Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Early the next morning.

Lin Gui had just appeared at the post office entrance when he was caught red-handed by Elvia, who had been waiting there.

Without saying a word, they took him directly to the Cathedral of Light in the capital.

In the presence of several sleepy-eyed nobles who had been "invited" to witness the event.

The two quickly went through the wedding ceremony.

In front of the priest, Lin Gui displayed undisguised disgust.

He quickly said "I do".

From that moment on, he officially became Elvia Roland's "legitimate husband" for a week.

As agreed, a few days later, when Lin Gui was preparing to leave the capital.

He would not hesitate to write a letter of divorce.

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At that time, Elvia was divorced shortly after her marriage.

This will undoubtedly become a laughing stock and scandal in Carter's high society.

This was exactly what Elvia herself strongly requested.

According to the Carter family's rules, a princess who marries into the royal family will lose her right to the throne.

If a princess who has been married off is divorced, then her inheritance can be restored.

It wasn't written in the regulations, but that's exactly what Elvia's great-grandmother, the female Queen Carter, did.

Elvia hopes to buy time to rebuild the severely damaged forces she left behind.

With the farcical wedding ceremony over, Elvia immediately got into the swing of things.

They began to fulfill the "cooperation agreement" previously reached with Lin Gui.

As long as she completes either of the two tasks Lin Gui assigned her before he leaves the capital.

Find Queen Katalia's tomb, or uncover the truth behind Rogue's journey to Avalon.

Lin Gui will then remove the "devil's poison kiss" from her body.

So, unsurprisingly, Elvia chose the latter.

After all, he was someone who once recited the entire official history of the Carter royal family by heart in order to please his father.

She knew it very well.

The "Queen's Tomb" does not exist in Carter's official history.

To be precise, Carter's history has never recorded such a queen.

This includes the hero who corresponds to him, and the world-ending war they face, which is different from the "Demon God's Descent".

Carter did indeed experience the apocalypse, which was the demonic descent forty years ago.

However, the capital of the Carter Kingdom was not moved as a result.

Perhaps those old fogies in the Royal Elders Council know some secrets?

But based on Elvia's understanding of them...

Those stubborn old men who regard ancestral rules and royal dignity as the highest standards, but in reality use them to profit.

It is utterly impossible to acknowledge a history that has been deliberately erased and could undermine the legitimacy of the regime.

She didn't know why Lin Gui was so obsessed with finding a vague and elusive queen's tomb.

This guy has always acted strangely, and the logic that drives his actions always has a bizarre quality.

But Elvia didn't care; she just wanted to deactivate the time bomb inside her as soon as possible.

Originally, Lin Gui planned to split up and act separately.

He continued his search for clues to the Queen's tomb.

Elvia, on the other hand, was responsible for extracting information about Rogge from her older sister, Diana Carter.

However, this proposal was rejected outright by Elvia.

The reason is simple.

Getting close to Princess Diana was easy; all it took was hosting a tea party under the guise of sisters catching up.

This is a typical day among princesses.

However, she wanted to reach out to her elder sister, who had been cruelly betrayed and heartbroken by Roger.

She voluntarily revealed the secret about her "ex-boyfriend who killed his brother and betrayed the country".

It absolutely won't work without genuine sincerity.

Therefore, she needed to prepare a gift that Diana could not refuse.

That will be one of the highlight items at the royal auction two days later.

Mermaid's Tear Jewel.

Mermaids are a race renowned for their ethereal and unparalleled beauty.

And the tears they shed formed the "mermaid pearls".

Legend has it that it contains a mysterious power to preserve youth and enhance one's appearance.

It has a fatal attraction for all women, especially those in positions of power.

As one of the three highlight items of this auction, its price is bound to be astronomical.

With Elvia's current financial resources, it's simply impossible for them to get their hands on it.

Therefore, she needs to take advantage of Lin Gui's ability to become rich overnight.

Lin Gui did not refuse.

He glanced at the auction catalog provided by Elvia.

Besides the "Mermaid's Tears," there was another thing he needed.

A legendary magical mask crafted by a top alchemist, capable of perfectly concealing one's face and aura.

This is perfect for Shia, who urgently needs to conceal her appearance and demonic aura.

While this mask is effective, it is not a unique and precious item.

These are relatively common magical items at auctions; one or two of them appear each time.

Lin Gui was not surprised that it would appear at the auction.

With the goal clear, action begins.

Elvia was in charge of providing guidance.

She used her knowledge of the royal capital's noble and wealthy circles.

They carefully selected those who were wealthy and bullied the weak.

Even if she discovers that the vault has been robbed, she is an "easy target" who has the ability to suppress the matter by virtue of her status and methods.

Lin Gui was responsible for the specific "work".

Use the [Night Veil] to infiltrate, obtain the key through various means, and pry open the vault.

Then, as if moving their own belongings, they used the [Levitation] spell to transport the wealth inside away.

