Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"The Marquis of Orlando?" Gerberi frowned and told Ryusha about her encounter with Madam Sophie at the observatory, suggesting that she might still be there.

"Hmph! After doing that to Olivia, you dare to go and meet her mother so brazenly! You have no shame!"

In response to Gerberly's mockery, Ryuka replied indifferently:

"Compared to some people who hide away and deny their own wrongdoing, I'm clear about things clearly, and there's nothing to be ashamed of."

"you!!!"

Before Gerberi's outburst, Ryuka had already quietly retreated several meters and waved at her:

"Then I'll go find Lady Sophie. Gerberly, make sure you clean up properly! This smell is too strong! How about borrowing some perfume from Adele? Otherwise, Her Highness the Princess will know what you've been up to as soon as she smells it!"

Kill him! I'll kill him someday! Gerberly glared angrily at Ryusha, but he was right... After calming down, Gerberly could smell her own scent filling the room, and her face flushed red with shame again!

Especially that finger that wasn't completely dry made Gerberly feel incredibly filthy!

Chapter 24 Information Sharing

"I am extremely sorry to have woken you up so late at night, but considering the time constraints, I feel it is necessary to discuss this with you as soon as possible..."

Inside the meeting room, after briefly explaining the intelligence she had, Ryusha looked at Tipalottura and Lady Sophie, who had been summoned. Since it was late at night, only Tipalottura, Gerberi, and Lady Sophie were present at this small meeting.

A faint fragrance filled the air; even sitting opposite Gerberly, Ryusha could smell the perfume emanating from her. It seemed she had taken his advice and borrowed some perfume from Adele when he went to see Madame Sophie.

Perhaps understanding the meaning behind the smile in Ryusha's eyes, Gerberli crossed her arms and stood silently beside Tipalotura, looking unhappy.

"Is the appearance of the monsters related to the Bauhinia Kingdom...? But given their national strength, it's hard to imagine they could have done something like this..."

Tipalotura said this, then looked at Lady Sophie, who had remained calm throughout, prompting the young princess to ask:

"Sect Leader Orlando, it seems you are not surprised by this."

"Indeed, Your Highness... I have also gathered some clues, but the evidence is not conclusive enough, so I have not mentioned them yet. Please forgive me."

Lady Sophie smiled and admitted, and neither Ryūsha nor Tipalotura were surprised. Having governed the southern border for decades and overseen all affairs, Lady Sophie appeared calm and composed, smiling at the two of them:

"If the Bauhinia Kingdom had the ability to control Heavenly-Rank magical beasts, then the southern kingdoms would have been annexed by them long ago. Rather, they are like the Heavenly-Rank magical beasts, being manipulated by others. I suppose Xiao Liuxia already knows this, right?"

Little Liuxia… Liuxia couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth. Considering that Mrs. Sophie was old enough to be her great-grandmother, it didn’t matter.

“Chosen One, ever since His Majesty attempted to expel them from Otus more than a decade ago, this organization has actually grown stronger in the south. No, perhaps they weren't even seriously weakened back then…”

Lady Sophie's words made Ryusha's eyes narrow slightly. Sure enough, the Chosen Ones organization behind Carmela had a significant connection with Otus, and Lady Sophie, as an elder of the empire, also had some knowledge of this.

Over a decade ago, the current emperor of Otus had purged them, a fact that Ryusha had never heard of before. Upon hearing Lady Sophie's words, Tipalotura remained unfazed, while Gerberi looked slightly puzzled.

Compared to Gerberly, who wanted to ask but dared not, Ryuka was much more direct, asking directly:

"What exactly is this Chosen Ones organization?"

Although Ryusha was asking Lady Sophie, she smiled and looked at Tipalotura, as if asking for her permission.

"I am also curious about this, and I have already sent someone to inquire with the Emperor. If you, Lord Orlando, have any information, please let us know."

Seeing Tipalotura say this, Lady Sophie smiled and said yes, and slowly began to speak:

"The Chosen Ones, the Divine Council, the Church of the True God... they have many names in history, a group of people skilled at manipulating and corrupting everything from behind the scenes. And their goals are always related to ancient mysteries. More than worldly power, these people yearn for a lost era that is even more distant than the war a thousand years ago. The legendary power of gods, the civilizations and creations of other races, the legendary lost ancient civilizations... for these things, they can ignore all modern civilization and order. Neither empires nor churches are in their eyes, that's the kind of group they are."

