Chapter 103: Royal Wing Guard, Capture the Assassin!

Aistini leaned back, returning to her previous lazy demeanor. She looked at the two sisters, who were feeling a bit uneasy after being refused twice, and shook her head helplessly.

“Alright, I said it’s just a casual chat. Each has their own ambitions, but since you both are unwilling to join… let me guess, is it because of that girl named Miss Vilyric?”

Leila lifted her head and met the transparent blue gaze of the empress, which somehow made one instinctively desire to submit, and gritted her teeth.

“Yes, Your Majesty, Lady Vilyric has bestowed a great favor upon us, and she is someone we respect and adore the most. My sister and I have already decided to devote our lives to following her. Unless, unless Lady Vilyric herself requests it, we find it difficult to comply…”

As soon as these words were uttered, the entire Wing Emperor Palace, along with the Royal Wing Guards lined up on both sides, suddenly grew tense.

Even if the Wing Emperor was rather easygoing, Leila’s statement undoubtedly undermined her dignity as a ruler, and to put it bluntly, it implied that Wing Emperor Aistini was inferior to Vilyric.

This was blatant disrespect, and the Wing Guards, who had always regarded Aistini as supreme, certainly weren’t going to react kindly to them.

The only one unaffected was the Silver-Winged Elder standing beside the Wing Emperor, who remained in a dozy state, appearing utterly unimpressed.

Naturally, the Wing Emperor herself had the composure and depth of character to handle it.

“Is that so? I didn’t expect you to hold that girl in such high esteem. I’ve heard her abilities are quite strong; it makes one want to meet her…”

At this moment, Edwina suddenly spoke up, having remained silent until now.

“Your Majesty, I have a piece of advice that may be somewhat unpleasant. Would you care to hear it?”

Aistini slightly turned her head, glancing at the beautiful Holy Knight in heavy armor, her golden hair sparkling like flawless crystal.

“Speak freely.”

“Alright.”

Edwina wasted no time and stated bluntly.

“As for Miss Vilyric, you can inquire about things she’s willing to share, but more than that, it’s better not to pry too deeply. Perhaps that kind-hearted adult may smile and forgive, but some of her company are not so easy to deal with.”

“Huh?”

The noble ruler raised an eyebrow, leaning forward, her demeanor suddenly vibrant for the first time.

“Are you two trying to provoke my curiosity? Other than the lofty Gods, what in this world is something I can’t handle?”

Hearing the hint of challenge in the Wing Emperor’s words, Edwina didn’t take the bait this time and simply smiled lightly.

“I’ve said enough; I hope you can make the right choice.”

“Heh…”

With a dismissive snort, Aistini leaned back on her throne and waved her hand as if ushering them away.

“You may leave now. If there’s anything, I will send another messenger to the embassy to summon you. By the way, for the birthday celebration in a week, I expect you all, including Miss Vilyric, to attend. This little request shouldn’t be denied, right?”

Leila’s expression shifted slightly, and she hurriedly nodded with her sister.

“It is our honor. I will convey this to Lady Vilyric. Your Majesty, we will take our leave.”

Aistini nodded, not speaking further, merely resting her face in her palm, eyes closed in contemplation, looking as if she had fallen asleep.

As Edwina and the others turned to leave, the great doors of the Wing Emperor Palace front hall slowly closed with a series of clicks, and the light within the vast hall noticeably dimmed.

The Wing Emperor remained silent for a long time, resembling a statue.

Behind her, Maid Xiao Mo and the Silver-Winged Elder, along with the Royal Wing Guards in the hall, stood still, seemingly waiting for something.

At a certain moment, Aistini suddenly opened her eyes, her previous softness and nonchalance morphing into a thunderous shout!

“Get to work!”

The Silver-Winged Elder slammed his cane to the ground, and intricate magical patterns erupted instantly from the walls, ceiling, and every white jade pillar of the hall, forming a colorful net that enveloped the entire space!

An ancient voice invoked the magical lines.

“Activate the array!”

A massive magic array covering the entire front hall surged up from the ground, an invisible light expanding outward, sweeping through the entire space, and in a certain corner, it outlined a faint silver humanoid silhouette.

“There! Royal Wing Guard, capture the assassin!”

Maid Xiao Mo’s pair of white wings flared open instantaneously, and two sharp daggers, completely mismatched with the Winged People’s combat style, jumped into her hands from under her skirt. She charged forward, heading straight for the exposed intruder.

At least thirty white figures followed closely behind, soaring up from all directions, surrounding the silver silhouette outlined by the magic array, weaving a dense net of spears!

The intruder seemed to realize they had been exposed, uttering a startled “Wah!” However, what surprised the coldly observing Wing Emperor Aistini was that the voice belonged to a very young girl, albeit somewhat muffled, likely due to something covering it up.

Xiao Mo didn’t care if the intruder was male or female; daring to trespass the Wing Emperor Palace without permission, especially spying on the Empress, was a crime beyond forgiveness. Even killing them on the spot here would be entirely reasonable and lawful.

As such, she showed no mercy.

Although she used daggers, as a Winged person, or rather one of the legendary “Four Wings,” she wouldn’t engage in close combat, which was entirely unsuitable for the agile and mobile nature of Winged people.

Xiao Mo hurled the two daggers in her hand like lightning toward the silhouette drawn by the magic array.

Being a maid who spent most of her time at the Empress’s side, attending to her personal needs, Xiao Mo naturally needed to avoid using less elegant weapons like long spears or bows that weren’t easy to carry, so she deliberately chose short daggers she could hide away and draw quickly in critical moments.

Of course, there was another reason.

Xiao Mo was a “Divine Favored One,” and her ability was quite unusual: anything thrown by her hand would definitely hit the intended target within range.

There was no escaping it.

This trait often gave her an advantage in surprise encounters, catching her enemies completely off guard.

But this time, the assassin seemed to be stunned by the sudden turn of events, not dodging or avoiding, but allowing the two flying sharp weapons to head straight for her vital points?

Hey, that was a legendary-level full-force strike! How could she be so reckless…

“Ding!”

Before the thought even fully crossed her mind, Maid Xiao Mo watched as the two daggers seemingly hit something hard in mid-air, halting abruptly, then shattering into dust and falling uselessly to the ground.

“What!?”

At the same time, dozens of long spears that swiftly followed also thrust toward the silver silhouette that had taken a stance to escape!

   

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