Chapter 163: The Coming Storm

  The death of Military Minister Count Garcia was not too shocking, because two other more earth-shattering incidents also occurred on the same night.

  The most horrifying happened at Prince Marquem's residence, where that devout royal relative was killed in his bed with a branch piercing through his throat. This incident should have happened earliest, but was discovered last. When servants came to knock on the door to report the news of Count Garcia's assassination, they discovered the prince already dead and stiff in his bed. Blood had long soaked through the velvet bedding. This veteran who had survived a hundred battles, a famous general who had commanded tens of thousands of troops on the battlefield and killed countless Tatalia barbarians and Nighon evil races, had not even struggled or made a single cry or groan. He had not even alarmed the guards at the door, and had silently turned into a corpse. The bedroom window was open, and the branch that had pierced the prince's throat was actually casually broken from a tree not far outside the window.

  In addition, there was General Klose. The commander who had always been responsible for the eastern front line of border troops. The Erathian soldier most familiar with the Barbarian Highlands, who mysteriously drowned in a cesspool behind a tavern. That tavern was one the general frequented daily. Whether it was the waiters, the owner, or the customers inside, they were all people the general had known for years, so it seemed unlikely to be a deliberate trap and murder. But this general's drinking capacity was as famous in Erathia as his command skills. He would never be the kind of drunkard who would fall into a cesspool himself.

  According to later examinations by the church's priests, besides large amounts of alcohol, there were also strange magical fluctuations left in the general's blood. He was actually immobilized by a strange magic, then pushed into the cesspool and drowned alive.

  Erathia was completely plunged into a state of panic and nervousness. Three powerful heavyweights had been assassinated in succession. The Kingdom's Knight Order searched day and night throughout the city for suspicious persons. All ministers were without exception fearful for their own safety, living in seclusion, surrounded by guards at all times. Of course, in such a huge turmoil, those things that didn't seem so important were not very noticeable. For example, a few nobles were also attacked a few days ago, and it seemed some property was stolen, but these pampered young men were vague about who attacked them and what was taken. So no one paid attention.

  The tense atmosphere in the royal palace was especially heavy. The guarding soldiers and mages were five times more than usual. Moreover, as soon as night came, the guards were all as if facing a great enemy, tightening all their nerves to guard against assassins who might jump out from any shadow at any moment.

  However, in the center of the defense perimeter. Around Queen Katherine's bedchamber, there wasn't a single guard.

  It wasn't that no guards were stationed, but because Her Majesty the Queen was in a bad mood these past two days, and suddenly hearing such bad news, she was very vexed, so she wanted some quiet time alone. So she ordered all guards to be withdrawn.

  Such an extraordinary order at such an extraordinary time, no one could understand. But no matter how the ministers and guards tried to persuade her, even two old commanders who had served the queen for many years talked until their mouths were sore and wept bitterly to dissuade Her Majesty, the Queen firmly withdrew the guards around her bedchamber and forbade anyone from approaching.

  Only the head of the Kingdom's Knight Order, who had always been most loyal to Her Majesty the Queen. General Orrin did not join in dissuading Her Majesty. When someone asked him why, he just said lightly: "I only know that Her Majesty the Queen considers things more comprehensively than we do. Her decision naturally has her reasons."

  This statement seemed quite reasonable. Indeed, since Queen Katherine insisted on this, she must have her reasons. As for what those reasons were, no one would be so tactless as to inquire.

  The bedchamber of the Queen of Erathia was absolutely the most noble, beautiful, elegant, fragrant, and imaginative place on the continent. The room was not too large, but every tiny detail showed the countless efforts spent on it. A bed carved from thousand-year-old agarwood, a dressing table inlaid with marble and crystal, the most comfortable tables and chairs, and even the patterns on the floor and walls were carefully pieced together with different materials, perfectly combining elegance and luxury and then expressing it even more perfectly. Dozens of crystal magic lamps, which could be called works of art, on the walls and ceiling illuminated the place as bright as day.

  But now the most distinctive thing here was not the room itself, but the person in it.

  The master was naturally Her Majesty Queen Katherine. Even without considering her unparalleled status. Judging only by her appearance and figure, she was enough to make thousands of people bow before her. And her demeanor, temperament, cultivation. And mind were all unparalleled. So many traits concentrated in such a woman, in the eyes of mortals she could already be considered a goddess.

  But now in this goddess's bedchamber, a man was sitting in front of the bed, helping her comb her hair.

  If this scene were seen by others, the shock would be unparalleled. But it would first be shock, then surprise. Before the surprise, one would first be shaken by the perfect harmony of this scene. This man's appearance, temperament, and demeanor all matched Queen Katherine's. Anyone who saw them would think this was the most perfect couple in the world.

