Chapter 197: Imperial Overhaul (1)
Who would have thought that the saints would bare their teeth?
In a world where common sense did not apply, the current saint lay gleefully under the eyes of God.
Who am I? I am prepared for such situations. It may be difficult to catch the culprit, but it is possible to resolve this situation.
Inspired by his confident words, the nobles cheered.
As expected of the Saint!
Theres a reason why God chose you as a saint!
The nobles were deceived by Rays unfounded confidence.
The Emperor too would have been fooled if he had not spoken to him beforehand.
The atmosphere in the dimly lit great hall, which had been gloomy, was now almost festive.
In a situation where they had to prepare for a war with the wyverns, a perfect solution had emerged, alleviating all their worries.
This was exactly what Ray was aiming for.
As they relaxed, the nobles who dreamt of rebellion grew anxious.
They had barely managed to involve the wyverns in a plan for mutual destruction with the empire, but now they were slipping out of their grasp.
After the conference in the great hall ended, they would likely gather independently to discuss the situation.
They had to act tonight, as there was no time until tomorrow morning.
Ray made a sly expression unnoticed by others.
In a secret place, several figures flickered in the shadows.
Those clad in robes quietly began to speak.
Things have become troublesome. Who would have thought he had the Wyvern Lords mana contract
We dont have much time. We must finish this before dawn.
Another figure responded to their words.
But it seems impossible to come up with another plan within that time and it will take quite a while to prepare
There is a way.
Lets hear it.
With permission to speak, the previous speaker shared his thoughts.
We use the wyverns once more.
You mean to provoke them again?
Yes. If we attack them a second time following the first, the Wyvern Lord will surely retaliate, given the mana contract.
Ho.
While we may forgive them upfront, the empire will likely launch an attack behind the scenes. After that, we just need to create discord between the two parties. Isnt it simple?
Pondering the words under the robe, the figure soon nodded in agreement.
When you thought about it, it made sense.
There was no need for them to orchestrate everything.
If another attack on the wyverns occurred, the empire would fall into internal suspicion and doubt, and the wyverns would no longer tolerate the actions of the empire.
If lucky, there might be civil unrest internally and external enemies arising.
It didnt take long to agree with this simple yet effective plan.
Good. Lets proceed with that plan. Summon the strike team like last time. Be ready to move as soon as the day ends.
Understood.
The figure in the robe knelt on one knee.
With this, the empire would plunge into chaos again.
The benefit of involving the wyverns in the rebellion far exceeded their imagination.
Excited by the thought of controlling the empire, they began to move swiftly.
Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching their every move from afar.
So, thats the plan? Hehehe.
As things unfolded smoothly as he had anticipated, Rays mood brightened.
He had expected the rebellion to progress to some extent, but he never dreamed that they would provoke the wyverns again.
Just hinting at this fact to them would make things much easier.
As the figures with whom he had been conversing dispersed into the forest, Ray, left alone, shone with excitement.
The wyvern matter just needs to be relayed properly The rest is about uncovering the monster.
He thought it would be enough to open the mouths of those he had captured.
He hurried towards the wyverns lair.
At dusk, as darkness began to fall, Ray arrived at their lair, traversing the mountain range, and encountered a wyvern on guard.
The female wyvern at the entrance was the same one who had told him to run to her if he was in danger last time.
She questioned him with a wary expression, different from before.
Human, what brings you here again?
She seemed to be on edge due to the humans recent attack on the wyverns.
Ray shook his head, indicating he had no intention to fight.
I have a message for the Lord. Will you let me enter the village?
Her hostility waned immediately upon hearing his words.
As a strong one, your words deserve respect, but as a guard, may I ask the reason?
Ive come to fulfill a promise I made to the Lord. Its an urgent message. Theres not much time left.
A promise? Have you already found the instigators?
No, I havent found them.
His expression seemed to say, How would I know that?
Her brows furrowed slightly at his perplexing answer.
What did he mean by coming here to keep a promise yet not having found the culprit?
