It was extremely rare and unconventional; even on the Old Continent, usually only the indigenous inhabitants of remote mountainous regions knew that such bizarre insects existed.
The Black bishop from the Church of War was one such native, but even he had only heard a few rumors about them.
Supposedly, this was an ancient creature originating from the First Age.
The Mythological Era was a grand age when thousands of races flourished. It boasted not only near-extinct species like elves, dwarves, and beastkin, but also bizarre beings born from the interference of mysterious powers, such as the Yithians.
Among them were these hideous insects.
Known as Mi-Go, they fed on a specific type of fungus and lived year-round in the sunless depths of underground caverns, showing a particular fondness for abandoned mine shafts left behind from the first three Ages.
Legend had it that by relying on their enclosed subterranean environment and resilient fungi, they had weathered several major catastrophes without any break in their lineage. Consequently, despite their exceedingly small population, they possessed technology no less advanced than humanity's. They could even induce controlled artificial earthquakes; the tragedies in the Fourth Age where several mountainous cities on the Old Continent were destroyed by seismic activity might very well have been their doing.
However, knowledge about the Mi-Go ended there. As for how it had disguised itself as Princess Sophia, no one knew; the species was far too secretive.
Fortunately, they had secured the corpse. Even though it was charred black, handing it over to professionals would still yield many answers. This was also thanks to someone uncovering the enemy's conspiracy in advance and the princess appearing just in time. Otherwise, this group of powerful figures—capable of shaking half the world—would have been turned into absolute fools. Nothing was more important than saving face, no matter how big the issue was, prompting many to cast grateful glances toward the two who had turned the tide.
The nearby corridors had all been cordoned off, and uninvolved onlookers had been ushered back to their rooms. Though full of complaints and reluctant expressions, all good spectacles eventually came to an end. As the show concluded and the crowd dispersed, the foreign guests had no choice but to retreat to their rooms, savoring the remaining drama.
Thus, deprived of the foreign representatives' protective presence, “Princess Sophia” was finally about to face the high-ranking leadership of the various churches. After such a massive incident, as the focal point of the conflict, Her Highness had to step forward and offer the dignitaries an explanation—even if it was merely placating brush-offs. It was the most basic of diplomatic etiquette.
Diana could deceive the foreign delegates, but when facing these sly old foxes in positions of high power, a single mystery relic might not be enough to fool them. Although the insect's identity had already been exposed, if the truth of the swap were seen through, the outcome would be drastically compromised.
She clearly lacked confidence, casting a subtle glance at Lynch. But Lynch was equally clueless. Just as he was pondering how to stir up trouble and fake his way through, he noticed someone watching him.
Officer Natalie was blending into the crowd, gazing at Lynch from afar. Seeing him look back, she performed a seemingly random hat-tipping gesture before turning to leave.
Hmm?
Lynch froze, bewildered at first, but the unspoken understanding forged through life-and-death situations allowed him to instantly grasp the message the lady officer was conveying.
Rolling his eyes thoughtfully, he noticed the young prince still clinging tightly to “Princess Sophia,” having thoroughly disheveled Her Highness’s dress. Lynch immediately stepped forward, assuming a look of having held back for far too long, and yanked the opportunistic brat off Diana. He then offered a “whisper”—loud enough for everyone nearby to hear—reminding Her Highness to tidy her attire first.
Miss Diana took the cue instantly. Looking down at her messy outfit, she tapped Prince Louis on the head, flashed an apologetic smile toward the church leaders from a distance, lifted her skirt, and hurried away.
Once pulled down by Lynch, the bratty prince stood quietly by his side, ignoring even his personal guards and maidservants. Looking closely, the boy’s small face was deathly pale, his body trembling slightly, and tears welling in his eyes. Yet he maintained his posture, trying his best to look brave. Seeing this, Lynch felt a pang of pity and squatted down, patting Prince Louis’s head to comfort him.
