Chapter 209: Breaking the Deadlock (Part 2)

  To everyone's surprise, not only did Her Majesty the Queen have fangs on her face, but her expression was also twitching.

  "Your Majesty." Several old ministers rushed forward a few steps, but then all stopped in their tracks. They could all see that the twitching on Her Majesty the Queen's body and face was not something like pain, but rather an expression resembling a carnivorous animal that was extremely hungry, yet even more ferocious and terrifying.

  Cardinal raised a hand to stop them, saying: "Please be careful, everyone. The vampiric nature within Her Majesty has completely replaced her normal human nature. I had no choice but to use white magic to restrain her."

  "How could this be? Just a few days ago, Her Majesty the Queen... wasn't she perfectly fine? Moreover, Her Majesty the Queen has always been gentle and virtuous, never meddling in political affairs. If she were truly a vampire, how could she have been so stable all this time?"

  Cardinal sighed and said: "Actually, when she started feeling unwell a few days ago, that was when the Necromancy began to control her. Before that, the vampiric factor was just latent in her body and had not fully taken effect. I noticed some abnormalities while treating Her Majesty, but only discovered the truth later... The one who came out to feed those nights was actually Her Majesty the Queen. I just didn't announce it to avoid alerting the target."

  Minister Jason, looking at the Queen lying on the bed, said in a trembling voice: "You first release the magic on Her Majesty the Queen. We want to ask her face to face what is going on..."

  Cardinal shook his head and said: "I'm afraid she can no longer answer any of your questions..."

  "Release it first." the old minister shouted in a deep voice. Although his face was full of wrinkles and his hair was white, this shout still carried a full measure of presence.

  Bishop Javi shook his head slightly and sighed. He reached out and stroked the body of the Queen on the bed. The Queen's body immediately jerked, and she sat up.

  "Your Majesty, may I ask what you are..." the old minister stepped forward and began to ask.

  The Queen's answer was a sudden, piercing scream that could tear through a person's eardrums. At the same time as the scream, her small, frail body pounced towards Minister Jason with a speed that was completely disproportionate to her size. Her mouth was open so wide, dislocating the joint between her upper and lower jaw like a snake's, to a shocking degree. The sharp, pearly white fangs were aimed directly at the old Minister Jason.

  But this sudden lunge did not actually land on the old minister. Rodhart and Bishop Javi, who were at the side, moved faster than the Queen. They seemed to have anticipated the Queen's reaction and simultaneously grabbed her limbs, pressing her back onto the bed.

  "In the name of the Lord, bind all that is unclean and evil." Bishop Javi chanted a prayer, and the chains condensed from white magic quickly sank into Her Majesty the Queen's body. The Queen immediately lay back down on the bed, unable to move.

  The old Minister Jason took a weak step back, his feet trembling. It was not because he was frightened, but because of his incredulous horror. Everyone could see that the Queen's movements just now had lost any trace of humanity; it was as if a wolf that had been starved for a hundred years had seen a pile of fresh, dripping meat. Furthermore, the "Light's Bind" that Cardinal had used was a magic that only had a specific binding effect on undead monsters. These were all irrefutable pieces of evidence.

  Not just the old minister, everyone's face was full of disbelief and despair. The faces of Bishop Javi and Rodhart also held varying degrees of pain and reluctance. But among everyone, naturally, the expression on the Chancellor's face was the most complex and painful. Her lower lip had been bitten until it bled by her own pearly teeth. But the expression on her face and the look in her eyes still persisted without collapsing. She first looked at the Queen, then at Cardinal.

  "I'm sorry." Bishop Javi let out a long sigh, with not the slightest hint of falsehood in it. He could feel the pain, anger, and sorrow suppressed in her gaze, and he could even feel a faint ache in his own heart. But the feeling was instantly suppressed, because it had to be this way now. He looked at her sincerely and said: "I'm sorry, Chancellor. In truth, I also did not wish for things to develop to this point... but since some things have already happened, I had no choice but to handle them this way. Please forgive me. I will do my best to handle this matter well..."

