Chapter 681
I haven’t even made a move yet?
At this moment, the specially invited reporters from various countries had also basically arrived at the Twenty-first Ring.
Although the selection process had been extremely strict, there were still over a hundred reporters who managed to get into the venue. Even if all the reporters tried their best to remain quiet, the incomparably silent Shrine still seemed to emanate a subtle clamor.
Alice was among them.
The election ceremony for the Pope this year had, as an exception, allowed reporters to enter—this was an opportunity for the entire media industry, and a difficult test at the same time.
Because there was more than one newspaper that was invited, and under the awe-inspiring reputation of the Church, which prevented reporters from spewing nonsense, it was very difficult to produce a report that was simultaneously eye-catching, interesting, fair, and insightful—in fact, these four qualities were generally mutually exclusive, and one could usually only achieve two out of the four.
This was especially true for the Iris Kingdom.
As the country with the most civilian newspapers, its media industry had developed extraordinarily rapidly. And good development usually meant the advent of intense competition—when buying newspapers became a major form of entertainment for ordinary people, how to capture the market from one’s competitors became the primary consideration.
And the Iris people were never foolish.
They quickly realized the most cost-effective solution: instead of improving themselves, they would attack their opponents.
It was very difficult to make one’s own news good, but attacking the news of other newspapers was much simpler.
This was also why Alice, a relatively junior young reporter who had only worked for a year and a half, was exceptionally promoted by three levels and temporarily became the chief reporter.
As one of the very few official newspapers in the Iris Kingdom, the “Iris Gazette” was always besieged by a host of civilian newspapers. And this news was simply too big… because the Church and the Pope were too powerful, even the editor-in-chief of the “Gazette” dared not take the blame.
Although there might not be any problems, what if there were?
—And a report written by the most beloved youngest daughter of the Harcourt family, the youngest daughter of Duke Harcourt, the Minister of Military and Politics, would surely be something that no one would dare to attack, no matter what it looked like.
It was precisely because of this that Eagle Eye had assigned this mission to Alice, who had just transitioned out of the rookie stage.
Because she was indeed the most suitable person to take on this mission—Alice, who had only received simple training and had not yet officially started killing, her purity was able to pass the Church’s review.
As for the fact that she would be accompanied by an assassin brimming with the power of shadows, that was also perfectly normal.
After all, she was a noble lady of the Harcourt family, traveling alone to such a distant place, and it was perfectly normal for her to have a high-energy escort—and undoubtedly, Extraordinary beings who adapted the Path of Adaptation were almost the most suitable for acting as escorts, only slightly inferior to those who adapted the Path of Authority.
Rather, if she had truly come alone without bringing anyone, it would have been strange. Not to mention that their movements were also being concealed with the help of the Church’s internal forces…
Everything was reasonable.
Now, Alice was nervously picking up her notebook and writing something. She would write a few sentences and then cross out a large portion of them. She would write a few words and then draw a few cartoon images next to them. When she really didn’t know what to do, she would let the tip of her pen tap-tap-tap on the paper, thereby masking her inner anxiety and nervousness—although it didn’t mask anything, this degree was just right.
It suited her perfectly.
This was the state that a novice who was suddenly pulled by her superior to take the blame should be in. None of the reporters around her had any doubts about this. Only a few looked at her with some sympathy, while a few others had mockery and sarcasm hidden in their eyes.
“……I wonder how Master is doing.”
Alice murmured to herself.
No one could understand her excitement and unease at this moment.
It was said that among the Pope candidates of this generation, there was this Eternal Saintess.
So, rounding it off, that was equivalent to preemptively assassinating the Eternal Pope!
Honey Badger was the assassin mentor who taught her disguise and poison techniques, and she was also one of the only four Fifth Tier Extraordinary beings in the Eagle Eye organization. With the death of Lars Graham, the Eagle Eye organization’s high-end combat power had decreased by one-fifth… If Honey Badger were also to meet with an accident, the Eagle Eye organization, with only three members left, would be unable to form a powerful opposition against the Child of the Moon.
