Sound. The carriage wheels rolled over the bluestone-paved road, producing a series of somewhat dull sounds.
The streets of the Imperial Capital were still bustling, but beneath this clamor, it seemed as though some undercurrent was constantly surging.
Helos sat inside the carriage, peering out through the gap in the half-drawn curtain.
The pedestrians who once strolled leisurely now mostly hurried along, and the frequency of patrolling Guards appearing had increased considerably compared to before. The air was filled with an atmosphere of impending storm.
“Don’t worry.”
Julius sat across from her, arms crossed, back against the carriage wall, those Black Eyes calmly watching her, “As long as we find Mr. Christ, many things will become clear.”
Helos withdrew her gaze and let out a soft sigh.
“I just feel something is off.”
She rubbed her brow, her voice carrying a trace of exhaustion, “It’s like being watched by something cold and eerie, making me feel uneasy all over.”
Hearing this, Julius’s eyes narrowed slightly.
As a chosen one with sharp intuition, he actually had a similar feeling. It was as if countless eyes were hidden in the darkness, peering at their every move.
But he did not show this worry, only gripping the sword hilt at his waist and saying in a low voice, “No matter what it is, as long as it dares to show itself, I’ll cut it down.”
Seeing his earnestly fierce expression, Helos’s originally tense mood relaxed somewhat. She gave him a reproachful glare, then leaned back against the soft cushion and closed her eyes to rest.
“Stupid Knight, don’t always talk about fighting and killing. Save your strength, there might be tough battles ahead.”
The carriage continued forward, heading toward Duke Olivia’s mansion.
However, these two young people who had just left the campus did not know that their whereabouts were no longer a secret.
At the very moment they left the Academy, an old beggar who had been huddled in the shadows by the roadside suddenly flashed a glint of sharpness in his clouded eyes.
He slowly put away his broken bowl, blended into the passing pedestrians, and then left a special mark at an inconspicuous alley entrance.
The news, as if it had grown wings, spread rapidly through the hidden network beneath the Imperial Capital, flying toward that dark corner.
Deep in the Slums of the Imperial Capital, an abandoned underground sewer.
This place never saw sunlight year-round, the air filled with the smell of rot and dampness.
But behind a heavy iron door at the end of the waterway, there was another scene entirely.
The massive underground hall was illuminated bright as day by countless magic crystal lamps, the floor covered with thick crimson carpet, the walls hung with twisted portraits that desecrated the gods.
Kelaode sat on a luxurious high-backed chair, holding a glass of wine the color of blood, gently swirling it.
This location was extremely secret, so secret that the Knights who came specifically to investigate could not find a single trace.
Of course, this was not because they hid well, but because someone deliberately avoided them.
At this moment, Young Master Fleming had long shed the naivety and foolishness he once had at the Academy.
He wore a black robe embroidered with complex dark patterns, a badge symbolizing his ‘Special Envoy’ status pinned to his chest, his entire being exuding a cold and arrogant aura.
“You’re saying that damned fellow has already left the Academy?”
Kelaode took a sip of red wine, his gaze falling on a black-clad Worshipper kneeling before him.
“Yes, my lord.”
The Worshipper kept his head very low, his voice respectful, “Our informant saw with their own eyes that she and that Knight named Julius got into a carriage, heading toward the noble district.”
“Ha, the noble district… going to seek help from that older brother working at the tower of truth?”
Kelaode let out a laugh, his eyes full of disdain, “How naively adorable, Helos.”
He stood up and walked to a map on the wall, his finger lightly tracing several red dots marked on it.
Since obtaining that ‘blessing,’ his status within the Cult had risen steadily, and now he was directly in charge of the infiltration plan for the Imperial Capital region.
That always high-and-mighty Valerian probably never dreamed that right under his nose, among these seemingly lowly common folk like ants, how many ‘eyes’ belonging to the Cult were hidden.
Vegetable vendors, street cleaners, tavern waitresses… even some officials and nobles were among them.
These people formed Kelaode’s underground intelligence network.
As long as Helos remained in this Imperial Capital, her every move would absolutely not escape his control.
“Since she’s come out, then don’t let her stay idle.”
Kelaode turned around, a cruel arc curling at the corner of his mouth, “It’s also time to add some more ingredients to this murky water.”
He clapped his hands, the crisp applause echoing through the empty hall.
“Come out, Vina.”
As his words fell, a shadow in the corner of the hall suddenly rippled like water, and a graceful figure slowly walked out from within.
