Chapter 138: Shady’s Darkest Hour
Shady felt like she couldn’t breathe.
She tried to attack Roger in her battle mage form, but Roger’s constant area-of-effect attacks forced her into a trade of damage for damage.
Since he was surrounded by enemies and had no allies nearby, Roger didn’t worry about friendly fire, unleashing his attacks without restraint.
This was equivalent to his Shield of Illusory Dreams combined with incredibly high Mental Power, directly trading blows with Shady’s health. As a mage with high attack but low defense, Shady couldn’t withstand it.
In a very short time, her win probability plummeted, finally reaching the critical line where she needed to retreat to preserve her forces.
But at a moment like this, was it really as simple as wanting to leave?
Roger gave her no such opportunity, directly activating the active effect of his Shield of Illusory Dreams in mid-air.
He appeared like a colossal giant, slamming his tower shield into the ground. Shady’s slender body was like a mere blade of grass caught in the backlash.
The power of fantasy could interfere with reality, directly crushing her. Roger stepped on her shoulders, forcibly pushing her into the mud soaked with the blood and brains of her subordinates.
A pungent, fishy odor filled the All Directions, her vision went black, Roger loomed above her, and she was on the verge of serious injury.
In her perception, more and more unfamiliar presences were appearing in neat rows…
Her subordinates who had ambushed Roger definitely had no chance of escape.
Shady could only expend her last bit of Magic Power to send a retreat message to her backup forces outside the encirclement.
If they escaped, at least they could preserve some Hope for the Veronica Dynasty.
However, her transmission was like a stone dropped into the ocean, with no response.
Recalling that “Roger” had impersonated Dio to wait for her, Shady finally realized that perhaps all her actions had been known by the Empire. Her subordinates might have already been exposed as well…
Had the Empire grown this powerful without her realizing it?
Despair and oppression choked Shady, plunging her into the darkest moment of her life.
It wasn’t about the possibility of death if she fell into enemy hands, but the overwhelming power of the Azurevine Empire made her realize that all her previous efforts felt like a joke.
She had gambled with her conscience and bottom line, only to be strung up and beaten, a tragic spectacle of a cat playing with a mouse.
Although Shady had misjudged the authenticity of Roger’s identity, her prediction of the battle’s outcome was quite accurate.
As the city guards and night sentinels entered the fray, the resistance from the Tianming Army and the remnants of the Sea Kingdom became insignificant and was quickly suppressed.
Anyone who attempted to resist was killed on the spot.
After all, they were just rioters incited by Shady and unlikely to possess any truly valuable secrets of the gods.
Surrendering honestly would at least get them sent to do some mining. If they resisted, the Empire certainly wouldn’t risk being backstabbed by fanatical believers.
Thus, the situation was quickly brought under control.
Margaret, hearing the commotion, quietly slipped back from her hiding place.
She looked at the devastated battlefield and at Dio, standing alone and triumphant (his active effect still active), with an expression of disbelief.
Had he really achieved this victory single-handedly?
She had always thought of her friend as a fragile little thing needing her protection.
But now she was wrong, terribly wrong. He was actually a man-eating wolf!
Hmm, where was this sudden excitement coming from?
The chaotic nature of demons included an instinctual admiration and obedience towards the strong.
This was also why superior demons could easily suppress the madmen below them.
Roger wasn’t a demon and couldn’t suppress the little hybrid demon through bloodline alone, but his display of overwhelmingly strong power was enough to stir something different in Margaret’s heart.
Her fervent admiration for the Empress of Eternal Night was inextricably linked to the Empress’s strength.
A child who grew up in despair and chaos naturally had no affection for “pretty-faced” idols, only admiring those of strength, longing to become a powerful demon lord herself one day.
Dio’s performance today was definitely top-tier among the strong.
The entire block looked as if it had been ravaged by meteor showers multiple times, with craters and pits everywhere, and not a single paving stone left intact.
The assassins who had suddenly appeared were either dead or injured, lying scattered across the ground.
Yet, Dio was unharmed, his terrifyingly surging Magic Power now hidden.
To her senses, he now appeared as an ordinary high-level mage, no longer the peerless expert who had single-handedly subdued a mob of armed thugs.
This low-key disguise made Margaret feel more secure.
A sheathed sword held the most deterrence. A strong person hiding their combat power, making enemies unable to gauge their depth and leading to their downfall, was a very clever move.
At this moment, the Tianming Army had proven they had kicked a steel plate.
The more Margaret thought about it, the more excited she became. Strange light flickered in her red eyes as she secretly glanced at Dio’s figure.
Hmm, why did she suddenly not want to be just friends anymore…
“Control yourself! Don’t be too greedy!”
The half-demon gripped her small fists, her tail stiffened, and she took several deep breaths before managing to calm down somewhat.
