Chapter 131: Ophelia: Brother-in-law is here, I'm going to run away
In the present world, at the Arcane Tower, within the Epoch Hall.
On Ophelia's delicate face, resembling that of a porcelain doll, her elegant eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Her wine-red eyes lowered their gaze, falling upon the woman kneeling on one knee before her, clad in heavy armor.
"At the juncture where you were about to uncover key clues about the 'Gravekeepers', Ingrid appeared and attacked you..."
"Kate, can you confirm this piece of information?"
As the second princess of the Granwell Kingdom, Ophelia was naturally not unfamiliar with Ingrid.
Born in a remote village on the empire's border, a place so obscure that most maps didn't even record its na, she barely passed the entrance exam of Starfall University using the empire-wide compulsory enlightennt textbooks.
Then, in Starfall University, where the majority of students were noble offspring—with superior innate talents, education, and access to extraordinary resources—she relied on the most diocre grade of Nightblade rated by the Ruins Institute, the 'Shadow Iron'.
Over four years, through hundreds of historical remnant raids and countless severe injuries, she climbed step by step from the bottom of the Obelisk rankings to the second seat of the Round Table.
Such a resu continued even after Ingrid graduated from Starfall University and joined the military.
The Granwell Kingdom's military was rife with factions, with every high-ranking position firmly controlled by the royal family, great nobles, and various forces, making it nearly impossible for ordinary people to get promoted.
However, Ingrid forcibly broke this unspoken rule.
In less than ten years, relying on battle achievents and military rits far surpassing her peers, she ascended to the position of Director of the Departnt of Holand Order's Inspection Office with an impeccable posture.
Such a legendary resu led many to suspect that Ingrid had so unknown background.
"Those old fogies in the imperial capital have always suspected that Ingrid was secretly cultivated by our royal family to eliminate other great nobles..."
Ophelia chuckled lightly: "But unexpectedly, the secret weapon in their eyes was the first to strike at us."
As the second princess, she naturally knew that Ingrid's rise had nothing to do with the royal family.
"The opponent's aura was well concealed, and after a successful strike, she imdiately retreated, not giving a chance to use a holy relic to detect her soul aura and identify her."
"Therefore, Your Highness, I cannot confirm..."
Kate shook her head.
"However—"
She lowered her body, looking at the straight, damaged gap that pierced through the fine steel heavy armor on her chest plate.
"A sixth-tier transcendent who can penetrate my defense with one strike—there are no more than five in the Granwell Kingdom."
"Moreover, during a previous joint military operation, I once fought alongside Ingrid."
"That kind of berserk tactic, harming the enemy a thousand while injuring oneself eight hundred... no, harming the enemy eight hundred while injuring oneself a thousand—apart from the northern barbarians, I've only seen it in Ingrid."
A flash of reminiscence appeared in Kate's eyes, along with a faint trace of reverence.
"If I were to make an analogy, Ingrid is like a bloodthirsty fierce wolf."
"Even knowing there's an absolute gap in strength, knowing she's no match, she would still bite off a piece of the opponent's flesh before dying."
Listening to Kate's account, Ophelia's delicate eyebrows furrowed even more.
No one knew whether legends still existed in the present world; even if they did, they had been silent for many years and wouldn't easily intervene in disputes between continents and nations.
In such circumstances, the peak of the sixth tier represented the strongest combat power that countries could deploy under normal conditions.
Therefore, in this environnt, Ingrid's betrayal was extrely terrifying... she was not only a sixth-tier transcendent but also held a high-ranking position in the military.
Although Ingrid hadn't actively joined any faction during her rise, her current position naturally indicated that there were high-ranking military officials who appreciated her, including so powerful figures.
Even today, Ingrid's existence had beco a banner, representing a considerable portion of the military's neutral officers who ca from civilian backgrounds and hadn't sided with the nobles or the royal family.
These civilian officers, though usually maintaining neutrality and low presence, were deeply rooted among grassroots officers, and their numbers and influence couldn't be underestimated.
The entanglent here was too great—if not handled properly, it could lead to turmoil throughout the empire...
And those great nobles coveting royal power, as well as neighboring countries eyeing the Granwell Kingdom, wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
"However, what's more concerning is..."
"After all the hardships to reach her current position."
"Why would Ingrid risk exposing her identity and abandoning everything she had accumulated in the empire... just to attack Kate?"
Ophelia voiced her whispered thoughts.
Behind her, on the pitch-black undead tal, analytical runes erged.
All information related to Ingrid from Ophelia's database as a chanist was retrieved and analyzed.
Based on current known information, the simplest inference... was that Ingrid was cultivated by the 'Gravekeepers' and sent to infiltrate the empire.
However, later on, due to the achievents Ingrid attained at Starfall University and in the Imperial Capital, nearly every imperial map had this small village marked, in the na of Ingrid’s hotown.
Only——
In the sumr of the year 989 of the Flower Calendar, five years ago.
Just as Ingrid had freshly graduated from Starfall University with a second-place ranking on the Obelisk, and full of dreams, joined the Imperial Military for less than a year——starting from a mid-level officer position, climbing step by step.
