The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

Jiuta said no more, as if everything was no longer related to him.

After Rhea had completely left, a deep voice suddenly echoed in the silent space: "Have you finally decided to accept my power?"

"Ah, as long as it can make the empire disappear, you can take this body if you want."

Jiuta's voice was resolute, as if responding to some unseen entity.

An eerie atmosphere permeated the air, as if some hidden power was quietly awakening and devouring his identity as a human being.

The mainland has been at peace for too long, so long that too many people have forgotten the terror of the demon race.

Chapter 577 Rhea's Resolve

Outside the Juta mansion, Lisette suddenly looked up, as if she had noticed something.

She raised her hand and waved it, and the Staff of Tyr's Hunt instantly appeared in her palm.

"What's wrong?" Felix immediately became alert, his right hand on the hilt of his sword, cautiously scanning his surroundings.

“I think I just sensed a demonic aura…” Listy looked at the unresponsive staff in her hand, her tone hesitant. “It might just be my imagination.”

After saying that, she put her staff away, but the doubt on her face was not completely gone.

At this moment, the old servant had already escorted Leia to the door. "Please return, everyone." He bowed respectfully, then closed the door without hesitation, leaving the three of them standing outside.

"Dean, what did Juta say?" Felix asked impatiently, his eyes filled with anxiety.

Leia simply shook her head slightly. "Let's go back first."

She had always trusted Tilisa completely, but Juta's words were like a pebble thrown into a lake, causing her to waver slightly.

Upon returning to their residence, Samif greeted them with a slightly serious expression: "Dean, a letter has arrived from the kingdom."

Leia took the letter, turned around and went back to her room without saying a word.

Only after the door closed softly did Samif turn to Lisette and Felix: "What exactly happened on this trip? Why does Lady Rhea look so troubled?"

“Lady Rhea met with Juta alone, and we don’t know exactly what they talked about,” Listy shook her head slightly.

"Have you read that letter? What does it mean that the kingdom is sending a letter at this time?" Felix asked curiously.

Samif glanced at him. "How could I possibly peek at the letter being delivered to Lady Rhea?"

“If Lady Rhea could be attacked while sitting in a carriage, it’s not surprising that the letter contained poison or a curse,” Felix retorted.

“Basic security checks have been done,” Samif paused, then looked at Listy. “The results of the examinations on the two assassin corpses that were brought back are in.”

Upon hearing this, Lisette immediately became serious: "What's going on?"

“Strong drug reactions were detected in the bodies of those assassins,” Samif said gravely. “It was these drugs that gave them the abilities of Heralds in a short period of time.”

Several of them had seen this technology before.

The drug that Lisette was injected with during the experiment was a modified version of this drug.

"Was it the Imperials who did it?" Felix asked, frowning.

One kingdom is troublesome enough; if another empire comes along, his brain is already struggling to keep up.

"It only proves that these drugs came from the Empire, but it cannot be concluded that the Empire was behind them."

Lisette pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "I want to go see those corpses again."

"I'll take you."

Samif took Listy away, leaving Felix alone to guard the door.

-----------------

Is it right or wrong for the academy to maintain neutrality for so many years?

Leia sat alone in her room, her thoughts churning.

Since the new emperor ascended the throne, the kingdom and the empire have been frequently moving troops along their borders, and war clouds are gathering.

Edelweiss needed a victory in a foreign war to establish her authority and consolidate her rule; while Rabel saw this period of transition between emperors and instability as a golden opportunity.

The two sides were at loggerheads, and the situation was far beyond what the college could resolve through mediation.

"Instead of letting them continue to fight amongst themselves, wouldn't it be the best solution for the academy to intervene and promote the unification of the country?" Leia asked herself in a low voice, but she couldn't find an answer.

If the battle drags on and no victor emerges until the demon god descends, can the academy alone truly stop the demon god?

The academy was originally composed of elites from the three kingdoms. Once it abandons neutrality, it means losing its legitimacy and there will be no turning back.

Such a choice will not only tear apart internal unity, but will also make the future situation even more difficult to control.

Leia opened the envelope and took out a contract.

The handwriting on the page was clear and cold, detailing the conditions for releasing Tilisa—Tilisa's freedom in exchange for the academy's support, and requiring St. Freya Academy to assist the kingdom in completing its great undertaking.

In the face of the great cause of unifying the continent, even the lives of heroes are regarded as bargaining chips, which made Rhea feel a chill to the bone.

Her intuition told her that Juta wasn't lying; perhaps it really was Tissa who had taken the hero's life.

But she killed the hero for the sake of humanity.

"Tilisa, what did you see?" Leia murmured.

She chose Tilisa as her successor because she believed that Tilisa could lead the academy toward the right future.

What kind of unexpected event would drive Tissa to kill the hero in order to stop it?

Lost in thought, Leia walked to the window and looked out at the courtyard.

Lisette was whispering something to Samif.

One is a noblewoman from an allied nation, and the other is a cold-blooded assassin from a kingdom.

Despite their vastly different backgrounds and ages, the two individuals are bound together by the academy and share the responsibility of protecting the future.

Leia stared for a moment, then finally made up her mind.

No matter how cruel the truth may be, she must uncover it herself.

