Intis, Trier.
The current head of the Sauron family, "War Bishop" Xirey, sat at the head of a long table. On his left and right were two middle-aged men with striking red hair.
All three were demigods—publicly acknowledged as the major controllers of the Sauron family.
Below them sat more than a dozen direct-line elites advancing in various industries. Most of them had already reached "Reaper," while a few were still lingering at "Conspirer."
Of course, the Sauron family also had members serving in the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun—some had even become "Unshadowed," reaching the level of archbishop. But they were no longer part of the family's core circle and had no right to attend the "Supreme Council" concerning family affairs.
As the family's true controller, "War Bishop" Xirey wore a clean-shaven face that revealed no visible emotion. His deep, pitch-black eyes showed no ripples. Yet everyone who looked at him could feel the excitement stirring within him.
"Lord Xirey, Lord Tast, Lord Rubin—based on all gathered reports, it's confirmed that among the Delien family's upper echelon, apart from Owen and Selo who escaped, all remaining members in Trier have been exterminated…"
"Lord Xirey, Lord Tast, Lord Rubin—the Army Ministry has begun purging the Delien family's planted personnel under the supervision of the Steam Church and the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun. We've taken this chance to seize many key positions…"
"Lord Xirey, Lord Tast, Lord Rubin—the Navy has also received the purge order. However, several battleships have not returned to port yet, and their Delien members likely received the news… We've already issued wanted notices and hired adventurers to prevent them from crossing into Feysac before the military can pursue…"
"Lord Xirey, Lord Tast, Lord Rubin—parliamentarians supported by the two major churches jointly proposed declaring a state of emergency. Our own people have responded… If a new prime minister is pushed now, it will not be in our favor."
"Lord Xirey, Lord Tast, Lord Rubin—the two churches intend to restore the position of Grand Consul, but the specific structure has not been drafted…"
"Lord Xirey, Lord Tast, Lord Rubin—the Surrey family is bolstering the momentum of the 'Saintess of Toulon,' while privately approaching us, claiming they have no intention of competing for the prime ministership… But we are likely not the only ones they contacted…
"I suggest we have Helene's 'film company' halt all support for Fanny Surrey. If she refuses, we can consider acquiring or taking over the company outright—after all, its owner is a Loen noble…"
"Lord Xirey, Lord Tast, Lord Rubin—confirmed: the one who resolved yesterday's 'Abyssal Descent' was not an angel from the churches, but someone brought by Roselle's daughter, Bernadette…"
"Lord Xirey, Lord Tast, Lord Rubin—while the 'Abyssal Descent' was happening, demigods of the Demoness Sect attacked the Delien family, but they were defeated by Owen Delien. It's rumored that an 'Unaging Demoness' has fallen into Owen's hands…"
As each member finished reporting, the overall situation—and the possible consequences—became increasingly clear.
"Bernadette Gustaf? She was one of the ones who blocked the Abyss? She's become an angel?"
The younger "Iron-Blood Knight," Rubin, sitting to the right, expressed his astonishment.
"Most likely… I was present yesterday. It was definitely her…" said "War Bishop" Tast on the left, sighing softly. "Her appearance has hardly changed from 180 years ago."
Meanwhile, he himself—her former "good friend"—had aged into a middle-aged man.
At this moment, Xirey knocked lightly on the table, looked at Tast, and said thoughtfully:
"Of the people who fought alongside Bernadette yesterday, besides that distinctive vampire, the other one should be His Highness Bonova…
"Their joint action—could it be a sign that the Gustaf family is returning to Intis's power game?"
Xirey, though patriarch, was not particularly old. He knew little about Roselle's two children and thus sought Tast's opinion—someone who had lived through the "Caesar" era.
It was precisely because he had not experienced the Sauron family's decline that he bore no strong resentment toward Roselle—he even admired him.
His attitude had subtly influenced much of the family, so the current Sauron family was no longer as obsessed with denying everything Roselle ever did.
As for Tast—before becoming a demigod, she had been Florent's youngest daughter and once close to the Roselle family. Though she hated Roselle's betrayal, she bore no resentment toward Bernadette.
After recalling for a moment, Tast shook her head:
"The churches killed her father. Bernadette will never cooperate with them.
"This time, she acted only to protect her homeland."