The Iris Kingdom’s official Fifth Tier Extraordinary beings numbered six, five of whom were Child of the Moon. Previously, the Eagle Eye organization could maintain parity with them, but after the Iris Kingdom imposed those unreasonable “war reparations” on Avalon, the Eagle Eye organization’s public support had plummeted.
Only two months into this year, three strongholds had already been dismantled. It was said that they were all betrayed by former collaborators. Now, the Eagle Eye organization was urgently investigating all collaborators and had thus scaled back its operations.
And maintaining an organization required money.
With considerable financial constraints, the challenging missions from the Church’s Cardinals forced them to accept.
Once the mission was successful, they could completely penetrate the Church market. At least they could establish a stronghold on one level… If the Iris strongholds were all dismantled, they would at least have an overseas stronghold to regroup and continue to resist the Child of the Moon’s encroachment on human governance.
Moreover…
The money for this mission was indeed exceptionally, exceptionally large.
So large that as long as they received the money, the organization could continue to operate in a reduced capacity for over a year. This time would be enough for Eagle Eye to catch all the traitors and update a batch of safe houses.
—In other words, this mission must succeed.
Alice was merely a “ticket,” just like the “collaborators” they had exploited in the past. She did not need to participate in the assassination, nor did she know Honey Badger’s plan and methods. The difference between her and those collaborators was probably that she also had to risk her own life.
Although she was dressed very maturely, she was actually only twenty-three years old, having graduated from university just a year ago.
For a young girl from a noble family, such a dangerous and exciting agent mission, filled with a noble sense of purpose, that could prove her abilities and change the entire world situation, was clearly irresistible.
But until this moment…
Her face was flushed as if she were drunk, and her fingers holding the pen were trembling incessantly. Although everyone else would be understanding and mocking her for being an unlucky novice, Alice was very intelligent. She knew that as long as Honey Badger’s assassination mission was completed, she would almost immediately arouse suspicion.
But no matter how much she told herself not to be nervous, it was difficult for her to control her inner trepidation.
—She had also roughly guessed her own outcome.
If she could survive, it would probably be because the employer’s influence was great enough. If nothing unexpected happened, she would likely die here, die today.
Just as the newspaper was using her as a shield…
The Eagle Eye organization was also using her as a sacrifice.
Time ticked by, and nine o’clock drew closer.
Ten minutes before nine o’clock, Alice suddenly saw… the Eternal Saintess pick up the wine glass in front of her and take a sip.
—Almost immediately.
The Eternal Saintess suddenly clutched her eyes and let out a small, mournful cry.
“Grey!”
Janis’s anxious cry could be heard.
At that instant, Alice’s ears suddenly buzzed—a long and distant metallic sound echoed.
Due to extreme nervousness, she had tinnitus.
She watched as the Cardinals nervously stood up and crowded around. The crowd of reporters almost instantly erupted, people whispering and discussing something.
She looked at everyone’s faces turn incredibly colorful, but it was all like a mime show, utterly silent, appearing so comical.
Janis suddenly pulled off the Pure White Saintess’s pure white sash.
Her left eye was still the beautiful sky blue…
But her right eye was a brilliant, pitch-black like the universe at night. The Amber had spread to her eye socket, making her look like an exquisite sculpture with a chipped corner.
—That was a terminal illness for Elves!
Alice’s mind buzzed.
Undoubtedly, that was the effect of the special poison they had obtained, “Tears of Time”!
Madam Honey Badger had succeeded!
Their plan… had actually succeeded!
And at this moment, Honey Badger in the Eighteenth Ring was looking at everything on the live crystal screen with disbelief.
She looked down at her black gloves immersed in a special liquid—this was an assassination tool she had specially modified for this operation.
—It wasn’t even ready yet.
“……Could it be a colleague?”
Honey Badger looked at the screen with half confusion, half doubt, and ninety-nine percent astonishment: “Or did the boss hire more than one?”
That was indeed the “symptom of poisoning” that the employer had described to her.
But she hadn’t even made a move yet?
Why did you collapse already?
……In this situation, would they still pay?
(End of this chapter)
