Chapter 349: The Queen

Wu Chang held Zhu Li's letter, a dazed expression appearing before his eyes as memories that never happened surfaced in his mind.

His current identity as a descendant of the Secret Magic Knights, inherited from the Moonlight Sanatorium, had always been false and could not stand up to scrutiny.

Under the effect of the True Traveler title, his originally fabricated identity had been rendered real, and along with it, Erin's identity was added as a bonus.

The current Xiao En had truly become a descendant of a Secret Magic Knight.

Yet Xiao En's ancestors had been merely an apprentice Secret Magic Knight, the lowest rung of the knight order, an inconspicuous nobody.

Shortly after joining the order, the knight order rapidly declined, its members scattering in all directions.

The True Traveler not only completed the authenticity of his identity but also fabricated an unverifiable history for him.

The current time point was five years since he left the Moonlight Sanatorium.

After the Moonlight Sanatorium collapsed, he left Stilan in search of new opportunities, boarding a ship to reach its former largest colony, the New World.

Rumors said a massive gold mine had been discovered there, sparking a worldwide gold rush.

He didn't mine much gold, but helping the mine resolve its haunting problem earned him a small fortune and some reputation.

During one exorcism mission, he met Erin, a church exorcist, fell in love, and married her.

Just as their lives grew stable, a letter crossing the ocean brought him and Erin back from the New World to Stilan's capital, the center of the world, Grimlan.

The letter summoning him back came from Zhu Li, claiming a great commission awaited him.

If he completed it, not only wealth and luxury, but even promotion to noble rank and restoration of his ancestors' glory might be possible.

To increase credibility, the envelope contained an appointment letter from the leader of the Secret Magic Knights.

It was precisely because of Zhu Li's promise that Wu Chang and Erin endured the arduous journey to Grimlan.

The moment they had just rented a hotel and set down their luggage, Zhu Li's second letter arrived.

Awakening from the false yet real memories, Wu Chang flicked the envelope.

The letter arrived as if shadowing him the moment he landed, proving their movements were entirely under the other's control.

During his absence, this old friend had clearly risen to great heights.

Zhu Li was extremely cautious, using occult symbols on the wax seal that automatically recognized the royal crest.

If anyone without the royal crest attempted to open the letter, the moment the wax seal broke, the letter inside would ignite and leave a mark on the intruder.

The encryption technique was ingenious, but before Wu Chang's Breaking Eye, every design lay bare.

Learned.

Wu Chang noted down the occult applications on the wax seal while tearing it open and taking out the letter.

Inside the envelope were two sheets of paper; one was a newspaper clipping, clearly cut from a larger publication.

Its massive size signified its status as the front-page headline.

Breaking News: The Noble Prime Minister Sudden Illness, Called Home by the Lord Last Night.

The article stated that Sir Neil Rohn, the Prime Minister, died peacefully at his residence from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage at age fifty-five.

Upon hearing the tragic news, Your Majesty was overcome with grief and ordered flags lowered across all of Stilan in mourning.

After the clipping was a sheet of paper, handwritten with: "4 PM, St. George's Cathedral."

"Triggered hidden side quest: Proceed to St. George's Cathedral before 4 PM to meet Zhu Li."

Wu Chang opened his pocket watch and checked the time—it was 2 PM.

With two hours to spare, rather than wait in the hotel or gather scattered intelligence, it was better to scout the area around St. George's Cathedral early.

He briefly explained their current situation to Erin, and the two immediately set out.

Having earned some money in the New World and returning to Stilan to assume the position of knight order leader, Xiao En placed great importance on quality of life.

He and his wife resided at the Rich Hotel, a luxurious establishment catering exclusively to nobles and foreign tourists, renowned for its service.

Wu Chang approached the front desk and said:

"I'm leaving now. Prepare a carriage for me as quickly as possible."

The hotel's efficiency was swift—less than ten minutes later, a refined hired carriage appeared before Wu Chang.

The driver was no ordinary lower-class coachman; he wore a full, neat uniform, his curly hair clean and tidy, a top hat on his head, and a calm, respectful smile on his face—a clearly trained, exceptional coachman.

