The wealth “borrowed” from Duke Joseph's manor.
After Elvia's preliminary inventory and valuation, its worth was at least forty million gold coins.
This figure surprised even Lin Gui, and he couldn't help but ask:
“With Duke Joseph's financial power, if he took a fancy to something at the auction, wouldn't it be impossible for anyone to compete with him?”
“He won't participate,” Elvia smiled and explained.
“Because the Royal Auction itself is hosted by him.”
“Many of the so-called 'grand finale items' actually come directly from his treasury.”
“He won't participate at all, and neither will anyone from his faction.”
Over the next two days, Elvia became incredibly busy.
She needed to launder this massive, illicit fortune through secret channels.
She had to convert it into legitimate funds that could be used openly at the auction.
At the same time, she was actively mobilizing her remaining intelligence network.
She was searching for the “Tomb of Catriona” that Lin Gui was so obsessed with.
Even though she still secretly thought it was pure nonsense, what if? If she couldn't pry key information about Roger and Avalon from Eldest Princess Diana, her life would still be in Lin Gui's hands.
It was always better to have multiple contingency plans.
In addition, she specifically reminded Lin Gui to withdraw the ridiculously high-priced “Find the Queen's Tomb” commission from the Adventurer's Guild.
After all, the Adventurer's Guild was basically staffed by her people.
Besides, thinking of the Saintess assassination plan directed at her that the Duke had mentioned,
Elvia's expression turned cold, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
It was also time to have a heart-to-heart with those “loyal ministers” who thought I had lost power and dared to participate in a crazy plan like “assassinating the Saintess” behind my back.
Meanwhile, Lin Gui was not idle either.
Regarding the Queen's Tomb, there was one “person” who absolutely knew its exact location.
That was the System.
“System, how much longer can the residual soul obsession in the Hero's remains hold out?”
【5 days】
The System responded succinctly.
Lin Gui calculated the time.
Five days from now would be the exact day he had agreed to leave the Royal Capital with the North Wind transport team to head for Shield City.
He brought up the delivery route map for the Special Commission again:
【Delivery Route: Withered Rift → Carter Royal Capital → Tomb of Catriona】
“System, where exactly is the Queen's Tomb?”
【This information must be explored by the host themselves】
The System's reply was the same as always.
Lin Gui was not surprised. He changed his approach and continued to ask:
“Then, you are certain it is within the 'Carter Royal Capital', correct?”
【Correct】
“Is it the Carter Royal Capital in the narrow sense, or the broad sense?” Lin Gui pressed.
【???】
The System seemed to lag slightly at this question.
Lin Gui explained patiently: “Does it refer to the main urban area of the Carter Royal Capital city-state, or does it include all the functional areas within its sphere of influence, like the peripheral mining areas, wheat fields, hunting grounds, and so on?”
【...Within the urban area】
The System's response seemed to carry a trace of imperceptible helplessness.
Lin Gui's eyes lit up, grasping the key point: “One last question. Is it buried deep in the ground? An inhumation?”
【...No. A path for the host to directly access it exists】
“Very well,” Lin Gui nodded and asked the final, most crucial question.
“The task goal is to 'deliver' the Hero's remains to the Queen's Tomb. So, how does the System define the boundary of the Queen's Tomb area?”
【???】
This time, the System fell silent for even longer, as if performing complex logical calculations.
After a long while, the cold mechanical voice sounded again:
【With the Queen's sleeping coffin as the center, within a radius of... 1 kilometer, it will be judged as the task completion area】
“Will there be a prompt?”
【Special Commissions will automatically pop up and trigger, just like when you came into contact with Rona.】
【Host, what do you want to do?】
The System's tone rarely carried a trace of human-like confusion.
Lin Gui smiled faintly and revealed a plan that plunged the System into silence once more:
“It's simple.”
“Since there is a one-kilometer radius.”
“Then over these five days, I will carry the remains on my back and fly through the entire surface and known underground spaces of the Carter Royal Capital.”
“A carpet search.”
“A one-kilometer coverage is enough to encompass every high-rise building in the Royal Capital.”
【...Theoretically, if the host insists, there is indeed a possibility of finding the target using this method】
【...Host, keep it up】
The System seemed to be stunned by this simple, crude, yet incredibly effective brute-force method.
In the end, it could only offer a dry word of encouragement.
No sooner said than done.
Lin Gui immediately returned to his stronghold in the Seventh Ring, carefully tying the package containing Reinhardt the Hero's remains to his back.
