Azure Scepter

Page 107

“This is indeed a forgery.” Edith said, bringing the parchment to her nose and then smelling it. “The parchment has a sweet, cloying smell, mixed with the smell of sulfur. The forger of this letter was a succubus—Alex was kidnapped by a succubus.”

“You’re so foolish!” The little girl clenched her fist. “Edith sold her soul to the devil, so naturally she would carry the scent of a succubus.”

Edith almost laughed in exasperation. Just as she was about to retort, Feudia suddenly patted her shoulder gently.

“Someone’s coming,” the elf whispered in Edith’s ear. “It’s those guards again—we might as well knock them out.”

Edith immediately shook her head.

“If Trier were to choose, he would definitely knock these annoying guys unconscious,” Fythia continued. “You wicked princess, they’ve all slandered you like this, you might as well do something really bad.”

“I am a paladin,” Edith whispered.

Faudia retorted, "Trill too."

“Our oaths are not the same, and if I attack them first, I will break my oath.” Edith paused. “Besides, I don’t resent them; they were just blinded by lies.”

“You’re practically a saint now,” Futia retorted. “Since you’re not planning to fight, let’s quickly hide, Saint Ittis.”

Edith wanted to advise Futia not to mock the saint, but after hesitating for a moment, she remained silent.

She carefully put away the parchment, then bent down and jumped into the stone cave.

The suffocatingly humid smell instantly intensified several times over.

"Watch out! Edith's henchmen are here, I heard them!" Only after Edith had hidden herself did the little girl hear the guards' footsteps. "Hide quickly! They're here to silence us!"

"How can it be that Edith did all the bad things?!" Edith finally couldn't hold back anymore. She widened her eyes in the darkness and questioned in a low voice, "If she really has such powerful abilities, why doesn't she just end the plague and protect her people?"

The little girl glanced at Edith as if she were a fool: "The plague was created by Edith! How could she end her own masterpiece?"

"The plague was created by...our enemy Edith?" Edith retorted. "What's in it for her?"

“Of course, it’s to seize our land.” The little girl’s tone was one of self-righteousness. “She killed the people of the Southern Duchy through the plague so that she could expand her own direct territories!”

“Ha, Saint Idis is truly wicked—not only does she bathe in the blood of virgins, but she also makes deals with demons and even creates blood plagues to seize the land of her people. There is no one more wicked than her in the entire material plane.” Fudia laughed and complained, “The source of all evil in the world, Saint Idis~~ Her divine duties must include intrigue and power, and perhaps madness as well.”

Edith didn't speak or laugh. She leaned against the wall, silently looking outside through the gaps in the wooden planks.

The next moment, her gaze faltered slightly.

—The captain of the guard, Foyle, returned, his men marching in unison around him, while he himself was speaking obsequiously to a figure that Edith recognized very well.

It's Trier!

The princess instinctively covered her mouth.

Could it be that... Trier also believed those vicious slanders and defamations?

“Your Excellency Trier, I certainly wouldn’t dare play games with you,” Captain Foyle wiped the rain from his face. “But I’m worried that the charges against me might involve treason.”

“Go ahead and say it,” Trier said calmly. “I assure you, no one will accuse you of treason, no matter how outrageous your claims are.”

Captain Foyle's face twisted in pain. He took a deep breath and then said as if he had made a huge decision, "Edith Lorinman has sided with the demons! She wants to sacrifice the souls of everyone in the city! She has now obtained the weapon the demon lord uses to corrupt people's will. We must act immediately, or we are all doomed!"

Edith's heart remained unmoved; she felt somewhat disheartened.

—Although Trier is wise, if everyone tells him that Edith is the source of all evil, can Trier really remain unaffected?

She gazed melancholically at the drizzle outside, a sense of loss spreading through her mind and body like the damp, cold stench of the air outside the cave, like the frost of winter. At this moment, she even felt a little numb—yet deep within her heart, she harbored a faint, urgent, and fervent expectation. Perhaps, Trier wouldn't believe those vicious lies.

The next moment, Trier spoke.

Chapter 215 Wish (Part Two)

In the darkness, Edith held her breath, clenched her fists, and stared wide-eyed at Trier and the captain of the guard outside.

"Why do you think the princess has sided with the devil?" Trier stopped and turned to look at Captain Foyle of the guards.

Foyle instinctively replied, "Everyone says so, and if she wasn't trying to sacrifice the city to the demon lord, why would she force all her people to gather in Eraf?"

“Does that mean everything other people say is correct?” Trier asked.

Captain Foyle's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

Trier's calm words flowed into Edith's heart like a warm summer stream. She breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed her clenched fists, and felt a tingling sense of euphoria well up from her heart. The princess unconsciously smiled.

Overjoyed, Edith remained silent. She was in a daze for a moment before realizing that Trier's rebuttal to the captain of the guard was the same as her rebuttal to the little girl.

