LRAB Page 57
Page 57
As time passed and darkness deepened, the lights in the hot spring swimming pool grew softer, and the air was filled with the faint scent of lavender, bringing a more peaceful mood. Shangguan Wen, Alpha, and the others decided to hold a small gathering to celebrate the successful completion of several recent missions. They moved to a nearby rest area, where a table was already laden with a variety of delicious food and drinks, from exquisite snacks to international specialties, satisfying all tastes.
Chapter 119 Target: Oriana Kingdom
After a brief relaxing soak in the hot springs, the investigation team, led by Ross, began to infiltrate the Kingdom of Oriana. After reuniting with Victoria, the 559th former Saint of the Holy Church, a local member of the border town of Sethu, who was in charge of intelligence, they began to talk as they walked.
"Seth is a small border town, but in order to capture it, the [Diabolos Cult] sent elite troops and [Sons of Diabolos] to join the battle. For the Cult to send elite troops, there must be something unknown in this small town. Of course, it could also be a trap set for us."
As they walked, Victoria No. 559 turned back and said to Ross:
"Number 666, do you know why you were chosen?"
Ross said:
"Because I'm very familiar with this place. Saixiu City used to be a small border town, but it was also used as a holiday resort for the royal family."
No. 559 narrowed her eyes. She had heard her best friend say a lot about her, such as the dowry being the Kingdom of Oriana. She couldn't help but feel jealous.
"It is said that you were granted power by Lord Shadow himself."
Ross nodded and said:
"Yes, you too, right? No. 664, No. 665"
664 is an envious answer:
"We were rescued by the Eight Shadows and joined the Shadow Garden only after we were freed from the Demonic Possession. After basic training, each person will be given one day to practice in the House of Time and Spirit. After a few years, they will enter again and will be assigned based on their strengths."
Victoria No. 559's tone was filled with a subtle mix of emotions as she continued:
"Although we all started from the same point, now that we're all here, members of Shadow Garden, our goals are the same. Whether it's fighting the threat of the Diabolos Cult or uncovering the secrets hidden within this small city, we must give it our all."
Ross nodded in understanding, her eyes firm. "That's right, No. 559. We must complete our investigation. Though small, Sethu City may hold the key to stopping the Diabolos Cult's conspiracy. We must proceed with caution, seeking to understand their purpose while avoiding falling into their trap."
Victoria and the others soon discovered the traces of the Diabolos Cult and quietly followed them. They headed to a ruin that was said to be a place dedicated to the heroes who fought against the demon Diabolos. The site had become an outdoor concert hall.
When they sneaked in secretly, they saw one of the leaders of the Diabolos Cult, Guan Yide of the Wind, and dozens of Diabolos's sons.
A son of Diabolos walked up to Guan Yide and said:
"My lord, it's ready."
Guan Yide, who had been waiting for a long time, went to operate the key and opened the door.
"Sure enough, this place has the same mechanism as the original sanctuary."
After Lloyd turned on the first switch, he said to the figure behind him:
"Okay, come here."
Supported by the sons of Diabolos, Queen Oriana, Ross's mother, came in and took the initiative to cooperate in opening the key.
Ross was shocked when he saw the noble lady appear.
"How could it be the Queen Mother? Although my father said that she poisoned him, I can't believe it even after seeing it with my own eyes."
No. 559 said coldly:
"What's so hard to believe? Biological fathers and biological mothers are common among royal nobles. Your mother might have been planted by the cult into the Oriana royal family from the beginning. She deliberately approached your father and gave birth to you. Judging from her posture, she doesn't seem to be under the control of magic or drugs."
"So, we have to take action next. We have to seize the ring and can't let them take it away."
Just as they were about to take action, the magic phone they were carrying vibrated. No. 559 picked it up and looked at it, and her eyes changed.
She said to the three people around her, Ross:
"It's Mr. No. 1 calling."
The four of them put on headphones and answered the call at the same time.
"I am Alpha. I have seen the progress of your mission. My Lord Shadow has an order to deliver."
At No. 559, Ross and the others were all silent and waiting for instructions.
Alpha's cold voice came
"No. 666, follow Queen Oriana back to the royal palace. We will prepare a substitute puppet for you to act in the royal palace. You need to hide in the Oriana palace and investigate whether Doem-Kezhart has any collusion with members. The Shadow Legion will cooperate with you. Do you understand? No. 666"
Ross replied respectfully:
"Yes, Lord Alpha."
