Chapter 416: Perfect Misdirection, Delivering Gifts to the Door

In the royal capital of Aleistre, outside the perimeter of the Night’s Edge headquarters, the main force of the Royal Guard had arrived. Soldiers clad in armor and bearing arms gathered in silence, their expressions grave as they ringed the area, waiting for the spatial seal to dissipate.

Residents passing by quickened their pace; those who paused to watch, upon realizing these were not mere city guards and seeing them standing in silent formation, promptly retreated to avoid trouble.

"One-minute countdown. The spatial seal on the Night’s Edge headquarters will be lifted. Secure the area immediately. Two legends have pre-empted the mission; failure is impossible. Our duty is to finalize the takeover and suppress any fallout."

The commander’s voice resonated through the magi-tech communicators embedded in every soldier’s helmet. After reiterating the priority, he began the countdown.

"10, 9, 8, 7..."

As the count progressed, the surrounding space grew violently unstable. Where there had been only an empty lot, blurred shapes began to slowly materialize.

"4, 3, 2, 1, 0. Target appeared. Execute!"

The countdown ended. The Night’s Edge headquarters, which had been isolated in another dimension, was pulled back by the massive arrays and manifested before them. The commander’s order rang out, and the Royal Guard, legs already coiled, surged forward.

"!?"

Their feet had already struck the ground, and by military law, they could not halt without an order. Yet, shock and bewilderment gripped every charging soldier. What was happening?

There was no Night’s Edge building before them—only a foundation. It was barren; there were no ruins, no structure, nothing that should have been there. It was entirely different from the intelligence provided.

"Cease charge! Disperse and investigate!"

The situation was abrupt, but the commander’s order was timely. The formation slowed, shifting to a cautious advance as they began to probe the empty foundation.

The search took five minutes, prolonged by the soldiers’ extreme caution and the use of detection equipment. The site was unnervingly clean—no buildings, no personnel.

"Target completely vanished, including the structure and all occupants. The two legends are also missing. We cannot establish contact, and they have not reached out to us."

The communications officer relayed the report. The conclusion was absolute: the place was wiped clean. They could not even confirm if the assassination of Shael had succeeded.

"Understood. Any residual energy? Mana traces or Void signatures?"

"None. The area is clean—suspiciously so. Our scanners detect no effective energy traces. We cannot track or locate the missing entities."

The situation had spiraled into the unknown. This exceeded all expectations; in the commander’s planning, failure by two legends was not even a possibility.

He had only categorized the scale of the fallout and the manpower required to suppress it based on the mission’s success.

Now, he faced an inexplicable outcome: everything, including the two legends, had vanished. He knew neither if Shael was dead nor what had transpired.

"…Divide into squads and search the perimeter. Ignore the lack of authorization and the reactions of the Reid family. Kill anyone who resists or denies entry. Confirm Shael Reid’s movements immediately."

After a brief moment of thought, the commander issued his ruthless, efficient orders. The bewildered soldiers sprang into action, executing the command perfectly.

"A troublesome result. Completely beyond expectations. These loose ends are the worst. Pass this up the chain. Two legends… regardless, the Royal alert level must be raised two tiers. This is too abnormal."

The commander summarized the events and sent the intelligence via a private magi-tech line to the Minister of Military Affairs, explicitly requesting an increase in the alert level.

...

Reading the briefing, Minister Gerald’s face turned ghastly. This was his first mission since Prince Doren Charlemagne’s promise, and it should have been foolproof with two legends involved.

"Damn it… what I’ve earned cannot end here."

His expression twisted. The loss of control was agonizing. He pressed his palms to his face, forcing himself to think, and authorized the elevation of the palace alert level.

"No choice. With Night’s Edge and two legends involved, I cannot risk concealing this or solving it alone. I must inform the Prince. Relying on his trusted astrologer is the only way to verify the situation."

Though loath to leave a bad impression on the King, Gerald knew he had no choice but to seek prophecy.

He stood, passed through the layers of guards, and reached the hall where Doren Charlemagne resided, reporting every detail of the mission.

"…Send Serene here. You continue to manage the mission. Until more intelligence is gathered, find those two legends by any means necessary."

Doren Charlemagne was silent for a moment before issuing the order, his tone devoid of emotion.

"Yes!"

Biting his lip in frustration, Gerald hurried to find the Great Astrologer.

As he turned out of the hall, he saw Serene approaching from the side chamber.

"Prince Doren Charlemagne wants to see you."

The exchange was blunt, as was their custom.

"I am aware. The plan has shifted; I have seen it. I must warn the Prince: for the plan to succeed, remember, the Reid family is the key. They hide something very important. Find that object."

Serene replied calmly. It seemed she had foreseen the change and was already coming to see the Prince. Her precognition was as exaggerated as Gerald had feared.

"Understood. Thank you for the warning."

Gerald felt a flicker of relief. He had his next direction. Serene’s ability was useful, though her descriptions were always frustratingly vague.

They parted ways. Gerald rushed to command the excavation of the Reid family’s secrets, while Serene entered the King’s presence.

"Serene, did you not tell me the plan would not falter? Why has it deviated from the blueprint?"

The King’s rebuke was immediate.

"Your Highness, calm yourself. Our plan was to kill Shael Reid and take over Night’s Edge, correct? The current situation does not necessarily mean the plan has failed."

Facing the King’s fury, Serene remained indifferent, as if she had expected this.

"You mean…"

Doren Charlemagne frowned. Serene seemed to be implying something. As he followed her logic, he realized she was right—the failure wasn't confirmed. Did she have another scheme?

"Eliminating Shael Reid is not enough; his family is a nuisance. Their ability will eventually reveal Shael’s fate. Better to deal with them once and for all. I have prepared a great gift for them."

Serene replied with a faint smile, producing an object from her robes.

"Your malice toward the Reid family runs deep. First you had me ostracize them, now you wish to annihilate them. Very well. If it aligns with the plan, I can tolerate your little schemes."

"Now, explain your plan."

Doren Charlemagne was momentarily stunned by the depth of her malice, but he began to understand. She had foreseen this all along.

"Very well."

With a simple response, Serene raised the metal cylinder and activated it. Instantly, a surge of intense Void energy and mana erupted, piercing the palace’s isolation barriers and radiating outward.

"You!?"

Doren Charlemagne, who had been wondering what she held, now asked in shock.

As the wave washed over them, "Serene’s" form and posture—and even the subconscious judgment Doren held of her—began to shift. The familiarity vanished, replaced by a jarring sense of wrongness.

"Damn it, a Falsehood Mask."

Doren realized instantly what had happened. The "Serene" before him was an impostor.

The Falsehood Mask, a relic meant to shield the Reid family’s precognition from knowing of Shael’s death, had been used to disguise someone as Serene.

And the person revealed shocked Doren to his core: it was the knight named Wang Yu!? How could this man be involved? His strength should never have allowed him to participate in an event of this magnitude.

Is this the true measure of Avia’s judgment and strategic foresight? Every step has unfolded exactly as she mapped it out. Naturally, with a seer like Celine at her side, any uncertainty would inevitably lead them to consult her prophecies—a sound choice, indeed, yet one that harbors a fatal flaw.

Marveling at the girl’s cunning, Wang Yu stood before Doren Charlemagne, the stage meticulously set for this very moment. It was time, as agreed, to present the royal family with a grand offering.

High above, the Archangel, swathed in the divine power of the night, unfurled its wings and ignited a halo of sacred light.