"Who was that little maid just now?" Rody slightly organized his thoughts and began to ask.
"Why don't you first ask who I am? This is so unfair, wuwu, I've been so nice to you, even crawled through your trousers, but you don't care to know who I am, only concerned about her. I don't want to live anymore, I'm going to cry to death, wuwu..." The beautiful woman was exceptionally good at pretending to cry, able to produce tears on demand like a water fairy. Her intelligent large eyes instantly filled with tears, making her look pitifully charming.
"Go ahead and cry, I'm all ears," Rody said, knowing now how to deal with this beautiful woman.
"I won't, who would be so silly to cry for you? I'll cry secretly when I get back, just to annoy you!" The beautiful woman made a cute face, her smile blooming on her face, and said, "My name is Mivis Oritavida Patricia Salina Gotranica Pandora, remember that."
"I can't remember..." Rody had heard long names before, like Belier's, but this beautiful woman's name was even longer.
"Then you can call me Pandora!" The beautiful woman boasted, "Pandora means 'the first woman in the world', 'noble', 'the most beautiful flower', 'the perfect treasure'. From now on, you can call me Pandora!"
"Pandora also means 'envy of the gods', 'misfortune', and 'despair'," Rody countered.
"Eh? You're also knowledgeable about names?" The beautiful woman happily hugged Rody's arm, saying, "We have a common interest. Living together after marriage will be fun!"
"Why do you insist on marrying me?" Rody was puzzled.
"Because I like you!" The beautiful woman's reason was simple and sufficient, explained in just one sentence.
"What benefits do I get from marrying you? Tell me!" Rody tried to view the situation from a third-party perspective, keeping himself detached.
"Many, too many to explain right now," the beautiful woman cunningly smiled, her intelligent eyes twinkling, "Don't be in a hurry, after we're married, I can tell you slowly! Umm, don't be angry! If there’s anything, we can discuss it. You're so heartless, it hurts me so much! By the way, you were asking about her, weren't you? Promise to marry me, and I'll tell you who she is!"
"What have you been doing hiding here all this time?" Rody felt it was time to change the topic, otherwise, this marriage talk would never end.
"Look, there are three magic mirrors here. Each one has a magic mirror sprite that helps me monitor every move at the banquet, including when you grabbed that Lady with the Beautiful Bosom's chest, I saw it too! In the entire capital of Kamarlon, as long as I want to know anything, the mirror sprites will collect all the information in a few days, including about you, the fake prince. So, if you don’t marry me, I'll reveal your secret and tell the world!" The beautiful woman hugged Rody's waist, coquettishly saying, "Prince, you may offend the Temple and the angels, but don’t offend me, this beautiful woman!"
"Who says I'm a fake?" Rody asked curiously, "What makes you think I'm not a prince?"
"Intuition. Let me tell you, a woman's intuition is very sharp!" The beautiful woman pointed to the middle magic mirror, and gentle magical waves flickered, showing Rody's face. She pointed to another mirror and smiled, "Here's Rody, there's you, the Prince of the Night, identical. But on the surface, your hair and height are slightly different, even the arrangement of your eyebrows and eyelashes, under close observation, are a bit different. You're clever; doing this dispels everyone's suspicions. But do you know what a person's pupils look like when they are enlarged? Magical lad Rody? My future little husband?"
“Huh? A galaxy?” Rody saw the two magic mirrors quickly enlarging the pupils, not knowing by how much.
In both mirrors, the pupils displayed a spiral galaxy pattern. The magical child Rody's pupils shone slightly dimmer, while the Prince of the Night's pupils dazzled brilliantly.
But the pattern arrangement was exactly the same.
Rody was both surprised to find a galaxy pattern in his pupils and amazed at the beautiful woman's observational skills; she actually knew how to scan pupils.
“No one in the world has identical pupils, so you must be the unfortunate illegitimate child, Rody. How could you possibly be a prince from the Abyss? But it doesn't matter, in my eyes, you will always be a white horse prince. I like you! From now on, I'll call you 'Prince'! Actually, I prefer the illegitimate child Rody... 'Illegitimate child', how pitiful! Ah, Rody, don't be sad, your sister cares for you!” The beautiful woman suddenly overflowed with maternal love, hugging Rody and trying to kiss his face.
“Why can't the illegitimate child Rody be the Prince of the Abyss? You think the Underworld doesn’t exist?” Rody laughed.
“The Underworld really exists?” The beautiful woman blinked her intelligent eyes, asking.
“Of course.” Rody snorted, “Come on, polish my shoes. If this prince is happy, maybe I’ll even tip you!”
“That’s perfect, you're a prince, and I'm a princess, we're a pair.” The beautiful woman curtsied like a princess, her face beaming with a smile, “Dear Prince of the Abyss, standing before you is Pandora, the eldest princess of the Mille Empress. What do you think of her? Was it love at first sight?”
