Chapter 85: You Can Call Me Joker (7000 words)
“Achoo—”
Shaya sneezed violently. He touched his nose, his expression a little displeased.
Lately, Shaya’s spiritual perception had been uneasy, and his eyelids had been twitching every time he woke up. He had a strange feeling that something very subtle was about to happen to him. However, no matter how much Shaya pondered it, he couldn’t find any concrete clues. He had even gone to a famous fortune-teller in the imperial capital, but this great prophet, who boasted of having a high-level King Grade divination pet owl, after a whole lot of fuss—
Finally, all he got was a piece of advice: “Drink more goji berries and eat more kidneys.”
This left Shaya completely bewildered and cost him three hundred Rhine gold coins for nothing.
“Being a charlatan seems quite profitable. Should I get a time-element pet in the future and try to swindle some people?”
Shaya washed his face and quickly regained his composure. Today was a rather crucial day. Not only was it time for the “Weekly Heartwarming Lucky Bag” in the mall to refresh, but it was also the first time a new quest would appear after he completed the novice tasks.
If Shaya had previously thought that Free Experience Points and Skill Seeds were precious enough, then after seeing the dazzling array of goods in the Sands of Time mall, Shaya set a bigger goal for himself.
Grind quests and then empty the entire shop.
If nothing else, just looking at the “Black Cup,” if it were a universal wish-granting machine— wouldn’t that mean that as long as he could find a way to get rid of its side effects, he could return to Earth?
Of course, after living on the Western Continent for so many years, Shaya had already developed feelings for many people and things here. But, it would be nice to be able to take Little Ai back to see their hometown.
Never mind the cliché plot of returning home in glory, the Dragon King’s return, or “I, a legendary Beast Tamer, was chosen by a rule-based horror game.” Shaya sorely missed things like cola, the PS5, the internet, and air conditioning. Those were things that could improve life, much better than this fantasy medieval world where magic technology was not very developed.
“Let’s start with a small one.”
Shaya washed his hands thoroughly at the sink, then activated his mental power to touch the light screen and redeem a “Weekly Heartwarming Lucky Bag” that was limited to one purchase per week. No matter what, this was a must-buy, as it had a guaranteed reward, so there was no losing out.
[You have purchased the “Weekly Heartwarming Lucky Bag,” consuming one Sands of Time. Current remaining Sands of Time: 26]
A blue light flashed.
[You have obtained “Transcendent Skill Experience Card (Limited Time)” *1]
This time, it wasn’t a small experience crystal? Could it be that the superstition of washing hands before drawing cards actually works? Shaya felt a surge of joy and began to examine the panel attributes of the newly acquired item.
[Transcendent Skill Experience Card (Limited Time)]
[Rarity: Blue]
[Category: Limited-Time Item]
[Price: 10]
[Description: Upon use, temporarily grants a pet beast the ability to learn a transcendent skill within its elemental affinity system. The proficiency of this transcendent skill is fixed at “Perfect,” lasting for 3 minutes.]
[Remark: This experience card is a limited-time item and will automatically expire in one day (Current remaining validity: 23 hours 59 minutes 53 seconds)]
This was an item that Shaya could not directly redeem from the current Sands of Time mall. It should be an item slot that the system mentioned had not yet been unlocked, but it was included in the lucky bag’s prize pool and could be drawn. Shaya looked at the “Transcendent Skill Experience Card (Limited Time)” in front of him and fell into thought.
To be honest, if it were a “Transcendent Skill Experience Card,” it should be a very powerful item. Although the duration after use was only three minutes, during these three minutes, it was equivalent to being able to use a brand-new transcendent skill with “Perfect” proficiency without any restrictions. Shaya had a deep appreciation for the strength of transcendent skills. It was worth noting that “Amaterasu,” which had once broken through the defenses of the Twilight Incarnation, was only a quasi-transcendent skill. Most of Shaya’s other pets’ main combat skills were still at the high-level tier, including the extremely useful “Blink” and “Tsukuyomi.”
Perhaps only when Shaya broke through to the Four Rings and became a Master-grade Beast Tamer, and his pets also advanced to King Grade, could these skills undergo a transformation and increase in rank again. As for the three-minute usage limit, with Shaya’s combat style of setting up a plan and achieving a decisive blow, it was actually enough to turn the tide of a battle at a critical moment.
