Chapter 405. What a Domineering Statement!
"Damn, she really came at the wrong time..."
Rosswealth sighed and gently stroked the patterns on her Dark Spear. Her eyes glinted with malicious intentions.
"Who knows? It might be something that has been arranged in advance?"
Anu's gaze also carried a strong sense of scrutiny.
"So, are we going to take a detour again?" asked Evelyn.
"No, my dear Evelyn."
Char grabbed her hand and said, ""Please, help me deal with this trouble... With you around, she won't make any excessive requests."
"Could this be another new 'sister'?" Before Evelyn could answer, Rosswealth chuckled and suggested.
"Haha, how could I ..."
The Dark Elf did not say anything either. She simply pursed her lips and smiled, as if deep in thought.
Rosswealth understood that the Dark Elf had already made her decision, and so, she tugged at Anu.
"Let's go, sword-wielding maiden. Let me hear about your story."
"Ah?"
Like a naive big sister, Anu frowned and said, "I... T-There's nothing to say... And why do I have to..."
"I'll trade you Char's dark history for it."
"Deal."
Anu agreed without hesitation.
Then, the two of them walked away from Char.
"Ah? Hey, hey, this ..."
Char watched the two of them leave in a daze. Upon turning around towards Evelyn, he saw her grinning.
She seemed to have understood everything.
"Do you have such a tacit understanding with all of them?"
Asked Evelyn.
"Yes..."
Char retracted his slightly exaggerated expression and smiled awkwardly.
He had indeed cooperated tacitly with Rosswealth this time.
Rosswealth noticed Char's embarrassment and changed the topic appropriately. At the same time, Anu had also played along and went with Rosswealth's act.
Even the embarrassment he showed was necessary as part of the process; the three of them did not discuss or rehearse anything, but in that instant, they understood each other without words.
This was a must in the world of adults... Often times, one needed to go with the flow so that things could get done.
Plus, Char's world was extremely mature.
"I'm still not as good as you," Char sighed.
"Hmph..."
Evelyn wrinkled her nose.
Although she was discontented, such recognition was always appreciated, no matter the circumstances.
...
Lucile, under the gaze of Evelyn, walked up to the two of them.
It was highly stressful.
She thought she was calm enough, but upon seeing Evelyn's bright and sunny face, her breathing suddenly became rapid.
She had imagined many times the scene of their reunion, whether it would be tense, hostile, or if they would never meet again.
She also questioned whether she could continue to play the role of a deceiver. Alas, the conclusion was always simple and brutal, a queen need not disguise herself, she only needed to be herself, like the insignia of the Spritely family, laying bare her claws and venom, which were necessary weapons to survive in Andaheim.
However, she had never thought that things would end up like this.
The other party's calmness and her own anxiety were all unexpected.
Evelyn was just like before, like the sun, but she had subdued her dazzling radiance, becoming warm and holy, as if shining light on the darkness in her heart, making her unable to lift her head, as she wallowed in her own shame.
She despised this kind of brilliance, and even more so her own cowardice.
"You should give me an answer."
Lucius raised her head and looked straight at Char.
She forced herself to avoid looking at the fair-skinned elf next to him.
Damn it, when did she become so fair?
Although Dark Elves were all dark-skinned and considered the ebony shade a delicate beauty, visually speaking, the "purity" represented by a fair complexion was more striking.
"Answer? What answer?" Char asked.
"You... Don't tell me you forgot what you said! You promised me that you'd send me back to Sursee safely and resolve the current situation!"
Lucius was so angry that she almost stomped her feet, but upon realizing her unsightly outrage, she suddenly retracted herself in an attempt to restrain her desperate demeanor.
— Damn it, why does he care so much about her!
He's not like this normally!
She glanced at Evelyn out of the corner of her eye while trying to maintain her composure.
"Oh, so that's what you were referring to..."
Char said with a smile, deliberately pausing.
The current situation was exactly what he wanted — After all, Lucius was a character with perfect acting and charm stats. Once she indulges in her impulses, there was nothing Char could do to stop her other than restrain her physically. Fortunately, with Evelyn's presence, Lucius would have no choice but to behave like a normal person.
And negotiating with normal people was Char's forte.
"Yes, I did say that, but I also said that at this stage, all we need to do is wait. Haven't we already agreed on this point?"
"But I didn't think that your 'wait' meant sitting and waiting to die, Char. You and I both know how Dark Elves behave. Do you think they really will keep their promises and not send pursuers after us?" Lucius snorted, "Do you still think that the Dark Elves value promises as much as their counterparts on the surface? You and I both know about what kind of person Joshua is, and we even let him get back alive!"
"Of course I understand. Dark Elves are all hypocrites and schemers, especially Dark Elf politicians who are good at going back on their words... But that doesn't mean that they will send troops after us."
After a pause, he asked seriously, "How much do you know about Prisilia?"
"Who? Prince Joshua's wife, you mean? Is... Is there anything special about her?"
...As expected.
Char realized that using Prisilia to convince Lucius was futile.
He needed to present evidence, but his understanding of her was reliant on his intuition.
So...
Char snapped his fingers and pointed at his feet.
"Where are we?"
"This place you mean? It's just a pile of ruins," Lucius stated.
"Ruins? That's right, that's right, this is the ruins of Ravesland, but at the same time, don't forget that this was the place where the Blue Moon had fallen, and also the palace of the Night Lord, Svartalfheim. It was the place where he had disappeared, and also the place where the unknown Giant had manifested in. Based on all of these facts, do you think that Commander Joshua would dare send his army here even after he regains his power?"
"That doesn't convince me, Your Excellency."
