Chapter 474
Last year I couldn't go because of some things, but I might stay in Lungmen longer this year. I specifically asked my subordinates, and they only saw her around the beginning of February. I haven't seen her since then."
Madam Sicily then asked around, and everyone said they had only seen Lappland in early February. The uniformity of their statements was as if they had been colluded beforehand.
"Then tell me, what are we supposed to say if Penguin Logistics or that important person asks us about this?"
The family patriarchs continued to feign death, and even Lappland's father, Saluzzo, remained silent.
"Knock knock."
A knock on the door broke the silence.
Normally, unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter the Grey Hall. But the person who came was none other than Father Agnil, Madam Sicily's confidant and partner.
If he wants to come in, no one will dare to stop him.
When Madam Sicily saw the visitor's appearance, the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes furrowed. The man rarely participated in family meetings and usually spent most of his time in the church.
"Father Agnil, something important must have happened for you to come here. What is it?"
"There seems to be something going on in the sky."
Madam Sicily was taken aback and didn't react immediately:
"The sky?"
In her mind, there was nothing noteworthy about the sky. Even if there were large patches of dark clouds before a storm, it wouldn't warrant her father making a special trip.
Father Agniel didn't explain further, but bowed slightly and gestured for them to proceed.
You'd better come out and take a look.
Madam Sicily looked at him with a surprised expression, but still got up and went to the entrance of the Grey Hall to look at the sky.
The previously overcast and rainy sky now had a large, funnel-shaped hole. There seemed to be something inside, but it was too far away to see clearly.
Is this some kind of natural phenomenon?
Father Agniel made the sign of the cross with one hand in front of his chest and explained solemnly:
"Madam, we have always believed that the Star Pod is the highest point of the sky, and even the doctrines state so. But do you see? This spreading ripple is very abnormal. If we had a telescope, we might be able to peek through the holes and see the outside scenery. This is enough to prove that the sky above us is an illusion."
Madam Sicily, momentarily speechless, stared at the strange phenomenon in the sky, unsure what to say. The other family members also came out at this moment, standing on the threshold in a daze.
"Why."
Father Agnil sighed heavily, for his faith was beginning to waver.
"If we consider the people living on this land as living in a giant container, and an external force breaks that container, then humanity may very well face annihilation."
Madam Sicily's face darkened; she finally realized the gravity of the situation. She had absolutely no idea whether Syracuse would survive this major event.
"Immediately send people to investigate the strange celestial phenomena. Notify me immediately of any intelligence you find!"
Meanwhile, in a village in Iberia.
Skadi, wielding a greatsword, rummaged through the Ruined Walls. Every now and then, she pried open large pieces of wood to reveal silverware that had been soaked for a long time.
She came to this village not to covet the dead's inheritance, but because she had heard that something strange happened here.
In Iberia, the creatures that are difficult for ordinary people to understand are mostly creations of the Sea Creatures. As Abyssal Hunters, Skadi needs to come and find out.
"Splash."
The faint sound of flowing water below caught Skadi's attention. She searched the dilapidated house with her greatsword and soon found the entrance to the basement.
The rusty chains couldn't withstand a single sword strike and were easily severed by Skadi, revealing the staircase below.
Perhaps drawn by the sound of chains, she heard rustling sounds below. She raised her greatsword, aimed, and plunged it down the instant Sea Creatures's head appeared!
The sword seemed to have struck something slippery, followed by an indescribable scream. The Shell Sea Runner fled for its life, escaping into the depths of the basement.
Skadi quickly leaped down the stairs, following the jumbled sounds of Sea Creatures crashing into something. The area was flooded, with seaweed growing in the ankle-deep water.
Ignoring the stench and filth of the environment, she pursued them like a fearless warrior, sword in hand.
Upon reaching the fork in the road ahead, it was discovered that the basement was connected to the village's sewer system.
Skadi followed the sound and eventually arrived at the beach at the end of the passage.
A wounded Shell Sea Runner was running across the rough, damp gravel. Its tail fin had been severed in half, and blood was flowing out continuously.
Skadi, like an emotionless killer, picked up her greatsword and sped off.
The Shell Sea Runner arrived at the shore and hid behind a Spine Sea Spitter. It could spew out strong acid from its mouth-like opening, capable of dissolving reefs.
Skadi was completely unfazed and broke through head-on.
