It has been almost a month since Lin Gui left.

She had a smooth and successful month.

Their influence was growing and spreading in the shadows, subtly inciting a conflict between Charles and Diana.

She lay in wait in the shadows, patiently awaiting the opportune moment to reap the rewards.

Now they have even taken control of the dying king and obtained his last trump card.

Unfolding the encrypted parchment, the names and locations recorded on it sent a chill down her spine.

The old man was hidden deeper than I imagined.

With these, plus the power she had secretly gathered...

Elvia is confident of becoming the ultimate winner.

She walked briskly through the corridor and arrived at the palace gate.

Dozens of servants prostrated themselves on the ground, their posture humble.

The head maid stepped forward to help her and led her to the brand-new gilded carriage.

The carriage was lined with velvet and filled with the aroma of incense.

The honor that was once lost is returning along with power.

The carriage drove towards her new residence.

The courtyard is spacious, filled with exotic flowers and rare plants, and the pillars of the corridor are pure white.

Wherever he went, servants would bow their heads and attend to him.

Whether you're taking a shower, reading, or even coughing, someone will respond immediately.

She was like someone wrapped in an exquisite cocoon.

……

At noon, Elvia sat down at the long dining table.

The silver lid was lifted, revealing dishes that were as exquisite as works of art.

In the center of the enormous plate was only a bite or two's worth.

Such plates filled the long table.

She took a bite and frowned.

He picked up the napkin, turned his head, and spat it out.

The silver fork clicked softly.

The head chef turned pale and knelt down on the ground.

The maids trembled.

"How many times have I told you?" Elvia rubbed her temples.

"Don't add those weird things that claim to be 'noble'."

"All I care about is that it tastes good, it tastes good, you understand?!"

After Lin Gui left, nothing tasted right to her.

I once asked the chef to recreate the taste from my memory, but it always fell short of expectations.

Part of the problem is that they can't find Lin Gui's "exclusive ingredients."

More often than not, chefs can't resist adding rare ingredients to "elevate" the dish, only to end up making a mess of things.

Seeing the chef kneeling and trembling, she should have lost her temper long ago, as was usually the case.

but--

A black-haired figure wearing an old robe flashed through my mind.

Elvia's raised chin froze.

She suddenly lost interest and waved her hand.

"You may all leave."

The servants, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, hurriedly retreated.

In the empty restaurant, she was the only one left sitting at the end of the long table.

In front of me were dozens of cold "works of art".

She was silent for a moment, then got up and went out onto the balcony.

The setting sun stretched her shadow long.

A gentle breeze ruffled her golden hair, bringing the fragrance of flowers from the courtyard.

But it couldn't dispel the emptiness in my heart.

Where is that bastard now?

And then there's that talkative elf who likes to argue with me.

Just as Elvia was gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

"I've done what you asked me to do."

A deep, hoarse voice suddenly came from the shadows of the balcony behind her.

Elvia did not turn around, as if she had expected it.

A tall figure slowly emerged from behind the pillars, his face unmasked.

The crisscrossing scars on his face looked particularly gruesome in the setting sun.

It was none other than the rebel leader, Caesar.

After the disastrous assassination attempt against the saintess, which nearly wiped out all of their top assassins.

Elvia took the initiative to approach him.

Extend a hand of cooperation to him.

He hoped to use his remaining power, which cast a shadow over the capital, to help her ascend the throne.

Although almost all of Caesar's top fighting force was wiped out

However, the intelligence network, manpower, and long-established covert operations at the grassroots level should not be underestimated.

Caesar initially scoffed at Elvia's offer of help.

In his eyes, this princess was no different from those disgusting nobles.

In order to make her give up.

He put forward several conditions that he believed the other party would never accept.

The three noblemen were publicly tried and stripped of their crimes, and their property was confiscated and distributed to the common people.

The "bloodline ransom" system should be abolished.

This refers to the outdated practice where commoners could use all their family property to pay off a crime if they offended a nobleman.

Commoners were allowed to enter the Royal Knights and the Government Office through examinations, breaking the monopoly of the nobility.

Each of these conditions was digging into the very roots of the nobility.

He waited to see the princess change her expression and refuse.

However, Elvia remained silent for only a moment.

