The Hero Stands Atop a Nuclear Bomb? (3)

Wadsworth?

To be honest, Wadsworth has been pretty quiet since the Mavis incident.

Qin Chu knew Wadsworth quite well. Although he was meticulous, cunning, and good at disguising himself, he was also genuinely rough and forthright. When Qin Chu was in the Imperial City, Wadsworth would come over to find him to go to the kiln... cough cough, to go drinking or something.

But for the past month or so, Wadsworth has been quiet, staying inside the Imperial Palace and never venturing out.

Looking at Carol's anxious expression, Qin Chu vaguely knew that something had probably happened at Wadsworth.

After casually wiping his face, Qin Chu said, "Let's go."

A look of gratitude appeared on Carol's face, and he quickly stepped forward to lead the way.

Just after leaving the palace and finding no one else around, Qin Chu finally asked, "What exactly happened to Wadsworth?"

Could it be that she was assassinated and came to me for treatment? After all, there are quite a few people who covet that imperial throne.

"My father..." However, the situation was clearly not what Qin Chu had expected. Carol's brows furrowed tightly, her face showing fear and paleness. "My father... he's been acting strangely lately."

"I don't know how to describe it, but he has a very bad temper..."

"Hasn't he always been short-tempered?" Qin Chu was somewhat speechless.

It's safe to say that no one in the entire Orwell Empire could describe Wadsworth as having a mild temperament.

"No, it's different." Carol shook her little head repeatedly. "Although Father's personality was a bit... a bit..."

"Other princes and princesses were also frequently reprimanded or even beaten for no reason; several princes had their arms or legs broken."

"I'm worried that my father might have been traumatized by what happened with Mavis, which is why his personality is acting strangely... Your Hero, you and my father have always had a good relationship, please try to persuade him."

Carol's voice was filled with pleading.

Although this princess has an eccentric personality, doesn't care much about royal affairs, and has no interest in vying for the throne.

However, Carol still cared deeply about this family; she didn't want to see it fall apart, destroyed, and with people dying.

Qin Chu frowned. Carol thought that Wadsworth might be upset by the multiple infidelities of the Queen and the Princess, feeling like he was being cuckolded, but Qin Chu thought that was unlikely.

Are you kidding me? Who is Wadsworth?

That guy has enormous ambitions.

He didn't just want to be emperor; he also wanted to wipe out the Holy Church and the Earth Mother Church, and seize both imperial and divine power for himself.

Wadsworth's will was far stronger than his daughter Carol had imagined.

At the old church of the Earth Mother Church, watching Mavis participate in the largest gathering of the Bliss Witch Coven, and even become pregnant with Evil Fetus, Wadsworth still did not Wrath or lose control. In order to see through his true strength, he simply hid in the shadows and secretly spied on them.

Qin Chu believed that such a man would be furious at being betrayed and Wrath by the empress and princess.

But Qin Chu absolutely did not believe that Wadsworth would be provoked and undergo a drastic personality change as a result.

"Take me to see him first," Qin Chu said after a moment's hesitation.

Carol nodded, her slender legs quickly crossing over each other, her high heels clicking on the pavement. She was almost jogging, no longer caring about the decorum of a royal princess... although Carol had never really cared about such things.

Under Carol's guidance, Qin Chu appeared outside Wadsworth's study in less than half the normal time.

"Father, the Hero has arrived..." Carol's long neck twitched slightly as she cautiously reported from outside the study.

If it were a normal Carol, she would have kicked the door open long ago; she wouldn't be so obedient.

"Brother Qin? Please come in, please come in..."

Inside the study, Wadsworth's hurried voice immediately came through. He seemed somewhat delighted and couldn't wait to see Qin Chu.

Please!

Under Carol's gaze, Qin Chu could sense the pleading. Qin Chu nodded slightly, pushed open the study door, and went inside.

He casually closed the door, and as soon as he looked up and saw Wadsworth in the study, Qin Chu was immediately taken aback.

Is this still His Majesty the Emperor?

His hair was a mess, like a bird's nest, and his full beard seemed to be tangled up from not being groomed for a long time. There were also some strange, unidentifiable bits of residue stuck in the middle of his beard.

