Early the next morning.
Lin Gui had just appeared at the entrance of the post office when he was caught red-handed by Elvia, who had been waiting there for a long time.
Without a word, she dragged him directly to the Cathedral of Light in the Royal Capital.
Under the witness of several bleary-eyed nobles who had been "invited" for the occasion.
The two speed-ran through a wedding ceremony.
In front of the priest, Lin Gui wore a look of undisguised disdain.
He quickly finished saying, "I do."
From that moment on, he officially became the "legal husband" of Elvia Rolan for a period of one week.
According to the agreement, a few days later, when Lin Gui was ready to leave the Royal Capital.
He would write a letter of divorce without hesitation.
By then, Elvia, having been discarded immediately after marriage.
Would undoubtedly become a great laughingstock and scandal in the high society of the Carter Royal Capital.
This was exactly what Elvia herself had strongly requested.
Because according to the rules of the Carter royal family, a princess who marries down loses her right of succession.
However, if a princess who has been married off is discarded and returned, her succession rights can be restored.
The regulations didn't explicitly state this, but Elvia's great-grandmother, that female King of Carter, had done exactly that.
Elvia hoped to use this to stall for time and rebuild the power base that had been heavily damaged when she left.
Once the farce of the wedding was settled, Elvia immediately entered her new role.
She began to fulfill the "cooperation agreement" previously reached with Lin Gui.
As long as she completed either of the two tasks he had assigned before he left the Royal Capital.
Finding the Tomb of Queen Catriona, or uncovering the truth about Roger going to Avalon.
Lin Gui would lift the Demon's Poisonous Kiss from her.
Thus, Elvia unsurprisingly chose the latter.
After all, as someone who could recite the official history of the Carter royal family by heart to please her father.
She knew very well.
The "Tomb of the Queen" simply did not exist in the official history of Carter.
To be precise, the history of Carter had never recorded such a Queen.
Nor the Hero corresponding to her, or the world-ending war they faced, which was distinct from the descent of the Demon God.
Carter had indeed experienced an apocalypse, which was the descent of the Demon God forty years ago.
But the Carter Royal Capital had not moved its capital because of it.
Perhaps those old fogies in the Royal Elder Council would know some secrets?
But based on Elvia’s understanding of them.
That group of stubborn old men who upheld ancestral rules and royal face as the highest standard, while actually profiting from it.
Would never admit to a piece of history that had been deliberately erased and could potentially shake the legitimacy of their rule.
She didn't know why Lin Gui was so obsessed with finding a legendary Tomb of the Queen.
This guy’s behavior had always been eccentric, and the logic driving his actions always carried a hint of the bizarre.
But Elvia didn't care; she only wanted to dismantle the time bomb inside her as soon as possible.
Originally, Lin Gui’s plan was to operate separately.
He would continue looking for clues about the Tomb of the Queen himself.
While Elvia would be responsible for coaxing information about Roger out of her eldest sister, Diana Carter.
But this plan was directly rejected by Elvia.
The reason was simple.
It was easy to approach Eldest Princess Diana; they could just hold a tea party in the name of sisters catching up.
That was a daily routine for princesses.
However, to get that heartbroken eldest sister, who had been deeply betrayed by Roger.
To voluntarily divulge secrets about that "brother-killing, treasonous ex-boyfriend."
It was absolutely impossible without some real "sincerity."
Therefore, she needed to prepare a gift that Diana could not refuse.
That would be one of the finale items in the royal auction in two days.
The Mermaid's Tear pearl.
Merfolk, a race famous throughout the world for their ethereal and incomparable beauty.
And the "Mermaid Pearl" condensed from the tears they shed.
Legend had it that it contained mysterious power to maintain eternal youth and enhance one’s charm.
It held a fatal attraction for all women, especially those in high positions of power.
As one of the three finale items of this auction, its price would undoubtedly be sky-high.
With Elvia’s current financial resources, it was impossible for her to even consider it.
So, she needed to rely on Lin Gui’s ability to strike it rich overnight.
Lin Gui did not refuse.
He glanced at the auction catalog provided by Elvia.
Besides the Mermaid's Tear, there was another item on it that he needed.
A legendary magic mask created by a top alchemist, capable of perfectly concealing one's face and aura.
It was perfect for Theia, who urgently needed to hide her appearance and demon energy right now.
Although this kind of mask was effective, it wasn't a unique treasure.
It was a relatively common magic item at auctions, with one or two appearing every time.
Lin Gui wasn't surprised that it would be at the auction.
With clear targets, the operation began.
Elvia was responsible for guidance.
Utilizing her knowledge of the Royal Capital's noble and wealthy circles.
She carefully selected those "pushovers" who were wealthy but cowardly.
Even if they discovered their vaults had been robbed, she had the ability to suppress the matter using her status and means.
Meanwhile, Lin Gui was responsible for the actual "work."
He used the Shroud of the Gloomy Night to infiltrate, employed various means to get the keys, and cracked open the vaults.
Then, as if moving things in his own home, he used Levitation to transport the wealth out.
When necessary, he used a brick to accurately knock out the meddlesome guards and stewards.
