Perseus suddenly appeared behind the High Elf Councilor and patted him on the shoulder. The two had been old friends for sixty or seventy years. With a warm smile, Perseus opened his arms, ready to embrace his friend warmly when he turned around.
But the pat seemed to startle the High Elf, who immediately spun around and took several steps back, his face etched with surprise.
Perseus froze for a moment, then leaned forward to glance out the window in the direction the High Elf had been looking. "What's wrong?"
The High Elf took a deep breath, his face softening into a gentle smile as he approached Perseus for a hug. "No, it's nothing."
Perseus paid little attention as the two strolled into the chamber, chatting casually. By now, twenty-one of the thirty-six councilors had arrived. Of the remaining fifteen, five would participate remotely via magic due to temporary absences, while the other ten were already nearby and would arrive shortly.
It's worth noting that because this was an "emergency meeting" convened by Perseus using his authority, only the Senior Councilors needed to attend and vote for it to pass. Once approved, the proposal would take effect immediately, bypassing the Junior Councilors entirely.
After all, given the urgent circumstances, it would be unrealistic to wait for hundreds of Junior Councilors to convene and debate the matter. However, two months after the proposal's enactment, the Lower House could still convene to decide whether to continue its implementation. If over half of the Junior Councilors opposed, the proposal could be vetoed and repealed.
Perseus and the High Elf Councilor quickly turned to the meeting's agenda. The High Elf Councilor asked, "Why did you call this emergency session so suddenly? What's happened?"
All the Senior Councilors had only been informed that a meeting was required, with no explanation of the reason. This topic was originally scheduled for tomorrow's session, but since the High Elf Councilor was an old friend of Perseus, he didn't hesitate to reveal the truth: "Lady Artemis appears to have been corrupted by an Evil God. Now, all Artemis Believers and Artemis Priests throughout the Alliance are under suspicion of being tainted! It's extremely dangerous!"
Perseus paused, then said, "Oh, right, brother, I remember you worship the Father of Oaks, don't you?"
The Father of Oaks isn't one of the Twelve True Gods, but rather a supremely powerful Ancient God within the 'Great Forest', one of the Three Great Powers. Most Pureblood Elves reside in the Great Forest, making the High Elf before Perseus a rare exception.
The High Elf was taken aback by this. After a moment of hesitation, he replied, "Of course I worship the Father of Oaks... but what do you mean Artemis has been corrupted? Where did you hear this?"
"From a place called Okhema," Perseus explained. "They sent an envoy to inform me, providing ample evidence. I'll present it at tomorrow's council meeting."
The High Elf frowned deeply. "Okhema? What sort of place is that? I've never heard of it before. Are you certain their claims can be trusted?"
Perseus elaborated, "Haven't you heard about the Grand Duchy of Kandela? The Empire's entire army was annihilated in a single strike by a demigod named Mydei. That Mydei comes from Okhema, and rumor has it they're protected by twelve such demigods."
This had been quite the hot topic recently. The High Elf thought for a moment, recalling that there had indeed been such rumors, though he'd dismissed them and long forgotten them. "Ha! You actually believe such nonsense? Isn't this just another tall tale exaggerated by those bards to grab attention?"
"Think about it," he continued. "If a place truly harbored so many Demigods, they would have long since emerged to conquer the world. How could they possibly remain hidden and unknown for so long?"
His logic made sense, but Perseus glanced around, leaned in close to the High Elf's ear, and whispered, "But they've presented substantial evidence. I even had Dio capture an Artemis Believer and secretly test him. That Artemis Believer was definitely not normal!"
The High Elf was stunned. "You secretly captured a Believer of a True God?!"
Perseus immediately clamped a hand over the other's mouth. "Keep your voice down!"
Still, their commotion had attracted the attention of several nearby people, who cast curious glances their way. While most present were Senior Councilors who would inevitably learn of this matter anyway, many of their guards and attendants were also present. If these subordinates were to overhear and spread the news, it would deal a devastating blow to Perseus's reputation.
Just then, a guard came jogging up to Perseus. "Lord Perseus," he said, "Okhema's diplomat is here to see you urgently!"
This interruption provided Perseus with a convenient escape. He hastily followed the guard away from the scene, leaving behind a crowd of bewildered onlookers and a High Elf with a grave expression.
As they reached the entrance, Perseus noticed Grey, now dressed in a maid's uniform. He raised an eyebrow slightly. "What do you want from me this time?"
Grey remained silent, stepping aside to reveal Aglaea standing behind her. Perseus's attention had been focused entirely on Grey, so he hadn't noticed Aglaea until now. "You mean... Lady Aglaea, the one everyone's been talking about in the city lately?"
Perseus was a Believer of the Goddess of Love, though his faith was rather shallow—more of a casual adherent. He was well aware of the rumors sweeping the city about Aglaea, whose beauty was said to rival that of a descended god. However, unlike the fervent devotees who besieged her hotel, Perseus showed only a mild surprise at meeting her in person, nothing more.
Perseus glanced at Grey again before turning his gaze back to Aglaea. "So, Lady Aglaea, you are also Okheman?"
Given Grey's respectful demeanor, Aglaea's status must be far higher than even this 'diplomat.'
Aglaea nodded and cut straight to the point. "Just now, several Artemis Priests infiltrated this city, intending to perform a ritual to invoke Artemis's Blessing. If this ritual is anything like the one recently conducted in your Silver Moon City, its activation will corrupt everyone in the city."