His face was pale, and his skin looked almost cracked.

His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, making it look like he hadn't slept well for ten days or half a month.

Like Carol, he held a dark gray leather whip in his hand.

The moment Qin Chu saw the whip, his brows furrowed, and he felt his gaze involuntarily drawn to it.

Just as Qin Chu was taken aback by Wadsworth's current appearance, Wadsworth suddenly strode over, grabbed Qin Chu's shoulder, grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Good brother, you're finally here! Help me..."

How long has it been since this guy brushed his teeth?

By the way, has he been eating raw meat lately? Why does his mouth taste bloody?

Qin Chu's stomach churned, and he even felt an urge to vomit. Most strangely, as Wadsworth approached, Qin Chu suddenly sensed an extremely oppressive and eerie aura.

If you look closely, Wadsworth's face is filled with a gloomy expression.

Beneath the bloodshot surface of his eyes lay a deep gloom.

He was agitated and restless, his mental state fluctuated greatly, and his personality became increasingly extreme...

This sight deeply shocked Qin Chu. At this moment, Saya in his mind was also clearly shocked by Wadsworth's situation. For some time now, Saya had been nestled inside Qin Chu's body, and no one knew what she was doing. She rarely appeared and rarely spoke to Qin Chu.

But this time, Saya couldn't hold back any longer.

"Could Wadsworth have been corrupted by Evil God?"

Qin Chu's heart skipped a beat, and his expression turned somewhat serious.

Wadsworth's symptoms do seem somewhat similar to the early symptoms of being corrupted by Evil God, although not as obvious as those of Onions, the First Prince, and Karthus.

But why was Wadsworth corrupted by Evil God?

I didn't throw those strange threads at him, so this shouldn't be my fault, right?

Qin Chu suppressed the pounding in his chest and forced a smile. He wanted to pat Wadsworth on the shoulder, but seeing Wadsworth's current state, he decided against it. "Brother, don't rush, let's talk things out slowly."

It's unclear what exactly happened, but after seeing Qin Chu, Wadsworth's initial restlessness seemed to subside slightly, and he even invited Qin Chu to sit down.

Then, after looking around and making sure no one was around, Wadsworth said mysteriously, "Brother Qin, let me tell you..."

"Recently, there have been frequent disturbances within the Holy Church. That old bastard Augustus must be plotting to kill me."

"And that woman in Saint Monica who always pretends to be young, Augustus. What good can come of those two bastards getting together? They're definitely plotting to kill me..."

"Furthermore, my son is clearly colluding with the nobles below him, plotting to usurp the throne, and my daughter is also trying to kill me."

"My wife also wanted to poison me so she could have an affair with her lover without any restraint..."

"And those damned nobles, always trying to overthrow the royal family, they must have all been bought off by those two bastards Augustus and Saint Monica..."

Qin Chu's eyes narrowed to slits as he looked at Wadsworth.

Paranoia!

Strangely, this emperor seemed to suspect everyone around him of plotting to kill him, but why did he never seem to doubt himself, the Hero?

Chapter Two is presented.

Chapter 338 Hero Standing Atop a Nuclear Bomb? (3)

From what Wadsworth just said, Qin Chu could tell that Wadsworth had gone a bit crazy, or at the very least, had lost his mind.

But this kind of mental disorder is somewhat unusual.

This man still firmly holds the highest power in the Orwell Empire, and Wadsworth is still very clear about everything that happens in the Imperial City.

Augustus went to meet Saint Monica in secret.

The son had private dealings with nobles.

Who is the princess having an affair with...?

None of this could escape Wadsworth's notice.

As expected of the emperor of the empire, however, no matter what happens, Wadsworth seems to be able to analyze it all and figure out that these people want to harm him.

The persecution complex has reached a critical stage.

If that's the case, then Wadsworth should be well aware that he also had a secret meeting with Saint Monica, and even appeared before Augustus and left after Augustus.

If that were the case, then Wadsworth should have been very doubtful of himself, but judging from Wadsworth's current appearance, he doesn't doubt himself at all, and even regards him as the only companion he can communicate with.

