The red-eyed owl rapidly shriveled!
The vibrant, fist-sized red flower bloomed even more brilliantly on the monster's corpse.
Visually, the flower was very beautiful. If it could be sold in the Royal Capital, it would surely attract the favor of many noble ladies.
"Gulp~"
Gaguran stared at the large red flower, a thought inexplicably flashing through her mind. She then swallowed, her throat bobbing, as if wanting to eat this vibrant red flower immediately.
The next moment!
The "Tornado Crown" equipped on her head emitted a faint blue light.
Gaguran suddenly snapped awake, her gaze sharpening. She took another step back and quickly looked at her companions, warning them, "There's something wrong with this flower!"
At this moment.
Lakyus, Tina, and Tia of the "Blue Rose" all changed their expressions.
They all possessed magic items with "mental resistance." The moment they were affected by the vibrant red flower, the items' defenses were triggered.
"What happened?"
Iville Ai looked at Lakyus curiously, clearly sensing the abnormality in her companions.
As an Undead, she naturally possessed complete mental resistance and was therefore unaffected.
"Anri..."
Lakyus's bright emerald eyes didn't immediately reply. Instead, he quickly looked towards Anri beside him. Seeing that she was also unaffected, his heart relaxed:
"Is it the effect of 'Pure Sword'?"
"Leader Lakyus, this vibrant red flower?" Anri asked, her right hand on her sword hilt, worry in her eyes.
"Yes, we've likely found the reason why the red-eyed owl ended up like this,"
Lakyus said seriously, exhaling from his pink lips. "This is not good news at all."
Meanwhile, within the Kingdom.
The "Warrior Captain's Legion" led by Gazef.
The "Crimson Rose Legion" led by Renners.
Both departed from the Royal Capital and headed towards the border town of E-Rantel. As for the decadent and pleasure-seeking nobles of the Kingdom, This time, they would not wait for the Empire to harass them; they would strike first.
This was clearly not due to "chivalric spirit" or newfound courage, but rather the result of entangled interests.
Gazef represented the "Pro-King Faction," while Renners represented the "Noble Faction"!
—Bahharuth Empire.
Imperial Capital, E-Rantel.
White light streamed through the glass windows, illuminating the red carpet. The priceless curtains, composed of green, black, and gold, swayed gently in the breeze.
This was a private chamber within the Imperial Palace.
The man known as the "Bloody Emperor" rested one arm on his chin, while the other hand lightly pressed his tired temples.
The blue gem pendant on his earlobe swayed slightly with the movement of his head. Beneath his slightly curly blonde hair, his slender purple eyes were visible.
The handsome aesthetic of ancient Greece was undeniably present in this 7th Emperor, exuding an invisible pressure.
Recently, there had been no domestic matters requiring his attention. With his authority, everything proceeded according to plan.
However, in this world.
There would always be "unexpected events" that exceeded one's plans.
"Renners Lockburrs."
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv softly uttered the name, a cold glint appearing in his purple eyes.
"I can forgive everything else, but this madwoman must be dealt with!"
The appearance of this madwoman had poured a basin of cold water called "shame" onto his increasingly potent flame of prestige.
While the act of slaughtering his own family and his affianced relatives was indeed madness, "Bloody Emperor" Jikniv did not find it difficult to accept.
What truly angered him!
Was that this woman had abandoned everything and defected from the Bahharuth Empire, fleeing to the Re-Estize Kingdom.
The impact of this incident was extremely negative, especially for the old traditionalists he had suppressed. They used this matter to criticize the policies he was implementing.
Connecting Renners' defection with his implemented policies!
"Hmph."
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv snorted.
He did not care about the actions of these decadent nobles, and in fact, he hoped more of them would step forward.
The blood of these people would be enough to cleanse all dissenting voices.
He cared about this "disgrace"!
In this world, an individual's martial prowess could overcome hundreds of soldiers. The departure of a strong individual like Renners was a loss at the national level, capable of even causing a decline in the nation's overall military strength.
