I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

The light in the study cast Count Augustus's shadow long and pale on the bookshelf behind him. He picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

Albert didn't urge him, waiting quietly. He knew his father's habit—there was always a silence before he said what was truly important.

Prime Minister Augustus set down his teacup, his gaze falling on his second son's face. "How much do you know about the Order of Light?"

Albert was taken aback.

The Order of Light? That religious society that has been active in the North in recent years?

He frowned. "A group of ascetics under the banner of 'purification'? I've heard they advocate a return to ancient beliefs, not believing in holy light or God, but only in 'light itself.' They've been purged by the church several times, and the nobles treat them as a joke, but they do have some followers among the common people."

Augustus took a parchment from the depths of the drawer. "It's not just a joke. They've been secretly operating in the North for at least ten years. The three consecutive years of drought in the North and last year's locust plague were not natural disasters."

Albert's pupils contracted slightly. "Father means...man-made disaster?"

Augustus pushed the parchment forward, "They possess some kind of forbidden magic that allows them to interfere with the weather within a certain range, preventing rain and clouds from falling and allowing locusts to breed. I haven't figured out the specific principles yet, but the source can be traced back to the batch of forbidden magic scrolls sealed by the academy."

Albert looked down at the parchment, which was densely covered with records of the years of disasters and reduced grain production in the various territories of the North, as well as the timeline of the Order of Light's missionary work in the area.

The three curves almost completely overlap.

"They create disasters and bankrupt farmers; we open factories and absorb displaced farmers."

"The peasants went into the factories, got jobs, and survived; the nobles got cheap labor, and the factories' profits doubled; and I, with the support of the nobles who wanted a share of the profits, gained the power to defeat William."

The naive second son of the Augustus family looked up in shock. "Father, you knew all along?"

Augustus shook his head. "I didn't know that before I became prime minister. I only knew that the factory was an opportunity, and that the disasters in the North were an opportunity, but I didn't know that these disasters were man-made. These things were all orchestrated by my half-brother."

Albert fell silent again.

His grandfather, the former Count of Augustus, had dozens of wives and nearly twenty children, but the only one whom his father could call a "half-brother" was his uncle Jules, who was raised as an illegitimate child for some reason.

He knew that his father and that uncle had a good relationship, but he never thought that it would involve such a thing.

Augustus stood up, walked slowly to the window, and gazed at the somewhat waning moon. "He arranged everything for me: the contact with the Order of Light, the timing of the Northern Calamity, and the alliance with the factory owners. Only after I passed the test of the Kingdom's sacred relic, the Scales of Order, and became Prime Minister did he reveal all the details."

Albert asked疑惑地问道, "Why did he do this? Even if it's for the family, he shouldn't have done it himself. Shouldn't he have found someone else to do it?"

The current prime minister smiled and shook his head, speaking with a complex tone:

"You're still too young. How could a white glove with no blood relation possibly gain my trust? How could he possibly obtain such great authority? Besides, he hates William; he hates William for publicly humiliating our father in Parliament back then. He doesn't care about the means, only the results."

The study was quiet for a moment.

Augustus's tone returned to calm. "Now, the Order of Light has made its first demand: they want the forbidden techniques sealed by the Academy and need our help. They claim that these are 'things that rightfully belong to them,' things that were forcibly taken from them by the Academy years ago."

He did not mention that, according to historical practice, the ultimate goal of cults like the Order of Light is often to achieve complete legalization, to rival or even replace the current church.

Albert frowned: "The Academy cannot hand over banned books."

Augustus took out a thin, silvery-white crystal from his sleeve, somewhat similar to a library card, but with dark red patterns flowing across its surface. He handed it to his second son and said:

"So they didn't plan to ask the academy for it; they would get it themselves. To this end, they dispatched the cult's elite 'Thousand-Faced Apostle,' whose ability is to devour a person and completely inherit their appearance, memories, and even magical characteristics. Of course, there are definitely many limitations involved, which they won't reveal."

Albert took the crystal, and as his fingertips touched its surface, a cool sensation seeped into his skin. "He succeeded?"