She wore an extremely bold purple gauze dress, the thin fabric unable to conceal the large expanse of snow-white skin, instead outlining her proud curves in a tantalizing manner, exuding a soul-stirring allure.
A string of silver bells was tied around her ankle, her bare feet stepping on the carpet without making the slightest sound.
Vina, the top dancer of the Imperial Capital’s largest underground pleasure house, a beauty who had captivated countless nobles and wealthy merchants.
But few knew that her true identity was the prized disciple personally trained by Lilith, who had long left the Imperial Capital—the Phantom Dance Dancer.
“Special Envoy, you were looking for me?”
Vina walked up to Kelaode and bowed slightly.
Her voice was soft and bone-melting, like a feathered hook gently scratching at one’s heart.
Those seductive eyes that seemed perpetually to hold spring water shimmered with intoxicating light.
Kelaode looked at this woman full of dangerous charm, yet there was not the slightest desire in his eyes, only the coldness of assessing a tool.
He was very clear about this woman’s background.
As Lilith’s creation, Vina, though perhaps inferior to those modified berserkers in direct combat, possessed incomparable advantages in certain special domains.
Especially that masterful illusion technique.
“I need you to do something.”
Kelaode took out a portrait from his bosom and casually tossed it in front of Vina.
On the portrait, Helos’s delicate and cold face was vividly lifelike, especially that signature silver hair, which appeared particularly striking under the artist’s brush.
Vina picked up the portrait, casually glanced at it, then let out a light laugh, “Oh my, isn’t this the second young lady of the Olivias Family?”
With a hint of jealousy and a hint of amusement, she said, “What, my lord wants me to go slash this pretty little face?”
Kelaode shook his head, walked to Vina’s side, reached out to lift a strand of her curly hair, brought it to his nose and sniffed, then let go with disgust.
“I want you to become her.”
“Become her?”
Her slender fingertip traced Helos’s cheek on the portrait, her tone carrying a hint of confusion.
“No, that would be too boring.”
Vina raised an eyebrow, seemingly taking a bit of interest in this task.
“Exactly.”
Kelaode paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back, “That fool Helos is now in a hurry to find her older brother, with no time to attend to anything else. This gives us a perfect opportunity.”
He stopped, suddenly turned around, stared into Vina’s eyes, and said word by word:
“I want you to wear this face and go to the most bustling district of the Imperial Capital, and do things befitting the identity of the ‘Cursed Girl.'”
“Although your illusions can’t fool those powerful individuals with high-level perception…”
At this point, Kelaode paused, a sinister smile appearing on his face, “But using them against those ignorant common folk should be more than enough, right?”
“Create panic, incite riots, let everyone see ‘Helos’ doing evil.”
“By the time the real Helos reacts, she might rush to defend herself, but by then, we can execute the next step of the plan.”
***
After hearing Kelaode’s plan, the light in Vina’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.
She extended her tongue, gently licked her rosy lips, and a smile mixed with malice and excitement appeared on her face.
“What a wicked lord you are.”
“I wonder how delightful it would be to personally destroy the reputation of a high-and-mighty noble lady.”
With a coquettish laugh, she folded the portrait and stuffed it into the deep snow-white cleavage at her chest.
“But, I like it.”
As a dancer who made her living through deception and seduction, there was nothing more pleasurable to her than personally destroying the reputation of a high-and-mighty noble lady.
“Go.”
Kelaode waved his hand as if shooing a fly, “Don’t disappoint me, and don’t embarrass the Cult.”
“As you command, my Special Envoy.”
Vina bowed once more, then turned around, swaying her waist as supple as a water snake, heading toward the hall exit.
Just as she was about to step into the shadows, the purple gauze dress on her body suddenly rippled with an eerie wave.
Her originally thick and curly brown long hair, in the dim light, faded in color at a visible rate.
Replacing it was a cool, moonlight-like silver glow.
That silver light flashed once in the darkness and vanished, and immediately after, that originally seductive and alluring silhouette also became slender and thin in an instant, exuding a cold, aloof temperament that kept others at a thousand miles’ distance.
Even her walking posture changed from the original coquettish charm to the reserved elegance unique to a noble lady.
Watching that “Helos” disappear into the darkness, Kelaode finally couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter.
The laughter echoed through the empty underground hall, sounding particularly harsh and mad.
He raised his wine glass, toasting the void from afar, and drained the crimson liquid in one gulp.
“Raise all the havoc you want, descend into chaos!”
“When fear spreads among the masses, when chaos devours order…”
“That is the best breeding ground for our Lord’s descent.”