  The clothes on this man were not too luxurious. Because a person like him no longer needed external things to adorn himself. The temperament, radiance, and elegance that emanated from his every move were enough. Even his age was that most charming age for a man.

  "If those assassins really wanted to kill me, they wouldn't first kill those few others to alert us. Such a simple truth, why can't those people see it? It's really annoying. I finally managed to send those people away." Her Majesty the Queen sat in front of the dressing table, frowning at her reflection in the mirror. Her originally thin and thick, slightly raised eyebrows, when furrowed toward the middle, looked like two thin swords amidst her heroic and decisive expression. This bit of sharpness did not appear abrupt on her exquisite, beautiful, and peerlessly stunning face, but instead added a more captivating beauty.

  "There are originally many foolish people in this world." The man smiled faintly. His hands were as slender and white as a woman's, holding an ivory comb that passed through Her Majesty the Queen's brown-red curly hair. His movements were as smooth as silk, his expression pleasant, very much enjoying the feeling of his hands passing through this silky, naturally elastic curly hair.

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  Probably only he himself in the world now had the qualification to enjoy this feeling, which was another even stronger wonderful feeling.

  Her Majesty the Queen sighed and said: "Having to face so many foolish people all day. And having to find ways to arrange and command them, sometimes I really feel very tired."

  The man smiled, continued to comb the Queen's beautiful hair, and said: "If there weren't so many foolish people, how could you be so high above? The most numerous people in this world are foolish people. And the most indispensable are also foolish people."

  "That's true. If everyone were like you, how could I rule this country. So one person like you is enough." The Queen smiled sweetly at the man in the mirror, full of charm. "It's a pity I can't keep you confined, so you can't go anywhere."

  The man buried his face in that pile of brown-red beautiful hair and took a deep breath. Taking all the fragrance of her hair and body into himself, then kissed that jade-like neck, saying: "I've been very busy during this time and haven't come to see you. Are you angry with me?"

  "No. I know you're very busy too. Actually, who isn't busy during this time?" Katherine turned her head to kiss the man's forehead and sighed. "The storm is gathering..."

  "Is Celeste urging you again?"

  "Yes, His Holiness the Pope has already sent an order, requiring me to send troops together with various countries within a month. Oufu probably also knows that this battle is unavoidable, so they simply sent assassins to kill the three military heavyweights who were closest to the church and most important to the battle. Hmph, these people are too bold, daring to assassinate wantonly in the royal city." A trace of coldness flashed between Queen Katherine's brows. But then she sighed again and leaned into the arms of the man behind her. "I'm actually a bit scared."

  The man held the Queen and said softly: "Oh? The king of the largest kingdom in the western continent, Her Majesty Katherine who commands thousands of heroes, can also feel afraid?"

  "Of course. Lancelot and the Temple Knights guard that old man Magnus day and night, so he can naturally sit leisurely in The Radiant Citadel and give orders. Fortunately, old Sedros is not a fool like those ministers under me. He knows that if I die. Erathia will surely lose control nationwide, attacking Oufu regardless of everything, giving the church an opportunity to fully control Erathia. So he doesn't dare to touch me now." The sadness on Katherine's face deepened. "But they just don't dare now, not that they can't. I asked Orrin. Asked him if he had confidence in dealing with Oufu's assassination of me. Do you know what he said? He said if that Oufu general personally came to assassinate me, the only thing he could guarantee was to witness his loyalty to me with his life. You know, he's recognized as the first swordsman of Erathia."

  "Being able to say such things honestly shows that his loyalty to you is absolutely unquestionable." The man nodded.

  "Loyalty is certainly precious, but it doesn't necessarily solve the problem. On one side is the great His Holiness the Pope, on the other side are those dangerous assassins. I'm really making a mess of being this queen." Katherine's tone became more and more mournful, lying in the man's arms like a docile cat. She now looked not like a queen, but a woman.

  Regardless of how this sadness now transformed all her heroic, wise, and deep qualities into a kind of gentle tenderness that only she could possess, just based on her status, such a woman - perhaps the strongest, noblest, smartest, and most capable woman on the continent - showing such an expression could absolutely move any man.

  The man holding this peerless beauty smiled slightly, kissed her forehead, and said lightly: "Don't worry, as a loyal witness to my love for Her Majesty the Queen, both that dead old man from Celeste and those little creatures on the Barbarian Highlands will turn to ashes in the near future. You won't even see them in your dreams."

  In terms of tone, voice, and intonation, this sentence had no hint of power or killing intent, but was said very naturally and gently, more like a promise to a lover. But even Queen Katherine was stunned when she heard this sentence, showing a somewhat incredulous expression as she looked up at the man.

  The man didn't speak, but once again, he kissed Katherine's red lips. He casually waved his hand in the air, and all the lights went out together.

