Chapter 268: Chapter 133: Hee Hee Hee Ha Ha...
"Father, we must stop the Abyssal Sect, or else..."
Or else, even if they seized control of the Caster City State, they would be left with nothing more than a desolate, uninhabited shell.
Old Count Ernst understood his meaning. They absolutely could not allow the Abyssal Sect to summon those terrifying Abyssal Creatures, or Caster would be destroyed.
But what he couldn’t understand was this: Ales had eliminated the Bone-Eating Mother Worm and even killed the Favored One who came to conduct the sacrificial ritual...
Why weren’t the members of the Abyssal Sect dead?
"Father..."
Before he could say more, Old Ernst pushed his doubts aside. "Send Mitra over there. The sacrificial ritual must be stopped!"
"Also, arrange for the Nascimento and Seth clans to go to the Secret Investigation Department and the City Guard. We absolutely cannot let them stir up any more trouble."
"Furthermore, you are to go to the Council. Interrogate Samir and find out just how much they are still hiding!"
The only explanation he could think of was that the Council had meddled. Either the Secret Investigation Department’s report was falsified, or they had secretly allied with the Abyssal Sect...
"I’m afraid it’s going to be difficult for Mitra to get over there."
Lan’er said bitterly, "You’ve forgotten, Father. To ensure the Vasquez and the Black Pearl operatives could succeed, she and Aiko are over there keeping the Secret Investigation Department occupied..."
"Mitra can’t be moved... Who else can go? Who... Dawn? Yes, Dawn!"
Old Count Ernst’s mind raced, and he spoke rapidly, "Go to Krimms Cathedral now. No, I’ll have Maxim escort you. Seek aid from Bishop Andrews."
"They’re based in Caster; they won’t just stand by and watch the Abyssal Sect complete its sacrificial ritual!"
"Dawn? Alright, I’ll go at once!" Lan’er nodded.
"Maxim!"
"By your command, Lord Ernst!" a nearby Shadow Killer stepped forward, took Lan’er, and leaped into the shadows.
After a long moment, Old Count Ernst finally let out a long breath.
’Where, exactly, did things go wrong?’
According to the plan he and the Glory Society had formulated, the Ceres Clan had already agreed. The Black Pearl’s move this time would confirm their desire to obtain the treasure.
Once these two conditions were met, Klande would no longer object to the intelligence he had previously reported. The Glory Society would then propose acknowledging his clan’s sovereignty over the Caster City State.
At the same time, they would leverage the Abyssal Sect’s power, under the false pretext of the Council’s authority, to eliminate Ales, a Council supporter. This would sow discord between the Secret Investigation Department, the City Guard, and the Council.
Then, by using the influence of certain Council members and the Noble Committee, they would force Samir to voluntarily abdicate his position as Governor.
In this way, the Ernst Clan would secure de facto control over the Caster City State, both in name and in practice.
Judging by the intended outcome, the entire plan was flawless!
Even if Ales had refused to act, the worst that could have happened was that they would fail to sow division.
He would have arranged for someone else to eliminate the Abyssal Sect anyway...
But why would someone who shouldn’t have been involved appear at a time like this?
’Why wasn’t the Abyssal Sect annihilated?’
For the first time, Old Count Ernst felt the entire situation slipping from his grasp...
Now, his only hope was for the Dawn Church to intervene and eliminate the unexpected pawn who was disrupting the game!
...
...
"It’s the Desire Sect..."
Seeing several Investigators fall under the control of the Desire Origin, Nifa frowned. "Balats, reinforce the Rune Array’s source defense!"
Balats stomped his foot, and his Extraordinary Power activated more runes.
An additional layer of energy, designed to defend against the origin’s corruption, appeared within the dome of light.
"Looks like the person we’ve been waiting for has arrived. Come on, let’s go take a look."
As she spoke, the Investigators followed their superiors, leaping onto the roof of the Secret Investigation Department and looking in the direction of the Natali District.
At this moment, only just over twelve hundred Extraordinaries remained within the Secret Investigation Department, a number that included recalled retired Investigators and even those who were so corrupted they were on the verge of mutation...
"That’s... so many people..."
At the western entrance of the Dumitru District was a dense, seemingly endless mass of people.
They all wore uniform, bronze-colored half-armor, with one shoulder left bare. Each held a shield in one hand and a spear in the other.
For every five warriors, there was a female warrior holding a lantern, illuminating the area and warding off the red moon’s corruption.
At their head stood a woman, clad in a purple gown studded with gemstones. She held a golden scepter and stood with an air of proud defiance.
When lightning flashed across the night sky, it illuminated the determination on their faces—a clear sign of their resolve to see their mission through to the end.
"It’s the Vasquez People!"
A cruel smile appeared on Ariana’s face, and the tentacles surrounding her body began to writhe faster.
"It’s them?"
"I never thought the Vasquez People still had the ability to raise an army!"
"This is going to be a tough fight..."
The elders of many on the Secret Investigation Department’s side had participated in that war twenty years ago.
Though they had never seen it firsthand, they had all heard stories about the battle formations of the Vasquez People.
"Quiet!" Deputy Director Balats barked.
Immediately after, Director Nifa flew out of the Rune Array and hovered in mid-air, her gaze calmly fixed on the Vasquez People.
"What is your purpose in coming here?"
From within the Vasquez battle formation, the leading woman looked toward Nifa, pointed her scepter at the wingless bird statue in Nifa’s hand, and declared, "For that!"
’The statue?’
’The figurehead of Forbidden Item 0-91, the Homeward Bound?’
Seeing where the woman was pointing, Wei’en frowned.
’This doesn’t match what I learned from Clelia,’ he thought. ’Weren’t the Vasquez People after Rover’s Left Eye, the one in Krimms Cathedral?’
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