hotmtlnovel Page 286
Page 286
"Then the root of all evil that destroyed Cuiyin was not any of the great demons... but the elusive traitor who was foretold by the Holy Round Table!"
"I was careless again, and I actually overlooked the biggest threat to me!"
Ota slammed his fist on the table, his face contorted with pain: he should never have let his guard down for a moment!
He had a vague premonition that this guy, who inexplicably knew everything about the kingdom, was the biggest obstacle on his path to becoming king!
Just like the moment he first met Mino, he had a premonition that his path to kingship would be firmly bound to that glorious person!
"that……"
At this time.
Astrid raised her hand timidly: "Is there any possibility?"
"The one who killed Cuiyin was actually just a nameless, serious great demon who had been lurking in the capital and had never used his magic, which is why he went undetected?"
The study suddenly fell silent.
Prince Ota and Minister Tus looked stunned, their eyes filled with deep thought.
They then turned their heads, looked at each other, and then... smiled at each other without prior arrangement.
"—Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!!"
A cheerful laugh filled the study.
“Scholar Astrid, it seems that even you, the unparalleled strategist of the kingdom, can sometimes be blinded by your own perspective.”
Otta, amused, explained to Astrid with a hint of teasing:
"You must know, this is the capital of the Kingdom of Kur! The place where the Holy Church, blessed by the goddess, is located, and where the Magician's Round Tower stands alone in the world! It is also home to the Sacred Round Table and the residence ruled by the noble Kur royal family!"
"Don't be fooled by the recent turmoil in the capital. Minor infiltrations and sabotage are one thing, but when faced with the impenetrable power of the capital, even the great demons can only break through head-on by forcefully descending! As for what you said... to have infiltrated the capital undetected until now is simply impossible!"
“Because I’m here!” Ota was clearly putting on an act in front of Wang Fei.
"Scholar Astrid, what do you think this is?"
He pointed to his eyes and asked.
"Uh... eyes for reading fanfiction?"
"These are the eyes of a king! The guiding light that sees through the entire kingdom! Not some decorative cat's-eye marble! My sharp intuition, inherited from royalty, will never miss a single villain, not even a demon!"
"Therefore, rather than believing that a demon can commit a perfect crime in full view of everyone."
"It's better to believe that it was that mysterious, unobservable, unchosen, and unseen mole—the unspeakable evil deed committed from afar!"
"Is...like this...?" Astrid stared blankly.
For some reason, she felt that Otto's logic was extremely strong, and she even almost thought that she was not the culprit!
"The defense of the capital and the famine that broke out some time ago almost made me forget about that mole. Now that I think about it, the famine might also be inextricably linked to that mole. In addition... Chief Lak's departure a few months ago might also have been to eliminate that mole!"
"Judging from the fact that he's been out of contact for so long, he might even have suffered a great loss because of this!!!"
“That’s what makes that mole so terrifying.” Ota’s shoulders trembled instinctively, his eyes filled with utter solemnity.
"Judging from all the signs now, in the past it could only infiltrate intelligence and relentlessly guide disasters to the kingdom's weak points."
"—And now, they even have the ability to take direct action!!"
Otta lowered his head and looked at Astrid intently: "Now, do you still think my previous concerns about your personal safety were alarmist? Astrid, the great scholar?"
"Okay, I understand... I'll follow your instructions, alright?"
Astrid lowered her head guiltily, secretly admiring the good mole who wished to remain anonymous, for he was able to take the blame for such a huge mistake!
"That's good." Ota smiled.
I'm not saying all this because I really hope Astrid can solve anything, but rather to help her open up her inner resistance and give me a chance to get closer to her.
For him, this was the real matter of the kingdom.
"As long as Astrid is protected, that's enough..."
Watching Astrid timidly leave the study like a mouse stealing oil from a lamp, Otta's eyes gleamed for a long time: "As long as we protect her, that traitor will no longer be able to harm the kingdom."
"Because I have nothing left to lose—"
As soon as Erwin entered the study, a chill ran through him. He felt as if he was about to face not a king, but a tyrant steeped in despair.
"Your Highness Ota."
Erwin, with one hand supporting the wooden longsword engraved with sacred runes at his waist, and the other hand touching the ground as he knelt on one knee, said:
"I've come to report on matters concerning the combat strength of Shana, the Hero of Disaster..."
Chapter 412 Our Kingdom of Kur has its own Three Egyptian Gods
Inside the study, Otta's eyes flickered slightly.
On the night of the concert, besides the "assassination" of singer Cuiyin, the other most important event was:
It was the heroic act of the Calamity Warrior who descended from the sky and, with a single, divinely skillful strike, repelled and even severely injured the Fourth Demon Official.
Despite the changes in titles bestowed upon her by evil and sin, the people of the royal capital now harbor a strange fear of the heroine Shana.
Now, the reputation of the Heroine Shana in the capital is almost on par with that of the former Duke Moss—to the point that anyone who sees her will take a detour. However, unlike simple dislike, it is mostly superstition.
After all, the Dragon Hidden Mountains exploded, Pope Brad fell, and the Magician's Round Tower collapsed...