  The things contained in the Chancellor's eyes grew more and more numerous. She slowly opened her mouth, but her voice was unexpectedly a kind of calm without any panic: "Things have already reached this point, saying all this is useless. Just say it, what do you plan to do? You didn't call us here just for these reasons, did you..."

  Bishop Javi nodded and said: "Indeed. The reason Lord Rodhart and I summoned everyone here is not just for this, there are other, more important reasons..."

  "More important reasons?" The voices of several ministers rose several octaves. They really could not imagine what could be more serious than this.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "According to the clues Lord Rodhart and I have obtained, Her Majesty the Queen has likely been under the control of that person all along, the fugitive who assassinated Duke Mrak and Bishop Ronis. His original plan this time was to take control of the court while His Majesty the Emperor and Commander Roland were away from the royal capital, and His Majesty Grafenhardt is likely in danger..."

  Marquis Minsk immediately shook his head and said: "With Commander Roland by his side, and His Majesty also having an entire squad of Paladin Order guards, his safety should be fine."

  Bishop Javi sighed and said: "I hope so too... but Her Majesty the Queen has already become like this. If anything were to happen to His Majesty and Commander Roland, wouldn't the entire Empire be left without a leader? To be prepared for any eventuality, I suggest we first discuss a countermeasure."

  The Old Marquis Minsk, who was at the side, suddenly asked: "Can Her Majesty the Queen in this state still be treated? Could we possibly ask His Majesty the Pope to condescend to make a trip to Ainfast... As long as Her Majesty the Queen can be cured, I believe His Majesty will from now on treat Celeste..."

  Bishop Javi shook his head sorrowfully and said: "Things have reached this point. I fear that even if His Majesty the Pope and several of our Cardinals join forces, there is probably nothing we can do."

  A look of despair appeared on the faces of several ministers. Minister Jason shook his head and sighed: "If His Majesty learns of this, he..."

  Cardinal continued: "According to what Lord Rodhart and I know, that fugitive has likely always had a connection to Diya Valley. If he has enlisted a Necromancer to deal with His Majesty and Commander Roland, the situation would be dire. I suggest we immediately dispatch a large force to welcome His Majesty back to the royal capital."

  the Old Marquis Minsk and several other ministers also nodded hastily: "Then as soon as possible. If anything else were to happen to His Majesty, it would be disastrous..."

  "Why does it seem as if you, Bishop, are so certain that something will happen to His Majesty?" the Chancellor suddenly said: "If we empty the forces of the royal capital, what if something else happens here? What will we do then?"

  Cardinal said: "I believe rescuing His Majesty is more important. And of course, it's impossible to empty all the troops from the royal capital. Even if the Imperial Guards are not here, we still have the Paladin Order. With Lord Rodhart in command, it should be enough to handle any situation."

  The Chancellor then snorted coldly: "The Paladin Order is not like the Imperial Guards. Only the two of you working together can mobilize them in the entire royal capital. If something happens and one of you doesn't respond, or even if the two of you have ulterior motives, what then?"

  Although they were all flustered and anxious, the ministers could still sense that something was off in the Chancellor's words. They all looked at her in astonishment.

  "Everything is just what you two have said; it's not necessarily the truth." the Chancellor took a deep breath, first looking at the Queen on the bed, then at Rodhart and Bishop Javi. The light in her eyes finally radiated completely. She raised her voice, looked at the ministers around her, and said: "I believe Commander Roland will surely have a way to protect His Majesty. I also believe that there must be a bigger, more hidden story behind why Her Majesty the Queen has become like this. Everyone, do not panic. Just wait for Commander Roland to escort His Majesty back, and everything will be fine."

  Rodhart frowned, looked at the Chancellor, and said in a clear voice: "Right now, His Majesty is likely in mortal danger. How can we still wait? Chancellor. We know that Her Majesty the Queen's situation must be very painful for you. But please, for the sake of the state, accept reality. Do you still think that Lord Javi and I would be talking nonsense on a matter like this?"

  "Sophia, calm down." Minister Jason patted the Chancellor's shoulder and said softly. He had watched the Chancellor grow up and knew very well that these two sisters, before their father's death, had long been emotionally dependent on each other. "I'm afraid this is the only way now. After all, we cannot risk His Majesty's life and safety."

