Chapter 976: Act 148 – Delphine, The Supreme Wisdom from the Empire
Time rewinds to three days ago, within the villa of Baron Ludwig’s castle.
Brendel arrived at the villa with Nemeses and Charles. This villa was located in the courtyard behind the castle, entirely shaded by the lush canopy of a large oak tree. Under the oak tree sat a woman with long black hair in a wheelchair. Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting mottled light on her. The woman remained motionless, beside her stood a particularly tall silver-haired lady. The silver-haired lady was Lady Mistral, while the woman in the wheelchair, judging by her figure, was undoubtedly a breathtaking beauty. However, the exposed skin and face were fearsome, covered in burn scars with patches of dead brown skin peeling away, revealing mismatched red new skin underneath against her otherwise fair complexion.
If any other woman had suffered such a blow, she might have gone mad from the impact. Yet, the Chancellor’s Daughter Delphine sat quietly in her wheelchair. One of her eyes was completely blind, the eye socket shriveled, but the other eye remained calm, its violet depth hiding profound illumination, as if this tremendous misfortune hadn’t affected her at all.
Upon seeing this Chancellor’s Daughter again, Brendel couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned. The first time he had seen her at the Loop of Trade Winds, she had indeed looked this way, but when he met her again, she had turned into a nonsensical harpy. He was momentarily astounded, unsure which version of her was the true one. However, this Chancellor’s Daughter was quite famous in history, recognized as a genius of the Empire. The lady knight Nemeses next to Brendel remained relatively calm and, noting Brendel’s silence, spoke on his behalf, “Delphine, you requested to meet with us?”
Delphine lifted her head to glance at her and Brendel, nodding slightly, “I want to discuss conditions with you.”
“Conditions?”
Delphine did not mention past matters, and Brendel understood that this woman was known for her wisdom. By choosing not to bring it up, it indicated she had already come to terms with it, dismissing it as pointless to revisit; it could not change anything nor revive what was lost—it would merely be a waste of time. Such a woman was frighteningly calm, prompting Brendel to take her seriously, ready to hear what her terms were.
In contrast to the way most people conversed, Delphine intended to get straight to the point without wrapping it in pleasantries: “I arrived here through a mercenary named Sorens, who is quite renowned near the imperial capital and is nicknamed ‘Owl.’ He has a subordinate named Poler, a dwarf, but I now suspect these two may not truly be on the same side. I was able to escape the imperial capital, reach the vicinity of the Milky Way, and locate you solely due to these mercenaries’ ‘help.’ They managed to evade my father’s pursuers and bypass the encirclement of Duke Jotungrund’s army to find you—a small embassy. Initially, I thought these people were quite capable.”
Before Brendel could respond, Nemeses coldly replied, “There are no mercenaries in this world so powerful. This means the reason you were able to find them is that someone wanted you to find us.” Brendel was taken aback, casting a surprised glance at Nemeses, feeling her tone echoed that of a familiar senior he knew.
“It’s not someone; it’s Her Majesty the Queen who wanted me to seek you out. Later I learned they have a superior named Rodney, this person is an Earl of the Empire, whom you must already know—”
“Her Majesty the Queen? Why?”
Delphine’s expression remained unchanged, as though stating a matter unrelated to her: “I’m curious why you, a mere Earl Erluin, have drawn Her Majesty’s repeated trouble.”
“Repeated trouble?” Nemeses inquired.
“Also previously at Duke Toniger,” Brendel had finally caught on.
Delphine’s words immediately planted seeds of confusion in his heart. Yes, regarding that explosion in the heart of the Dead Frost Forest, one could say Constance had sought him out out of curiosity about the Azure Spear. But before that, he had no interaction at all with Her Majesty the Queen. While it was known he had dealt a significant blow to the Temple of Fire in Ampere Seale, it was common knowledge that the Temple of Fire was a powerful entity, and he should have been thanked by the Silver Queen instead of being pursued.
The enmity between Delphine and him had originated during the Loop of Trade Winds, and in the eyes of a person as powerful as Constance, it should be merely a trivial matter. Yet she not only noticed this small concern but also persistently utilized it, something that seemed uncharacteristic for a figure of such high standing, unless she had nothing better to do than monitor the daily activities of lesser nobles around her.
While it was plausible that certain emperors in the Empire’s history had been overshadowed by the Temple, it was evident that the Silver Queen was not one of those. It seemed she not only had imperial affairs to manage but also a slew of personal matters to prepare for.
How could she find time to pay attention to someone as insignificant as him?
This was evidently premeditated.
The perplexing issue for Brendel was how the Silver Queen had come to know of his existence. Her targeting him clearly stemmed from one reason alone: she was aware of his dark dragon heritage. But how could she have learned that? Was there some sort of mystical connection among those with dark dragon lineage? But surely, that made no sense; why should Her Majesty feel his presence while he felt none toward her? Moreover, attributing it to him being the grandson of Darus didn’t quite fit as well; the grey gemstone his grandfather possessed had already been absorbed by Constance herself. One would think her concern for him arose from gratitude toward an old benefactor.