Lucius stubbornly held her ground.
"You should admit that you can't control the situation like you did in the past. This expedition is the biggest variable, and my understanding of it is completely different from yours, isn't it?"
"You finally said it," Char smiled like a fox. "I think you're right. There are indeed many variables... And that's precisely why I chose to come back here, to my most familiar environment. Give me a week, and I can fortify this location such that it can repel even thousands of troops. Even if Joshua returns with his army, they won't even be able to make a dent in our defenses."
"Seven days? That's too long..."
"That's right, Your Majesty. Your caution is admirable," Char laughed. "So how about three days?"
"Huh?" Lucius was taken aback.
"Just give me all the able-bodied people under your command, and let them all obey me. In just three days, I can build the fortification. How about that? Isn't this the outcome you were hoping for?"
Lucius was flabbergasted.
She had come to pick a fight, but why did the other party turn their attention to her people instead?
"But..."
"What's the problem? Don't you want to cooperate?"
"It's not a matter of cooperation..."
"So you don't want to help me? Aren't we allies?"
Lucius was at a loss for words. She felt completely controlled by the other party's conversational rhythm. It was so frustrating to be under someone else's control.
"If it weren't for that guy, I wouldn't have to..."
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
"I admit that you are correct, but I question your attitude. I believe that with your abilities, you could take the initiative, but you are being too conservative, which does not fit your style... Moreover, even if you can resist the army's attack, can you prevent the infiltration and reconnaissance of the Shadow Samurais? I have observed that there is currently no barrier guarding the airspace, there are not enough archers to cover the sky, and there are not enough detection spells..."
Seemingly more and more immersed in her thoughts, Lucius speech became more and more smooth.
The admiration in Char's eyes grew.
"... If I were Joshua or any other commander of that army, I would definitely send a recon team to investigate us. After all, it only takes the Nightingales an hour and a half to fly here, and there's no reason not to. And don't forget about the Spritely family's mind-controlling insects. The medical level here is not sufficient to cover everyone. Should they successfully infiltrate, our defenses will be undermined by these insects, which would turn our situation dire."
"Clap clap clap."
Char could not help but clap at her analysis.
"Those are very careful considerations... But, times have changed, Your Majesty."
He winked at Evelyn. The latter extended her right hand, revealing a Silver Oak-shaped ring on her ring finger.
-
[ Devotion (Ring) ]
[ Divine artifact (1/4) ]
[ The wearer must be a pure-blooded Elf. ]
[ Increases the wearer's reputation in the Court of the Holy tree to neutral. ]
[ After staying at the same location for an hour, a "Pure Heart Domain" with the wielder as its center will be generated. All units in it are immune to mental manipulation abilities. ]
[ Devotion: increases the damage dealt by the wearer by 45%. For every additional kin within the range, there will be an additional 1% increase in damage. This increase can be stack up to 1000 times. ]
[ Owner: Esylian ]
[ Current soul-bound Queen: Evelyn Rose ]
-
This was one of the four divine artifact rings that Queen Esylian carried. She must have given it to Evelyn as she was worried about her safety while she was underground.
This item, in addition to the damage reduction ring "Prayer" from before, meant that Evelyn was now wearing two divine artifacts.
Although she could not read the attributes directly like Char could, as the queen of the underground, Lucius naturally knew what this ring meant...
Lucius felt a great sense of sorrow rising in her heart, which was then drowned in despair.
She had lost
She had completely lost.
She was utterly decimated in all aspects.
Her dear friend from the past, whom she had framed and exiled, had not only gained the happiness she dared not hope for after leaving the underground, but she had also attained such a revered position.
And yet, she even forgave her.
Lucius was so depressed that she felt like a walking corpse, and she had a dull look in her eyes.
Seeing her like this, Char heaved a heavy sigh.
Isn't she being a little too extreme...
Lucius turned around desolately. The blow was so great that she even forgot to bid farewell.
However, at that moment, Evelyn suddenly stopped her.
"Lucius."
"?"
Lucius turned around and stared blankly at her old friend.
"Tell me the truth."
Evelyn's eyes were calm as she gently held the other's hand.
"There must be a reason for your sudden visit, and it's definitely not what you told Char. It likely has nothing to do with the current situation, nor does it have anything to do with the soldiers outside, it's probably a personal matter, and maybe... It's also related to Char, right?"
"You..."
Lucius' pupils trembled. Like a frightened rabbit, she wanted to break free from Evelyn, but she was held tightly.
"Let me go!"
"What if I don't?"
Evelyn suddenly became fierce, and her imposing demeanor was awe-inspiring.
"You didn't deny it, which means that my guess is right. It's related to Char, right? In that case, you can treat this as a threat, bullying, revenge, or whatever you want... But since it's about Shaya, please tell me everything you know, or else I won't let you go."
"Because this has nothing to do with us. It's his business."
Oh, oh, oh, oh, what a domineering statement!
Char was deeply touched, but at the same time, he also noticed a difference.
Evelyn's observation was meticulous enough.
When they first met, Lucius turned and left as soon as she saw Evelyn, making it clear that she did not want to see her. But why could she now bear the same pressure to come and look for him?
The situation was not that serious. If it was not a matter of life and death, she could have waited for Ravesland's first communal meet to discuss it, not now.
So, what had forced her to come here?
Leaving Evelyn at his side was indeed a good move on his part. She had a good grasp of Lucius' personality, and her meticulous mind and observation skills were also crucial...
Lucius was also deeply impressed by Evelyn's dominance. Her gaze flickered between the two of them for a few moments before finally relenting.
She looked at Char and said word by word, "Ivanhilde is back."
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