Chapter 275: The Goddess’s Favor
The unusual activity of the Goddess’s Hair and the sapling surprised Qin Chu.
Since they had taken root within him, they had been relatively quiet, only lending their power during combat. Most of the time, they simply resided peacefully within him.
The Goddess’s Hair was also Qin Chu’s link to the goddess trapped in the Void.
This was the first time they had actively manifested like this.
Qin Chu was taken aback.
He didn’t rashly suppress their activity, but instead pondered the cause.
Wadsworth interpreted Qin Chu’s contemplation and surprise as reluctance.
He understood Qin Chu’s hesitation. Even with preparations, facing the insidious Witch Society was dangerous.
The changes in the sapling and the Goddess’s Hair didn’t last long, perhaps only a few seconds, before returning to normal.
The Goddess’s Hair remained wrapped around his wrist, the heat gone.
The sapling also settled down within him, quiet once more.
It seemed the matter was resolved.
Although unsure of what had transpired, at least it hadn’t caused any trouble. Qin Chu felt slightly relieved.
Noticing Wadsworth’s expectant gaze, Qin Chu coughed lightly: “Apologies, Your Majesty. I seem to have drifted off.”
“But don’t worry. I won’t refuse anything that benefits the Heavenly Continent.”
Wadsworth was overjoyed.
This time, he would wipe out the Blissful Witch Society completely. Hopefully, none of his consorts were involved.
…
Meanwhile, Carol left the meeting room.
She hadn’t organized a private gathering. As a member of the Hero Squad, she had attended the latter part of the meeting, but remained silent.
She had witnessed the nobles’ unsightly behavior.
When Qin Chu mentioned the possibility of capturing the Snow Woman, Blood Elf, and Succubus, the nobles’ reactions disgusted her.
Didn’t they realize Qin Chu was just bluffing?
In this world, verbal promises held no value.
Besides, knowing Qin Chu’s personality, if he did capture them, why would he hand them over?
They were dreaming.
Of course, some of the shrewder nobles likely saw through Qin Chu’s bluff… but, for these old foxes, since stopping Qin Chu from claiming Heloise and Iyeta was impossible, and they lacked the courage to contradict him, it was better to feign ignorance and let the matter slide.
Compared to those cunning old foxes, Carol, though intelligent, lacked their worldliness.
She found the atmosphere, both at the banquet and in the meeting room, distasteful.
Having grown up in the palace, Carol had led a sheltered and carefree life, envied by many.
But this had also fostered a certain rebellious streak within her. She wasn’t content with the greenhouse. She craved something to stimulate her body and soul.
Stepping out, Carol stretched her arms with a disregard for royal decorum, her well-proportioned figure forming seductive curves.
Suddenly, her nose twitched.
Her raised arms slowly lowered.
Her brow furrowed, and she took a deep breath… the scent of blood lingered in the air.
Innate Ability – Beast’s Intuition.
Beast’s Intuition: High-Rank Ability. Grants the eyesight of an eagle, the hearing of a bat, and the sense of smell of a bear.
The scent of blood was faint, but Carol’s heightened senses detected it.
With nothing better to do, she followed the scent, arriving at a garden.
Seeing the uncleaned bloodstains on the ground, Carol’s frown deepened.
She initially thought someone might have cut their hand, but the scene suggested something more serious. Footprints were clearly visible.
Lingering mana fluctuations remained in the air.
A conflict had taken place here?
Carol’s sharp mind sensed something amiss. Wrinkling her nose, she followed the direction of the fading blood scent.
After some time, almost reaching the edge of the palace grounds, she found the source.
Two guards were carrying a motionless, seemingly lifeless maid.
Had another consort flown into a rage and killed a servant? Such incidents weren’t uncommon in the palace. After all, these consorts, mostly daughters of dukes and marquises, had fiery tempers.
They wouldn’t dare vent their anger in front of their father, but taking it out on their servants was commonplace.
However, Carol felt this was different. The maid’s uniform looked familiar.
A bad premonition arose.
Suddenly, her eyes widened.
Carol was tasked with improving relations between the Hero and the royal family. But she cleverly realized that directly flattering Qin Chu wouldn’t be effective. A better approach was to befriend the women around him. Thus, despite being a princess, she had made efforts to befriend Angelica at the front lines.
That uniform… she had seen it on Angelica.
Was this woman Angelica, Qin Chu’s personal maid and most favored companion?
Carol shivered, her face draining of color.
She felt faint.
This was a disaster.
The Hero’s most beloved woman, dead within the palace walls?
Knowing Qin Chu’s temperament, he would tear the palace apart. Forget improving relations, this could ignite an unquenchable feud.
Damn it, what had happened here?
Carol didn’t have time to dwell on solutions. Like a gust of wind, she darted forward, intercepting the guards.
“Stop! What’s going on here?” Carol’s voice, sharp with fear, betrayed her composure.
Up close, she was certain this was Angelica. Goosebumps erupted on her skin.
The two dazed guards, surprised by Carol’s sudden appearance, froze, unsure how to react.
Their stunned silence fueled Carol’s anxiety.
Suddenly, Angelica, who had been motionless, lifted her head and gasped.
Her stilled heart began to beat faintly.
Her dull eyes regained their light. Looking at Carol, she spoke in a hoarse voice: “…Kill them!”
The sound sent chills down Carol’s spine. Was this Angelica’s usually clear and gentle voice?
As Angelica revived, the guards’ eyes reddened, their expressions turning fierce.
Although unclear about the situation, Carol reacted swiftly. Without hesitation, she lashed out with her whip.
Crack!
The whip exploded against one guard’s neck, shattering it into pieces.
The whip snaked through the air like a viper’s fangs, coiling around the other guard’s throat. With a sickening tear, his throat was ripped open, blood spraying everywhere.
Carol’s strength wasn’t exceptional within the Hero Squad, but it was more than enough to deal with ordinary guards.
As Angelica, no longer supported by the guards, began to fall, Carol rushed forward, catching her in her arms.
Carol couldn’t describe the turmoil within her.
She had thought Angelica’s death would implicate the royal family, perhaps even the entire Heavenly Continent. A furious Qin Chu might even ally with the Demon Beasts.
Even Carol’s sharp mind and resolute spirit had faltered in that moment of despair.
But now, Angelica, who had been dead, was inexplicably alive again.
And demanding the guards’ deaths.
Carol felt like she had plummeted into hell, only to be yanked back into heaven.
Her arms trembled as she held Angelica. Her lips, still pale, parted. A torrent of questions burned on her tongue, but she couldn’t speak.
Finally, she managed to stammer: “Miss Angelica, what happened?”
Angelica gasped for breath, a slightly hysterical smile on her face. She had won her gamble.
The Goddess of Holy Light had truly favored her.
Dead or Alive.
The slim 10% chance of revival after death… she had grasped it.
She had actually been revived for about a minute.
But having just experienced death, she was extremely weak, her combat strength almost nonexistent. Angelica had suppressed her heartbeat and breathing, waiting for her chance. Carol’s arrival had provided it.
Death was not a pleasant experience.
But Angelica didn’t regret it.
Her throat worked as she struggled to breathe.
She didn’t have time to recover. After a few seconds, she gripped Carol’s hands: “Quickly, take me to my master, or… the Emperor!”
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