Chapter 57: Your Majesty, Fire at Me!
Due to insufficient information, Roger had clearly overestimated Joestar’s planning abilities, mistaking many factors of luck for his opponent’s prowess.
For instance, Joestar had merely chosen the Second National Welfare Institute at random, hoping to employ an inverted strategy of hiding in plain sight.
He had actually given up on targeting Roger any further, merely intending to lie low until the situation blew over before fleeing the City of Mysteries.
However, as if by fate, Angelina’s investigation target happened to be the same place, putting her directly in his path.
Fate is a mysterious thing.
It led to a fated encounter.
Now that Roger had deduced Joestar’s whereabouts, analyzing Joestar’s choice at the time made it seem as if his opponent had planned everything.
Given his generally cautious nature, he instinctively elevated the threat level of his enemy to the maximum.
And against such a dangerous enemy, a meticulously planned extermination was necessary to ensure he couldn’t gain the upper hand.
Roger informed the Nine-Blade Dancer, Ariel, of Jostar’s potential hiding places, instructing her to discreetly inquire with Angelina’s guards to confirm Angelina’s condition.
Upon hearing that her protection target had been exposed to the War Goddess’s high-ranking shepherd, Ariel’s expression grew serious.
Legends had their own secret communication channels, and without alerting Angelina, Ariel confirmed that the Right Prime Minister was still working and showed no abnormalities.
The two guards also reported that they had not discovered any suspicious targets during their inspection of the Second National Welfare Institute.
“The two legends were unaware of Joestar’s presence at the time, so their guard wasn’t as high, and they might have missed some information.”
Ariel breathed a sigh of relief, yet not entirely.
“Thank you, Miss Ariel,” Roger asked her to withdraw for the time being.
“I am at your service whenever needed.”
Ariel was very polite, her green eyes betraying no hidden admiration for the head of the City Defense Watch.
In her eyes, Lord Dio was extraordinary, not only risking his own safety for the nation but also possessing remarkable abilities and an unfathomable intellect.
He could use basic spell combinations to uncover overlooked information, achieving what even legendary divination spells could not.
His grasp of enemy movements and the overall situation was also beyond that of ordinary people.
Especially his peculiar way of thinking, always coming up with ingenious ideas that no ordinary imperial citizen would conceive.
Both the St. Tibella Pig Farm incident and the Pig Parade had dealt significant blows to the War Goddess and her church.
His current intense focus on Joestar clearly indicated that Joestar was no ordinary individual.
With Angelina also involved, Ariel was willing to cooperate with Roger.
She believed this lord had the capability to lead them all to the most perfect conclusion.
Simon Hayya, Shield, and the officers of the city guard were also patiently awaiting Roger’s orders.
In a short period, Roger had established sufficient credibility among these individuals.
After all, the previously hopeless passive situation had seen the city guard achieve a resounding 17:0 lead with Roger’s involvement.
Why would they not cling to such a powerful ally and try to win on their own?
If they couldn’t even manage to be carried, they wouldn’t deserve to mix in a place like the City of Mysteries, full of hidden talents.
Young Master Roger, who just wanted to lie flat, felt a sense of helplessness from the trusting gazes, even from legendary powerhouses.
Damn, why was all the pressure on me? I really don’t know if I can carry this wave!
You are the seniors; shouldn’t you give me some advice?
However, concerning Angelina and the Death Star hanging over his head, the predestined plot, he couldn’t evade the issue of Joestar, no matter how stressed he felt.
Roger began a comprehensive analysis of the current situation:
[Firstly, Joestar is a patient, shrewd hunter who will not stop until his objective is achieved. My sister appears safe for now, but she might already be under a divine spell, waiting to be activated the moment I appear.]
[My sister seems safe, but she is effectively a hostage. In fact, the entire welfare institute and the surrounding area are Joestar’s hostages!]
[Whether it’s to threaten the empire using these hostages or to ambush me, who should be off guard, both are highly feasible plans…]
[My advantage lies in my transmigrator’s mindset, using means beyond magic to break through the gods’ information blockade and understand Joestar’s objective and potential strategies.]
[Therefore, the key to breaking the stalemate is to avoid being led by the nose by the enemy. I must choose the battlefield and seek external aid…]
A hint of helplessness flashed in Roger’s eyes.
Otherwise, even though the historical trajectory was different, he still had to face Joestar’s attempt to kill him; was this fated encounter unavoidable?
Does such a thing as restraint, plot armor, or destiny exist in this World?
It turns out that at life’s crossroads, the paths ahead are not right and wrong, but bad and worse.
Even so, there were certain things he had to do; he couldn’t just watch Angelina perish or let Joestar succeed as he pleased.
