Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

"Lord Manna, you are a nobleman of the Lightbringer family and a knight of the glory of Kazimierz. Why do you need to work for Victoria?"

Marna frowned and pursed her lips: "What nobleman, what knight? I'm just an office worker. Don't talk nonsense."

Platinum gritted her teeth, and under Hinterlea's shocked gaze, suddenly knelt down on the spot, pleading:

"Then please let us go, okay? We've done everything Victoria asked of us. Whether it was using the name of the Unarmored Alliance as a cover to help Victoria quickly sell off the shares of the Kazimir Business Federation at a high price, or following Victoria's orders to pin the blame on the Unarmored Alliance when the Oversight Council investigated everything, we've done everything. Why go through with this?"

Marner raised an eyebrow, walked past Old Platinum, stood in front of him, knelt down, reached out and cupped Platinum's face, and asked:

Why do you think that way?

He said with amusement:

"What if I let you run now? Do you think you could escape?"

Old Bai Jin pursed his lips, his face paling even more. After a long while, he lowered his head resignedly. Marner stared at him and asked:

"You're just going to let it go like that? I thought you were the kind of person who would do anything to survive."

“I can’t leave, but at least please help Hinterlea leave,” Platinum said. “I cherish my old life, but if I have to give it up, I have nothing to be reluctant to leave behind. Please spare my apprentice, Lord Nearl?”

“I am not worthy of this title, nor is Kazimierz,” Marna said coldly, lowering her eyes and standing up.

He reached out and drew the sword from his waist. Old Platinum closed his eyes in despair, but the next second, he suddenly sprang up and lunged towards Marna's arms, shouting, "Hinterlea, run!"

"Don't rush, at least grab your things before you run."

Marna easily dodged the man's charge, planted her sword in the ground, and pulled out two train tickets and a few Kazimierz gold coins from her pocket.

"This is what Victoria promised you: your ticket to Victoria, and the travel expenses. Use it wisely; it's enough to feed you three meals a day until you reach Plymouthshire, Victoria."

Seeing Platinum standing there dumbfounded and Hinterlea, who was about to run but was stopped and could only maintain a strange sprinting posture, Marna's perpetually icy poker face showed a rare, faint smile, but he still said in an impatient tone:

"Take this, my job is done. The rest is up to the contact person."

Bai Jin finally came to her senses and asked incredulously, "You...you're not going to kill us to silence us?"

Instead of Marna, an echo resounded from the woods, silent and ghostly. A figure shrouded in black robes appeared by an inconspicuous roadside tree, letting out a slightly mocking sneer:

"Look how scared you made them."

Marna immediately wiped the few smiles off his face, turned his head, and looked at the figure not far away. The black-robed figure had two ferocious horns on its head, and a conspicuous thin tail was rhythmically swinging behind it; it was clearly a Sarkaz.

“Your contact has arrived,” Marna said.

A Sarkaz with a cold and sharp aura stepped forward. Her face and body outline were not clearly visible under her black robe, but judging from the fair and delicate skin that was exposed, this Sarkaz with a neutral voice seemed to be a woman.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Ascaron, and I work for the Victorian Home Affairs Anti-Corruption Commission."

Anti-Counter-Revolutionary Committee!

Platinum swallowed hard, wanting to shield Hinterlea behind him. Anyone who could bear that title, regardless of good or evil, must have blood on their hands. But this time, he couldn't stop Hinterlea. The white-haired Pegasus, under Ascalon's intrigued gaze, walked up to her, puffing out his chest to appear more confident. She sized up the person claiming to be Ascalon, then, as if having made up her mind, extended her hand:

"Hello."

“Hello.” Ascaron returned the handshake without hesitation, glancing at the old platinum man standing to the side who had been trying to stop Hinterlea’s risky actions with a hint of disdain in her eyes. Turning back to Hinterlea, she said, “Not bad, a very bold little girl. What’s your name?”

"Hinterlaya".

"What is your identity?"

"An assassin from the Unarmored Alliance, a disciple of the Platinum-ranked."

