In the Temple of Beauty in the southern suburbs of Faloro, the climax of the annual audience banquet had just concluded. The two dancers who had been engaged in an invisible confrontation, Adele and Sandrina, had also determined the victor. At this moment, Adele was slowly taking her bow on her stage, while Sandrina lay on the ground, mouth and eyes wide open, almost completely motionless.
After completing her bow, Adele slowly stood up after performing the curtsy, looking at Sandrina lying on the ground not far away with a completely indifferent expression. Although she had stopped dancing at this moment, the large number of surrounding spectators still remained in a state of drunken stupor, immersed in Adele's allure and not fully awakened.
'It's over...'
Looking at the scene before her, Adele silently thought to herself after letting out a long breath. Not long after, Dorothy's voice rang out in her mind.
"It seems... it's already successfully resolved. Congratulations, Adele. It seems the charm of an old-school star like you is still superior."
"Heh, don't say that... little Detective. What played the decisive role in this whole incident wasn't charm, but your ability and schemes. No matter how well a star dancer dances, they still need to follow the director's arrangements. I have a good director, but this guy didn't... Maybe I can call you little Director from now on~"
After a light chuckle, Adele said to Dorothy in a slightly teasing tone, and Dorothy immediately responded.
"Whatever you want... Speaking of which, you really went a bit hard on that guy. She's almost gone..."
"There's nothing that could be done. The provocation of desire between us was mutual. Just now, while dancing together, this guy was constantly using my teacher's matter to incite my killing intent towards her. It was impossible for me to be completely unaffected." Looking at the fallen Sandrina, Adele said coldly, then added.
"However, for Chalk's "Cup", even a fatal injury won't immediately result in complete death as long as there is Spirituality. You can still save her by supplying her with "Cup" using your puppet spirits. If you find her difficult to control, wasteful of Spirituality, and have the corresponding technique, I suggest trying to only link the spirits to her head, cut off and discard the entire body. This way, she won't have a body to resist, and you only need to supply enough Spirituality to keep a head alive, saving resources... It will also be convenient to take her away for interrogation later..."
Looking at the motionless Sandrina in front, Adele said coldly. Listening to her words, Dorothy couldn't help but purse her lips, thinking that this suggestion of hers definitely contained elements of personal vendetta.
Then, Dorothy didn't chat with Adele any further. While Sandrina hadn't cooled down yet, she controlled her Corpse Puppet at the scene to walk towards her, intending to imprint the puppet rune seal and link the spirits. It was at this very moment that a sudden change occurred.
In Caiqiong Hall, Sandrina's body suddenly began to convulse violently. Her exposed skin started to rapidly undulate unevenly, and sounds of vomiting continuously came from her mouth. After seeing this scene, Dorothy immediately made her Corpse Puppet retreat a few steps.
Immediately after, Sandrina's skin began to rapidly burst open one after another. From the bursting blood mist, large swarms of small blood-stained flying insects gushed out, surging in all directions, seemingly intending to attack the surrounding guests. Upon seeing this, Adele directly took out a small iron can from her person and threw it towards the swarm of flying insects. The small iron can instantly ignited in mid-air, releasing large sheets of flames that engulfed the entire swarm of flying insects in one go, almost completely incinerating them. This was a rune-integrated incendiary bomb she had obtained through Church channels.
After the flames dissipating in the air receded, the scene immediately quieted down once again. Apart from the air filled with the smell of charring, all that remained was Sandrina's remains, her entire body a bloody mess, with large areas of flesh missing, exposing her blood-stained skeleton.
"These are... parasites?" Looking at the scene before her, Adele said to Dorothy internally through the information channel, and Dorothy also nodded and murmured in response.
"This person's body must have been implanted with a large number of Order of Rot insect eggs or larvae beforehand. These eggs should possess some kind of judgment ability. After determining that the host has lost the ability to act, they will grow and reproduce in large numbers by devouring the host's flesh and blood, completely killing the host while breaking out of the body. This should be some kind of insurance measure used by the Order of Rot on their own people..."
Dorothy said this. She had encountered parasites several times already. She had first discovered a parasite capable of transmitting information on the Scarlet Wolf that attacked the Tivian Saint Chant Church. It wasn't strange for there to be parasites with other functions. As a high-ranking member of the Wolf Blood Society, that Scarlet Wolf couldn't have willingly hosted this kind of mouth-sealing insect that could cause serious internal damage to herself, but it was different for people of lower status. If the higher-ups told her to endure the parasitism, she had no choice but to agree.