"Ancient civilization?"

Seeing Liu Xia's curious expression, Mrs. Sophie smiled slightly:

"You don't actually believe that history from a thousand years ago is a blank, do you? The idea that humans were created by a goddess and became the masters of the world is just a fairy tale made up by those priests of the Vatican."

“Of course not.” Liu Xia shook her head. Although gods really existed in this world, Liu Xia’s thinking wasn’t that narrow. But judging from what Madam Sophie said, it seemed that there was another world a thousand years ago, completely different from the present.

"However, those distant existences are difficult to verify. There were even more ancient civilizations before the Cruel Witch ruled the world, but the wars to defeat the Cruel Witch and the subsequent wars by the Church to expel other races have made those 'lost eras.' A thousand years is enough time to bury many things..."

"These guys have been operating in the shadows, and their history even predates that of King Kranar. The power of the royal family and the witches are naturally within their hunting grounds. However, only the emperors of past dynasties and the imperial ministers above the Heavenly Rank know of their existence. As for the conflict between our dynasty and them... Your Highness, you will have to ask His Majesty about that yourself. It's not that I'm unwilling to tell you, but this matter is also related to your mother, and I don't want to go against His Majesty's wishes."

Ryūsha blinked. The existence of the Chosen One was related to Tipalottura's mother? Unlike him, who was eagerly watching the drama unfold, Tipalottura sighed, seemingly having expected this. But as if she hadn't heard Lady Sophie's words, she calmly said:

"I understand, Lord Orlando. Now, tell me about their dealings with the Celestial-Rank magical beasts."

This made Ryūka even more curious. He was also curious about what kind of witch Tipalottura's mother was, that she could make the Emperor of Ottus break the millennia-old tradition and have a child with her, Tipalottura, who possessed the power of order that had stolen the royal inheritance. While the Emperor gave his daughter ample freedom, he also harbored many secrets, which fueled Ryūka's irresistible urge to gossip.

After all, each of these things seems to be related to the deepest secrets of this world.

But judging from Tipalottura's expression, this didn't seem like something that could be easily inquired about. Especially Gerberi opposite her, who was already furious at Ryūka's carefree curiosity. She seemed to be indignant that Ryūka had ignored Tipalottura's complicated feelings…

After Tipalotura spoke, Lady Sophie immediately obeyed, not dwelling on the past, and continued:

"I sensed the magical fluctuations of the Earth Dragon Beast about a week ago. After that, I sent out scouts to confirm it. Combined with the intelligence network that Thunder Fortress has established in the south, the only conclusion I reached was that this matter was related to the Chosen Ones. After all, no other force could have done this. Moreover, over the past twenty years, the constant conflicts between the southern kingdoms have gradually subsided, as if some force is gradually unifying them. I initially thought it was the Holy See, but in the end, I found out it was them."

Mrs. Sophie's words didn't reveal much useful information; it was unclear whether she was hiding something or if it was all just her speculation and intuition, as she claimed. But when she said "a week ago," she glanced at Ryūka with a cunning look, and then emphasized an event that had occurred even earlier:

"The day before this incident, one of my spies operating on the southern border received a tip: 'Someone has obtained information they shouldn't have, and is preventing their delegation from being given a priority trip to Bauhinia, at all costs'... This spy is skilled at operating in the chaotic border region. Although it's unclear who passed the information to whom, it was relayed back to Thunder Fortress immediately. However, when he tried to continue his investigation, he disappeared without a trace."

Losing contact means death...

Liu Xia was taken aback. Could it be that the emergence of this Heavenly Rank magical beast was entirely aimed at her? Information she shouldn't have received? Could it be the intelligence and magic obtained from Raven Ridge?

Seeing Madam Sophie's silent smile, Liu Xia understood that she wanted her to reveal what she had done to warrant sending a Heavenly-Rank magical beast. This level of being was not to be used lightly; it possessed the terrifying power to destroy a small country. Moreover, if there were a way to cultivate and control it, the time and effort required would be unimaginable.

After hearing Lady Sophie's words, Tipalotura looked at Ryūsha and smiled.

