The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

"Surely the hero wouldn't stoop to the level of the demons?" Vena retorted.

"The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend," Jeremy sighed, his expression complex.

He knew that Vadya controlled a number of demons to use as bolsters of his military force.

Although these guys are extremely powerful, they are still a potential threat.

Jeremy's only consolation at this moment was that he had gone to the front lines to observe the battle situation and had not stayed in the main tent; otherwise, there would have been just another cold corpse.

After a brief pause, Jeremy made a decisive decision: "Let's go!"

"Where to?" Wiener asked, puzzled.

"Return to the capital and apologize to His Majesty."

No one else among Vadya's men could be commanded except him, so Jeremy's presence would be of no use.

Now, all he can do is bring back everything that has happened to the capital as quickly as possible and hand it over to the Empress for judgment.

Jeremy was already mentally prepared for how His Majesty would deal with him afterwards.

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

The imperial soldiers, who had initially been well-ordered in their advances and retreats, began to descend into chaos at a certain point in time.

They no longer followed the established tactics, but instead launched a ferocious charge like wild beasts.

Fortunately, the coalition forces have adapted to their fighting style.

With shield bearers in front and spearmen behind, the mage corps continuously replenishing the anti-impact field, they formed an unbreakable defensive line.

They used a combination of stabbing and pushing to gradually force the enemy troops on the city wall back until they were completely eliminated.

As the explosions beneath the city walls gradually subsided, the battle to defend the city finally came to an end.

"Your Highness, the invading enemy forces have been completely wiped out, but their commander has not been found," Sieg reported.

“Although Vadya is skilled at commanding and training troops, he never puts his own life in danger. He must have fled alone when he saw that things were not going well.” Feld was not surprised by this.

Just when everyone thought that Vadya had escaped without a trace, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang out: "You must be talking about this guy."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Jessica walking slowly towards them, carrying a corpse in her hand.

The corpse's eyes were wide open, as if it had died with its eyes open, and the only wound was the hole between its eyebrows. It was none other than Vadya, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army.

“It is indeed him.” Adele confirmed the body’s identity and asked curiously, “How did you find him?”

"It was Wiener who made it; I was just responsible for bringing it back."

Jessica handed the body to a soldier nearby, then looked at Adele and said, "I'm sorry, I kept saying I would come to your aid, but you ended up having to deal with it all by yourself."

“It’s alright,” Edel shook her head. “The demon I was facing wasn’t too difficult. On the contrary, if you don’t take the Corpse Demon away, things will get complicated on the front lines.”

"Speaking of which... isn't Viner planning to come back yet?"

"He is currently on his way to the capital."

Perhaps because he had tasted success, Viña decided to investigate the capital city's secrets.

If we could use Jeremy to directly see Lucien, the source of all this, it would save us a lot of trouble.

"The capital city..."

Adele gazed into the distance; she would soon be returning to where it all began.

"When it's convenient for Viner, take me to see him."

"it is good."

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

Half a day had passed between the discovery of Vadya's death and the rush to the capital.

As night deepened, the horses the two were riding were already exhausted, and no matter how much they were urged, they could only move slowly.

“My lord, let us rest here tonight.” Vina pointed to the bright moon hanging high in the sky. “Even if you don’t need to rest, our horses can’t take it.”

Perhaps it was because they escaped in time, or perhaps the Allied forces simply didn't take Jeremy, the supervising officer, seriously, and the two were not pursued during their escape.

“Then let’s take a break.” Jeremy was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

Wiener tied the two horses to a large tree by the roadside, gave them some hay, and gently patted their backs to comfort them.

After doing all that, he took out two pieces of dry food from his backpack and handed them to Jeremy.

There were no extra words exchanged throughout the entire process; the two simply sat facing each other and began to eat.

To avoid potential pursuers, they didn't even dare to light a campfire, relying solely on the moonlight to discern each other's outlines.

“You don’t actually have to come with me,” Jeremy finally said.

"What are you saying?" Wiener asked, his tone tinged with confusion.