Wu Chang and Erin boarded the carriage, and he said: "St. George's Cathedral."

As the world's foremost power, Stilan's capital, Grimlan, was both the center of the global economy and the center of global industry.

The enormous chimneys of factories pumped coal smoke into the sky, ensuring that regardless of season, Grimlan's sky was always shrouded in a layer of gray-black haze.

As the carriage moved through the streets, Wu Chang opened the window—before he could even glimpse the heart of the world, a powerful, overwhelming stench surged into the carriage, striking his skull.

The acrid smog, the putrid sewage and garbage carelessly dumped along the roadside, the sour stench of excrement, mixed with the aroma of fresh bread from open-air bakeries, the greasy scent of fried fish and chips, and the overpowering fragrances of various perfumes.

Together, they formed a single odor—simultaneously fragrant and foul, intoxicatingly overwhelming.

This odor was Grimlan's own scent of everyday life.

Wu Chang sniffed, his brow slightly furrowed—he detected a faint trace of blood in the air.

Listening closely, distant neighborhoods echoed with shouts and curses.

Before he could speak, the coachman volunteered: "Sir, I apologize, but the road ahead is blocked. I must take a detour, slightly longer."

Wu Chang asked curiously: "What happened up ahead?"

The coachman replied: "A routine workers' protest, but they chose the wrong timing—they ran straight into the gun barrel."

Wu Chang pressed: "Why are the workers protesting?"

The coachman sighed and answered:

"What else? The usual demands—higher wages, better working conditions, and universal suffrage."

Wu Chang said: "From your tone, this protest will turn violent."

The coachman shook his head: "Usually not, but with the Prime Minister just assassinated—er, just passed away—the police are overwhelmed, already boiling with rage and nowhere to vent."

"Launching a large protest now is like pouring oil on fire. I only hope not too many die."

Wu Chang squinted and said:

"You just said the Prime Minister was assassinated? But the newspapers claim he died of a cerebral hemorrhage."

At this point, the driver opened up and said:

"Honorable Mr., you and your Lady are clearly foreigners, here for the Industrial Exposition a month from now, unfamiliar with Stilan."

"Prime Minister Ron was always healthy, known as the Iron Prime Minister—how could he die of a cerebral hemorrhage?"

"The public suspects the Prime Minister's death hides something suspicious."

Wu Chang pulled out several banknotes from his pocket and shoved them into the driver's hand, saying:

"We are indeed here for the World Industrial Exposition, and we just happen to need a local who knows the inside story, to tell us some interesting information."

"For instance, Prime Minister Ron, and the Saint George Cathedral we're going to—my wife and I are devout believers. Saint George Cathedral is the largest in Grimlan, and we're very interested in it."

In his false memories, he vaguely recalled that Stilan's religion had undergone reform.

It had changed from the Holy Bishop Sect to the Holy Revelation Sect.

He didn't know if he was overly sensitive, but the name "Holy Revelation Sect" reminded him of the Book of Revelation.

The driver rubbed the banknotes in his hand—in Stilan, ordinary people primarily used copper and silver coins; only the upper class, finding gold coins inconvenient to carry, used paper money.

To the driver, these banknotes were a tremendous sum.

His attitude grew even more respectful as he spoke of the Holy Revelation Sect.

The shift from the Holy Bishop Sect to the Holy Revelation Sect must also be tied to Prime Minister Ron.

Prime Minister Ron upheld the Stilan-First Principle, believing the Church was influencing Stilan through the Holy Bishop Sect; to weaken the Church's power and break free from the Papacy's control, he pushed for the founding of the Holy Revelation Society four years ago.

The Holy Revelation Society retained the original religious customs but no longer obeyed the Papacy, instead recognizing Queen Olivia as its supreme religious leader, with Mr. Smith, the Grand Bishop, actually controlling religious affairs.

Mr. Smith, the Grand Bishop—Wu Chang frowned slightly and confirmed:

"Zhu Li, Grand Bishop Smith?"

The driver nodded.

Wu Chang clicked his tongue. It seemed Zhu Li's position was higher than he'd imagined, and her ties to the Queen were even closer.

