Chapter 1542: A Smile Growing Ever More Radiant

Ever since the expedition led by Modir ventured into the heart of Violet Isle, High Lord Gawain had been anxiously awaiting news from the North. Now, at last, the long-anticipated message had arrived.

At this moment, the mysterious realm of the Lady of Night had finally cracked open a sliver of its veil for him. Countless questions and thoughts swirled in his mind—about the fate of the gods, the enigmas left behind by the Voyagers, and the shadows entwined around Amber. All of it formed a complex, tangled vortex, with the Lady of Night herself at its very core.

“The gateway to the Shadow Divine Realm is the City of a Thousand Towers…” Gawain mused, resting his fingers against his temple. “What else did Modir report from there?”

“With Prince Nash’s permission and escort, Modir, Maggie, and Diana—who unexpectedly joined them—conducted a brief ‘tour’ of the City of a Thousand Towers,” Amber nodded, beginning to relay the less critical details. “According to Modir, the city still retains some ‘dreamlike’ qualities. Only the dim palace at the city’s center—the domain of Prince Nash himself—appears clear and normal. The further you move toward the city’s edges, the more distorted and hazy the streets and buildings become.

“At the far reaches of these blurred, twisted districts, Modir glimpsed vast, overlapping shadows through one of the streets. The scene resembled the Shadowfell closely, leading him to suspect that crossing the city’s border might grant direct access to some part of the Shadowfell—though this remains unconfirmed.

“Additionally, he briefly communicated with a magical AI named ‘Benadetto.’ She claimed to have been crafted by the finest mages during the Violet Kingdom era. Originally, she was merely the spirit of the main tower in the dim palace, but over time, she evolved into a ‘deputy’ capable of assisting the prince in governing the entire kingdom. Modir was amazed by her rapid growth and noted that her technology was fundamentally different from the magical spirits or constructs currently used across the lands of Loren. He believes there’s significant research value there…”

Gawain’s brow twitched sharply, and his eyes snapped open. “And then? Did he just start poking around?”

“No, Diana stopped him,” Amber shrugged. “Modir even complained in his report that his curiosity was seriously stifled…”

“Good!” Gawain’s eyes widened in alarm. “Thank heavens Diana intervened. Otherwise, that could have sparked a massive diplomatic crisis. Send him a sharp warning—no messing with that magical AI. That’s Prince Nash’s ‘paper-thin companion.’ Hmph. I’ll have to thank Rosetta later for sending Diana along, and lucky she met up with Modir in time… Wait, wasn’t Maggie with them? Why didn’t she stop him?”

Amber’s expression flickered oddly, hesitating before she answered, “Maggie said she was also curious about how Benadetto operates…”

Gawain slapped his forehead. “What kind of team do I have under me? One weirder than the next…”

Amber stuck out her tongue playfully, then glanced at Gawain’s face and asked, “What’s the plan now? It looks like the final gate to the Shadow Divine Realm won’t open unless both of us are present. Prince Nash is faithfully carrying out the Lady of Night’s orders in this regard. Do you want to prepare to depart immediately?”

Gawain’s first instinct was to set off at once, but he quickly suppressed the urge. True, he was eager to meet the Lady of Night and get all his questions answered, but he hadn’t forgotten the “test” from the Three Fertility Gods, nor his grand plan to “pile up virtue” around the thrones of the gods. That project had only just begun, and he couldn’t abandon it to rush north.

After all, no one understood “virtue” better than Cecil’s own Gawain, and this involved divine calamities and the future of the entire world. He had responsibilities he couldn’t shirk.

Still, the matter with the Lady of Night couldn’t be delayed either. Although the ancient god hadn’t set any “visitation date” or shown any urgency, Gawain’s heart was restless. Amber’s situation meant this couldn’t be put off indefinitely.

“Modir’s news really threw off my rhythm,” Gawain sighed, thoughts racing. “But at the very least, we need to meet with the human aspects of the gods first and finalize the ‘landmine’ plan.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then made a decision. “You go find Hetty. Have her handle our political affairs and handovers after we leave the capital. While she prepares, we’ll complete contact and planning with the gods’ human halves. Also, get Amon, Light, and Veronica ready. During our absence, the affairs of the Divine Authority Council will be entrusted to them.”

“Understood. I’ll find Hetty right away,” Amber nodded, her form beginning to fade into the air. Her voice drifted back to Gawain’s ears, “Looks like her stress levels are about to spike again.”

Hearing Amber’s muttering, Gawain pictured Hetty standing before him, dark circles under her eyes and a face full of complaints. He could only smile wryly. After a moment’s pause at his desk, he pulled out paper and pen and began drafting a letter to the major member states of the Divine Authority Council. A plan to assassinate the gods in cooperation with the “human aspects of divinity” was no small matter—it affected more than just the Empire of Cecil. The resources required couldn’t be borne by the empire alone, and the council’s overall cooperation was crucial. He had to rope in as many nations as possible.

…

The fire crackled in the hearth, bright flames dancing lightly among the dry logs. The glow spilled beyond the iron grate, casting shifting shadows on the floor nearby.

The warm fire drove away the winter chill, lending the night a serene stillness. Rosetta Augustus sat quietly in his armchair before the hearth, listening intently to the report from the distant North.

For the magically advanced Typhon Empire, the best heating technology in the palace was certainly not a simple fireplace. Yet Rosetta remained fond of the flickering flames. When he was trapped in nightmares woven by the Eye of God, those dancing flames had soothed his restless mind. Even after breaking his family’s curse, the fire’s glow still comforted his weary spirit.

A pale purple crystal orb floated before the Typhon ruler, its faint light projecting a clear image of Diana. Behind her stretched a barren wasteland—she had evidently returned to the Typhon camp on the surface.

