The Squinty-Eyed Woman's Background

Emperor Spurglin XV of Emperor Oma is still clinging to life.

However, it will only take three to five days.

The palace has become lively these past few days, with princes and grandsons guarding the emperor's bedchamber day and night.

Because they still have to wait for him to announce the heir to the Imperial Throne, to obtain that "legitimate" succession.

When Rein and Ymir entered the palace, whether by coincidence or because they were deliberately waiting for them, almost all the princes and grandsons had arrived, numbering about twenty or thirty.

"Your Her Highness the Eldest Princess"

"Aunt."

"Your Ymir"

Ymir entered the temple, he was greeted warmly by everyone.

Compared to the desolate scene when she left the capital and no one saw her off, this time in the capital, she received warm greetings from almost everyone.

Because, the Princess, who was once an enemy of the nobility, is no longer seen as a rival by anyone.

Everyone knows that Ymir has already been granted a fiefdom, and she has virtually no power in the capital. Even if the Imperial Throne were passed to her, she wouldn't be able to hold onto it securely.

On the contrary, as the emperor's sister, her position is of paramount importance at this moment.

Her words could influence the Old Emperor's final decision.

Rein silently followed Ymir into the hall, his gaze subtly sweeping over everyone.

Although he had never met Ymir and his royal relatives before, he could tell the identities of some of them from their positions and demeanor.

Once inside the bedroom, only three princes were qualified to stand there: the Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the Eighth Prince.

The three young men all had the Spurglin Family's signature blond hair, wore gorgeous clothes adorned with various jewels, and white tights.

This is the standard attire for a prince.

Of course, not far from the bed was Empress Tess Lopez, who was said to be as beautiful as Ymir and was known as one of the "Two Beauties of the Capital".

Regardless of political stance, this empress was indeed stunningly beautiful.

Smoky eye makeup, bold red lips, and delicate, alluring features. A semi-transparent black veil couldn't conceal her graceful figure, revealing glimpses of her ample bosom and beautiful legs. Large expanses of snow-white skin were exposed to the air, her skin supple and rosy, like a ripe peach. Apart from her spring-like eyes, there was not a trace of time on this woman.

She's beautiful, has a perfect figure, and dares to dress provocatively. Any normal man would be tempted to take a second look at a woman like that.

When Rein saw this woman, a thought struck him, "Is this the squinty-eyed lover who cuckolded the Old Emperor?"

At this moment, the empress was by the emperor's bedside, gazing at the Old Emperor with deep affection.

For some reason, Rein thought of the line, "Dalang, it's time to take your medicine."

His intuition told him that this was a very scheming woman.

With the three princes and the empress, the four forces with the best chance of vying for the Imperial Throne are now all here.

Besides them, there were three other people by the emperor's bedside: two doctors in white coats and a missionary in a white robe.

When Rein saw the missionary in the white robe, his pupils contracted sharply.

Because, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a peculiar vertical eye on the cover of the secret manual that the guy was holding—the very symbol of the "Three-Eyed Evil God"!

These are missionaries from City of Radiance.

They actually brought their Evil God Worship Oma Imperial Capital?!

Rein frowned.

The Old Emperor remained unconscious, and the atmosphere in his bedchamber was somewhat somber.

Rein followed Ymir inside without saying a word, standing quietly to the side.

At that moment, the white-robed priest who was very close to the bed seemed to be treating Spurglin XV.

No one dared to disturb them.

Rein glanced over and saw the emperor lying on the bed, half of his body exposed. His hair was silvery and sparse, and his face was covered with wrinkles like tree bark, making him look very old.

As a doctor, he naturally understood what this meant: it was a state of nearing the end of life, with all life force depleted.

Ymir, standing to the side, looked at her brother and saw how much he had aged in just one year, her eyes filled with sorrow.

At that moment, everyone in the room listened to the white-robed missionary muttering a spell that didn't sound like a magic incantation.

"God says, may His devout believers never suffer from illness. Holy light will shine on every dark corner of the world, dispelling defilement."