Then again, that made sense—if not, she never could have produced the "Royal Seal" at the Moonlight Sanatorium.

As the driver spoke, the carriage arrived quickly at Saint George Cathedral.

Saint George Cathedral had a history of over seven hundred years.

The cathedral stood three hundred meters tall, entirely built of marble, the largest in Stilan and the second-largest in the world, second only to the Papacy's headquarters.

Wu Chang looked up at the sky—the massive stone dome pierced the heavens, as if its very presence held back the dark gray clouds above from descending upon the earth.

The colossal cathedral resembled a super-fortress; only the supernatural world could have built such a human marvel seven hundred years ago.

He and Ailin entered the cathedral; though he believed in no religion, he was still touched by its solemnity.

The statue at the front of the cathedral depicted a woman holding a golden horn, her face filled with compassion.

He didn't recognize the woman's face, but the golden horn in her hand was unmistakably familiar—just as he had suspected, the Holy Revelation Sect was indeed a branch of the Book of Revelation.

If the Holy Revelation Sect was a branch of the Book of Revelation, then the identity of the person Christine wanted him to help became obvious.

Either Queen Olivia, the nominal supreme leader, or Zhu Li, the Grand Bishop.

Upon realizing this, Wu Chang's expression turned strangely uneasy.

If Zhu Li had been a believer in the Book of Revelation from the start, then everything that happened at the Moonlight Sanatorium was nothing but a game between the Quietist Sect and the Book of Revelation.

He had thought his connection with Leyman was fate—entangled with him the moment he entered the Abyss Game—but now he saw the same was true of the Book of Revelation.

Due to the detour and the driver's many tales about Stilan, they entered Saint George Cathedral at half past three in the afternoon.

With little time left, Wu Chang and Ailin simply sat in the cathedral, listening to the priest preach at the front.

Ailin listened intently, a look of quiet understanding on her face; Wu Chang was less interested, his eyes scanning the stained-glass windows around him.

Not long after, someone sat down beside him and whispered:

"Xiao En, long time no see."

Wu Chang turned to look at the woman beside him—it was Zhu Li, the nurse who had helped him at the Moonlight Sanatorium.

But unlike at the Moonlight Sanatorium, Zhu Li's face now carried, beyond coldness and sensuality, an additional aura unique to clergy: sacred and inviolable.

This unique quality was like poison, intensifying her beauty's aggression into an overwhelming, lofty dominance.

The moment one saw her, reverence and a desire to bow arose instinctively—and yet, this aura also heightened others' urge to conquer her.

Wu Chang whispered:

"How should I address you now, Sister Zhu Li, Knight Zhu Li, or Grand Bishop Zhu Li?"

Zhu Li made a holy sign toward the statue, then said indifferently:

"Names are just labels. As long as we know we're addressing each other, that's enough."

Wu Chang shrugged. "Alright, Grand Bishop Zhu Li. You summoned me back to Stilan from the New World—what do you require of me?"

Zhu Li rose. "The one who commissioned you is someone else. Follow me."

Wu Chang and Ailin stood and followed Zhu Li toward a hidden passage inside the cathedral.

On the way, Wu Chang asked Zhu Li about what had happened after the Moonlight Sanatorium—about Director Randy's condition, whether the Quietist Sect had been purged, and what had become of her these past years.

According to Zhu Li, after Wu Chang expelled Leyman's possession, Director Randy did not die—he was rescued by her and brought back to Grimlan.

After the Moonlight Sanatorium incident, Randy, though cursed, gained fortune—he unlocked his long-suppressed talent for the occult.

With his powerful occult talent combined with systematic occult training, his power surged rapidly; he had become a qualified Mystic Knight, his combat strength rivaling even that of his ancestor, Old Anderson.

He is now assigned to a key position and will soon restore the Anderson family's former glory.

As for the Quietist Sect, Forest City and the Vino family were both purged, led by Randy, who eradicated the Vino family root and branch.

Following the trail, they uncovered hundreds of Quietist Sect followers.

The most heinous were publicly hanged; loyal believers were sentenced as serious criminals and exiled overseas; ordinary people coerced into joining were not held accountable.