“Knowing you is the unfortunate beginning of my life…” Rody sighed.
“My thoughts are exactly the opposite…” The beautiful woman, Pandora, smiled like a fox that had stolen a chicken, utterly proud of herself.
“Isn’t Mille a peaceful country? How could you control the king and queen of the Kamarlon Empire?” Rody returned to the main topic, finding it very strange. The Mille Empire had always advocated peace. For a thousand years, each generation was led by an empress, but the empress's duty was not to govern national affairs but to conduct rituals and stabilize beliefs.
The Mille nation had the most comprehensive and rational parliament on the continent, with three major councils: the Military Council, the Political Council, and the People's Council.
Each council had clear responsibilities but was closely interconnected.
The Military Council was responsible for military and national defense. As Mille was a peaceful empire, the Military Council was the smallest of the three, with the Mille prince, the head of the council, often leisurely going fishing. The Political Council primarily handled economics and politics, the largest of the three. The People's Council dealt with various issues such as law, culture, faith, public security, public welfare, and foreign affairs, and had the power to elect council members and request the empress to dismiss incompetent officials.
Mille had not waged war against neighboring countries for nearly a hundred years. Even when annexing small countries, it was typically due to internal collapses within those countries, followed by takeover and support.
Is this beautiful woman, Pandora, really the eldest princess of Mille?
“We actually don't have much interest in this human continent. What we desire is to return to the heavens. Our Mille royal family is descended from the celestial creatures and spirits of the heavens, just like the Moon Elves and many other noble races. We originally lived carefree in the heavens, but due to the expansion and aggression of the angelic forces, we were forced out and had to struggle for survival on the human continent," the beautiful woman sighed with a tinge of sadness. “Here, our celestial creatures and spirits even adapt better than you humans. When your ancestors were expelled from the heavens, they had nothing. But today, humans are spread across the entire continent. If our celestial creatures and spirits did not have a foundation in the land of the Seven Clans, we might have been extinct by now…”
“Celestial creatures and spirits?” Rody had heard the term but knew very little about it.
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“Rody, we need you,” the beautiful woman, Pandora, embraced Rody's arm, softly saying, “Although we are skilled in magic, war is not our forte. Rody, we need your help… If you lead us to retake the heavens and return to our ancestral homeland, we yearn to return. The earth where humans live is not our destined home.”
...
“So, you want to use human power and armies to fight against the angels?” Rody suddenly understood.
“It’s difficult, Rody, that’s why we need you,” the beautiful woman, Pandora, pleaded, “Our clan can produce countless powerful magicians and great wizards, but we lack military leaders and a qualified king. My two brothers, one is William, and the other is Gal. They both possess immense power, especially Gal, but on the battlefield, he is not a competent commander and cannot match even half of your strength!”
“Ice Demon Gal is also your brother?” Rody was greatly surprised.
“Don't be fooled by his quiet demeanor, he’s quite passionate inside. He admires you a lot, though he doesn’t show it. Rody, you don’t know, but it was he who strongly recommended you to our mother. He said only you could unify the human continent. He asked mother to marry me to you, to form a powerful alliance against the angels,” the beautiful woman, Pandora, blushed, saying, “We have done a lot for you, even though you don’t know…”
“How odd, why don’t you seek the help of the strong warriors of Filik?” Rody paused and then asked, “They are also strong adversaries of the angels!”
“Filik represents human forces,” the beautiful woman, Pandora, shook her head, saying, “They are entirely dedicated to protecting human hope and cannot spare efforts for other matters. Moreover, they are deeply hated and watched by the angels. If we ally with them, wouldn’t it reveal our existence to the angels?”
“So you mean to say, Filik and you are not allies yet?” A thought of refusal crossed Rody's mind.
He had many things to do. While having the support of the Mille royal family was beneficial, if he had to help them retake the heavens, help Filik regain their country, and even go to the land of the Seven Clans to find Jill and the succubus sisters, he would have too much on his plate. Rody had no particular liking or dislike for the Mille royal family.
Since he already had too much to handle, he might as well decline Pandora's proposal for an alliance.
Even if he agreed to form an alliance and send troops to the heavens, it couldn’t be now.
“Rody, I know you’re likely one of Filik’s hopes, and how could a man like you not be humanity’s ‘Child of Hope’? I understand that allying with us might affect you, but on the contrary, our cooperation is a win-win. Without our help, it would be extremely difficult for you to defeat the angels... and without your help, it would be hard for us to return to the heavens. Previously, Mille and Filik didn’t ally due to a lack of trust and Filik's strong warriors being suspicious of all who approached the hope of life, seeing them as enemies. How could they ally with us? Now, the conditions are ripe. Just marry me, and by establishing a mutual trust alliance, we can surely defeat the angels together!” the beautiful woman Pandora proposed tactfully.
