What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

"That's right." Queen Alice didn't hide anything and gave a direct answer. She knew that Dolucy had already played this card against those investigating Fenrir.

"Now that things have come to this, are you still going to insist on a deal that can't be made?" Aaron asked her.

"What exactly do you mean?" Queen Alice pressed.

“Under no circumstances would we hand over the Church’s secrets to you. This deal is meaningless, but Fenrir’s threat has now reached a point where neither side can ignore it. I know you may have other motives, but I think you’ve definitely considered using us against him.” Aaron took a deep breath and met Queen Alice’s gaze. “For this reason alone, I can be used by you.”

Queen Alice gazed at Aaron through the illusion, and at that moment she read a familiar feeling in the young man's eyes—hatred.

"Emperor of Norren, you hate Fenrir? I seem to recall Dorothy mentioning that you have a relative who died at his hands?" Queen Alice confirmed.

“That’s right. I allow you to use this hatred. Miss Dorothy has disappeared, and this matter is related to Fenrir. Although I can’t produce any evidence, I think you should understand that now is not the time to be petty. Please make a decision as soon as possible,” Aaron said earnestly.

Queen Alice fell silent, a long silence.

Aaron waited patiently, but he could never figure out what the queen in the mist was thinking.

Just when he thought he was about to be rejected, a voice echoed faintly from the mist:

"Viscount Arendt".

Chapter 661 The Blow of Betrayal by Someone You Trusted

"Viscount Arend?" Aaron's first reaction was one of surprise, not understanding why Queen Alice would mention Leon here. "What happened to him?"

It's reasonable to say that Queen Alice knew about this person, since Leon had rendered a great service by killing Alecne, and Aaron had worried that Leon might face retaliation from Moyland for it.

But the next moment, a chill slowly crept up his back.

His face gradually turned incredulous, and the seated queen delivered her verdict: "Viscount Arend, Leon Set, that man is Fenrir."

Aaron suddenly felt as if he had fallen into water. The sounds around him faded away, and the world in his eyes suddenly lost its color, turning into black and white. Even though no one was choking him, he felt suffocated.

"This is impossible." Without even realizing it, the murmur escaped his lips.

"I have given you the answer as you requested; whether you believe it or not is up to you."

Alice observed Aaron's reaction. Aaron wasn't actually in front of her or in the maze, so she couldn't directly sense his physical reactions. However, she could feel Aaron's intense emotional fluctuations just by observing his expression and breathing rhythm.

"Even if you say that, this is going too far..." Aaron shook his head, trying to argue.

Queen Alice sensed something was amiss and asked again, "Have you never been betrayed by someone you trusted?"

She suddenly remembered that Fenrir had obtained the title of governor of a county in the Empire, while in Norren, this title seemed to be granted by the emperor.

She could tell that Aaron seemed to have a trust relationship with Leon that went beyond that of a typical monarch and his subject, a relationship that could be described as that of close friends and family.

Because once upon a time, she also had such a person by her side.

But she destroyed that relationship herself, for some... much grander goal.

"..." Aaron was speechless for a moment.

Denial was his subconscious act. When Queen Alice mentioned Leon's name, he remained adamant that it couldn't be true; either the Queen of Moilland was mistaken, or she was trying to sow discord and use him to get rid of this "sinner" from Moilland who had killed Alexie.

However, when Queen Alice asked the question in a calm tone, the precedents of Earl Frey and Bishop Beckett flashed through his mind, as did Jonathan Ruit—the hero he had once admired in the war records, who had also been proven to be an apostate.

These were all people he respected, and they all had aspects he didn't know. How could he dare to assert that he truly understood Leon?

"Fenrir was originally an officer under Count Frye, who was cooperating with Alexie. Later, he killed the Count, and Alexie wanted to take revenge. However, Fenrir, through negotiations with Dorothy, conveyed to us his intention to take over the business in place of the Count. I took Dorothy's advice and chose to wait and see for a while."

However, the biggest reason was that we were somewhat interested in his blessing talent at the time. He was the only person in the world to receive the Moirai blessing as a male, and in addition, he also possessed the blessings of the four gods and the Supreme God's Time Acceleration Blessing. According to Dorothy's last report, his blessing had reached the second tier, and the Moirai's Cursed Blood Blessing had reached the third tier. In terms of strength, he should have no rivals in Norn. "Queen Alice said.

