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Chapter 115: The Fall of the Second Prince

In the City of Courage, on the second floor of the celestial prison.

The guardian, Edith Meikailande, draped in a golden robe and possessing blue hair, stood before the largest teleportation node, silently waiting like a statue.

As one of the true founders of the City of Courage and the United Kingdom of Humans, Edith was the only one among those original adventurers who remained to this day.

Her transcendent power granted her an ageless appearance and a lifespan lasting thousands of years; time had left almost no trace on this royal ancestor, save for the weathered look in her eyes.

Though she seemed immortal, a transcendent can still be killed, just like some of Edith’s companions had been.

For the transcendent are not at the pyramid’s peak; above them exist even more powerful beings—pseudo-gods and true gods.

From the very first glance, a feeling deep within her soul made Edith aware that the two girls accompanying her were, indeed, of a realm far beyond her own.

Therefore, she did not obstruct them.

Moreover, the black-haired girl named Vilyric had even kindly healed Edith.

Although the descendant named Ban had made a grave mistake, his true error lay in his failure to comprehend the insignificance of being mortal, recklessly provoking those truly in power; his survival now hinged solely on fate.

Two bloody figures in silver robes entered the node-filled room from behind, bowing respectfully.

“Leader, the enemy has retreated.”

“…It seems Miss Vilyric has made significant progress; I wonder… oh, they’re out.”

As Edith’s words fell, a brilliant light flashed within the magnificent teleportation node, and the blonde and black-haired girls firmly landed before the three “Guardians,” posed just as they had initially.

“Hey, everyone’s here.”

The Priestess waved casually at the three Guardians before her, her expression at ease as she greeted them.

“Welcome back, Miss Vilyric. What are your thoughts on this spectacle of our United Kingdom?”

In return for her gentle smile, Edith didn’t rush to inquire about their journey’s outcome. Instead, she brought up something more akin to mundane family talk, as if she were utterly unconcerned about Ban’s fate.

“It was alright, quite interesting. Miss Edith, if you have the chance, could we sit down together sometime? I’m really interested in the designer who built this place and the kingdom’s history back then.”

“Ah, of course! It would be my honor.”

Thoughtfully, Edith pulled an object from her sleeve and handed it to Vilyric.

“Hold this, and the Guardians will understand your identity.”

“Then I won’t hold back ~ hmm…”

After receiving the token and waiting a moment longer, noticing that the other three seemed unlikely to speak up… reluctantly, Vilyric decided to try and liven up the somewhat stiff conversation.

“So, you two, how come you came back here? Is the fighting outside over?”

At her words, the older left guard in a silver robe finally chimed in.

“Yes, thanks to Miss Vilyric’s earlier assistance, we managed to repel the enemy. What about you?”

“Basically figured it out. It seems you’re not in any trouble… then I’ll take my leave; I suspect there’s still work to be done outside.”

Despite saying that, Vilyric did not immediately leave.

“By the way, Miss Edith, with so much combat strength on your side, aren’t you going to help out?”

Everyone understood this “you” primarily referred to the two legendary figures, particularly the guardian Edith. She was not only a living fossil of nearly a thousand years but also possessed transcendent power.

In the absence of Vilyric’s interference, Edith’s very presence could be said to possess the capacity to reverse the tides.

However…

The ancestral lady smiled and shook her head.

“The duty of the Guardians is to guard against evil and only to guard against evil. Political strife does not fall within that responsibility; unless the kingdom truly faces annihilation, I shall not intervene. Otherwise, during these past eight hundred years filled with coups and unrest, would I have to intervene every time?”

“Well… that’s fair.”

The more powerful the individual, the more indifferent they become to struggles for power. Vilyric, that loli prince Lucini, and guardian Edith were all the same.

Perhaps in the eyes of their ancestor, as long as the kingdom remained and the Meikailande family maintained power, it hardly mattered who the ruler was.

Eight hundred years is a long time, enough to dull a person’s fervor, making her indifferent as water.

After some thought, Vilyric still refrained from mentioning that Ban had escaped through unusual means and planned to split the kingdom, declaring himself king.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave for tonight, I…?”

Just as she lifted her foot, Vilyric suddenly changed her expression, revealing something strange yet seemingly anticipated.

“Master, what’s wrong with you?”

Xiao Guang, who always kept her attention on the Priestess, was the first to notice the change in her demeanor.

Edith and the others also cast curious glances.

“Ban Meikailande is dead… just now.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Vilyric finally revealed the fact.

The three Guardians’ expressions shifted.

The politically savvy royal ancestor, Edith, immediately grasped the significance of that brief statement and Vilyric’s demeanor, yet she did not seem particularly saddened by the child’s death. Instead, she pressed further.

“Miss Vilyric means to say you did not do anything to that child, but rather someone else killed him?”

“Something like that, yeah… Well, I should tell you guys.”

Continuing to withhold information had little meaning, so Vilyric succinctly explained what happened after her encounter with Ban and the conversation that ensued.

“To escape the imprisonment of the ‘Dream Prison’ in such a manner…”

Murmuring to herself with a frown, Edith looked at the black-haired girl before her.

“So, Miss Vilyric believes…”

“Yes, sensing something was off, I covertly cast a detection spell on Ban before we parted ways, and just now, that connection was severed.”

The Priestess spoke candidly.

“He couldn’t have noticed and lifted my spell in such a short time—the only explanation is that Ban Meikailande is completely dead and did not revive in any manner.”

In that scenario, the only one who could pinpoint their teleportation destination ahead of time and surpass the protective prowess of the transcendent Rebecca to kill Ban would be…

Rebecca herself.

As suspected, the Throne of Immortality… at least Rebecca had already betrayed Ban Meikailande; all her actions had purpose, covertly assisting the Second Prince’s faction while stealthily leading him toward destruction.

Even at the last moment, she acted personally to slay him, removing any future threats.

That copied secret document of Ban and the Beast Kingdom was undoubtedly kept by Rebecca in a deliberate manner, secretly placing it into the “Ring of the Magic God’s Protection” without his notice.

Being the second seat and a transcendent-level expert, gaining Ban’s trust to achieve this was not difficult at all.

Thus, from the beginning, Vilyric had never interfered or plotted against them, for upon learning that intelligence, she realized.

The grand plan had reached its net closing moment; tonight, Ban Meikailande would undoubtedly perish.

He likely died unaware that a pair of more hidden yet omnipresent hands had been manipulating the changes of fate all along.

The Second Prince, convinced he had calculated everything, was merely an unsuspecting puppet in another’s grasp.