Chapter 86: The Double Blessing and a Risky Scheme

Finally, a spirit could no longer hold back.

“Are we bringing Princess Lola back?”

The Elf Queen finally shifted her posture. Her face was drawn with weariness, yet her voice was laced with fury as she retorted, “Bring her back? Did you not hear her say she has no desire to return at all?”

An elven minister knew well the Elf Queen’s profound sorrow over her daughter’s disappearance. While they could ascertain Lola’s safety through special means, that was the extent of their knowledge.

It was worth noting that just days prior, the Elf Queen had been considering arranging for several therapists. Not for herself, of course, but for Lola.

After all, her daughter was so utterly adorable. With so many ‘elf-themed’ materials circulating, vivid images of elven suffering often echoed unbidden in the Elf Queen’s mind.

What? You ask how she knew such things?

As the Elf Queen, it was only natural for her to be aware of how outsiders viewed elves!

Every conceivable perspective had to be considered; it was simply a matter of course!

Now, the good news was that her daughter hadn’t endured any of those ‘themed’ scenarios. There was no need for a therapist.

The bad news was that her daughter had once again, without a word, put her in a position where she had to consider how to repay the Holy See’s favor.

Based on Lola’s unembellished words and her attitude, the Elf Queen surmised that the Holy Light Church must have invested a considerable sum.

Although the Church wouldn’t demand compensation from her, elves still had their pride. If this matter were to ‘accidentally’ leak from the Church in the future, the elves’ image would be utterly shattered.

Was it truly her daughter? With such ease, she could cause the entire elven image to crumble.

Her staff, almost imperceptibly, began to gleam once more.

The elven minister pondered for a moment, then offered a comforting thought. “Perhaps those weren’t her true feelings.”

The Elf Queen scoffed, knowing her daughter all too well. “Her true feelings would be even more outrageous than that.”

The minister suggested, “Then perhaps we should bring the princess back before the impact of this incident expands further?”

The Elf Queen felt a flicker of temptation. The expanding impact was secondary; primarily, she missed her daughter terribly, to the point of agony!

However, she still shook her head. “There’s no rush. We’re not the ones who need to be anxious. While the Holy See does have some dark history, that’s all in the past. Let’s first observe the reactions of the other three races.”

During the Holy Light Church’s unified empire era, its relationship with the three races had been strained. This conflict only gradually resolved a millennium later, with the coronation of Promen.

He was hailed as one of the greatest Popes in the history of the Holy Light Church, his prestige rivaling that of its founder.

Under his leadership, the Church steadily grew. Over half a century, he meticulously resolved the conflicts with the three races. He even befriended White Dragon Moria, who remained at the Church for a long period, and together they laid the groundwork for the Holy Alliance.

When he assumed office, the Church was precarious, on the brink of collapse. By the time he passed away, it had transformed from a dying sapling into a towering tree, once again becoming humanity’s largest religious organization, and now wielding control over the Holy Alliance.

The Elf Queen tapped her slender fingers on the chair. Though she yearned to summon Lola back immediately, she mused, “As of now, this situation is a double blessing.”

“Double blessing?” one minister asked, puzzled. “Princess Lola finally being found is certainly a joyous occasion. What is the other?”

“Lola’s whereabouts have been confirmed, so Samuel is most likely by her side. As of today, she has actively rejected my remote communication requests three hundred times. Hehehe, I’m eager to reconnect with her. I’ll be communicating with Lola tomorrow.”

The Elf Queen wasn’t complaining about Samuel. Initially, she had been eager to pressure the Church into finding Lola. While much of the ‘good fortune’ she enjoyed was her daughter’s doing, Samuel had also caused considerable trouble. How could he just vanish under her nose?

Now that her daughter was found, but had hung up on her so many times, wouldn’t her dignity be compromised?

She absolutely had to have a good talk with her friend.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

****

Meanwhile, at the Clown’s secret base.

Through the tireless efforts of his subordinates, and after sacrificing considerable credibility and physical integrity, the Clown successfully gathered the core members of the Rebellious Alliance.

Observing the Black-Robed Bishop’s grim expression, the Clown felt a surge of exhilaration. He swiftly stepped forward, arranged the chair at the head of the table, and grasped the Bishop’s hand warmly. “Oh, Bishop. I truly thought you’d dismiss my analysis and wouldn’t bother coming. Hehehe.”

