Chapter 173: Is This A Confession?
The plan cannot keep up with the changes.
According to Loria's original plan, after informing the Golden Knight and the Royal Knight about the information they obtained from the assassin, she should be able to gather a group of wise people to fight for the future of the continent together.
These people may still have unresolved conflicts, or they may still be fearful of the formidable enemy before their eyes.
But under the extreme pressure of life and death, these things can be temporarily forgotten.
However, Loria encountered a big problem in the first step of implementing the plan.
She couldn't provide evidence, and only relying on her and the guildmaster's oral storytelling, although the Golden Knight, represented by Sharon, reluctantly believed it, the Royal Knight, representing the interests of the royal family, scoffed at it.
"If just anyone made up a story, we would believe it, and then we wouldn't be able to continue the fight. Alright, alright, hurry up and leave, don't wander around here. Otherwise, I will arrest you on the charge of provoking the royal family!"
"Oh no!"
Loria left in frustration.
Who are these people? Even if you really suspect me of lying, at least send someone to investigate!
No hope, this empire is beyond saving.
Sharon said on the side, "The reason for their terrible attitude is partly because they have held high positions for a long time and are naturally like this, and partly because they suspect us."
"Us?"
"Not just you, all of us, the Goddess of Dawn, Wind, and Sky sect."
"Ah, why would he suspect you?"
Loria looked puzzled.
The Goddess Church is the "state religion" of the Oder Empire, and there shouldn't be much difference between the interests of the Goddess Church and the empire.
Sharon explained, "Since the Hidden Leader has been continuously victorious in war, there are some people within the royal family and the nobility who have started to be wary of us. They think that if the Hidden Leader, who worships the evil god, can disrupt the empire, then the Goddess Church, with more followers, is definitely a more unstable factor."
"..."
Loria was speechless for a moment.
Truly amazing.
They haven't even defeated this powerful external enemy, and they're already considering potential future enemies.
No, these people are not just considering, they have even taken action. Although they haven't resorted to murder yet, it is only a matter of time before it evolves into a more intense internal struggle if another spark ignites.
"With a group of hidden talents within the royal family, how can the country not perish?"
There was a moment when Loria suddenly had a thought in her mind.
Since the situation has become so bad, it's better to just lie down and wait to die!
But she couldn't just lie down completely. At least before dying, she wanted to satisfy herself and experience the happiness she had experienced in the simulator. Otherwise, wouldn't her life have been in vain?
Loria began to remember the past.
Ever since she crossed over into this world, she had been striving to lie down better.
Do you know how she spent those nine years?
She studied hard, exercised diligently, never indulged in anything inappropriate. She didn't even look at any explicit images or read any inappropriate stories. In order to secure a stable job, she even avoided socializing.
Just when she finally joined the Adventurers Management Guild, she thought she could slack off for the rest of her life.
"Anyway, I don't have any talent. Rather than pushing myself and getting hurt, it's better to just lie down from the beginning. It's not a bad choice to save a few decades of detours."
Loria had a beautiful thought.
But after lying down for two months, reality slapped her hard.
Want to lie down flat?
Sister, this world is almost gone, there won't be any place for you to lie down then!
"Sigh."
Loria took a long breath.
No hope.
After thanking Sharon for the help, she reluctantly returned to her temporary residence.
"What was the result then?"
The guildmaster asked right away.
Loria shook her head, "The people from the royal family are still the same, they don't care about us at all."
The guildmaster immediately understood what it meant, she frowned, and Vita beside her wanted to speak but stopped herself.
The guildmaster wanted to stand up for Loria, but her strength couldn't compare to the royal knights who specifically protected the safety of the royal family.
Holding it in.
Loria walked straight into the room.
At this moment, the only thing that could comfort her was the simulator.
Hmph, let's first simulate the decadent life of left the guildmaster, right Vita, top Miss Plump Sheep, and bottom xxx.
Loria opened the simulator, she had just pressed the start button, when she saw the door being pushed open, and the guildmaster walked in from outside.
"The situation now is very bad."
The guildmaster sat down on the bedside table, which was slightly higher, making her look even taller than Loria.
