Chapter 100

 “What a pity.” The little dog drawing had been quite adorable. Why scribble it out?

Ye Zheng smiled as she set the letter aside.

Sela’s reply sounded like a refusal, yet Ye Zheng felt no disappointment. She suspected that although Sela said such things aloud, she would still dutifully appear in the Western District.

In the manga spoilers, Lu Qi had shown signs of monsterification. Combined with the Pope’s clandestine experiments in the Western District, there would likely be numerous uncontrollable and unkillable monsters there.

Sela’s nullification ability would prove extremely useful.

The only concern was preventing Sela and Sykes from crossing paths. Sykes would never let go of Sela, who had once controlled him like an aberrant beast. And Sela possessed the temperament of a fearless madwoman.

The mere thought of this scenario gave Ye Zheng a headache. She suddenly asked, “System, in the original plot, did Sykes go to the Western District?”

【In the original plot, after the situation in the Western District deteriorated further, Sykes, as the Crown Prince and the empire’s only SSS-CLASS ability user, also went to the Western District.】

“So my actions caused Sykes to act earlier.”

【That is correct. And in the original plot, Sela wouldn’t have appeared in the Western District either.】

“Very good. The plot will surely become far more interesting than before.”

Ye Zheng recalled how readers on the forum had said the author ought to kowtow to her. It wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

✧✧✧✧✧

Two days later.

Banners fluttered in the wind. Sykes stood in formal attire atop the towering city wall. Below him were rows of disciplined, imposing knights. His voice, measured and resonant, echoed through the silent and solemn air.

“Today we stand here, for our shared homeland and faith, about to embark on a journey to the Western District…”

“…For the sake of great reunion and shared prosperity, I, Sykes Aston, pledge that this shall be a campaign of certain victory. We will destroy the aberrant realms in the Western District and reclaim our land and our people!”

Ye Zheng stood not far behind Sykes, listening to him deliver the speech she had written. Irrelevantly, she wondered whether it had been difficult for him to memorize so many words.

The knights below the wall seemed stirred by the imperial heir’s resolve. In unison, they roared, “Reclaim the land and the people!”

For a moment, the atmosphere surged like boiling water. This scene was projected in real time through projection stones to every district, ensuring that people in the upper, middle, and lower districts could all witness the majestic figure of the Crown Prince. It soothed the panicked populace and restored their trust in the empire.

“It was written beautifully. What a pity that today’s protagonist is only Sykes. It’s truly unfair to you, Saintess.”

“You hold the divine sword. You have more right than anyone to stand at the forefront, do you not?”

Ye Zheng stood with her hands clasped behind her back. She shifted her gaze slightly and glanced at Yu Tianming, who had approached her side. His smile was strained and faintly gloomy.

The emperor was unwilling to let her appear publicly and once again seize the imperial glory embodied by Sykes. Yet this operation had no choice but to bring her, the God Chosen, to reassure the people.

Ye Zheng cared little for such an opportunity to speak. The imperial family’s performance held no interest for her. Instead, she regarded Yu Tianming with quiet curiosity.

“By comparison, the most unfair matter is that Sykes didn’t bring you along this time.”

Yu Tianming had always stood at Sykes’s side. He was the Crown Prince’s most vital confidant. Everyone believed that once Sykes ascended the throne, Yu Tianming would naturally become the empire’s second authority. Yet this time, Sykes’s expedition had left him behind. That was rather intriguing.

Ye Zheng patted Yu Tianming’s shoulder. “You’ve worked hard. During the upcoming operation, I’ll look after His Highness the Crown Prince on your behalf.”

“Hah. Then I must truly thank you.”

The corners of Yu Tianming’s mouth could no longer sustain a smile. He still couldn’t accept that all his years of lying low had become utterly meaningless. What was Sykes thinking? Did he genuinely believe Ye Zheng was more loyal and reliable than him?

He withdrew his gaze from Sykes’s back and looked at Ye Zheng. When their eyes met, she offered a polite smile and slight nod. Her excessive composure and courtesy felt unmistakably provocative.