"Fortunately, the local Priests of Love detected these anomalies and have already captured one of them. The remaining Artemis Priests are still being hunted down."
Perseus frowned deeply. "So, Your Excellency is implying...?"
Aglaea said, "The Artemis Priests' motives are easy to guess: they want to corrupt all the Senior Councilors attending the conference. If they succeed, half the Alliance will fall. You must exercise extreme caution."
However, one question lingered: the Alliance had held countless meetings before, such as the annual Grand Assembly where all Senior and Junior Councilors were required to attend. Why hadn't the Artemis Believers struck during those gatherings instead of now?
Unless... the Artemis Believers realized they'd been exposed and, abandoning their hiding, planned one final, massive strike!
However, when Perseus called the emergency meeting, he didn't disclose the reason. Even the High Elf Councilor had only just learned the meeting's purpose moments before.
Aglaea pondered for a moment before asking, "Who knows about the true reason for the meeting—that Artemis has been corrupted?"
Perseus clearly recognized this "suspicious point" as well, his expression shifting to stunned disbelief. "How could that be? Before today, the only people who knew were you Okhema members, me, Dio, and... my wife!?"
After Grey informed him about Artemis's situation, Perseus had naturally become anxious. His wife, noticing his distress, had comforted him and pressed him to explain what was troubling him.
Maintaining absolute trust with one's partner—never lying—is a core tenet of the Goddess of Love. Though Perseus was a casual believer, he had followed this principle and revealed the truth to his wife. She had indeed offered him sincere comfort at the time, uttering words like, "Everything will be alright," and "The Goddess of Love will protect us."
That's why Perseus's expression was so incredulous. "How is this possible?"
He whirled around and rushed into the house, while Aglaea and Grey exchanged glances before following him inside.
Tap-tap-tap~
Soon, Aglaea and Grey were trailing Perseus down the hallway to a room at the end of the first floor. Perseus swiftly opened the door and glanced inside. The room was impeccably tidy, but empty.
Perseus's heart sank. His wife had always been a quiet person, and now that she was older, she spent most of her time quietly in her room, either hand-stitching a towel for their son or reading. She rarely wandered about aimlessly.
Perseus first questioned the maids passing by, but none had seen her movements. Then, he summoned a Gold-tier Wizard, one of the four who had surrounded Grey when she first revealed her identity.
"Can you rewind time here and see where my wife went?" Perseus demanded.
Hearing this, the Wizard immediately wore an awkward expression. "Rewind time here? Are you sure, Lord Perseus?"
Using Time Reversal magic on your superior's bedroom... Won't we see something we shouldn't?
But Perseus couldn't care less at that moment. "Hurry up!" he insisted.
Left with no choice, the wizard produced a crystal ball, and a vision materialized within it. The first time frame they chose was early that morning. They saw Perseus and his wife asleep in bed. As Perseus woke up, he kissed her, murmuring tender words in her ear.
Even at their age, their love is so strong... Is this what it means to be a Believer of the Goddess of Love?
Seeing this, Perseus blushed crimson and snapped, "Fast-forward! Fast-forward!"
The vision shifted. Perseus rose, left for work, and his wife lingered in bed until around nine in the morning. After breakfast served by a maid, she read for a while until nearly noon.
Suddenly, Perseus's wife, who had been sitting peacefully by the bed, stood up abruptly. She set aside her book, mechanically tidied the room, and then approached the bedroom wardrobe—a massive, imposing piece of furniture several times larger than herself. Then... with one hand, she effortlessly slid aside this colossal, seemingly immovable object.
A staircase leading downward was hidden beneath the wardrobe.
Perseus was astonished. "This room has a basement?!"
Everyone's gaze shifted from the Crystal Ball's image to the wardrobe in the room. Grey stepped forward first, placing her hands on the wardrobe's edge. As she gradually applied force, the wardrobe began to slide slowly.
Just then, the Wizard politely approached Grey. "Miss Grey, allow me to assist you."
After all, in the Crystal Ball's vision, Perseus's wife had effortlessly moved the wardrobe with a single hand, and Grey didn't seem to be struggling much either. Perhaps the wardrobe was just for show, surprisingly light in reality? Even if it were light, this physical task should still be handled by a man at this time.
Grey looked doubtful. "Are you sure?"
The Wizard nodded firmly. "Of course!"
Grey stepped back, and the Wizard placed his hands on the wardrobe's edge, bracing himself.
Crack—
In the next moment, the wardrobe remained motionless. The Wizard, clutching his lower back, collapsed to his knees.
When someone underestimates the weight of an object and attempts to lift it without proper preparation or using their full strength, they risk straining their back. The Wizard was clearly in this situation now.
Grey shrugged, placed both hands on the wardrobe, and swiftly moved it completely aside. Just as the image on the Crystal Ball had shown, a stone staircase leading underground materialized before them.
Perseus's expression grew grave. He rubbed a ring on his finger, and moments later, three additional guards—a Gold-tier Warrior, Ranger, and Rogue—arrived.
Grey now realized that Perseus had used this magical ring, a Magic Item, to summon these four guards to surround her earlier.
Perseus turned to the Rogue. "Go and inform all the Councilors in the manor. Tell them to evacuate immediately!"
Then he addressed the remaining three guards: "The rest of you, follow me below!"
Aglaea spoke up: "Would you mind if we came along?"
Perseus glanced at her and Grey. "Suit yourselves. But I can't guarantee your safety down there."