Then, taking a deep breath, he activated both the 【Shroud of the Gloomy Night】 and 【Levitation】 at the same time.
His figure quietly rose into the air, blending into the sky above the Royal Capital.
He decided to start from the outermost wall of the Seventh Ring.
Like a tireless scanner, he began his orbital flight along the towering fifty-meter-high city walls.
Beneath him, the Carter Royal Capital slowly unfolded like a massive, fractured tapestry.
The outermost layer was the refugee district, where sewage flowed freely and crowded shacks resembled ant nests.
Numb crowds crawled with difficulty within it.
Further in was the slightly more orderly but still dilapidated commoner district, where cooking smoke and the cries of vendors mingled.
Further in, the light of magic lamps gradually brightened, with the villa gardens of the wealthy merchant district dotted in between.
And on the very summit of the core mountain, the castle spires of the palace and noble district loomed indistinctly in the clouds, emitting a cold, forbidding glow.
In this manner, he flew silently above it all.
The remains on his back seemed to resonate faintly with the thousand-year-old secrets of the Royal Capital.
【...Keep it up, host. Theoretically, you can indeed find it. In fact, you have already...】
The System's voice rang in his mind once more, carrying an indescribable tone.
The second day.
Two days until the Holy Church of Light arrived at the Royal Capital.
Four days until the Hero's soul completely dissipated.
Five days until they left the Royal Capital for Shield City.
...
Carter Royal Capital, Fifth Ring, commercial district.
Deep beneath the noise and bustle of the surface, another completely different world lay hidden.
Deep within the damp, dark sewers where sewage flowed, behind a hidden door disguised as a damaged brick wall, a deafening clamor mixed with the pungent odor of cheap tobacco and alcohol rushed out.
“Roll! Roll! Roll!”
“Hahaha! Triples! House wins all!”
“Dammit! Lost again!”
Cheers, curses, and the crisp clinking of dice hitting bone cups were fanatical and chaotic.
This was the illegal underground casino, “Dice and Blood.”
At the same time, it was also an important secret stronghold for the Royal Capital rebels.
Under the dim magic lamps, all kinds of faces were illuminated.
Gamblers with bloodshot eyes stared intently at the tables.
Scantily clad girls carrying drinks wove through the crowd.
Drunks slumped in the corners, dead to the world.
And there were burly guards who seemed to stand around casually, but scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
The air was so foul it was almost stagnant.
Sweat, alcohol, tobacco, and a faint, elusive scent of blood mingled together, creating the unique, depraved atmosphere of this place.
Just then, the heavy curtain at the entrance of the casino was lifted.
A figure draped in a dark cloak that concealed her entire body, yet still revealed her shapely curves beneath, abruptly appeared in this chaotic place.
The originally boisterous noise instantly died down, like a rooster being strangled by the neck.
Countless gazes locked onto the uninvited guest in unison.
Vigilance, malice, unease, anger... all sorts of complex emotions swirled within those eyes.
The woman beneath the cloak seemed to let out a soft chuckle.
Paying no heed to the surrounding stares, she walked straight past the gambling tables toward an even more concealed iron door at the back of the casino.
However, before she could even reach the door, a figure lazily leaned against the doorframe, blocking her path.
It was a man wearing worn leather armor with a shortsword hanging at his waist.
A scar ran across his face, and his eyes held the arrogance and scrutiny characteristic of an adventurer.
The woman stopped in her tracks, and a cold sneer came from beneath her hood.
“You don't recognize me so quickly? Ferguson.”
The man called Ferguson raised his brow slightly, his tone completely flat:
“My apologies, Princess. I belong to Boss Caesar now.”
“You cannot enter.”
Elvia's gaze as she looked at Ferguson instantly flared with almost uncontrollable jealousy and anger, the lines of her face tightening.
Ferguson!
This expert adventurer whom she had spent vast resources and effort nurturing, believing she could bind him tightly with affection and mutual interest!
And the result? After she fell from power and was expelled from the Royal Capital, this guy turned around and joined the rebels, becoming Caesar's lapdog!
She took a deep breath, forcing down her surging emotions, which then dissolved into a deeper, mocking laugh.
What was there to hate?
She should have known long ago that in this swamp of power, there were no so-called loyal subjects.
Even less was there any childish, play-pretend friendship.
There was only naked exchange of interests, and the law of the jungle where the biggest fist ruled.
