Chapter Forty-Six: An Unspeakable Secret, The Tea Party Turns Into a Marketplace p1
First, disbelief.
Then, uncontainable ecstasy.
Yet, before his teacher, he had to maintain a semblance of composure.
Religious’s expression contorted, his lips twitching, before he finally bowed deeply, his voice trembling.
“Thank you… sirs…”
Educator simply looked at him, his calmness almost unnerving. “There’s no need for thanks. This is what you deserve.”
“Yes, yes…”
Religious looked up, his eyes burning with fanaticism.
Wielding an Authority didn’t just mean possessing unprecedented power, but also becoming an equal to the three leaders, the fourth leader of the Harbingers of Calamity.
And it meant…
In the Harbingers’ dream of a new world, Religious would undoubtedly be among those standing at the pinnacle of humanity.
Either way, it was enough to send him into ecstasy, especially since it was within his grasp.
It truly was a blessing, just for him.
“Delegate your current tasks as soon as possible. The ritual preparations will take three months. You’ll be in seclusion with me.” Educator said gravely. “After three months, the ascension ritual can officially begin.
“This time… we will ensure your success.”
The Harbingers’ previous defeat had been devastating, leaving them weakened and vulnerable. They couldn’t afford another failure.
If they failed again…
The Harbingers’ leaders themselves might be next to fall.
“Yes.”
After his initial ecstasy, Religious calmed down.
Their previous failure was still fresh in his mind. Artist, the most likely candidate for the fourth leader, had been crippled, reduced to an ordinary high-order Awakened One.
And due to the influence of the “Immortality” Authority during the Taboo disaster, his flesh and blood were tainted… his life hanging by a thread.
Even if he hadn’t died in Jiangcheng County, he wouldn’t have lived much longer.
That was why Artist had chosen to go to Jiangcheng County, seeking a glimmer of hope in his final moments.
The mysterious High-Risk Grotesquery Sacred Relic there might have healed his injuries and allowed him to continue his path to godhood… Of course, with his decision to face the enemy alone on the train, his fate was sealed.
Next in line was Scientist. If Artist failed, she would have been the next to ascend, a fact she was well aware of.
Being able to command even Philosopher, Scientist’s status within the Harbingers was evident.
Unfortunately, she had also died in Jiangcheng County, seeking to retrieve her experimental subjects.
And after that…
There were no other suitable candidates.
The remaining Harbingers were all relatively equal, none clearly deserving of becoming the next leader. That was why Religious had reacted so strongly to this opportunity.
“Prepare yourself. I’ll come for you tomorrow.”
Educator said calmly, then turned to leave.
But before leaving, he glanced at the spot where the shifty-looking man had died, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
“…Is that the intuition of a top-tier expert?”
Luo Ling murmured, watching the scene. She was certain that although essentially fungal threads, the shifty-looking man would appear as an ordinary human under any examination.
Even the Taboo Slate… couldn’t detect him.
The Puppet Ballad in Jiangcheng County had awakened for some time, yet the Taboo Slate hadn’t revealed any information, a testament to the Puppet Ballad’s exceptional concealment.
But intuition was unpredictable, difficult to counter.
Fortunately, perhaps because this was the most suitable time and place he could find, Educator, despite his nagging suspicion, had still chosen to reveal this crucial information to Religious.
After Educator left, Religious remained there for a long time, lost in thought.
He looked towards the Church of Light, seemingly having made a decision.
This must have been when Religious decided to entrust all the churches to the Church of Light, despite his incomplete assessment.
Compared to wielding an Authority and becoming a Harbinger leader, such trivial matters… were insignificant.
But Religious hadn’t anticipated that he was inadvertently handing a significant power to another entity.
“Should I thank him?”
A smile appeared on Luo Ling’s lips as the scene faded to black.
The shifty-looking man’s memory ended, her consciousness withdrawing.
“It seems… I’ve learned something quite significant.” Recalling the information within the memory, Luo Ling tapped her fingers on the table, lost in thought.
An opportunity for the Harbingers to gain another powerful combatant, disrupting the delicate balance between the Company’s three directors and the Harbingers’ three leaders, was indeed a matter of great importance for Educator.
However, his precautions weren’t thorough enough.
Luo Ling didn’t believe that the Harbingers lacked a more secure location for such an important discussion, allowing her intelligence network to intercept it.
Educator’s position wasn’t low. Only the other two Harbinger leaders were his equals. Therefore, his decisions shouldn’t have required such secrecy from other Harbingers.
Choosing a Harbinger for ascension was the prerogative of the three leaders. Even if others were envious, it wouldn’t matter. Absolute power brought absolute authority.
There was only one explanation.
Educator wasn’t avoiding other Harbingers.
But… the other Harbinger leaders.
The Harbingers did have secure locations, but they were also under the surveillance of the other leaders. That was why Educator had chosen to meet Religious on the street.
Luo Ling’s expression turned strange.
“Could it be…?”
Was there a traitor among the Harbingers’ leadership?