However, the most annoying part was that this experience card was time-limited to one day. In other words, he had to use this experience card today, or the lucky bag would be considered a waste. Shaya was currently in the imperial capital, unlike when he was preparing for the final battle against the Azure Court Duchy, so there was no urgency. Naturally, there was no suitable opportunity to use this experience card.
“Either I find a high-difficulty quest to take on today…”
“Otherwise, I can only let Silver and the others experience future abilities to lay the groundwork for creating this skill themselves later.”
This was also a form of utility. Although the experience card was only valid for three minutes, after it ended, the experience and insights gained from using that transcendent skill would remain. If Shaya had been able to use an experience card to let Silver feel the specific abilities of “Amaterasu” in advance when he helped Silver create “Amaterasu,” then creating it himself later would have been much easier. Shaya would not have had to rack his brains to help Silver materialize illusions of the Great Sun Golden Crow, Mount Meru, or the Sun God.
“It’s somewhat useful, but not much. No wonder it’s only worth 10 Sands of Time. The non-limited version should be worth at least 30 or more.”
“Never mind, it’s still better than getting a small experience crystal.”
Shaya shifted his gaze from the lucky bag’s contents to the other side of the light screen. This was the first official quest issued by the system after the novice quest ended and a seven-day cooldown period.
[First Official Quest Initiated]
[Quest Stage One: Trigger Historical Echo – “Escarnia” (Incomplete)]
“Good, good, good. The first quest is to find a historical echo. Are they not even pretending anymore?”
“And—Escarnia?”
“What is this place?”
Shaya’s gaze paused on the information on the light screen. Back then, in order to find the ruins of the Azure Court Duchy, he had spent several years devoting himself to archaeological exploration. Coupled with his extraordinary mental power. Although Shaya was young now, he could already be called an archaeologist. Ordinary archaeology students were far inferior to him in the field of ancient history. If it were a place name he had seen in ancient scrolls before, Shaya would definitely remember it.
“Could it be another existence from the lost history before the Land of Calamity?”
“If that’s the case, then finding it will be a huge undertaking.”
Shaya felt a slight headache. Due to the existence of the “Land of Calamity,” the history of humanity on the entire Western Continent had a huge gap. The period just over five hundred years ago, where the Azure Court Duchy was located, was precisely at the end of the Land of Calamity. Decades after the fall of the Azure Court Duchy, the Land of Calamity officially ended. Therefore, although the history of the Azure Court Duchy was obscure, there were still some clues and records that survived. However, if they went further back, to the early days of the Land of Calamity… even to the era before the Dawn Holy See was established, before the Holy Calendar itself. The historical secrets within that period were probably only known to gods.
However, Shaya soon discovered a new product option that suddenly appeared in the mall’s redemption interface.
[Map Guidance: Historical Echo “Escarnia”]
[Rarity: Green]
[Price: 5]
[Item Description: Guides the host towards the location of the Historical Echo.]
“Alright, alright.”
“I knew why they removed the tutorial function for novice quests. So this is what they were waiting for, right?”
Shaya once again experienced the system’s malicious intentions.
[You have purchased “Map Guidance: Escarnia,” consuming 5 Sands of Time. Current remaining Sands of Time: 21]
There was no choice but to buy it. His time was very precious. If he had to spend several years searching like he did before for the Azure Court ruins, Shaya would rather spend money to save himself some effort.
The next moment, a vague map of the Western Continent slowly unfurled in Shaya’s mind. Shaya narrowed his eyes slightly. This was because he discovered that the target location marked by this map guidance was not far from him. If one considered the size of the entire Western Continent, it could even be described as a hair’s breadth apart. It was right within the imperial capital.
And, if he remembered correctly. This location was still a place with deep entanglements, a place that was already occupied.
…
Imperial Military Headquarters, Secret Intelligence Department.
Lieutenant Colonel Sieg looked at Shaya, who was browsing through the department’s files, and the blonde girl who followed silently one step behind Shaya, surveying the unfamiliar surroundings with an icy gaze. A wry smile appeared on his face. Not long ago, he had been threatened by Aerora with the Holy Spear pressed against his throat. That feeling was still fresh in his memory. The idea of a Four-Ring Master being threatened by a Tier 3 student from an extraordinary academy would probably make the soldiers in the entire military headquarters burst into laughter if it spread.
However, Lieutenant Colonel Sieg had a clear premonition at the time. If he refused to hand over that spiritual potion, he would definitely die, without exception.