“You think a political marriage is good? I don’t love you. A day before, I didn’t even know you!” Rody stated clearly.
“I understand, but just because you don’t love me now doesn’t mean you won’t in the future!” Pandora smiled faintly, “Human emotions are strange. You might live with a woman all your life without loving her, or you might fall madly in love with a girl you just met. So, why not give me a chance? Maybe you’ll fall in love with me? Just like I deeply love you!”
“Who was that little maid just now?” Rody suddenly asked again.
“Her? She’s from a third-party force. She’s both our friend and a friend of Filik’s strong warriors, even able to maintain her composure in front of the Temple. She’s from the Holy Mother faction... I can’t tell you who exactly, how could I possibly tell you about my rival in love?” Pandora’s face showed a mischievous smile, “You’re so keen to know who she is? Are you trying to change the topic to make me jealous? I won’t get angry because the less you ask about me, the more it shows you’re curious about me. Hehe, don’t try to fool me, deep down you actually like me!”
“Wishful thinking!” Rody said, but his heart fluttered a bit because, aside from her looks, her intelligence and understanding alone were enough to captivate.
“I’m not in a hurry, because one day, you will fall in love with me.” Pandora lifted Rody's hand and gently kissed it.
“Then wait as long as you like!” Rody snorted.
“To show my sincerity, let me tell you a secret of the heavens, so you understand that the angels there are not so easy to deal with,” Pandora whispered, “In the heavens, there are spacetime portals to the human continent and others to different places. The strongest angels have used human faith in the divine to build a powerful army in a secret spacetime unknown to us. Perhaps on another continent across the sea or in an independent spacetime like the land of the Seven Clans. In any case, once the time is right, the angels will officially rule the earth, taking all human faith. They are not loyal followers of the divine and will certainly not be content to remain under the gods forever.”
“What?” Rody was startled upon hearing this.
It was quite possible, although he had heard from the Flame Emperor before, he did not believe there were only a hundred or so angels in the heavens.
Where then did the angels born from the Angelic Birth Pool over the millennia go?
Were they developing another land of faith? Human faith is complex and their beliefs fickle. If angels sought more power from faith, the current methods of the Temple would hardly suffice. But if they built their own army, massively invaded human territories, and then heroically 'dispelled' their own forces, wouldn’t that make humans gratefully worship them?
Could the Exile Lands and Hell be where angels used human faith to build private armies?
Could the devil and orc invasions every hundred years be commanded by angels? Was this their method of strengthening the collection of human faith?
After the century-long holy war, the survivors, especially women who lost husbands and sons, would all go to the temples to pray for their ascent to heaven, free from pain... Could it be that the angels used racial warfare as a method to increase the power of human faith?
The more Rody thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
Could it be that the angels saw him as a thorn in their side, a must-kill target? The reason for their relentless pursuit was his unintentional actions, stopping the orcs and demons from invading the human continent, causing people to take pride in humanity instead. The hoped-for increase in faith for the angels not only did not happen, but it even decreased... This line of reasoning made perfect sense for their desperation to destroy him.
“I dare say, it won’t be long before you, the Prince of the Night, will be declared an enemy by the angels. Once they figure out the power of the Abyss, they will surely instigate the forces of the Temple to wage war against your dark forces,” the beautiful woman Pandora cautioned Rody to be careful.
“Hmph, they will never understand the Abyss,” Rody felt a chill in his heart but also had confidence. With the Star Goddess, the angels would not dare invade the Abyss.
“Today's Rody, compared to the magical child who made angels flee in embarrassment, is very different; you're more confident now.” Pandora joyfully kissed the back of Rody's hand, smiling, “I still prefer seeing you confident. Like before, when you were carried to the pyre to be burnt, that sorrowful look in your eyes was heartbreaking…”
“I can't represent Filik, so let’s not discuss the alliance for now. But if you are sincere in collaborating with me, I would like to meet your mother, the Empress of Mille,” Rody paused, setting a condition.
“That's easy, my mother also wants to meet you sometime!” Pandora was almost overjoyed upon hearing this.
...
After setting a secret meeting time with Pandora, Rody slipped out of the secret chamber, planning to return to the Duchess and gather more information about Kamarlon.
“Although Pandora and her brother William have already taken control of the capital of Kamarlon, the various forces and nobilities outside their influence are not fully supportive. Besides Mille's aides, nobody knows that the king and queen are imposters; otherwise, the Temple would be the first to challenge them and take over Kamarlon,” Rody understood what needed to be done. As the Prince of the Night, he had to stir up chaos in the capital of Kamarlon to help William II and Pandora solidify their position.
The best way to create chaos in Kamarlon was through cultural shock and economic invasion.