It was just that he had intended to shed the identity of Dio, but unexpectedly, the unfolding situation had forced him to become Roger once again at this juncture…
A complete action plan gradually took shape in his mind.
Roger took a deep breath, pressed the character “正” on his leg, and communicated with the Empress of Eternal Night, informing her of Angelina’s potential danger and his counter-strategy.
After all, at this point, only Her Majesty knew about his two identities.
To avoid uncontrollable butterfly effects, he could only seek her assistance.
The Empress of Eternal Night responded: “In my current state, if Joestar forcibly seals the space, I may not be able to provide immediate support.”
Roger said gravely, “It’s fine, the code name for this operation is… Your Majesty, Fire at Me!”
The Empress of Eternal Night was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled lightly: “It seems that War Chief Priest has chosen the wrong target and underestimated the deep bond between siblings!”
Her laughter held a hint of relief that Roger didn’t understand.
The Empress of Eternal Night knew Roger had consumed Phoenix Marrow and possessed the Nirvana Blessing.
She also knew he had intended to use this ability to shed the identity of Dio.
But now he had decided to use this precious rebirth to save Anjie, meaning his next escape would not be so easy.
Finally, Roger had taken this crucial step.
And to prevent Angelina and the Second National Welfare Institute from being harmed and to counteract Joestar’s potential plans as much as possible, Roger had devised a counteracting strategy.
From the Empress’s perspective, this brat had many flaws, but when pushed to the brink, he indeed unleashed energy that ordinary people lacked.
Although this was a feigned “fearless defiance.”
When such events repeated themselves, with others’ trust and reliance placed upon him, facing similar situations, even knowing the danger, he wouldn’t easily retreat…
This was the path they couldn’t avoid.
For the sake of the little they cherished, they could only move forward, with no turning back.
The Empress of Eternal Night sighed softly, rising from the peculiar bath liquid, deep green in color, containing both the power of vitality and destruction.
Her perfect, alluring figure was exposed to the air, revealing numerous golden dark patterns that moved faster and faster beneath her skin like venomous insects, as if regaining vitality.
These were remnants of the War Goddess’s Divine Power, clashing with her own immense Magic Power.
A war between two powers of different origins raged within her body. For anyone else, let alone conversing and thinking calmly like the Empress of Eternal Night, they would have passed out from the pain.
Divine Power personally wielded by a god was hundreds of times purer than that of a fanatic’s self-detonation; it could not be easily removed.
Even the Empress of Eternal Night required external assistance and considerable time to painstakingly extract it from her body.
Yet, she chose to interrupt her treatment now, stepping out of the bath. With a wave of her hand, a golden and two-colored robe enveloped her, shielding the terrifying spectacle of surging Divine Power.
She walked out of the hidden grand hall beneath the Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace and headed towards the surface.
“Your Majesty, why did you end your medicinal bath early? Lady Lydia said it would take at least 36 hours to completely eliminate the Divine Power, otherwise, it would leave hidden dangers…”
Madame Mosconi immediately rushed forward, worriedly blocking the Empress of Eternal Night from leaving.
The Empress of Eternal Night extended a fair, small hand, waving it back and forth in front of Madame Mosconi:
“You see, I’m fine now. Dilian is just a Magister; how could she understand Divine Power better than I, someone above Legend? Her estimate is inaccurate.”
“But I am willing to believe her. At least she didn’t deceive this old lady. Please continue your medicinal bath,” Madame Mosconi stared sternly at the Empress of Eternal Night.
“Madam, holding a grudge like this will make me lose you…”
The Empress of Eternal Night sighed helplessly, her figure already vanishing in a flicker.
“This child! She’s at it again!”
Madame Mosconi’s temples throbbed with anger.
Being an invincible woman was never simple.
Besides replacing sleep with meditation, the Empress of Eternal Night often fought through illness.
Although her combat power remained at its peak, she was actually concealing hidden ailments through advancement.
At the very least, her lifespan was far shorter than that of ordinary legendary mages, who lived for three to five hundred years.
Lady Lydia, the second advisor of the Secret Accord, specialized in pharmacopoeia and was passionate about various human modifications.
She had once judged that the Empress of Eternal Night’s remaining lifespan might be significantly shorter than that of an ordinary person.
This was one of the prices the Empress of Eternal Night paid for her power.
But the Empress had never cared.
To the Empress, the length of life held no meaning.
She only cared about what kind of brilliance she could create within her limited time.
Especially after learning from Roger that she might only have ten years left, and the empire might have only ten years, she became even more uninhibited.
If she were to die targeted by the gods together, what use would her remaining lifespan be?
It was better to do more for the empire in her limited time.
Thus, she accelerated the purging of stubborn nobles in the council.
Thus, she hoped Roger would embark on the heroic path she envisioned.
Thus, she unhesitatingly agreed to provide support to Roger.