Augustus nodded. "He devoured an inner court student, a third-year student named Edmund Caster. He came from an ordinary family, had average grades, simple interpersonal relationships, and was rarely noticed. A week ago, he left the academy under the pretext of 'returning home to visit relatives.' In reality, he had already been devoured. The one returning to the academy is the 'Thousand-Faced Apostle.'"

"How does he plan to get his hands on the banned books?"

"The proper application process requires at least three students to jointly vouch for the applicant, submit the application to the professor, obtain the professor's approval, and then have it reviewed by the librarian. Edmund himself is a recluse with few friends. However, he has a fellow countryman with whom he has a good relationship. The Thousand-Faced Apostle is currently looking for a third candidate."

"My father told me he wanted me to help him..."

Augustus turned around, his gaze sharp. "No. I want you to 'accidentally' stumble upon his plan, to report it to the Academy, to the Church, to the Kingdom—you, Albert Augustus, accidentally discovered someone trying to steal forbidden books, bravely exposed the conspiracy, and protected the Academy's legacy. And your father, the Prime Minister, arrived in time after receiving your notification and used the 'Scales of Order' to bring the situation under control."

Albert's breath hitched slightly as he understood his father's intention: the Church had always had zero tolerance for heresy; his father was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, so the Kingdom's attitude was self-evident; his father intended to use this matter to drag the Academy into the conflict as well!

When all three forces intervene together, even the most deeply entrenched religious order will be destroyed.

but--

"And what about your uncle?"

Augustus sighed. "If the Apostle with a Thousand Faces is taken into custody by the Academy or the Church first, his testimony will implicate your uncle. At that time, I, as Prime Minister, will personally report to the King and request that he be dealt with according to the law."

"I have the oath of the 'Scales of Order' to vouch for me, which will prove that I have never participated in those dealings, nor have I ever been disloyal to the Kingdom, the Royal Family, or the King."

Albert stared at his father's face, which held only a calm, almost cold, composure.

"Father...aren't you afraid that the academy and the church will intervene beforehand, and you won't be able to get there in time?"

"So you need to be there too." Augustus sat down again, his hands clasped on the table. "You are the second son of the Augustus family, a relative of the Kingdom's Prime Minister, and an outstanding student about to graduate from the academy. It's perfectly reasonable for you to discover the anomaly, report it to the academy immediately, and also send someone to inform me. Even if they arrive first, your testimony will prevent things from going too far astray."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, if the Thousand-Faced Apostle is controlled by them, the 'Scales of Order' isn't the only relic capable of reading memories. The Church also has similar methods. At that time, I will publicly announce in the council that I am severing ties with that half-brother and, as a victim, request the King to uphold justice. With the oath of the 'Scales of Order,' no one will doubt me. As for the Academy and the Church, they will also give me some face."

Albert sat frozen in his chair.

He suddenly felt that the father in front of him was even deeper than the night outside the window.

When will the Thousand-Faced Apostle make its move?

Augustus went back behind his desk. "He'll come to the academy tomorrow and hire a third guarantor. Then he'll submit a borrowing request to Edmund's tutor. I'll send him the relevant information to your communication rune."

Albert tucked the silvery-white crystal into his sleeve. "What should I do?"

"You don't need to do anything. Just go to the academy as usual and attend classes as normal. Pay attention to the people around Edmund, especially that fellow countryman. When the time is right, you will receive a message from me."

Augustus walked back to his desk and sat down, closing the report on the Northern Factory. He took out a draft of a document titled "General Enclosure Law," as if the conversation had never happened. "Go on, get some rest."

Albert stood up, bowed slightly, and walked out of the study.

The door closed gently behind him.

The corridor was dark, with only the magic lamps on the walls providing light.

He stood at the doorway, took a deep breath, and suppressed the indescribable feeling in his chest.

He walked towards his room.

After walking a few steps, he stopped and glanced at the closed door at the end of the corridor, the door that belonged to his uncle.

The light is not on.

He hasn't been back for a long time.

Albert looked away and walked quickly away.