“Open the door,” Elvia's voice grew cold.
“If you don't want me to report this rat's nest of yours to the Defense Force right now, open the door for me!”
Ferguson was clearly not buying her threat. Still blocking the door, he replied flatly:
“Princess, you won't do that.”
“Exposing this place would also expose the things you collaborated with us on.”
“When that time comes, the first one sent to the gallows will probably be yourself.”
“Hahaha!” Elvia laughed as if she had heard the greatest joke in the world.
“As expected of the 'confidant' I nurtured for years. You indeed know me well!”
But in the next instant, an almost insane determination and fury suddenly erupted from her!
She took a violent step forward, almost pressing herself against Ferguson.
She held out her leather-gloved hand and said, enunciating every single word:
“I will give you five seconds. Open the door.”
“Or, I will leave right now and tell every single person who wants me dead exactly how you plan to assassinate the Holy Saintess of Light and pin the blame on me!”
If it were the old Elvia, she might have weighed the pros and cons, or perhaps backed down.
But now, her life was still in Lin Gui's hands!
Furthermore, she knew about the crazy plan of these rebels to kill her, even at the cost of dragging the entire upper class of the Royal Capital down with them!
What did she have left to fear?!
At worst... at worst, she would just kneel and beg that bastard Lin Gui to take her along on the way to Shield City!
With the protection of that guy's unpredictable concealment abilities, who could find her? Who could harm her?!
Thinking about it this way, being poisoned and controlled by Lin Gui had actually become her greatest life-saving talisman...
Otherwise, she wouldn't even know how she got played to death by her “own people”!
Elvia's completely unexpected, unyielding attitude, along with those earth-shattering words of “assassinating the Saintess,” made the previously calm Ferguson's face change dramatically, his eyes filling with shock and uncertainty.
Just as Elvia's oppressive countdown was about to reach “one,”
“Alright, Ferguson.”
Behind the wooden door, a slightly deep, magnetic male voice drifted out.
“Let our Princess inside.”
Ferguson stepped aside in silence.
Elvia snorted coldly, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and stepped inside.
The room behind the door was even dimmer than the outside, filled with swirling smoke.
The smell of cheap tobacco made her choke, coughing a few times.
She frowned, waving her hand to disperse the smoke in front of her.
In the center of the room, maps and wine bottles lay scattered across a wide wooden table.
A middle-aged man with a savage scar on his face sat on the edge of the table, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
He looked at her with sharp eyes.
He was none other than the rebel leader, Caesar.
At the same time, Elvia also spotted several familiar faces standing behind Caesar.
Those few adventurers possessed powerful auras, their strength having reached the High-tier Transcendent rank.
When their eyes met Elvia's, they all showed a bit of unnatural awkwardness, subconsciously averting their gazes.
Elvia sneered in her heart, but kept her face expressionless.
She walked straight over to sit opposite Caesar, pulling up a chair and speaking with sarcasm:
“I didn't expect that during the brief moment I left the Royal Capital, Mr. Caesar would 'invite' all of my most capable warriors over. What a brilliant move.”
Caesar chuckled, blowing out a ring of smoke, his tone flat but brook no argument:
“Everyone uses their own methods. A person has to live for themselves, don't they, Seventh Princess?”
Elvia's eye twitched slightly, but she did not press further on this matter.
She knew very well that as the woman known as the “Lioness” in the Carter Royal Capital, although she possessed excellent political acumen and vision, armed force had always been her shortcoming.
Now that her top-tier fighting force had been virtually emptied, she didn't have the capital to cause trouble even if she wanted to.
Her risky visit today was not to pursue their betrayal.
“Caesar,” Elvia leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying a cold interrogation.
“Should I call you stupid, or foolish? You actually dare to plot the assassination of the Holy Church of Light's Saintess? And you fucking want to use my name to do it?!”
The moment these words were spoken, a sharp gleam flashed in Caesar's eyes.
The several Transcendent adventurers behind him instantly released their powerful auras, faintly sealing off the exit.
Unconcealed murderous intent filled their gazes as they looked at Elvia.
The air inside the room suddenly froze.
Elvia, however, smiled with complete indifference, even leisurely crossing her legs.
Since she dared to enter the tiger's den alone, she naturally had a trump card.
Caesar stared intently at Elvia, slowly crushing his cigarette butt against the tabletop, his voice low and dangerous:
“How... did you find out about this?”
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