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Chapter 18: Having played the aphrodisiac and the scheme enough, I discussed with my sisters and wives how to start a new game.
The stone walls of the frontier fortress stood silent in the biting wind. Dim, yellow torchlight flickered across the long table in the meeting room, casting the silhouettes of three figures: Minister of Military Affairs Jardin, Bishop Haraldin of the Holy Light Church, and General Ryan, the fortress commander who had previously been in charge of detaining Yeli.
The Minister sat at the head of the long table, dressed in a deep blue military robe, his hair combed meticulously and his gaze as sharp as a hawk's. On the wall behind him hung a map of the Crystal Kingdom, with the frontier marked by a prominent red dot. The Bishop sat opposite him; his white robe was embroidered with a golden cross. His expression was cold, and his eyes held a hint of disdain, as if he did not hold high hopes for this meeting. General Ryan stood to the side, clad in heavy armor with a sword at his waist. His fingers unconsciously brushed the hilt, clearly uneasy about the confrontation between these two powerful figures.
"Lord Bishop, I appreciate you accepting the invitation and traveling such a long distance. It has been hard on you," the Minister spoke first, his tone steady but probing. His slender fingers tapped the tabletop in a crisp, rhythmic cadence. "The conditions at the frontier are simple; I hope for your forbearance."
The Bishop gave a cold snort, his gaze sweeping over Jardin with an unfriendly tone. "Enough with the pleasantries and nonsense. Meeting me at such a strategic frontier location—surely it isn't just for small talk?" His voice was low, carrying the usual majesty of a Bishop, while a flash of wariness crossed his eyes. "I am more interested in knowing why you chose this ghost of a place for a secret meeting. This is the kind of place where one could truly die at any moment."
Hearing this, General Ryan frowned slightly and interjected, "Lord Bishop, the defensive line at the frontier is personally guarded by me. The Hero has already repelled the Demon King's army that was stationed here. You can rest easy." His voice was rugged, carrying a soldier's decisiveness, but there was still a trace of unease in his eyes. He clearly understood the purpose of this secret meeting but was unwilling to state it plainly.
The Minister waved his hand, signaling Ryan to be patient, as the smile on his lips deepened. "Lord Bishop, General Ryan is correct. Though the frontier is dangerous, it is currently the safest place in the Kingdom—at least, far from the eyes and ears of the capital." He paused, his gaze piercing the Bishop, his tone suddenly dropping low. "You should know better than I what the capital has become lately."
The Bishop narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "The capital? Hmph. A fatuous King and a power-hungry Consort—it's no secret. But what does that have to do with the Holy Light Church? Our goal has always been to subjugate the Demon race, not to get involved in your messy rebellion." His tone carried a hint of mockery, having clearly perceived the Minister's intentions long ago. "And you, as the Minister of Military Affairs holding half the Kingdom's military power—you're thinking of seizing power now? Do you really want the Crystal Kingdom to collapse even faster?"
A cold glint flashed in the Minister's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He stood and slowly paced to the map, pointing to the capital's location. "Lord Bishop, you misunderstand. I have never thought of creating chaos, much less pushing for its collapse. Rather, I intend to save it." He turned around, his gaze like a blade. "Do you know how the current Consort, Mengli—a woman who only arrived in the capital recently—was able to take the position of Consort so quickly? And how she managed to get her hands on military and political power in such a short time? The King follows her every word, allowing her to grasp authority, even attempting to interfere with my military command."
The Bishop frowned, his tone remaining cold. "But what does this have to do with us? The greatest enemy right now is the Demon King's army. If I'm correct, the 'Blood' and 'Phantom' armies have gathered at the frontier and could attack at any moment. As the Minister of Military Affairs, you know full well that two major cadres of the Demon King's army are attacking with their troops, yet instead of thinking about defending against external foes, you're here plotting internal strife. Don't you find that absurd yourself?"
The Minister gave a light laugh and sat back down, pointing his finger at the frontier on the map. "Absurd? Lord Bishop, do you know why I chose to meet at the frontier? Because the capital has been infiltrated! Behind the Consort lies a greater conspiracy." He paused, his tone suddenly dropping to a whisper. "Have you not noticed that the Hero's behavior is becoming increasingly abnormal? And as for his Divinity System—has your Church truly maintained full control over it?"
Hearing this, the Bishop's pupils shrank slightly, and a flash of wariness appeared in his eyes, though he remained outwardly calm. "Divinity was established to counter the Demon King, to gather all strength and awaken the Ancient God. This is the highest secret of the Holy Light Church. How did you come to know of it?"
The Minister's lips curled into a calculating smile. "Lord Bishop, you aren't the only one who knows the secrets of the Holy Light Church. Besides, this matter had the King's nod of approval." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Bishop. "Yeli, the Demon King's wife, a high-level existence—giving up such great conditions to essentially start over, betraying the Demon King and defecting to the Hero? She claims the Demon King destroyed her race, but tell me, why would the Demon King exterminate the Vampires, who are also of the Demon race? Even more suspicious is that when I was questioning that Yeli, the Consort spoke up for her, showing no defensiveness at all. Is that normal?"
Hearing this, the Bishop's brow furrowed. After a moment of silence, he spoke coldly, "Are you suggesting the Hero has been turned? Or is Yeli playing some kind of trick?" His tone carried a hint of probing; he had clearly become interested in the Minister's words.