Yu Tianming nearly choked on his breath. He’d originally intended to say a few more words to Sykes. Even if he wasn’t brought along, he could at least warn about Ye Zheng. It would count as fulfilling the pitiful remnant of affection from these past years.

Yet the moment he had approached and seen the white-clad Saintess standing guard behind Sykes, her black hair streaming like a banner, he’d immediately understood he had no opportunity.

Recalling how he’d once even considered manipulating Ye Zheng into becoming his own faction, he suddenly felt faintly envious of his former naïveté.

“Saintess, I trust you and His Highness the Crown Prince will surely bring good news to the empire together. You are the empire’s hope. I wish you a smooth journey.”

Yu Tianming did not linger. He turned and descended the city tower. Reminding Ye Zheng that she and Sykes still shared common interests was the final thing he could do for Sykes.

He adjusted his glasses. The sorrow in his eyes flickered and vanished in an instant. At present, the emperor seemed dissatisfied with Sykes. This time, even the Royal Knight Order had not been deployed. Perhaps completely severing himself from Sykes might present a new opportunity.

Ye Zheng hadn’t expected Yu Tianming to retain even that faint trace of affection for Sykes, though it was only the slightest fragment.

She gave a soft laugh. It would be exceedingly troublesome if Yu Tianming were to remain at Sykes’s side.

That was why, in the intelligence she had “inadvertently” leaked to Sykes, she had casually alluded to the dealings between the Yu family and the church. Blended together with the church’s mysterious activities in the Western District, it became especially suspicious and eye-catching.

If Yu Tianming had gained access to that intelligence, he could’ve easily proven his innocence, because the Yu family had indeed maintained only ordinary relations with the church.

Unfortunately, Sykes, whose intellect had now fully awakened, already trusted Yu Tianming far less. The rift between them would only widen.

『How wicked. In the original plot, their relationship was very stable, and they had quite a few CP fans.』

The system sighed, tinged with schadenfreude.

“Wicked? It’s precisely because I’m kind that I’m using this method to drive a wedge between them.”

Ye Zheng blinked her dark eyes in disagreement and defended herself inwardly.

Otherwise, she could’ve dealt with him after Sykes brought Yu Tianming into the Western District, taking advantage of the chaos and danger there. Of course, that had originally been her plan B.

“Let’s go.”

A low voice, carrying a trace of fatigue, sounded.

Sykes had finished his speech. He turned around, his expression somber as he rubbed his brow. The solemn authority he’d displayed during the address had vanished. His complexion was so poor it seemed as though he’d just endured a fierce battle.

Ye Zheng stepped toward the railing and looked down at the neatly lined ranks of knights below. This operation was far grander than the last time, when Sykes had impulsively entered the Blood Flower Aberrant Realm.

“Won’t the Royal Knight Order be deployed?”

“They must safeguard the Upper District.”

Sykes appeared unwilling to elaborate. With a cold expression, he descended the stairs. Suddenly recalling something, he turned to look at Ye Zheng and said in an icy tone, “Don’t forget. Today you’re to treat me.”

“Mm. Then we’ll do it on the train.”

The situation in the Western District could no longer be postponed. Today, Crown Prince Sykes would depart with a fully prepared force.

The Imperial Grand Station, serving as the transportation hub of the Sacred Citadel Empire, connected the routes of every district. Most remarkable of all, it was itself a space-type aberrant realm that had been successfully controlled and integrated into daily use. By harnessing the power of the aberrant realm, one could swiftly reach any designated station.

Its sole flaw was the exorbitant cost. The empire was already considering laying conventional tracks to replace this peculiar spatial train.

Ye Zheng sat inside the train compartment. Only the two of them were present.

Sykes closed his eyes. His tightly furrowed brows revealed impatience and pain. The gentle caress of flowing water failed to ease even a fraction of his discomfort. Countless fragmented images flashed through his mind, yet he couldn’t assemble them into a coherent whole.

He suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for breath. Seeing this, Ye Zheng withdrew the stream of water.

Ever since she had accidentally helped Sykes recover a portion of his memories within the Blood Flower Aberrant Realm, he’d required her to treat him regularly.