"Liu Xiaqing, speaking of which, you haven't told me in detail what you discovered with Earl Harvey, have you? That's not the attitude a 'good ally' should have~"

"Uh……"

Ryuu's lips twitched. After dealing with Matt Harvey, she hadn't mentioned the details to Tipalottura, and the princess hadn't asked either. But before she left, Tipalottura, worried about her safety, had given her one of her rings, saying it might come in handy. And she hadn't returned that ring…

It wasn't that Ryūka was unwilling to share those secrets, but it was because there were too many secrets related to Carmela, the fragments of order, and the two demonic swords, Ruklati and Iduniel, that made Ryūka choose not to share the information with Tipalotura.

Now, it seems impossible for me to stay silent.

"All right……"

After thinking for a moment, Ryusha tried to conceal the fact that it was related to the source of her power and the two magic swords. She only mentioned the magical experiments conducted by Carmela, Matt Harvey, and the Chosen One, and told them to Tipalotura and Lady Sophie.

Mrs. Sophie listened with great interest, as if this was the information she had been seeking for a long time. However, she was more concerned about what Tipalotura had just said…

'Good ally,' huh... It seems the relationship and stance between His Highness and this boy named Ryūka are quite delicate. What role will this boy play in future history? It's truly something to look forward to...

Chapter 25 War Conference

After listening to the information shared by Ryūka, Lady Sophie's expression turned serious:

"Carmela, one of the cardinal archbishops of the Vatican, is a member of the Chosen Ones, and also the archbishop who commands the Inquisition, the Vatican's most powerful armed force... It's hard to believe..."

“That’s the truth.” Ryūka smiled. Most people wouldn’t believe him if he said that. But because the war involving Idunir and the Eastern Heavenly Lake, the site of the heretical ruins, were both near his territory, and both incidents involved Carmela, Ryūka was able to access such confidential information as the governor of Sochi, who was far away in the world.

"She's not just a simple archbishop of the Papacy; she also possesses special abilities comparable to those of the Otus royal family, and... she might even be a witch..."

Lady Sophie found this even more hard to believe, but Tipalotura, who had personally witnessed the body-binding spell on Hinatil and helped Ryūsha remove it, nodded, forcing Lady Sophie to believe it.

“Liu Xiaqing is right. Even if Carmela herself is not a witch, she is very knowledgeable about the power of witches. At the very least, she or someone around her has witch abilities.”

If it weren't for this, even with the fragments of order and Idunir's life law, Carmela would have a hard time controlling and changing the witch's constitution.

"If it's true, why not inform the Vatican?"

Lady Sophie's words made Ryūsha smile helplessly. Within the Empire, his voice carried little weight, and he had even less credibility with the Holy See. Not to mention, matters concerning Carmela were shrouded in mystery; Ryūsha himself had many secrets he couldn't easily reveal.

However, he still recounted his contact with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, saying, "There are also people within the Vatican who suspect Carmela, but only that Carmela is suspected of being involved with heretical forces and has ambitions for the papacy. As for whether they know she belongs to the Chosen Ones, I don't know."

“No one would believe me if I said it, and it could easily cause a diplomatic incident.” Tipalotura spoke calmly, offering her perspective from the high vantage point of a princess:

"Leaving aside how Carmela managed to evade the Vatican's internal investigation, the mere fact that the archbishop in charge of the Inquisition is himself a heretic is something the Vatican, even if it knew, would not publicize. Otherwise, their prestige would plummet, and their thousand-year-old standing among the people would be shattered, and moreover..."

“That’s the Inquisition… the largest military force within the Papacy, besides the Knights Templar directly under the Pope. If Carmela had problems since her sainthood, how could she have risen step by step to the position of Cardinal Archbishop…”

Upon hearing Tipalotura's words, Ryusha suddenly realized: "Carmela may not be the only one with problems within the Vatican."

Based on the information Ryūka has gathered, Carmela possesses almost every mysterious and powerful force in the world, and Ryūka has unknowingly come to regard her as his greatest enemy. But as Tipalotura said, climbing to the position of Cardinal Archbishop is no easy feat, and without anyone's secret assistance, Carmela is far too terrifying.

Not to mention, as Lady Sophie said before, the Chosen Ones existed even before King Kranar's campaign against the Cruel Witch, and Carmela was just one of its members.

“That’s exactly what I mean.” Tipalotura nodded, then looked at Ryūka and asked a question brimming with tension:

"Furthermore, Lord Liu Xia, if one day you were to take command of half of the army and territory of the Otus Empire, and I were to publicly declare that I would dismiss and investigate you, what would you do?"