Under the precise navigation of Elvia, the walking encyclopedia of the nobility.
The entire wealthy district of the Fourth Ring ushered in a silent and soundless mass plundering without anyone knowing.
Elvia pointed at the map with practiced ease:
"This family mainly deals in ore trade and doesn't get along with me. They have five Transcendent guards, but the captain loves gambling and often slips away at night..."
"That one is in mining and is my Third Brother's money bag. The warehouse uses triple magic locks, but their steward is an old flame of one of my former maids. I know his habit for hiding spare keys..."
Lin Gui, meanwhile, was like a phantom in the dark night, silently slipping in.
Sometimes he followed a steward who was returning late and drunk into the warehouse;
Sometimes he directly used a brick to take down a dozing guard captain and pilfered the key from him.
There was even one time when he took advantage of the host holding a noisy banquet.
He directly "fished" out the chests of gold coins piled in the secret room below through the vent in the banquet hall ceiling...
And those guards and stewards who woke up to find the vaults empty.
Faced with a massive loss that could cost them their heads.
Their first reaction was usually not to report it.
Instead, they desperately tried to cover it up, faking scenes and colluding with each other, hoping to stall for time or find a scapegoat.
Chests of gold coins and bags of gems.
They were secretly transported to a remote warehouse Elvia had purchased in advance.
Looking at the treasures piled up like small hills, glittering with an inviting glow under the dim light.
Elvia’s face flushed with excitement.
In just one day, she and Lin Gui had visited the warehouses of thirteen wealthy families.
The value of the looted property actually exceeded ten million!
At this moment, she finally understood perfectly.
Why Lin Gui had been dismissive of the treasures left by the Defense Force back in the Whispering Forest.
This guy, with the combination of the Shroud of the Gloomy Night and Levitation.
Was simply a walking, human-shaped vault opener!
If he focused on being a thief, he could definitely become the top legendary phantom thief of the entire continent!
"This should be enough, right?"
Lin Gui patted the non-existent dust from his hands, his tone flat.
"No, it's not enough!" Elvia cooled down from her excitement and shook her head.
"Those expensive jewels, ornaments, and magic equipment are very difficult to sell off and can easily expose us."
"Furthermore, this amount of money is nothing to the high nobles who truly control the economic lifeline of the Royal Capital."
"To ensure we can steadily win the Mermaid's Tear, we need more liquid capital! To be safe, we have to do a few more jobs!"
Lin Gui was somewhat puzzled.
"Are the nobles of the Carter Royal Capital... this wealthy? This money is almost as much as the materials I bought for the Demon's Poisonous Kiss."
Elvia smiled proudly.
"In military terms, the Carter Royal Capital is indeed not worth mentioning, but in economic terms... the fact that over twenty top-tier transport teams transit and meet here alone is enough to prove its commercial prosperity."
"The financial power of those high nobles who hold various trade monopolies is far beyond your imagination."
Lin Gui reminded her.
"But those pushovers on your list who are easy to handle and don't get along with you or your political enemies have basically been emptied out by us; they're just hollow shells now."
"If we go any higher, the risk of the targets will rise sharply. Once discovered, it's very likely to directly attract the attention of the Royal Capital Knights."
"And the ones responsible for guarding will likely no longer be ordinary Transcendents, and the locks on the treasure may no longer be simple magic doors."
A flash of determination appeared on Elvia’s face: "High risk, high reward!"
She paused and added righteously.
"For Theia to reach Avalon safely! To find the secret behind Roger as quickly as possible! This bit of risk is worth taking!"
Lin Gui rolled his eyes at her speechlessly and exposed her without mercy:
"I think you're using this as an opportunity to abuse your power for personal gain, suppress your political rivals, and fill your own little treasury, right?"
The air of righteousness on Elvia’s face collapsed instantly, replaced by a fawning smile as she waved her hands repeatedly:
"A delusion! That's all your delusion!!"
Under Elvia’s triple guarantees of "absolutely no selfish motives," "completely for the bigger picture," and "I swear on my royal honor"...
She led Lin Gui to the heart of the noble district.
It was heavily guarded, with an atmosphere far beyond that of the mansions of those wealthy merchants.
It was the mansion of Duke Joseph, one of the most steadfast and important supporting forces under the Third Prince.
Looking down at the brightly lit estate where patrol teams never stopped moving.
And the subtle aura belonging to a High-tier Transcendent that was constantly emanating from it.
Lin Gui silently turned his head and looked at Elvia beside him.
Even for the Seventh Princess, whose skin was as thick as a city wall.
Her cheeks couldn't help but burn slightly under his gaze, and she felt a bit embarrassed.
She coughed twice and forced an explanation:
"Ahem... that, as my old rival for many years, my understanding of Joseph is not less than the man himself!"
"His estate layout, the patrol rotation patterns, even the possible locations of his small vault... I know them all like the back of my hand!"
"He is definitely... definitely a very suitable target for us to act upon!"
Lin Gui didn't speak; he only looked at her with an even more obvious look of contempt.
The meaning was clear: Go on, keep making it up.
