The Truth Pieced Together

The Magic Kingdom is a country where royal power reigns supreme.

The Queen's power is supreme, her words are the truth, and her majesty is inviolable.

For such Kingdom, the Queen Year qualification assessment is a grand ceremony that cannot be failed or disrupted. If Claw Mark and Black Ash Dawn were to achieve some ulterior motive and ruin the assessment, it would undoubtedly be a major blow to the Kingdom's reputation.

Considering that the Queen herself was even in attendance at this assessment, this blow would become a humiliation, a frame-up. It is no exaggeration to say that this would certainly anger the Royal Court, and might even provoke its Thunderclap.

But everything has two sides. The more unacceptable Claw Mark and Black Ash Dawn's conspiracy is to the Royal Court, the more illustrious the achievement of stopping them and thwarting their scheme will be. As the saying goes, the bigger the storm, the more valuable the fish; rewards always come with risks.

The Larkspur understood all these principles.

However, when the plan was actually presented to her, she simply couldn't bring herself to agree to it.

"... This is gambling with the safety of all the test takers, putting them in danger."

But when she tried to argue back, she realized how weak her words were. "My juniors in the same squad also have to take the exam, and I can't possibly agree to a plan that puts them in danger."

"Please rest assured about this."

Zhe Helan simply explained, "We never intended to use the children as bait. After all, protecting the younger generation is our responsibility as their predecessors. Therefore, we have already begun deploying preventative Spell Formula and traps in the examination hall to ensure that the damage caused by these terrorists is minimized."

"However, there can't be no damage at all; some damage to the venue and equipment is inevitable."

Emerald corrected her pointedly, "Personnel casualties should be avoided as much as possible, but damage to the infrastructure is unavoidable. Otherwise, the Royal Court may not realize the danger posed by these infiltrators."

"As you said, Your Excellency."

Zhe Helan smiled, "It just so happens that the Finance Institute has also recently encountered some issues with its accounting audits. Their initial estimate is 300 million yuan, so our financial loss this time..."

"Luen Nore is the Research Institute's headquarters. If this city is attacked, the Research Institute will inevitably suffer greater losses than other institutions." Emerald closed her eyes.

"Yes, that's certainly the case. Adding the demands of the other two academies and the Royal Court faction of the Magic Affairs Institute, a conservative estimate suggests this attack may have already cost us 1.5 billion magic coins."

Zhe Helan revealed a deeply regretful expression. "But even so, we must face the pain head-on. We will contact the relevant faction in the Finance Institute in advance, and they will prepare the reports."

"Then the Finance Institute faction will owe you two favors."

Emerald added, "Two favors should be enough for you to have a proper talk with the current Diamond; you can't let her keep causing trouble."

The two of them went back and forth like this, and in just a few words, they decided on a certain distribution of the benefits after this "attack".

Throughout this process, Larkspur remained silent, simply because she knew that these decisions did not require her advice, and that she herself was contemplating a different matter.

"So, in your plan, what's the final outcome for these Claw Mark, or the people of Black Ash Dawn?"

After the two reached some conclusion, she spoke up, asking with a feeling she herself didn't understand, "Subdue? Arrest? Or, in the most violent way, execute him on the spot?"

"We cannot kill all our enemies, Your Majesty, for that would be too cruel, and Her Majesty the Queen is merciful, so some should be forgiven."

Zhe Helan immediately replied, "However, as you also know, those who take the lead and formulate the plan are inevitably the most hostile and sinful villains towards the Kingdom. Such people cannot be allowed to run rampant."

"Because they know exactly how much damage their plan caused. If any survivors tell the truth under interrogation, their accounts won't match up," Larkspur concluded expressionlessly.

"Your wisdom." Zhe Helan bowed.

At this point, the basic outline of the plan was clear.

All the doubts in the Larkspur's mind were resolved, from the Emerald's scheme to trade with him, to how he and Ink Lotus, as "illegal visitors," were able to exploit loopholes in the entry system, and why this year's qualification certification was so special yet seemed to be poorly managed... All the answers strung together to form a complete truth in his mind.

But as this truth came to light, it brought her even more questions.

One point she was reluctant to consider was that Emerald had brazenly approached her to trade for the Beast Source, and then, through a "coincidence," had in a sense used her to reveal the Beast Source's whereabouts to Claw Mark. Was it possible that from that moment on, everything was already a pre-arranged scheme?

If someone like Emerald, who seems to have no ulterior motives, is like this, then what about White Wolf, or rather, the former Purple Diamond, who, as Gem Scepter, really just obediently entered the game?

As stakeholders, did the Investigation Institute, the Civil Governance Institute, and the Finance Institute also play some kind of role in this matter?

Unfortunately, she has no way of knowing the answers to these questions at the moment.

The only thing she was certain of was that in this event, which was already shrouded in layers of scheming, there would inevitably be a scapegoat who would ultimately lose everything and bear the consequences.

She couldn't help but think of Ink Lotus.

What were your feelings when the other person called out to you that night and revealed the location of the Claw Mark?

Now, sitting in the banquet hall, participating in the schemes of the Magic Affairs Institute and the Research Institute, do I really deserve such sincere trust from them?

Without a doubt, if Larkspur is truly determined to become the Sapphire Scepter and is willing to sacrifice certain things for it, then a smooth road lies before her.

All she needs to do is work with Emerald and the people from the Magic Affairs Institute to refine the plan, and then use her connection with Ink Lotus to deceive Claw Mark, and she can easily wipe them all out, ensuring that everyone in the Kingdom receives their due benefits.

By completely betraying Ink Lotus and indiscriminately antagonizing Claw Mark, he could ensure his daughters could continue taking the exams without facing any additional risks, and also successfully "make a contribution," even regaining his position as wielder of the Gem Scepter.

The price is nothing more than the deaths of some "terrorists" and "traitors to the Kingdom." No one will investigate afterward because the so-called Claw Mark are just a group of people forgotten in a corner. Ink Lotus is just a comrade-in-arms from twenty years ago. Neither friendship nor interests can compare to the safety of the children and the power that the Kingdom can bring.

But is this really something I should be doing? Should I do what's right from a purely self-interested perspective?

Once again, Larkspur felt he was standing at a rather important crossroads in his life.