“You will be more successful than your master.” She nodded, looked at Old Bai Jin, and said, “If I wanted to make a move, you probably wouldn’t even notice when I made it. At such close range, any precautions against me would be useless. But don’t worry, I have no ill intentions towards you. The reason I chose such a suitable burial place was out of necessity.”

Ascalon spoke in a tone so flat it was as if she were reading from a prepared script:

“Kazimir has recently tightened its border controls, and the area surrounding the Grand Knight Territory has also come under the jurisdiction of the Conquering Knights. It won’t be easy to find a suitable place for a foreigner of my status to appear. Please bear with me. You have done things for Victoria, and neither Her Highness Wayne nor Her Highness Theresa have the habit of killing meritorious officials.”

Wayne, that name again.

In the minds of Old Platinum and Hinterlea, this frequently appearing name had become something akin to an urban legend. He seemed omniscient, all things proceeded according to his plans and within his expectations. According to the Wuzhou Alliance, this kind of person was a "terrifying giant," a "mysterious gentleman," someone absolutely not to be trifled with.

Hinterlea composed herself and asked, "So, you're here on behalf of Victoria to recruit us?"

Ascalon raised an eyebrow, but her cloak obscured her expression: "Why do you say that?"

Hinterlea truthfully replied, "I don't think it's necessary for an official from the Ministry of the Interior to personally handle the task of taking over two tools that have been used up."

"Don't put it so harshly. You're not tools, you're heroes." Ascalon nodded. "However, you're half right."

“I am indeed here to recruit you, but not on behalf of the Victorian Ministry of Home Affairs’ Anti-Counter-Revolution Committee. With your abilities, you wouldn’t even qualify.”

Ascalon turned the medal on her chest over; the reverse of the roaring lion was a towering spiral tower, and she spoke:

"In the name of the three giants—the Speaker, the Paradox, and the Doctor—I, on behalf of SWEEP, invite you all to join the Tower of Babel and become leaders of the Tower of Babel's office in Kazimir. What do you say?"

"What is the Tower of Babel?" Hintelia asked, puzzled. She had never heard of this organization.

But what followed was a series of names that Ascaron revealed, shattering the worldviews of both the old platinum and Hinterlea.

"The Tower of Babel is the home and support of those who challenge the gods, an organization loyal to the Three Giants. You may not have heard of the Tower of Babel, but you have certainly heard of these people."

"[Joseph Pulitzer, the journalist of justice], [Wayne, the destroyer of Columbia], [Prince Victoria, the Prince of Wales], [The shadow of empire, the paradox]..."

The more Hinterlea listened, the more shocked and horrified she became.

Joseph Pulitzer, the journalist, goes without saying. The Terrans might not know the name of his country or who his emperor was, but they couldn't possibly be unaware of Joseph Pulitzer and his world-changing reports. The disintegration of Columbia was too coincidental, and conspiracy theories suggesting human intervention have been prevalent, but no one suspected that it was also the work of some "omniscient Wayne." As for Prince Victoria, the title is concise yet far from simple. A prince of a nation, a legitimate member of the royal family, has joined this organization; how powerful must this organization be? Finally, the one with the title—the Shadow of the Empire—is known as "Paradox," the same "Three Leaders of the Tower of Babel" mentioned by Ascalon at the beginning. Although Hinterlea doesn't know which empire "The Shadow of the Empire" refers to, since Paradox is one of the leaders of the Tower of Babel, he is certainly no ordinary person. Could this empire be one of the Ursus Empire, the Victoria Empire, or the Letania Empire?

Consider again the purpose of the Tower of Babel as described by Ascalon—to challenge the gods!

Gods—do such things truly exist on earth? Hintraya had heard of some countries that still retained beliefs in gods, such as Lateran and Sherag, but divine miracles were scenes that only appeared in historical records. To challenge a god—the mere thought of such a purpose was terrifying.

Hinterlea truly couldn't understand why such an organization would approach her and her master. From any perspective, neither she nor her master were particularly strong; their only advantage was that she was somewhat attractive, a skilled archer, and reasonably good at martial arts. But surely the Tower of Babel and the Three Giants wouldn't have invited her to join simply because of her looks?

