It's so hard being a hero!

"If persuasion works, that would be great. We plan to join forces with the Vatican and win over a few more high-ranking generals who oppose the war, and try to suppress this war in Parliament. For now, this is the only way."

Sofia didn't know how to evaluate the plan, thinking it was completely unreliable.

"Alright, you guys give it a try first, but I don't think it'll be of much use."

Sofia only said this one sentence in the end.

There's not much she can do right now, and it's impossible for her to personally participate in those high-level power struggles.

However, three days later, the situation in the capital changed dramatically.

Sophia hasn't been able to concentrate on her classes these past few days, and has been waiting for news from Vic and the others.

However, Vic clearly didn't want to bother her, so he didn't take the initiative to contact her.

But Evelyn told her something important.

Although she no longer works in the palace, the information network of the Temple of Desire still covers the entire capital.

Upon entering the dormitory, I saw Evelyn sitting on the edge of the bed, her expression somewhat serious.

Sophia knew something was wrong as soon as she saw the other person's condition.

"What's wrong? You don't look well."

She closed the door and walked up to Evelyn.

Evelyn looked up at her, her eyes filled with worry and helplessness.

"News has come from the capital that the old emperor has recalled all the pro-war generals and has officially begun troop mobilization."

Sophia thought to herself, "Just as I thought."

"Oh, right, there's one more thing. Crown Prince Leo was dismissed from all his posts by the old emperor for publicly opposing the war and was ordered to stay at home to reflect on his mistakes."

Sophia's brows furrowed instantly.

The removal of Crown Prince Leo from his post meant that dissenting voices at the highest levels of the empire had been completely silenced.

The remaining opposition members either followed the pro-war faction or shut up and pretended to be dead; no one dared to openly oppose the war anymore.

"The old emperor is really stubborn; he can't stand even the slightest dissent."

Sophia rubbed her forehead.

Evelyn nodded and added a sentence.

"Furthermore, this war is what Mother wanted to see, because the war between the two empires would provide her with a continuous source of power."

Upon hearing this, Sophia felt even more irritated.

"And what about Ondanella?"

Sophia asked a question.

"She must still be in the palace. She is now the old emperor's most trusted person. She stays by the emperor's side every day without leaving him, because the old emperor absolutely cannot do without her."

Evelyn's answer further confirmed Sophia's judgment.

The old emperor was no longer ruling the empire alone. Beside him stood an eleventh-tier apothecary, behind whom stood a Temple of Desire, and behind the Temple of Desire stood Lilith.

This war was less about the will of the Delos Empire and more about carrying out Lilith's will.

Sophia paced back and forth in the room, her mind racing.

She had to find a way to stop the war, but she couldn't expose herself; this balance was difficult to maintain.

"Don't rush."

Seeing her anxious expression, Evelyn softly offered a word of comfort.

"Let me think, is there any way to sabotage Daniela's plans from within? After all, I am also a member of the Temple of Desire, and I know some of the ways the temple operates."

Sophia stopped and looked at her, but shook her head.

"Don't do anything rash. If this is discovered, your mother won't let you off the hook."

Evelyn paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Ok."

She didn't insist any further.

The next day, Vic and Frey suddenly showed up again.

The two of them, still posing as students, managed to blend in.

Judging from their expressions, it's clear that these past few days have been tough for them.

He waved to Sophia when he saw her, signaling her to come over.

Sophia looked around and saw no one else in the corridor before quickly walking over.

"Why are you here?"

She lowered her voice, her face showing obvious surprise.

"Sigh! There's nothing left for me to do in the capital. I gave the old emperor a piece of advice, and the old man straightened me out and temporarily handed over the Royal Knights to Chris."

Vic shrugged, his tone quite relaxed, but Sophia could sense the weariness deep in his eyes.

Frey crossed her arms, looking displeased.

"I've already said, don't hesitate, you have to take action."

Vic rolled his eyes.

"You make it sound so simple. That's my father-in-law. What can I do after Leo is grounded? Can I just use violence to force him to come?"

Sophia understood that the two of them had come to hear her opinion.

"Let's go, let's find a place to talk about this properly."

So Sophia led the two of them to a secluded little garden in the academy.

The three of them found a corner and sat down.

"So what's the situation now?"

Sophia asked a question.

Vic leaned back on the stone bench, his hands behind his head, his gaze fixed on the gaps in the leaves above.

"It's worse than expected. The old emperor has already issued a mobilization order, and the first batch of troops will be assembled within half a month, just waiting for Congress to approve it."

He paused after speaking, his tone becoming more somber.

"I've calculated the timeline. If everything goes smoothly, the war could officially begin in a month at the earliest, and if it takes longer, it won't exceed two months."

After listening, Sophia paused for a moment, then asked a question.

Is there any hope?

Vic was about to say something, but Frey interrupted him.

"What nonsense about a turning point? The only turning point now is to force the old emperor to abdicate and hand over the throne to Leo. But a battle is inevitable. We've come to ask you, why don't you go and persuade the old emperor? If anyone can completely take him down, it's probably only you," Frey said to Sophia.

Sophia was taken aback; she knew what Frey meant.

Chapter 97 In Su Lan's Name

Although Frey's words were simple and blunt, Sophia had to admit that it was indeed the only feasible solution at the moment.

If we can persuade the old emperor, we can save ourselves all the trouble that follows.

But if you can't persuade them, then you can only take the path you least want to take.

"I suddenly understand why you came to see me. You don't mean to send me to see the old emperor, do you?"

Sophia asked with a puzzled look.

Vic chuckled and nodded.

"That's our plan: find a reason to send you to the palace, and then have Frey claim that she used summoning magic to bring Su Lan's soul back from the underworld and temporarily attach it to your body."

Sophia's expression became somewhat subtle upon hearing this.

Frey stood to the side, arms crossed, her tone still carrying that hint of impatience.

"What? You don't think this method will work?"

Sophia scratched her head.

"It's not that it's impossible, but I feel like this lie is a bit too blatant, isn't it?"

"Big what?"

Frey rolled her eyes at her.

"As long as you can persuade that old man, I'll cover for you even if you say you're the reincarnation of Su Lan, or even if you say you're the God of Light descended to earth."

Vic chuckled to himself.

"Anyway, the old emperor only listened to this. You don't know, back when you were here, he would listen to whatever you said. If you said go east, he would never go west. If you said attack someone, he would attack that person. If you said the weather was bad, he could have the clouds in the sky blown away."

As Sophia listened to Vic's words, her heart became increasingly conflicted.

She knew that what Vic said was not an exaggeration.

Back then, as Su Lan, she did indeed have a great influence on the old emperor.

When she first met the old emperor, he had just ascended the throne and was then beset by internal and external troubles.

Su Lan helped him quell the rebellion, eliminate his political enemies, and pull the empire out of the chaos of war, establishing a relatively stable system.

It can be said that without Su Lan, there would be no old emperor as we know him today.

However, it was also because of Su Lan's grand ambitions and theories back then that the old emperor developed an unrealistic obsession.

That is, to unify the continent.

This thought had been buried in the old emperor's heart for decades. In the past, with Su Lan keeping him in check, he dared not take too big a step.

Now that Su Lan has been dead for over twenty years, Ke's suppressed ambition has finally been unleashed. Coupled with his own old age and the stimulation from Daniela's drugs, it exploded out of control.

From this perspective, Sofia does bear some responsibility.