Chapter 422

The Doctor has not left any trace since entering Londinium. Therefore, Amiya guesses that it was most likely the Elite Operator Ascalon, who entered the city ahead of time, who caused the disturbance. The Sarkaz failed to capture him, so they sent soldiers to search for him.

Shi Lei had no intention of participating and silently retreated behind the group. He turned his head to look at Texas, who shrugged slightly and spread her hands, seemingly unaware of what had happened.

There's no rush for this. If Alda really is a traitor, we just need to think of a countermeasure in advance.

Clovicia first looked around to make sure no one else was there before revealing the important information:

"The Doctor, we have just received urgent intelligence from Messenger outside the city. The main force of the Sarkaz is currently returning to Londinium. This movement indicates that they are likely to officially begin war with the various Duke!"

Based on previous intelligence analysis, even if the main force returned to Londinium, the Sarkaz's military strength would not be enough to contend with all the Duke. The reason for choosing this time to act might be that they have the power to influence the course of the war.

If war breaks out, everything the Self-Rescue Army has done will be in vain. We can join Rhodes Island in rescuing people throughout the city. But Londinium and our lives will be gone forever."

Amiya sensed her emotions and comforted her:

"Miss Clovicia, you did a great job. Without your help, we wouldn't have been able to enter the Central City District smoothly. If war really breaks out, we will do everything we can to prevent it."

At this point, Amiya subconsciously glanced at Shi Lei, who had a barely noticeable presence in the corner, before quickly looking away.

If it were him, it's quite possible.

Clovicia didn't believe their small group could stop the war between the Sarkaz and Victoria. But if they didn't do it, no one else would.

"Amiya, I'm just the daughter of a textile merchant. Not only me, most of the Self-Rescue Army fighters are ordinary citizens. Our ultimate goal in coming together is to drive the Sarkaz out of Londinium."

We will not place all our hopes on those Grand Dukes. If they truly cared about the ordinary citizens, they wouldn't have been waiting outside the city for half a year.

Once war breaks out with the various Duke, the Sarkaz will inevitably be prepared to defend Londinium. In the past, they could maintain self-sufficiency through trade. But if trade routes are cut off during wartime, the city's resources will only dwindle.

Without support from surrounding towns, they will gradually fall into dire straits. At that point, they will either have to ask the city for help or obtain resources from outside. However, resources in the city are limited, so I speculate that they most likely have at least one supply line connecting them to the outside world.

Once these hidden supply lines are found, the Sarkaz's retreat can be cut off. This war might not even break out. Because persisting in fighting without support makes defeat easy, while escaping offers a chance to survive.

Shi Lei shook his head slightly, disagreeing with this.

Clovicia proposed this plan based on the assumption that Sarkaz had a backup plan.

But having moved here from their hometown, where could they possibly escape to? If they returned to Kazdel, wouldn't they face retribution from the allied Allied Forces?

Therefore, Shi Lei judged that Sarkaz's willingness to stay and defend the city was greater than his desire to flee Londinium in a sorry state.

Regardless of whether this hidden supply line actually exists, assuming it does, the Self-Rescue Army's act of destroying the supply line is tantamount to driving the Sarkaz to their doom.

They occupied Londinium for a long time and maintained a policy of appeasement, refraining from massacring the Native.

Shi Lei guessed that this was a measure taken by Theresis to facilitate her rule and appease the workers in the city, so as not to make too many enemies and cause difficulties in all aspects.

But if one truly reaches a dead end, all manners and Morality will be abandoned. The basic need to survive will dominate one's thoughts.

It is foreseeable that if the Self-Rescue Army cuts off the hidden supply lines, it will only cause suffering to ordinary people.

It's not impossible that the Sarkaz would then raise their knives and turn them into dried-out 'meat'.

In the Art of War of the world before Shi Lei's transmigration, there was a principle of "surrounding three sides and leaving one side open," meaning to surround the enemy on three sides and leave one side open to ambush and capture any enemies who might escape.

Cutting off their last hope will only drive them into utter madness, forcing them into a desperate struggle.