Her hotown, for so unknown reason, was wiped out by a mysterious calamity of dusk.
To this day, the cause of that Twillight Calamity remained ambiguous and unresolved.
It was only speculated that an entrance to the Nightworld had been too well concealed, and went unnoticed by the Night Travelers until it completely collapsed, triggering the descent of the Twillight Calamity.
“So, Ingrid……”
“The reason you sniped at Kate—does it have sothing to do with the incident five years ago?”
“Is this Twillight Calamity also connected to the Gravekeepers?”
Ophelia stared at the docunts in the dossier and murmured softly.
“But, no matter what your reason is——”
“Since you dared to lay hands on my people, chose to help the Gravekeepers, and stood in opposition to the Empire, to and my elder royal sister……”
“Then, I assu you’ve already made the corresponding resolve for your actions.”
The calm expression that once belonged to the Second Princess while watching a livestream with amusent vanished from her wine-red eyes.
In its place erged a chilling gleam, cold to the bone, evoking the frost atop a snow-capped peak.
“Activate all our planted agents within the Military and the Administration Bureau. Conduct a full investigation into everything about this Director of the Inspection Office, Ingrid. Also, reopen the investigation into the Twillight Calamity that occurred five years ago in the northern region of Golden Stag Territory.”
“Furthermore, investigate everything within the Empire related to the organization ‘Gravekeepers’, especially those high-ranking nobles……
Among the nobles in the Imperial Capital, there must be soone aware of the Gravekeepers’ existence, perhaps even communicating with them in secret.”
“My royal sister once told , if you find a cockroach on the floor, it ans hundreds, even thousands, have already nested in your ho……”
Ophelia lowered her gaze, looking at the kneeling Kate: “If there truly exists a faction in the Imperial Capital colluding with the Gravekeepers, then it must have already entrenched itself deeply, building an enormous and hidden network capable of overturning the entire Empire.”
“Investigate thoroughly and uproot this entire web of power.”
“No matter which grand ducal family is implicated, or what level of backers they might have.”
Her voice remained calm, yet to those who heard it, it felt like plunging into an icy abyss a thousand years old, freezing to the marrow.
“If we encounter any further obstruction……”
“Kate, you should know what to do.”
Listening to the cold voice in her ear, and seeing the icy gleam in Ophelia’s eyes, Kate, who was kneeling on one knee, felt a chill in her heart.
As the Second Princess’s most loyal subordinate, considering herself Ophelia’s sword and shield, this wasn’t the first ti Kate had seen such an expression on her highness’s face.
Every ti her Second Princess wore that expression, it ant that so high-ranking minister or noble with power over the court would soon be beheaded.
Though she looked no more than thirteen or fourteen years old on the outside, like an innocent porcelain doll of a girl.
Everyone in the Imperial Capital knew that this swan-like Second Princess did not earn her fearso reputation rely through her status as royalty, but carved it out with cold and bloody hands.
The title that could stop the wailing of noble children…… was no re joke.
Kate maintained her kneeling posture and spoke with reverence.
“As you command, Princess Ophelia.”
……
“Um, so, uh……”
At that mont—
A sowhat out-of-place voice broke the chilling, deathly silence inside the Epoch Hall.
The silver-furred headmaster swished its tail and spoke hesitantly: “Though I really can’t interfere with your plans to wipe out so grand noble family……”
“But I must remind you of sothing.”
It used its fluffy white tail to point toward the center of the hall, where the Era Stele stood tall and unmoving.
At that mont, the once dormant and solemn Era Stele was now quietly surrounded by faint threads of night-colored mist.
The mist was gradually thickening, nearly condensing into substance.
“If I’m not mistaken, it ans Rast has successfully cleared the ‘Remnant of History’ and is preparing to exit the Nightworld.”
“Judging by this, within a few minutes at most, Rast will return from the Nightworld.”
“So, Shiltina’s little sister, are you planning to et your brother-in-law in advance?”
Hearing the silver headmaster’s words, Ophelia looked at the increasingly dense night mist, and her delicate, doll-like face froze slightly.
That once chilling and solemn aura, like eternal frost, disappeared in an instant.
“Stop talking nonsense, Little Snow Ferret.”
“That guy Rast hasn’t even passed my tests yet.”
“To beco my elder sister’s royal consort…… it’s not sothing that can be judged just by a single Nightworld livestream.”
Even so, Ophelia’s voice was clearly laced with panic.
“I can’t let him see right now. If Rast finds out I secretly ca to spy on him and tells my royal sister……”
The panic in Ophelia’s voice clearly intensified.
“Kate, we’re leaving.”
She spoke hurriedly.
In the next instant, the flowing liquid form of undead tal surged violently.
It quietly enveloped Ophelia’s figure, along with the still sowhat confused Kate.
“Little Snow Ferret, I’m leaving this to you.”
“If Rast finds out I was ever here……”
“I believe you understand what that would an.”
When the darkness faded—
There was no longer any sign of Ophelia in the Epoch Hall.
Only a snow ferret remained, staring blankly at the spot where the darkness had vanished.
It was clearly your own idea—
So why did you bail the mont the raid began?
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