"Number 559, Number 664, Number 665, the PX Pacifists have arrived, number 5. Kill all members of the Diabolos Cult you find. Ross will take the ring back and hand it to Doem Kezhart. My Lord Shadow will use it to lure out the Knight of the Round Table, Mordred."
The mission was given. In the shadows below No. 559 and others, the PX pacifists who had been teleported through the shadows were already waiting for the mission to be given.
After No. 559 ran over and transmitted the combat mission through the data connection, a flash of red light appeared in the PX pacifist's eyes.
Then another puppet appeared from the shadows that looked exactly like Rose, except that she didn't breathe and had no body temperature.
The puppet also comes with an instruction manual.
After quickly looking through it, Ross smeared the puppet with his own blood. The puppet seemed to come alive and looked at Ross quietly.
664 said without praise:
"What a magical puppetry, worthy of being Lord Shadow."
"Okay, stop talking nonsense and follow the original plan. Ross, you need to grasp the direction, choose the time to take your mother away, and pretend that you don't know Shadow Garden."
Ross nodded, a flicker of determination and reluctance in her eyes. She knew the difficulty and danger of this mission, but to confirm whether her mother had betrayed her father and sold out the entire kingdom, and for the success of the entire plan, she had to suppress her inner turmoil and remain absolutely calm and rational.
She cradled the puppet gently in her arms, as if it were a living being that needed her careful care. "Once the operation begins, there's no turning back. We must ensure every step is precise and accurate."
The PX pacifists lined up neatly, their red eyes gleaming in the night like warriors waiting to go to war, emanating a power that should not be underestimated. Although they lacked emotion, their precision and efficiency in executing orders instilled an invisible pressure on everyone present.
"Are you ready, Roz?"
664 confirmed again, a subtle hint of nervousness in her tone. After all, this operation wasn't just about one person's safety; it could potentially impact the entire organization's future plans.
Ross took a deep breath and nodded, a determined glint in his eyes.
"Ready, let's go."
Chapter 120: Order's Resolution
A member of the Sons of Diabolos looked at the flashing light above the open-air opera house in confusion and pointed:
"what is that?"
The other sons of Diabolos looked in the direction of the finger and saw two humans nearly 7 meters tall, with something emitting light in one hand or from their mouths pointing at them.
huh~~
After three consecutive ray shots, the son of Diabolos, who had no time to react, was killed and more than ten people were injured. This was even while controlling the force so as not to hurt the target person.
Guan Yide's expression changed drastically. He didn't expect that the guys from [Shadow Garden] would actually find this place.
"Immediately cover the Queen's retreat, and the rest of you follow me to block them. We can't let these rats succeed!"
"It's too late, damn Diabolos Cult!"
Under the cover of the pacifists, No. 559 brought No. 664 and No. 665 to charge forward, and the scene was chaotic and bloody for a while.
With the addition of three elite members of [Shadow Garden], No. 559, No. 664 and No. 665, the tranquility of the open-air opera house was completely torn apart.
Their movements were swift and deadly, and each attack precisely targeted the weak points in the Sons of Diabolos' defenses, further exacerbating the already chaotic situation caused by the surprise attack.
Guan Yide quickly adjusted his tactics. He knew that in this situation, a head-on confrontation was the worst option and he had to outsmart them. He shouted:
"Spread out and retreat, take advantage of the terrain, and don't let them concentrate their forces!"
Before he finished speaking, he disappeared in a flash, and when he reappeared, he was already the sharp sword No. 559.
"My goodness, is this woman a cadre of [Shadow Garden]?"
The son of Diabolos, who had been helping the queen escape, was shot in the head by two lasers from the PX Pacifists, leaving him lying in a pool of blood. The queen's face turned pale with fear; she had never experienced such a scene before. Meanwhile, Ross, who had quickly applied makeup, arrived at his side.
"Mother, please follow me."
"Roz, why are you here?"
"I saw some people acting suspiciously, so I followed them. I didn't expect the Queen Mother to be here. Now is not the time to talk about this. Come with me and leave!"
While escaping with his mother, Ross nodded to No. 559 and others who were fighting fiercely behind him.
The few people who received the signal also asked the PX pacifists to kill the remaining sons of Diabolos.
Guan Yide and other enemies died at the hands of PX pacifists without causing any trouble.
At this time, in the palace of the Kingdom of Oriana, after the overt and covert purges of Doem-Kezhat and the [Cult of Diabolos], the entire kingdom was filled with their people. Those who disobeyed were dead, and those who obeyed were naturally cowards who cowardly and afraid of death.
