Chapter 278 : Chapter 278
Chapter 278. Analysis and Planning
Moran stood in place, the gentle smile on his face not revealing even the slightest flaw.
He inclined slightly, his tone modest, every gesture impeccable. “Your Holiness flatters me. Sharing His Majesty’s burdens and remaining loyal to Astrelia is only the duty of a subject. I truly cannot accept such praise from Your Holiness.”
“Rather, Your Holiness traveled such a long distance for the safety of the kingdom. That effort and ‘keen insight’ are what truly deserve the admiration of the world. The night is cold and the dew is heavy. I hope Your Holiness will take care of your sacred body.”
The Pope looked deeply at this old fox, then heavily planted the holy scepter in his hand against the floor tiles, producing a dull thud.
“Depart. Return to the Holy Land outpost,” the Pope ordered in a deep voice. The twelve knights of judgment turned in perfect unison, their metal war boots striking the stone slabs as they escorted the Pope out of Golden Rose Palace.
Moran straightened and watched that pure-white halo disappear into the night. The gentle smile on his face did not change from beginning to end as he continued personally seeing the important figures from every faction out of the hall one by one.
His etiquette was thorough and flawless. He covered up this dangerous confrontation, one that had nearly torn apart the Royal Capital’s circle of power, along with all its undercurrents and schemes, beneath a fresh layer of peaceful decoration.
…
Half an hour later, in the Inner Ring of the Royal Capital, at Sylvia’s temporary palace.
Click.
The heavy soundproof oak door closed firmly. Complex isolation arrays lit up faintly along the gap of the door, completely cutting off all investigation from the outside world.
The moment the door closed, Sylvia’s tense shoulders suddenly slumped.
She took off the cloak still carrying a trace of cold air and casually threw it onto the sofa. Then she walked toward “Logaris,” who was seated on the single armchair by the window.
“Logaris” sat there quietly, both hands resting flat on his knees, his chest rising and falling evenly with his breathing.
Sylvia drew near, extended two fair fingers, and poked his cheek without the slightest courtesy.
A warm touch came from beneath her fingertips. It was not hard or cold. It even carried the minute elasticity unique to human skin.
Sylvia froze for a moment. Her fingers slid downward and pressed against his carotid artery.
Thump, thump, thump.
Beneath the skin, an extremely realistic pulse beat clearly. Even the texture of the blood vessels was visible in minute detail, pulling faintly with each breath.
“This thing is far too realistic, isn’t it?”
Sylvia could not help clicking her tongue. Her fingertips pinched “Logaris’s” cheek again, and a trace of pure curiosity and amazement flashed through her eyes.
“If I had not known the truth beforehand, I would never have been able to see even the slightest flaw, even if I sat face to face with it for an entire day!”
She leaned in very close, close enough to see the tiny fuzz on the tip of “Logaris’s” nose.
Her gaze followed the avatar’s fair neck downward, passing over his collarbone and chest. Then, as if possessed, an absurd thought suddenly emerged in Sylvia’s mind.
Since its body temperature, pulse, and even the minute elasticity of its skin were all identical, then… would the place a little farther down also be as realistic as the main body?
The moment that thought appeared, two suspicious blushes suddenly flew across Sylvia’s dignified and cool face. As though she had been shocked by electricity, she swiftly withdrew her hand and coughed unnaturally.
“Surely our dignified and elegant Acting Governor was not planning to do something improper to an empty shell without a soul.”
In the corner of the study, the thick shadows twisted slightly, like ripples spreading through ink.
The true Logaris stepped slowly out of the darkness. He pushed the rimless glasses on the bridge of his nose, a teasing smile flashing through his pale-blue eyes as he mocked her without the slightest courtesy.
“What? Is Your Highness inspecting the physiological structure of this body? Molesting an avatar does not conform to a princess’s etiquette, Your Highness Sylvia.”
Hearing the real person tease her, Sylvia stiffened slightly at first. But as the decisive Acting Governor of the Northern Territory, her mental fortitude was clearly not something an ordinary person could compare to. That faint blush on her face was instantly forced down.
Not only did she fail to retreat, she instead turned around, folded her arms across her chest, and looked at Logaris’s main body not far away with a smile that was not quite a smile.
