NOVPUBInside Gloria’s living room, the dark floor-to-ceiling curtains have been drawn, giving the faintly dim and quiet afternoon a somewhat eerie atmosphere. The only audible sound is the ticking of the wall clock in the corner.
Lanci and Sigrid were silent, communicating merely through their eyes. Gloria, even more anxious, maintained her silence, waiting for them to speak.
"I will need to leave in about fifteen minutes for Herram Broadcasting Company, and afterwards, I have a meeting with Miss Cloris Berenhald. She could provide significant assistance to us."
Lanci finally glanced at the clock in the living room and spoke once more to Sigrid and Gloria.
The upcoming evening interview was critical for increasing his influences in the Protoss Empire. It would allow more citizens of Protoss who had only heard of him but never directly interacted with him to gain a better understanding of Rocky McCarthy.
Before departing from the Protoss Royal Magic Academy towards the north, Lanci had already allied himself with Duchess Cloris —
She provided him with intelligence and assistance, while in exchange, he was tasked with investigating intelligence in the dangerous north.
Although the intelligence Lanci gathered in Bandera City in the North Border Province might not be what Cloris desired, the mere realities of the city and the shadow of an enigmatic figure cloaked in black had substantial value.
This was an initially impossible mission, akin to Major General Fan Leiku’s investigation team. Even if they discovered minor leads, there was no hope of escaping Bandera City, let alone evading the blockade checkpoints in the north and returning to the capital of Herram.
Thus, the material Lanci received for his task held a value no one precisely knew of.
It’s time to discuss the plan to further delay the war in the Protoss Empire with Cloris.
"...!"
Gloria’s face turned even worse upon hearing this.
"What’s wrong?"
Lanci noticed the change in Gloria’s expression.
"Miss Cloris is currently under house arrest at the Duke Berenhald’s mansion on charges of treason. She is forbidden from traveling or contacting anyone until she is proven innocent," Gloria quickly explained.
Although she should have been thrilled to hear Saint Heir mention seeking help from the Duke Berenhald family, it is prudent not to get involved with Cloris at present.
"When did this happen?"
Lanci asked, his brows furrowed.
"About two weeks ago," Gloria answered.
Lanci and Sigrid exchanged a glance.
Two weeks earlier, which was shortly after their encounter with Asksan and the man in the black cloak in Bandera City, North Border Province.
Was this a response from the enemy behind the scenes after their raid and escape in the North Border province, causing Cloris to face similar turbulence?
"What about Duke Morotian?" Lanci asked again.
In his collaboration with Cloris, the most critical piece of information given by Cloris as a sign of trust was related to the disappearance of Duke Morotian.
Lanci had promised Cloris not to disclose this information to anyone else.
The real Duke Morotian has disappeared in the northern part of the empire long ago. Currently, the figure appearing as Duke Morotian is a puppet controlled by Cloris, and she manages all the forces related to the Berenhald family alone. This gives her almost direct influence on the bias in the bishop’s vote happening in a week’s time.
Duke Morotian hasn’t been influenced yet, and for the reputation of his family at this crucial point in the empire, he has made clear that if the treason charges are proven, he will not hide his daughter but plead the empire to execute her."
"?"
The expression on Lanci’s face revealed his confusion.
According to the laws of the empire, the incarcerated Cloris should have been restricted by the imperial authorities in her magic powers and actions, which should render her unable to control the puppet of Duke Morotian, thus preventing the Duke from taking further actions.
If Cloris was not the one manipulating him, then who was the Duke Morotian who surfaced?
"Have you held anything back from me?"
Sigrid stared into Lanci’s eyes, but blaming was not her intention. She knew Lanci was a man who kept his promises; he must have promised Cloris not to reveal some key information to anyone.
Lanci didn’t hide the fact that he had dealings with Miss Duchess Cloris. His large amount of Purple Rareness Encapsulation Magic Cards was acquired with Cloris’ help.
As early as when she sneaked into the Protoss Royal Magic Academy, Sigrid started paying attention to every potential student, Cloris included.
Although Miss Duchess possessed enough qualifications to become Saintness, her acumen was too profound for true loyalty. Sigrid didn’t need a Saintness she couldn’t trust fully.
"The truth is, Duke Morotian disappeared recently. The one who appeared before was a puppet controlled by Duchess Cloris. One of the major parts of my deal with Cloris was to help her investigate the hidden mastermind behind the imperial wars in the North, basically a rescue mission."
At this point, Lanci had no need to hold anything back and he answered honestly.
In order to continue this cooperation, the Hegemony Branch had become an indispensable force.
He had planned to form an alliance between House Berenhald and the Hegemony Branch after his return from the North, meaning this information had to be shared.
Sigrid slightly paused to process the information while Gloria was almost overwhelmed by it.
"Can’t believe this Duchess is this ruthless? I’m kind of admiring her."
Sigrid muttered to herself.
She now understood everything but felt relieved that she never considered Cloris for Saintness. In case the bishop ran into trouble, Cloris, as the Saintness, might be the first to turn her blade against her.
"Normally, all votes controlled by their family will go to us, but now things are uncertain."
Lanci sighed.
The concurrent situations in the Imperial City had eventually led to some unforeseen circumstances.
Those allies behind Asksan, who remained in the shadows, were the most difficult opponents and manipulated the situation.
"So, you had even secured the votes of the Barenhard family for me?"
Sigrid’s lips were slightly agape in surprise.
She thought this young man had laid the foundation for her in the South and won over a whole province in the North, but now it turned out he had also negotiated with the Duke Berenhald in the Imperial City.
When he promised to help her win, he didn’t slack off at all, but instead, worked diligently.
The happiest thing in the world must be that without her knowing, someone had almost accomplished her hegemony for her.
"..."
Gloria looked at Lanci and then at Sigrid, and amid the chaos of receiving and processing the information, she finally understood how formidable this Saint was.
His productivity was a bit too explosive.
It was hard to imagine what he would achieve in the empire given another year.
Gloria was even a little worried that her Bishop might fall for the Saint. He seemed to be an ideal match for the bishop, apart from his age and power.
But Gloria exhaled in relief soon after.
The difference in power effortlessly eliminated him as a potential partner.
Gloria was certain that the haughty bishop of hegemony would never lower her standards for a man weaker than her. At most, she saw the Saint as a boy she was cultivating.
Unless, he becomes so powerful one day that even the bishop needs his support. Only then might she have the slightest possibility to develop romantic feelings for him.
