Chapter 412: Astrologer, Eradication Plan

The great hall fell back into silence after Gerald’s departure. Doran Charlemagne sat enthroned, half his form swallowed by shadow, rendering his indifferent features impossible to discern.

"Your Highness, what is it you require of me this time? Is it regarding further prophecies?"

The Grand Astrologer Serene emerged from the side chamber, bowing respectfully to the monarch, though the true sentiment behind her demeanor seemed to have drifted slightly from what it once was.

"What is the meaning of this business with the Dragon Cult? Why have they perished on such a massive scale so suddenly? Could this possibly interfere with the execution of our future plans?"

He posed the questions derived from Gerald’s intelligence, his tone sharp; such a bizarre method of mass death could not fail to rouse his vigilance.

"You need only know that this is merely the aftershock of a certain upheaval. It will not affect your upcoming plans, so there is no need for concern. Should any prophecy arise that might threaten your grand undertaking, I shall inform you at once."

Serene’s tone remained as respectful as ever, yet the subtext of her words was a clear instruction for Doran Charlemagne to cease his inquiries into the matter.

"Tell me. I need to know the true nature of these alien races with whom we have forged this alliance."

His brow furrowed, and a flicker of suppressed rage surfaced in Doran Charlemagne’s emotions, though he did not let it fully erupt.

"..."

"Very well. Your will is the path I follow."

After a barely perceptible pause, Serene bowed, expressing her submission and ceasing to interfere with any of Doran Charlemagne’s decisions.

"Good."

His furrowed brow smoothed, the

flicker of rage dissipating with suspicious haste; he was deeply satisfied with Serene’s compliance.

"You may view them as derivatives of a certain existence. Their physical forms were already in place, but the consciousnesses that filled and manipulated those shells were created and placed there by that Great Existence."

"He released his control over those consciousnesses, allowing them to develop and grow on their own, eventually evolving into the state of the 'Dragon Cult' as you know it."

"However, the existence that shaped their 'consciousness' has now vanished entirely. Consequently, these consciousnesses lost the power that sustained them and withered away, leaving behind only those hollow husks."

Serene spoke coolly of the cause of the cultists' deaths, the identity of the "Great Existence" involved left unspoken but understood.

"An entity possessing such power—how could it simply vanish? Tell me everything else you know."

Listening with grave intensity as Serene explained the demise of the cultists, Doran Charlemagne caught the scent of deeper information, prompting him to press for more without hesitation.

"You are aware of the collapse of the Tide Barrier, are you not? The two events are closely linked. But as for the nature of the Tide Barrier itself, its specificities are such that even if I were to explain them in detail, you would not understand. After all, you are no wizard."

Serene replied dismissively, refusing to elaborate on his questions and instead informing him that the truth was beyond his grasp.

"I am no wizard; if the matter runs too deep, I indeed cannot comprehend it. So be it. Now, regarding the upcoming plan to purge

the Night’s Edge, have you foreseen anything further?"

This time, upon hearing the perfunctory answer, Doran Charlemagne did not press further; he seemed no longer to mind Serene’s refusal to answer him directly.

"The stars have revealed nothing more, which implies there will be no significant changes. All of this remains within the scope of your and Gerald’s plans. A royal house possessing several legendary combatants—could it truly fear the current strength of the Night’s Edge, which holds nothing beyond high-ranking Great Knights?"

With a hint of a smile, Serene curled her lips, calmly indicating the direction she had "seen."

"Indeed. But in truth, I remain concerned about the faith within the Night’s Edge: the God of Light and the other deity, the God of Night. The avatar of the God of Fear was dealt with by the God of Light, while that God of Night has never struck directly. The combat power of gods cannot be factored into the plan’s estimates."

Having received Serene’s confirmation, Doran Charlemagne felt at ease; it seemed the operation against the Night’s Edge would face no major obstacles. He voiced his greatest concern, for it was she who had proposed the second phase of the Divine Corpse project.

"You may rest easy on that point. The conditions for the God of Light to intervene are extremely harsh, a result of the very nature of the Church of Light. As for that God of Night, He possesses almost no offensive means; at most, He can cause interference."

"Furthermore, you must understand that these gods may be more powerful than you imagine, and harder to kill than you think, yet they are far less difficult to influence than you might suppose.

So, do not worry. Even if an accident occurs, I shall provide you with the means to resolve it."

