Chapter 6: The Little Darling of the Black Abyss
Inside the small church, Su Xiao sat on a wooden chair, holding a tablet in his hand. The screen displayed real-time surveillance footage, and the main subject of the footage was the visibly flustered Elder Bloomer.
Su Xiao’s plan was simple. From the very beginning, he had guessed that the Elder Council wouldn’t willingly hand over military power. This was only natural. Even if Ken Lahan had the authority to demand that portion of military power to support his chosen king, rules were made by people, and whether they were followed depended on the individual’s ability.
The Elder Council, as one of the contenders for royal power, was hardly a pushover. Expecting them to obediently surrender their military authority was unrealistic.
To find an enemy’s weakness, the best method was to scare them first and see where they instinctively placed their hands to protect themselves. Then, striking that spot would rarely go wrong—though, of course, if the enemy was cunning, this approach could fail.
Bubu Wang had been tailing Bloomer the entire time. Su Xiao currently had no authority and no money. To contend with those at the empire’s highest echelons, he needed leverage at the very least, and military power was the best bargaining chip.
On the surveillance feed, Bloomer suddenly stopped in his tracks. He seemed to have thought of something, and after a moment of contemplation, the bastard actually changed direction and headed back to the Elder Council. Clearly, Bloomer had realized that returning to his own residence now would likely expose his weakness to the enemy.
Bubu Wang ceased his pursuit and asked Su Xiao what to do next. Su Xiao instructed him to continue tailing Bloomer, as Beini had already arrived at the target’s residence.
An hour later, Beini scurried onto the church’s rooftop and tapped the glass above with her claws.
“Use the door.”
Su Xiao gestured for a maid to open it. The maid reluctantly pushed the door open.
Beini hadn’t obtained any classified documents or the like. Someone like Bloomer wouldn’t leave secrets on paper; he would only keep them in his mind.
Beini handed Su Xiao a metal savings card. Su Xiao inserted the card into the tablet’s slot, and it contained a video about five minutes long.
The footage showed a pitch-black underground chamber. Beini had been hanging upside down from the ceiling to record it, so the video was also inverted.
Inside the chamber, three rotting hounds stood guard. Behind them was a glass tank ten meters long and six meters high. The water inside was slightly yellowed, and within it was a creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a pale red fish tail—a mermaid.
The mermaid floated horizontally in the water as if dead. Her eyes were hollow, her chest exposed, and a finger-thick tube was inserted just above her lower abdomen.
“So this is Bloomer’s shameful secret?”
Su Xiao was somewhat disappointed. Bloomer had been so flustered before the meal, all for a mermaid? Still, the fact that he had imprisoned this mermaid in a dungeon a hundred meters underground meant this footage had some value.
“Old God… Ken Lahan, what’s the deal with this mermaid? Does imprisoning this thing violate imperial law?”
Hearing Su Xiao’s words, the Old Godly Stick glanced sideways, his expression implying, “Were you about to call me an old godly stick just now?”
The Old Godly Stick was clearly in a bad mood. His earlier promise of military authority had fallen through, and a feeling of aging filled his heart. That feeling was terrible.
The Old Godly Stick only glanced at the footage before his pupils rapidly contracted. He stepped forward and snatched the tablet from Su Xiao’s hand.
“Moon… Moon Queen?”
The Old Godly Stick’s lips trembled, and his expression twisted.
“Bloomer!!”
Black smoke enveloped the Old Godly Stick. In that moment, he resembled a vengeful spirit. Su Xiao could even hear the grinding sound of bones rubbing together.
“Calm down, Lahan!”
Blood aura spread outward from Su Xiao as the center. The air inside the small church seemed to distort. Not far away, Pedia and the four maids rolled their eyes and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Beini’s fur stood on end, her tail puffing up. She felt a pair of eyes—one black, one red—staring down at her. This eerie sensation was something she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Crack! Crack!
The church’s glass panes fractured, and layers of plaster fell from the walls.
