Hasn't that lump of rotten flesh dealt with it yet? Aurora watched Fairy Tristan on the stage, her elegant facade barely concealing her impatience. After the Duke of Heat confirmed that Fairy Tristan had indeed rung the Pilgrimage Bell, the voices of doubt had vanished. This only fueled her frustration.
"However, the Mirror Clan's prophecy states that the Savior should be born in the year 2001 of the Queen's Era. Tristan does not meet this condition, does she?"
Aurora invoked the prophecy of the long-extinct Mirror Clan.
"Lady Aurora, are you questioning my integrity?"
Woodworth's expression darkened, though no one could tell since his fur was already black. At this point, nothing had yet happened to shake his unwavering loyalty to Morgan.
"Or are you doubting Her Majesty Morgan's judgment? Thinking back, Lady Morgan must have realized something when she chose her as the Princess, right?"
"No, Your Grace."
Aurora couldn't openly oppose them now; she lacked the power to confront the others directly. She needed to bide her time and find an opportunity.
"But the Mirror Clan's prophetic abilities were renowned. It's a pity they've vanished—otherwise, we could have asked them for direct confirmation."
As the one responsible for the Mirror Clan's extinction, Aurora knew this was a claim that could never be verified. She didn't need to prove Fairy Tristan's identity this way; she merely wanted to plant a seed of doubt in everyone's minds. So what if Fairy Tristan is the real deal? she thought. It's the Mirror Clan's business, not mine.
"Hmph!"
Woodworth snorted in frustration. "Such useless talk! Never mind that they're all buried in the ground now—even if they were still here, they'd never give a straight answer!"
"There's no need to dwell on this. It's perfectly normal for Lady Aurora to have doubts."
Fairy Tristan smiled at Aurora, a smile so familiar it was like looking in a mirror. "I will travel to Salisbury next and ring the Pilgrimage Bell there to prove myself. I will fulfill my duty as the Savior, but I will not complete the full pilgrimage until Mother gives her approval."
Aurora knew the Lord of New Darlington's typical behavior well. In her experience, Fairy Tristan would never act so conciliatory. She was the kind of person who would slaughter humans and fairies alike at the slightest provocation. Even if Aurora and Woodworth were important to Morgan, the old Fairy Tristan would never have tried to smooth things over like this. Something had clearly changed.
Aurora had considered using Fairy Tristan's status as the Savior to drive a wedge between her and Morgan. As a queen who had ruled for over two thousand years, Morgan would never willingly surrender her throne. And Fairy Tristan, whether she was the true Savior or not, was destined to overthrow her. However, given Morgan's extreme indulgence of the impossibly willful Fairy Tristan, Aurora worried that Morgan might simply abdicate.
Therefore, regardless of whether Fairy Tristan was the true Savior, she could not be allowed to leave this theater alive
"Bad news! A large number of Mors have suddenly appeared in the city! The defending knights can no longer hold them back!"
Suddenly, a soldier burst into the hall, stumbling and falling to the ground in a panic. He shouted in a trembling voice.
The Fairy Nobles immediately fell into chaos. Some rushed headlong toward the exit, while others pushed deeper into the theater.
So that pile of rotten flesh finally got the job done, Aurora thought. Now it's time to make my move against Fairy Tristan. The Mors outside aren't enough; I need to add some fuel to the fire right here.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Aurora slipped into the back of the crowd of Fairy Nobles. The moment everyone's attention was fixed on the soldier, she swiftly pierced the necks of the two fairies at the very rear with her cursed medium. The Mors' Curse, already materialized, instantly spread through their bodies via their arteries.
One of the nobles managed to turn his head at the last moment and saw Aurora's face. Unhurriedly, she clamped a hand over his mouth, preventing him from crying out. Within a single breath, the curse's magical power erupted, transforming him into a Mors.
She had chosen these particular nobles because their alertness and strength were pathetically low, and their corpulent bodies provided excellent cover.
Aurora retreated to a safe distance. Her plan was to keep falling back under the Mors' attacks until she reached the secret door leading to the Magic Workshop.
She would "accidentally" trigger the mechanism, exposing the workshop to everyone. This would reveal Fairy Tristan's secret research on the Mors Curse without Aurora having to make a direct accusation. After all, speaking such words in Morgan's presence would likely cost her her beautiful legs, courtesy of Fairy Tristan.
Jiang You also noticed Aurora's subtle movements—not with his own eyes, but through a pinhole camera hidden in a corner. These fairies would never understand such technological marvels in a million years, which made the footage perfect evidence.
Did you see that? he thought with a smirk. Thanks to this, I won't even need to show the video.
With even better proof in hand, the corners of Jiang You's mouth curled upward. Did Aurora really think turning people into Mors was foolproof? Maybe it would have been before, but not with me here. This is the power of an information advantage!
Jiang You signaled Fairy Tristan: Get ready to move.
Just as Aurora had planned, the Mors targeted her first, as she was the closest.
She deliberately cried out to draw everyone's attention. They all watched as she stumbled backward under the Mors' relentless assault, her face a mask of panic, until she "accidentally" triggered the secret door leading underground.
"There's a way out!"
Before Aurora even needed to prompt them, a Fairy Noble shouted, and all eyes fixed on the secret door. It was common for noble manors to have escape routes, so they immediately assumed it led outside.
"How pathetic!"
Woodworth straightened his collar. "They're just a few Mors. How can you properly serve Her Majesty Morgan when you're cowering like this? All you useless fools, get inside! I'll deal with these two, and then I'll handle the ones outside!"
"There's no need for that... In fact, don't kill them. They were once fairies, after all!"
Now it was Fairy Tristan's turn to perform. As she spoke, her gaze shifted to the Mors that had turned back earlier. I should really thank him, she thought. Aurora is finished.
"Let me fulfill my duty as the Savior!"