When necessary, those troublesome guards and stewards should be knocked unconscious with a brick.

With the precise navigation of Elvia, this noble encyclopedia.

The entire fourth floor, the luxury area, was subjected to a silent and massive looting without anyone knowing.

Elvia pointed to the map with practiced ease:

"This company mainly deals in minerals and I don't get along with them. They have five extraordinary guards, but the captain likes to gamble and often sneaks out at night..."

"That family is in the mining business; they're my third brother's money bag. Their warehouse uses triple magic locks, but their butler is my former maid's old flame, so I know he has a habit of hiding spare keys..."

Lin Gui, like a ghost in the dark night, quietly slipped in.

Sometimes they would sneak into the warehouse by following the drunken butler who returned home late;

Sometimes they would simply knock down the dozing guard captain with a brick and take the key from him.

On another occasion, it happened while the host was holding a noisy banquet.

They "fished" away, one box at a time, of gold coins piled up in the secret room below through the air vents in the banquet hall ceiling...

And those guards and stewards who woke up to find the vault empty.

They faced enormous losses that could cost them their lives.

The first reaction is often not to report it.

Instead, they desperately tried to cover it up, fabricate the scene, collude with each other, and hoped to buy time or find a scapegoat.

Boxes of gold coins and bags of gems.

They were secretly transported to a remote warehouse that Elvia had purchased in advance.

Looking at the mountain of treasure before him, gleaming alluringly in the dim light.

Elvia's face flushed with excitement.

In just one day, she and Lin Gui visited the warehouses of thirteen wealthy people.

The stolen property, when converted into cash, exceeded ten million!

She finally understood completely at this moment.

Why did the Woodgrunts disdain the treasure left behind by the city guards in the Whispering Woods?

This guy relies on the combination of [Night Veil] and [Levitation].

It's practically a walking, human vault opener!

If he focused on being a thief, he could definitely become the most legendary thief on the entire continent!

"This should be enough, right?"

Lin Gui patted non-existent dust off his hands, his tone indifferent.

"No, that's not enough!" Elvia calmed down from her excitement and shook her head.

"Those valuable jewels, ornaments, and magical equipment are very difficult to sell and are also easy to expose."

"Moreover, this amount of money is nothing to those great nobles who truly control the economic lifeline of the capital."

"To ensure we secure the 'Mermaid's Tears' deal, we need more working capital! Just to be on the safe side, we need to pull off a few more deals!"

Lin Gui was somewhat puzzled.

"The nobles of Carter's capital...are they that rich? This amount of money is almost as much as the price I paid for the materials for 'Devil's Poison Kiss' back then."

Elvia smiled smugly.

"King Carter may be militarily insignificant, but economically... the fact that it serves as a transit point for more than twenty top-class transport convoys is enough to demonstrate its commercial prosperity."

"The wealth of those nobles who control various monopolies in trade far exceeds your imagination."

Lin Gui reminded him.

"However, those wealthy people on your list who are easy to manipulate and who are at odds with you or your political enemies have basically been emptied out by us, leaving only empty shells."

"Going any higher, the risk to the target increases dramatically. Once discovered, it could very well attract the attention of the Royal Capital Knights."

"Moreover, those responsible for guarding it are likely no longer ordinary superhumans, and those locking up the treasure may no longer be simple magic gates."

A resolute glint flashed across Elvia's face: "High risk, high reward!"

She paused, then added sternly.

"For Shia's safe arrival in Avalon! For the sake of uncovering the secret behind Rogge as soon as possible! This risk is worth taking!"

Lin Gui rolled his eyes at her speechlessly, and mercilessly exposed her:

"I think you're using this opportunity to abuse your power for personal gain, suppress your political enemies, and enrich your own slush fund, aren't you?"

Elvia's righteous expression vanished instantly, replaced by a fawning smile, and she waved her hands repeatedly:

"An illusion! That's all your illusion!!"

Under Elvia's three solemn guarantees—"It was absolutely not for personal gain," "It was entirely for the greater good," and "I vouch for it with the honor of the royal family"—...

She led Lin Gui to the heart of a noble district.

It was heavily guarded and its imposing presence far surpassed that of the estates of the wealthy.

One of the most steadfast and important supporters of the Third Prince.

The residence of Duke Joseph.

Looking down at the brightly lit manor with patrol teams coming and going.

And the subtle aura of transcendence that it constantly exudes.

Lin Gui silently turned his head and looked at Elvia beside him.

Even the Seventh Princess, whose skin is as thick as a city wall.

Under his gaze, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt a little embarrassed.

She coughed twice and forced an explanation:

"Ahem... Well, as my longtime rival, I know Joseph just as well as he does himself!"

"I know everything about his estate layout, the guard rotation schedule, even the possible location of his slush fund!"

"Absolutely... absolutely perfect for us to take action against!"

Lin Gui didn't speak, but looked at her with even more obvious contempt.

The meaning is clear: Keep making things up.