Why is that?

In reality, almost every emperor suspects others of plotting to seize power, even their own sons, wives, and ministers; they have almost no one they truly trust.

However, the situation at Wadsworth seems to be a bit more serious.

Could it be simply because I'm from out of town?

It can't be that simple.

Qin Chu remained silent, deep in thought. After a few seconds, he finally spoke, "Brother, not only Augustus meet with Saint Monica, but I did too. Don't you think I also want to harm you?"

Facing Wadsworth in his current state, indirect approaches would be useless, so Qin Chu opted for a direct approach.

Wadsworth was stunned by Qin Chu 'Qin Chu words, seemingly finding them unbelievable. After a few seconds, Wadsworth suddenly burst into hearty laughter, as if he had returned to his old self. He slapped Qin Chu's shoulder repeatedly with his rough hands, laughing so hard that tears were almost streaming down his face, as if he had heard something incredible.

"Brother Qin, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"You are my best brother, how could you possibly plot against me? Even if it were my own brothers, my own sons and daughters who wanted to harm me, you would never do it."

Wadsworth's tone was full of certainty, as if he believed that no matter what happened, Qin Chu would definitely be on his side.

Where does this inexplicable trust come from?

Could it be because he himself suffered betrayal and was brutally murdered in his first playthrough? Is that why Wadsworth, who now suspects others of wanting to kill him, feels a sense of shared tragedy?

But even you, Wadsworth, don't know about what happened in the first timeline, let alone that you're one of the murderers.

Qin Chu felt increasingly uneasy.

Wadsworth's attitude didn't seem like he was lying; if this was just a facade, then his acting was truly over-the-top.

"So many people want to harm me, my good brother, what should I do?" Wadsworth grabbed his hair, seemingly quite agitated by the problem, a hint of murderous intent flickering in his bloodshot eyes. "How about we just take care of them all?"

After being corrupted by the Evil God, Karthus will indiscriminately kill those around him.

Wadsworth is currently suffering from severe paranoia, leading him to want to strike first and kill everyone who wants to kill him.

Although the processes are different, the results are the same.

Qin Chu took a deep breath, then shrugged. "What does this have to do with me? This is your harem, your ministers, your country, isn't it?"

"I'm just too busy to manage it all, aren't I? Don't worry, you'll get your share of the benefits later," Wadsworth immediately replied.

Everyone wants to kill him now, and Qin Chu is the only one he can trust.

Qin Chu was at a loss; he had no experience in this area either, so he could only make something up. "Brother, you must have quite a few intelligence agents under your command, right?"

"Some of them are exceptionally talented individuals."

"Then let's expand recruitment and establish some kind of Eastern Depot."

"Recruit talents widely; whether they are guards, maids, nuns, or commoners, they can all serve as your eyes and ears."

Wadsworth frowned. "Handmaids, peddlers? These people can be intelligence agents?"

Qin Chu rubbed his forehead and explained, "For example, the maids around the princess. They may not have much power, but they know what the princess does all day and report to you at any time. They can tell you at a glance whether anyone is committing adultery in the harem, whether anyone is wearing a cuckold's horns, or whether any prince is plotting to usurp the throne."

"Moreover, these people, as intelligence agents, are less likely to arouse suspicion."

"You don't need to be so paranoid, suspecting everyone you meet. It's not too late to speak after you have concrete evidence. I heard your sons and daughters are almost scared to death by you lately."

I didn't catch the second half of Wadsworth's speech, only the first part.

Yes.

He truly lives up to his reputation as Hero from another world.

Knowing a lot is a good thing.

He trained a number of shrewd and capable intelligence agents, each one an elite among elites, but their numbers were not large. However, according to Qin Chu, everyone, from peddlers and laborers to maids and workers, could become his intelligence agents.

These people, though lacking significant power, always seem to unconsciously access important information. This is especially true of the maids serving princesses, princes, and nobles...

If these people could be gathered together to form their own intelligence network, then the entire Imperial City, no, even the empire, would be under their absolute control at all times.