"But a person's spirit cannot be constantly stretched. Do you remember what I told you before? Even a knight who is constantly fighting must learn to balance work and rest. You have been running around these days, it's time for you to take a break. From now on, you don't need to worry about anything. Just leave everything to me."
"Huh?"
Loria raised her head in astonishment.
Instead of towering mountains, she saw the guildmaster's upright back.
The guildmaster explained, "Although the Lidilia family has lost their influence among the imperial nobility, they still have some connections. I plan to talk to them and see if they can help with our situation."
"Can this really work?"
Loria wasn't very optimistic. In the current situation, the Emperor is extremely sensitive, and most of the nobility choose to remain silent to avoid his anger.
"Give it a try, there won't be any loss."
The guildmaster said with a smile.
She reached out her hand, instinctively wanting to touch Loria's head, but halfway through, she pulled it back.
Loria is Loria, different from her sister Tracy. Although she looks young, she is actually very mature. Making gestures to amuse her like a child might hurt her self-esteem.
"This."
The guildmaster reached behind her neck and took off the silver pendant, then she stuffed it into Loria's hand.
Loria lowered her head and saw that it was a sword-shaped pendant, still carrying the warmth from the guildmaster's chest.
"This was left to me by my mother. She said she hoped I would give it to the person I live with in the future. Keep it."
"..."
Loria opened her mouth in surprise.
People who live together?
Does the guildmaster's mom mean the guildmaster's "husband"?
Now the guildmaster is giving her this pendant, doesn't that mean in the guildmaster's eyes she is the guildmaster's 'husband'?
Yay, I'm the one on top!
But, don't get too proud.
This doesn't necessarily mean that the guildmaster is confessing to her, maybe in the guildmaster's eyes she is not a wife or husband, but rather a sister or a younger sister.
It's true that she has had deep conversations with the guildmaster, but there are no rules in this world that say sisters cannot have deep conversations, right?
It's messy.
In the noble family's house, there was still some mess.
Loria coughed lightly to show her gratitude, then hung up the pendant.
She felt that it was time for her to give the guildmaster a gift now.
But here's the problem, what gift should she give?
Loria thought carefully, she didn't have anything passed down from her ancestors, not even things she had used for a long time.
She couldn't possibly give her own sword or that very comfortable massager to the guildmaster.
"To show sincerity, it seems like I can only give myself to the guildmaster!"
If it wasn't for Vita and Doris being outside, Loria would have climbed onto the guildmaster directly.
She calmed down her excited heart and said seriously, "I will take good care of this pendant, the guildmaster, you can trust me. I'm not tired at all right now, I don't need to rest."
The guildmaster gently shook her head and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Alright, just listen to me. It's enough for me to meet with our friends from Lidilia's family. Going there more than once might bring unnecessary trouble. If you're feeling bored, you can explore around the town."
Her tone was undeniable, and after hesitating for a moment, Loria agreed.
Upon careful consideration, she realized that she couldn't be of much help.
In the current crisis, her skills were not exceptional, and she didn't have any powerful connections. Perhaps, these were the only things she could do.
However, Loria was not willing to accept it.
As she looked at the guildmaster's calm face, she felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness. This feeling of helplessness was even stronger than when she first learned that the world was going to be destroyed.
Was the guildmaster thinking the same while she was out running around?
Loria stood up and walked to the window. "Does it snow in the north?"
She gazed at the brilliant starry sky that had not yet been tainted by the blood-red color.
Creek Town is located in the southern part of the empire, where the weather is mild. It never snows even in the coldest days of December.
The guildmaster walked up to her and said, "Based on the usual pattern, it should start snowing around mid-November in this area."
"But we still have almost two months to go, so we might not see it after all."
"If we really can't see it, we can go further north to a place where we can see the last snowfall."
"Okay."
After sending the guildmaster away, Loria opened the simulator and continued her simulations.
She performed three simulations in a row and finally managed to obtain two Skill Advancement Cards. It took her a whole five days to accumulate enough cards to upgrade "In all seriousness" to level 6.
"Upgrade!"
After "In all seriousness" reached level 6, its effects were greatly enhanced. Firstly, the passive increase in mental attributes rose from 30 to 50. Secondly, the resistance against confusion, charm, taunting, and dizziness, which was originally 50%, increased to 75%.