  The Chancellor gave a helpless glance to this grieving but kind old minister. The other old ministers around him all had the same expression. She could only feel a deep sense of helplessness.

  These old men had dedicated their entire lives to serving the royal family. Even from the perspective of a subject, the Emperor's safety was indeed the first priority. Something so unbelievable had already happened, and they dared not not believe it. Moreover, the two people before them were one, a Cardinal personally appointed by His Majesty the Pope, and the other, a trusted disciple of Commander Roland. Even if she were to say that all of this was planned by them, the result of summoning everyone would only make people think that she was the one who was acting abnormally.

  "Things have reached this point, the situation leaves no other choice but to proceed as such." Bishop Javi looked at the Chancellor and shook his head slightly. Everyone except the Chancellor could not feel the confidence in this sentence.

  Indeed. On the surface, no one would believe that these two were the masterminds behind the scenes. Everyone could only follow the path they had arranged step by step. And the entire Paladin Order was on guard outside. She knew who they were guarding against. She did not know where he had gone after leaving her just now, but she also knew that with him alone, it was absolutely impossible to reverse this situation.

  "Then it's settled. How about we have the Old Marquis Minsk and General Thomas lead the Imperial Guards and all other troops to prepare to depart immediately..."

  Just at that moment, a Paladin Order swordsman suddenly reported from outside the hall: "My lord Bishop, a priest from the Magic Academy has been sent, saying he has an urgent matter to report to you. We have stopped him."

  Javi nodded. It was his order that no one be allowed to approach for any reason. He asked: "What is the urgent matter?"

  "That priest said someone broke into the cellar beneath the Grand Cathedral and stole something from inside. He said the person seemed to have used Necromancy, and High Priest Ryan has been severely injured..."

  "What?" Cardinal, who had been calm and composed, as placid as still water and in complete control, suddenly jumped up as if he had been stabbed in the ass. His expression was even more astonished than when the ministers saw the Queen earlier. His handsome face was completely distorted by horror.

  At this moment, in the meeting room of Diya Valley.

  Valthor's short body was shrunk in the chair. His coughs were like rocks weathered for tens of thousands of years, being chiseled out of his throat one by one and shattering in the air of the hall, filling it with a scent of time and decaying decrepitude.

  In the chair, this decrepit old man looked as if he could be shaken to pieces by the coughing at any moment. But the Marquis standing before him did not dare to show the slightest slackness or contempt in his gaze. To his left and right stood Master Aiden and another Necromancer, forming a triangle with the Marquis trapped in the middle.

  Valthor sat up slightly, looked at Marquis, and said while coughing: "Sandro is absolutely not to be touched. How many times have I said this? Now you and your son not only forced him out, got Norbolin killed, but you also designed a plot to kill him... Now you have made the situation like this yourself, what do you think should be done?"

  Marquis bowed to Valthor and said: "I'm sorry, Teacher Valthor. This was all my idea, and has nothing to do with that child, Javi."

  "As long as you are willing to take responsibility, that's good. That way, we have something to say to Sandro or Agrael." Master Aiden's cold voice carried a hint of schadenfreude. When he learned that Marquis had actually used the method of destroying the teleportation array to assassinate Sandro, he immediately thought of the Spatial Lock scroll he had used himself. He had immediately brought this matter up.

  A pallor with a tinge of greenish-blue appeared on Marquis's face. His complexion had never been so ugly. It had been this way ever since he heard about that Spatial Lock scroll. Of course, one couldn't say for certain that Sandro would definitely have survived, but the possibility was indeed very high. And given Sandro's well-known temper as the former acting guild master, even if it were just a slight possibility, no one's complexion would be very good.

  Valthor looked at Marquis coldly, slowly shook his head, and said: "You have been too reckless. Forget it. From now on, you are no longer the acting guild master of Diya Valley. However, you are still a member of Diya Valley. Whether you plan to stay here and wait for them to come looking for trouble, or go out and lie low for a while, is up to you."