As he muttered to himself, he flipped through the secret manual in his hand, and a faint white glow slowly illuminated the entire room.

There are also holy priests among medical Transcendent, and all sorts of strange and unusual spells are not necessarily strange.

But Rein's expression changed slightly as he listened.

At that moment, a system notification sound rang out!

[Ding! Warning: Unknown mental force intrusion, subconscious manipulation in progress, progress 0.03%]

"So that's how it is!"

Upon hearing this hint, Rein's gaze toward the missionary turned grim.

"Subconscious manipulation" is a terrifying ability!

In Rein's previous life, this was already a terrifying method.

Because it can modify a person's cognition and memory!

In the previous life, the federal government used it to deal with those heinous criminals, to change their perceptions and make them completely harmless to society.

For example, if a repeat offender commits rape, their perceptions can be altered to prevent them from experiencing excitement for certain specific behaviors.

This is more effective than chemical castration.

What's terrifying is that you yourself are unaware of the changes to your perception made in this way.

Just like in your dream, in the world you create with your own consciousness, you wouldn't find anything strange happening there.

In this Transcendent world, similar methods exist. These include deep hypnosis and Mental Suggestion within the Mental Extraordinary.

But that kind of magic also has its flaws.

Because an additional loophole exists in our understanding, many "patches" are needed to fill it. For High-tier Extraordinary, the flaw is easily spotted.

However, this white-robed missionary actually used it on the emperor!

This means that the "spell" must be of an extremely high rank. So high that even the court officials and the high-ranking mages of City of Radiance wouldn't notice it, subtly altering people's perceptions without their knowledge!

Finally, Rein understood why those guys in City of Radiance were able to get so many people to worship the Three-Eyed Evil God in such a short time!

This tactic is simply impossible to defend against.

Rein was affected by the light for only a moment; one can imagine how the Old Emperor felt.

The missionary was brought by the Second Prince, and he instantly understood what these guys were up to.

Regardless of what the Old Emperor thought, directly altering some of Old Emperor perceptions and making him appoint the Second Prince as emperor?

Sure enough, none of the princes were easy to deal with!

"It seems that City of Radiance is still a major threat."

Rein narrowed his eyes, his expression growing increasingly hostile.

If it were a matter of overt methods, Black Dragon City would indeed fear no force. But with this method of "subconscious manipulation," it probably wouldn't be long before the whole world was filled with followers of that evil god.

That's the most terrifying thing.

There will be no need for a major war; the believers will be able to destroy everything.

The methods of the "gods" are indeed extraordinary, making them impossible to guard against!

Fortunately, the system detected this anomaly; otherwise, the consequences would have been unpredictable.

At this moment, Ymir was beside him, seemed to sense a slight fluctuation in Rein's emotions, and she turned her head to look at him.

Rein gave her a serious look.

The unspoken understanding between the two made her instantly realize something, and when she looked at the missionary again, a strange look flashed across her face.

However, it's no use saying anything now.

Since the missionary dared to perform this "divine magic" in public, he must have been confident that he could deceive everyone.

Even if Rein were to come forward now and say that he has a problem, he would not be able to provide any evidence.

He stood quietly to the side without saying a word.

Before long, the missionary had finished performing the spell.

A miraculous scene unfolded.

The Old Emperor, who looked like he was about to die at any moment, suddenly had a rosy complexion and slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, the missionary closed the cryptic text, his face bearing the pious expression of a charlatan, and said, "Your Majesty, I just used divine magic to dispel the deathly aura for you, but unfortunately..."

The Old Emperor shook his head and said, "Thank Master Mirel. You have done more than enough. I am very aware of my physical condition. I can still feel lucid, and I am content."

The missionary said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I shall take my leave."

The Old Emperor nodded.

As soon as he regained consciousness, he saw Ymir not far away, and a rare smile appeared on his face, "My dear sister, you've come. I'm grateful for God's blessing, allowing me to see you again before I die."

Ymir went over, sat on the edge of the bed, held her dying brother's hand, and said, "Brother, I'm back."

