Chapter 109 Angelina’s Suspicions
The exquisite, indescribable elasticity, and a surprising warmth, lasted only for an instant.
Without giving Roger more time to think, the beauty in his arms vanished.
It was like a dream, ending before he could savor it. She had only thought of attacking, not of the follow-up or a valid excuse to initiate it. In truth, she had no leisure to think.
Though the Empress of Eternal Night was a theoretical expert in Spellcraft and was learning to adopt a more seductive approach, she had no experience in matters between men and women. The moment their lips met, her heart beat no slower than Roger’s. Her mind, already abandoned of thought, went completely blank.
She feared Roger asking what she was doing, what she wanted, or if he would make a move to take the initiative. So, she simply fled. After all, Master Tai had said that for a woman to maintain long-term allure, she must be an inscrutable book whose end could never be foreseen. Tonight, she would be his unfathomable mystery!
Excellent, this was flawless, aligning with military strategy. She was still an intuitive master of warfare. Running away after putting on a show… no. This was: swift as the wind, fierce as fire, and finally, elusive as the night! In short, she saw it as a strategic retreat, a tactic of war, not a sign of guilt!
The Empress of Eternal Night’s bewildering actions left Roger unable to discern if it was a normal etiquette after a dance in the Empire, or a declaration of possession that went beyond mere affection. Judging by the “Little Roger,” her action seemed more like a mature older sister welcoming her best friend’s brother into noble society, granting him a little adult privilege?
If he were a simple younger brother, it would have been a great perk to receive such affection from the beautiful Empress of Eternal Night. But if he were to consider it from a suitor’s perspective, her behavior meant she didn’t see him as a potential romantic partner, but merely as a child with whom no romantic entanglements could arise. Wasn’t this a hellish start?
However, the current situation didn’t allow Roger to dwell on it. He faced a bigger problem. Without the Empress’s magical support, he was accelerating towards the ground. He truly couldn’t fly!
Fortunately, his mind was quick enough. He activated his Traveler’s Boots and used teleportation to return directly to Charles Manor. The spatial shift instantly countered his high-speed momentum, saving him from a tragic death by falling after the aerial dance.
Angelina was still awake, reading in the courtyard. She smiled gently as Roger teleported back, her expression unchanged. “A’Jie, what did you and Her Majesty talk about?”
Roger’s heart suddenly pounded with alarm. Their “performance” tonight, if it could be hidden from anyone, it couldn’t be hidden from Angelina. She was his sister, the Empress’s best friend, and she knew their relationship was far from what outsiders might assume, like a kept man or a lover. Naturally, she would suspect something was amiss with their interaction at the ball. So, she wasn’t suffering from insomnia, but was deliberately waiting for him here! Roger inexplicably felt guilty.
So, the question arose: what was their relationship now? Before the dance, he could have answered with certainty that it was all an act. They were partners in deception, setting a trap for those decadent nobles to hasten their downfall. But the Empress of Eternal Night’s sudden kiss, without any explanation, coupled with her previous veiled remarks, made Roger unsure of her intentions.
Because he had gotten so close, interacted so much, was there really a possibility of developing feelings over time? Or was she playing an adult game, and he was foolishly overthinking it? He greatly feared the three great illusions of life: a vibrating phone, “I can counterattack,” and “She likes me,” only to find it all to be self-deceiving imagination. But no matter how many questions swirled in Roger’s mind, he didn’t dare to go to the Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace to seek clarification.
Angelina closed her book and placed it on her lap, sensing that her brother’s silence had dragged on a bit too long. Doubt flickered in her eyes. It seemed there was indeed a connection between her brother and Her Majesty that she didn’t understand. She hadn’t suspected anything before. Now, recalling the time after the Bloody Night of Audo, when Her Majesty saved her, the events were so similar to tonight. Roger had used himself as bait to lure out Jostar, and then the Empress of Eternal Night had stepped in to handle the situation. Tonight, it was the same tactic: luring out nobles disloyal to the Empire, then systematically dealing with them. They cooperated so seamlessly.
Pity, she had considered herself close to them, only to realize all this belatedly. No, she didn’t know everything. She knew about as much as those nobles, having no forewarning beforehand. Angelina felt quite distressed. Was she an outsider? She didn’t know what her brother did every day, nor what her best friend was thinking. Anyway, as long as the two of them put on a show, she was just the logistics person and didn’t need to know anything. Angelina gave a self-deprecating smile, suddenly feeling the night was very cold.
