Chapter 401

"I've found Sarkaz's body!"

Upon hearing this, Vigna and the others were shocked and abandoned their remembrance of history in front of the statue, quickly running towards the source of the sound.

The ground was littered with corpses, at least a hundred or more, judging by appearances. Most of them were already decomposed, leaving only bare bones and dusty standard weapons.

Ines has extensive mercenary experience and is more familiar with equipment than anyone else present:

"Judging from their equipment and clothing, this group consists of the elite of the Sarkaz Royal Court Army. The men in black on the right are guards from the Confessors organization. This armed force, if deployed outside, would be enough to attack a small, Mobile Cities. But the fact that they were all dealt with here indicates that there is something far more dangerous inside."

"..."

The professional explanation made Vigna and the others breathe more heavily; they had already vaguely guessed the answer.

The only one capable of defeating this Sarkaz Elite force is Victoria's strongest individual soldier: the Steam Knight, a relic of a bygone era, now extinct!

Alda swallowed hard, feeling her whole body tremble uncontrollably. As she moved forward, her vision followed. One after another, the armor of Steam Knight came into view, like dead memories attacking her relentlessly.

Slashing, thrusting, burning...

Every Steam Knight's armor was riddled with wounds, and there wasn't a single spot on his body that was clean.

The Spike-like Projectile, over five meters long, nearly pierced through the Steam Knight's armor. Yet they maintained their formation, refusing to retreat another step.

At that moment, Alda burst into tears.

She finally understood why Victoria hadn't seen a Steam Knight since four years ago.

Because they are all in the Place Where the Kings Sleep.

Vigna gazed at the scene before her, feeling a strange mix of admiration and heartache. She turned her head and noticed Alda's unusual expression, then asked with concern:

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. It's probably because the air here is so bad that I feel a little dizzy."

Upon hearing this, Vigna turned her gaze back to the area ahead. She was suddenly struck by the sight of even more Sarkaz Elite corpses behind the Steam Knight.

"This, this is..."

Shi Lei walked up to the group, keeping his eyes fixed on the creature deepest inside, secretly observing it using his Night Vision:

"It's obvious they've been betrayed."

This is a situation Ambushed from Pincer Attack.

The Steam Knight, who were originally supposed to be on the defensive, have instead become the attackers who need to break through the encirclement. This indicates that they have fallen into a trap set by the Sarkaz.

"How is that possible?"

Dagda couldn't understand it and kept shaking his head:

"This is the Place Where the Kings Sleep. How did the Sarkaz's elite troops get in?"

The entrance gate was extremely sturdy and could not be opened without a key. There was no other way to enter except with the keys of the Dolak Royal Family and Aslan Royal Family.

The answer is obvious, given that the key to the Dolak Royal Family fell into Vigna's hands after passing through Rhodes Island.

"Who on earth did this? Was it that traitor Duke Cavendish or the Duke Stafford?"

"Not a single Steam Knight has appeared in Victoria since four years ago. In other words, all the Steam Knight are here. The Grand Duke you just mentioned doesn't have the authority to mobilize them."

At this point, Vigna's eyes reddened. Although she didn't want to admit it, it was the truth. Tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably, and her voice trembled slightly.

"It was Victoria who betrayed them..."

Everyone was shocked, except for Shi Lei, who remained calm.

Throughout history, there have been countless instances of loyal and righteous individuals being betrayed.

Humans do not learn from history; they only repeat themselves over and over again.

His gaze went into the depths, to the longsword that was left unguarded and unprotected, and to the motionless Steam Knight still retained Vital Signs.

It's time to launch the Next Plan.

"Ines, guard this place. Vigna and I need to talk to each other and don't want to be disturbed by outsiders."

"Yes, sir."

Seeing Shi Lei extend the invitation in a gentlemanly manner, Vigna followed after a moment of silence:

"Dagda, hold this place."

"Yes, Your His Highness."

The two of them standing there prevented Alda from following. She was deeply annoyed that she wasn't there to witness such an important moment.

"Your His Highness, what do you mean by stopping me?"

"Don't worry, we'll be out soon."

Vigna and Shi Lei passed through the Sarkaz corpses and arrived at the room at the end. A longsword stood straight in the center, as ordinary as a classical ornament.

Vigna stared at the Breath of the Kings, then looked away and said:

"Doctor Zhongli, what would you like to talk to me about?"

"I want to set you up."

After saying this, Shi Lei walked straight to the front of the stage and grasped the Breath of the Kings.

"What are you doing?!"

If Vigna hadn't known how powerful this man was, she would have rushed up with her hammer and snatched it immediately.

Shi Lei reached out and touched Victoria's National Sword, but he couldn't sense the presence of any host spirit inside.

Like Surtr's Reine des Neiges, you can feel something inside just by holding the blade in your hand.

This means that the Breath of the Kings was just an ordinary longsword with commemorative significance.

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush."

In no time, Shi Lei finished analyzing the metal material of the longsword. To Vigna's utter astonishment, he conjured ten Breath of the Kings out of thin air!

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"Mister Zhongli, who exactly are you?"

If attacking the alcohol refinery made Vigna look at Shi Lei in a new light, then creating the Breath of the Kings with his bare hands was simply shocking and completely shattered her worldview.

The Originium Arts, which can be copied with a single touch, completely violate the law of conservation of energy.

The room was extremely dark, with only the faint light from the cell phone. Vigna didn't dare look at the other person's face, because it would be extremely offensive.

Who I am is not important.

Shi Lei handed over the original version of Breath of the Kings:

"The important question is, what do you plan to do with this sword after you get it?"