She then looked up at him, her gaze eerily calm.

"I can give you the authority and the right to do these things."

"But how far can we ultimately go...?"

"It all depends on how much you can hold onto and how much you can overturn."

That day, Caesar felt for the first time.

This once proud princess may have truly changed.

Caesar walked to the balcony and stood beside her, gazing at the distant palace.

"About the dirty things Charles did in the past..."

"I've 'accidentally' let that old woman Diana find out."

"very good."

Elvia curled her lips in satisfaction, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

"Let that muddy water get even more turbulent."

"Wait until they're both severely weakened..."

"I'll clean everything up then."

Caesar paused for a moment behind her, then lowered his voice even further:

"And... what about Prince Warren?"

"Both Charles and Diana's influence is now openly diminishing."

"But the other heir apparent, Warren... hasn't made a move at all so far."

He turned his head and stared at Elvia's profile.

"Could he... be waiting for the right opportunity, just like you?"

Elvia's smile froze instantly.

Immediately, her expression turned somewhat strange.

It was as if they had heard something absurd and helpless.

"Him..."

She shook her head.

"He probably won't stop me."

"It might not even be an obstacle to my ascension to the throne."

Caesar frowned: "Why?"

Elvia's expression became even stranger.

"He came to see me a while ago."

"They used part of my intelligence network to investigate some...strange things."

"In exchange, he gave up several powerful positions under his name to my people."

Caesar's eyes narrowed: "Why would he do this? Could it be a trap?"

"Won't."

Elvia spoke with certainty, tinged with a subtle sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both feeling and reflection).

"Because... he and my 'son-in-law' seem to have a good relationship."

"According to him, he owes my husband a favor."

As for what they owe, to be honest, Elvia was also very curious.

It seems that Lin Gui did something extraordinary when he couldn't see it.

She paused, seemingly considering her words.

"In other words..."

"He's barely one of us."

Upon hearing the words "son-in-law of the king," Caesar's scar twitched slightly.

That young mage with black hair and black eyes, who always had little expression...

The person who drove him to the brink of despair in the mine, yet gave him a strange glimmer of hope.

His expression became unusually complex.

Caesar paused for a moment, then changed the subject.

"Recently, there have been a series of disappearances in the capital... Is this the work of one of the powerful nobles?"

Elvia frowned at the mention of this.

"I don't know either, but it definitely wasn't done by my people."

After Lin Gui left...

Indeed, a staggering number of disappearances occurred in the capital.

How exaggerated is it?

In the past week, more than 5,000 people have disappeared without a trace.

Because those who went missing were all ordinary people, refugees, and low-level craftsmen.

Therefore, it has not yet attracted the real attention of the higher-ups.

But Elvia's roots lie in the working class.

She was well aware of the "special nature" of these 5,000-plus people.

Almost all the people who disappeared had a special skill.

A master blacksmith and an old woman skilled in herbal cultivation.

A handyman who can do mental arithmetic, and an old coachman who knows every corner of the capital.

There were even a few skilled tailors and potters.

Elvia sighed and rubbed her temples.

"I don't have the energy to investigate this matter further right now."

She still has so much to do.

To consolidate the newly acquired royal legacy.

Keep a close eye on the battle between Charles and Diana.

Deploy your own personnel...

Caesar glanced at her and suddenly said:

"There's one more thing."

"The movements of 'Eagle Fortress' that you asked me to keep an eye on..."

"News came this morning that the banshees have left Eagle Fortress."

The color drained from Elvia's face in an instant.

She turned around abruptly, her knuckles white as she gripped the balcony railing.

A chilling coldness slowly crept up her spine.

She laughed and said to Caesar.

"Haha, you must be joking."

I don't understand why Elvia, who was just in complete control, suddenly turned pale.

Caesar said this repeatedly and definitively.

"I'm not kidding, the banshees have all left."

"The Eagle Fortress is now empty."

Caesar was also puzzled by this, as the banshee seemed to have left in a very urgent manner.

So eager was he that he didn't even take the banshee eggs he had laid with him.

What could have caused them to flee in such a panic?

After thinking for a while, Caesar still couldn't figure it out.

When he came to his senses, he found that Elvia, who had been riding high recently, was now slumped on the ground, her face pale.