Seeing Roger’s hesitation and confusion, she spoke as gently as ever, “It’s alright, A’Jie. If you can’t say, you don’t have to. I wish you and Her Majesty all the best.” “Ah, sorry, Sister, I was spacing out,” Roger said, realizing he had been lost in thought for too long and feeling embarrassed. “It’s not that I can’t say, it’s that I’m not entirely sure yet, and haven’t fully figured out how to explain it to you…” “No hurry, you can think about it more tomorrow. So much happened tonight, you should rest early,” Angelina said, stroking his head. “Yes, indeed, so many things. It feels like days when it was only one night…” Roger sighed. “Sister, you’ve also worked hard preparing for the celebration. You should sleep early too.” Angelina’s eyes flickered as she thought, *That brat has really grown wings, trying to dismiss his sister when he doesn’t want to talk? I raised you and dressed you so nicely!* She said, unusually petulant, “Okay, I’ll go take a bath. Goodnight, sleep well.” Her gentle voice betrayed no abnormality as she walked towards her room. However, her heart felt as if two pieces were missing, causing distress. Even people close to you could change with time, creating distance, no longer sharing everything without reservation…
Angelina wasn’t jealous. She simply felt a strong desire “to be needed.” When she realized that the people she cared about most could manage everything without her, she began to lose her sense of purpose and doubt herself. Her brother, Her Majesty, and even the entire Empire, perhaps? Roger had become so outstanding that she couldn’t see through him at all. She could no longer participate in crucial decisions that directed the Empire’s path. The situation of the Right Minister of the Empire being so insignificant could be considered tragic, couldn’t it? Yet, Angelina’s gentle nature meant she didn’t want to cause trouble for others, diligently pretending that nothing had happened, afraid of burdening Roger further.
Roger watched Angelina’s retreating back and scratched his head, “Why does Sister seem a bit strange today… I guess I’m really tired.” He inwardly rejoiced that his sister was still good. Although she had cornered him for a moment, his feigned exhaustion made her let go and not ask further, passing the test easily. Because his mind was filled with jumbled thoughts, he temporarily overlooked that even a saint like Angelina had her worries. After lingering in the courtyard for a while, bathing in the bright moonlight and staring into space, listening to the city gradually quiet down, Roger also felt sleepy and walked back to his room. He burrowed into his soft nest. The high concentration of fire magic gave him a sense of comfort from his bloodline. Those troublesome women only affected his magic absorption speed! If he couldn’t fish for a needle at the bottom of the sea, then he wouldn’t try! Anyway, if the enemy doesn’t move, he won’t. If the Empress doesn’t bring it up, he’ll pretend nothing happened. This way, he could avoid the awkwardness of “overthinking.” The plan was complete!
In an ordinary inn in the City of Mysteries. Shady received intel from Shaq, sent by Corneliā, and her eyes lit up with realization: “So that’s it. Extremely high Mental Power, extremely low Magic Power. This indeed explains his strange demeanor… But how did he cultivate such a drastically disparate state?” Even as a believer of the God of Knowledge, having read countless ancient texts only found in the Void of Universes, Shady still found Roger’s unbalanced growth in strength unprecedented, if not inimitable. Normally, increasing Mental Power was far more difficult than Magic Power. Ordinary mages often encountered Mental Power bottlenecks during their realm advancements. Yet, Roger was different. His Mental Power had already surpassed that of a legendary mage, while his Magic Power was only at a beginner level. It was like someone with a Ph.D. who couldn’t even recognize common words. It wasn’t just outrageous; it was outrageously so!
Shaq, seeing Shady’s predicament, reminded her, “Your Highness, stop thinking. Just capture him and interrogate him about where he got this Mental Power. We’ve confirmed he’s weak, so let’s make the move!” Bound by a contract, Shaq had to assist Shady for as long as she couldn’t capture Roger, so he naturally hoped to escape this passive situation quickly. Shady shook her head, “That’s not advisable. Roger’s relationship with the Empress of Eternal Night is unusual, and he must have extraordinary protection. We will likely only have one chance to act. Any slight mistake could lead to the same fate as Jostar and Old Jostar. We must be fully prepared before making a move.”