"It seems... in this incident, the Order of Rot from the Placenta side was involved. They have been conducting research on The Path of Depravity all along. At that time, the Wolf Blood Society transferred your teacher to the Order of Rot's side, giving them sufficient material to achieve results, and this dancer is one of those results..."
"However, it seems this result is still not particularly perfect. There are some secrets and flaws that could be exposed from the corpse, which is why the people from the Order of Rot implanted this kind of parasite in her just in case..." Dorothy continued to analyze in Adele's mind. After listening, Adele first nodded silently, then seemed to remember something and spoke.
"According to common sense... most of the matter should indeed be as you analyzed, but... regarding the claim that this Sandrina is from the Order of Rot, I reserve my judgment for now."
"Oh, you have a different idea?" Hearing Adele's words, Dorothy asked curiously, and Adele quickly responded.
"Just now, before this woman's neck was twisted off, she said, 'Lord Mother, save me'... As far as I know, among the Taiyi Three Teachings, none of them refer to their high-ranking members as 'Lord Mother'. The Order of Rot usually refers to their high-ranking members as High Priest or Chieftain, there is no such title as 'Lord Mother'." With a trace of solemnity, Adele said to Dorothy. After hearing this, Dorothy couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly.
The leader of the Order of Rot isn't called 'Lord Mother'? Then was Sandrina not calling out the name of a high-ranking member of the Order of Rot at that time? Could it be that she wasn't from the Order of Rot? Since there is no such title as 'Lord Mother' among the high-ranking members of the Taiyi Three Teachings, what position does the 'Lord Mother' mentioned by Sandrina hold within the Placenta?
Sandrina was clearly a direct subordinate of that so-called 'Lord Mother'. Among the "Cup" lineage, besides the three branches of beast, wave, and plague, there is only The Path of Depravity. However, the Placenta side only recently acquired The Path of Depravity. It's hard to say whether the entire promotion process is complete or if it involved black technology. Could they have already created a Scarlet-level existence just like that? This possibility is clearly extremely low. Therefore, the possibility that this 'Lord Mother' belongs to an independent Depravity lineage on the Placenta side is also very low. So, if the possibility of this 'Lord Mother' belonging to any of the four "Cup" branches is very low, then what does she belong to?
Dorothy analyzed in her mind like this. After ruling out many possibilities, a somewhat horrifying possibility suddenly arose in Dorothy's heart, which couldn't help but slightly startle her.
No way... But if things are really like this, then perhaps it can also explain to some extent why the Taiyi Three Teachings, which were originally isolated and even hostile to each other, have started cooperating again.
Dorothy thought with a serious expression in her heart, and at this moment, Adele also spoke up again and asked Dorothy.
"What is it? Little Detective, have you figured anything out?"
"Ah... I've thought of some possibilities, but now is not the time to talk about these. Let's just finish the aftermath work as soon as possible," Dorothy said to Adele, and after Adele heard it, she also let out a slight sigh of relief and looked towards the Hall of Singing ahead and replied.
"Okay, then now, it's time for me to have a good talk with the Honorable Governor."
"Mm, yes, I've already made arrangements on him. Now is the best opportunity," Dorothy replied. After that, Adele slowly walked down from her water stage and walked towards the Hall of Singing.
...
Outside the Temple of Beauty, in a dense forest somewhere in the distance, a figure hidden within it, wearing a long black robe and cloak, was slowly raising his head in the shadows. His gaze under the hood passed through the gaps in the forest, looking at the glittering golden dome of the Temple of Beauty in the distance under the setting sun. After a moment of silence, he uttered a sentence clearly filled with intense emotion.
"Hmph... Useless..."
After speaking, he raised his head and looked towards the dim, hazy sky to the east. Recalling the brilliant light that split the sky just now, he couldn't help but continue to murmur.
"The rumored Judge of Heaven... really exists. To be able to invite such a helper, I underestimated you, Adele..."
After finishing speaking, the figure in the black robe turned and walked away. In the dense forest, his body gradually became transparent and faded, eventually disappearing into nothingness.
...
At sunset, in the Temple of Beauty, the scene of the originally peaceful audience banquet was now a scene of chaos. Fully armed guards had appeared throughout the palace and began strictly guarding all entrances and exits. The banquet was suspended, all performances were cancelled and stopped, all guests were not allowed to leave, and everyone was gathered in one area, talking to each other in great confusion.