Nonetheless, Brendel didn’t expect Her Majesty the Queen to remember the benefits his grandfather once provided; as long as she did not trouble him, he would be grateful. He shook his head, suddenly recalling Delphine’s earlier comments about wanting to discuss conditions, which implied she had some ideas regarding the entire matter.
That was her condition.
Seeing Brendel’s gaze return to her, Delphine understood he had come to terms with it, stating plainly, “This is my condition.”
“What do you want?” Brendel thought that all Delphine must desire was her freedom. Following what had happened, there would certainly be deep enmity between them, but it was clear that she could not exact revenge here. She needed a way to return to the imperial capital, or at least to escape this guarded environment. But unexpectedly, Delphine answered, “I’ve heard that you have a secretary in Erluin. I have seen that young lady once on your territory—she is an outstanding noble. I believe she could manage your territory well. However, such skills would merely classify her as a competent lady-in-waiting, far from qualifying as a proper secretary.”
As Brendel processed this statement, he was momentarily taken aback, staring at Delphine in shock when he finally comprehended its true meaning.
“What do you mean by that?”
“My meaning is already quite clear; you’re just reluctant to believe it. Here is the best choice presented before you; it depends on whether you are willing to accept it,” Delphine replied lightly. Her voice was a bit hoarse, perhaps due to the previous burns to her vocal cords. “I am confident in myself; I believe I am the most suitable choice in the entire Empire.”
“But…” Brendel momentarily felt dizzy. The fact that this Chancellor’s Daughter had become this way wasn’t directly his fault, but if she were to blame someone, he would certainly be involved, not to mention he had previously ‘killed’ her fiancé—at least he knew Delphine absolutely believed that. Putting himself in her position, Brendel figured that if it were him, he would want to stab his enemy to death. Even if he didn’t succeed, he wouldn’t act kindly. Yet, the mindset of this young lady appeared to diverge significantly from the norm. Brendel had initially thought his views as a traveler were already quite unique in this world, but compared to this lady, they seemed utterly mundane.
“Why are you doing this? What’s your motive?” Nemeses, remaining calm, asked the very question Brendel wished to pose.
“I thought it over; Her Majesty the Queen prompted me to leave the imperial capital for two reasons,” Delphine resumed her previous speaking manner. “The first is to convey a message—”
“A message?”
Delphine explained delicately, “Obviously, I cannot cause you real trouble. While I once thought I could, that was when I failed to realize your true strength. I will not fool myself; at least from today’s perspective, my previous thoughts were rather naïve. Since I can think of this now, then Her Majesty must have known this earlier. Did she send me to you merely to annoy you? I doubt she has the time for that; thus, there is only one possibility: she allowed me to appear before you for other purposes. I carefully recalled my entire journey; it seems I haven’t caused you any trouble. Therefore, either Her Majesty’s plan has fallen through, or she must have achieved her goal through some means I cannot predict.”
“Lord,” she casually shifted the form of address, “you should know that reality is not a bedtime story. In reality, the more complex a plan is, the greater the chance it fails. Since Her Majesty went to such lengths to arrange for me to be a piece on the chessboard, it’s evident she’s not aiming for failure. Thus, after thorough reasoning, I concluded that as long as I appear in front of you, her plan will succeed.”
Brendel was bewildered, taking a long time to untangle the logic in her words: “Are you saying, by your mere presence here, you have already conveyed some message?” As he spoke, he furrowed his brows sharply. If Delphine’s words weren’t aimless or intended to weave some kind of deception, then there was a serious issue at hand: what was the message Constance transmitted, and to whom was it directed?
This meant, there was likely someone planted by the Silver Queen around him.
Suddenly, he remembered Delphine had previously mentioned how Constance had her eyes on him. If she had done so from the beginning, then all of her subsequent actions made sense. Why she was so interested in a small figure from this remote area, returning to cause him trouble repeatedly, clearly indicated that the other party had long known of his existence.
Brendel realized that the Silver Queen had held the legacy of the dark dragon for nearly two decades. Compared to him, she evidently knew much more about the dark dragon. In such a short time that he obtained the inheritance, witches had come to him seeking loyalties. Yet there was no reason to think Constance hadn’t also garnered witches serving her.
Thus, it was quite possible that the Silver Queen had long planted spies among the witches. When Babasha proclaimed that he was the dark dragon’s successor, he had undoubtedly entered the Queen’s line of sight. The more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed; he had recently felt that some force was instigating the nobles in Fatan Port, but he had never been able to find the culprit until today, when everything finally clicked into place.
Brendel fell silent, brow furrowed. There was a traitor among his ranks, yet the identity of that traitor eluded him. Given the countless possibilities, it could be a mercenary, an adventurer, or even a witch. The composition of powers within the Cold Fir Territory was overwhelmingly complex, but it was something he had to accept; aside from the traveling mage’s cards, in the early development of Toniger, he had no personnel to deploy.