“Student Shaya, why didn’t you try to buy information from the Shadow Council this time? Why did you think of our military intelligence network?” Lieutenant Colonel Sieg deliberately moved a few steps away from Aerora before asking.
“That shop is too greedy. It’s making me a bit afraid to go there.” Shaya’s attention was still focused on the piles of files in front of him, and he replied without looking up. “If I go there again, I’m afraid I’ll really have to stay and pay off the debt with my body.”
“Besides, I just became a Sword Holder, right? It’s equivalent to being an executive in your military department, so why not use it?”
The intelligence network of the Imperial Military Department had a vastly different scope compared to the intelligence possessed by the Shadow Council. For the military, they were more concerned with the exact movements of various countries, major factions, and high-level experts on the Western Continent in the recent period. Any slight disturbance in enemy territories, especially strategic locations, would be detected, as it could directly affect the continent’s situation and the direction of war.
However, the military’s intelligence network knew very little about the secrets buried in history or certain forbidden knowledge. After all, this had no direct bearing on the empire and the military’s interests. If it weren’t for this, Shaya wouldn’t have had to send money to the Shadow Council time and time again. Who would spend money when they could get it for free?
“Is it this one…”
Shaya’s gaze settled on a scroll. He scanned the information on the scroll, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“The ‘Thorns of Sin’ Club.”
“The club’s business scope includes—Bridge, Imperial Chess…”
Shaya waved the scroll in his hand at Sieg. “A card game club occupies almost half a block, and it’s listed as top-secret intelligence by your military?”
“Of course, it’s not just that.” Sieg came to Shaya’s side, looking at the intelligence on the scroll with a slight frown. “It’s nominally a card game club, but in reality, the ‘Thorns of Sin’ is a super-large casino. And, unlike those casinos that are purely after money, there is indirect evidence showing that ‘Thorns of Sin’ is directly involved in certain black industries.”
“Including, but not limited to, organ trafficking, unlawful detention, and slave trade…”
Shaya raised an eyebrow in surprise: “So you just watched them operate these black industries in the imperial capital, right under your noses?”
“I thought the incident at Saint Roland Academy was just an isolated case… But now it seems like the military and the Directorate are just a bunch of good-for-nothing slackers?”
Lieutenant Colonel Sieg let out a helpless wry smile: “The military and the Directorate are products of compromise between the empire and the high-ranking nobles.”
“They nominally have law enforcement power over the entire empire, but in practice, there are many constraints. There are even figures from noble factions planted within the high ranks of the military and the Directorate—”
A cold glint flashed in his stern face: “The owner of the ‘Thorns of Sin’ Club is Viscount Lori.”
“According to the Third Amendment Law promulgated forty-one years ago—”
“Before concrete evidence is obtained and the approval of the Council is secured to issue a search warrant, the Directorate and the military have no right to exercise law enforcement power within the premises of any noble of Baron rank or above.”
“What we have now are only indirect clues, not enough to apply for a search warrant, and even if we did apply…”
“Even if an application were successful, by the time the Council, where nobles hold the majority of seats, approves it, those criminals would have already received the wind and cleared out the evidence and fled.”
Shaya raised the scroll in his hand and finished Lieutenant Colonel Sieg’s sentence. “Good heavens, you people are really something. This is a complete protection umbrella industry chain.”
“Now I understand why Her Royal Highness wanted to rebuild the ‘Sword Holders’.”
…
“There’s no other way.”
“Within the empire, the power of the nobles has been strong for not one or two days; it has become deeply entrenched and difficult to resolve.”
Lieutenant Colonel Sieg certainly understood the sarcasm in Shaya’s words, but he could only nod in agreement. Although what Shaya said was harsh, it was the truth. If they were to rely on the current Directorate and military to maintain order, it would not be more than ten years before the remaining national strength and the hearts of the people would be completely drained by those vampires. By then, even if the Freista Empire hadn’t fallen, it would only be a mere shell of its former self.
He looked at Shaya and said solemnly. “That’s why I swore allegiance to Her Highness Isadorella.”
“Among the current princes, only Her Highness Isadorella’s decisive methods have the possibility to eradicate these tumors and shadows.”
“To make Freista, to make Camelot—”
“Return to being the city of order and the city of ideals that gathered all the hearts of the people at the time of its founding.”