Most of the ordinary guests were talking to each other in great confusion at this moment, seeming to want to figure out the current situation, while some people with extraordinary qualities stood silently in various corners, looking at the scene with a serious gaze, looking at the Governor's guards who had sealed them off, analyzing what had just happened in their minds.
Just as the front hall area of the Temple of Beauty was noisy and chaotic, the back of the Temple of Beauty was completely silent. In the luxurious and vast Hall of Honor, at this moment, only two figures stood here: one was Adele, still wearing a grand performance costume but having removed her mask, and the other was one of Faloro's Governors, Sansone.
"My respects, the Honorable Governor, I think it's quiet enough here, right?"
Lightly performing a standard Faloro court etiquette towards Sansone ahead, Adele said with a slight smile, and after Sansone silently glanced at the elegant and noble woman before him with his hands behind his back, he slowly spoke.
"I've seen you in the anti-magic guard reports, Adele. Brillez. Among the known remnants of the overseas Bourbons Royal Family, you are listed as one of the most highly watched individuals. Not only is your influence great, your bloodline is also pure, and you have high legitimacy. Some royalists I've caught and put in prison even wanted to welcome you back to be queen...
"Now it seems they have good taste. You are at least the most standard Bourbon I've seen in many years. If you stand before those people wearing this outfit, they will probably cry and kneel at the same time."
Sansone said this to Adele, while Adele replied in a rather playful manner.
"Ah, them... I also have an impression. A few years ago, someone came to Tivian to invite me to Faloro to 'plot great matters' and 'participate in a grand event,' but I refused them all. Compared to the restoration cause of those pitiful guys, which has long since failed, I think my performance is more important. That was a critical period for my fame to rise, and I didn't want to waste it on meaningless things."
Adele replied like this, while Sansone continued to speak.
"But, you still came back now."
"Yes, I heard there was a chance to inherit some ancestral legacy, so I came here to try my luck and also to investigate Faloro's performing arts market. But I didn't expect to not inherit the legacy; instead, I saved a Governor. Don't you think this fate is quite wondrous~" Adele continued to say lightly, and after Sansone heard her words, he couldn't help but also smile slightly and speak.
"Heh... your wit is exactly the same as many Bourbons. I didn't expect that after opposing the Bourbons for half my life, in the end, I would be saved by a Bourbon. This fate is indeed quite wondrous..."
"Then... can you talk about it now, who wanted your life just now, the Honorable Governor?" Her expression became a little serious, and Adele continued to say to Sansone, and after Sansone paused slightly, he spoke again to reply.
"That would naturally be one of my political rivals, another Faloro Governor. Only mutual impeachment between Governors can make me lose my Governor's ability at a critical moment."
"Mutual impeachment between Governors can make the other party lose their ability? Then in mutual infighting between Governors, wouldn't the one who gains the initiative have unlimited advantage?" Narrowing her eyes, Adele said to Sansone, while Sansone responded by shaking his head.
"It's not like that. Mutual impeachment between Governors will cause both parties involved in the impeachment to temporarily lose their abilities, and impeachment is a formal procedure which needs to be publicly proposed and initiated in a Governor's meeting or the parliament. It's not that easy to impeach."
"Then that means while you were attending this banquet, another Governor initiated impeachment proceedings against you in Faloro's parliament?" Raising an eyebrow, Adele said to Sansone, while Sansone responded by shaking his head.
"No, now is not the time for the parliament to convene, nor have I received notification of a Governor's meeting. This impeachment should be following a special procedure."
"Special procedure?"
Adele asked doubtfully, and after Sansone was silent for a while, he looked towards the window of the Hall of Honor, across the large lake outside the window, looking at the small church on the other side of the lake.
"The special procedure for impeachment... A Governor, if he obtains the holy approval of the Faloro Grand Archbishop, can obtain the privilege of bypassing the parliament and initiating impeachment on his own," Sansone said with a serious expression. After listening to Sansone's words, Adele spoke up in surprise.
"The Faloro Grand Archbishop? He still has such great authority?"
After hearing Adele's words, Sansone continued to look at the church through the window and slowly spoke.
"Faloro's current official extraordinary system was almost entirely rebuilt by the Church after the victory of the Cold Moon Revolution. Among the countries on the Main Continent, Faloro's official extraordinary system is one of the most deeply influenced by the Church. Within our system, the Archbishop dispatched by the Church has a series of privileges."
...