"Haha, Your Highness, you're quite the joker! If you were to become emperor in the future, of course I would support you, but I wouldn't dare harbor such ambitions!"

Ryūka smiled sheepishly, inwardly cursing this woman for being so wicked! But Tipalotura's meaning couldn't be clearer: any powerful minister of this caliber couldn't be dealt with by a monarch's mere words. Call me guilty? Call me a heretic? Sorry, let's have a showdown in the imperial city!

Carmela is precisely that kind of person within the Vatican.

“Princess Tipalotura’s humor is truly unique, but Lord Ryusha, what you just said was also a slip of the tongue. His Majesty is still alive, so it’s not appropriate to say things like ‘Princess Tipalotura has declared herself emperor.’ You can’t say such things in front of others.”

Lady Sophie smiled slightly, making Ryuga grin involuntarily. The old lady seemed very close to Tipalotura, but she didn't seem to want to say much about the matter of the royal heir, only offering a reminder to Ryuga.

Tipalotura watched Ryusha with great interest, seemingly enjoying the feeling of bullying him. To Tipalotura, Ryusha had been an unstable factor from the beginning. Even Ryusha himself didn't understand why Tipalotura had tolerated his presence. Although this woman was sitting right across from him, the mysteries surrounding her were no less than those surrounding the yet-to-be-met Carmela.

Seeing the tense atmosphere between Ryukyu and Tipalotura, Madam Sophie, like an elder watching children quarrel, skillfully steered the conversation back to Carmela and the Heavenly Rank magical beast:

"As far as I know, although the Holy City of the Papacy is in the south, in the Bauhinia Kingdom and some surrounding countries, the Inquisition's influence does indeed surpass that of the local bishops and archbishops. Even the royal families of many small countries, if they want to contact the Papacy, will not go through the bishop appointed by the Pope to that country, but will contact the people of the Inquisition directly."

In other words, Carmela is the true ruler of this southern country, and given her status as a chosen one, it's not surprising that she can manipulate celestial-level magical beasts.

However, the fact that she went to such lengths to prevent the imperial delegation from entering the Bauhinia Kingdom suggests that her true motives are likely more complex than the 'battle for the fate of the Bauhinia Kingdom' that Liu Xia speculated about.

Lady Sophie couldn't help but sigh: "One problem after another. A Heavenly Rank magical beast is no small matter, and so many other things are involved. According to Xiao Liuxia, there are spies from the Bauhinia Kingdom in Earl Gavin's army that is coming to help. This is really worrying this old lady..."

Although she said that, she maintained a relaxed expression. After sighing, she immediately looked at Ryūka and Tipalotura, and said with a smile:

"But with Your Highness and Xiao Liuxia here, I can finally feel a little more at ease. After all, it seems that this magical beast is not coming for Thunder Fortress. You two can't bear to let the soldiers of Thunder Fortress face the ferocious Heavenly Rank magical beast and the horde of magical beasts following it, can you?"

Ryuu understood what Lady Sophie meant. As the general guarding Thunder Fortress, Lady Sophie probably intended for him and Gerberi to lead the charge. However, this whole affair was caused by him, and Ryuu had long been eager to fight the legendary Heavenly Rank magical beasts, not to mention he was also planning Olivia's advancement.

Tipalotura readily agreed, calmly nodding in agreement:

"Lord Orlando, you are the guardian of the South. Whether it is the terrain, the deployment of troops, or anything else, I will follow your command in this campaign."

Since Tipalotura had said so, Ryusha naturally wouldn't steal the spotlight, especially since he had already slept with her daughter, so there was nothing wrong with him doing odd jobs.

In particular, Mrs. Sophie's confident demeanor was very reassuring; she probably already had a battle plan in mind and was just seeking the opinions of the two of them.

"Me too, as long as Melanie and the others don't take any risks. Even so, Mrs. Sophie, I suppose you've already made arrangements?"

Seeing Liu Xia's stance, Madam Sophie smiled with satisfaction: "That's truly manly! No wonder you're the Empire's youngest Heavenly Rank expert and governor~ Don't worry, I won't let your loved ones be in danger, little Liu Xia~"

"Haha..." Liu Xia chuckled dryly at Madam Sophie's praise, then tentatively asked:

"There is one thing, however, concerning Olivia's position in this campaign, Lady Sophie. Would you allow her and her troops to follow behind me?"