Seeing Lin Gui manipulating his staff and making a move to turn around and leave, Elvia panicked.

She grabbed Lin Gui's sleeve and used her trump card.

She quickly pulled a thick stack of files from her skirt.

He shoved it into Lin Gui's hand, then lowered his voice and whispered in his ear.

He began to "apply eye drops" in a fast and urgent manner:

"Look! I collected all of this with great difficulty! This is the work of that old bastard Joseph!"

"Three years ago, in order to seize a piece of land rich in magic crystals, he sent men disguised as demons to massacre a nearby village of refugees. One hundred and thirty-seven people, men, women, and children perished!"

"Last year, one of his caravans was robbed. Unable to catch the real robbers, he randomly selected dozens of vagrants to take the blame and burned them alive in front of everyone!"

"He also secretly levied a 'blood tax' in his territory, demanding a certain number of young girls from the villages below each quarter, ostensibly to 'serve the nobles,' but in reality... many of them were tortured to death, their bodies carelessly dumped in mass graves!"

"His knights, riding recklessly through the streets of the capital, ran over and killed a civilian. Instead of offering compensation, they claimed the civilian had 'soiled the horse's hooves' and demanded money from the family!"

Elvia spoke very quickly, listing each crime as shocking and with relatively conclusive evidence.

She doesn't even need to embellish it, because it's all true.

As for how Elvia managed to collect so much evidence...

It was all thanks to the help of the common people and adventurers she represented.

In terms of military, political, and economic strength, Ervia is not even close to being among the top.

But when it comes to intelligence, she's absolutely damn good at it, even better than the Royal Intelligence Agency.

Because her people are everywhere, in every position and role.

Even a cleaning lady could be one of her people.

This is why she knows so much about where the wealthy hide their treasures.

According to Elvia's description.

The images of aristocrats who treat human life as worthless, are greedy and cruel, and build their power and pleasure on the blood and tears of the lower classes vividly come to life.

As Lin Gui listened to Elvia's "accusations," his brows gradually furrowed, and his eyes slowly turned cold.

He flipped through the records in his hands, records stained with blood and tears.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly raised his head, looked at Elvia, and calmly suggested:

"It sounds like this guy is just wasting food and air."

"How about we just go in and kill him once and for all?"

"puff!"

Elvia was so frightened she almost fell off the floating staff!

She was horrified. Had she used too much force and really provoked this guy's murderous intent?

She quickly grabbed Lin Gui's arm and pleaded in a low voice:

"No! Brother! My dear brother! My husband is someone I just married a few hours ago! You can't do this, you absolutely can't!"

"If Joseph falls, his death isn't the problem; the massive interest group tightly bound to him will instantly go berserk!"

"The chain reaction this will trigger could be even more serious than killing my father!"

Elvia quickly explained:

The Joseph family and its associated forces almost monopolized a quarter of the capital's food supply and a third of its mineral extraction.

They also controlled the main trade routes leading to the southwest.

He himself is one of the largest holders of royal treasury bonds.

Its interests are deeply intertwined with those of countless minor nobles, wealthy merchants, and even some mid-level officers of the city's defense forces.

That's why, even after losing the Knights of John.

The third prince still has the confidence to challenge the other princes and princesses.

Joseph, on the other hand, knows exactly how to save his life.

He deeply integrated his industries with the people's livelihood, economy, and even part of the defense system of the capital.

Once he dies suddenly.

Nearly a quarter of the industries in the entire capital city may be forced to a temporary standstill.

Countless workers and small vendors who rely on these industries for their livelihoods will immediately lose their jobs.

The refugee areas will completely lose those meager but barely enough opportunities for manual labor to make a living...

At that point, it will not be a simple riot.

Instead, it was a desperate riot that swept through the entire lower class!

Hungry crowds would storm warehouses, block streets, and even attempt to breach city walls...

The way the nobles responded has already been proven by history.

They would not hesitate to deploy their knightly orders for a bloody crackdown.

And will also create tens of thousands of "redundant" refugees who could potentially cause unrest.

Like cleaning up garbage, they were driven directly out of the city-state, left to be devoured by demons in the wilderness...

Elvia's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly:

"That could wipe out everyone on the 7th and 6th floors..."

Lin Gui fell silent after hearing this.

In fact, he knew all along that he had witnessed such a scene firsthand in that destroyed city-state.

He drew his sword to protect the poor, the suffering, and those barely surviving, but in the end, he drove the very people he was supposed to protect to their deaths.

He is still too weak.

Lin Gui composed himself, as if the murderous intent he had felt just moments before was merely an illusion.

Elvia stared at him blankly, then let out a long sigh.

The light of the [Night Veil] surged silently.

The two figures blended completely into the night, disappearing without a trace like drops of water falling into ink.

There was only a barely perceptible fluctuation of magical energy.

They stealthily made their way towards the heavily guarded residence of Duke Joseph.