Shi Lei never cared about the lives of soldiers, but he wouldn't stand idly by while ordinary citizens suffered in vain, so he immediately raised his objections:

"The idea is good, but it lacks consideration. The purpose of the Self-Rescue Army is to drive out the Sarkaz and allow the people in the city to live a better life. If doing so would lead to them being eaten by the Sarkaz, would you still be in such a hurry to cut off the supply lines?"

He explained why the hidden supply lines couldn't be cut off, leaving Clovicia in a long silence.

After listening to Shi Lei's detailed analysis, she realized that she had been too optimistic and had overlooked the wickedness of human nature.

The Sarkaz are currently holding many civilians incarcerated, and it's difficult to guarantee that they aren't being kept as 'mobile food supplies'.

If they knew that cutting off the hidden supply lines would kill a large number of Victorians, the members of the Self-Rescue Army would most likely not agree to this self-destructive plan. They would prefer to maintain the status quo to minimize casualties.

"Let's put the search for the hidden supply line on hold for now and give me some more time to think about it."

The lives involved are a burden that a young woman in her twenties cannot bear.

Seeing that the other party had given up on the operation, Shi Lei turned the conversation to Amiya, asking her to explain the purpose of her visit:

"The reason we're escorting Miss Vigna to Londinium is to accomplish something very important. Amiya, you should tell everyone the details."

Amiya paused for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening:

"Doctor Zhongli is right, we brought Atreus's relic back to Londinium."

"Atreus?"

Clovicia's expression turned unusually strange upon hearing this:

"Is this the surname of the descendants of the Dolak Royal Family?"

Before Amiya could speak, Alda continued:

"That's right, I just confirmed with the Doctor. That relic is the Atreus Family Key, which can open the door to the Place Where the Kings Sleep. Miss Vigna wants to go there to obtain the Victoria National Sword, the Breath of the Kings."

Hearing that they had come here for a sword, Clovicia couldn't help but find it somewhat ridiculous.

"Heh, all that effort for a sword? Or perhaps, for a fancy piece of steel? I don't understand, what use is the Breath of the Kings besides being a collection? Do you really think that wielding this sword will make you the Emperor of Victoria? Isn't it now about who has the strongest power and the largest army to sit on the throne?"

Such a down-to-earth comment left Alda momentarily speechless. She reorganized her thoughts and began to explain:

"The significance of the Breath of the Kings is far beyond your imagination! It is not merely a magnificent piece of steel imbued with the symbol of imperial power; behind it lies a shocking secret. The truth the Place Where the Kings Sleep the National Sword and the final resting place of the kings may be our ultimate trump card to end the war!"

Seeing Alda's agitated state, Shi Lei and Mudrock Yan exchanged glances, their unspoken understanding unspoken.

This is a rush to expose themselves...

Because the Doctor's face was covered by a hood, we couldn't see his expression, but we could roughly guess it.

Clovicia was confused and asked in return:

"The truth? What truth? Could it be that the place where the National Sword is kept contains the Lion King's countless royal treasures?"

"..."

For a moment, Alda felt a sense of helplessness, like a scholar encountering a soldier. But the current situation left her no room for escape. She could only grit her teeth and explain to everyone present:

"Only a small number of nobles and members of the Royal Family know about this. And I am a member of the Cumberland Family."

"The Noble Cumberland, I know. But the Place Where the Kings Sleep exists only in legend. Could there really be such an area in the Central City District, where...?"

Clovicia suddenly realized that she, as a commander, shouldn't be involved, and immediately stopped describing:

"Uh, wait, should I not have asked?"

Now that things are out in the open, there's no need to hide it anymore. Many people present know Vigna's true identity, and this time she's the one who has taken the initiative to reveal it:

"You already know what you should and shouldn't know, so what's the point of asking this now? Clovicia, I want to talk to you about my background."

"Ah???"

Vigna took off her hood, revealing her golden hair:

"My surname is Victoria, and my full name is Alexandrina Vigna Victoria."

"Victoria... Victoria?!"

Clovicia found it unbelievable and showed great surprise, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the other person:

"Are you the Lion King's daughter?"

"That's right."

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Clovicia's mind raced, and she quickly knelt down on one knee to swear her loyalty.

In earlier years, people believed that the Lion King's daughter died in the massive fire that destroyed the Imperial Palace. However, since her body was never found, many different theories arose.