If Rody could make a significant impact, the Empress of Mille would surely take him seriously, and negotiating cooperation later would be more appropriate. Kamarlon was like a pot simmering with meat stew, with William II, the Temple, the nobility, and Rody himself all waiting with spoons. Whoever acted first would get the most.
The first step was not to reach into the pot with a spoon but to kick out the competition.
William II could not be kicked out as he was somewhat an ally.
Moreover, William II would be of great help in driving out the Temple. The nobility would eventually be cooked in the pot, so they couldn't be kicked out either. Therefore, the one to be kicked out first and fast was the Temple...
But the Temple was also the hardest to kick out. Rody needed a good plan, or else he might hurt himself in the attempt.
“You’re here?” The Duchess nearly fainted with surprise when Rody knocked on her door.
“Ha, I have no interest in the queen. After calling out and listening to the echo, I found my Duchess more to my liking, so I came back early. My dear lady, did you miss me?” Rody quickly assumed the demeanor of a seasoned lover and swept the Duchess off her feet.
“I'm about to die, happiness is raining from heaven, leaving me dazed and confused.” The Duchess passionately kissed Rody, hastily undressing him.
Soon, they were both nearly naked.
Just as they were about to engage in close combat, a magical disturbance came from the roof, and a black monster descended from the sky, launching a dark ray at Rody's back. Rody’s back shone with a rainbow brilliance, dispersing the dark ray, but he and the Duchess both rolled to the floor, shocked and alarmed by the attack.
The black monster’s first strike having failed, it launched a second sword attack.
A golden light tore through the sky, and Rody, holding the Duchess, dived to the side, narrowly escaping in a fluster. He then conjured a starlight shield to protect himself.
“Help! The prince is under attack...” Seeing the dire situation, the Duchess, not caring for her modesty, screamed loudly.
"Be careful."
The black monster swung its sword a third time, and Rody raised his shield to meet the attack. However, the creature flashed in mid-air, revealing another sword with a silver gleam, aiming for Rody's flank... By the time the guards and Marshal Goten and others were alerted by the noise of the fight, the black creature had already vanished without a trace. Everyone saw the Prince of the Night half-naked, wearing only shorts, wrapping the Duchess, who was trembling in fear, in a blanket, angrily shouting at the guards.
Marshal Goten noticed a bleeding wound under Rody's ribs, not deep, and it was rapidly healing under the influence of magic.
It was clear, however, that an assassin had injured the Prince of the Night.
And this assassin, who could injure the heavily jeweled Prince of the Night and make him bleed, what level of power could they possess? A Sword Emperor? A Great Sword Emperor? Was it a powerful figure from the Temple retaliating against the Prince of the Night for his recent attack on Pompeius? Or was it an act of provocation by some force within Kamarlon, seeking to blame and instigate a war between the Prince of the Night and the Temple?
The Holy Lance Knight Holly saw a feather in the corner and shuddered.
Prince Vincent coughed, stepped forward as if inadvertently inspecting the scene, and stepped on the white feather. Holly and several companions gathered around Prince Vincent, pretending to inspect the scene... But all of this was noticed by the experienced Marshal Goten, who quietly ordered the Prince of the Night and the Duchess to be escorted to his private chamber.
“Marshal Goten, I expect a satisfactory answer from you,” the Prince of the Night was furious but left quickly following the marshal’s persuasion for safety.
“How terrifying, the assassin was a devil…” The Duchess was still too frightened to recover.
“To the distinguished young people, have you found nothing?” Chancellor McLaughlin asked with a sly smile, “Perhaps with your intelligence, you might find the assassin!”
“We hope so too, to ease Marshal Goten’s worries would be our honor,” Prince Vincent, still stepping on the feather, said nonchalantly with a smile, “This assassin is elusive, and we are still searching for clues. Perhaps Chancellor McLaughlin can offer some advice to help us find the assassin, providing an explanation to His Majesty King William II and Marshal Goten.”
“I only know how to count money, how could I offer you advice?” Chancellor McLaughlin chuckled darkly and left with his protruding belly.
“I bet he noticed something,” Prince Vincent's expression darkened as soon as McLaughlin left. The usually silent Holy Wizard Adelman suddenly spoke, “Although I don't know who the assassin is, this room indeed harbors the aura of both devils and angels... I initially suspected the Prince of the Night himself, but now it seems there truly was an assassin.”
“If the Prince of the Night was staging this, he would have waited until after his liaison with the Duchess. Who would perform such a drama before accomplishing their goal?” Holy Eye Sarin disagreed.
“I wish it were a staged drama by the Prince of the Night; otherwise, Kamarlon won't have peace from now on…” Adelman sighed softly.
“This matter will surely infuriate His Majesty,” the Dragon Knight Nutidora expressed his worry.