However, the moment Lynch closed the distance, he heard the young prince whisper softly, “Is Cousin Sophia on her way?”
That single sentence made the hairs on the back of Lynch’s neck stand on end.
Fuck, this little kid wasn't scared at all! Moreover, he had long realized Diana was an imposter, yet he had gone along with the act the entire time—and played his part so damn convincingly that nobody could tell!
Were royal children all this terrifying?
No, at such a young age, to earn the favor of a sane Carlos VII and be entrusted by his grandmother with a critical mission to enter Lande alone... how could he possibly be like an ordinary child? I was really an idiot for not realizing this sooner.
Quickly adjusting his mindset, Lynch nodded nonchalantly. “She should be here soon. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. That creature didn't intend to kill me; it just wanted to put on a show for everyone else. Fortunately, you arrived in time. Who was that just now? She looked exactly like Cousin Sophia.”
“Just someone using another method to disguise themselves,” Lynch said, maintaining his squatted posture as if comforting the prince. “I heard what you said earlier. Could your father's condition be a case of someone disguising themselves as him too?”
“Impossible. That insect's disguise shared nothing other than her appearance, and it didn't have my cousin's memories either—I saw right through it at a glance. But with my father, apart from his mindset and way of thinking, there is virtually no anomaly. Even those closest to him can barely spot anything off. We can't even speak of this to the outside world, because we have zero evidence to accuse the King of Friedman.”
Lynch nodded. Although he still harbored doubts, Prince Louis was right. To use external power against the ruler of a nation, one needed solid evidence at the very least; otherwise, no one would join him in such madness.
Less than three minutes later, Her Highness Princess Sophia returned to the fifth floor of the hotel.
In that brief window, she had changed her outfit, touched up her makeup, and even undone and pinned up her hair anew, making her look even more capable and dignified than before. Nodding with a polite smile to those present whom she had conversed with earlier, she cast a deep look at Lynch, then brushed past him without a word. She stepped forward to greet the church leaders who had been waiting for a while, as well as several secular superiors who could not be dismissed lightly.
“Respected shepherds of God, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for forcing you all to witness such a farce on Lande's soil. I have already instructed the staff to prepare a room. Please follow me, where I, along with my nephew Louis, will explain the situation on behalf of both Lande and Friedman. I also ask for your generous assistance in helping our two nations expose the atrocities committed by these schemers, so the world may see their evil faces for what they are.”
Saying this, she reached out her hand toward Prince Louis.
Lynch visibly felt the young prince shiver. With drooping mouth corners, reddened eyes, and a face practically screaming 'bliss', the boy shuffled over, grasping Princess Sophia's hand with an expression as if facing Doomsday. Yet, the moment he turned toward the crowd, his demeanor instantly shifted back to one of innocent yet proper grace.
“Indeed. Cousin Sophia and I will represent both nations in revealing the truth behind tonight’s events to everyone. Please, this way.”
After a round of applause, the crowd moved along with the royal representatives of the two nations. Meanwhile, the onlookers who had previously been driven back poked their heads out one by one, quietly tagging along.
Lynch, on the other hand, was left out in the cold, trailing at the back with no one paying him any attention. Just then, however, two hands grasped his paws from the left and right.
“Ow—”
One hand squeezed a bit too hard—exerting force capable of crushing a cobblestone—which proved too much for the delicate Lynch, almost causing him to scream in agony. The culprit merely gave a soft hum, released her grip on his nearly deformed hand, and shot him a sideways glance filled with considerable approval.
Is this woman insane? Do you usually express approval using the force of dynamite or coastal defense artillery?!
Fortunately, the small hand on the other side remained soft, and her voice was equally gentle—though her words instantly made Lynch feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
“Sophia wept with flushed cheeks. I could tell her heart was filled with gratitude and attachment toward you. This outcome must be exactly what you wished to see, my dear Sir.”
Fuck, this is a fatal question. How do I survive this? Waiting online, urgent!
Rate on N.U.