The kingdom's citizens have no complaints about the hero Shana, but given her numerous heroic deeds and the current "disaster" reputation, anyone who wants to come into contact with Shana has to consider whether their life is tough enough.
Thus, thanks to the blessing of the most beloved hero Mino, the hero Shana, who was avoided by the kingdom's citizens, was born.
However, it is one thing to avoid it at all costs, and it is another to respect and revere its strength.
After witnessing her numerous verifiable victories, everyone finally recognized the strength of the Hero Shana... Especially on the night of the concert, the citizens of the capital and even the entire kingdom witnessed Shana's earth-shattering strike live on the broadcast, and the last trace of doubt about the kingdom's exaggerated claims vanished.
The title of "Blazing Red-Eyed Hero," "Blazing Sword Princess," "Meteor Flame of the Kingdom of Kur," "King Slayer," "Below Mino"... a series of prestigious titles gradually spread throughout the royal capital.
Today, Shana is seen by the public as a combination of "a red-eyed girl with a mental problem" and "a red-haired hero with terrifying strength."
The most widely circulated card game on the mainland, Lent, also took advantage of its popularity to release a series of hero cards related to "evil-sin-disaster". The level of over-exploitation was unprecedented, causing countless new players to encounter new calamities.
Of course, these are just some external fluctuations.
Only Otta and Erwin, inside the study, knew that the boast they had made had come true.
They had witnessed Shana's performance after obtaining the Hero's Mark; she was practically on par with the weakest heroes. In reality, the palace had long since given up on training Shana to be a hero, which was why they exaggerated her terror and implied that she possessed strength no less than Mino's.
Therefore, when Shana truly displayed terrifying power, the public was not overly shocked.
Knowing the truth, Otto and Erwin had only one thought in their minds.
—It's open.
"The heroine Shana, who was originally quite weak, has suddenly risen to such terrifying combat power."
At his desk, Ota composed himself and listened quietly to Erwin's report.
“Your Highness, this is not without its price: According to our understanding, the root of all this lies in the blessing of the newly acquired ‘One-Sword Style’ within the body of the Heroine Shana. This blessing has granted her extraordinary power, but at the same time, it also has great limitations. Once she swings that sword, she will completely lose her fighting ability.”
Erwin knew that only in the prince's study could this shocking secret be revealed.
Once this gets out, even the strength of the Lent card will undergo a bloodbath!
"As expected."
Otta nodded slightly; at this point, there was nothing surprising about it.
For them, the increased combat power of the hero Shana was already an unexpected bonus.
"But no matter what, the hero Shana was able to rival Mino with the power of a single strike and severely injure the fourth demon... Behind this lies countless efforts and sweat."
A hint of admiration welled up in Ota's eyes. To be able to temper, amplify, and condense such a weak power into what it is today.
On the floor, Erwin looked up, his expression filled with admiration and awe, just like Otta's.
The two praised it in unison:
"Chief Lark—that's amazing!!!"
Ota looked out the window at the half-built, pure white tower and remarked with a sigh:
"To be able to inscribe such a powerful effect on a nearly hopeless cripple like Shana, whose body can only hold one protection, is almost like a custom-made product."
"I must admit, Chief Lark's wisdom is as vast and boundless as the starry sky! He truly deserves to be called the supreme being in the realm of magic!"
“Yes,” Erwin echoed.
"To be able to transform a weak-willed hero into a one-hit wonder is like a miracle, a complete makeover of Duke Moss! And Chief Lak has even created such a miracle twice!"
"At first, I thought it was because the bloodline of the Mino Warriors was too extraordinary, but now it seems that Chief Lak is clearly carrying the burden!"
"A name may be chosen incorrectly, but a title will never be called wrong."
"The Kingdom's guiding star, Chief Lak, truly deserves the title!"
At this moment, Ota and Erwin were absolutely certain that behind everything was the great magician, Chief Mage of the Round Tower, making a contribution!
As for Shana, she was just a lucky one who got carried along.
With Chief Lak around, even Duke Tethermus could take off!
"However, now is not the time to be happy... Our situation has not changed."
After pondering for a long time, Ota quickly pointed out the crux of the problem: "The power of the hero Shana is a double-edged sword. We can use her seemingly comparable strength to Mino to intimidate the demons and other races outside the kingdom."
"But apart from that, we must not use her power lightly, otherwise, once her true nature is exposed, she will be easily targeted—"
"You're right, everything's back to square one..."
Erwin nodded helplessly.
The current Shana perfectly matches their reputation throughout the kingdom, but in reality, just like before, Shana's strength cannot withstand testing. We cannot always rely on her to defeat or eliminate her opponent with a single strike.
Shana, the heroine of calamity, is still only a decorative figurehead. Her power, which only severely injured the demon official, is not enough to crush all traps and conspiracies unless she can unleash more power.
But that realm of gods is beyond the reach of humankind.
In Ota's heart, perhaps only Pope Brad, who wields the god of all weapons, Chief Lark, who has now reached the pinnacle of the magical realm, and his close friend Mino, who can continue to grow, have the hope of reaching that level.
But now, Pope Brad is insane and has fallen from grace, Chief Lac is old and frail and is hindering his efforts, and Mino was captured before he could even begin his mission...