In the back room of the Borgia family's communication room, three people were chatting and laughing about mundane matters.
It was as if nothing had happened.
Yet at this moment, Moonrise City had completely descended into chaos.
Soldiers were patrolling everywhere on the streets, including the city's garrison and the private army of the nobles.
Even the Adventurers' Association had gotten involved, leaving the streets in a state of utter disorder.
Wherever one looked, there was nothing but confusion.
"Have you still not found her? Can a person just vanish into thin air!?"
Casma barked at General Bill, who was standing before him.
Bill knelt on the ground with his head bowed, feeling a sense of helplessness in his heart.
They had been searching for so long, covering every possible location based on the clues provided by Keane from the South Gate transport agency.
Yet, they had found absolutely nothing.
This made him feel quite lose face.
However, he was also very curious in his heart.
Just who was this person that could make most of the nobles in Moonrise City this nervous?
"Young Master, this isn't the way to go about it."
Kent, standing beside Casma, saw the grim expression on his master's face and understood that the situation was not optimistic.
As a servant, if he could help his master at a time like this...
His future would be boundless.
At that thought, his eyes darted around.
The smile on Kent's face grew even wider.
When the fuming Casma turned around and saw his servant's lewd, wretched smile, his anger flared even higher.
"You're laughing!?"
With a sharp smack, the smile instantly vanished from Kent's face.
A heavy backhand slap left him dazed.
"Tell me, what are you smiling at? If you can't give me a reason today..."
Casma narrowed his eyes slightly. Because he couldn't find the Saintess, he was nearly unable to restrain the fury in his heart.
This Saintess had suddenly undergone a total shift in her demeanor three months ago.
Back then, he had secretly thought to himself that things were looking bad.
She had transformed from a puppet Saintess into one who could handle everything herself.
Furthermore, almost every decree she issued seemed to target the nobility. No matter how one looked at it, the situation was wrong.
It wasn't until the Garnet family suddenly collapsed that almost all the nobles realized one thing in an instant.
This Saintess seemed to be planning something big!
And this matter would likely cause them, the nobility, to vanish into the long river of history.
Once they realized this, most of the nobles began to grow wary.
Having occupied a country for nearly a thousand years, these nobles were no fools.
Knowing they were about to be targeted, they naturally moved to take action first.
However, that rebellion had ended in failure.
All the nobles suffered heavy losses, as no one expected the Saintess to return in such a manner.
The result was that everyone had to endure in silence for the time being; otherwise, they would only be rushing to their own deaths.
Yet this time, she actually dared to lead an army to subjugate the demon island.
The nobles instantly became active again.
Over in Brilliant City, they had already begun to move.
As long as the Saintess didn't return, they could incite civil unrest in Brilliant City.
When that happened, the nobles would protest collectively.
Even the Pope would have to take it seriously.
As long as they toppled Lola and Augus, the Saintess's close confidants...
Then wouldn't the Kingdom of the Moon complete its transition from divine authority to noble power?
This was absolutely a good thing!
But... the premise was the key point that 'the Saintess is dead'.
If this wasn't achieved, then their vision could never be realized.
To reach that step, they could not let the Saintess return under any circumstances.
Now, this was all he could do.
The other families understood the situation as well and had sent out their troops.
Since the law couldn't punish the masses, the Saintess wouldn't dare to kill everyone even if she knew where the problem lay.
In fact, she might only kill a small portion of people.
It would be to make an example of them.
Actually, the nobles knew the Saintess wanted to consume them, yet she currently had no choice but to rely on them.
Casma understood the intricacies of this very well.
Originally, he had accepted this mission with great joy.
After all, the rumored strength of the Saintess wasn't that great, and he had a powerful expert by his side.
It would be enough to suppress the Saintess for a short time.
And then, kill her!
Destroy the body and eliminate the evidence, leaving no witnesses.
You say the Saintess is alive and was killed by them?
Where is the body?
Where is the evidence?
When the time came, even if the Pope learned the news, he would have to weigh his options first.
Although the nobles of each nation had their own circles, the nobility as a whole formed a larger circle.
It was very difficult for divine authority to integrate into this circle.
If the Pope wanted to strike at the nobles of the Kingdom of the Moon, the nobles of other nations would not allow it.
So the key lay in whether the Saintess was seen alive by people of the Holy Church.