He changed his form the instant the Spine Sea Spitter spewed acid, and cleaved it in two with a single sword strike.
She was just about to pack up the Shell Sea Runner when she noticed it looking up at the sky as if it had sensed something.
Skadi showed no mercy just because Sea Creatures gave up resisting, ending his life with a single sword strike. Only after confirming his complete death did she look up at the sky.
Meanwhile, on the other coasts of Iberia, the Sea Creatures —whether their Shell Sea Runner or their the Great Herd kin—stared blankly at the sky.
The unchanging sky seemed to be swept by a ripple, revealing a funnel-shaped hole.
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Chapter 549 Falling from the Sky (4K)
Duke Kester summoned an officer to escort Duke Godot away. He then returned to his room and took out the National Sword, the Breath of the Kings, from its exquisite box to admire it.
She gripped the sword hilt and swung it at the air with the same excitement as someone who had found a straight twig. An indescribable sense of exhilaration lingered in her heart.
Given the Duke Kester's bloodline and race, he was not qualified to inherit the crown of the throne.
Since its founding, Victoria had been ruled by the Dolak people. It was only in the last century, with the rise of the Aslan Clan, that a situation of 'Dual Monarchy' was formed.
Legally, the most legitimate heirs are the direct descendants of the Draco's 'Atreus'. A slightly weaker claim is that of the direct descendants of the Aslan Clan's 'Victoria'.
Currently, there are only two people who have a strong claim to inherit Victoria Throne.
One was Edward Atreus Atreus Talulah. The other was Alexandrina Vigna Victoria, daughter of Lionheart King.
Talulah heard that people had voluntarily become infected and even established the Infected Organization Rhodes Island. They raised the banner of resistance against the nobility and exploitation, and dedicated themselves to seeking more rights for the infected. However, returning to Victoria in this capacity meant that she was destined to lose the support of the various Duke.
Who would welcome Wang back only to end up harming their own class interests?
Aslan's descendant, Vigna, is in a similarly precarious situation. Although she is not infected with Originium-related illness, she does not have good relations with the various Duke.
Ultimately, this stemmed from the fact that most Victorians viewed Aslan as a usurper.
Twenty-six years ago, the various Duke who supported Dolak united to overthrow the Lionheart King's regime. All the Duke who sided with Aslan were purged in this brutal internal struggle and disappeared from the stage of history.
In other words, all the Duke currently surrounding the Londinium City support Dolak. No matter how legitimate Vigna's right of succession may be, no Duke dares to defy public opinion and openly support Aslan's descendants.
Further down the line of [weak claims], only one person has surfaced so far: the Ablana sisters, descendants of King Gael, who were supported by the Old Duke Wellington.
A weak claim can be understood as being a member of the Royal Family, but it is inferior to a strong claim in terms of succession rights. In most cases, a weak claim is meaningless.
For example, Liu Bei claimed to be a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan, but Prince Jing had more than a hundred sons. Prince Jing was a member of the imperial family, not a direct descendant of the current emperor. Each of Prince Jing's sons could have made a weak claim, but they were completely incomparable to the direct descendants of the current emperor.
Furthermore, the Ablana sisters' weak claim cannot be legally recognized. To address this, it is necessary to review the history of Victoria's founding.
In the early days of the Victoria, King Gael was Dolak, opposed to the House of Atreus. The two Dolak clans were separate from the beginning.
It's like the eldest and second eldest brothers are each working hard on their own, and they have many conflicts with each other. Several years later, the second eldest brother's children will not have the right to inherit the eldest brother's estate.
The Ablana sisters only have a strong claim to the Talulah, not even a weak claim to the Victoria throne. If the Duke Kester is unwilling to acknowledge her right to the throne, no one outside the Duke can find any fault with it.
Now, almost the entire Dolak race has perished. Only the three dragon sisters, Talulah and Ablana, remain to continue the Dolak lineage.
In this complex situation, if the Duke Kester can win the hearts and minds of the people, he still has a chance to become king. At that time, the Breath of the Kings will become very important.
The idea was nice, but reality was cruel.
The Duke of Castle wasn't the only old man with designs on the Duke Kester. Apart from the Old Duke Wellington, who openly supported Ablana, the other Duke all had their own agendas and wouldn't easily reveal their true intentions.
"Knock knock knock."
The hurried knocking interrupted the Duke Kester's pleasant time playing with the National Sword, causing him to frown slightly.