The black smoke around the Old Godly Stick gradually dissipated, but his hands still trembled uncontrollably.
The blood aura faded. Beini jumped onto Su Xiao’s leg and bit his hand, her gaze clearly saying, “You scared this kitty to death. Pay up.”
Su Xiao grabbed Beini by the scruff of her neck and set her back on the ground.
“Tell me, what’s so special about this Moon Queen?”
Su Xiao could now confirm that this was Bloomer’s shameful secret. While exposing it wouldn’t cost Bloomer his power, it would severely tarnish his reputation and greatly hinder his bid for the throne.
“Moon Queen was wedded by His Majesty in his later years. She was also the youngest queen. His Majesty had five women in his life, and aside from Moon Queen, all the other queens have passed away.”
The Old Godly Stick’s emotions had stabilized somewhat, but his pupils remained as dark as ink.
“So, she knows many of the emperor’s secrets?”
Su Xiao stood up, and fragments of broken glass fell from the church.
“That’s one way to put it, but Moon Queen should have died long ago. I personally attended her funeral, and besides…”
“What the eyes see isn’t always the truth.”
Su Xiao walked over to Princess Dawn, Pedia, and patted her soft, fair cheek.
“Hey, wake up.”
Su Xiao gradually increased the pressure.
“Mmm~”
Pedia furrowed her delicate brows. The moment she saw Su Xiao, tears blurred her vision.
“Let’s go. We’re heading back to the Elder Council to reclaim our spoils.”
“I… I can’t stand up.”
Pedia looked at Su Xiao with tear-filled eyes. Su Xiao reached one hand behind her back. Just as Pedia thought he was going to lift her in a princess carry, her vision flipped, and she saw Su Xiao’s back. Clearly, he was hoisting her over his shoulder.
Just as Su Xiao was about to carry Pedia and return to the Elder Council with the Old Godly Stick, an angry female voice rang out.
“Let that child go.”
Hearing this voice, both Su Xiao and the Old Godly Stick were startled. They simultaneously turned to look at a young woman wearing a deep green robe and a hood, holding a skewer of grilled meat.
The young woman hesitated for a moment, then tossed aside the mostly uneaten skewer and drew the knight’s sword at her waist.
“You villain.”
The young woman clearly recognized Su Xiao. In fact, forgetting him would be difficult. Back in the Holy Grail World, Su Xiao had nearly slaughtered that world, and when he looked at her, it was like he was eyeing a delicious pastry, as if he wanted to devour her in a few bites.
“You are…”
Su Xiao glanced at the knight’s sword in her hand and roughly guessed who she was.
“A plot character becoming an Arbiter? That’s rare. No, you’re now a human existing in this world. Is this the benefit of becoming an Arbiter?”
Su Xiao had received a notification earlier that Arbiters would avoid conflicts with other contractors, essentially assisting him in dealing with violators to some extent.
“So, that anomaly has trained you into an Arbiter.”
Seeing Altria, Su Xiao immediately thought of that toad. Though he had only seen it once, he judged it to be an anomaly—not a violator, but a more troublesome anomaly.
“My esteemed teacher is not an anomaly. His name is…”
The Saberface King was about to speak the toad’s name but felt it might be inappropriate.
“Who he is has nothing to do with me. You’re blocking the way.”
As Su Xiao spoke, the Old Godly Stick was looking at the Saberface King with a kindly expression.
“This… lady knight, I think you might be mistaken. This young lady is our princess, Pedia. We would never harm her. Moreover, you are trespassing in this church. This place is watched over by the God of Light. Please refrain from any rude behavior.”
The Old Godly Stick placed one hand over his chest and nodded to the Saberface King.
“My apologies.”
The Saberface King took a deep breath. She was different from before. If Su Xiao hadn’t triggered her unpleasant memories, she wouldn’t have drawn her sword so rashly.
Now, Altria was certain that the Hunter she had to face was the most difficult type to deal with.