The Bishop knew the Clown was trying to provoke him. He took a deep breath, sat directly in the secondary seat, and said coldly,

“The Church is truly becoming more disgusting by the day. But then again, a millennium ago, it was already corrupted by those maggots like Mobel, who only knew how to wag their tails for those foreign races. Just like some people.”

The other members of the alliance also held copies of the Holy See’s propaganda newspaper. However, they were less interested in the people depicted than in the news that the Pope was eagerly anticipating a visit to the Aral Empire’s capital and an upcoming remote dialogue with its emperor.

The Clown clapped his hands, his face full of agreement. “Indeed, it certainly can’t compare to the Holy Light Church of the unified empire era, which dared to openly provoke the other three races in court, advocating for human supremacy and treating the other three races as mere subsidiaries and tools. I still meticulously reread Pope Melville’s earth-shshattering pronouncements. That kind of courage, willing to risk the entire Church to strike directly at the heart, is something I still cannot emulate.”

“How dare you comment on Pope Melville’s great legacy!” The Black-Robed Bishop erupted in fury, hoisting the massive cross from his back and swinging it at the Clown’s face.

However, the cross passed directly through the Clown’s body, without a single drop of blood splashing.

The Clown, like a ghost, walked straight out of the cross, chuckling softly. “My Lord Bishop, please don’t be angry. I was merely commenting objectively, with absolutely no disrespect intended.”

On the other side, the Dark Elf was uninterested in their argument; it was practically a mandatory pre-meeting ritual.

The Dark Elf tapped the table, signaling for them to cease their bickering, and stated, “From the current situation, that Pope intends to disrupt the Aral Empire’s attempts to connect with the three races by avoiding war.”

The Clown smiled at everyone. “Indeed. It seems this one’s courage doesn’t even match the Bishop’s. He won’t even go all-in. Perhaps, my plan is truly something you all should consider.”

The Orc grumbled, “You mean that plan about laying dragon eggs?”

The Clown paused, then nodded. “You could say that.”

The Orc questioned again, “So why are we helping you lay dragon eggs?”

The Clown was speechless.

He had no idea when he had initiated such an outrageous project.

For a moment, all the members at the table looked at the Orc, their expressions truly a sight to behold.

Onuga couldn’t help but complain, “Onuga, I know you don’t like long speeches, but some things shouldn’t be phrased so crudely.”

Onuga said impatiently, “It’s fine as long as you know what I mean, damn it. What’s in it for us if we help you? If there’s nothing, I’m leaving, damn it. Don’t waste my time with nonsense, or I’ll cut you down, no matter what annoying tricks you have.”

The Clown took a deep breath and explained, “…Didn’t we previously hope for a large-scale war between the Holy Alliance and the Empire? Then we could fish in troubled waters amidst the chaotic war, whether to overthrow the Church, or the Empire, or cultivate our own forces, it doesn’t matter; troubled waters are good for fishing. However, based on current developments, this war might not proceed smoothly.”

“And the reason it won’t be smooth is because of these individuals on the newspaper. Excluding those three unimportant… humans: the Black Dragon, the Elf Princess, and the Empire’s Emperor. Each of their identities is far from simple. If the Church can use them, so can we. These individuals have sensitive statuses and won’t stay in the Church for too long, which gives us an opportunity to strike.”

“If these esteemed guests were to all disappear simultaneously at the border between the Holy Alliance-controlled territories and the Empire-controlled territories, we could heavily publicize to both factions that the other side was responsible.”

“The Holy Alliance and the Empire are already rife with contradictions. As long as we firmly hold these important figures in our hands, or make them disappear for a sufficiently long time, then these contradictions will explode. The Holy Alliance and the Empire will erupt into an even more brutal conflict, and there’s even a chance to drag the other three races into it.”

The rebels present fell into contemplation. The first to react was still the Orc. “Good, this way you can be lively, and we can cause trouble. I think this is good! What do you all think?”

The Clown’s lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing. After all, Onuga had indeed helped him push the plan forward.

The Bishop’s gaze lingered on the Clown as he said, “Agreed.”

The Dark Elf stated, “Then let’s do it. But if I’m to help, the Elf Princess is mine.”

A nobleman dressed in luxurious clothes declared, “The Imperial Grand Prince is mine.”

A person with twisted limbs on their body said, “If any bloodline holders are abducted during the operation…”

The Clown smiled. “It’s good that everyone agrees then. The Black Dragon is mine; I trust no one has objections to that.”

And so—a division meeting, yet to bear fruit, concluded.

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