Aaron suddenly felt as if he had been punched hard.

Leon and Reginald were not the only people in the church who possessed the Time Acceleration Blessing. He had also considered investigating those in the church who possessed similar blessings because of Fenrir's blessing, but in the end, no one was on the suspect list, including Leon. Firstly, there was a lack of clues to break through the investigation, and secondly, he had never subconsciously considered that direction at all.

"Later, Alexie secretly spread a plague in his territory, but he somehow managed to cure it. To this day, we still haven't fully figured out this man's background; he seems to possess some special knowledge. Temple Island... that is, Arend Island, which is his territory, has a labyrinth that was once a temple of the Earth Mother Goddess. He used it to raise monsters to produce magic essence, and he used those monsters to develop an antidote," Queen Alice continued.

"The antidote to the plague?" Aaron's eyes flickered as memories surged through his mind.

The antidote for the plague on Arend Island, the antidote for the plague in Stone Peak County, and then there was a special medicine to treat the saltification disease—shortly after Leon suggested promoting the application of potions, they actually produced a medicine that was said to be improved by the Great Witch Lamia with the help of Mrs. Hersh. As agreed, they also piloted the use of the medicine in the newly established royal hospital.

But no matter how Leon explains the origin of those potions, these magical potions... are all related to him!

"Later, he joined forces with Dorothy to kill Alexie, but for various reasons, I let him go again. He officially took over the Earl's role in distributing potions to Norren for us, and he did a great job in that role. He expanded our business to an unprecedented scale, and of course, I think this is directly related to the power he received from you after you ascended the throne," Queen Alice continued.

"..." Aaron was completely speechless, his throat was so dry it felt like he had sand in his mouth.

The feeling of suffocation grew stronger and stronger, even making him feel dizzy.

Queen Alice's emotionless narration gradually confirmed the existence of Fenrir and Leon, and what terrified him even more was that his own memories also began to resonate.

He had spent countless hours studying those case files, including the case in Hamel, the case of the disappearance of Bishop Beckett and Count Fry, and the case of the Holy Spirit Day of the Church of the Creator... He filled each of the copied documents with annotations.

From the Hamelin case onwards, the ghost that haunted him, the cursed blood and the blessing of accelerated time, his succession to Bishop Beckett, his rapid advancement like that of the Earl, and the rapid expansion into the west after his accession...

A difficult problem can leave people scratching their heads, but if you apply the answer to it, you can always suddenly understand.

Aaron was once trapped in the maze, but now the answer suddenly appears. When he tries to follow the path marked by the Queen's answer, he finds that the road ahead is incredibly smooth, without any dead ends, as if the end is right in front of him.

However, the closer he got to the end, the more terrified he became. He had never considered Leon as a suspect, but as the Queen recounted her story and combined it with his memories, he discovered that Leon's puzzle was beginning to fit together perfectly with the crucial missing piece.

"...If Dorothy's disappearance is indeed related to him, then Fenrir is probably as we predicted. We've lost control of him, or rather, he was never willing to be controlled by anyone in the first place, including you, Emperor of Norn." Queen Alice was still speaking, but then she noticed that Aaron's gaze had become vacant, and he didn't seem to be listening to what she was saying after that.

"It seems you already have your answer, so there's no need for us to continue. We have no basis for cooperation on this matter, so let me see how you fulfill your promise." She decisively decided to end the meeting.

Looking at Aaron in front of her, she suddenly thought of Lamia for no apparent reason.

Has that child ever experienced such a blow?

Chapter 662 The Great Witch Conquered by Fenrir

In the living room of a villa near the Governor's Mansion in Southport County, Fred and Alicia each sat on a soft chair, looking at the first-time guest across the coffee table.

Alicia frowned, while Freyd wore her unchanging smile.

Johnny, sitting opposite them, leaned back on the sofa with his arms outstretched, his legs crossed and his feet shaking impatiently.

"Tsk, how long is that kid going to keep us waiting?" Johnny couldn't help but complain.

"How long are you going to stay here?" Alicia asked, sounding impatient.

“You think I wanted to come here? Do you know how much bounty I have on my head right now?” Johnny glared at Alicia. “It’s all because that kid wanted to call a war council!”