“Having ideals is indeed a good thing.” Shaya listened to Lieutenant Colonel Sieg’s words without expressing an opinion, and put down the scroll in his hand. “There’s more to the hidden affairs of this casino, isn’t there?”
“A mere viscount’s crime wouldn’t warrant first-class secrecy.”
“Indeed.” Lieutenant Colonel Sieg spoke again. “The main reason is that the owner of this casino, Viscount Lori, has another identity.”
“Oh?” Shaya paused and accepted the tea that Aerora, standing beside him, had brewed for him. Tea was also one of Shaya’s businesses; it emphasized replacing alcohol with tea, focusing on health, and was quite popular among middle-aged and elderly people. He took the steaming ceramic teacup and blew on it. “Who?”
Lieutenant Colonel Sieg hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, “The ‘Crimson Rose,’ the Borgia Family.”
“This casino is one of the several important money sinks and transit hubs controlled by the Borgia Family in the imperial capital. A massive amount of money and resources is transferred daily through this hub to various parts of the Western Continent.”
“And Viscount Lori is the Borgia Family’s front man.”
Shaya’s movements paused, and he took a sip of tea. “It feels like the Borgias are everywhere.”
“Within the imperial capital’s underground industries, apart from behemoths like the Shadow Council that can stand on their own without external forces, most of them have the backing of high-ranking nobles.”
“And the Borgia Family is a representative of those high-ranking nobles.”
Lieutenant Colonel Sieg explained: “If the ‘Thorns of Sin’ can be dealt with, it will be a significant blow to the Borgia Family’s financial chain, and it can also shake the current situation in the imperial capital to some extent.”
“But…” He shook his head helplessly.
“So, if we can take down that casino, it would also be helping Her Highness?”
“Of course, the Borgia Family is currently the most powerful noble alliance in the imperial capital and the biggest obstacle for Her Highness.” Sieg nodded. “But their background is too deep, and it’s extremely difficult to break through through normal law enforcement procedures.”
“And if we don’t follow normal procedures and resort to force, it might provoke a united backlash from those high-ranking nobles…”
Sieg’s words abruptly stopped. Because he saw that Shaya had stood up at some point. Shaya stood up, put on his pitch-black trench coat, and said, “Since it can help Her Highness, then that’s good.”
The two-way teleportation array provided by Isadorella during the final battle at the Azure Court Duchy, and the “Judgment Decree” that contained the Word of Power of the King of Darkness, had indeed helped Shaya significantly. Although Shaya didn’t fall for empty promises, he also disliked owing favors. If the opportunity arose to repay this favor, it would be excellent.
He adjusted his collar and called out, “Come on, Little Ai, it’s time to work.”
The blonde girl beside him nodded and obediently followed Shaya out. But soon, Aerora’s footsteps stopped. She looked towards the military corridor not far away with her sky-blue eyes, and a trace of hostility appeared on her ice-like pretty face.
Shaya followed Aerora’s gaze and immediately understood the source of her hostility. A slender figure appeared at the corner of the corridor. She was wearing a pure white long dress, and her pretty face was full of purity. Most importantly, she had a voluptuous figure. She walked with light steps and quickly arrived in front of Shaya and Aerora.
“This is the Secret Intelligence Department of the military headquarters. It doesn’t seem like a place for a good girl like the Student Council President of Saint Roland Academy to come.” For the first time rarely, Aerora spoke before Shaya.
“Student Aerora, saying that is a bit hurtful.” Dispiritedness appeared on Diris’s pure pretty face. If Shaya hadn’t seen her true succubus form before, he would have been deceived by her pitiful appearance.
“Being the Student Council President is just a hidden identity. I’m also a member of the Sword Holders now, so of course, I can be in the military headquarters.”
As she spoke, she approached Aerora and then said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “Don’t worry, Student Aerora. I’m not a threat to you.”
“I personally experienced Student Shaya’s dream, so I know very well your position in Student Shaya’s heart…”
“You are too important to him, and I can’t shake your position in his heart.”
“Perhaps, there aren’t many people in this world who can shake it…”
Aerora’s icy expression did not change, but the silver light flashing in her blue eyes slightly dimmed.
“Cough—” Shaya cleared his throat, breaking the solidified “love triangle” atmosphere. “President Diris, you just said you are also a member of the Sword Holders? What do you mean?”
“Sword Holders is actually the general term for an entire organization, just like the Directorate and the Military. There are superiors, and there are subordinates.”