Then, as the highest-ranking official present, she summoned the commanders of the city guards and night sentinels who were securing the scene to understand the cause and effect of the incident.
This battle had occurred suddenly and ended swiftly.
In less than five minutes, the Tianming Army’s two-month-long, meticulously prepared operation ended in failure.
After the cabinet meeting was cancelled, Roger did not immediately teleport back to his residence. Instead, he went for a walk with Margaret, and the journey took a bit too long.
Shady, concerned about the Empress of Eternal Night potentially returning to the city at any moment, decisively instructed her subordinates to change their plan from ambushing at his home to intercepting him en route, leading to this battle.
This was a backup plan for the Tianming Army, and it was also within the intelligence network of the night sentinels. However, their reaction was a beat too slow.
But as soon as the battle began, Hicks detected the Tianming Army’s premature action and immediately activated his own backup plan.
He personally went to apprehend members of the Tianming Army near Dio’s residence, while also directing other night sentinels to begin their sweep.
Immediately, other Tianming Army members waiting for support and backup in different locations, along with Crown Prince Shaq of the Sea Kingdom, who had been anxiously awaiting news, were all apprehended by the night sentinels.
Many didn’t even have time to react before they found themselves unable to resist, staring in shock as the night sentinels burst through their doors and windows.
“What the hell, we haven’t even declared responsibility for today’s operation, and we’re already exposed?”
At this moment, the hot-blooded youths of the Tianming Army, fueled by their grand ambition to overthrow the Blue Thistle and restore Veronica, were plunged into confusion about who was the hunter and who was the prey.
In this operation to capture Dio, the Tianming Army identified and locked onto a total of six hundred and seventy-seven individuals, including Shady Veronica, and fifty-nine others, including Crown Prince Shaq of the Sea Kingdom.
Ultimately, over 120 were killed by Roger on the spot, and 34 were killed for resisting. The rest were captured, with not a single one achieving transcendence.
After all, the advantage in vision was too great, and they were fighting on home turf. Hicks stated that this outcome was not unexpected.
As long as their equipment, which lacked any magical fluctuations, remained undiscovered, the City of Arcane Secrets would be a nightmare for all intelligence organizations and dark forces.
However, apart from this operation targeting the Tianming Army, Roger restrained the night sentinels’ eagerness to accumulate merit, preventing them from disturbing other countries’ spies who had infiltrated the Empire. They were merely monitoring and observing.
If the water were too clear, there would be no fish. If the Empire truly became an intelligence black hole, the constant influx of new spies from various hostile forces would eventually uncover their little secret.
At that time, their complete domination might turn into a secret war where enemies also developed, upgrading their intelligence techniques and equipment.
So why invite trouble?
Currently, they knew the enemy’s locations and actions, and could control the intelligence acquired by enemy spies, even guiding their actions.
Rounding up these enemy spies, they were essentially working for the Empire themselves, paid by them! Why would they disrupt this favorable situation?
This operation was simply because the Tianming mentor had provoked him directly, and the Empire needed intelligence from her. Thus, he took out the main force of the Tianming Army in one fell swoop.
Roger had always believed in eradicating weeds by the roots. Apart from the City of Arcane Secrets, night sentinels in other regions also took action, apprehending remaining Tianming Army remnants based on leads.
According to professional analysis, with Shady Veronica now captured, the remaining Tianming Army members were unlikely to hold out much longer and would likely collapse on their own over time.
However, the Empire was not without its losses.
The sentries around Dio’s residence had only faked their deaths, having prepared means to negate fatal damage. Therefore, they merely staged a highly realistic performance without any actual casualties.
But Margaret’s escorts, due to Shady’s impromptu change of plans, were not so fortunate.
Additionally, several Commoners who stumbled into the battlefield were executed on the spot by the Tianming Army to prevent leaks.
In the subsequent battle, to prevent Dio from escaping, spatial blockades were enacted. The dissipated power was confined within a subspace, minimizing the damage to the City of Arcane Secrets.
However, the city guards were not privy to many of these details. The night sentinels and the military system operated in parallel, and not all details were reported to Margaret. They simply provided a summary of enemy and friendly losses.
Upon hearing that all her escorts had perished, Margaret couldn’t help but feel a pang of grief and anger.
Those escorts had followed her for a considerable time, participating in countless campaigns and weathering many storms. To die in an ambush in the Empire’s capital, with none of them surviving, was unbearable.
She coldly ordered, “Investigate this thoroughly and identify the assassins. They must not be allowed to escape justice!”
The commander of the city guards nodded in agreement and departed.
Hicks, the Golden Sleeve of the night sentinels, did not immediately respond, his gaze peculiar.
With the leader of the Tianming Army captured and their main force either arrested or killed, how could they possibly escape justice?