“What? Feeling distressed already?” Sylvia raised her chin slightly, and an intensely aggressive light ignited in her silver-gray eyes as she counterattacked without showing weakness. “Since this shell was made so realistically, as your largest sponsor, isn’t it only natural that I personally inspect whether every ‘detail’ is perfect?”
She deliberately drew out her tone, stepped forward on her long legs, and closed in on Logaris. The corner of her mouth curved into a dangerous yet alluring arc. “Or perhaps… Count Logaris feels jealous because I was touching a fake body, and would rather I do something directly to the ‘main body’?”
Logaris was forced half a step back by her, and the expression that had seemed so effortless a moment ago instantly froze on his face.
Looking at Sylvia’s shameless confidence, as if she had him completely figured out, Logaris felt the base of his ears faintly heat up.
“…That is enough, Sylvia.”
Logaris turned his head away and reached up in an extremely unnatural manner to tug at the tight collar of his research robe, attempting to conceal his awkwardness with a cold, hard tone. “We are discussing serious matters. Stop fooling around.”
Seeing how he was retreating step by step yet still stubbornly refusing to admit defeat, Sylvia gave a satisfied little snort in her heart.
Knowing when to stop, she put away her joking expression and leaned back against the edge of the desk, pulling the topic back on track. “Moran is hiding far too deeply.”
“He was able to place mental suggestions on us without anyone noticing. That level of strength has already surpassed the scope of an ordinary sixth-tier mage. Tell me, in tonight’s performance of killing with a borrowed knife, was the Pope used as his weapon, or had the two of them been colluding from the beginning?”
“It is more likely that the Holy Church was used.” Logaris lightly tapped his knee with his index finger and reviewed the situation with clear logic. “A powerful figure like Gregory, who fought his way out of an age of turmoil, would never tolerate becoming a chess piece in someone else’s hand. Tonight, the Holy Church not only lost face, but also owes ‘me’ a favor. They will definitely be unable to swallow this resentment. Perhaps they even suspect that the prime minister and we joined hands to set them up.”
He raised his eyes and looked at the “avatar” standing opposite him.
“The Royal Capital is densely populated, and it is surrounded by defensive arrays. Without absolute certainty and ironclad evidence, we cannot make a move here. The enemy is in the open while we are in the dark. Starting a battle rashly would only make both sides suffer.”
Sylvia understood his meaning at once.
“We need to find evidence that he is usurping political power. Once we have ironclad proof, we can persuade Teacher Elena and the Commander of the Royal Capital Guard, those two seventh-tier powerhouses, to act. In the face of absolute violence, all conspiracies are paper tigers,” she continued.
Logaris nodded. A cold light flashed across his lenses.
“Next, I intend to have the avatar lead the Northern Territory personal guards to Scream Fortress and take over the Southern Territory’s military authority and my fief.”
His slender fingers interlaced, and his tone was certain.
“Let him serve as the target in the open. He should act high-profile, the more arrogant the better. He must firmly draw the eyes of every force in the Royal Capital onto himself.”
“The main body will remain here. I will hide within the Royal Capital’s dark network and thoroughly uncover Moran’s background. A mastermind who can control the king and manipulate the Holy Church must not be allowed to live comfortably inside the fog.”
The strategy was settled. The two looked at each other, and their tacit understanding needed no words.
The strategy was settled.
The next morning, the sky above the Royal Capital was shrouded in thick lead-gray clouds, foreshadowing an impending downpour.
“Count Logaris” led three thousand newly added, fully armed Northern Territory soldiers and boarded the Magitech Express Train to the Southern Territory in a high-profile manner. The whistle blared, and white steam shot into the sky, carrying away more than half of the hidden scouts and informants in the Royal Capital.
In the temporary residence, inside the underground secret chamber.
Sylvia sat alone before the desk and took out a communication stone from her Spatial Ring. Its surface was engraved with an extremely complex isolation array. She injected mana into it, and a gentle light screen unfolded in midair.
The light screen brightened. On the other side of the image was a prayer room decorated in an extremely simple style.
The golden-haired nun Aurora was sitting before a wooden table, holding a thick parchment scripture in her hands. She wore the plainest white robe, and her face, bare of cosmetics, carried a sacred quality that brought peace to the heart.
Seeing the light screen light up, Aurora raised her head and gave Sylvia a gentle smile.
“Good day, Your Highness Sylvia. You look well today.”