Now that the Lion King's daughter has returned, Londinium will be at peace. The Lion King's daughter has returned, and the heavens will be clear again!

"Your His Highness!"

Vigna was uncomfortable with this enthusiasm and took the initiative to help Clovicia to her feet.

"No need for that. I'm no longer the Crown Prince, but the leader of the Glass Gang, the Crownslayer."

Alda noticed that no one else reacted to Vigna's announcement, clearly indicating that they knew about it beforehand.

"It's quite unexpected that you all knew His Highness's identity."

Shi Lei smiled and looked out the gate:

"It's a bit unexpected that Sarkaz would come to monitor Cumberland Manor so late at night."

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Chapter 500: A Extravagant Spending of Money (4K)

Alda's lips moved, but no sound came out.

She stared at the man before her, wondering when he had noticed the Sarkaz surveillance agents outside.

"Sir, you should understand. We have paid a huge price to establish ourselves in the Central City District. The least valuable thing among them is dignity."

If conditions permit, I will explain in detail. But for now, please believe that the Sarkaz are monitoring me and the Duke's Mansion are also under my control.

They didn't discover my infiltration and mistakenly believed that the nobles in Londinium City had lost their will to resist after being isolated. But they were wrong."

It sounds like everything has been explained, but in reality, nothing has been said.

Kal'tsit's riddle was at least somewhat useless, yielding a tiny bit of information. Alda's words, however, were like sugarcane that had been chewed repeatedly—tasteless and uninteresting.

First, they avoided the most crucial question, and then they talked about the Cumberland family sacrificing their dignity in order to gain sympathy.

Then they made promises, indicating that everything was under control. Finally, they introduced new information, subtly shifting the topic to infiltration and weaponry.

He changed the subject and talked about other things; what a well-coordinated move!

Shi Lei wasn't buying it, but someone else was. Amiya showed interest in the topic:

"Do you have any means to counter Sarkaz surveillance?"

"Since Your His Highness has voluntarily revealed your true identity to the Self-Rescue Army, I should not conceal anything either. For the sake of our future cooperation, I guarantee with the honor of the Cumberland family that we still have channels of communication with the outside world to ensure that the Central City District remains under our control at all times."

Amiya was somewhat incredulous, because the signal had been cut off ever since they entered the Central City District.

Closure checked and said that most of the area had Signal Jamming Tower. Only dedicated frequency bands and communicators could make contact with the outside world.

"Miss Alda, the Sarkaz are very familiar with war and surveillance assassinations; they are by no means stupid."

"I know, but you've come this far, so you should know how vast Londinium is. Their manpower shortage will give us an opportunity."

Amiya looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated, and the words that came out were just two words of compromise:

"All right."

Alda, observing the other person's expression, noticed that they seemed a little uneasy and cautiously inquired:

"It seems my answer did not satisfy you?"

"No, Miss Alda. I just feel that you are burdened with too much?"

She didn't understand Amiya's intentions and didn't know how to respond.

"Ah?"

Seeing Alda's clear eyes, Amiya, though somewhat reluctant, still pointed it out:

"If what you say is true, that the Central City District is always under your control, then what are the things the forces behind the scenes have been asking you to do, given their continuous assistance?"

When Alda heard this question, her expression changed instantly. Even though she quickly recovered, she couldn't escape the eyes of everyone present.

Amiya, Demon King Power, felt emotions more genuine. It wasn't the anger and panic of having her lie exposed, but a painful sorrow.

She only intended to tell the truth and had no intention of putting the other person in an awkward position.

"I'm sorry, Miss Alda. I didn't mean to offend you, I'm truly very sorry."

"..."

Did I say something wrong?

"No, I'm the one who misspoke."

Alda's tone softened instantly, because there was no point in continuing to argue.

"You saw through my little scheme. Actually, my control over the Sarkaz is limited to preventing them from forcibly breaking into the Duke's Mansion. If things really come to a head, it's hard to guarantee that they'll still have any sense left."

I was delighted to learn that you possess the Red Dragon Key, and I am thrilled that I can uncover the truth of what happened back then. However, to appease you, I began to exaggerate my influence. I am truly sorry about that."

"It's alright, Miss Alda. We just wanted to understand the actual situation; we had no intention of assigning blame."