Considering the confidentiality regulations, now that the operation against the Tianming Army had been a complete success, perhaps they could disclose some information externally?
Continuing to keep it secret would be a waste of the Empire’s manpower and resources.
He confirmed his logic was sound and stepped forward, reporting to Margaret, who was still in the dark: “Reporting to Left Chancellor, there is no need for an investigation. The night sentinels have already obtained detailed intelligence on the enemy. If you wish to learn more, you may apply to our Commander.”
Margaret: “???”
City Guard Commander: “???”
After a moment of stunned silence, Margaret’s expression turned furious. “You possess detailed intelligence, yet you allowed the enemy to wreak havoc in the City of Arcane Secrets and put Duke Dio and myself in danger?”
Hicks sighed, compelled to tell the truth. “Madam, this incident was a staged performance by Duke Dio. Our Commander also arranged for special personnel for the cleanup. Theoretically, there was no danger, so it wasn’t a dangerous situation…”
“Roger’s word that it wasn’t is final? It was clearly his poorly handled plan. If not for Duke Dio’s immense hidden strength, you might be here to collect our corpses!” Margaret grew angrier as she spoke.
She felt indignant for her subordinates, and also for Dio!
Roger, you fool!
If I had so much intelligence, I wouldn’t have caused such a mess!
Hicks suppressed his rising temper, his neck stiff. “Lord Charles’s arrangements were impeccable.”
He emphasized “Lord Charles,” reminding Margaret that although she was the Prime Minister, as a Marquis, she should be respectful to his Lord and not call him “that boy.”
“Oh? Are all you night sentinels this confident?” Margaret’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she saw a night sentinel dare to talk back to her.
Perhaps she should gouge out one of his eyes and have him become a demon hunter?
Hicks sensed Margaret’s hostile mood but did not retreat, meeting her gaze calmly.
His right hand, clad in the Eight-Armed Space Gauntlet, was loosely clenched, ready to strike.
Although officially incorporated, he still possessed the spirit of a wandering swordsman, and having been won over by Roger’s strength and wealth, he found Margaret’s pontificating style infuriating!
Many night sentinels sensed the escalating tension and moved closer, standing behind their Golden Sleeve.
Unbeknownst to them, Roger’s prestige among the night sentinels had soared.
Even if the Prime Minister severely criticized their Commander and spoke disrespectfully, they wouldn’t stand for it!
Roger’s consecutive victories, extreme protectiveness of his subordinates, and ample material support had cultivated the night sentinels’ arrogant demeanor.
These professionals, with an average age not exceeding twenty-five, had beheaded dukes countless times.
They recognized no one except the Empress and their own Commander, and showed no deference to anyone else!
The commander of the city guards looked left and right, realizing he couldn’t afford to offend any of them, and tried to shrink his presence.
“Rebellion! Rebellion! The Empire’s spies are about to mutiny! I was merely inquiring about the efficiency of your work, and you intend to attack the Empire’s Prime Minister?” Margaret was both angry and aggrieved.
Damn it, I, the dignified Left Chancellor, was just attacked, and I made a casual remark, only to be threatened with death by the night sentinels?
You truly are loyal subjects of the Azurevine!
Just as the two sides were at a standoff, a figure blocked Margaret’s line of sight and also intercepted Hicks’s attack.
Roger approached with a faint smile on his lips. “Mary, if you want to know more intelligence, you can ask me directly. I truly didn’t expect to involve you today, and I apologize.”
Upon seeing Dio, Margaret’s expression immediately softened.
She quickly said, “Dio, don’t apologize. I’m not targeting you; you’re a victim too. It’s these night sentinels who had the intelligence but didn’t act…”
Roger said seriously, “I deeply sympathize with the fate of your escorts. However, the night sentinels did their best to fulfill their duties. There were some misunderstandings here, which I will explain to you later, alright?”
“Of course, that’s fine. Dio, if you have something to do, go ahead…” Margaret lowered her head.
Dio’s gentle words made her feel as if she had perhaps overreacted?
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Roger waved his hand behind his back towards Hicks, signaling him to retreat quickly.
It was understandable that Margaret, lacking sufficient information and concerned about her long-time escorts, would question and suspect the night sentinels’ work.
As for Hicks and the other night sentinels defending their reputation, that was an unexpected bonus.
Everyone was working for the Empire; there was no need for infighting.
Fortunately, through their interactions during these past days, Roger had somewhat figured out that this little hybrid demon was the type to respond to soft words rather than hard ones.
As long as he adopted a humble posture, apologized readily, and spoke reassuringly, as long as it didn’t involve matters concerning the Empress of Eternal Night, most things could be smoothed over like this.
After comforting Margaret for a few moments, Roger pulled Shady out of the dirt and teleported with her to the Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace.