Judging by Educator’s words and actions, it seemed to be another Harbinger leader… and the target was obvious.
Philosopher knew about this conversation, having even helped erase its traces, creating this opportunity for Educator and Religious.
The only one unaware of this was… Historian.
If there was a traitor among the Harbingers, it could only be Historian.
But then Luo Ling realized that if she could deduce this from the information, Philosopher and Educator must also know.
Yet, even knowing this, they still chose to remain with Historian… why?
It couldn’t be simply because of brotherly bonds, could it?
Such a naive notion wouldn’t even convince Elsa.
Therefore, there must be a hidden reason.
Luo Ling quickly thought of the Harbingers’ nemesis, the Company, the current leaders of humanity’s Order-side forces.
She already knew that there was a traitor within the Company, someone high-ranking enough to access and tamper with the Taboo Slate.
What if the Harbingers’ traitor was a leader, and the Company’s traitor was a director?
Luo Ling pictured the three figures in the dilapidated cabin, the elderly man, the woman, and the young man, their faces shadowed by the firelight.
Those three directors were incredibly shrewd. If another high-ranking official was a Harbinger traitor, they would have noticed.
But what if… the traitor was one of them?
That would explain everything.
And if she were even bolder, what if the Company’s traitor and the Harbingers’ traitor were the same person?
A double agent known to both sides?
“…”
Luo Ling pondered this thought, feeling it was too audacious.
It was… unbelievable.
But having eliminated all other possibilities, this improbable scenario, however bizarre… was the only remaining answer.
Among their highest-ranking leaders, there was a mutually acknowledged traitor.
Among the Harbingers, it was likely Historian, but she didn’t know which of the Company’s three directors it was.
And both sides were likely aware of this.
“Those old geezers are playing a dangerous game…”
Luo Ling rubbed her temples and sighed.
There must be complex machinations and hidden dangers behind this delicate balance of power.
Perhaps the details were slightly different, but this conclusion could be considered a fact.
However, compared to the old geezers’ power struggles, Luo Ling was more concerned about Religious’s ascension ritual.
“Three months from then…”
Meaning, there was only about a month left.
The Harbingers’ previous ascension ritual had occurred during Victoria’s seventy-fourth Boundary collapse, utilizing the Taboo disaster.
This seemed to be their established method, likely how the three leaders obtained their Authorities.
In the past few years, the Harbingers had been in hiding, evading the Company, unable to make significant progress. Therefore, Religious’s ascension would likely follow the same method.
However, Luo Ling currently lacked information on Artist’s ascension ritual. The Company directors had been vague, unlikely to reveal any details.
And obtaining such classified information from the Harbingers was practically impossible.
The Church of Light was still at the grassroots level. One month was too short to gain access to such secrets.
However, Luo Ling thought of another place where she might find the details of the ritual, though she wasn’t sure if its owner would agree…
After all, she had caused her quite a bit of trouble last time.
It was the “Kingdom” formed during the seventy-fourth Boundary collapse, the twilight Victoria, controlled by an unknown Grotesquery’s Agent, Iris, a member of the Witches’ Tea Party.
Luo Ling’s Naraku form’s first advancement had been thanks to nibbling on that young lady’s sapling, her distress indicating its value.
“Perhaps I could offer her something from the White Witch? She seemed quite interested last time.”
The thought of selling something had been on Luo Ling’s mind ever since she realized she was a walking treasure trove.
Of course, Luo Ling knew her limits.
The White Witch’s greatest strength was her stealth, her ability to act undetected.
If this were discovered, her threat level would decrease significantly, perhaps even to the Dangerous Grotesquery level.
Therefore, Luo Ling had been cautious, only selling her hair once, an item that would lose its power soon.
She felt slightly guilty towards that cute, childish Moonflower…
All the tea party members were like grandmothers to Luo Ling.
She was a genuine sixteen-year-old girl, her birthday hadn’t even passed yet.
“If I knew the details of the ritual, could I steal Religious’s path to godhood?” Luo Ling wondered. “I wonder what would happen if I, a Grotesquery, performed the ascension ritual.”
Luo Ling wanted to try it, embarking on the path to godhood without using “Devour.”
Would she gain a new form and Authority, or would her existing form advance?
Or perhaps…
Luo Ling was eager to find out.
If the opportunity arose, she wouldn’t hesitate to steal the Harbingers’ hard-earned fruits of labor, as long as it didn’t cause a disaster.
Although she had witnessed countless sacrifices for the sake of a single person’s ascension, she still couldn’t accept it.
Especially after witnessing the “sacrifice” of the “Hunt” team alongside Knight Linna.
As Luo Ling pondered, she felt a warmth on her forehead, the signal for the tea party.
“It’s time.”
Luo Ling’s expression turned serious as her violet hair cascaded down. She touched the floral pattern appearing on her forehead.
The next moment, dark mist swirled around her, engulfing the violet figure and carrying her away.
The apartment was now empty.
…….
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