Casma had taken on this task.
If he succeeded, Casma would likely be the next great official of the state.
If he failed, Casma, along with the Borgia family branch in Moonrise City, would all die together.
An ordinary person might have given up after weighing the pros and cons.
But he was different.
He had ambition!
He wanted power, more power, and even greater power!
However, once he learned of the changes in the current Saintess, he realized one thing.
If this Saintess did not die, he, as a descendant of the Borgia family, would never possess true power.
And now, this was the best opportunity!
If he didn't grasp it, someone else would snatch it away!
So, he had stepped forward.
His goal was only one thing—to kill the Saintess!
It wasn't that the other nobles didn't know how dangerous this was, but everyone understood.
Once it was done, the future of whoever did it would be limitless.
Yet Casma had already fallen into a state of anxiety.
Just a moment ago, someone had reported that the dragon cavalry regiment from Brilliant City had moved.
News like this couldn't be hidden; Dragon City was such a large city.
Furthermore, it was the current Saintess's direct army.
Such an army naturally had noble spies watching from the outside.
Connecting the recent communication with the timing of the dragon cavalry regiment's movement...
And the news from the demon race.
It was almost certain that the woman he had seen who 'resembled the Saintess' was the Saintess herself!!
Though he didn't know how she survived in the sea and drifted hundreds of kilometers to Moonrise City...
Now, the only thing he could do was to reach the peak or end up in a place of no return!
"What are you laughing at!!"
"Ma, Master, I didn't mean it that way. Listen to me, I have an idea!"
Casma couldn't help but pause upon hearing this, slowly lowering the foot he had already raised.
"Speak! What idea? If it doesn't satisfy me, you know what the consequences will be."
"I know, I know."
Kent quickly stood up, bowing like a sycophant.
"Young Master, let me explain it to you in detail."
"Speak quickly!"
"Don't be in such a hurry, we have to take it slow."
He seemed to be intentionally keeping him in suspense. Casma's brow furrowed slightly as he perceived Kent's intention.
He rubbed his chin.
"Speak. As long as this idea is useful, I'll give you an official position in a small city, or... I can also take you in as a retainer."
There were retainers among the nobility, and these retainers would often take their master's surname to become an adjunct to a noble family.
Once one became a retainer, it was equivalent to gaining noble status, even if one wasn't part of the main family.
This was one of the few upward paths for ordinary people nowadays.
Upon hearing this news, the smile on Kent's face grew even wider.
"Thank you for your cultivation, Young Master! Thank you, Young Master! Kent kowtows to you!"
He knelt down as he spoke, knocking his head against the floor with a thud.
"Get up and speak quickly. What is the idea?"
"Hehe, Young Master, to put it simply, it's actually quite easy."
"Oh? How so?"
"The one we're looking for is a woman, right?"
"Yes, and so what?"
Kent grinned.
"Then let me ask a bold question. This woman being able to hide in Moonrise City for so long isn't due to her own ability, is it?"
Vaguely, Casma seemed to understand something.
"You mean..."
"It's that Izzy. From what you've said, that woman has no weaknesses, but this Izzy... he's a bit different."
Casma's brow furrowed tightly.
"Continue."
"Yes."
Kent nodded hurriedly.
"Look, that socialite Aiya we captured earlier has a special relationship with this Izzy, right?"
Casma stared at Kent with narrowed eyes, making him not dare to play coy any longer.
"We might as well use our brains on this Aiya. This Izzy cares a lot about her, so it's simple."
At this point, a savage look suddenly appeared on Kent's face.
"Tie this Aiya to a burning stake and force that Izzy to come out. Once he comes out... won't the woman he's hiding naturally come out as well?"
"Hiss... hmm."
Casma took a deep breath and glanced up at the savage look on Kent's face.
Who would have thought this boy actually had such quick wits?
Although this method was somewhat contemptible, it was indeed a good plan.
"But what if he doesn't come out?"
The corners of Kent's mouth split open even wider, and the ruthlessness in his eyes was enough to make one's skin crawl.
Even Casma, his master, couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle upon seeing this expression!
"Master, do you remember what that Keane said?"
"Said what?"
"That Izzy... seems to have a precious sister. She's been bedridden for many years? If we put her on the burning stake as well, hehe~ tell me, will he come out then?"