"As long as I level up one more time, I'll be fully leveled up."
Loria breathed a sigh of relief.
Because now she is facing the evil god and his followers, this skill has become the most important skill to her.
Unfortunately, she needs ten Skill Advancement Cards to level up In all seriousness to Lv7.
"I wonder if I can get them."
Loria sat cross-legged on the bed, lightly tapping her thigh with her index finger.
The guildmaster told her to rest well for the next few days, but she couldn't truly rest. Time was running out, and she had to find ways to strengthen herself.
The most direct way is to increase the number of simulations, and to do that, she needs to earn more money.
"Then we should start looting!"
What's the saying again?
My neighbor hoards grain, I hoard guns, and my neighbor is my food storage.
Loria wouldn't directly rob her own neighbors, her target were those who cheated and grabbed money during chaos.
These people are either vicious and work with their heads tucked into their belts, or they lean on a big tree without restraint, no one dares to provoke them.
But Loria is not afraid.
The end of the world is coming, why should I be afraid of your background?
Whether you're from the noble class or even if your background is the emperor, I'm still not afraid.
If you have the ability, bring the emperor in front of me, let's see if I dare to hit him or not!
Early the next morning, Loria set off.
The town is now filled with people who had to leave their homes, they carry all their belongings with them. The bad people are interested in what they have.
They cheat, force, or simply steal money from the pockets of these people, some greedy ones even take advantage of the people themselves.
"Since you don't have any money left, I'm going to sell you as a slave, ha... Ah!"
In the alley.
A woman wearing a hat with a duck's bill grinned and said to a little girl in front of her.
Before she could finish her sentence, a fist suddenly swung out and heavily hit her cheek.
Bang!
Accompanied by screams and the sound of bricks and tiles breaking, the woman's mouth was full of broken teeth, and her limbs were too injured to move.
"Don't worry, I only want money. I don't have the energy to sell you to slave traders."
Loria walked up to the woman and lifted her up.
When she turned around, the frightened little girl looked at her tremblingly, unsure of whether to move forward or backward.
"Let's hurry up and go," Loria said.
The little girl hesitated for a while, then bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, sister. You are a good person."
Loria watched the little girl leave, then interrogated, "Tell me where your companions are, or I will tear you apart!"
Under her threat, the woman quickly yielded.
Within just one day, Loria destroyed five strongholds and collected over 1.6 million Oder coins in total.
"It costs 111110 Oder coins to run six simulations in a day. With this money, I can simulate for 14 days."
Loria was very satisfied with this gain, as it increased her efficiency in improving her strength by 50%.
At that moment, even if someone behind her shouted, "You've provoked the wrong person, you're done for," she still didn't care.
How will they die?
Ha.
If you hinder our scum, you'll all die in the end!
Loria, who had returned home, looked at her identity card.
[Attributes]: Strength 143, Agility 114, Endurance 261, Intelligence 78, Spirit 191, Charisma 14.
These basic attributes are quite impressive, but unfortunately, she is still far from reaching the threshold of being an A-level adventurer.
Forget it.
Let's simulate first.
Loria did three practice runs in a row, then she took out an Enhance Stone and used it on Doris.
With her careful nurturing, Doris's strength was getting closer to B rank.
"Why hasn't the guildmaster come back yet?"
Loria walked to the window and looked out, but she couldn't see the guildmaster anywhere.
Worried in her heart, she left home after saying a word to Vita. She walked and asked, finally finding the guildmaster in a noble's house.
When she reached outside the window, the guildmaster was drinking with the old gentleman.
"Now that the drink is finished, it's time to talk about your terms, right?"
The old gentleman put down his cup. "Meeting His Majesty is not an easy thing. Even I can't do it in a short time. I have to persuade the captain of the Royal Knights first. You know, that guy is obsessed with money."
"I have money, and quite a lot of it."
The guildmaster placed a coin directly on the table.
The old gentleman shook his head. "It's not just about the money, there's also..."
His gaze started to scan the guildmaster from top to bottom.
How could such a clever person like the guildmaster not understand what he meant?