Spurglin XV looked at Ymir and said with a complicated expression, "It's good that you're back. I'm sorry you had to go through all this."

These words naturally refer to the matter of "granting her a fiefdom" and having her leave the capital.

If it weren't for Rein, one can imagine how difficult it would have been for Ymir to establish a new city when she was isolated from the world.

Ymir sighed softly; only she knew the bitterness and sweetness of her feelings.

But she couldn't explain her experiences in just a few words, so she didn't say much. She turned to look at Rein and said, "Brother, I've brought a very skilled doctor. Perhaps he can help alleviate your pain."

After a pause, she introduced, "This is Doctor Rein, who is also the city lord of our Black Dragon City."

Rein stepped forward, bowed with his hands on his chest, and introduced himself.

The Old Emperor glanced at Ymir and seemed to understand instantly.

He glanced at Rein, a kind smile appearing on his aged face, and said, "Hmm, a handsome young man."

Rein had been observing the Old Emperor; his speech was clear and his thinking was sharp, indicating that he was fully conscious.

That "divine art" was indeed quite effective.

Just as Ymir gestured for him to go and examine the Old Emperor.

At that moment, a discordant voice rang out.

"Wait!"

The one speaking was none other than the beautiful Empress Tess.

She glanced at Rein and said calmly, "If it's a doctor, then don't disturb His Majesty. Dean Fino of the Medical School has already examined His Majesty. His Majesty is very weak right now and can't withstand any more disturbance."

Rein listened without any change in expression.

Whether he looked at it or not, he knew the Old Emperor's days were numbered.

But when he heard the name the Queen mentioned, his eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at the "Dean Fino".

Isn't this the same traitor who betrayed Ilubeck back then to gain wealth and power?

At this moment, Dean Fino also spoke up, "Yes. His Majesty's condition is not suitable for any further examinations at the moment; rest is the best course of action."

This doesn't mean they truly underestimated Rein; on the contrary, they valued him highly.

The fact that Ymir described him as having "superb medical skills" made everyone present guess that this young man had some tricks up his sleeve.

There are certain methods that make it even more important not to let him try them.

In fact, the Old Emperor should have died long ago. The longer it dragged on, the worse the situation would be for the empress's faction.

Issuing an imperial edict?

No, the more confused and muddled she died, the more room she had to manipulate things.

Not long ago, the Second Prince found a missionary from City of Radiance, and the fact that he could bring the Emperor back to his senses was already a major development.

If another doctor were to come and use some secret method to prolong the Old Emperor's life for a while, the situation would become even more difficult to control.

Ymir frowned upon hearing this and glanced at the Empress. His sister-in-law was no pushover.

At that moment, the emperor spoke, with a sigh, "Alright, all of you may leave. I have something to say to Ymir."

Although Spurglin XV did not live long, he was well aware of the intrigue and power struggles involved.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Upon hearing the emperor's words, the princes and empress did not linger and all withdrew from the palace.

In the blink of an eye, only three people remained in the palace.

Rein and Ymir stayed behind.

He examined the Old Emperor's body and found no illness or signs of poisoning. He appeared to be aging normally.

But for Spurglin XV's age, this aging was unusual.

Logically, it should be poisoning. It's either a toxin that cannot be detected by current methods, or a toxin that doesn't leave any trace.

Upon hearing Rein's conclusion, Ymir's expression also turned sour.

No outsider could poison the emperor; it must have been someone close to him.

The Empress and all the princes are suspects.

However, what's done is done, and nothing can be changed now.

"It's probably poisoning."

The Old Emperor seemed quite open-minded, and it appeared he wasn't completely kept in the dark.

Now, he knew very well that even if he investigated, it wouldn't change anything. Besides, he had been in a coma for more than half a year, and his control over the situation in the capital was no longer what it used to be.

He saw Ymir leave Rein there and guessed the nature of their relationship.

He knew his sister's personality very well; his lack of denial meant he acknowledged it.

He didn't try to hide anything from Rein and directly revealed some royal secrets.

The brother and sister chatted and reminisced.

Of course, the most important thing is to give your last words.

