Chapter 851

Done for…

Seeing the rebels surrounding her, all looking confused but blocking her path completely, the Iron Princess's heart sank halfway.

Though she had long known from Veronica's fragmented memories that this kingdom was already rotten, she never imagined it could be this bad.

The guard troops stationed in the capital had a flag officer who couldn't even read flag signals; palace guards neglected their duties, absent from their posts even in broad daylight; the two patrol squads outside were as lifeless as corpses—yet these rebels had slipped in without a single drop of blood shed…

How could this be possible?

Unable to fathom why she had failed, the Iron Princess, pinned to the ground by the bald woman following Leon's orders, stared at the ground with bitter resentment, trying to figure out where she had gone wrong.

The palace situation had to be wrong. No matter how rotten a kingdom was, it couldn't rot this badly. The old king might be stubborn and foolish, but he wasn't as stupid as his son—he could still manage a palace.

So the answer was simple: the Cleanup Bureau must have done something. They must have gotten advance warning and set up a trap specifically for her!

"I give up!"

As Leon arrived, his left hip tied with a goat's head, his right with the king's head, the Iron Princess, still pinned to the ground, lifted her head and growled with resentment:

"But can you tell me—how did I get exposed? Did the Watchtower Palace leak something? Or did someone on our side tip you off in advance?"

Huh?

Hearing the Iron Princess's question, Leon's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Judging by her tone… you're not some sudden rogue anomaly—you're an enemy of the Cleanup Bureau, infiltrating the palace with premeditated intent?

"Heh."

Just as Leon was pondering how to extract more information, the black goat on his hip sneered:

"If you're weak, train harder! Lose and admit it! Do you have to make excuses just to save face? We despise people like you who won't admit defeat!"

You?! Idiot demon! What the hell do you know!

Stung by the black goat's contemptuous gaze, the Iron Princess glared at it, about to retort—then saw Leon approaching and quickly warned:

"Don't come closer! I know what your ability is—don't touch me with your hands. If you so much as lay one finger on me, I'll self-destruct immediately—you won't get a damn thing!"

Knows my ability…

Hearing the Iron Princess's threat, Leon's eyes narrowed slightly.

If she knows my details, she must have seen my submitted dossier. She's probably from the Bureau—or at least colluding with someone inside. This is…

Though I already knew the Cleanup Bureau was a loose, chaotic mess, how could just anyone dig up classified info? Is this even possible anymore?

…

"Leon Lane, I know you!"

As Leon silently cursed the Cleanup Bureau's incompetence, the pinned Iron Princess took a deep breath, fixed her gaze on him two steps away, and gritted her teeth:

"You're a Level-3 Cleanup Agent of the Virgo Branch of the Cleanup Bureau. Your anomalous ability is 'Compulsory Information Acquisition,' and you have exceptional compatibility with demonic anomalies. Though you've only been with the Bureau for two months, your record is astonishing—you single-handedly exorcised a Holy Spirit in your first month."

"At the Bureau's year-end gathering, you publicly exposed the Aquarius Director's plot, survived his attempt to kill you, and forced him into exile. Later, you teamed up with two Level-1 agents from the Virgo Branch to sabotage the Scale Gold Cult's gathering, killed one Holy Spirit, and repelled the Goddess of Wealth who arrived from the Dream Realm."

"Just days ago, when the Fallen Soul Abyss descended, you teamed up with the Scorpio Branch Director to hold back the Nightmare King's physical manifestation—and you personally unleashed the 【Dream-Eating Armor】, devouring half the Dream Realm, causing the worst disaster in a century…"

…

Impressive… So everything I reported, you know?

Even MI6, supposedly infiltrated by the KGB like a sieve, couldn't be this leaky. My shitty job might pay well, but the more I think about it, the more it's a goddamn trap…

Watching the Iron Princess recite his dossier like a textbook, Leon sighed, motioned for the other rebels to step back so they wouldn't overhear too much, then asked bluntly:

"Why are you reciting my file?"

"I mean—I'll trade you one piece of information."

Feeling she'd finally found leverage, the Iron Princess's tense body relaxed slightly, her eyes locked onto Leon's:

"Don't you want to know where I got this intel? Or more directly—don't you want to know who in the Cleanup Bureau is the traitor?"

"Yes."

"Then you tell me first—who's the traitor on our side?"

"Fine, you go first."

"No! You go first!"

She shifted her shoulders, still pinned, insisting:

"I'm already in your hands—if I speak first and you renege, what then? You speak first, or the deal's off!"

"Fine."

Leon's eyes flickered slightly. Since he knew nothing anyway, he decided to bluff—just extract whatever he could. He lied outright:

"I can't name him, but I can tell you—he's someone you'd never suspect."

Someone we'd never suspect?

The Iron Princess froze, then frowned sharply:

"That's the same as saying nothing! No good!"

"Then forget it."

Leon, well-versed in negotiation, knew whoever showed more interest lost. He simply stood up and reached for her.

"Wait! Wait!"

She scrambled backward, avoiding his hand, and snapped:

"I didn't say I wouldn't tell you—but show some sincerity! One vague line isn't enough!"

"Then add one more."

Leon paused, then kept bluffing:

"The traitor among you is the one who's died before."

Died before?

Pondering Leon's words, the Iron Princess's expression turned sharply alert.

Under that condition, the Aquarius Director—who had just died recently—was definitely one. But others were possible too: the old Four Pillar Gods had all been killed by the Cleanup Bureau… even Ophiuchus?

"Your turn."

After spinning vague lies, Leon stared coldly at the Iron Princess, whose face now showed clear suspicion and deep thought, and urged:

"Speak—who in the Bureau is colluding with you and leaked my dossier?"