“Otherwise, relying on the energy of just a few people, no matter how powerful, how could they become the Sword of Damocles that oversees the entire territory and hangs above the heads of all disordered individuals?”
Diris took a step back and looked at Shaya, a pure and sweet smile on her lips. She leaned close to Shaya’s ear, ignoring the killing intent that Aerora instantly erupted with, and whispered with fragrant breath. “According to Her Highness’s wishes, from now on, I will be your subordinate as a Sword Holder.”
“In other words, I won’t refuse any unspoken rules of superiors for their female secretaries, such as OOOO in the Secret Intelligence Department, or letting me OOOO under your desk.”
Warm air blew against Shaya’s earlobe, tickling him slightly.
“Or, even if you don’t fancy my looks, I can use my Royal Succubus abilities to help you fantasize about Her Highness, or your Golden Elf teacher from the Black Tower…”
“Even making Student Aerora’s flat chest size a bit more voluptuous is completely fine…”
“I say, Tingting.” Shaya interrupted Diris. Feeling Aerora’s bone-chilling, murderous gaze behind him, Shaya couldn’t help but sigh.
“President Diris, you’re deliberately teasing me, aren’t you? Otherwise, shouldn’t some things be discussed in private?”
“Is that so?” Diris blinked her soft, pure eyes. “But I thought you preferred the thrill of sneaking pleasure in front of your official girlfriend?”
“Alright, enough.” Shaya had to admit that some of Diris’s suggestions had indeed moved him. The only problem was that he was afraid that if things were revealed, he would end up being ‘cut into pieces’ by the women. It could only be said that Diris was indeed worthy of being a Royal Succubus. Even though she was a disgrace to succubi who had no experience, after just a brief interaction with Shaya, she had learned her primary business and had become an experienced “old driver” in just a few days.
“Since Sword Holder is an organization, does that mean that Her Highness has arranged more than just you as my subordinate?”
“As expected of Student Shaya, you’ve deduced this information without me having to explain.” Diris’s eyes showed undisguised admiration, making Aerora’s eyes turn even colder.
“The original Sword Holders were formed by several legendary knights who followed the former emperor.”
“So those few true Sword Holders also have another title—’Knights of the Round Table’.”
“Several legendary knights and the king met at a round table to decide the future destiny of the empire.”
“Later, as the royal family’s control over the empire gradually weakened, the Sword Holders and the Round Table gradually became history.”
“But the blood descendants of those original Knights of the Round Table still exist today, and they still maintain their loyalty to the royal family. There are currently two of them within the imperial capital’s military headquarters.”
“Legendary descendants?” Shaya frowned. “Wouldn’t they be those immature brats who always talk about their ancestors’ glory, the seven virtues of knighthood, and the golden spirit… who are always loud and boisterous, but get scared and wet themselves when things happen, only becoming a burden?”
“Of course not. Even if such people existed in the past, they would have long since been turned into dust by history by the nobles during that dark era. How could they possibly survive until now?” Diris smiled. “And if that were the case, they would never have been chosen by Her Highness, let alone entrusted with important responsibilities as trusted subordinates.”
“That’s true.” Shaya nodded. If nothing else, Shaya acknowledged the Second Princess’s judgment in choosing subordinates; they were not just placeholders dragging their feet. Of course, the most important reason Shaya acknowledged the princess was that she had chosen him as a Sword Holder. In terms of discerning talent, I, Shaya, consider you the best.
“Then take me to meet them.”
…
In the military lounge.
Two slender figures sat indifferently on a bench, blending into the shadows behind it. Their appearances were remarkably similar, yet they exuded two completely different auras. Time passed, but the lounge remained silent, with no words spoken.
Until a certain moment.
The lounge door suddenly swung open. A young man wearing a pitch-black long trench coat, with the upper half of his face covered by a white metal mask, revealing only his dark eyes, walked into the lounge. Behind him, flanking him left and right, were two girls. One had blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, emanating a cold, killing aura. The other had a pure face, wearing a plain white long dress, with a hint of timidity. The faces of both girls were also covered by similar metal masks, revealing only snow-white necks like swans and delicate jaws.
“Ladies.” Shaya surveyed the entire lounge. “From now on, you can call me—”
“Joker.”
A seven-thousand-word chapter. Happy Lunar New Year to everyone. And please vote for monthly tickets!