At this moment, he received an urgent call from his men in Sethu City, saying that all the Sons of Diabolos' squadron, led by Guan Ide, had been killed, and Princess Ross had escaped with the queen and was heading towards the royal capital.
This made Doem, who was plotting to seize power, react immediately that it was a trick!
The timing of Ross's appearance was too coincidental. Ever since the Midgard Valkyrie Festival, she had disappeared from public view, and the cult's mobilized forces were unable to find her. They thought she had died in some deserted corner due to the [Demon Possession]. But now she appeared and not only did she break the [Demon Possession], was it an outsider who helped her, or was she relying on her own willpower to break through like the Valkyrie Beatrice.
But no matter which one it is, it is beneficial to Doem.
Doem sat in his study, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, his eyes gleaming with calculation. He knew full well that Princess Ross's return was undoubtedly a chess piece that would disrupt the game, but it was also a golden opportunity that could be exploited.
He quickly analyzed various possibilities and countermeasures, thinking about how to turn this sudden change into an opportunity to consolidate his own power.
"Pass the order,"
Doem whispered to the loyal guard beside him.
"Have the cult's elites lurking around the capital prepared. If they discover any trace of Ross and the Queen, they must immediately conduct secret surveillance, but they must not act rashly. At the same time, have the border troops of the Kingdom of Oriana and the defense forces of each city monitor travelers from foreign lands."
The guard took his orders and left, and silence returned to the study. Doem stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the hazy palace gardens in the night. He felt a mixture of emotions. He was about to become the new king of Oriana, but he was truly a puppet. A puppet, so be it; it was better than the previous fool who had died.
To prevent any accidents, Doem urgently contacted his immediate superior, the Knight of the Round Table, Mordred.
After starting the video call, Doem reported the information that had just happened and asked for guidance on the next step.
Kezihart
Doem bent down and answered:
"The subordinates are here"
"Rhodes was originally the cult's intended experimental subject. When she returns, they'll place her under house arrest and force her to marry you publicly. After she gives birth, they'll send her to the cult's operating table to see how she escapes the demonic possession."
"Yes, my lord"
"Also, besides keeping an eye on the rats that are against the cult, we must also pay attention to other areas of Oriana."
Aim's forehead was slightly beaded with sweat. He was well aware of the weight of responsibility he shouldered. As the cult's official nominee, every decision he made could potentially impact the success or failure of their plan to steal the nation... Under Mordred's cold, penetrating gaze, he tried to remain calm, awaiting further instructions. "Sir, regarding the other regions of Oriana, are you concerned about other forces intervening, or new threats emerging?"
Doem asked cautiously, trying to better understand his boss's intentions.
A barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of Mordred's mouth, as if he appreciated Doem's sharpness.
"Very good, you're starting to think comprehensively. Indeed, in the land of Oriana, besides the rats from the [Shadow Garden], there are certainly members of the [Diabolos Cult]. The Siyue Chamber of Commerce put it well: 'Watching others make money is worse than losing it yourself.'"
Remember, now is the critical moment. No matter where there is any movement, you must report it to me immediately."
"As you command, my lord. I will immediately strengthen the monitoring of the intelligence network to ensure that every corner of Oriana is under our control."
Doem responded firmly, already having a preliminary plan of action in mind.
"besides,"
Mordred's voice suddenly became low and serious.
"Regarding Roz, her very existence is an unstable factor. Although she has returned on the surface, who knows what she is planning. You must ensure that her actions are completely under your supervision. At the same time, you must also be fully prepared in case she suddenly loses control or is exploited by others."
5.9 "I understand, my lord. I will keep a close eye on Roz's every move to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan. As for my marriage to her, I will arrange it properly so as not to arouse suspicion from the outside world while also effectively controlling the situation."
As Doem spoke, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. He had originally wanted to eat the rice bowl, but now that he couldn't, he quickly hid his thoughts. Mordred nodded, seemingly satisfied with Doem's answer.
"Very good, Doem. You have always been one of my most trusted subordinates, and I believe you can handle this properly. Remember, our goal is not only to unlock the secrets of demonic possession, but also to consolidate our position within the cult, so that Oriana and even the entire continent will submit to our cult."
"Yes, my lord. For your honor, my lord, I will do whatever it takes."
Doem lowered his head, his tone filled with determination and loyalty.
Chapter 121: Roz joins the game
After escaping from Saixiu City with Rose, and taking the train back to the capital, Rose's mother, Queen Perotti of Oriana, smiled and asked her daughter:
"Roz, what have you been doing since you disappeared from the Kingdom of Midgar? You haven't even returned home, and your father's life or death is unknown. I'm so worried about him."