Seeing Lin Gui manipulate his staff as if preparing to turn around and leave, Elvia grew anxious.
She grabbed Lin Gui’s sleeve and used her trump card.
She quickly pulled a thick stack of files from her skirt.
She shoved them into Lin Gui’s hands while lowering her voice and leaning into his ear.
Using a fast and urgent tone, she began to poison the well:
"Look! These are things I worked very hard to collect! All the bad things that old bastard Joseph has done!"
"Three years ago, to seize a piece of land rich in magic crystal mines, he sent people disguised as demons to slaughter a nearby refugee village. One hundred and thirty-seven people, men, women, young and old, none survived!"
"Last year, a caravan under his name was robbed. Since he couldn't catch the real bandits, he just grabbed dozens of refugees as scapegoats and burned them alive in front of everyone!"
"He even secretly enforces a 'blood tax' in his territory, requiring the villages below to hand over a certain number of young girls every quarter under the guise of 'serving the nobility.' In reality... many were tortured to death by him, and their bodies were simply thrown into mass graves!"
"The knights under him galloped through the streets of the Royal Capital and ran over a commoner. Not only did they not pay compensation, they instead claimed the person had 'soiled the horse's hooves' and demanded money from the family!"
Elvia’s speaking speed was extremely fast, listing crime after crime with relatively solid evidence that was shocking to the soul.
She didn't even need to exaggerate, because they were all true.
As for how Elvia collected so much evidence.
It was all thanks to the help of the commoners and adventurers she represented.
In terms of force, politics, and economic strength, Elvia couldn't compare to others.
But in terms of intelligence, she was definitely more formidable than the royal intelligence agencies.
Because her people were in every post and position.
Even a sweeping auntie could be one of her people.
This was also why she was so clear on where the wealthy people hid their treasures.
Through Elvia’s description.
The image of a high noble who viewed human life as worth less than weeds, was greedy and brutal, and built his power and pleasure on the blood and tears of the lower classes, vividly appeared before him.
As Lin Gui listened to Elvia’s "accusations," his brow gradually furrowed, and his gaze slowly grew cold.
He flipped through the records filled with blood and tears in his hand.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly raised his head, looked at Elvia, and suggested calmly:
"It sounds like this guy's existence is a waste of food and air."
"How about we just settle this once and for all and go in and kill him?"
"Pfft!"
Elvia was so startled she almost fell off the floating staff!
She was terrified in her heart. Had she overdone it and actually provoked this guy’s killing intent?
She hurriedly grabbed Lin Gui’s arm and pleaded in a low voice:
"Don't! Brother! Dear brother! My husband of only a few hours! You can't, you absolutely can't!"
"If Joseph falls, his death isn't the problem, but the massive interest group tightly bound behind him will instantly run amok!"
"The chain reaction this would trigger might be even more serious than killing my father!"
Elvia quickly explained:
The Joseph family and its associated forces monopolized nearly a quarter of the Royal Capital's food supply and a third of its mineral extraction.
They also controlled the main trade route toward the southwest.
He himself was also one of the largest holders of the Royal Capital's treasury bonds.
His interests were deeply tied to countless minor and middle nobles, wealthy merchants, and even some middle-ranking officers of the Defense Force.
This was the primary reason why, even after losing John's Holy Knights.
The Third Prince still had the confidence to challenge the other princes and princesses.
And a guy like Joseph knew very well how to stay alive.
He had deeply integrated his industries with the people's livelihood, the economy, and even parts of the defense system of the Royal Capital.
Once he died suddenly.
Nearly a quarter of the industries in the entire Royal Capital could fall into a temporary standstill.
Countless workers and small vendors who relied on these industries to survive would lose their jobs immediately.
The refugee district would completely lose those labor opportunities which, though meager, barely allowed them to survive...
By then, what would be triggered would not be a simple disturbance.
But a desperate riot sweeping through the entire lower districts!
Hungry crowds would storm warehouses, block streets, and even try to break through the city walls...
And history had already proven how the nobles responded.
They would not hesitate to deploy the knight orders for a bloody suppression.
And they would take the thousands of "superfluous" refugees who might trigger instability.
And drive them out of the city-state like clearing trash, leaving them to be devoured by demons in the wilderness...
Elvia’s voice carried a hint of a tremble that was hard to notice:
"That might bury everyone in the Seventh Ring and the Sixth Ring..."
After hearing this, Lin Gui fell silent.
In fact, he knew. In the city-state that had been destroyed, he had personally witnessed such scenes.
Drawing a blade for those in poverty, pain, and struggling for life, only to end up driving the people one was supposed to protect into a dead end.
He was still too weak.
Lin Gui retracted all his thoughts, as if the killing intent from a moment ago was just an illusion.
Elvia looked at him in a daze and let out a long breath.
The light of the Shroud of the Gloomy Night surged silently.
It completely merged the figures of the two into the night, vanishing without a trace like drops of water into ink.
Only a subtle, almost unnoticeable ripple of mana remained.
It silently slipped toward the heavily guarded mansion of Duke Joseph.
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