"Wasn't Colonel Ruit the commander who defeated Duke O'Claire's army? For Leon, this time, with the help of Southport County's troops, we need to cross Redwood County and march into the Southeastern Archdiocese. Colonel Ruit is the only person who can be the commander. Alicia, it would be better to put aside your grudges for now," Princess Fred advised in a calm tone.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, I’m just a wanted criminal, I can’t get ahead of you. I have no authority to command the army. That kid is the governor, he is the commander-in-chief. I’m just an advisor, I can only offer some minor suggestions.” Johnny pointed at the princess and corrected her.

"You've commanded land battles a few times, are you sure you can handle it?" Alicia stared at Johnny skeptically.

“At least I’m better than you,” Johnny retorted.

Alicia did not refute this point. She also had experience commanding the Knights in battle, but in the past she had focused her main efforts on assisting Princess Frederick and commanding the Order of the Silent. In terms of frontline experience, she really could not compare with Johnny.

"From now on, we'll be comrades-in-arms, so let's get along well," Fred said.

Leon has already reached a secret agreement with the western nobles through them to bring charges against the current emperor Aaron II and several related eastern nobles at the appropriate time, accusing them of attempted murder of Princess Frederick and of illegitimate accession to the throne. The timing will be decided by Leon.

Fred, Alicia, and Johnny all knew that the so-called opportune moment was now imminent, and they probably wouldn't have to wait for Leon to make all the necessary preparations.

Western nobles, the Church of the Mystic God, and various underworld mercenary groups will delay hostile forces in their respective regions when Leon's identity is exposed and he is about to be targeted for a concentrated attack.

Meanwhile, Leon will concentrate his forces on attacking and seizing the Southeastern Archdiocese.

Leon himself will not directly command the territory army and the city defense army deployed in Southport County. Johnny and his officers, Princess Fred, Alicia, and then Leon's own cadres will form the command structure of this force.

This is the meaning of "comrade-in-arms" as Princess Freyde spoke of.

"Seriously, what are your chances of winning?" Alicia asked Johnny directly.

“Without a cohesive command structure, fighting a battle without any drills, what do you think? Southport County and River Valley County are both our territory, and our mercenary forces are concentrated in the other two counties. Taking them shouldn't be a problem, but the Southeast Grand Diocese... If that kid can't block the church's reinforcements, we have no chance at all. Do you really think we have to take that diocese? He himself is the key to the operation,” Johnny replied.

Alicia shrugged upon hearing this; this assessment was consistent with her own thoughts.

Whether this operation will succeed depends entirely on Leon, and whether capturing the Southeastern Archdiocese will realize its strategic significance remains to be seen.

The future is uncertain.

"But don't worry, that madman has always been reliable when it comes to charging into battle, you've all experienced it yourselves," Johnny suddenly said.

“That’s reassuring,” Princess Frede agreed with a smile, after all, she had directly fought against Leon.

“All our hopes rest on a madman. We don’t even know what he’ll ultimately do. How can that give us any peace of mind?” Alicia sighed.

At that moment, the guards outside suddenly opened the gate, and the clear, rhythmic footsteps echoed through the entrance, drawing the attention of all three present.

Leon, dressed in a crisp military uniform, strode into the living room. Alicia suddenly frowned, while Johnny's eyes widened in surprise, and he even put his leg down.

The most subtle reaction came from Frey. When she heard the footsteps, her smile became even more pronounced, but when Leon entered, her smile faded slightly, and a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes.

Because Leon didn't come in alone; he was accompanied by a glamorous woman in a black dress.

"Sorry for the slight delay. Let's begin the meeting," Leon said.

“Before that, isn’t there something you need to explain to us?” Alicia asked warily.

“Leon, this gentleman…aren’t you going to introduce him?” Fred asked.

They didn't recognize the woman, but they could all sense an unusual aura about her. She was definitely not some decoration that Leon casually carried around for drinking and entertainment, and Leon wasn't the type to pull such stunts in this kind of situation.

Before Leon could speak, Johnny had already demanded in a deep voice, "What the hell are you doing? Why did you bring this woman here? Are you crazy?!"

Alicia and Frey turned to look at Johnny at the same time. Johnny glared at the woman without any hesitation. Just from Johnny's reaction, it was clear that this woman was no ordinary person.

"I brought her here to explain this... Alright, you can let go now." Leon replied calmly, then looked at Dorothy beside him and pulled his hand away from her arms. "Why don't you just introduce yourself to everyone here?"