"What a coincidence..." she said to herself with a smile.

"Kind lady, why are you grinning like that?" The little girl's voice carried a hint of panic. "Even the wise Lord Trier has been deceived by the tyrant. This is not a good thing!"

“Indeed, Edith is particularly good at deceiving others, unlike our kind lady, who is adorably naive,” Futia deliberately stirred things up.

The elf glanced at the little girl furtively, then gave a mischievous smile—she was now very, very much looking forward to the thief's reaction and expression when he learned that the "kind lady" was actually the "evil tyrant Edith."

“The kind lady isn’t naive; she’s just kind,” the little girl retorted earnestly.

Fythia wanted to add fuel to the fire, but Edith preemptively asked in a low voice, "Child, why do you know Trier?"

At this moment, the princess was indeed very curious and puzzled. She desperately wanted to know: why had Trier become so beloved in such a short time, while she, despite her dutiful duties, had suffered such a disgraceful reputation...

The little girl glanced nervously outside the wooden plank: "Everyone knows Lord Trier!"

“He provides food, he helps people get medical treatment, he eliminates those tyrannical villains, he teaches us to protect ourselves, he mediates people’s conflicts, he even rallies an army to help people reclaim the land that has been occupied by the dead—kind lady, stop laughing, you don’t understand how serious this is. If someone like Lord Trier stands against us, then we’re all doomed!”

However, the next moment, Trier, who had been silent for a long time, spoke again.

“However, Foyle, your concerns are quite valid. There is a problem with forcibly concentrating all the people of Earl Harlan’s territory in Eraf.” Trier’s tone suddenly changed. “The leader of the Kingdom’s investigation team must have some kind of secret conspiracy—spreading the blood plague, sacrificing to demons, creating missing persons, these are all quite possible—your suspicions are quite reasonable.”

In the dilapidated, cramped, dark hut, the princess subconsciously doubted whether she had misheard, but after a moment of reflection, she fully understood the meaning behind Trier's words.

She was momentarily lost in thought, as if an invisible hand had gripped her heart. The initial feeling of relief and euphoria abruptly reversed, replaced by a bitter sense of loss that pierced her heart like a sharp blade.

Disappointment, extreme disappointment. The dramatic emotional swings in a short period of time felt like a hammer blow to her brain, and for a moment she felt dizzy, with a sour feeling rising to her nose and eyes.

—So, Trier's rebuttal just now was merely a prelude to this statement; he too believed those vicious lies... Edith lowered her eyes helplessly, her fists clenching unconsciously.

When she subconsciously recalled the sweet and wet kiss in her dream that morning, she couldn't help but feel even more lost.

It turns out that it was all just wishful thinking on my part.

"That's wonderful! As expected of Lord Trier!" The little girl exclaimed excitedly. "Let's go find him now! Alex is saved!"

After saying that, the little girl reached directly into the wooden board blocking the observation hole.

Fythia reacted quickly and grabbed the little girl's wrist, but she was too late.

"Crack!" The wooden plank fell to the ground.

Both Futia and the little girl froze on the spot.

Captain Foyle turned his head sharply to look at where the men were hiding, but the next moment, he turned his head back.

Because Trier continued talking.

“What you say makes sense, but it also makes no sense,” Trier continued. “It’s certain that the Kingdom’s investigation team has problems, but the actual person in charge of the investigation team is not the eldest princess, but Oris.”

Edith was stunned.

Why is Trier breathing so heavily when he talks...?

“In a way, Edith is also a victim.” Trillton paused. “She has little autonomy; she’s just a puppet manipulated by obligations, responsibilities, and lies.”

“But everyone says Edith is the evil one…” Foyle retorted instinctively.

Before he could finish speaking, Trier interrupted, "Think about it, where did the negative news about Edith first come from?"

Foyle frowned, pondered for a long time, and then replied with a slightly uncertain tone, "It seems to be the investigation team's priest, Northelia?"

“The pastor of Northelia served Oris,” Trier said as he walked forward. “Now the logic is quite clear. Oris knew he had done something terrible, but he didn’t want to bear the infamy, so he dumped all the blame on Edith, who trusted him, thus avoiding the risk of damage to his reputation.”

Edith was completely stunned.

It turns out the teacher is slandering my reputation?!

At this moment, she felt the chill of the cold rain seep into her spinal cord through the soles of her feet, and confusion and bewilderment swept through her body like a fine electric current from her brain.

—Terre was unaware that he was eavesdropping, so he was telling the truth...

"So Oris is the devil's lackey?" Captain Foyle asked incredulously. "Then his so-called divine revelation... isn't it just the devil's whisper?"

Trier did not answer; he led the captain of the guard and the guards past the little girl's hiding place.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Edith noticed that both Futia and the little girl let out a long sigh of relief.

