Wealth "borrowed" from Duke Joseph's mansion.
After Elvia's preliminary inventory and calculation, its value reached at least forty million gold coins.
Even Lin Gui was somewhat surprised by this figure, and he couldn't help but ask.
"With Duke Joseph's financial power, if he took a liking to something at the auction, wouldn't it be impossible for anyone to compete with him?"
"He won't participate," Elvia smiled and explained.
"Because the Royal Auction itself is hosted by him."
"Many so-called 'grand finale auction items' even come directly from his treasury."
"He simply wouldn't participate, and not even the people of his faction would."
Over the next two days, Elvia became exceptionally busy.
She needed to launder this massive amount of ill-gotten wealth through secret channels.
She needed to convert it into legitimate funds that could appear at the auction openly.
At the same time, she was also actively mobilizing her remaining intelligence network.
She was searching for the "Tomb of Catriona" that Lin Gui kept thinking about.
Despite her heart still considering it sheer nonsense, what if it was true?
If she couldn't extract key intelligence regarding Roger and Avalon from the Eldest Princess, Diana, her life would still be held in Lin Gui's hands.
It was never wrong to make multiple preparations.
Furthermore, she specifically reminded Lin Gui to withdraw the commission with the absurd amount for "Finding the Queen's Tomb" posted at the Adventurer's Guild.
This was because the Adventurer's Guild was basically made up of her people.
Aside from that, she thought of the Saintess Assassination Plan mentioned by the Duke that targeted her.
Elvia's face turned cold, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
It was also time to have a good "heart-to-heart" with those "loyal subjects" who thought I had fallen from power and dared to participate in a mad plan like "Assassinating the Saintess" behind my back.
Lin Gui, for his part, was not idle either.
Regarding the Queen's Tomb, there was one "person" who definitely knew the exact location.
That was the system.
"System, how much longer can the residual soul obsession in the Hero's remains hold out?"
【5 days】
The system responded concisely.
Lin Gui calculated the time.
Five days later would be the day he had agreed to leave the Royal Capital with the North Wind caravan to go to Shield City.
He pulled up the delivery route map for that special commission once more:
【Delivery Route: Withered Rift → Carter Royal Capital → Tomb of Catriona】
"System, where is the exact location of the Queen's Tomb?"
【This information requires the Host to explore independently】
The system's answer was the same as always.
Lin Gui was not surprised and asked again in a different way.
"Then, you are sure it is within the 'Carter Royal Capital,' right?"
【Correct】
"Is that the Carter Royal Capital in the narrow sense, or the broad sense?" Lin Gui pressed further.
【???】
The system seemed to stall at this question for a moment.
Lin Gui explained patiently: "Does it refer to the main urban area of the Carter Royal Capital city-state, or does it include all functional areas within its sphere of influence, such as the surrounding mining areas, wheat fields, hunting grounds, and so on?"
【...Within the urban area】
The system's answer seemed to carry a trace of imperceptible helplessness.
Lin Gui's eyes lit up as he caught the key: "One last question: is it buried deep in the ground? A burial?"
【...It is not; a passage exists for the Host to reach it directly】
"Excellent." Lin Gui nodded and asked the last and most critical question.
"The objective is to 'deliver' the Hero's remains to the Queen's Tomb. So, how does the system define the scope of the Queen's Tomb area?"
【???】
This time, the system remained silent for a longer period, seemingly performing complex logical calculations.
After a long while, the cold mechanical voice sounded once more:
【Centered on the Queen's sleeping coffin, anything within a radius of... 1 kilometer can be judged as the task completion area】
"Will there be a prompt?"
【For special commissions, it will pop up and trigger automatically. It is the same nature as when you came into contact with Rona.】
【Host, what do you intend to do?】
The system's tone rare carried a hint of human-like confusion.
Lin Gui smiled faintly and stated the plan that made the system fall into silence again:
"It's simple."
"Since there's a diameter of one kilometer..."
"Then over these five days, I will carry the remains on my back and fly over the entire surface and all known underground spaces of the Carter Royal Capital."
"A carpet search."
"A coverage area of one kilometer is enough for me to include every tall building in the Royal Capital."
【...Theoretically, if the Host persists, there is indeed a possibility of finding the target through this method】
【...Host, keep it up then】
The system seemed stunned by this simple and crude yet incredibly effective brute-force method.
In the end, it could only offer a dry bit of encouragement.
No sooner said than done.
Lin Gui immediately returned to the outpost in the Seventh Ring and carefully tied the bundle containing Reinhardt the Hero's remains to his back.
