[Vol. 7] Chapter 49: Variables and Unheard Secrets
Hongyan’s plan was simple.
The tentacles formed by Willipol were certainly eerie, but they hadn’t shown an overwhelming level of power that was impossible to counter. The real problem was their sheer number, their relentless attacks, and the fact that the battle was taking place in such a cramped space. On top of that, the team had to protect Nitila, which stretched their strength thin and made things much harder.
By opening up the space, especially after destroying the ceiling and nearly half the walls, the number of surfaces these tentacles could latch onto was greatly reduced. With more room to move and only needing to defend against attacks from the front, their situation became significantly more manageable.
"Whew~"
After leading the tentacles on a long chase, the thief girl returned to Hongyan’s side, completely unharmed. She glanced at the teammates who had gathered around, then at the shattered walls and debris scattered everywhere. With a somewhat surprised yet overly smug expression, she patted the swordswoman’s shoulder.
"Not bad, Little Hongyan! You’ve been getting stronger lately. What exactly has the boss been teaching you? I’m starting to get a little jealous, hahaha~"
The gray-haired girl brushed Le Qiaoqiao’s hand off and rolled her eyes.
"If I remember correctly, you’re only seven months older than me. That whole ‘wise senior’ tone really doesn’t suit you."
"Seven months is still older! Besides, without my amazing distraction skills just now, could you have pulled this off?"
Shaking her head in exasperation, Hongyan decided to stop wasting energy on this walking ball of chaos. Instead, she turned her attention to Queen Anies and the others, who had successfully regrouped.
The tentacles buried under the rubble seemed to be regaining their shape, but for now, they weren’t launching any new attacks, giving Hongyan a brief moment to check in on the others.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Queen Anies belonged to the Mingjiao royal family, marked by the six tear streaks on her face, a symbol of status rather than power. In terms of pure strength, she might not even be stronger than her elite royal guards, each of whom had reached the Sky-tier level.
On top of that, she was a mage, not a frontline fighter. She had already taken some injuries during the chaotic battle, and though her expensive-looking gown had minor tears and damage, she still maintained her regal composure. At the moment, she was using water magic to heal her wounds while leaning on Alex for support, her dignified aura as a queen remaining largely unshaken.
"It's nothing, just a surface wound, I have some history with Willipol. Even if he's lost his mind, he won’t try to kill me right away. However..."
Following her gaze, everyone instinctively turned toward the barrier in front of them.
Despite Rashid seemingly giving it his all, he was still unable to stop the ritual from proceeding. The tentacles that had once bound and suspended Nitila had retreated, yet the young bride remained floating in midair as if held up by some invisible force.
Beneath her feet, a magic circle, perfectly aligned with the barrier, glowed with a deep blue light, drawing something out of Nitila while simultaneously injecting something else into her.
Her face twisted in pain, and her long hair took on an increasingly unnatural hue. The aura emanating from her surged explosively, far beyond what should have been possible for Princess Nitila of the Mingjiao tribe. It was as if she were gradually transforming into a being of much higher existence.
The Queen muttered gravely under her breath, "A god… reviving? I never expected my daughter to have such extraordinary potential..."
"Of course she does," a voice cut in.
"Nitila’s bloodline is the purest the Mingjiao royal family has seen in a thousand years, the closest to our ancestral origins. Her very existence is a miracle. Without her, this plan wouldn’t have even been possible."
Willipol’s voice echoed as his form reappeared not far away. It seemed he could freely shift between his tentacled state and a more cohesive form, his very being now warped into something no longer resembling a merfolk, something monstrous.
A being touched by a god.
The former King of the merfolk barely paid attention to Rashid, who was still working to break the ritual with the [Book of Truth]. Instead, he simply took slow, deliberate steps toward the group.
"Without her unparalleled bloodline, the [Book of Truth] would never have acknowledged her. She wouldn’t have been able to reach this true realm we now stand in. She was chosen to become the new god. Your resistance is utterly meaningless."
Queen Anies frowned slightly. However, since Willipol wasn’t making any move to interfere with Rashid, she didn’t rush into battle either. Instead, she responded coolly, "The [Book of Truth] is an artifact that cannot be replicated. Since the one in the royal palace was stolen by you, how did Nitila come into contact with it?"
Willipol simply smiled.