Just as she was about to speak, Ray smiled slyly.
But the culprits will come here themselves. Isnt that a sufficient answer?
His confident words shook her.
After a moment of hesitation, she nodded slowly and stepped aside.
I dont fully understand but the Lord will judge. Enter.
Thank you.
Ray quickened his pace towards the Lords house as he finally entered the village.
The adversaries said they would move as soon as night fell.
With little time left, it was best to act quickly.
Even under the intense scrutiny of the wyverns, he located the Lords house. There stood a shabby house, utterly destroyed and barely recognizable.
Lilith, who was drinking warm tea in that roofless place, recognized Ray.
What brings you here? I thought we agreed to meet in the morning.
Ray bluntly communicated his urgent business to Lilith.
Listen well. The humans from the empire will attack again soon. There isnt much time. You guys lie in ambush and strike as soon as you sense the mana. You understand with just this, right?
Gack! What, what? What are you talking about?
Startled, Lilith nearly choked on her tea.
Humans attacking again? Where had he gotten this information, and could they trust it?
It was too sudden to ignore.
But she wasnt the wyverns Lord for nothing.
She quickly recovered and got a grip on the situation.
Where did you get this information? And what about the enemys numbers?
I prodded the nobles after you left. Its reliable information, so its worth taking a chance on. As for the troops I dont know exactly, but I suspect its a small strike force.
Got it. Ill handle it.
Lilith briskly finished her tea and stood up.
The house, lacking anything resembling a chair, was a pitiful sight.
Well, she had caused the destruction herself as she grew.
She closed her eyes and relaxed her body.
Before long, wyverns began to emerge from various parts of the village.
It seemed she had communicated the message to all the wyverns through some means.
They glanced at Lilith once, then began moving toward different parts of the mountain range.
Ray, who had been watching calmly, also rose from his spot.
Ill be going then.
Youre leaving? Not just watching?
I have tasks to attend to in the empire as well. I promised, didnt I? To hand over every single one of them.
Were you serious about that?
She looked at Ray with fresh surprise, as if he were mad.
She had assumed he was exaggerating, but he was actually serious!
In the house that was nothing but ruins, Ray looked at Lilith for a moment, then bowed his head.
All I can do is this much. I believe its the best I can do Can you reconsider attacking the empire?
Lilith was taken aback by his sudden gesture.
She had not expected him to bow his head for others, who could be considered strangers.
Moreover, to her, the human in front of her was a strong one.
A strong one bowing to the weak? For Lilith, used to the simple rule of wyverns respecting strength, it was an incomprehensible action.
Yet, she found it not unpleasant.
It was something she couldnt understand and didnt want to, yet it wasnt repulsive.
Perhaps it was a sensation she could never comprehend in her lifetime as a wyvern.
Lilith, with surprised eyes, chuckled and said,
I heard humans call you a saint It seems thats true?
Selling out God, deceiving, robbing bandits of their money, he has no iota of faith, but he is indeed a saint.
Of course, she didnt know all this, but she could well understand that the human before her thought more of others than anyone else.
It was natural, considering his former profession in the modern world was one of saving lives.
Ray also smiled back and waved his hand.
Its something I can do because Im a saint. Something I must do because Im a saint.
.
Lilith listened silently with a pleased smile.
She didnt respond, but she too faintly understood.
No matter how much of a saint one is, such deeds are not easily accomplished.
Having seen many saints over the years, she felt this thought even more strongly.
As it was time to leave, Ray silently bid farewell to her and left the lair.
He intended to investigate the royal family in the empire.
Though he had instructed Heukyeong and Soyeong to conduct a background check, important places were heavily guarded and inaccessible.
Therefore, they hadnt found much.
Ray, who had dissuaded the two from atoning through death for not achieving the desired results, didnt think much of it.
If it couldnt be uncovered from behind, then it had to be discovered from the front.
He had completed all the preliminary investigations for that purpose.
Now, all that was left was to summon the royals, excluding the Emperor, for a confrontation.
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