Chapter 47: The Scent of Blood and a Sinister Revelation

On the outskirts of Truth City,

within the Reiz Mountain Forest Area,

under the soft glow of the moon, Navi’er, the brown-haired guardian knight of the First Holy Princess Helibea, descended from the sky. Clad in silver-grey armor and enveloped in holy power, she landed gracefully in the clearing below.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Navi’er’s eyes widened with profound gravity.

The reason was simple:

a strong, metallic scent of blood immediately assailed her senses.

Scanning her surroundings, she observed the shattered remains of a carriage, warhorses brutally killed and partially devoured by wild beasts by the roadside, and the Ashir family’s flag, burnt to half its original size. Swords and staffs lay scattered across the ground, and bloodstains were visible everywhere.

Navi’er gasped, a cold shiver running down her spine.

‘It seems Miss Mitis was attacked here… and not only that…’

Her gaze flickered to a large pool of residual blood on the ground nearby, and her expression grew even more solemn.

Taking a deep breath, Navi’er turned with a grave demeanor to the red-haired woman who had just arrived behind her.

“Your Highness Helibea, it’s… it’s Beham’s blood. Marquis Beham, he… he must have already…”

“Already dead, you mean? I can tell. There’s brain matter mixed in with the bloodstains.”

Helibea, the First Holy Princess, gazed at the blood on the ground, her expression unexpectedly grim, a look Navi’er had rarely seen before.

Although the bodies of Mitis, Beham, and the many Ashir family members were missing, it was not difficult to deduce their fate.

All of them had been killed.

‘What exactly happened?’

According to Duke Leipzig’s plan, Mitis was supposed to lure Xiamiya into the remote Reiz Mountain Forest and eliminate her there. Even if resistance was encountered, the bandits ambushing nearby and the Blood Marquis Beham were meant to ensure the plan’s flawless execution.

Yet, why?

Why were all the Ashir family members dead? And the Blood Marquis gone?

As for the nearby bandits, not even a shadow of them could be seen.

Furthermore, there were only bloodstains, but no bodies. This was the same situation as at the Roberitz family estate.

‘Xiamiya, you truly are hiding something from your elder sister.’

A chilling murderous intent laced Helibea’s words. Her clenched fists slowly began to seep crimson blood.

****

“But, as for Her Highness Xiamiya? How did she manage this?”

As Navi’er collected clues from the scene, she murmured in confusion.

“How could a mere Stage Two ordinary person defeat so many Stage Four and Five guards, and… even the Marquis?”

“Of course, she didn’t do it.”

“Huh?”

Navi’er was momentarily stunned by Helibea’s words.

“Your Highness, then… then what do you mean?”

“It was the maid beside her.”

“The maid?”

“The blonde maid who appeared by Xiamiya’s side without any warning.”

“It… it was her? Did the High Priest arrange such a powerful individual for Xiamiya? To be able to defeat the Marquis, is that maid a newly selected Holy Knight?”

“I’m not sure. We still can’t get specific intelligence from within the Holy Sanctuary.”

Helibea shook her head truthfully.

“But no matter what, that woman is definitely very strong. When she left the South Gate of the Holy Royal Palace, the detection magic on the gate couldn’t even measure her exact strength. There’s a good chance she might be close to the Heavenly Realm… That damned High Priest, he still had a trick up his sleeve.”

“Then, this…”

Upon hearing this, Navi’er’s expression became even more serious.

“I didn’t expect the High Priest to actually intend to support Xiamiya in her bid for the throne. What now, Your Highness Helibea? A maid close to the Heavenly Realm is not someone we can contend with… Hm? Your Highness?”

As she spoke, a flicker of doubt crossed Navi’er’s eyes.

For at this moment, reflected in her gaze, the First Holy Princess, who should have been anxious, showed no trace of agitation on her face. Instead, an expression of excitement bloomed, accompanied by a bone-chillingly cold smile.

“Heh heh, Navi’er, don’t be so nervous. The situation isn’t as bad as you imagine.”

With that, Helibea slowly raised her hand, revealing a silver metal block clutched between her index finger and thumb.

“Your Highness Helibea, what is this?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but this object carries Xiamiya’s aura and is stained with Mitis’s blood… More importantly… it also carries traces of the Power of the Dark Abyss.”

“The Power of the Dark Abyss? A Calamity Demon?!”

Navi’er’s entire body trembled violently, a strong sense of unease flashing in her eyes.

“Why would this thing have the Power of the Dark Abyss?”

“That’s no longer important. What matters is that this Power of the Dark Abyss is intertwined with Xiamiya’s aura, which means this power originates from within my dear sister.”

“You mean…”

Instantly, Navi’er’s eyes narrowed. She vaguely guessed Helibea’s intentions.

In the Theocracy, no, throughout this entire world, Calamity Demons were unequivocally considered enemies. Anyone infected with the Power of the Dark Abyss was deemed an object that must be eliminated.

Regardless of their status, if they were infected with the Power of the Dark Abyss, they had to die.

Didn’t the king of the Azure Phoenix Kingdom, after being infected with the Power of the Dark Abyss, face the wrath of surrounding nations, ultimately leading to the downfall of his kingdom and the destruction of his very soul?

If Xiamiya had merely been a ‘Child of Curses’ in name before, they couldn’t have directly taken action. But now, if it was confirmed that the Third Holy Princess possessed the Power of the Dark Abyss, Xiamiya’s fate would be sealed.

****

Glancing at the suddenly enlightened Navi’er, Helibea nodded with a sinister smile.

“It’s just as you’re thinking, Navi’er. Although Xiamiya escaped this calamity, she exposed her most fatal weakness. In this way, my dear sister has completely cut off her own retreat…”

‘Xiamiya, it seems I, your elder sister, did not slander you after all. You truly possess the Power of the Dark Abyss within you. No wonder you survived the Calamity Demon back then. The Child of Curses of Sabuyel, truly lives up to the name.’

Thinking this, Helibea, whose mood had been somber for several days, finally let out a series of light chuckles, as if a great burden had been lifted.

“Heh, heh heh, heh heh heh~”

“Your Highness, what should we do next?”

Navi’er respectfully inquired from the side.

In response, Helibea gave a charming smile, thoughtfully gazing at the silver metal block in her hand, illuminated by the moonlight.

“It’s simple. First, we send a warning to the Holy Sanctuary. We inform the High Priest that Xiamiya is tainted with the Power of the Dark Abyss. Unless that old man has gone senile, he won’t support Xiamiya anymore. After all… if the people of Ophelia were to discover that their Holy Sanctuary supports a genuine Child of Curses, the Holy Sanctuary would lose all standing in Ophelia.”

“Forcing the High Priest to withdraw? That’s indeed a good method. In that case, that maid won’t protect Xiamiya anymore either.”

Navi’er nodded slightly, noncommittally.

“But Your Highness, what if the High Priest doesn’t cooperate and stubbornly continues to support Xiamiya? You know, Jakarin Bayena has a very peculiar temper.”

“I’ve naturally considered that as well. Therefore, we need to keep a final contingency in reserve.”

“A contingency.”

“Mm.”

After a slow nod, Helibea did not immediately answer her adjutant. Instead, she slowly retrieved a necklace from her Spatial Ring, engraved with an inverted cross and a crest of three pairs of blood-red wings.

This emblem was likely recognized by everyone in the world. It was the symbol of the Abyss of Sin Tower.

Taking a deep breath, Helibea gripped the necklace, continuously infusing it with holy power. As the holy power flowed in, the remote communication magic embedded within the necklace activated.

–”Esteemed Great Sin Apostle, Lord Zholu, I wish to make a transaction with you.”–