The curve of her lips deepened, Serene making no effort to mask her expression as she answered, and the monarch upon the throne seemed not to care.

"Very well. Then let the operation proceed. As long as I sit upon this throne, there shall always be a seat for you by my side."

He raised a hand slightly, signaling the Grand Astrologer to withdraw, and Doran Charlemagne ended the conversation with a reciprocal promise.

"Indeed. I hope you can assure me that you will always occupy this seat. As long as you remain upon the throne, Alastair shall have no existence capable of threatening you."

Bowing, her words filled with faint threads of joy—though this joy of Serene’s clearly shared no common source with the joy of Gerald.

"That goes without saying. Once the organization known as the Night’s Edge is erased, the Royal House will hold absolute mastery over this kingdom. Afterward, I shall gradually strip the four border dukes of the authority that rightfully belongs to me. By then, this kingdom will be an unbreakable monolith."

"You need only assist me in reaching this goal. Since I have followed your advice and excised the unstable element of the Lyde family, I shall grant you my full trust. Do not disappoint me."

Doran Charlemagne spoke of the realization of his future plans with an air of absolute certainty.

"As you wish. Everything shall proceed according to the original plan."

Lifting her head, Serene’s

eyes, brilliant as the starry sky, gazed toward Doran Charlemagne, who was receding into the shadows.

Yes, recent events would not affect the progress of the plan; in a sense, they had even served to accelerate it. Let the plan continue along its predetermined path.

...

At the Night’s Edge headquarters in the Royal City, Charles was busy processing various documents in his office, the papers piled high upon his desk.

Though he looked miserable, as if in the throes of agony, he was nonetheless meticulously reviewing the contents, issuing directives and coordinating personnel based on the information.

"Bloom, a wizard in the West District is on the verge of collapse due to Void erosion. Take a team and wait there; minimize the destruction he causes."

Seemingly struck by a thought, Charles looked up and issued a rapid order to the current civil official of the Night’s Edge, instructing him to notify the local squad to handle the impending accident.

"Understood."

The middle-aged official looked up, responding directly and simply before opening a magical communication device to relay the information Charles had obtained from some unknown source.

The members of the Night’s Edge seemed accustomed to their superior’s sudden commands; the ability of the Lyde family’s Fate-Weavers to perceive destiny was known within certain circles, and as the future head of the Lyde house, Charles’s talent was particularly prominent.

"Tch, why so many issues all of a sudden? A noble is about to be assassinated in the central district—a viscount. Looks like a vendetta. Send men over immediately, and investigate the matter for me."

"

The sewers—a Changeling Lord from the Beast Forest has infiltrated via a merchant caravan. I’ll mark the perimeter; have the City Guard resolve the issue."

Charles’s magic pen skated rapidly across the paper, pausing several times; with each pause, he relayed another seemingly unrelated piece of information to the official.

"Wait, one more thing. Why is there trouble nearby? It looks like internal strife within the City Guard. Tch, those fools have dragged out strategic equipment; if they use it, who knows how many will die. Have Gilbert lead the team; use the usual people, they’re reliable."

Just as he intended to continue with the files, his brow knit together sharply. The number of accidents today seemed to exceed his expectations. For the incident about to occur nearby, he chose without hesitation to send the veteran Gilbert.

"Hmm? Who are these two? Entering the Night’s Edge headquarters without authorization? Are they special envoys sent by Prince Charlemagne?"

His gaze pierced through the floor to the level below, where Charles noticed two figures walking straight into the building. Upon seeing them, the ordinary members and guards of the Night’s Edge merely nodded slightly, making no move to intercept them.

He had been focused on the obvious accidents, and the entry of these two unremarkable figures had been overlooked by Charles until now.

"What are you doing?"

His voice was heavy with gravity. Bloom’s sudden movement made Charles’s expression darken. He picked up a crystal etched with complex magic runes and activated it; the next moment, the entire Night’s Edge headquarters was filled with the sound of alarms and the crashing of descending iron gates.

"I do not know who these two intruders are, and His Majesty has never authorized any special envoy to enter. Their identities are highly suspicious. They must not be allowed to escape. I am sealing the headquarters and will have our forces eliminate them."

Bloom replied with cold, emotionless detachment, yet the implications of his words were grave indeed.

"A fine speech. But I can’t tell who this 'sealing' is actually meant for."

Charles’s expression was grim, his words laced with sarcasm. All of this, he realized, was meant for him.