Casma slowly closed his eyes, already thinking about how to bring Kent's family under his control.
He would use them to control Kent.
If all else failed, he could also sign a slave contract to make him a slave, ensuring he couldn't escape his grasp.
It wasn't that Casma lacked the capacity to tolerate others, but Kent's behavior was indeed somewhat beyond expectations.
"Young Master, look..."
"Very well, I am very satisfied with this matter."
Casma nodded and glanced at Kent again. Although his methods were ruthless, at least he could be controlled.
Because this Kent wanted power and money.
As long as there was desire, he was easy to control.
"Go and do this right now. I'll give you fifty elite guards. Take a magic airship to Luocheng immediately and make sure to be back before dawn!"
According to the time calculations, the dragon cavalry regiment would arrive at approximately eight in the morning.
It was now nearly three o'clock, with less than five hours remaining.
No matter what, the Saintess could not be allowed to live past those five hours!
"So soon? Young Master, this time is too, too tight, isn't it?"
Kent was a bit panicked. After all, there was simply not enough time to make a full trip.
"You don't need to worry about that. The Kingdom of Sand's latest magic airship is docked at the port. It's only a hundred kilometers from here to Luocheng. A round trip plus finding the person is more than enough time within three hours."
Ordinary giant magic airships had a speed of about fifty to sixty kilometers per hour, and would not exceed eighty even at full speed.
But this new type of magic airship, although small in size, had a speed that surged to a hundred and thirty kilometers.
At its fastest, it could reach a hundred and sixty kilometers.
With such speed, it was entirely possible to make a round trip between Luocheng and Moonrise City within two hours.
Including the time to find the person, three hours was no problem.
Casma took a gold token from his waist.
"This is my command token. Take it, go to the airport at the port, and be quick. If you succeed... it will count as a great service!"
"Yes, Master!!"
Kent gave a sharp shout and respectfully took the token. Then he turned around and yelled in a shrill voice:
"Master's command token is here! Fifty elite guards, come with me!!"
Seeing his act of flaunting his borrowed authority, the corner of Casma's mouth curled into an arc.
Heh! In the end, he's still just a servant!
Casma shook his head and turned to look at the soldiers searching all over the streets.
"Everyone, continue the alert and keep searching."
After saying that, he ran directly toward a building.
Aiya was being held here under house arrest.
And Aiya, trapped in prison, was even more worried about Izzy and Luo Li.
The nobles in the city were now searching for their whereabouts like madmen.
As the Saintess had said, no matter what, as long as they held out until dawn, they would win.
Around eight o'clock, the dragon cavalry regiment would descend from the sky.
Faced with a regular army, and the only dragon species unit in the history of the Holy Church...
Casma didn't believe the nobles had the ability to resist.
So, the time had already been limited. If this matter was completed before eight in the morning, it would be a victory.
Casma looked back toward a hotel.
It was a property under his Borgia family, and also the location where that Aiya was being held under house arrest.
At this moment, Aiya held firm to her convictions.
No matter who asked or how they asked, she would not give up Izzy and the Saintess.
Furthermore, she was certain in her heart that Casma wouldn't dare do anything to her without absolute certainty.
That she could survive and live so well was an arrangement made by Lord Byron to stabilize the hearts of the minor nobles.
She was like a banner, telling the other minor nobles:
'I am protecting you, don't be afraid'.
I wonder how the Saintess and Izzy are doing.
Looking at the soldiers searching house to house on the street outside the window, Aiya's heart was filled with worry.
Below, squads of soldiers marched through the streets; chaos had become the main theme of the moment!
And on this chaotic street, Aiya's gaze involuntarily locked onto a person.
Seeing him, Aiya's pupils couldn't help but shrink suddenly.
This person was one of the few among the nobles of Moonrise City she knew who possessed soaring ambition.
He could be considered an elite figure among the nobility.
Whenever she faced this Casma, she always had the illusion that her thoughts were being seen through.
She didn't know if it was true, but it was enough to make her full of vigilance when facing Casma.
Why would he come here?
Had he not gone to search for Izzy and the Saintess?
Was it because he had no clues and wanted to find them from her?
But her response just now should have been foolproof.
As she was thinking, a knock came from the door. Then, Casma entered without asking, a gentle smile on his face, looking like he was in high spirits.
"Miss Aiya, are you... satisfied with this room?"
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