This statement was quite bold, even drawing Tipalotura's attention; it practically revealed that something unusual had happened between Ryukyu and Olivia. But Lady Sophie remained remarkably calm, even appearing somewhat expectant.

"Of course, my plan is to have you and Miss Gerberly in command, launching a multi-pronged offensive. I have other matters to attend to in the center and don't have the capacity to protect those around me. I feel more at ease leaving Olivia behind little Ryusha."

As she spoke, Madam Sophie produced a map showing the deployment of various military forces and addressed it to Liu Xia and the others:

"Of course, this was prepared beforehand. Based on the new intelligence we received tonight, we still need to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances, since the Chosen Ones' objectives are still unclear. If anyone has any opinions, please feel free to suggest modifications to this operational plan..."

Chapter 26 The Gathering at Thunder Fortress

The meeting between Liu Xia and his companions remained unknown to outsiders. Following Lady Sophie's instructions, two days later, the Thunder Fortress army was ready at a mountain range on the border of Otus. The terrain was high above, overlooking a vast plain. The forests that had originally spread from the basin forest had been completely cut down in the past two days, leaving only bare stumps. As far as the eye could see, there was nowhere to hide.

An army of five thousand men had been deployed along the mountain ridge, divided into small squads, with their respective high-ranking officers stationed in place. Behind them lay the magic mine they were to defend, a vital magic mining area in southern Otus. All the artisans and civilians had been evacuated, leaving only a silent, chilling atmosphere. Every Thunder Fortress soldier wore a somber expression. They had never seen the legendary Celestial-Rank magical beast, nor did they know what orders General Sophie Orlando would give them…

In the rear, Gavin Reed arrived as promised with five hundred elite troops gathered by Linze Fortress, their uniform light blue armor standing out starkly against the backdrop of Thunder Fortress's army. He was greeted by Lady Sophie's two adjutants, Grand Knight Tallin and the advisor mage Thomas.

"Ah~ Lord Tallinn! It's been a long time!"

Faced with Earl Gavin's warm greetings, the composed knight in his thirties displayed the proper manners, bowing to these 'foreign aids,' his words and actions devoid of any superfluity:

"My lord, thank you for the assistance of Linze Castle. Please rest with your men for a while, and I will convey the general's instructions to you later."

Gavin didn't seem annoyed that his enthusiastic greeting wasn't met with a positive response. He looked at Thomas beside Tallin and asked Tallin:

Who is this?

"Thomas Rael, a staff member of Thunderburg."

Thomas introduced himself to Gavin, and after a few pleasantries, Gavin looked around and then turned to Tallinn, asking with a slightly puzzled expression:

"Where is the old lady? And the young governor of Sochi City is also nowhere to be seen. Please forgive me, but I just feel that there are fewer people from Thunder Fortress today... Lord Tallin, could you please tell me?"

Gavin's questions seemed perfectly reasonable to onlookers, and even the soldiers of Thunder Keep shared his concerns. Thunder Keep had a standing army of over ten thousand, and could be rapidly mobilized to expand its forces in times of crisis. Even considering normal defense, summoning only half the troops today seemed far too few. Moreover, Lady Sophie, crucially, was absent from her men's presence; all orders were relayed through her adjutant, Tallin. With the great battle looming, a sense of unease was spreading among the soldiers, while their captains remained silent, offering no reassurance to their men.

Gavin, like an old friend, complained and offered advice to Tallin: "Tallin, I heard that news of the Celestial-Rank magical beast has reached several surrounding kingdoms, and they all seem willing to send troops to help us, Otus. What? Did the old lady... not accept?"

“My lord, you need not worry about that. If you have any doubts or concerns, I can tell you that the reinforcements from Linze Fort only need to wait in the rear. When the time is right, you can have your mages act according to the general’s orders.”

Tallin's response was somewhat cold, even rude. However, considering the vast difference in strength between Thunder Fortress and Linze Fortress, although he, as Lady Sophie's adjutant, held the same senior position as Gavin and lacked an imperial title, his actual status was far higher! Of those present, besides him and Earl Gavin, the Linze Fortress generals following Earl Gavin were all of noble birth, and even Thomas, from the same faction, held a noble title. But here, Tallin was the one whose word was law.

Gavin could only awkwardly agree, and as Tallinn turned away, a hint of resentment flashed in his eyes as he turned to look at Thomas beside Tallinn. Thomas, who should have just met him, gently shook his head at Count Gavin, and Gavin gave up.