It's so hard being a hero!

"Well, before I left the capital, my mother had another pharmacist take my place and prepare medicine for the old emperor."

Evelyn's tone became serious.

"That person is an elder of the Temple of Desire, named Daniela. She is a king-level expert and an eleventh-tier alchemist."

Upon hearing this, Sophia's pupils contracted slightly.

An eleventh-tier alchemist, two levels higher than Evelyn, would be considered a top-tier existence across the entire continent.

Moreover, it's at the level of a king.

The fact that someone like him went to prepare medicine for the old emperor was definitely not just about keeping him alive.

"The medicine this woman prescribed for the old emperor is definitely different from the medicine I prescribed."

Evelyn continued, her voice tinged with worry.

"Although my medicine can also make the old emperor addicted, its effects are mild and only control his physical condition."

“But Daniela is different. She’s a dark apothecary who likes to use strong medicine.”

Sophia frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"That means she might add some stimulating ingredients to the old emperor's medicine to make him feel refreshed and energetic in the short term, as if he had suddenly regained his youth."

Evelyn's tone and expression grew increasingly serious.

"But that kind of medicine was only a flash in the pan."

Upon hearing this, a scene immediately flashed into Sophia's mind.

An old emperor, mentally agitated and irritable, sat on his throne, controlled by an eleventh-level pharmacist who used drugs to make him do whatever the pharmacist wanted.

Why didn't you tell me this sooner?

Sophia's voice carried a hint of urgency.

"I was unsure whether I should say it."

Evelyn lowered her head, her tone tinged with apology.

"After all, I am a member of the Temple of Desire. If I tell you these things, it would be tantamount to betraying my mother."

Sophia stared at her for a few seconds, then quickly took out her communication magic item with Vic and contacted the other party.

A few seconds later, Vic's voice came through, but his tone was strange.

"It's only been a few days, what do you need me for now?"

Sophia immediately asked a question.

"Has anything happened to the old emperor?"

These words startled Vic.

"You...you found out? Frey told you?"

Sophia's fingers tightened slightly as she pressed for an answer.

"As expected, what happened?"

Vic sighed slightly.

"Alright, since you already know, I'll just tell you directly. I didn't want to tell you, but three days ago, the palace got a new pharmacist. He was recommended by the Royal Pharmacist Association and is an eleventh-level pharmacist."

"The pharmacist prescribed a new medicine for the old emperor. After drinking it, the old emperor suddenly became energetic and all his ailments disappeared."

Upon hearing this, Sophia thought to herself: I'm doomed.

"and then?"

"Then he convened a court meeting today and said that he had decided to attack the Orc Empire."

Sophia's expression changed.

Attack the Orc Empire? The Orc Empire is undoubtedly one of the strongest empires on the Starfall Continent, and also the strongest alien empire.

Once war breaks out, the surrounding elven kingdoms, sirens, and demons of the demon realm will not stand idly by and will likely take the opportunity to attack the human kingdoms.

Are you sure he's not crazy?

Sophia countered with a question.

“It’s hard to say. Many years ago, the old emperor always said that once the orc empire was destroyed, he could finally rest easy for the rest of his life,” Vic’s voice replied.

Sophia was silent for a few seconds, then said weakly.

"Oh dear! It's too late."

"What's late?"

Vic didn't hear him clearly.

Sophia relayed Evelyn's words verbatim.

After she finished speaking, there was a long silence on the other end of the communication line.

When Vic's voice rang out again, it carried an unprecedented solemnity.

"So that new apothecary is also from the Temple of Desire? The drug she gave the old emperor was meant to make him lose his mind and start a war?"

"That's what Evelyn said."

Sophia said helplessly.

"Moreover, that Daniela is a king-level, eleventh-tier alchemist, two levels higher than Evelyn. Her medicines will only be more potent."

Vic also recounted all the orders the old emperor had issued in the past few days.

The old emperor has ordered all provinces across the country to begin mobilizing troops and preparing provisions and supplies; all military mobilizations are already underway.

In other words, the countdown to war has already begun.

"Vic, do you want to fight?" Sophia suddenly asked.

How could Vic answer that question?

Nobody likes war; war kills people.

"If we can coexist peacefully, why must we fight? Even if we defeat the Orc Empire, we will pay a heavy price."

Chapter 96 The Approach of War

This situation left Sophia feeling quite helpless, but she still had to say something.

“Vic”.

“You all know that the old emperor is acting recklessly, haven’t you thought of any way to stop her? To be honest, this is increasing Lilith’s power.”

After saying this, Vic remained silent for a while.

He's not brainless, but some things are more complicated than he imagined.

"Actually, we've been trying to find a solution, but we still don't have a perfect one."

Vic's words meant that we were prepared, but the plan was very risky.

Sophia understood immediately.

"I understand. You're worried that taking action will trigger a major internal war in the capital, right?"

Vic did not deny it.

"As you know, within the military, apart from a few high-ranking officials, over 90% of the people support this war, even that old geezer Felix strongly supports it."

The Felix he mentioned was the Grand Marshal of the Empire, a peak Saint Realm expert.

"As soon as they heard that they were going to fight the Orc Empire, everyone from top to bottom was like they were on steroids. They didn't care how many people died, they only cared about whether they could win."

Sophia sighed softly. She could understand the soldiers' mentality; it was perfectly normal.

Although the Delos Empire and the Orc Empire had lived in peace for many years, the hatred left by centuries of conflict could not be completely erased in a short period of time.

Moreover, soldiers' duty is to fight and compete for merit. A war that could unify the continent was an opportunity they simply couldn't refuse.

"What about those great nobles?"

Sophia asked another question.

"Not to mention the great nobles."

Vic's tone held a hint of sarcasm.

“If they win, they can divide up the territory; if they lose, they don’t have to lose their lives. It’s the common people who die, and it’s the national treasury that suffers the loss.”

Sophia could imagine the nobles raising their glasses in celebration in the banquet hall without even looking. Trading other people's lives for their own status and wealth, it was a worthwhile deal no matter how you looked at it.

"I guess the lower and middle classes are all against it, right?"

Sophia asked a question.

Vic chuckled, but the laugh sounded helpless.

“The lower and middle classes are definitely against it. Ordinary people don’t want to fight, and junior officers don’t want to die, but their voices don’t reach the higher-ups.”

"The entire decision-making body of the empire, from top to bottom, except for a few individuals, is almost all pushing in the same direction."

Sophia understood.

The old emperor wanted to fight, the military wanted to fight, and the nobles wanted to fight. These three forces combined were enough to suppress all opposing voices.

She rubbed her temples, feeling that things were getting increasingly difficult.

"So what do you plan to do? Are you really just going to sit back and watch the war break out?"

Vic was silent for a few seconds before giving her a slightly reassuring answer.

"I've already discussed it with Leo and the others, and we'll try to stop it."

He put it simply, but Sophia could tell that it was a complicated matter.

"Stop it? How do you stop it? By talking to it?"

Sophia found it somewhat amusing.