Then, he took a deep breath, and Shroud of the Gloomy Night and Levitation were activated simultaneously.
His figure rose quietly into the air, blending into the sky of the Royal Capital.
He decided to start from the outermost seventh ring of walls.
Like a tireless scanner, he began his circular flight along the towering walls that reached fifty meters high.
Beneath his feet, the Carter Royal Capital unfolded slowly like a massive, disjointed scroll.
In the outermost layer was the refugee district, where sewage flowed freely and shacks were packed together like an ant nest.
Numb crowds of people crawled laboriously within it.
Further in was the commoner district, slightly more orderly but still dilapidated, where cooking smoke mixed with the sounds of street hawking.
Further in, the glow of magic lamps gradually lit up, with villa gardens of the wealthy merchant district dotted among them.
And at the very core, atop the mountain...
The spires of the palace and the castles of the noble district loomed faintly in the mist.
They emitted a cold radiance that kept people at a distance.
He flew silently above all of this.
The remains on his back seemed to produce a faint resonance with the thousand-year-old secrets of the Royal Capital.
【...Good luck, Host. Theoretically, it can be found, you have already even...】
The system's voice sounded in his mind again, carrying a trace of inexplicable meaning.
The second day.
Two days until the Holy Church of Light reaches the Royal Capital.
Four days until the Hero's soul completely dissipates.
Five days until departing the Royal Capital for Shield City.
...
Carter Royal Capital, Fifth Ring, commercial district.
Beneath that layer of hustle, bustle, and prosperity on the ground, even deeper down...
Another entirely different world was hidden.
Deep within the dark and damp sewers where sewage flowed.
Behind a hidden door disguised as a broken brick wall.
Deafening clamor mixed with the pungent stench of inferior tobacco and alcohol came rushing out.
"Open! Open! Open!"
"Hahaha! Triples! I sweep the board!"
"Damn it! Lost again!"
Cheers, curses, and the crisp sound of dice striking the bone dice cups.
It was feverish and chaotic.
This was the illegal underground casino hidden below the surface.
Dice and Blood.
It was also an important secret base for the Royal Capital's rebels.
Under the dim magical light, all sorts of faces were illuminated.
Gamblers with bloodshot eyes stared intently at the betting tables.
Women in revealing clothing carried drinks as they wove through the crowd.
Drunkards lay paralyzed in corners, absolutely wasted.
And there were those fierce guards who seemed to be standing casually, yet their sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.
The air was so foul it almost seemed stagnant.
Sweat, alcohol, tobacco, and an indistinct smell of blood were mixed together.
It formed the unique atmosphere of depravity here.
Just then, the heavy curtain at the casino entrance was lifted.
A figure draped in a dark cloak that concealed her entire body, yet still revealed the graceful curves beneath, abruptly appeared in this chaotic venue.
The originally uproarious noise dropped instantly, like a rooster being grabbed by the throat.
Countless gazes focused simultaneously on this uninvited guest.
Watchfulness, malice, unease, anger... all sorts of complex emotions flowed within those gazes.
The woman beneath the cloak seemed to let out a soft chuckle.
She paid no mind to the surrounding gazes and walked straight past the gambling tables.
She headed toward the even more hidden iron door at the back of the casino.
However, before she reached the door...
A figure leaned lazily against the doorframe, blocking her path.
It was a man wearing worn leather armor with a short sword hanging at his waist.
He had a scar across his face, and his eyes held the characteristic arrogance and scrutiny of an adventurer.
The woman stopped in her tracks, and a cold sneer came from beneath the hood.
"You stopped recognizing me so quickly? Ferguson."
The man called Ferguson slightly raised an eyebrow, his tone as flat and rippleless as a calm lake:
"My apologies, Princess. I belong to Boss Caesar now."
"You cannot enter."
The look Elvia gave Ferguson was instantly flooded with nearly uncontrollable jealousy and fury, her facial muscles tightening.
Ferguson!
This was an elite adventurer she had once spent massive resources and effort to nurture!
She had thought she could bind him firmly with both sentiment and interest!
And the result? After she fell from power and was driven out of the Royal Capital...
This fellow had turned around and joined the rebels, becoming Caesar's lapdog!
She took a deep breath and forced down her surging emotions, which then transformed into a deeper mockery.
Then again, what was there to hate?
She should have known long ago that in this swamp of power, there were no so-called loyal subjects.
Even more so, there was no such thing as childhood friendship or sentiment.
There was only naked exchange of interests and the law of the jungle where the biggest fist ruled.