"Do you know about the missing Alex?" Trier's voice came from afar.

"That paladin who always carries seven weapons? Of course I know him."

“I’ve been investigating this myself these past few days, and the results are quite interesting.” Trillton paused. “Someone stole Oris’s seal and then forged a magical letter. The letter contained magical traces, so I used magic to recreate it.”

"I won't go into the specifics, but in short, the forger lured Alex to the Lighthouse Grand Theater, and then a high-ranking paladin simply vanished without a trace. Coincidentally, before his disappearance, Alex had publicly criticized Oris's city-lockdown policy."

"He was lured and killed," the captain of the guard murmured dryly. "Radiance..."

Edith instinctively covered her mouth.

In an instant, various clues and coincidences flashed through her mind like lightning.

—Terrell's account is exactly the same as the contents of the little girl's letter, and she also smelled the scent of a succubus on the little girl's letter, so the teacher really is in contact with demons!?

Just as Edith was in a daze, the little girl suddenly broke free from Fythia, smashed through the wooden planks, and jumped into the street. She screamed at Trier and the captain of the guard, "Nonsense! Alex is not dead! He is not dead!"

PS: A short chapter to make up for yesterday's. More will follow later.

Chapter 216 Wish (Part 3)

Time seemed to stand still.

Amidst the fine drizzle, everyone's eyes were fixed on the little girl.

Without hesitation, Captain Foyle drew his longsword, the tip pointing directly at the little girl. He narrowed his eyes slightly: "She is the weapon the demon lord used to corrupt the city, Lord Trier!"

Upon hearing the captain's order, the well-trained soldiers immediately laid down their weapons, and countless gleaming gun tips were pointed at the unarmed little girl.

"Alex isn't dead! And I'm not a demon!"

The little girl's voice had become hoarse, but she walked towards the tip of the gun without fear.

"Edith is the devil! That evil tyrant kidnapped Alex! You've all been deceived by that tyrant! She's the devil!"

"Lord Trier, please save Alex and overthrow that evil princess!" the little girl continued to scream desperately.

A slender little girl dressed in gray linen clothes walked alone towards a dozen soldiers in full armor, each wielding a long halberd.

The next moment, a miracle happened.

Captain Foyle suddenly widened his eyes, his face turning deathly pale, as if he had seen something terrifying. He instinctively took two steps back, his teeth chattering. The guards also erupted in an uproar, retreating like silver seawater parted by oars.

"She's here!" Foyle cried. "Lady Trier, she heard everything! She knows we're plotting to overthrow her! She's coming to steal our souls! Radiance, I'm going to the abyss..."

Trier suppressed a laugh and forced a serious expression. He slowly raised his head, his gaze passing over the little girl and looking at the dilapidated house not far away.

In the gray rain, Edith, draped in a pure white cloak, walked slowly. She held a sword in one hand, the tip of the sword slicing across the ground, the blade of the holy sword reflecting a chilling aura.

Behind Edith, Fythia, draped in a green cloak, waved vigorously—interestingly, although she smiled, she didn't say a word.

The little girl stopped in confusion, seemingly unable to understand why the guards who were chasing her would suddenly retreat. After a moment, she seemed to understand something and immediately turned around to look behind her.

“Kind lady! They’re afraid of justice!” the little girl said happily. “You and Trier are both paladins, and Edith and her lackeys are no match for justice—that’s what the stories say!”

"As far as I know, in the works currently in circulation, paladins always fight alone; there's no such thing as cooperation between them," Edith said softly, putting away her weapon.

"In short, Edith is finished! That tyrant's rule is coming to an end!" Overwhelmed with excitement, the little girl's face was flushed, and she jumped up with great enthusiasm.

She looked expectantly at Trier, who was walking slowly towards her.

Upon hearing the little girl's words, the guards fell completely silent; while in the distance, Futia gripped a stone pillar tightly, her body trembling slightly as she suppressed a laugh.

Trier stepped forward slowly and solemnly took the princess's left hand.

"Your Highness Edith..."

"Your Highness Edith?" The little girl blinked.

She frowned slightly, looked at Edith, then at Trier, and then back at Edith. When she saw the gray hair peeked out from Edith's hood, she seemed to suddenly understand something...

In an instant, the little girl's pupils suddenly contracted, her expression twisted instantly, and her rosy face turned extremely pale within a few breaths. Her thin body began to tremble slightly, and large beads of cold sweat mixed with the drizzle dripped to the ground.

“The kind lady is Edith?!” she exclaimed to herself incredulously.

"Hahahahaha!"

From afar, Futia burst into laughter, her clear, crisp sound echoing throughout the entire street.

Trier had never seen an elf so happy—Fodia seemed to be caught up in Tasha's maniacal laughter, her face flushed, clutching her stomach, laughing until she was almost out of breath.