so sharp that it made the Annihilation Saint want to reduce her opponent to ashes.It is a stone's throw away from the ranch, yet infinitely far.Lanche's current expression, calm and composed, was as i...Chapter 304: Ranch clearly had no ambition.

When the sounds of conversation cease, the thoughts that once flowed between words are sealed away, giving a sense of time standing still. [Google Search]

The silent office was filled only with the faint ticking of the clock and the crisp sound of raindrops hitting the glass outside. In this quiet headmaster's room, every sound was especially clear.

The books on the desk seemed to be immersed in this quietude as well. A copper desk lamp beside it flickered slightly, casting a warm yellow glow onto the surface, blending with the deep wood grain to create a sense of serenity.

Krolyss just stared at Lance's desk in thought.

"So, Cloris-san, is there something troubling you that you need my help with"

Lanche picked up the teacup, still warm to the touch, and brought it to his lips for a small sip.

Krolyss raised her head slightly.

I want to ally with Mr. Roki McCasky and stop the Empire's war.

She replied directly.

"As far as I know, although Duke Morotien is not exactly a warmonger, your family should lean more towards the pro-war side, wouldn't you say"

Lanche is willing to believe Sid, after all, he doesn't even harbor ill will towards Zestrilla. More importantly, from their interactions and the words in his works, one can see his aversion to war.

But for this duchess, Ranche couldn't be sure of her stance yet.

"My father actually disappeared long ago, and the Moridian Duke on that stage is actually a puppet controlled by me."

Chloe sighed, and said.

"……"

Facing Cloris's confrontation.

This time, even Lance was taken aback, his teacup suspended in mid-air.

He was not merely astonished by Countess Corliss's boldness in revealing such a thing to him directly, but also by her audacity in doing so.

No wonder, when Zerith and I first arrived in the Imperial City of Helrom, we already heard that Duke Morotien now refused any visits to the [Primal Tablet - Undead]. Relying only on Protos Royal Mage Academy credits, we could only visit Empress Isis's [Primal Tablet - Light].

It turns out the is gone completely.

"You're more composed than I expected. Don't you question how a duke, as the holder of the stone tablet, could possibly disappear"

Korliss observed Lance's reaction and smiled, asking,

In fact, she didn't need to make jokes at all. As for whether it was true or not, she could simply take him to the Duke's mansion and show him.

"For a missing girl, I would first choose to believe her rather than question her, after all, she is the one who bears the most."

Lanche set down his teacup, regaining his composure and spoke with conviction.

…"

Corliss stared at Lance, silent for a moment.

By this point in their conversation, it seemed like the most surprising encounter for Lan Qi.

Do you have any clues about the disappearance of the Duke

Ranch asked.

"No, besides the fact that I'm sure he went north and lost contact with me, the clues are so clean it's unbelievable. That's also why I was able to keep the Duke's disappearance a secret."

Corliss shook her head.

The Lan Chi nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

In theory, Huberlian could have done this when Duke Megiya disappeared, but one wrong step would have been irreversible. Besides, Huberlian couldn't possibly do something like that.

She never mourned her father's disappearance for a moment, and immediately took control of the family's power. One can only say that Corlys is far crueler than Highbert, and possesses a kind of ruthlessness that ordinary people do not have.

Upon closer inspection, Duchess Corliss's move could have directly altered the current state of the Protoss Empire.

If Duke Morotiano were to go missing at such a terrible time, people would rely even more on the Resurrection Church, and panic would intensify, making it extremely easy to ignite.

Although Duke Morotius appears to be a pillar of support for the warmongers, in reality he is also a crucial pillar maintaining the current balance of the Protoss Empire.

The Protosian Empire's war was ignited by fear and resentment. Duke Morotius, as an existence capable of suppressing fear, ironically could not disappear.

What are you going to do next

Lanche turned to Crolyss again and asked.

Her position was very clear, in fact, it couldn't be clearer. She had to be against the war.

You can't hide fire in paper. Once the war truly begins, the Duke's secret will be exposed, and Cloris' actions will bring upon her heavy charges and irreparable public backlash, leading to eternal ruin.

She chose to temporarily take power using the Empire's deceitful methods. This could give her a great deal of initiative, but she also had to bet that this initiative would allow her to win against the mastermind behind it all.

The backstage people naturally wouldn't expose her. If the backstage people tried to expose her in any way, they would risk being caught and their own identities revealed. It's too risky for those who carefully manipulate the situation to go from the shadows into the light prematurely.

Kloris had calculated all this, it was a game of strategy, but also a gamble.

I'm afraid even the people behind the scenes didn't expect her to play like this.

Maybe I could keep dragging things on, but I believe someone won't let me. I guess at most another month. When the Resurrection Church and the Empire's cooperation is fully complete, even if the Duke of Morotien is missing as a central figure, the void will be filled. Then a war of equal strength can begin.

Korris was still her usual carefree self, acting as if she wasn't in the most dangerous situation of all.

"So what can I do for you"

Ranch is very confident that Corliss is an excellent partner.

Thus far, their stances have aligned, and they can also benefit each other mutually. Then, the transaction might be possible.

The good news is that her power now is even greater than he imagined. She controls the entire Duke's household. The bad news is that cooperating with her means going all in with her.

Either lose and be a sinner for life, or win and become a beacon of enlightenment for all eternity.

"The current lines of investigation are few... But since you firmly believe those guys aren't demons, I want you to investigate in the north. Though hope is slim, as long as you can catch any evidence and bring it back, both I and Professor Xido can use all the resources of the Duke's house to expose it. Correspondingly, our Duke's house will also become your backing from now on."

Carol spoke softly.

The difficulty lies in finding a way to obtain a permit to travel to the northern front line. The north is currently under not only communications lockdown but also requires a permit issued by the Imperial Defense Ministry.

She added.

Obviously, this was the one thing she couldn't help Lancelot with. If he had made connections with the Duke's family before leaving, things would have been quite dangerous for him in the north.

In the Imperial Capital of Helrom, there are both the Imperial Sage Isis and numerous eight-ranked powerhouses. Even if enemies try to cause trouble, they will only face greater risks. However, things are different in the north.

I have a pass, no problem. I'm also heading north on official business.

Lance leaned back in his chair, nonchalantly.

He possessed a certain air of composure and dignity befitting a headmaster.

Even so, Xi Duo sitting beside the sofa still twitched at the corner of his eye.

Because Lance gave him the impression of being "overly prepared" at this moment, with all the proper documents in place. People who are often that meticulous tend to come across as not being serious about their work.

Then I'll leave it to you, Principal Lock.

Corliss rose, smiling and bowing again to Lance.

Though she didn't expect much, Lan Chi went north hoping to dig up some big news.

But, if he could really bring something back, maybe he would be on the cover of Empire Magazine very soon, with lots of interviews and speeches. Even countries far to the north would take notice of Rocky McCasi.

It's a pity, though, that these accolades mean little to him.

He seemed too apathetic, or perhaps lacked any ambition.

Perhaps this is the loneliness he carries, that even after accomplishing great feats, no one can share in his joy.

(The End)

[ ]od carvings. Through the glass, one could faintly glimpse the dark brown furnishings inside the house.The butler first opened a pair of intricately carved double doors, behind which lay a spacious hal...