Her expression darkened slightly. "So, you're looking for me to cheer you up? If I remember correctly, when we first met, you said that, out of loyalty to Lidilia's family, you would do your best to help me."
The old gentleman chuckled. "I'm going through all this trouble to help you, so I can't do it without charging some interest, Adeline. If it wasn't for the loyalty I feel towards your family, I wouldn't even bother meeting you. Think about it carefully..."
Clang!
Before he could finish speaking, a knight's sword appeared out of nowhere and slashed the table in half.
Crash!
The broken table fell to the ground.
The guildmaster emotionlessly sheathed his sword.
She turned around and said, "Not everyone has the patience to waste their time with you like I do. Because of our relationship with each other's families, I won't kill you this time. Next time, it would be best for you to open your eyes wider. Your so-called status is nothing compared to true strength, just like a table that is hard."
The old gentleman stood frozen in place, unable to utter a single word.
Just as the guildmaster was about to walk out of the front gate, a figure suddenly broke in through the window.
"I will make you regret not being more vigilant, make you regret it."
The old gentleman couldn't see clearly who the person was. By the time he recovered from the beating, there was no one left in the room, and his house had been turned upside down.
"Money, my money!"
Piercing screams tore through the night, filled with sorrow and despair.
Outside.
"the guildmaster, are you okay?" Loria looked at the guildmaster anxiously.
The guildmaster shook his head, "What could be wrong? I didn't have any gains today, but I'll try again tomorrow."
Loria said, "I think there's no need to keep trying."
"It's not time to give up yet."
"I'm not planning to give up, I just..." Loria glanced at the guildmaster, "I think we can try a different approach."
"What approach?"
"I've thought about it for a long time, and we don't necessarily need the help of the empire. In fact, we can also form alliances with those magical creatures."
The reason why the magical creatures are cooperating with the Hidden Leader is because the empire used to be too dominant, squeezing their living space to a minimum. They hope to expand their habitat through this war.
"If they knew that working with Hidden Leader would not get them land, but instead their current home would be swallowed by the Ruins, would they still help Hidden Leader?"
"Probably... not."
The guildmaster pursed her lips.
The monsters are not dumb, on the contrary, they are very cunning. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many female knights falling into the traps of the monsters every year, and getting captured by them.
"The question is, how can we make them willing to listen to us?"
"We can start with some milder-tempered monsters."
Loria had already planned her target - succubus and Dream Demon!
These two types of monsters make a living from erotica and don't like indiscriminate killing, which happens to be Loria's preference.
These two types of creatures make a living from adult content, they don't like unnecessary killing, which happens to be something Loria likes.
Loria was not worried at all about entering the residence of the succubus or Dream Demon and dying.
With her strength, she could easily defeat the residence of the succubus or Dream Demon on her own!
After much persuasion, the guildmaster finally agreed to Loria's proposal.
Because both the residence of the succubus and the residence of the Dream Demon were not too far from the town, and after confirming that the journey would be safe by using a simulator, Loria took the initiative to attack.
The result was unexpected.
She thought she would have to go through great challenges and maybe even face scrutiny, but to her surprise, as soon as she appeared, a commotion started.
At different locations and different times, the alluring succubus Queen and Dream Demon Empress emerged simultaneously, staring at Loria as if she were a rare treasure.
"There is a captivating scent about you, or rather, it is more appropriate to say it is a scent that commands respect."
"As soon as I sensed this aroma, I felt the urge to indulge myself. If you don't mind, I can give you a wonderful night."
No, no.
Loria was afraid to spar with the Succubus Queen or Dream Demon Empress.
She wasn't scared of being mocked if she lost the battle, but rather, she was afraid that they would drain her energy and render her unable to participate in the upcoming fight.
Moreover, once she started, she didn't know when she would be able to stop.
Loria straightforwardly stated her purpose.
Compared to the haughty nobles, the monster girls were easier to talk to.
Although they didn't immediately believe Loria's words, they still decided to send their subordinates to test if the red light was really that mysterious.
"I'll wait for your message."
In order to prevent the guildmaster and the others from worrying, Loria returned to the town after their conversation.
Before she could even get comfortable, Sharon suddenly came to visit.
"Someone wants to meet with us."
"Who?"
"Brigadier General Charles."