“As you wish. Call me if you need anything,” Shaq resignedly spread his hands and went to the adjacent room to sleep. He had expected to reap benefits, but instead, he was outmaneuvered and became the scapegoat. He was naturally disheartened. What was more troublesome was that Shady seemed to be preparing for a protracted battle, and it wouldn’t conclude quickly. He could only wait for orders… Shady, knowing Shaq’s limited intellect, didn’t expect his help, and had to figure out the subsequent plan herself. Through the channels of the Tianming Army, some of the events that happened at Xinghan Palace today also reached her. With so many nobles present, and the scene of the Empress of Eternal Night confronting the noble class being so blatant, it couldn’t be concealed from those with intentions.
“The Empress of Eternal Night seems to care excessively about this Roger, even cooperating with him to pretend to be strong. Could they really be lovers? Based on my previous analysis of the Empress of Eternal Night, she wouldn’t like this kind of pretty boy… Could he have made some other special contribution!” Shady calmed herself down, analyzing not only Roger’s information but also the recent actions of the Empress of Eternal Night and major imperial decisions, trying to find clues. Time ticked by second by second, and dawn approached. Shady discovered an interesting fact. The two most talked-about young men around the Empress of Eternal Night recently were Roger Charles and Dio Brando. And these two had never appeared in the same place… Shady mused thoughtfully and immediately woke up Shaq, saying, “Dio Brando’s hometown is by the sea. Arrange for people from the Sea Kingdom to investigate.”
Shaq: Damn it, 5 AM!
A new day dawned. Roger hadn’t slept past midnight the previous night, so he activated the settlement of his sign-in… no, the Slacker System. “Ding, the Slacker System has detected that the host’s emotions were stable yesterday, and you have received a random treasure chest. Do you wish to open it?” When the usual opening animation began, the default selection of terms floating above suddenly flickered. Two adjacent entries shattered, and the selected terms, “Rare” and “Passive,” glowed golden and attached themselves to the treasure chest. Today’s random reward became the guaranteed reward. Roger was utterly surprised: “It’s only 13%, and I still got the guaranteed reward? An African player successfully sneaked across?” He quickly checked his reward. A rare-quality passive [Skill]. It shouldn’t be bad, right?
[Illusory Dream Shield (Perfect Grade): Your Mental Power can be converted into HP at a 1:5 ratio, absorbing all damage 100%. Active Effect: The user cannot move, and physical and magical resistance are increased by 50%.]
“Damn, isn’t this Shield’s core skill? The active effect is to make yourself appear as a tower shield, pinning it to the ground to await reinforcements…” Roger considered this guaranteed reward too impractical, completely unsuitable for a mage like him who aimed for a full output build! Well, even though he hadn’t acquired any output skills yet, it didn’t stop him from having a glass cannon heart! Yet, the system rewarded him with a tanking divine skill. Combined with his extremely high Mental Power, his HP bar would more than quintuple! Moreover, the active effect increased both resistances. With the Illusory Dream Shield fully activated, even if a legendary mage unleashed their full power on him, they’d probably have to cough up blood to break through his defenses. After breaking through, there was still the Deep Sea Heart Amulet… Roger thought about it and realized he was quite tanky, wasn’t he? Cough, cough. He’d pretend not to know about this and go choose the next round of guaranteed rewards first. This time, he’d try to combine an output-oriented guaranteed reward!
Golden: “Legendary Recovery”
Silver: “Dual Wield”
Gray: “Dodge,” “Fishing”
Roger’s expression immediately became subtle. Since it hadn’t been a week since the last guaranteed reward, he didn’t even have a way to refresh the terms. He couldn’t think of any combination strategies for these four terms. He’d just forget about the weirdly inexplicable “Fishing.” The only golden term seemed to be the only choice, but a term like “Legendary Recovery”… Was it obvious that they wanted to reinforce his tanking abilities again? Did they think that as long as he could survive in this world, he didn’t need to focus on output? Roger felt a bit speechless, but considering it was golden and had the word “Legendary” in it, he single-handedly chose “Legendary Recovery.” It was better than nothing, perhaps his luck would be good recently, and he could get something good without the guaranteed reward.
After summarizing last night’s gains, Roger got up, washed, and headed to Yin Bing Zhuang. Today was the official release day of “Arcane Musings,” and now that the magazine had collaborated with the Empress of Eternal Night’s Mage Camp, it also featured a real-time comment function. He could finally see the hilarious bullet comments from the Empire’s mages in real-time.