And the other party joining the Re-Estize Kingdom would enhance their strength. With one side gaining and the other losing, the immeasurable loss was evident.
Clang! Clang!
A soft knock sounded on the door.
"Come in."
The icy emotion on "Bloody Emperor" Jikniv's face vanished without a trace, replaced by a confident smile and demeanor.
He appeared incredibly cheerful and approachable, like a gentle and forthright young man.
Nobles were skilled actors, especially as emperors; it was a necessary skill.
The door opened.
The first to enter was a sturdy warrior clad in heavy armor, none other than one of the Four Knights, "Immovable" Nazami Einek.
He specialized in a fighting style that utilized two shields, his defense-oriented approach earning him the moniker "Hardest Knight."
Following behind him.
Was a man who wasn't particularly strong, but rather lean, with a pair of eyes possessing an aggressive glint that immediately brought to mind the creature known as a "wolf."
"Welcome."
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv's smile grew even warmer:
"Rotten Wolf" Kulef Palantain."
He was the 7th generation Martial King, who had once been defeated by Go Gin. However, after Go Gin's departure, Osk had invited him back to the Imperial Arena.
His strength had become even greater than before, to the point where he could defeat one of the Four Knights. It was estimated that his strength had reached the Hero Domain.
Laughter soon filled the interior room, indicating that the conversation was going very smoothly.
About half an hour later.
"Immovable" Nazami and "Rotten Wolf" Kulef respectfully withdrew from the interior room.
With a click, the door closed.
The gentle smile on "Bloody Emperor" Jikniv's face disappeared, replaced by a calm expression, his eyes glinting with a sharp light.
"This arrangement should be sufficient."
A hint of unconcealable coldness seeped into "Bloody Emperor" Jikniv's voice:
"Renners Lockburrs... Wash away everything with your blood."
According to the strategy, the Empire would adopt a rhythm of attacks that interfered with the Kingdom's production, using the Kingdom's annual autumn harvest as a benchmark.
The war between the Kingdom and the Empire should have ended with mutual hostility, as in previous years.
But this time was clearly different!
Renners had been given significant importance by the Kingdom, and Gazef, who had won the final championship of the Royal Tournament, had each formed their own legions.
According to intelligence gathered from the Kingdom by spies.
These two legions were clearly being prepared for the war during the autumn harvest period this year.
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv naturally would not miss this opportunity, and he also understood that this disruption operation would inevitably be different from the past.
The current situation between the Empire and the Kingdom would not involve large-scale conflict for the time being, but this small-scale group operation would be more intense than ever before!
One more thing.
As far as he knew, Renners had pledged allegiance to the Kingdom's third princess, Lana. He couldn't afford to underestimate that annoying woman.
Ding~ Ding~
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv tapped his fingers lightly on the table. He set this matter aside for now; the necessary arrangements had been made.
All that was needed now was minor adjustments.
This was not the only matter causing him a headache.
"Free Will"!
The name of this adventurer team surfaced in "Bloody Emperor" Jikniv's mind, his gaze falling on the documents laid out on the table.
"The gathered information is still too scarce to make an accurate judgment."
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv frowned.
This adventurer team was completely different from the adventurers he knew, especially their captain, Tang, who bore the title of "Genius Alchemist." He felt a sense of danger from him.
Thinking about the bounty he had personally issued and then personally withdrawn.
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv's face flushed and paled, and he let out a helpless sigh, muttering to himself, "I was still too hasty in my actions."
The bounty action had already created a direct conflict with this Adamantite Rank adventurer team.
Judging others by oneself!
He didn't expect the other party to be magnanimous, but at least so far, "Free Will" had not taken any retaliatory actions.
And it was precisely because of this!
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv paid close attention to him, and thus indirectly noticed the abnormality revealed in the "Abelion Hills Incident."
What a pity!
Whether it was the Holy Kingdom or the Slane Theocracy, the spies they arranged in these two places did not have high positions, and the intelligence they could obtain was limited, not to mention the great distance.