I wonder if it was a coincidence, but as Zhu Li spoke of herself, the three of them arrived right before a hidden secret door.

Zhu Li said, "We're here."

She pushed open the door and led Wu Chang and the other inside, where a figure in a black robe was already waiting.

Seeing Zhu Li bring them in, the black-robed figure lifted her hood, revealing hair as radiant as sunlight and a face more beautiful than the sun itself.

Wu Chang stepped in front of Ai Lin and bowed in knightly fashion to the black-robed figure, saying:

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty Olivia."

Without Zhu Li's introduction, he could guess the identity of the figure before him — the woman whose movements flowed like velvet, whose every expression was more refined than porcelain, was none other than the nominal supreme ruler of the Stilran Empire.

Queen Olivia.

"Mr. Xiao En, I've long heard of your deeds from Zhu Li — defeating a god of corruption with a mortal body. Such courage and wisdom are the finest and most precious qualities of a Secret Art Knight."

"I am also delighted to meet you, and the beautiful lady behind you."

Ai Lin tried to mimic Wu Chang's bow, but he seized her hand and stopped her.

His own goddess would not bow to a mortal queen — not even a knight's bow.

"She is Ai Lin, my wife. Her faith differs somewhat from the Holy Revelation Sect; I ask Your Majesty's understanding."

Olivia was easygoing; she smiled in reply:

"I understand. The Holy Revelation Sect was founded too directly and brutally; among the sects of the Church, its reputation is not good."

"Yet our conflict is purely over power — the deities we worship are no different."

Wu Chang nodded politely, but internally rolled his eyes.

Keep pretending. The thing your Holy Revelation Sect worships isn't any better than the Quietist Sect.

Olivia did not know Wu Chang's thoughts and continued:

"Mr. Xiao En, Zhu Li brought you back because we wish to use your wisdom and strength to clear the gloom hanging over the Empire."

Wu Chang's expression turned slightly odd. The smog of Grimlan had become so thick the city earned the nickname "Mist City" — to fix that level of air pollution, you need to control factory emissions; he couldn't solve this.

Olivia sighed, and now she seemed to shed her armor, revealing a face etched with heartbreaking worry.

"Mr. Xiao En, after you defeated the god of corruption Lyman, you left Stilran for the New World and are unaware of its changes."

"In these five years, under Prime Minister Ron's leadership, Stilran's technology has surged forward, becoming unmatched in science and industry worldwide — but this rapid growth has brought grave hidden dangers."

Through Olivia's description, Wu Chang gradually understood his mission.

With technological advancement, the Empire's various factions no longer accepted the old distribution of power and privilege.

Beneath the Empire's surface prosperity, turbulent undercurrents lurked.

Previously, Prime Minister Ron maintained balance among the factions through his immense prestige.

But precisely because of this, he became overconfident, believing every reform would be tolerated out of respect for him — until it cost him his life.

As the coachman said, Prime Minister Ron did not die of illness; he was assassinated in a shameful act.

Though Olivia mourned Prime Minister Ron's death, as Queen, her focus was naturally the Empire's overall stability.

"Before Prime Minister Ron's death, Grimlan was plagued by omens — anti-grain law protests, worker strikes erupted everywhere; supernatural assassins roamed at night, leaving everyone in fear; a great plague spread, making life in the slums unbearable, and the Quietist Church seized the chance to revive."

"Now, with the Prime Minister's assassination, all these events bear the fingerprints of various factions — tools in their power struggles. With Ron dead, they have no more restraint."

Olivia's fragility vanished; her gaze hardened.

"The International Industrial Exposition is imminent — it is the perfect moment to showcase national strength and assert dominance. As Queen of this nation, I will not allow them to ruin it."

"Mr. Xiao En, I ask you to investigate these events, uncover the masterminds behind them, and intimidate the factions they represent, forcing them to rein themselves in."

"You need not solve everything — just resolve one or two incidents to ensure the International Industrial Exposition proceeds smoothly."

(Hidden Side Quest: Clear the gloom of Grimlan — uncover at least one mastermind behind a city anomaly. No penalty for failure. Accept quest?)

(End of Chapter)