270: Chapter 267 A Gathering of Storms: The Impending Turmoil

The door was pulled open from the inside, and the gazes of two figures—one tall and one short—met in the air.

Silence.

Avril didn't know what to think; her lips moved beneath her veil, but she couldn't speak for a long time.

Leah tilted her head, her cat ears twitching a few times, expressing her owner's confusion: "This... big sister, do you need something?"

Stunned for a moment, she only then remembered her face was covered, and the girl hadn't recognized her.

So Avril hurriedly removed her veil, her ice-blue pupils trembling uncontrollably. "It's me, Leah."

After staring at her for a while, Leah's mouth slowly drifted open. "The pretty big sister I met in Kas Town!"

This was the Royal Capital, after all; she worried the Little Cat Girl's demi-human status would draw cold stares if seen, so she quickly said, "Let's talk inside."

While pushing Leah into the room, she kicked the door shut with her heel.

Just as they entered, Palina walked out of the bathroom on the right, her wet hands clutching a towel as she wiped them.

"Uh, Madam—"

Entering a room without permission was rude, but Palina had a gentle nature, and no one dared to use force within the city.

With her own safety guaranteed, she didn't harshly drive the stunningly beautiful woman out, but simply asked:

"Madam, is something the matter?"

Avril looked at her.

She wore a set of loose, home-style clothes, her long brown hair tied behind her head, and her dark eyes held a hint of gentleness, making her look clean and capable.

Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows; she had likely been washing clothes just now.

Avril was somewhat confused.

She was a City Lord's wife, after all; surely she wasn't so destitute that she had to wash her own clothes?

She only thought about it for a second before shifting her attention back to Leah.

Avril knew very well that while there might be Professionals in the Kingdom of Lake who didn't discriminate against demi-humans, there were virtually none who would dote on one enough to bring them along for thousands of miles.

Squatting down to eye level with Leah, her voice trembled. "Leah, why... why did you come to the Royal Capital?"

"The City Lord brought me here."

City Lord Eiji?

The Royal Capital... with Junior's strength... it would be impossible to deceive everyone with illusion magic.

Unless he used the potion my Royal Brother gave me, but that potion is a secret of the Church, and Junior and the Church are mortal enemies...

Feeling a trace of unease, Avril forced herself to ask, "Junior... what about Zhang Mu? Did you see him later?"

"Brother Zhang Mu..." Leah's upright cat ears slowly drooped, and her voice was filled with disappointment. "He's in Bala City..."

She gave a brief account of what happened after the two of them parted.

After listening, Avril slowly stood up. "I see... it was a hope that shouldn't have been..."

Exhaling softly, she forced a strained smile. "I still have things to do, so I'll be heading back.

Leah, if... never mind."

She had wanted to say to come find her if there was trouble, but then she remembered she could barely protect herself, so she swallowed the rest of the sentence.

Looking back at the woman in front of the bathroom door, Avril lowered her head slightly. "I apologize for intruding so rudely."

"It's no problem, it's just..." Palina stared at her dejected expression and said with some concern, "Madam, do you need..."

"Thank you for your kindness."

The woman, who was ice-blue all over—even her eyes—turned and pushed the door to leave.

Leah pulled the door open a crack and poked her head out.

After about half a minute, she pulled back, closed the door, and tugged Palina's hand toward the bedroom bedside. "The pretty big sister is gone."

She recalled the City Lord leaning over and whispering in Leah's ear before he left this morning. Connecting that to the woman's strange behavior just now, she asked in realization, "Zhang Mu? Is that the City Lord's name?"

"Ah—" The Little Cat Girl covered her head with her small hands. "Leah didn't mean to deceive you!"

"Hehe." Taking her hands down, Palina rubbed her head. "It was the City Lord's instruction, wasn't it?"

"Yes.

Because... because of some things, Brother Zhang Mu can't reveal his identity right now."

"Is it the rumor about the fight in Bala City over half a year ago?"

"Eh, Sister Palina knows?"

"The First Madam and the others mentioned it during their chats."

Just as Leah was about to say something, there was a knock on the door.

Calculating the time, it should be Brother Zhang Mu returning.

She ran excitedly to open the door, and indeed, the person she was always thinking about was standing outside.

Returning to the bedroom together, Leah said nervously, "Brother Zhang Mu, that pretty big sister really did come."

"Yeah."

Hearing her no longer call him "City Lord Brother," Zhang Mu knew that Avril must have accidentally leaked his name during her conversation with Leah.

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Moreover, Palina rarely went out, and the hotel was now completely locked down. Aside from a few individuals, no one else could get close, let alone enter.