She turned back to the table, tore the contract to shreds without hesitation, and then pushed open the door and left.

"Notify the kingdom," Rhea said firmly, her voice carrying an irresistible force, "I will publicly cast a spell to prove Tilisa's innocence!"

-----------------

Inside the royal palace, the flickering candlelight illuminated Labbel's somber face.

"She really agreed?" He frowned, his tone revealing a hint of disbelief.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Dean Rhea has expressed her willingness to use the Prayer spell and has extended invitations to the envoys of the Empire and the Allied Nations to attend the ceremony,” Kifka reported, bowing his head.

This news came as a devastating blow, completely disrupting their plans.

Labbel originally thought that even if Rhea did not agree to the kingdom's conditions, she would at least hesitate and discuss it again.

But I didn't expect the other party to be so decisive.

Fortunately, they had a backup plan.

Suppressing his irritation, Labbel asked in a cold voice, "How is Tilisa's transformation progressing?"

“Not ideal.” Kifka said cautiously, “After all, she is a rare strong person in the world with a firm will. It will probably take a month to be considered safe.”

"A month? Go ask that dean if they can wait a month for you."

From the moment Leia accepted the wish spell, every moment that was delayed would arouse her suspicion.

A ruthless glint flashed in Labbel's eyes. "Hand over all the death row inmates and hardened criminals to Karnos, ordering him to convert Tilisa into an Apostle within half a month! As for how to deal with the academy, I don't need to elaborate, do I?"

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Kivka hurriedly bowed and withdrew.

Once the secret room fell silent, Labbel slowly picked up a music box from the table and gently stroked its surface with her fingertips. "It was this little thing that almost ruined my demon clan's grand plan."

Chapter 578 The Final Trial

As time went on, Escudo's figure became increasingly ethereal, and it wouldn't be surprising if he disappeared in the next second.

“Vina, you have one last day,” Escudo said softly.

Vina wanted to touch Escudo's head again, but unfortunately she couldn't even maintain her physical form.

However, Escudo still cooperated by placing his little head near Vina's palm.

"Thank you for your hard work. Now, let's take a short break and let me talk to him." Vena pointed to the figure in the distance.

Escudo nodded slightly and waved his hand, sending Vina to Arios.

The moment he sensed someone approaching, Arios unleashed a sharp sword strike without hesitation.

However, Wiener calmly received the attack.

Amidst the sparks flying, Venus remained completely still.

But Arios did not stop there. His longsword shot straight at Venus like lightning, aiming directly at Venus's chest.

Just as the sword was about to strike, Venere whispered a single word: "Stay still."

As soon as he finished speaking, Arios's movements suddenly stopped, and he froze on the spot like a statue.

“This is—” His eyes were filled with shock and confusion.

"As you can see, I have already gained the Holy Sword's approval. Therefore, this trial space is now my home ground."

Wiener sat down cross-legged, his posture so casual that it seemed as if he were having a casual chat.

Arios stared at Vena's face for a long time, as if he remembered something, and tentatively asked, "Little blacksmith?"

"It's quite a surprise that you remember me," Viner chuckled.

"I just didn't expect it would be you standing in front of me in the end. Did that guy in front of me fail the trial?"

"Arios asked coldly, his tone laced with disdain," he said.

"Don't speak so harshly about him. He does have a name, after all." Vena shook her head helplessly. "His name is Felix, and he used to be your sword. If he were outside, he would definitely not be a match for you."

"Hmph, you know that much." Arios's brows relaxed slightly. "So you're here to brag to me now?"

“I don’t need to brag to a dead man,” Wiener said bluntly.

“You!” Arios’s face turned ashen.

Even though he had vaguely guessed this outcome, being exposed to his face still made him unhappy.

Wiener, however, seemed unconcerned and continued, "You're not from this world, are you?"

"...It seems you've been through a lot since then," Arios said after a moment of silence.

“I was just thinking about what happened back then. You’re the kind of guy who takes weapons and never pays for them.” Viner shook his head helplessly.

After discovering that Vena could indeed reproduce the equipment he described, Arios would visit the young blacksmith every few days with materials, telling him stories and making empty promises.

Then, taking advantage of the moment when Venus was in a daze after forging the weapon, he took it away and got the forging fee for free.

These are pieces of equipment that even seasoned blacksmiths wouldn't dare to forge continuously, yet Viner completed them as if it were an everyday task.

If he weren't exceptionally gifted, he would probably have been rendered mentally disabled long ago.

Even so, the knowledge and memories that Arios instilled in him were all mixed up in his mind.

If it weren't for this trial to examine my true self, I don't know when I would have been able to sort things out.

"Well, all of this was done by the original body. If you want revenge, go find him." Arios said somewhat guiltily.

He was indeed in the wrong first.

Most importantly, even with Vena already recognized by the Holy Sword, he, a mere remnant soul, could be easily manipulated by her.

"I'm not here to collect a debt; I just have some questions for you."

Although Arios really messed things up for Vina, without these experiences and knowledge, Vina would at most have reached the same level as Tauronio.

“Anything I know.” Arios said without hesitation.

Now that his main body has already been in trouble, he has nothing left to hide.