"Alright." Dorothy smiled and looked around at everyone present, then lifted her skirt and bowed. "My name is Dorothy, and I am a witch who has been conquered by Lord Fenrir."

"Huh?" Johnny, even more confused, frowned.

Alicia's expression changed instantly. Dorothy? Wasn't that the Great Witch of the Nemesis Organization, on par with Alexie? The Silent Order had paid close attention to the Nemesis Organization, which served as the intelligence department of Moyland, but they had never obtained a portrait of Dorothy.

One is that Dorothy is much more cautious and low-key than Alexie, and she has basically never personally caused any incidents. Another is that Dorothy's chimera blessing allows her to constantly change her face and appearance, making it impossible to know her true identity.

"..." Frey stared blankly at Dorothy, speechless.

Chapter 663 A Man Burdened by Sin

“Dorothy and I have reached a consensus that she will assist us in our joint operations for the foreseeable future,” Leon explained.

After a long silence, Johnny spoke first to Leon: "So the witches' gathering's honey trap has finally worked? You really believe her?"

He knew that Leon wouldn't be seduced by Dorothy's beauty, otherwise Dorothy would have succeeded long ago.

He could tell that Leon wanted to use Dorothy's abilities and information; perhaps Dorothy offered herself up, or perhaps Leon suggested it. But in any case, this unpredictable Black Goat Witch was, after all, a member of the Witches' Gathering, and using her carried the risk of infiltration.

“Strictly speaking, it wasn’t my seduction that worked, but rather Mr. Fenrir’s charm that worked on me,” Dorothy suddenly interjected.

Fred blinked a few times after hearing this, but didn't say anything.

“Viscount Arend, you shouldn’t trust a great witch from Moilland. You have no idea how troublesome this woman is!” Alicia suddenly stood up and said seriously.

One of the tasks of the Silent Order she used to lead was to investigate Moiland's intelligence agents. She had direct or indirect contact with both Dolucie and Alexie's forces. Personally, Alexie had caused more incidents and more trouble within the Empire. Dolucie, on the other hand, didn't seem very active, but all indications suggested that a lot of intelligence within the Church was being leaked silently, and Dolucie was highly suspicious.

If this person is on their side, the risk of intelligence leaks becomes unpredictable.

“I didn’t trust her.” Leon snapped his fingers.

Dorothy immediately understood. With a wave of her hand, the sleeve of the loose gauze draped over her long dress slipped down a little, revealing the shackles on her hands.

Freyde and Alicia were well aware of the power of the Divine Punishment Bindings. They had been wearing them until recently, when Leon removed them completely after reaching an agreement with the western nobles, though he still had people monitoring their movements.

“She’s a great witch with third-tier power. Do you really think she’ll behave herself?” Johnny unusually shared Alicia’s opinion.

The power of the third-tier blessing cannot be completely sealed by the Binding of Divine Punishment. Dorothy cannot use the blessing of the chimera, but she should still be able to control monsters, which poses a certain degree of danger. If she has any backup plan, they may be slightly careless and the other party will break free of the restraints and escape.

“I have considered all the risks you mentioned.” Leon raised his hand to signal them to calm down. “But I think you all discussed the success rate of our next operation while I was away, and I guess you are all pessimistic.”

“If we could open a betting pool, I think the most interesting thing would be how you die. Would you die in battle under the siege of the church, be captured by the Queen of Moiland and used as a living sacrifice, or die mysteriously in the seal of the Great Labyrinth?” Johnny replied bluntly.

"Yes, our opponents are the Church and the Witches' Gathering, the two most powerful forces in the world. Your thinking is quite normal, and precisely because of this, I think that given our current situation, even if the risks are a little higher, it won't matter. As long as we can increase our chances of winning even slightly, even just a little bit, it will be meaningful to us."

"Dorothy's intelligence can be of great help to us. She has been investigating the Southeastern Archdiocese and the Great Labyrinth of Elland for longer than Lamia, and has more comprehensive information. Her participation is undoubtedly a godsend for us. I believe that even if her goal is to steal the Red Mercury and related intelligence from me, I can bear that risk." Leon explained his considerations.

“Since we’ve already been driven to the brink of death, we don’t care if we’re courting disaster or not. Your idea is quite unique,” ​​Johnny commented, adding, “But I have to admit it’s not entirely without merit.”