"Can you tell me why?" Hinterlea couldn't help but ask.

Ascalon shrugged nonchalantly: "I don't know, but it's a direct order from Lord Paradox."

The shadow of empire, a paradox...

These important figures must have had their reasons for making such arrangements. They certainly wouldn't allow their pawns to rebel against them, would they?

In other words, knowing all this, I can't possibly refuse. Since I can't refuse, I have no choice but to accept it...

What are the working conditions like at Babel Tower?

"Hinterlea asked very seriously."

This time, even Ascalon's expression clearly showed that he was stunned.

Chapter Sixty-Six: Selling out teammates becomes a skill through practice

"Sir, have you read today's newspaper?"

When a low-ranking officer from the Deep Pool entered Ahmoni's camp with a newspaper, he was astonished to find the place in complete disarray. Tables and chairs were overturned, fruit was scattered everywhere, and cherished books were strewn about like useless trash. Only Ahmoni remained, crouching by the fireplace, her eyes fixed on the fire, her darkened lips trembling and moving as if she were whispering something.

The officer from Deeppool stood awkwardly in the doorway as he entered the room. Judging from the scene inside, Lady Ahmoni had probably already seen the latest news. Moreover, this strategist didn't seem to have come up with any good solutions. She had even started to lose her temper.

The officer from Deeppool thought for a moment and tried to comfort her, "Lady Ahmoni, don't worry. The newspapers say this was an attack planned and launched by the Leader. The Leader killed so many Victorian nobles, and Victoria will definitely be in chaos for some time to come. Although the Leader has unfortunately been captured, as long as you, Lady Ahmoni, lead us to conquer those chaotic cities in Victoria, and Deeppool consolidates our base, we will definitely be able to launch a counterattack on Londinium and rescue the Leader. Don't you agree?"

“Yes…” Ahmoni murmured. The deep-pool officer, thinking his words of comfort had worked, smiled and tried to continue, but was interrupted by Ahmoni's shriek, “You *vile* Victorian profanity*! Get out of here and don't bother me!”

The deep-pool officer fled in a panic, while Ahmoni, panting heavily, turned around and looked at the roaring fire in the furnace, her eyes filled with confusion.

Why? Why did this happen?

The Celts actually managed to raid the heavily guarded ceremony site in Lentinium, the capital of Victoria, and kill all of the Victorian nobles, even injuring Wayne.

Even though the matter had been published in the newspapers as if it were a done deal, and the photos of Wayne covered in wounds and unconscious were presented on the same page as those of nobles hanging from streetlights or lying dead on stages, Ahmoni still couldn't believe it.

She even wanted to point her finger at the Unicorns and Mounted Police responsible for security at the Londinium and the ceremony site and yell at them, "What kind of job are you doing?! How could you let such dangerous Drak thugs like the Celts break into the venue and attack so many important guests?"

She completely disbelieved the newspaper's claim that "several security personnel accepted bribes from Deeppool, leaving a loophole for Celt." It was utterly baseless and exaggerated. Did Ahmoni not know what Deeppool was like? If Celt had the money to bribe Lentinium's security personnel, she wouldn't still be a lowly bandit leader.

Ahmoni wasn't mocking the Celts' intelligence, although her inflexible and inept intelligence was indeed a bit worrying. Here, Ahmoni was simply stating the fact that the deep pool had no money at all.

Even if Ahmoni recognized that the facts presented in the newspaper were fabricated, she was now powerless to verify them, because it wouldn't change anything. What difference would it make if she proved that Victoria was lying? Not to mention how many Victorians would still believe Deeppool's nonsense at this point, Deeppool didn't control any propaganda media at all. Just the kind of propaganda war they waged by shouting on the radio would be considered retro even by the native chieftains of Sargon.

Besides, the nobles are dead. At least those who supported her are all dead. It's an undeniable fact that the entire city of Lentinium is in mourning.

"What should I do...?"