"What's wrong?"
The officer's voice was anxious, urging:
"Sir, something terrible has happened! You'd better come out and see for yourself; there's a huge hole in the sky."
What a joke! How could the sky possibly have a hole punched in it?
The Duke Kester carefully placed the Breath of the Kings inside and hid the box in a hidden compartment in his desk before opening the door.
"Stop spreading alarmist rumors outside. I'm coming out to see what you're up to... what kind of joke is this?!"
She stared blankly at the strange phenomenon in the sky, utterly shocked. Because the sky had truly been pierced with a hole.
Something seems to be falling rapidly through the hole in the sky. Judging from its location, it will likely land near Londinium.
The Duke Kester's heart pounded, and it took him a while to calm down before he finally gave the order:
"Whether it's a meteorite or something else, immediately notify all Field Troops to drop everything and head to where it landed. Make sure to retrieve the fallen item before the other Duke arrive! If you encounter any obstacles En route, open fire!"
Also, notify the intelligence department. I need all information regarding unusual sky phenomena and falling items. Send me all the information you gather immediately!
If you can take the dropped items before the other Duke realize what's happening, you'll have much more room to maneuver later. For example, you could have a craftsman carve a few stone tablets and then claim to have been appointed king by divine mandate.
At the same time, the various Duke also noticed the anomaly in the sky. Their thoughts and actions were remarkably consistent; they all quickly notified their Field Troops to rush to the landing point.
As for the refugees receiving aid, what does this matter? Whether they live or die, what does it have to do with them?
Officers from all the Duke factions received orders to kill any who obstruct them. A bloody storm was about to unfold Londinium City.
Three minutes ago.
Londinium, a certain Entrance/Exit on the west side of the Outer District.
A male and a Sarkaz were driving a gray-black land vehicle, trying to leave this place.
The Victoria Soldiers stationed there, who were initially providing relief to disaster-stricken refugees, became wary upon seeing the Sarkaz.
"What are you doing? Get down here for inspection!"
Salus glanced at the Confessors Leader, who shook his head. She had no choice but to pull over. But she didn't turn off the engine or remove the key, lest she be able to break through at any moment.
The Sarkaz City Defense Army all surrendered, suffering a complete and utter defeat without warning. The Confessors went into hiding after activating the Storm Cataclysm, preparing to leave as soon as possible after two days of avoiding trouble, as the longer he stayed in the city, the more dangerous it would be.
The Victoria Soldiers, musket in hand, aimed at the two men in the driver's cab. His colleague, armed, ran to the back of the lander, preparing to open the hatch and inspect the cargo box.
"Let's open it and see what's inside!"
Salus looked at the Confessors Leader again, but he shook his head, signaling not to act rashly.
Killing these Victoria Soldiers would be simple, but revealing their location would be quite dangerous.
For reasons of secrecy, the Confessors Leader abandoned the other members of the organization, taking only Salus with him on the journey, intending to conduct research in a different location.
As long as the secrets of the Demon King Power can be unlocked, a comeback can be made anytime.
Although the Confessors Leader has a limited lifespan, he can have children with high-quality Foreign Races women. Afterwards, he can use Secret Art to possess their bodies and live indefinitely.
"Splash."
Salus pressed the button and opened the lander's trunk. The Victoria Soldiers frowned upon seeing the coffin with a cross painted on the Cover plate.
"A coffin? What's inside?"
Upon hearing this, Salus turned his head and smiled wryly:
"Sir, the coffin must contain a dead person. This is an elder in our family. He was swept into the air by a storm a couple of days ago and was smashed to pieces when he landed."
The Victoria Soldiers, who had initially intended to force the door open, immediately withdrew their hands as if they had been electrocuted upon hearing this.
But his decision to abandon the inspection didn't mean the other Victoria Soldiers would. They certainly weren't going to be friendly to these Demon Race who had invaded Londinium.
The third soldier approached the trunk, placed his hand under the coffin, and lifted it slightly. He had been watching the two people inside the car closely, and a half-smile crept across his face as he said:
"Your coffin... is a bit heavy."
Before coming, Salus had considered all the possible scenarios. Upon hearing this, she forced a slightly ingratiating smile, playing the emotional card:
"Sir, to be honest, all my possessions are in this coffin. My family all died in the war, and from now on, my brother and I will be wandering from place to place. If we're not careful, we might not survive."