"Open the door," Elvia's voice turned cold.
"If you don't want me to report this entire rat's nest to the Defense Force right now, open the door for me!"
Ferguson clearly didn't fall for her threat; he remained blocking the door and replied calmly:
"Princess, you won't do that."
"If you report this place, the things you cooperated with us on will also be exposed."
"When that time comes, the first person sent to the gallows will probably be yourself."
"Hahaha!" Elvia acted as if she had heard the world's biggest joke.
"As expected of the 'confidant' I nurtured for years; you truly know me well enough!"
But in the next moment, a surge of near-mad determination and fury erupted from her!
She suddenly stepped forward, almost pressing herself against Ferguson.
She extended a palm clad in a leather glove and said one word at a time:
"I'll give you five seconds. Open the door."
"Either that, or I leave right now and tell every single person who wants me dead about your plan to assassinate the Holy Saintess and pin the blame on me, exactly as it is!"
If it were the old Elvia, she might have weighed the pros and cons; she might have retreated.
But now...
Her life was still held in Lin Gui's hands!
Moreover, she also knew the mad plan of these rebels who wanted her dead and wouldn't even hesitate to drag the entire upper class of the Royal Capital down with them!
What did she have left to worry about?!
At worst... at worst, she would just kneel and beg that bastard Lin Gui to take her with him on the way to Shield City!
With the protection of that guy's unpredictable concealment abilities, who could find her? Who could hurt her?!
Thinking about it this way, being poisoned and controlled by Lin Gui had instead become her greatest life-saving talisman...
Otherwise, she wouldn't even know how she had been played to death by these "own people"!
This completely unexpected and forceful attitude of Elvia's, along with those earth-shattering words about the "Saintess Assassination," caused the originally composed Ferguson's face to change drastically.
His eyes were filled with shock and uncertainty.
Just as Elvia's highly oppressive countdown was about to reach "1"...
"Alright, Ferguson."
A slightly low, somewhat magnetic male voice came from behind the wooden door.
"Let our Princess enter."
Ferguson stepped aside in silence.
Elvia let out a cold hum, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and stepped inside.
The room behind the door was even dimmer than the outside, and it was filled with smoke.
The smell of inferior tobacco was so thick it made her cough a few times uncontrollably.
She frowned and waved her hand to disperse the smoke in front of her.
In the center of the room, maps and wine bottles were scattered across a broad wooden table.
A middle-aged man with a hideous scar on his face was sitting on the edge of the table with a cigarette in his mouth.
He looked at her with a sharp gaze.
This was the leader of the rebels, Caesar.
At the same time, Elvia also saw several familiar faces standing behind Caesar.
Those few adventurers possessed powerful auras and strengths reaching the High-tier Transcendent rank.
When their eyes met Elvia's, a bit of unnatural embarrassment appeared on their faces, and they instinctively looked away.
Elvia sneered in her heart, but she remained calm on the surface.
She walked straight across from Caesar, pulled out a chair, sat down, and spoke with mocking overtones:
"I didn't expect that while I was only away from the Royal Capital for a short while, Mr. Caesar would 'invite' over all the most capable warriors under my command. Quite the impressive move."
Caesar chuckled and exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone calm yet carrying an air that brooked no argument:
"Everyone relies on their own abilities. People have to live for themselves, don't they, Princess Elvia?"
Elvia's eyelid twitched, but she did not continue to press him on this matter.
She knew very well that as the woman known as the "Lioness" of the Carter Royal Capital, although she possessed excellent political intuition and vision, armed forces had always been her shortcoming.
Now that the top-tier combat power under her command had been almost entirely hollowed out, she didn't have the capital to cause trouble even if she wanted to.
She hadn't risked coming here this time to settle accounts for their betrayal.
"Caesar," Elvia leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying a cold interrogation.
"Should I call you stupid or foolish? You actually dare to plot the assassination of the Holy Saintess of the Holy Church of Light? And you even fucking want to use my name?!"
As soon as these words came out, a sharp light flashed in Caesar's eyes.
The High-tier Transcendent adventurers behind him instantly released their auras, faintly sealing off the doorway.
The look they gave Elvia was filled with undisguised murderous intent.
The air in the room froze abruptly.
Elvia, however, smiled without any concern and even leisurely crossed her legs.
Since she had dared to enter the tiger's den alone, she naturally had backup plans.
Caesar stared intently at Elvia and slowly stubbed out his cigarette on the tabletop. His voice was low and dangerous:
"How... do you know about this?"
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