"Zhang Mu Da—"

"Just call me Zhang Mu." He sat on the edge of the bed. "When there are outsiders, you can call me what you used to."

She nodded, and Leah immediately chimed in, "Brother Zhang Mu doesn't like it when people add honorifics after his name."

"Is that so?

But I see Mr. Solon and the others..."

"Solon has a rigid personality and is used to clear hierarchies. Domit uses my military rank; the legion is a place that must have rules and can't be casual."

"As for Mihe..." Zhang Mu's lips twitched. "He prefers... teasing."

After a moment's thought, he chose a relatively euphemistic word.

"Is that so—" Palina drew out the last word, seemingly suspicious that Zhang Mu was fooling her.

Being stared at felt awkward, and since he already planned to discuss matters with Solon, he stood up and walked out. "Don't wait for me; you two should get some rest early."

Arriving at the room next door, the three of them were discussing the afternoon's explosive news.

Now that the main person had arrived, Mihe asked immediately, "Did Jarvis accept the invitation?"

"I cornered him at his door; if he didn't agree, he'd lose all face."

"Then..." Domit's expression was full of worry. "Lord Marshal, how much certainty do you have?"

"We'll see."

Zhang Mu was vague and took the initiative to change the subject. "How is it? Have the Second Prince's people arrived yet?"

"Not yet—"

"Knock, knock—"

It was like a pillow being delivered just as one was getting sleepy. Zhang Mu jerked his chin, and Domit, understanding, hurried to open the door, soon returning with a bulging leather bag.

He took it, opened it, and pulled out a thick stack of rough paper covered in dense writing.

Although he could read the Saul Continent's script thanks to the panel's translation, it was an unfamiliar language after all, so he let Solon look first and pick out the valuable parts to read.

Solon placed the stack of papers on the bed and flipped through them one by one, setting aside those he had finished.

After about five minutes, he looked up in surprise. "The intelligence isn't just about Andre; it also includes the movements of all cities within the kingdom for the past three months."

"Oh?"

Zhang Mu, who had been lying on his side and getting a bit bored, suddenly sat up. "That's quite a lot of sincerity."

Perhaps realizing that Zhang Mu lacked an intelligence department and had no way to understand the kingdom's overall situation, the Second Prince had thoughtfully sent over detailed information.

Solon picked up a piece of paper and explained as he read. "A month ago, after learning that the Church was about to lift the ban on using force within the city, the City Lords under His Highness Andre simultaneously mobilized their legions to head for the Royal Capital.

Meanwhile, the City Lords supporting the Second Prince and the Third Highness only started issuing orders yesterday."

"So, the time the two Highnesses learned about the ban being lifted was about the same as mine?"

"Yes, otherwise they wouldn't have waited until yesterday to mobilize their legions to the Royal Capital."

It took Zhang Mu a month to get from Gur to the Royal Capital, and that was at a normal speed.

Most other cities were closer to the Royal Capital than Gur. Based on this, the legions of Andre's City Lords were likely already near the Royal Capital.

Avril and the Second Prince's movements were much slower compared to Andre's.

It couldn't be helped; after all, Jarvis was on Andre's side and could naturally use his position to leak the news in advance.

"Hmm?" Solon stared at a piece of paper in confusion.

His voice drew Zhang Mu's attention. "What did you find?"

"The day after Grand Duke Bulova arrived at the Royal Capital, he met with the Second Prince and then disappeared."

"Did he leave the Royal Capital?"

"He's still here." Solon's eyes continued down the page. "The Second Prince is certain that Grand Duke Bulova is in the Royal Capital, but his specific whereabouts cannot be determined."

It was reasonable that he couldn't be found, considering he was a Saint-level Professional.

"And... Grand Duke Pestoya appeared around the Royal Capital half a month ago and then vanished as well."

The name sounded like a woman's, Zhang Mu thought to himself, muttering, "Both Grand Dukes are hiding in the shadows... what are they planning?"

After thinking for a while to no avail, he looked up. "That... what was it, Tospess?"

"Pestoya," Solon corrected expressionlessly.

"What a hard name to remember." Zhang Mu waved his hand. "She's a supporter of Andre, right?"

"No." Solon looked down at the paper. "Grand Duke Pestoya hasn't declared support for His Highness Andre, not even secretly."

After a few seconds of silence, he added, "The Second Prince emphasizes that this is certain."

The information from the Second Prince was a far cry from their own investigations before they arrived.

Zhang Mu felt like the road ahead was shrouded in a layer of mist, making it hard to see clearly.