"No matter how much trouble those brothers cause, this is still Omar of the Spurglin Family. I intend to pass the Imperial Throne to Eric (the Second Prince). Ymir, if possible, I hope you can lend him a hand."

When Rein heard the Old Emperor say these words, he realized that the missionary had probably successfully altered some of the Old Emperor's perceptions.

The Second Prince was inferior to the Fourth Prince and Eighth Prince in both virtue and talent.

Normally, the Imperial Throne would never have been his.

However, this is irrelevant now.

Regardless of which prince the throne is passed to, the outcome will be much the same.

The only difference is who gets the "legitimate" status, and whoever does so is in a position of great righteousness.

The best outcome would be for one of them to turn the tide and kill the other princes vying for the throne. Although it sounds bloody and cruel, the Oma Empire still belongs to the Spurglin Family.

But clearly, that's no longer possible.

Ymir shook her head and said, "Brother, the situation is already very difficult."

Her emperor brother, who was unusually lucid, had lost his usual accurate grasp and judgment of the situation. Ymir explained the current situation to him and then they talked about "Black Dragon City".

"Brother, I finally know what my ideal country looks like."

With tears welling in her eyes, she described everything about Black Dragon City to the emperor.

Hearing her words, the Old Emperor's eyes gleamed, as if he were seeing an "ideal country".

"My dearest sister, I never knew you'd come this far!"

Rein remained completely invisible, listening to the two siblings chat and occasionally chiming in with a few words.

Perhaps because he was about to die, the Old Emperor had no more scruples.

At this moment, he revealed a secret that shocked both Rein and Ymir.

"Ymir, there's one more thing I need to ask of you. After I die, take Metternich, who's currently imprisoned in the secret chamber, with you. I know that boy hates me; I hope that after I'm gone, he won't be blinded by hatred in his approach to life."

Upon hearing this, Ymir's expression turned strange. "Metternich? The advisor who used to serve the Empress?"

The Old Emperor said with a wry smile, "Yes. He is my child, and also your nephew."

"."

Lei, who was standing nearby, was instantly wide awake from his drowsiness.

Holy crap, this is some shocking gossip!

That squinty-eyed man was actually Emperor Oma's illegitimate son!

Upon further reflection, the already perplexing situation suddenly became even more complicated.

What's going on here?

The Queen had an affair with Metternich, and he cheated on his own father?

The First Prince Quentin, also died indirectly at his hands; did he kill his own brother?

Rein felt his head was spinning. Were all nobles this good at having fun?

Ymir was stunned as well, looking at her brother and waiting for him to explain.

Knowing he might die tomorrow, the Old Emperor revealed his deepest secrets. "Didn't I tell you not to investigate the Storm Lake incident? It was indeed Metternich who orchestrated it. But he didn't actually want to hurt you; in fact, he saved you."

"Furthermore, it was because he revealed some clues that I learned the Senate intended to kill you. This forced me to choose to grant you a fiefdom, leaving you in the capital. Looking back now, it actually saved you. The Established Nobles of the Senate already had designs on you; you would have been in danger sooner or later if you had stayed in the capital."

"As for why he did it, I think the child still has a kind heart. He only hates me, hates Tess, and wants revenge."

"That child has great talent for governing a country; he has ideas and abilities."

"Originally, he was the most suitable heir to the Imperial Throne, but unfortunately, he was blinded by hatred."

"Of course, all of this is my own doing."

"."

Ymir listened with an extremely complicated expression.

She never imagined that the truth was actually like this.

Rein listened to this juicy gossip, the clues in his mind unconsciously began to connect.

He first met Metternich back in the "Plague Base," where he played cards with the guy for an afternoon and then agreed to help him deliver a letter to Ymir.

At that time, she couldn't understand why this squinty-eyed person, who was clearly from the Queen's camp, would remind Ymir.

Now he fully understands.

Previously, Rein had also asked Master Cavo about the details of that gamble that staked the future of City of Radiance.

Metternich said something that made Cavo willingly accept defeat.

One of the things he said was...

The old social system has collapsed, and a new one is needed.