All because she believed the World could exist without the Empress of Eternal Night, but the Azurevine Empire should exist proudly forever.
In this empire, humans could pursue what they believed in and yearned for under the starlit sky, seek the truths hidden beneath worldly prosperity, and explore the magnificent landscapes of infinite Planes.
Instead of being cattle and sheep to some existence, mere puppets, repeating the same boring power struggles generation after generation, nourishing the invincible gods with blood and faith.
The Empress of Eternal Night had grand ambitions, but in this era, very few truly had foresight, transcended power, and understood her.
Beside her, only Roger, due to the era of his birth, could barely comprehend the nation she aspired to.
Therefore, she was waiting for him to grow up, willing to pay the price to protect his growth.
That conversation under the stars was by no means merely a king’s tactic to gain loyalty.
In one of the seven central Magic Towers of the vast magical array beneath the City of Mysteries, the Empress of Eternal Night silently appeared in the secret hall on the top floor.
She gently wiped a trace of blood from the corner of her mouth, sat on the throne that only opened for her, and tapped her armrest, awaiting the signal from that brat.
…
…
The Abyss Mill, on the outskirts of the City of Mysteries.
Despite its eerie name, it was actually the empire’s most luxurious and extravagant pleasure establishment, akin to ancient performance houses or modern entertainment industries.
A veritable money pit.
Its predecessor was the Cathedral of St. Amelia, the god of music, built over thirty years by Shelley I.
The style was ornate and intricate, featuring miracles only achievable with Divine Power.
For example, incredible soundproofing and wondrous spatial folding.
What once served as a divine miracle for believers to appreciate beautiful music now served as a fig leaf for perverts to indulge in their desires.
The Abyss Mill’s most famous attraction was the Twelve Succubus Troupe.
Legend had it that each of them could ignite the wildest desires in the hearts of distinguished guests, bringing near-perfect sensory pleasure, while being strictly controlled by magic to prevent harm to the guests.
Naturally, the Succubus Troupe was expensive, and only one member would entertain guests each day.
The Abyss Mill claimed this was to ensure service quality, but in reality, it was a simple yet highly effective form of scarcity marketing.
Roger, having resumed his original appearance, emerged from the exclusive teleportation array for honored guests.
Well-trained attendants immediately approached him solicitously, attending to this young master of the Charles family.
Although it was his first time here, with a Right Prime Minister sister and being a marquis personally appointed by the Empress, his portrait had already spread throughout all high-end establishments in the city.
The moment he arrived, he automatically received the highest VIP status and the most distinguished service.
“I want to book the entire Succubus Troupe for today,” Roger stated boldly, adopting a decadent demeanor.
The attendant looked troubled: “Young Master Roger, you’ve come at an inconvenient time. Miss Mina is already booked for today. Perhaps…”
“I want her. Have that guest change,” Roger commanded imperiously.
The attendant, unable to make the decision, had to report to his superior.
After deliberation, the owner of the Abyss Mill decided that the Charles family, currently favored by the divine, was not to be offended.
Thus, he ordered Mina to accompany Roger.
He prepared to personally appease the guest who had originally booked Mina…
However, before he could act, he heard his subordinate’s panicked report:
“Boss, this is bad! Young Master Roger and Young Master Alwin have clashed!”
“How did you manage this? Didn’t you quickly escort that scummy brother to a private suite?”
“Young Master Roger said he wanted to admire the cathedral’s artifacts first and was touring with Mina when Young Master Alwin arrived…”
The mill owner rushed to mediate.
But Young Master Alwin not only had his reservation stolen but was also sarcastically taunted by Roger, creating a tense situation.
The Abyss Mill called both of them into a private room to discuss, but neither young man was willing to yield; both wanted Mina, and even having two succubi as companions couldn’t quell their anger.
“These are two stubborn donkeys. We can’t resolve this conflict. No choice but to notify their parents!”
The owner ordered reluctantly.
He could see that these two weren’t here for women; their interest was clearly in a duel.
Soon, Angelina arrived with a stern expression and entered the private room where the two young masters were attempting to kill each other with their gazes.
She felt her brother had gone too far. The City of Mysteries had just experienced the Blood Night, and she had eased her discipline slightly, yet he dared to come to a place like this!
Joestar, seeing this through Angelina’s perspective, also felt Roger had gone too far.
He had waited outside the Great Library all night and was forced to be a noodle cook, yet this guy was here enjoying himself in this top-tier pleasure house!
“However, it’s convenient for me to act here.”
Joestar sensed the faint resonance of the residual divine miracles within the Cathedral of St. Amelia and felt he had this one in the bag.
With Divine Power favoring him and being in the absolute home territory of his believers, he didn’t know how he could possibly lose.