  When the rumbling thunder entered the bedchamber, it no longer had any hint of majesty, drowned by the thick, intoxicating spring scenery inside.

  About a mile away from outside the bedchamber. On a high tower. A man quietly watched the lights of the distant bedchamber go out, coughed lightly a few times, raised his head and drank the strong wine in his glass in one gulp.

  The wind grew stronger and stronger. A sudden thunder mixed with lightning tore the night sky in two, and even the tower trembled slightly before the might of heaven and earth. The wind filled the entire space in the tower. The man moved his gaze from the bedchamber now hidden in darkness to the ink-black sky that had just swallowed the lightning, and said softly: "The weather is changing..."

  The deafening thunder surprisingly couldn't cover the man's casual whisper. The man had a sallow complexion and a sickly appearance, wearing leather armor with a long sword at his waist. He was the head of the Kingdom's Knight Order. The first swordsman of Erathia, General Orrin.

  There was also a middle-aged man in a mage robe sitting in the tower. The patterns on it indicated he was the court mage of the Erathian royal palace. He also glanced in the direction of the bedchamber and asked in a low voice: "Is Her Majesty the Queen still entertaining that guest? Hmph, I don't really like that guy. I saw him once last time, and the magical aura on him made me feel very annoyed."

  "I don't like him either. But as long as Her Majesty the Queen likes him, that's fine." Orrin replied lightly, casually throwing away, the wine glass in his hand fell from the high tower, the sound of it landing drowned out by the increasingly loud wind. "I believe Her Majesty has her reasons for liking him. We just need to do our guard duty well here."

  The mage sighed and also drank the wine in his glass in one gulp. "Do you think just the two of us drinking leisurely here can defend against those assassins? To kill three military heavyweights overnight, I suspect if the Assassin Guild has risen from the ashes again..."

  "The skill of the assassins is undoubtedly unquestionable. But the most crucial part should be in strategy and planning. Oufu had long understood the situations, living habits, and frequent haunts of the three lords, which is why they were able to kill all three in one night. The most crucial thing was the unusually accurate judgment of the three lords' identities - they were exactly the three who had the greatest impact on the combat effectiveness of the kingdom's army. Oufu had been holding back and deliberately showing weakness to the enemy before. Although I had been on guard, I didn't expect this sudden move to still catch us off guard." General Orrin sighed, coughed lightly twice. "If possible. I really don't want Erathia to have such an enemy..."

  "Whether they are our enemies or not is not up to us to decide..." The mage glanced out the window, Her Majesty the Queen's bedchamber was completely invisible, with only boundless darkness and increasingly strong wind that seemed to blow everything away.

  "If possible... I really want to meet those assassins now. Unfortunately, after searching all day today, we haven't found them. I wonder if they will still be here tomorrow."

  The mage's pupils suddenly contracted. "You mean those assassins are still in the royal city now? They've already succeeded, why haven't they left? Could it be... they still want to kill someone?"

  "I just hope it's those who deserve to die." Orrin picked up the wine bottle and poured the strong liquor into his throat, coughing heavily several times, his sallow face glowing with an invisible flush of red in the darkness.

  Another sudden thunder. Bean-sized raindrops finally fell in the strong wind.

  About two or three miles away from the royal palace was St. Peter's Basilica. This was the church's largest church in Erathia, and also its most important stronghold. Cardinal Eschol was stationed here.

  However, in an interlayer at the very top of this tall and magnificent sacred building, an assassin who was being hunted everywhere was hiding there in the darkness.

  After the sudden thunder, bean-sized raindrops beat on the roof, making a sound like frying beans. Gradually, the sound of raindrops, wind, and thunder filled the entire world, drowning out all other sounds. Ethan nodded and said to himself in a low voice: "What good weather."

  Jessica floated over like a ghost, silent and without a trace. She wore black clothes, had black hair, black skin, and black eyes. Even without deliberately hiding in this darkness, she was indistinguishable. The Drows' innate stealth and concealment skills were enough to make them proud against any race's thieves, coupled with their unique infrared vision. They were excellent scouts in the night.

  "Thirteen high-level priests, twenty high-level swordsmen, most of them are near the Cardinal's room." Jessica said softly to Ethan. "Their vigilance is very high, one of the guard leaders is particularly outstanding, I was almost discovered."

  Ethan nodded. After three military heavyweights were assassinated last night, the tension at this time was naturally unavoidable.

  But from another perspective, this was also an opportunity. After killing three ministers and causing an uproar, to actually dare to hide in the royal city without leaving, and continue to target more important targets, such assassins were absolutely beyond anyone's expectation.

  "What about Eschol?" Ethan asked.

  "In his room, but he seems to be waiting for someone."