After contemplating for a while, he asked Mihe, "Can that old friend of yours help?"

"I'm not sure." He shook his head. "Being in the Royal Palace, he might not necessarily know about the Kingdom's Grand Dukes."

"Let's give it a try; we don't have any other leads anyway."

Hearing him say that, Mihe pulled an ancient copper ring from the sleeve of his robe. "Go to the Royal Palace and find a man wearing the same ring, then show him this ring,

he will understand everything."

Taking the ring and tucking it away, Zhang Mu stood up. "Better to do things sooner rather than later. I'll head out now; you guys wait for me to return."

With those words, he activated the Shadow Technique and headed straight for the Royal Palace.

Walking along the nighttime streets, he figured that although the King was currently bedridden, there were surely other Saint-level Professionals in the Royal Palace.

Conservatively estimating one, he couldn't rule out the possibility of two or even more.

He had already verified with Blova that a Saint-level Professional could not see through the Transformation Technique.

Going to the Royal Palace today to find Mihe's old friend would be the perfect chance to test the effects of the Shadow Technique.

With that thought, he quickened his pace.

...

The Royal Palace, a luxurious bedroom.

At the far end of the bedroom stood a magnificently styled wooden bed.

A man lay on the bed, the skin on his face peeling, and his short hair, which barely reached his ears, was tangled together like withered grass.

He lay unconscious with his eyes closed, covered by a thin quilt.

An old man stood by the bed, his face covered in deep wrinkles and his back slightly hunched. He wore the clothes of a common Servant, but since he could care for the King alone, his status was clearly not simple.

"Creak—"

The bedroom door was pushed open from the outside, and a man and a woman entered side by side.

The old man looked over and immediately bowed. "Grand Duke Bulova, Grand Duke Pestoya, good day."

"Servant, you've aged a lot." Blova didn't rush to check on the King's condition but greeted the old man with a smile.

Pestoya's waist-length black hair was draped over her back. She wasn't dressed formally, wearing loose linen long sleeves and trousers. Even so, her curvaceous figure was still unmistakably revealed.

At first glance, her features didn't seem exceptionally beautiful, but they were harmoniously arranged.

What drew the most attention was the charm in her brows—a mature woman's allure that could only be refined after experiencing the world's many facets.

Her face had been cold when she first entered, but upon seeing the Servant by the bed, she suddenly broke into a smile. "Uncle, how have you been lately?"

Hearing the word "Uncle," the corner of his mouth twitched on his expressionless face. "I'm getting by."

After the greeting, Grand Duke Bulova asked with a grave expression, "How much longer until Mr. Potter returns?"

"I'm not sure," the old man replied in a low voice.

Pestoya took over the conversation. "Blova, I've received some news. I'm afraid Mr. Potter won't be returning to the Royal Capital for a short while.

And..."

Hesitating for a moment, she said, "Even if Mr. Potter does return, the King's health might not necessarily recover."

"Why?" Blova turned to stare at her. "Mr. Potter contacted me via a sound transmission crystal before he left, and he stated clearly that he was going to find a way to save the King."

"Mr. Potter..." Pestoya pondered for a few seconds. "The situation is very complicated. For now, we only know that Mr. Potter is caught up in some trouble and is investigating certain orders from the King.

Of course, those aren't actually the most important things.

According to my intelligence, Mr. Potter seems to have privately... done some things that might anger the Church."

"Be more specific."

Blova frowned and urged her, but she answered with something else. "Avril is also involved."

"What?!" He reached out and grabbed her shoulders. "Avril is also involved?

She is essential for Lake to reclaim its glory; how can she be targeted by the Church before then!"

"Calm down."

She somewhat helplessly slapped away his increasingly forceful hands. "The Church hasn't noticed yet. It's just that I've been observing Avril for a few days, and she shows no signs of stopping the plan."

"What plan exactly?"

"To eliminate the Church."

"Eliminate the Church?" Blova laughed out of anger. "Avril? On her own?

Fine, even if you add Mr. Potter, is that even possible?!"

"Don't take your anger out on me." Pestoya stepped back to avoid the spit flying at her face. "I don't know what Mr. Potter is thinking either.

He should know that the leaders of every generation of the Church are masters of the True Word Spell.

Well... when the Pope changes, that position might remain vacant for a few years, but the current Pope has only recently taken office."

Blova was like an enraged lion now, his eyes almost bloodshot. "Even without a Pope, the Church isn't something Mr. Potter can overthrow alone!"

"Quiet." His roar echoed in the bedroom, and the Servant, who had been silent, slightly lifted his eyelids. "Do not disturb His Majesty the King's rest.""}],