[Mr. Ashford, the Minister of Military and Politics, has proposed within the palace the abolition of all other religions, establishing the Church of Holy Light as the sole faith of the dynasty, a call that has gained substantial support…]
[That night, a mysterious visitor arrived, introducing herself as the chief servant of the royal household, Angela. She revealed to you the secret behind Emperor Raedric’s unnaturally long life…]
A sudden message flashed across the projection panel, causing Violanda's pupils to narrow. Instinctively, she straightened, her lithe form becoming all the more striking beneath her flowing white robes.
This was important.
Raedric, a mere Practitioner, had somehow managed to live far beyond a normal lifespan. Whispers among the people suggested that he owed his unnaturally long life to a potion brewed by none other than Violanda herself.
However, the truth was that the Church of Holy Light and the royal family were bitter enemies. Violanda would never have parted with such a valuable elixir for the likes of him.
So, how had he managed to survive for so long?
In her past lives, Violanda had spent years investigating this mystery, but the answers always eluded her. She once thought it would be an impossible task to uncover the secret. But now, fortune had finally smiled upon her—someone had come forward with the answer!
The reason was clear. The balance of power between the Church of Holy Light and the royal family had shifted!
“People always say, 'It doesn't matter what your enemy does, all you need to do is grow stronger.’” Violanda had never fully understood this before.
But now, clarity had dawned upon her.
Look at this—just by growing stronger, good fortune had begun to manifest. As long as the Church thrived, all her former problems would vanish, and eager allies would come rushing to her aid!
The Church of Holy Light was the future. The royal family? Just a flickering candle in the wind, waiting to be snuffed out!
And who had brought about this change?
Eirik!
“Ha ha ha, Eirik, my dear Eirik, how I adore you!”
If Eirik were here, Violanda would have swept him into her arms, her lips aching to kiss him.
Despite her status as a master alchemist and the leader of the Church, Violanda had borne heavy pressure in past simulations.
The royal family had always set their sights on the Church’s power, resources, and influence. Emperor Raedric was a man of great ambition; his plans went far beyond assimilating the Church—he wanted its complete destruction and sought to make the crown supreme above all!
As the head of the Church, Violanda knew she couldn’t afford to be passive. To do so would be to invite her own ruin.
In previous simulations, she had moved cautiously, weighing each step with extreme care.
But ever since she captured Eirik, everything had changed! After just a few centuries of seclusion, victory was nearly within her grasp!
Through the message from the royal household’s chief servant, Violanda finally uncovered the truth about Raedric.
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【The real Raedric had perished long ago; the figure now presiding over the court was nothing but a shell—a living corpse. Within it resided the soul of a golden corpse, long lost to madness and seduced by demonic temptation. His descent into true monstrosity was only a matter of time, and chaos would soon engulf the dynasty…】
This revelation shocked Violanda.
Though the golden corpses of the royal family were formidable, their savage nature and twisted creation process had always made them vulnerable to madness, turning them into mindless beasts. To prevent this, every golden corpse was inscribed with countless magical seals, designed to keep the soul trapped and prevent it from overwhelming the living royals.
For centuries, the royal family had used these golden corpses as weapons to suppress their enemies, all while living in fear of the inevitable madness that would eventually consume them.
Now, that fear had come to pass: Emperor Raedric's soul had been completely replaced.
In previous simulations, Violanda had fallen to these golden corpses, unaware that Raedric himself had already been lost.
“A creature that could lose its mind at any moment cannot rule a dynasty! This is the perfect reason to overthrow him!” A surge of triumph flooded Violanda.
Of course, her current strength was still not enough to confront the army of golden corpses.
“I must break through to Grandmaster level… No, reaching Grandmaster won’t be enough. I need to attain at least Grandmaster Level 3!”
Only then could she strike the royal family with enough force to crush them completely.
Once again, Violanda and Eirik returned to their studies of magic.
Yet, Violanda couldn’t shake the feeling of frustration. Breaking through from Savant to Grandmaster was proving exceedingly difficult. Despite the aid of faith power, she still fell short, stuck at this frustrating plateau.
Sigh... “My bond with Eirik just isn’t strong enough…”
She mused, realizing that Eirik's aura ability grew stronger as their bond deepened—the more intimate their connection, the greater the effect.
She envied the rapid progress of Elvynna and Pixie, who thrived under Eirik’s guidance. Their marital bond had elevated Eirik's Elemental Absorption talent to +9, sometimes even surpassing +15, while she had only managed to bring his talent to +5.
Her own progress felt painfully slow.
In her past lives, with the help of the Church's elders, she too had achieved Grandmaster status—albeit after centuries of painstaking effort.
This time, she had only been stalled for a few years. It was still manageable.
“Just a little longer…”
Violanda was willing to wait.
But then, things took a turn for the worse.
【The royal family's influence continues to weaken, and Raedric’s resentment grows. He has gathered his strength and is preparing to launch a massive counterattack…】
【“On the day of the Festival of Radiance, Raedric summoned the Grandmaster elders of the Church, using three golden corpses to trap them. At the same time, three more golden corpses raced toward the Church’s headquarters, intent on killing you and Eirik…”】
【“You managed to repel two of the golden corpses with a massive magical array, but one more is on its way, ready to confront you!”】
The sudden turn of events caused Violanda’s complexion to pale.
Had they truly been cornered?
The royal family had sent six golden corpses far from the palace—this drain on magical energy was colossal, and they couldn’t sustain it for long!
While the golden corpses were powerful, each one consumed vast amounts of magic stones, and the farther they strayed from the palace, the more costly it became.
If they could stall just a little longer, victory would be theirs!
Yet the approaching golden corpse was at Grandmaster-level strength, while Violanda was still only a Savant Level 9. She could hold her ground for a while, but if given enough time, defeat was inevitable.
And she needed to protect Eirik during the battle.
If he fell…
Her chances of success in this simulation would be destroyed!
The stakes had never been higher.
“I underestimated the royal family. I pushed them too hard…”
A wave of frustration swept over Violanda.
After all, this was just a simulation. At times, her actions had been reckless, lacking the careful consideration she usually afforded them. Could this golden opportunity slip through her fingers just like this?!
No!
After everything she’d done to capture Eirik, after striking the royal family so decisively, could it end like this?
She refused to accept it!
To lose the precious opportunity of having Eirik by her side would be the worst possible outcome.
This simulation had just begun to bring her satisfaction, and now it threatened to slip away—she hadn’t even begun to enjoy it!
“At this point, I only have one desperate option left…”
And that was to deepen her bond with Eirik, rapidly increasing the level of his Elemental Absorption ability!
Now that the talent had turned colorful, it was sure to become powerful. If it reached +15, her breakthrough to Grandmaster would be a mere formality!