Chapter 111

There is no need to force anyone during this process.

She figured out the key to another problem and smiled happily.

When Hebe arrived at the port of Blanckug, he found the fishing boats that used to be moored there empty, and a tall, beautiful cruise ship quietly docked in the hazy sea fog.

'So this is the ship Mordred promised me. It truly is a fine ship.' Hebe's already good mood improved even more.

She saw a gangway being lowered from one side of the ship and docked at the shore.

"Let's go," Hebe said to Shoko. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

Shoko returned a meaningful look, but Hebe had already turned his head and climbed up the gangway onto the ship.

The waves gently lapped against the hull, causing the cruise ship to rock slightly. Just as Hebe was about to board, she reached out to grab the railing, but before she could, a hand reached out from behind the railing and kindly pulled her back.

"Thank you," Hebe said to the man, then used the support to steady herself on the boat.

"Oh no." That was the first thought that popped into Hebe's mind when she saw the man's face.

The next instant, Hebe realized that her arm was firmly gripped by the other person, and she could no longer break free.

"What, is it me who is not satisfied?"

Arthur sneered as he pressed Hebe against the railing.

170 Damn it, Arthur!

Those beautiful, deep green eyes widened.

Deep within his pupils, the King of Albion's eyes, molten as gold, were reflected.

In an instant, countless melodramatic classic scenarios flashed through Hebe's mind.

Then she couldn't hold back and burst out laughing in a very tasteless way, while sliding down the railing like a limp rag.

Arthur's face darkened.

But that wasn't enough for Hebe. She reached out and patted Arthur's shoulder. "Lia, long time no see. This ship is pretty nice."

"Are you done?" Arthur's iron arm showed no sign of moving away; he simply stared coldly at Hebe. "Merlin, you've really fooled me."

As Toyokawa Shoko was boarding the ship, she heard a familiar name and her eyes widened immediately.

Hebe felt a headache coming on and waved to Toyokawa Shoko repeatedly, signaling her to hurry up and go into the cabin.

Fortunately, Arthur's attention was entirely on Hebe at the moment, and she had no interest in or concern herself with Toyokawa Shoko.

The King of Albion simply stared coldly at the person before him, awaiting an answer.

Finally, that carefree, frivolous demeanor crumbled, and his refined face returned to its respectful, calm, and humble state.

"It's been a long time, Your Majesty." Hebe sighed. "Please forgive me for not being able to perform the full ceremony."

She couldn't even bow; there was only a finger's width of space between her and Arthur, making it difficult to even raise her hand.

Arthur glanced at Hebe, who he had forced to lean against the railing, and sneered, "So, it's my fault then?"

"I wouldn't dare," Hebe sighed again. "Well, I just didn't expect you to actually come in person, even though—"

"What do you mean, 'clearly'?" Arthur's pupils blazed with fury as she demanded, "Is it to have Agravain feign a message, or to have Mordred deliberately conceal it?!"

Hebe hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

Arthur was clearly prepared.

She shrugged. "Well, since you've caught me, what can I say?"

Ultimately, the surprise was only at the beginning. After truly realizing that Arthur had found her, Hebe actually relaxed.

This is like being hanged on the execution ground. What's truly terrifying is the long wait before the execution. Once the wooden plank under your feet falls and the rope around your neck tightens, you're no longer afraid of anything.

Arthur reached out and placed his hand on Hebe's neck, his pupils turning Pure Gold.

But suddenly, the Pure Gold color was extinguished by the rolling tears.

"What I detest most is this presumptuous act of others making decisions for me..." Arthur leaned in, forcefully silencing Hebe's attempt to argue. As their lips met, the king's muffled voice whispered in her ear, "But at this moment, I feel happy... Merlin, you can deceive me as much as you want..."

Hebe stammered, unable to speak, and could only pat Arthur's arm repeatedly, indicating that her back, which was being pressed against the railing, was already overwhelmed.

But the queen paid no heed to such things. She greedily inhaled the sweet scent emanating from her queen, carelessly tracing the curves of her body downwards, completely oblivious to the potential onlookers on the island... Indeed, Arthur was the king of all Albion, and both Morgan and Mordred were her subjects.

What is there for a monarch to be wary of in front of his subjects?

It took her a full five minutes before she released Hebe.

Compared to Arthur, Nightmare, who appeared petite, slightly stuck out her tongue, her deep green eyes staring blankly ahead, with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, and her flaxen hair sticking messily to her forehead.

A glistening, suspicious liquid trickled down her chin, soaking her blouse, and her slender, straight legs trembled as she straddled the king's lap.

Arthur looked at his spoils with satisfaction, waiting for the nightmare to gradually return to his senses.

Finally, that calm expression returned to Hebe's face. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she pulled out a hand to wipe away the tears and saliva on her face.

"My time is running out, Your Majesty." Hebe appeared more calm and urgent than usual, as if the recent events had ignited some hidden fuse within her. "If you continue to indulge in your desires..."

Arthur looked at her quietly, a half-smile on his face.

She liked Hebe's appearance very much, and the king, who had just collected some interest, decided to put it aside for the time being.

"Let's go."

Arthur finally released Hebe from her restraints, and she pointed to the cabin behind her.

Without a word, Hebe lifted her foot and walked away, but not towards the cabin.

"It's time for you to make a difference, Xiao Xiang."

Toyokawa Shoko had a lot of questions to ask, but Hebe wouldn't answer her at this time. Instead, he pulled out a thick rope from the cabin, found a pillar on the deck, and wrapped it around Xiao Xiang's neck.