“Was the treatment effective this time?”

Ye Zheng asked softly.

Sykes shook his head, his expression grim, and closed his eyes again, leaning back in his seat to rest.

Ye Zheng raised a brow, unsurprised. It was perfectly normal for Sykes not to recall anything. This time, she hadn’t treated him seriously at all. It had been purely perfunctory.

Even if she assisted Sykes in recovering his lost memories, would he honestly disclose what he remembered? And would the restoration of his memory necessarily serve her interests?

It would be better for her to investigate personally what had truly happened to Sykes.

“Take it slowly, Your Highness. There’s no need to hurry.”

The girl soothed him. Her dark eyes were gentle and luminous, appearing utterly sincere.

Sykes opened his eyes and glanced at her, which served as his acknowledgment. The violent aura that had once surrounded him had diminished considerably. He genuinely appeared somewhat like a reliable and composed Crown Prince.

Ye Zheng felt nothing in her heart. She understood clearly that Sykes’s essence hadn’t changed in the slightest. The ever-expanding hunting grounds were the clearest proof.

The train arrived at the station with a steady jolt.

Ye Zheng stepped off the train. Today she wore a white shirt and gray vest, black trousers tucked neatly into long boots. Her long hair was braided and fell down her back. Her bearing was calm and composed.

She looked more like a scholar conducting an inspection than a warrior. Only the sword at her side carried a restrained sharpness.

Wherever she walked, those who recognized her identity couldn’t help but cast their gazes toward the sword at her side.

The understated black scabbard concealed the legendary Sword of the God of Hope. It appeared ordinary, yet anyone who looked upon it felt an instinctive reverence and solemn awe.

Because of its remote and underdeveloped location, the Imperial Grand Station had no trains running directly to the Western District of the Lower District. This was merely the Southern District station closest to the Western District.

It would take at least another half day before she could enter the Western District.

Wende and the others, along with Sela, would arrive even later.

For this operation, the imperial family had courteously declined her request to bring her own knight order. However, Ye Zheng wasn’t so compliant.

She followed behind Sykes. For once, a trace of urgency stirred within her. Lowering her gaze, she silently quickened her steps.

She didn’t know precisely when Lu Qi would encounter trouble. She could only reach her as quickly as possible.

✧✧✧✧✧

“Calm your mind. Don’t let your hands tremble. Aim carefully at the prey…”

On a hill shrouded in white fog, a middle-aged man pressed down on a young man’s shoulder. His gaze was fixed intently on the shifting shadows within the mist.

“Even if the fog obstructs your sight, it doesn’t matter. We’re the natural hunters of this land. The sound of the wind, the tremor of the earth, they all reveal the prey’s direction. Feel them with your heart.”

Under the patient guidance of the middle-aged man, the boy closed his eyes. His hand trembled once, and the bullet shot from the hunting rifle into the distance.

The shadow moving below the hill collapsed.

The middle-aged man let out a cheer, then quickly covered his mouth. He whispered excitedly, “Well done. From now on, you’re also a guardian hunter of this land!”

The boy scratched his head awkwardly. “My ability is vision. And this prey’s color was especially conspicuous, so it went smoothly. I’m still far inferior to you, Uncle.”

The middle-aged man patted the boy’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t belittle yourself. If it weren’t for your ability to track prey even within the fog, who knows how many monsters would’ve escaped to harm ordinary people.”

The two of them carefully descended the hill, approaching the motionless prey.

When the boy clearly saw the prey’s appearance, he no longer knew how to hold his rifle. He’d never seen such an adorable prey before.

He spoke haltingly, “Uncle, is it really a monster? It doesn’t look like the ones from before… It looks more like an ordinary person.”

The middle-aged man regarded the boy with faint amusement. “You’re truly young. I was once this soft-hearted as well.”

He crouched down, brushing aside the prey’s orange hair, and pointed at the unfamiliar face.

“I can tell you with certainty. In this area, any unfamiliar woman is a monster.”

“If we don’t act, our entire village will perish!”

The boy was stunned by the intensity in the man’s voice and nodded stiffly.