460 Captured Rat
“Hoh? It sounds like someone is unhappy. I mean, I would be, too,” Queen Sybil softly chuckled.
“A man comes out of nowhere and leads your witches into war. At first, it seems like this man is defending your kingdom. But from another perspective, didn’t he basically take over your kingdom? Hahaha…”
“Maybe you can work out a deal with him. Have you tried negotiating, Emperor Renardier?” Queen Sybil asked shortly.
However, Emperor Renardier shook his head with a frown. He didn’t have high hopes of any success in that endeavor.
After all, why would anyone be willing to sell their country after getting their hands on it?
“I’ll see what he wants,” Emperor Renardier said regardless.
Shortly after he cut the communication connection, Queen Sybil’s merry look vanished, replaced with grim and concern.
Evidently, the emergence of this ‘man’ wasn’t Queen Henrietta’s secret trump card against the Holy Knight Empire. In other words, there was something else she was still relying on to quell the Holy Knight Empire’s invasion.
Initially, she had great hopes and confidence in her plan. But now that unexpected variables started emerging, she began considering the possibility of failure.
“Just what are you hiding, Henrietta?”
“You didn’t hear what I said earlier? Let me repeat them for you: Piss. Off.”
Knowing Henrietta wouldn’t say anything useful to her, Queen Sybil quickly gave up with a cold snort. But just when she was prepared to leave, she detected unwanted guests sneaking around within the domain of the holy tree — her territory.
“It seems a few rats have snuck into my city… And if I have to guess, they came looking for you. Kukuku, let me go and see who came. You best pray it’s not anyone important to you, Henrietta.”
Shortly after antagonizing Henrietta one more time, Queen Sybil left the underground root room under the former’s cold gaze.
Meanwhile, on the surface, inside Emerald City, a woman clad in heavy desert clothing continued her subtle search for Queen Henrietta as she drew closer to the enormous holy tree in the center.
Her investigation in the past month had eventually led her to Emerald City, the last place Queen Henrietta visited before her disappearance.
Considering Queen Sybil had conspired with the Holy Knight Empire to take over the Kingdom of Black Rose, she couldn’t think of anywhere else Queen Henrietta would be besides the Kingdom of Verdant Woods’ capital city.
Finally, after fishing around for information within Emerald City for the past two weeks, she concluded Queen Henrietta was held somewhere inside the holy tree.
But while the woman in heavy desert clothes was looking for an opening to infiltrate the holy tree area, someone suddenly blew cool wind behind her ears, sending chills up her spine for multiple reasons.
Swish!
The desert-dressed woman with her face hidden behind a sand-shielding veil created distance with a giant leap forward. When she quickly glanced back to identify the person who had unknowingly snuck up on her, her expression immediately turned grim under the veil.
“Queen Sybil.”
“Well, if it isn’t the Grand Inquisitor, Ember Killian. What’s wrong? It looks like you just saw a ghost,” Queen Sybil chuckled before asking, “Have you come to swear your allegiance to me?”
Ember quickly frowned with a heavy heart, wondering how she got discovered within the crowd of people. At the same time, Queen Sybil’s smile widened with a hint of teasing.
“What? Surely, you didn’t think such a simple cover would keep your identity hidden from me after you entered my territory? Aren’t you looking down on me and overestimating yourself too much? You’re an inquisitor, not a spy. You don’t have any talent in this field.”
“Where have you hidden my queen, Queen Sybil?” Ember boldly questioned with a strong tone after realizing there was no point in beating around the bush.
However, Queen Sybil was a two-faced person who could change her attitude at the snap of a finger.
Since the person didn’t play along with her, she didn’t bother continuing the friendly act; her smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a cold gaze.
With a sudden stomp, Queen Sybil swiftly summoned small vine-like roots out of the ground to restrict Ember’s movements.
Although Ember tried to burn them all to ashes and escape, her power didn’t hold a candle to Queen Sybil’s. An Early-stage High Witch like her was nothing before a Transcendent Witch.
Despite being rigid in nature, Queen Sybil’s vine-like roots from the holy tree moved like slithering snakes and fast like lightning under her control. With her superior mana supply coursing through them, they out-regenerated Ember’s burning flames, making the roots seem like they had fire resistance.
In the end, Ember failed to escape her fate of being bound. The vines coiled around her limps and neck, keeping her firmly in place.
“It would be a pity to kill you. After all, it wasn’t easy to become a High Witch. Swear your allegiance to me, and I will let you live, Marquis Ember.”
“If that is my fate, so be it.”
“Think again, Marquis Ember. The Kingdom of Black Rose is done for. There’s no need for you to die with it.”
“My loyalty lies with Queen Henrietta. Someone like you, who conspires with outside forces to plot against your allies, does not deserve my respect, let alone my allegiance. I’ve already said what needed to be said. Make your move, Snake.”
“Hmph! I was being nice because I cherish talents like you. But since you don’t appreciate my kindness, so be it! However, don’t think your death will be a pretty one! You wanted to know where Henrietta is? I’ll show you!”
Queen Sybil lost her patience after repeatedly trying to persuade Ember—only to be refused time and again.
Shortly after Ember’s body was wrapped in roots from the neck down, Queen Sybil dragged her by the hair down to the underground floor beneath the holy tree.
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“Ember?” Henrietta immediately frowned with a serious look.
“I apologize for my incompetence, Your Majesty. I came to rescue you but ended up getting caught by the enemy instead,” Ember said self-disparagingly.
Meanwhile, Queen Sybil studied Henrietta’s reaction and wore a thoughtful look.
“Interesting.”