"Atlantis is a city of capsized waves, in other words, a figurehead of a sea monster representing 'shipwreck' is most appropriate. In Northern Europe, this is called the Kraken; in Cathay, it is the Named Attendant of the June Archon, the great sea monster 'Yan Gong,' who ranks first on the right in the Water Palace Immortal Class."

As Hebe tied the rope around Toyokawa Shoko, he whispered in her ear, "Seize this opportunity. When necessary, don't rely on sight, but use your intuition to navigate... Here, you have more authority than any of us."

If she seizes this opportunity, Toyokawa Shoko might be able to directly enter the Daytime Rank.

Toyokawa Shoko looked at Hebe with concern: "That one just now—"

"Ah, you're worried about her?" Hebe continued working on her hands.

"No..." Toyokawa Shoko shook her head slightly.

"That's her identity? You should have guessed it by now," Hebe said to herself. "The Eternal King, King of Albion, Arthur Pendragon. The founder of both the Red Dragon and Lionheart bloodlines."

Toyokawa Shoko was still shaking her head. "Not really..."

"Arthur is a bit eccentric, but she's a pretty good king." Hebe shrugged. "Of all the kings I've met, at least she's someone who listens to reason."

Toyokawa Shoko was so anxious that her face almost turned blue.

After Hebe finished tying the knot, she went around to the other side to reinforce it, but as she turned around, she saw Arthur standing in the spot where she had been standing with his arms crossed.

Hebe immediately understood why Toyokawa Shoko's expression had been so strange.

"Ah, Arthur, when did you arrive?" Hebe greeted him casually.

"I have been here since you began to criticize the Eternal King."

Arthur stared at Hebe's movements. "'Of all the kings I've seen...' Hmm? How many kings have you seen besides me? Or should I call you by another name, Imhotep?"

Toyokawa Shoko turned pale upon hearing this.

What does it mean that Imhotep and Merlin are the same person?

Hebe gave Arthur a strange look. "If you don't say Morgan is actually me, then fine. Leah, you have quite the imagination."

Arthur's previously dignified expression suddenly became somewhat embarrassed.

If Hebe denies it outright, or if she acts in another extreme way, it would almost certainly link Imhotep to her.

But Hebe didn't react at all, which made Arthur doubt himself. Was it just Merlin talking nonsense?

However, the queen was not about to admit her mistake rashly. After this farcical conversation, she simply stood quietly and watched Hebe work on the Xiao Xiang.

When the last stroke of the talisman fell.

Arthur stood on the deck and clapped his hands.

"Sapphire, weigh anchor and set sail."

Hebe was surprised, then suddenly realized.

"Isn't this Royal Sister's boat?"

Arthur glanced at her and replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "Yes, but I've requisitioned her."

Blanckug Silent Bookstore, Observatory.

Morgan, clutching his brass binoculars, angrily pounded on the railing.

"Damn Arthur!!!"

171 What's past cannot be undone, but the future can still be shaped.

The Sapphire is a good ship—undoubtedly so from any angle.

Ever since Hebe learned that Royal Sister had such a cool and stylish ride, she had been plotting to borrow it and drive it. Of course, she knew that the Sapphire was most likely a living ship inhabited by Soul of the Dead.

But she didn't expect Arthur to act first and requisition the Sapphire.

As the Eternal King of Albion, Arthur certainly had the right to do so, which is one aspect of the bloodless and tearless Authority Path.

At this moment, Hebe was standing inside the cabin, looking at the panel that flickered on and off, and issued the instruction. "Use the guide as the primary method, and manually adjust as needed." This would maximize the use of Toyokawa Shoko's navigational inspiration, and also allow for modifications to the course when necessary.

It would have been better if Arthur hadn't been standing behind her watching.

While clearing his mind, Hebe tapped and patted the control panel.

Sometimes she felt things were developing too fast, and other times she felt that things might be for the best this way.

That's not surprising; people always have to make trade-offs.

Where does this feeling of guilt come from? Hebe frowned.

After a moment, she realized that she essentially felt she hadn't given enough.

Royal Sister, Arthur, Miss A-Long Alon, Nitocris... they are all the same.

On the scales in Hebe's heart, she believed that the other person had clearly given more than she had.

The strange thing is that the other party thought the same way.

Hebe sighed silently.

What made her even more uneasy was that they remembered the events of the Lostbelt so clearly...

As the cruise ship sailed out of the waters surrounding Blanckug, the misty fog drew in, only to be silently shattered by the ship's hull.

Hebe saw three kinds of birds—seagulls, doves, and crows—circling around the cruise ship.

"The seagull is the messenger of the June Archon, Pearl. The white dove is the apostle of the December Archon, Duke of Sighs. The raven is the servant of the March Archon, Raven... They are all guiding me."

Normally this would be a good omen.

But conversely, this also proves that all three rulers may have been involved in the destruction of Atlantis.

Hebe recalled her experience in Egyptian lands.

Theoretically, the Egyptian Lostbelt is significantly more difficult, but it does not limit Hebe's ability to rack up points.

This allowed Hebe, who had the advantage of prior intelligence, to quickly knock the Red King off his throne.

The Eastern Lostbelt, due to restrictions on "score farming" and the need to contend with Ashiya Dōman, who also possesses the ability to travel through history, is actually more challenging to navigate than the Egyptian Lostbelt.

Of course, whether it's the Egyptian Lostbelt or the Eastern Lostbelt, Hebe has an inherent advantage.

That is because in her previous life, she already had some knowledge of the history of the two regions.

But what about Atlantis?

Even in Hebe's previous life, Atlantis was a famous unsolved mystery of the world. People knew nothing about its political system and civilization, only vague legends.

Thinking of this Hebe couldn't help but chuckle.