Chapter 229 Victoria
Li Wen moved through the night of Port Beren. She didn’t stop, running out of the blocks near the church in one breath and hiding in a secluded corner. The throbbing pain all over her body reminded her that the “Sacrifice to Light and Fire” burst state had ended, and her body was experiencing weakness after overexertion. Although her life was restored through Divine Prayer, the emptiness after the abundant power disappeared was difficult to dispel quickly.
The battle just now was more intense than expected. That High Mountain Race guard was very strong, at least at stage three. Coupled with the High Mountain Race’s unique racial advantages and curse resistance, it was almost impossible to fight.
If it weren’t for her rich experience and her ability to seize the opponent’s perceptual flaws with the speed after the burst, this battle might not have ended so quickly, and might even have attracted more trouble.
However, this battle was not without value. She confirmed that the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing indeed possessed Extraordinary Power and had a certain degree of organization. Moreover, they were determined to obtain Black Reef Bay and Cape of Submergence, and had even prepared ships, planning to set sail at midnight tomorrow.
Midnight tomorrow, time was very tight.
Li Wen rubbed her temples, her mind racing. She had the sea chart and coordinates provided by Fu Qingyan, and theoretically knew the location of the ruins. However, the waters of Black Reef Bay marked on the sea chart were extremely dangerous, with dense submerged reefs. Without a ship and a guide familiar with the navigation route, venturing there rashly would be no different from seeking death.
The Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing had clearly solved the ship problem, and since they dared to go, they likely had means to avoid risks, and might even know deeper secrets of the ruins.
There were not many choices before her.
One was to forcibly follow the ship of the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing. This option was extremely risky. The opponent’s strength and background were unknown. Rashly forcing one’s way in or sneaking aboard could lead to disaster. Moreover, even if successful, she might fall into their trap, as they knew someone else had the same goal, and Li Wen’s infiltration had exposed her.
The second option was to find a ship and a guide herself. This was the most secure method, but time was short. It was very difficult to find a ship willing to sail into Black Reef Bay and an experienced guide in less than a day, and to handle the reward issue.
The third was to obtain ship and guide information from the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing. This was also the purpose of her infiltration of the church, but the battle just now made her realize that directly breaking in and capturing people was too risky, and it was easy to alert the enemy and attract stronger opponents.
Li Wen weighed her options. Directly confronting the cult head-on was not the best choice. What she needed was intelligence and convenience, not pointless consumption. Since a frontal assault was not feasible, perhaps she could try another way.
Her gaze swept over the outline of the city before her. Port Beren was a developing port in the Kingdom of Arthur, with relatively weak order. However, the kingdom’s official forces were not absent. The Disciplinary Bureau had been active in places like Leicester. Even if there was no branch in Port Beren, personnel would have been dispatched to conduct secret investigations or maintain minimal order. The various actions of the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing, preaching strange doctrines, engaging in secret activities in private, and possibly even desecrating the dead—if those rumors were true—were enough to arouse the vigilance of official forces.
Not to mention that when she eavesdropped on the conversations of church personnel earlier, they had already mentioned that the Disciplinary Bureau had noticed them.
Revealing information about the cult to the Disciplinary Bureau and using the official forces to stir up this situation might buy her time, or create chaos, giving her an opportunity to act amidst the confusion.
This was much more reliable than fighting alone. With the Disciplinary Bureau’s iron-fisted and swift approach to extraordinary events, even if they couldn’t completely eliminate the cult, they could force it to surface, expose more information and power, and even force them to change their plans or reveal their route and methods to Black Reef Bay.
This strategy of reaping the benefits without lifting a finger was in line with her usual style of doing things.
Since she decided to borrow strength, how to transmit the message became the key. Directly appearing to contact the members of the Disciplinary Bureau was too risky and could easily expose herself. Moreover, she had no means or channels to contact them at all.
No, in fact, she didn’t need to contact the Disciplinary Bureau herself… There was someone who would be more suitable than her.
That would be Princess Victoria.
Although Li Wen was not very willing to contact the princess from a personal perspective, it could not be denied that she indeed had enough means and… power.
That princess of the Kingdom of Arthur possessed the power and status to contact the highest levels of the kingdom, and even influence the actions of the Disciplinary Bureau. More importantly, before the Adventurer docked, she had left a message for Li Wen through Moria, telling her to find her at the Sycamore Inn if she encountered difficulties in Port Beren.
This seemed like a casual, well-intentioned reminder, but in Li Wen’s opinion, it was more like a well-intentioned gesture and invitation with a specific purpose and forethought. Victoria’s choice to send this signal in Port Beren rather than the capital, and her designation of a specific inn as the contact point, itself conveyed a message—she might have her own schemes or needs in Port Beren, and Li Wen happened to be someone she thought she could use or cooperate with.
Although Li Wen remained wary of Victoria and was unsure of her true intentions, in the current situation, this princess was the best candidate for the “bridge” she needed. By conveying information to the Disciplinary Bureau through Victoria, she could use her influence to ensure the information was taken seriously and acted upon quickly, while also maximizing the concealment of Li Wen’s own involvement, avoiding unnecessary direct confrontation with the Disciplinary Bureau or the core of the cult.
Risks certainly existed. Revealing such important information to Victoria would expose part of her actions to her. However, compared to the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing potentially disappearing into the sea with clues to the Soul Lord at midnight tomorrow, this risk was within an acceptable range.
After making her decision, Li Wen no longer hesitated. She needed to get to the Sycamore Inn as soon as possible and pass enough information to Victoria before the cult’s ship set sail, so as to prompt the Disciplinary Bureau to act.
Li Wen left the dark alley where she was hiding, her figure blending into the bustling night of Port Beren. Her physical strength had not fully recovered, but her target was clear, and her steps were no longer hesitant. The Sycamore Inn was located in the inner blocks of the port district. The environment was much better than near the docks, and the people coming and going were relatively complex, including wealthy merchants, well-dressed travelers, and occasionally nobles wearing family crests.
The inn’s facade was not large, but it exuded a low-key exquisiteness, completely different from the surrounding architectural style. Two antique oil lamps stood at the entrance, emitting a soft glow that illuminated a small area of the road.
Li Wen did not walk directly in. She observed for a while from across the street. After confirming there were no abnormalities, she pulled down her hood, strode across the street, and walked up the steps in front of the inn.
Pushing open the inn door, a wave of warm, dry air hit her face, contrasting sharply with the damp and cold night outside. The lobby was elegantly decorated, and the flame in the fireplace crackled, emitting a faint scent of firewood. Several travelers were sitting around the fireplace, talking in low voices. The receptionist was a young man. He looked up at Li Wen and gave a professional smile.
Li Wen did not go to the front desk. Her gaze swept across the lobby, and she quickly spotted a familiar figure in a corner by the window.
Victoria.