Transmitting intelligence was also very difficult, resulting in the very little information he had obtained so far!
But there was one point—
"Abelion Hills!"
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv looked at the map placed on the side, and a trace of greed and sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
From the current intelligence analysis.
The demi-human forces in the Abelion Hills region had suffered a heavy blow, and the vast resources of the entire region were like a wide-open door.
If they could obtain the resource boost from the hilly region, the improvement in national strength would be astonishing!
Unfortunately.
The Bahharuth Empire was too far from this place. The Re-Estize Kingdom, Holy Kingdom, and Slane Theocracy, which were closer, were the most likely to profit from it.
It was just that the current situation made him a little confused!
It was one thing to dismiss the Kingdom's decadent and foolish nobles, but it was a bit strange that the Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy had made no move.
And the adventurer team "Free Will" currently stationed in the hilly region.
In short.
Such an abnormal phenomenon must involve some important intelligence that he did not understand.
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv held an exquisite steel pen and marked a heavy red box on the file content of "Free Will."
His gaze shifted down.
There was another piece of data marked with a red box—[Zuranon].
This was an evil secret society and the culprit behind the hilly incident. Regarding this mysterious organization.
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv's attitude was rather ambiguous; as long as they didn't provoke the Empire, he didn't care what these people did.
But the old man had set his sights on this organization!
He knew that in the Deepest Tower, the old man had imprisoned a legendary undead, a "Death Knight," captured several years ago.
The old man had always wanted to control this legendary undead.
"Bloody Emperor" Jikniv naturally gave his full support. If successful, it would become a great asset to the Empire.
And the current results were not ideal.
The occurrence of the "Hilly Incident" made the old man realize that [Zuranon] could not only control Death Knights but even possessed the means to create the legendary undead "Soul-Eating Demon."
This was also the three most troublesome matters for "Bloody Emperor" Jikniv at the moment, each of which involved extensive connections.
Meanwhile, in a small alley outside the Imperial Capital.
"Trash!"
"It's all your fault for spending so much of the family's money."
"Don't say that..."
"You're so good at magic, you must be able to earn more money."
"Sister..."
"Waa... waa..."
The sound of arguing came from a house, along with the sound of a child crying.
The residents walking in the alley looked indifferent, clearly accustomed to it. Most people living in such places were poor, and no one was willing to meddle in others' affairs.
"It's really tough."
Brain leaned against the wall by the door of such a house, pulling down the brim of his hat to cover his exposed blue hair.
With a disheveled appearance and the smell of alcohol, Brain did not attract attention in such a place.
In fact, people who saw him avoided him, not wanting to provoke a drunkard who could get drunk even during the day.
The grumbling carried a hint of helplessness.
It was like complaining about himself, and also like complaining about the girl being scolded in the room.
He was originally assigned to the Kingdom to spread news about [Zuranon], but then their alliance leader suddenly had him change his mission.
That's why he came to the Empire.
With a "bang."
The door slammed shut with a resounding bang, seemingly expressing some form of displeasure.
A young girl with a pale, sickly complexion, a slender build, and a very well-formed face emerged. She had short, shoulder-length hair and appeared to be around 15 years old.
The girl carried herself with a certain grace. In her hand, she held an iron rod about as tall as she was, etched with patterns that could be either writing or symbols. It was clear at a glance that she was a magic caster.
The girl walked out of the room in a daze, clutching the iron rod magic staff tightly, her eyes vacant as she entered the alley.
She looked like a lost pet.
"Arshe."
Suddenly, a calm voice sounded from behind her.
Arshe's footsteps faltered. She instinctively turned around and looked in the direction of the voice. A disheveled middle-aged man was leaning against the corner of the wall.
"Who are you?"
Arshe was certain she didn't know the man. A hint of wariness entered her eyes, as she likely sensed he was some kind of troublesome individual.
"It seems it is you."
A smile touched Brain's lips as he slowly looked up. "You have no idea how much effort it took to find you."
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