Without the financial support of the nobles, Deeppool could no longer pay his troops; without the diligent cover provided by the nobles in each location, he could no longer obtain supplies in Victoria's towns; and without the military intelligence provided by the nobles of Londinium, he could no longer avoid encountering Victoria's main force every time, constantly facing the danger of being surrounded and falling into a trap. He, the supposedly brilliant strategist, could no longer continue his act.

In this way, it wouldn't be long before she and Shenchi would face a harsh reality—they would have no choice but to hide in the deep forests of the wilderness, concealing their whereabouts until Victoria faced serious internal problems again. This hiding might last for a few years, or even a lifetime. Moreover, without money or food, how many of Shenchi's soldiers were determined enough to live like savages in the deep forests indefinitely? If anyone were lured away by Victoria's intelligence and betrayed them, their lives would be in imminent danger.

"Maybe... I should just surrender?"

Ahmoni suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

She was a top student at the Royal Guard Academy of Victoria, graduating in the same year as Chen, Bagpipe, and Swire. Although not classmates, they all knew each other. The Swire Group, now a nationalized enterprise, had close ties with the Victorian royal family. Bagpipe had also secured a military rank, low but still a valuable connection. As for Chen, intelligence indicated that she was the daughter of Wei Yanwu, the governor of Lungmen, and had recently applied for political asylum in Victoria. Wayne warmly welcomed her. Their relationship seemed quite good.

Most importantly, it seems that Wayne himself was once enrolled at the Royal Guard Academy of Victoria. Although the credibility of this news is questionable, at this point, we might as well try anything. If it is true, then Ahmoni can still call Wayne a classmate.

With these layers of connections, as long as I "abandon the darkness and embrace the light" in time, betray Deeppool first, and then use this achievement to approach Wayne, pin the blame on Celt and Raphsini, and pretend to be a clever classmate who was taken hostage by the Deeppool leader after the attack on the North, and finally managed to pass on important intelligence to help the Victorian army eliminate the Deeppool rebels, the chances of getting away with it are not small!

As for the possibility that Mandela and others would implicate him, the most direct evidence—that he had colluded with nobles and that those who knew about him joining Deeppool as a noble's agent—had already been killed by that simple-minded Celtic fool who was single-mindedly focused on restoring his kingdom. Mandela's limited eloquence could easily be explained away as "a wicked slave biting the hand that feeds him before he dies."

Maybe it really will work?

Saving the deep pool is incredibly difficult, but when it comes to how to sell out teammates, Ahmoni is a master at it!

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Kal'tsit Speaks

The soldiers of Deeppool were unaware that their leader was already plotting how to sell them all to save his own life.

The officer from Deeppool, who had been kicked out, assumed that his hastily conceived plan was so simplistic that it had enraged the strategist Ahmoni, causing her to lash out at him so fiercely. However, there was nothing he could do about it; he was merely a low-ranking officer with only about a hundred men under his command. He naturally lacked Ahmoni's foresight and vision, and having tried to teach her his lesson, he deserved the reprimand.

But he had no doubt that Deeppool was capable of launching a counterattack! What was the point of using Lord Mandela's life to gain a strategic relocation opportunity if it wasn't for preserving strength for a counterattack someday?

So when Ahmoni walked out of the room with an air of superiority, the first person to greet her was still the officer who had just been scolded.

"Lady Ahmoni, you've finally emerged. The warriors are all ready, poised to launch the next attack on Victoria at any moment?"

"Yes, you're right, launch the next attack!"

Ahmoni nodded, patted the officer on the shoulder, and praised him:

“Soldier, you do have some insight. You were able to see the sliver of opportunity that the leader went through so much trouble to create for us! With the nobles purged, Victoria is now leaderless and in complete chaos. This is the time for us to launch a counterattack, overthrow Aslan, rescue the leader, and rebuild the empire!”

She looked the officer up and down, her eyes darting around, and said with a smile, "Mandra has not yet returned, and I regret to announce that Mandra has most likely been captured or even brutally murdered by the enemy! At this critical moment, the army cannot be without a commander. I am not strong in combat and was worried about this, but perhaps this is fate. I think you are very suitable."

"With the leader absent, I, as Deeppool's strategist, will temporarily assume the leader's position. You are hereby promoted..."