Vigna took it with both hands and carefully examined the Breath of the Kings, which was exactly as Alda had described.

But out of the corner of her eye, she would occasionally glance at the incredibly realistic replicas. To the naked eye alone, it was impossible to tell the difference between the two.

"I... I want to stop the war."

Vigna had made similar remarks long before entering the Place Where the Kings Sleep.

She remained tight-lipped about her status as the heir to the Aslan Royal Family, repeatedly stating that she would rather be an ordinary person.

Shi Lei was not surprised by this answer. He picked up a replica of the Breath of the Kings and examined it in his hand:

"I can tell you very clearly now that the legends about this sword being able to cleave through Catastrophe are all false. I don't know how many Victoria Duke regard this weapon as a symbol of royal power. How to use it to stop this war is what you and I need to consider."

Upon hearing this, Vigna weighed the sword in her hand. It felt quite heavy, but she couldn't bear Victoria's weight.

If Doctor Zhongli hadn't come today, and instead the Doctor or Amiya had accompanied her, then her restoration of the Breath of the Kings to the mortal realm would certainly not have achieved the desired effect.

Give it to a powerful Duke and let him send troops to drive out the Sarkaz of Londinium?

If a Duke could control the situation, the war wouldn't have dragged on until now.

Vigna paused for a moment, then raised her head:

What do you want to do?

Instead of giving a direct answer, Shi Lei, like a patient and encouraging teacher, posed questions to stimulate the students' thinking:

"If any Duke were to obtain the Breath of the Kings, what do you think he would do next?"

Vigna thought for a moment, her tone uncertain:

"If it's Duke with a smaller army, they'll most likely hide the National Sword 'Breath of the Kings to prevent it from being coveted by external forces if its whereabouts are exposed. If it's Duke with a larger army, I... don't know."

Shi Lei grinned and asked the key question:

"Do you think any of these Grand Duke outside the city are truly here to save the people of Londinium?"

Vigna shook her head directly, that much was certain:

"You mean..."

"The Breath of the Kings is like the Imperial Seal of the State, a powerful tool that can ignite desires. If a powerful Duke obtains it, it will only accelerate the attack on Londinium and drive the Sarkaz out of the city completely."

Only by storming the Royal Palace and displaying the Breath of the Kings to countless people can one claim to have inherited the will of the former Victorian Emperor and declare oneself king, or install a Dolak and Aslan as puppet emperors. Returning to the original question, what do I want to do? With so many Breath of the Kings here, don't you understand?"

Vigna suddenly realized and offered her own interpretation:

"You want to use these Breath of the Kings to lure the Grand Dukes into accelerating their attack. That way, you can liberate the people of Londinium sooner. But if the Sarkaz flees in disarray, won't the remaining Duke be thrown into chaos? Then the people in the city will have to face a new battle."

Seeing that she only cared about the people in the city, Shi Lei was honestly a little disappointed. Just like the previous Rhodes Island, simply knowing how to liberate the infected was useless.

However, this is not Vigna's fault. No one is born with a long-term vision; everyone grows gradually through accumulation.

As long as his heart for protecting the weak remains unchanged, he will eventually become a good leader.

"The real is the real, and the fake is the fake. Perhaps the Breath of the Kings has some hidden effect, but those in the hands of those Dukes are all fakes. Once Alda takes the fakes away and they disappear into the distance, I'll decide how many Breath of the Kings are circulating in the market."

At this point, Shi Lei demonstrated it again.

The Breath of the Kings in his hand vanished into thin air, only to reappear a few seconds later, as if by magic.

Vigna has now approved of his plan, but feels that Alda can still be saved:

"Everyone knows that the Noble Cumberland is Father's most loyal subordinate. Alda is their only bloodline. Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

"Indecisiveness is not a quality a leader should possess. I know you want to protect her, but does she want to be protected by you? If you ask me, it's best to respect her personal choice and put aside your desire to help her."

When the Lion King was overthrown, the entire noble faction was implicated. Alda has been under the patronage of a powerful figure for twenty-six years now. Perhaps she's on your side, but she won't disobey his orders. If you don't believe me, take the fake item out later. If she wants to take the Breath of the Kings, just give them to her."

Upon receiving the replica, Vigna solemnly exchanged the genuine Breath of the Kings in her hand.

Doctor Zhongli is right; Alda has been indebted to others for twenty-six years. Even if she were to turn against them at the last minute, it wouldn't be too difficult to predict. Moreover, the most loyal Duke Cumberland is already dead, and it's uncertain whether his descendants will be worthy of the title 'forever pure'.

"Okay, I understand."

Vigna's words came out with great reluctance. She still hoped that Alda wouldn't go astray.

Shi Lei noticed that the Steam Knight deeper inside had actually moved, and staring in that direction, he said:

"You go out first, I'll Rearguard."

Just as Vigna was wondering why he wasn't leaving, a hissing sound instantly filled the entire underground cavity.

"Pfft... Pfft..."

The sound grew louder and the rhythm clearer. This startled her greatly, leaving her utterly astonished.

"Are there still living Steam Knight?"

"You go first, don't keep Alda waiting."

Vigna wanted to stay and observe, but the hissing sound was like a drumbeat, making her feel depressed.

"Okay, take care."

She raised her phone, using the light to illuminate her path. She then jogged back quickly to the battlefield where the Sarkaz Elite Pincer Attack the Steam Knight.

Upon seeing that familiar yet unfamiliar sword, Alda's pupils dilated suddenly, and her breathing became rapid.

"Your His Highness, why are you alone?"