Xirey believed her judgment. He nodded thoughtfully, then turned to the family member holding the Army Ministry position:
"Don't bother fighting for the Navy's vacancies for now. Focus on securing control of the Army… Even if a war breaks out in the future, it most likely won't be at sea."
After that family member responded respectfully, Xirey turned to the elites serving in parliament:
"Agree to all of the Surrey family's conditions. We need them—and the forces behind them—otherwise we definitely cannot compete with the candidate backed by the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
"Whether it's the prime minister or the Grand Consul—we must fight for it."
The family elite who proposed taking over the film company wanted to object, but Xirey cut him off with a wave:
"Don't think you can meddle with Helene's film company just because she lacks backing!
"She is already a 'Conspirer,' not weaker than any of you. And behind her stands Ebner Bryan—someone none of you can afford to offend.
"He is a favored of a deity, and the Church of the Earth Mother has real power in Trier!
"The vampire angel who appeared yesterday is likely a believer of the Earth Mother.
"So put away your little schemes."
Since their patriarch spoke with such seriousness—even solemn caution—they dared not object further.
The meeting continued for several hours before finally ending.
When everyone else had left, the "Iron-Blood Knight" Rubin looked at the patriarch and asked in confusion:
"Why give that 'Hero Detective' such importance?"
Xirey glanced at the two family demigods, then said meaningfully:
"Because it is the command of the 'Ancestor.'"
…
At the same time, Loen Kingdom, deep inside Sodela Palace.
King George III was also discussing the upheaval in Intis with William Augustus, Drenk Augustus, and other core members of the family.
As an ally, the "Saintess of Black," Medea, had been invited to listen.
"According to the footage our spies in Intis returned, the one who blocked the 'Abyss' was Roselle's daughter. As for the other one, it was Rhine Karendia… but he was destroyed long ago by the Eternal Blazing Sun, so this should be merely a 'Historical Projection.'"
William Augustus I—who had lived since the Fourth Epoch—spoke solemnly.
"And the figure that appeared inside the 'Arc de Triomphe' was Vicente Miranda, one of the Death Consuls!"
"Then what exactly happened in Intis? Why did such a terrifying event suddenly erupt?"
Drenk Augustus frowned.
George III thought for a moment, then looked toward the invited "Saintess of Black," asking calmly:
"Your Highness Saintess, I heard that several Saintesses of the Demoness Sect were attacking the Delien family when the event occurred… You should know some inside information?"
The "Saintess of Black" blinked her charming eyes and smiled:
"How could I know any inside story?
"But why not ask Owen? According to reports from the 'Saintess of White,' he summoned several angels at that time—including the previous pontiff of the Eternal Blazing Sun, Richelieu—and abducted the 'Saintess of Yellow' and 'Saintess of Red'…"
Owen, is it? Worth trying…
George III exchanged looks with the family's angels, then nodded:
"I'll notify Vera later. She can try to gather information or arrange a meeting."
…
At 28 Kinster Street.
After sending off Lilith, Ebner held the chopstick-shaped "little scepter," swung it a few times, and confirmed that besides slightly boosting physical strength, it had no other abilities. Only then was he satisfied.
This was much more reliable than his previous "seal."
After all, when he first brought the little scepter home, it almost caused a catastrophe in which every woman on the street became "pregnant" out of spite.
Yes, "catastrophe" was the correct word—because when Ebner "Cognized" it, he saw that all those future children would bear facial features resembling him…
The mere thought made his scalp go numb. He promptly exiled the little scepter above the gray fog.
Fortunately, that trouble was gone now. As long as he fed it milk regularly, everything was fine.
After complaining inwardly for a few moments, Ebner recalled the last part of his conversation with Lilith and mused:
"As I expected, the 'God of Luck' truly was a member of the 'Rose of Redemption'…
Mm. If the earlier the traversal, the younger the 'me,' then He probably didn't yet have memories of the 'Lord of Mysteries' era…
"And Sasriel inviting Him likely involved intentions related to the 'Unknown.'"
Just as the thought formed, he suddenly sensed someone pulling out his projection from a historical gap.
Who?
Daphne?
Klein?
Or someone else?
While wondering, he split off a "Wise Eye," sending his consciousness along the connection.
(End of Chapter)