Seeing Brendel’s expression, Delphine recognized he had pieced together the overall situation. She remained silent until Brendel asked again, “Miss Delphine, what do you believe the message Her Majesty wishes to convey is?”
“I mentioned earlier that Her Majesty prompted my departure from the imperial capital for two reasons. The second reason is to allow me to separate from my father and grandfather. This is secretly significant; the Nidwen family has long been under my stewardship. My grandfather is old, and my father lacks his capabilities. Additionally, I hold considerable weight in my grandfather’s mind. Leaving the imperial capital equates to falling under her control. If she uses this to hold leverage over me…” Delphine paused. “I haven’t received any news from the outside in many days, but I believe Lord should be aware of the current situation in the imperial capital.”
Brendel felt a surge of emotions upon hearing her words—the fate of the Nidwen family, the foremost noble family in the Empire, was under the control of this girl barely twenty years old. Knowing her significance, she still dared to leave the imperial capital to seek revenge on him. One could call it rash, and indeed it was. He had even personally experienced such recklessness; her quest for revenge had caused him significant trouble.
Yet to imply this woman lacked intelligence was clearly incorrect; everything pointed to the fact that even if he, Brendel, was not too intelligent, Miss Delphine was certainly not foolish. This could only mean one thing: the deceased in the Loop of Trade Winds named Earlman was of immense importance to this woman, stirring a pang of jealousy within Brendel—what luck for that guy to have captured the heart of such a remarkable talent.
He remained silent for a moment before nodding, “Both your grandfather and father have been placed under house arrest, alongside other nobles opposing Her Majesty. Now the entire imperial capital is under the control of the Silver Queen; no dissent is allowed.”
Delphine appeared unsurprised, nodding, “That is my motivation. I am a member of the Nidwen family; I cannot stand by and watch it decline. Although it has indeed been part of my fault that it has come to this, I have calmed down now and will not act impulsively.”
Brendel remained silent.
Delphine’s reasoning was sound, and her motives seemed thoroughly justified. Yet this woman was just too intelligent; how could he ensure everything she said was truthful and not a ploy to earn his trust so she could strike at him when he least expected it? Ultimately, he was just a mortal compared to Delphine. He reflected on his inability to ease his own hatred, especially when staring at the scars crisscrossing this lady’s face. Keeping her around was undoubtedly a ticking time bomb, the most terrifying sort.
He contemplated for a moment, then replied, “You can temporarily ally with me, but beyond me, there are indeed better options for you.”
“Are you suggesting the Crown Prince?” Delphine shook her head, “Compared to him, I still prefer you. The Crown Prince has military aristocrats like Ludwig supporting him while the Nidwen family cannot assist him at this time. Even if I stand by his side, it would benefit me minimally. Conversely, Lord, even though you come from abroad, you are a significant power within the Empire now. I hope to treat external matters internally. As long as you, Lord, become powerful enough in the future, you can guarantee the Nidwen family’s influence in the Empire, and conversely, as the Nidwen family maintains its influence at the high levels of the Empire, it will likewise solidify your position in Erluin. This is a win-win alliance.”
“You are aware of the Crown Prince’s situation too?” Brendel was astonished, nearly thinking there was another traitor by his side, as he had not shared this information with even the witches. Only a few close companions were privy to it.
“It’s not hard to guess. I followed you all the way from Lune Port, witnessing you navigate to this point. You’ve been at the end of the rope; almost no avenues remain to turn the situation around. Yet, you continue with confidence, clearly having a trump card. Summarizing the recent events, I can only conclude the Crown Prince is still in your hands,” Delphine answered quietly.
Once she said this, both Brendel and Nemeses furrowed their brows. However, Delphine seemed to know well what they were concerned about and added, “Lord, please rest assured. I followed you the entire way here to surmise this; the Silver Queen likely thinks she has placed spies around you to occupy the upper hand, yet she may not realize you still possess a backup.”
“But you previously said she has placed spies around me?”
The Chancellor’s Daughter smiled. “You must manage your territory closely. The spies Her Majesty embedded cannot relay information to her every moment. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have arranged such a plan to send me to convey messages. This indicates the role of this spy is merely a pre-arranged piece that hasn’t yet reached its moment to act.”
Brendel agreed; the dynamics of his territory differed vastly from other nobles, as he had many mages under his command. Secretly transmitting messages through spells from the Cold Fir Territory wouldn’t be an easy task. Considering this, the Silver Queen indeed had likely known of his existence, but how many of his secrets could she truly grasp?
He nodded, shifting back to the initial problem.
“However,” Brendel asked, “how can you prove that what you are saying now is true? I am but a common man and cannot put my trust in an enemy so easily. I might consider letting you off the hook, but as for being my secretary… You know, beyond our enmity, there’s nothing else between us.”
“I cannot prove it,” Delphine answered quietly, a bright light emanating from her remaining eye. “But I possess something you desire; the Silver Queen has clearly decided to employ that hidden piece she positioned beside you. She has been targeting you in the shadows, yet you seem to have yet to grasp how to respond—”
Brendel took a deep breath.