“…That’s the situation in the City of a Thousand Towers,” Diana’s voice came through the orb, slightly distorted. “I’m sorry, but I could only explore part of the city. It’s enormous, and over half of it exists in a strange, inexplicable state that physical bodies cannot enter. The remaining areas are mostly sealed off. The city’s ruler, Prince Nash, said those places are ‘where the Lord of Night does not gaze,’ and forbade visitors from approaching, citing danger.”

Rosetta tapped the armrest of his chair lightly, his demeanor relaxed. “Were the invited Cecilans stopped as well?”

“Yes, they were,” Diana nodded. “Besides me, the party included the great adventurer Modir and the Dragonborn Maggie. We stayed together throughout the ‘tour.’”

“Then those places must truly be dangerous,” Rosetta smiled faintly. “You did well to follow Prince Nash’s instructions. According to the royal advisors, the City of a Thousand Towers clearly exhibits exotic, miraculous qualities and contains many temporal-spatial discontinuities. It must be the gateway to the Shadow Divine Realm, or perhaps a part of it extending into the mortal world. Its operating logic defies normal understanding. Proceed cautiously and obey their arrangements. The Lady of Night likely harbors no ill will toward you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Diana bowed her head promptly. Then, hesitating, she studied Rosetta’s expression through the orb’s projection. “You seem… in good spirits?”

“I’m glad to see you enjoying this adventure, Diana,” Rosetta replied casually. “It must be an experience unlike any you’ve had before.”

“If you mean leading a small elite team deep into a strange land like Violet Isle, searching for clues, facing new mysteries alongside other adventurers, and frequently overheating my core due to their astonishing antics… then yes, it’s a first,” Diana said flatly. “Most of my time is spent on missions in the capital or serving you at the Obsidian Palace. I rarely get to work with such an incredible adventurer as Modir Wilde.”

“Sounds like that adventurer is excellent at raising his teammates’ blood pressure—and your core temperature,” Rosetta’s smile deepened. “But I admit, you seem to be enjoying the process.”

Diana considered this seriously, then nodded slightly. “Indeed. Though my core overheated several times, I gained valuable new experiential data. The lady called ‘Benadetto’ even remarked that my mind shows potential for further growth, despite that not matching my factory parameters. I think that’s… something to be happy about. But honestly, I’m still not used to the Cecilans’ way of solving problems. If there’s a similar cooperation in the future, I’d rather let someone else take the lead.”

Rosetta chuckled softly. He’d worked with this “head maid” for decades but had never heard such a grudging remark from her. It seemed the Cecilans who ventured into Violet’s depths had left quite an impression on Diana. He shook his head with a smile. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind. But I think you should also work on adapting to different kinds of humans—even Cecilans.”

A knock suddenly interrupted their conversation. Matilda’s voice came from the doorway: “Father, are you in there?”

Rosetta waved Diana to wait, then turned toward the door. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Matilda entered, dressed in a black gown. She noticed the floating communication orb and nodded in greeting to Diana’s image before hurrying to Rosetta’s side. “An encrypted letter from Cecil, sent personally by Gawain Cecil, bearing the Divine Authority Council’s seal.”

Rosetta’s expression instantly turned grave as he took the letter from Mathilda’s hand. The ink on the printed document still smelled fresh, and the neat handwriting revealed astonishing intelligence.

And an even more astonishing plan.

His eyes rapidly scanned the lines of text. At first, his serious face showed confusion, then quickly shifted to shock, and finally settled into a kind of stunned daze.

Mathilda had never seen her father like this before. Beside her, Diana also looked on, equally unaccustomed to seeing Rosetta in such a state.

“What does the letter say?” Diana finally couldn’t hold back and asked.

“…You know, I’m starting to agree with what you said earlier,” Rosetta said after a long pause, nodding slowly at Diana. “Dealing with the Cecilians is truly a test of both your mind and your blood pressure. It’s not something you can just adapt to.”

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily returned to the paper. The plan written there was so bold that even he felt like standing up and applauding—conspiring with the gods to take down the gods themselves.

Ignoring the brief flicker of strange looks exchanged between Diana and Mathilda, Rosetta fell into a moment of deep thought after finishing his words. A few seconds later, he broke the silence.

“Mathilda, have the two magic crystal bomb factories we set up in the Orlandel region started production yet?”

“Yes,” Mathilda blinked, then quickly nodded. “The production lines just started last week. Both factories have completed the initial trial runs of the first few batches.”

Magic crystal bombs—products of arcane technology, and a clever invention by the Cecilians.

Although the Typhon Empire’s main military strength lay in its mage legions and elite knights, powerful spellcasters who made magic crystal railguns and similar arcane weapons less necessary, that didn’t mean they rejected the Cecilians’ big boom-booms.

After all, cheap and powerful magic crystal explosives were excellent for mining and construction.

Of course, Typhon had its own “Engineering Mage Corps,” a unique unit, but for a people who had long treated mages as a productive force, they would never turn down improvements in their tools. Even the engineering mages themselves, upon seeing the Cecilians’ magic crystal bombs, would admit with genuine admiration, “This thing’s more useful than magic.”

Following that logic, the Typhon Empire naturally established its own factories for producing magic crystal explosives.

“Good,” Rosetta said, satisfied with his daughter’s answer. “Have them ramp up production to full capacity. The factories in Tarenkins and the outskirts of Aldern as well—push them all to maximum output. Besides fulfilling regular orders, all production lines will now focus on manufacturing heavy charge units of level III and above.”

He paused briefly, a faint smile appearing on his face. Amid the stunned looks from Mathilda and Diana, he spoke with a tone of excitement.

“We’re about to do something big.”

(End of chapter)