Ymir's New Deal were one of the seeds he planted.

He wants to give this era some hope.

The Old Emperor continued recounting what happened next.

But suddenly the plot of the story changed from a "suspense drama" to a "spy drama".

Then, it turned into a melodramatic soap opera.

Rein finally understood why Metternich hated the aristocratic system so much.

In this feudal society, nobles were at the top of the pyramid; they owned everything, including the lives of commoners.

There is a vulgar tradition within the aristocratic system that has lasted for countless years.

That is, nobles have the right to deprive a commoner's newlywed wife of her virginity.

No, it's not called deprivation, but rather euphemistically called "a gift from the nobility."

When a commoner gets married, the marriage is reported to the local lord (or nobleman). If the nobleman takes a liking to the bride, he will personally attend the wedding banquet. That night, he will take the place of the groom and spend the commoner's new wife's first night with her.

In this aristocratic society, a nobleman's visit to a commoner's home and the procreation of his bloodline was considered a "gift" to the commoner.

Rein had heard of this custom before, which he found vulgar.

This is also why he has never been particularly fond of the nobility.

Then, things happened because of this "bad habit".

Many years ago, when the young Dopler Spurglin was still a prince.

When I have nothing to do, I go and do some incognito visits.

He went to a territory.

Then, just then, I happened to run into a commoner family getting married.

This prince was full of vigor back then. He saw that someone's new wife was beautiful, so he exercised his power of "noble privilege".

That's fine.

Many commoner families couldn't afford to offend the nobles, so they just tolerated it.

However, Dopler's own wife, who is now Empress Tess, was no pushover.

The beautiful but jealous future queen was furious when she learned that Dopler had been having an affair.

To eliminate this potential threat, she went there herself, then tortured the man's newlywed wife and threw her into a well.

Originally, at this point, even though the person was about to die, it wouldn't have been a big problem.

It's perfectly normal for nobles to have a few commoners' lives at their hands.

Unexpectedly, the newlywed wife who had been submerged in the well was not dead and was rescued.

Then, unfortunately, she got pregnant.

Then, Metternich was born.

Then, this guy, who was born with hatred in his heart, had extraordinary mental strength and met one of the "Ten Great Legends" of the time, the "Gambler" Olatu K. Kand, who became his disciple.

And then, here we are now.

He transformed into a twisted and obsessive squinty-eyed man who plotted a shocking conspiracy to take revenge on Omar.

Even the Empress still doesn't know Metternich's true identity.

The Old Emperor continued to recount this secret known only to him.

Now that he's dying, he wants to make amends to this illegitimate son he owes so much to, and he wants to save his life.

But Rein felt that the Old Emperor had underestimated Metternich.

He thought that guy wanted revenge and wanted him and the queen dead.

Little did they know, that guy wanted the entire aristocratic system to die.

The ambush at Storm Lake, the death of First Prince Quentin, the outbreak of the Black Tide, the founding of City of Radiance, the emperor's poisoning, the empress's seduction, and internal strife within the Omar Kingdom.

Behind every major event, there is the figure of a lowly staff member.

Although some hidden tricks have not yet been exposed, Rein connected all the clues he knew and finally understood that Omar's current situation was entirely the work of Metternich!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but gasp, exclaiming inwardly, "Holy crap! A ruthless mastermind!"

It's foreseeable that the squinty-eyed man has more tricks up his sleeve. The struggle for the Oma Imperial Power is far more complex than it appears at the moment; there's definitely a more exciting drama waiting to unfold.

While Ymir and Rein were listening to the Old Emperor recount this "scandal,"

In a secret chamber beneath the emperor's sleeping quarters.

The squinty-eyed man was idly flipping through spider cards by himself.

At this moment, he flipped over a "King of Clubs" card and raised an eyebrow.

In Poker Divination.

K is the King card;

The plum blossom is a dead tile.

Seeing this, Metternich's face broke into a mocking smile, and he muttered, "Old man, you think things will be over just because you're dead? Tsk tsk. You filthy noble class should have been destroyed long ago."