Chapter 490: Cunning Means
Henwell stays silent for a long moment, then shakes his head. “I haven’t thought that far. I just don’t want her to die.”
The Marquess of Nothing is momentarily taken aback, then lets out a soft laugh. “Heh heh… So you care for Catherine! You came to save your beloved! How romantic, that’s the spirit of youth! If that’s the case, then you have even more reason to kill Ulysses. Otherwise, she’ll die!”
Henwell eyes him suspiciously as the Marquess pulls out a memory crystal.
Inside, a scene plays out: Ulysses stoops over, coughing up blood, his body covered in bruises and wounds.
Naked, he walks over to a stone altar. Nearby, another altar holds a young man lying still.
Henwell recognizes him—Shazo, the fourth prince of the Billie Kingdom.
After Ulysses lies down on the altar, a magical circle activates.
Suddenly, Shazo’s eyes snap open, and he emits a silent scream as his body begins to crumble bit by bit.
In the end, not even bones remain, only a half-meter-wide ball of flesh and blood hovering above the altar.
As the magic pulses, the ball trembles and compresses.
When it shrinks to the size of a fist, it suddenly explodes, turning into a cloud of blood-red mist.
The mist seems alive, drifting up to surround Ulysses’s head, slowly enveloping him.
After a while, the mist is absorbed into Ulysses.
His wounds vanish, and he looks strong and vigorous again.
Then he dresses and walks away from the altar. The image fades.
The Marquess’s eyes grow sorrowful. “Do you understand now? He’s using a forbidden flesh-transmutation technique to heal himself. His closest children are the best material for it. Poor Shazo only bought him six more months of life. And most of that time has passed. If he wants to survive, he’ll have to sacrifice another child soon. Judging by the timing, he’s probably already preparing.”
“He gave up the least valued Shazo. Next is Catherine, whom he despises most. Henwell! Do you see why I want to kill my own brother, my comrade-in-arms? Because he’s changed. He’s truly fallen! To survive, he’s cruelly harming his own flesh and blood. At this point, he’s no different from a member of Veil.”
“As I said before, it’s time for us old-timers to bow out with dignity and make way for you young ones.”
Henwell furrows his brows. “Then why don’t you do it yourself?”
The Marquess of Nothing smiles bitterly. “Me? How could I? You want me to personally kill my own flesh and blood brother? I can’t do what Ulysses did. In my heart, he’s just made mistakes, he’s still my brother. Besides, I can’t get near the palace at all now.”
“Also, I need to assist the new king’s coronation, help stabilize the situation, and root out the Veil Organization within Billie. My time is running out. I know my injuries better than anyone, I’m barely holding on. Before I die, I have to clear the path for the next generation of the Celtic royal family and eliminate obstacles.”
Henwell stares at him. “So, am I an obstacle to the Celtic family? And what about Catherine? From what you say, you don’t intend to let Catherine become queen. Isn’t that a bit presumptuous?”
The Marquess takes a sip of wine. “That’s not my problem anymore. That’s for you young ones to figure out. Personally, I don’t believe Catherine can be queen. Billie has had queens before, but now is not the time. After Ulysses and I are gone, the kingdom will be thrown into chaos. I’m just doing what I can to weaken the damage. If Billie has a queen now, things will only get worse. That’s not what we want.”
Henwell thinks for a long time, then shakes his head. “Sorry, I can’t agree to your terms. I owe you a favor, but it’s definitely not to kill a king. That’s not in my interest.”
The Marquess asks, “So you’ll just watch Catherine be torn apart?”
Henwell replies, “I’ll save her. There are many ways to do it without me having to kill a king. The simplest is to bring church knights into the palace and accuse Catherine of colluding with Veil. That way, I can take her out of the palace. Once she’s back on her own turf, everything becomes easier.”
The Marquess can’t help but laugh. “Heh heh… Henwell, you’re a lot like my brother, quite the rogue when it comes to some things!”
Henwell bows slightly. “Sorry! I’ll handle this properly, but not the way you want.”
The Marquess of Nothing seems to ignore Henwell’s refusal and keeps talking to himself. “My brother was calm and wise like you once. To be blunt, his mind was always full of schemes and plots! I didn’t like it, but I learned a lot just by being around him.”
“Henwell, I can only say sorry, you’re a little rogue, but I’m an old rogue. Don’t blame me. After all, this is the City of Sin, and I’m its King of Sin. I have many tricks up my sleeve.”
Henwell’s heart skips a beat. “What have you done?”
The Marquess replies, “That’s something I can’t tell you. Our deal is done. Remember, you owe me a favor!”
With that, the Marquess of Nothing stands and leaves the secret meeting room.
Henwell walks out of the lord’s manor, troubled. A bad feeling gnaws at him.
Back at the Paladin’s base, Henwell reviews everything carefully.
First, is what the Marquess said even true? That’s crucial. If there’s any lie, it could be a deadly trap for Henwell.
Second, how can he verify which parts are true and which are false?
This will determine how Henwell plans his next moves. The complexity of this situation far exceeds what he had imagined.
Henwell had thought that stirring things up in Billie would force Ulysses to back down. But now the situation feels very different. He senses he may have been reckless.
While Henwell is deep in thought, the two captains of the Penitence Squad come to find him.
McComb asks, “Henwell, when do we move out?”
Sosie adds, “The opportunity is good now. We’ve got Veil on the run and need to act fast before they escape.”
“Get the brothers ready. We head to Divine Revelation City first, then decide our next move.”
McComb looks surprised. “Now? Shouldn’t we wait for the other squads? Who knows what ambushes might be inside the palace? If Ulysses resists fiercely, it’ll complicate things. If it goes badly, we’ll be blamed.”
Henwell suddenly looks up, staring at McComb and Sosie.
He already understands the Marquess of Nothing’s tactics, he’s being forced into killing Ulysses.