"Heh, Queen Anies, aren’t you supposed to be smart? Why not try figuring it out yourself? Besides, reality has already proven that the [Book of Truth] isn’t unique. Our so-called Pirate King… doesn’t he also wield a similar power?"
"....!"
Rashid’s hands faltered slightly at these words, as if shaken. He seemed about to speak, but Anies immediately furrowed her brows and gave him a firm, commanding look, telling him to stay focused and not be distracted. Then, she shot back with a sharp retort.
"Willipol, we’ve known each other for decades. Do you really think such a low-level attempt at sowing discord would work on me? You’re putting on this act, pretending to be completely in control, calm and collected… but are you really as confident as you appear?"
"There’s something I’ve been wondering ever since this whole thing started. Your ghostly forces are still attacking different parts of the sea, which means your preparations aren’t even complete yet. So why did you suddenly rush this plan? Why capture Nitila so hastily and start the ritual right away?"
"What was it that forced you to act in such a hurry?"
For a brief moment, the former King of the merfolk flinched, his expression shifting ever so slightly. But Anies ignored his reaction, keeping a composed and thoughtful demeanor as she continued her analysis.
"At first, this seemed like a complicated question, but the answer is actually quite simple. You have the [Book of Truth], which means the only thing that could have disrupted your plan so drastically must be something related to Nitila. Something unexpected, something that no one saw coming."
"The moment my daughter disappeared, I reviewed everything she had been involved with recently. And soon enough, a clear clue emerged. A merchant group that had suddenly arrived at the Eastern Sea Pearl. Not only did they appear out of nowhere, but they also attracted an unusual amount of attention."
She pointed at Hongyan and Le Qiaoqiao, who both looked surprised.
"That would be Miss Violet and her companions. Once I realized this, I personally traveled to Palut Island to have them summoned for questioning."
"And as I suspected, these people, especially Miss Violet, demonstrated an extraordinary presence, something that took me completely by surprise. It became obvious that they were no ordinary travelers. That’s when I became certain. They were the reason you were forced to change your plans so abruptly."
"Let me take a guess... you must have seen something through the [Book of Truth]. Something that made you uneasy, something that even frightened you. That’s why you decided to act immediately, before Miss Violet and her group could fully understand what was happening here and before they had the chance to interfere with your ritual. Isn’t that right?"
Anies smiled.
"And when we first met just now, your little subconscious reactions only confirmed my suspicions. You were searching for something back then, weren’t you? When you didn’t see that person… weren’t you relieved? Heh, I know all your little tricks far too well. Even after turning into this monstrous form, I can still see right through you."
"......"
The former King of the merfolk, now twisted into a monstrous form, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His expression flickered between emotions, but soon, he regained his usual calm demeanor.
"Anies, your cunning and scheming are just as deep as ever. To be honest, I’ve always thought that, out of the two of us, you were far more suited to lead our people. You were always more calculating, more forward-thinking. The only reason you never took the throne was that the [Book of Truth] didn’t recognize your bloodline as worthy. That’s why you had to settle for the title of queen instead."
"You’re intelligent, always thinking further ahead than I ever could. You’re better at hiding your true self behind a mask. More rational. More… utterly heartless."
"A ruler should never be weighed down by emotions or attachments. Passion and faith, such things are dangerous distractions. A true ruler puts the survival and prosperity of their people above all else. And you? You embody that ideal perfectly."
Willipol glanced at his daughter, still floating within the barrier. Her body merging with some unknown entity as part of the ritual. A twisted grin formed on his eerie, tentacle-formed face.
"Heh… That girl probably still hasn’t figured it out. She must still be wondering how, in the middle of the Emerald Sea, a group of poachers just happened to show up. How they just happened to capture her at the one moment when she was separated from her main forces, leading her troops out on a rescue mission. How everything fell into place so perfectly."
"The little princess of the Mingjiao tribe… A prize beyond measure, worth more than mountains of gold, but also a target so valuable that even attempting to trade her would be a death sentence. I bet those poor poachers were terrified when they received your order to capture her~"
The room fell into complete silence.
For a long moment, no one spoke, until a quiet sigh came from the Pirate King, as if he had seen this outcome coming. Then, the least serious, most carefree person in the group, a certain thief girl, suddenly let out a loud, utterly shocked exclamation.
"Huh…!? W-Wait a second! Are you saying… that the reason Princess Nitila ended up in enemy hands was because Her Majesty ordered it?!"