"Two consecutive defeats and the deaths of two commanders. To stabilize morale, someone has to step up and take responsibility," Jeremy knew perfectly well, "and I am the best candidate."

"So, sir, you're going back to the capital?"

“Even if I am judged by military law, I must go back,” Jeremy interrupted Venere, his expression resolute. “It is my duty as a nobleman, and my final act of loyalty to His Majesty.”

"When we return to the capital, I will give you a sum of money to ensure you live a life of comfort and security. Then we shall part ways."

The fact that Jeremy could say such a thing shows that he was already determined to die, and no amount of words could change his mind.

Wiener did not respond, but simply said that he would take the night watch and then stepped aside.

Both physical and mental exhaustion made Jeremy sleepy soon after eating.

He leaned against a tree, his breathing gradually becoming steady.

Wiener watched quietly for a moment, confirming that the other party had entered a state of sleep, and then cast Mirror Flower Water Moon, enveloping Jeremy within it.

In this way, even if there is any noise from the outside, it will not disturb the sleepers within the area.

After doing all this, Venere took out his sword and drew a circle on the ground.

As the last stroke was completed, the magic energy in the air suddenly fluctuated.

A moment later, a faint light flashed, and Jessica and Adele appeared inside the circle.

“Edel?” Venere was slightly surprised. “You shouldn’t be here at this time—”

As the leader of the coalition forces, Edel had a heavier burden on her shoulders than anyone else, and it wasn't her place to personally deliver messages.

“I asked Jessica to bring me along,” Adele retorted. “Are you planning to infiltrate the capital?”

Wiener nodded: "Is there a problem?"

"Then I have something I'd like to ask you."

Picture.jpg

Chapter 649 You are found innocent

“What do you need me to do?” Wiener asked.

"If possible, please protect Sylph for me. She is innocent," Edel solemnly instructed.

"Is she the fake empress who's currently sitting on the throne?"

Adele nodded. "You just need to show her the Vulture Crown Ring in private, and tell her that I sent you to find her, and you'll gain her trust."

"If we can rescue her, everything will be much easier."

“I will do my best.” Viner nodded, then turned to Jessica beside her. “Did you analyze anything about the awakening potion?”

"You'd never guess what it's made of," Jessica said solemnly, explaining the principle simply.

Just as emblem users are drawn to each other, the best medium to activate an emblem is naturally the power of another emblem user.

"I'd believe you if you said Lucien could control large numbers of civilian soldiers for experiments, but capturing emblems on a large scale..."

Emblem users are one in a hundred, and both their talent and status make them stand out.

If a large-scale disappearance were to occur, it would be impossible to cover it up.

"So he used the tissues of a Herald's corpse, such as ashes," Jessica revealed the answer.

"Thank goodness I didn't drink it, otherwise it would have been too disgusting." Viner breathed a sigh of relief. "How many heralds' graves did he dig up to produce so many potions?"

“Only Lucien himself probably knows the answer to that,” Jessica shook her head.

"The remains of ordinary Emblem users do not possess such power; only those Emblem users with strong abilities and complete emblems can achieve this."

Many of the renowned Heralds Masters with such power are ancestors of today's nobles.

“I think I know what he’s going to do.” Escudo suddenly transformed into human form. “What you’re seeing now is just the surface. What that person really wants to do is use the power of a large number of emblems to complete the emblem system.”

"Complete the heraldic emblem?" This was the first time Viner had ever heard of this term.

"All emblems originate from the same source, but they have gradually evolved into their current form due to inheritance and the proportion of their manifestation. Conversely, if enough samples can be collected, it is possible to deduce their origins back to the original form."

As he spoke, Escudo glanced at Vina's left hand.

Lucien's actions clearly indicate that he covets the authority left behind by the goddess.

No wonder Vadya claims his goal is to become the new god of the world.

“He’s digging his own grave,” Adele said through gritted teeth.

Even though I knew about this from Jessica beforehand, I was still outraged by Lucien's actions.

“That’s why we need to take him down, isn’t it?” Vena patted Adele on the shoulder. “The more critical the moment, the more you need to stay calm and not let all your efforts go to waste.”

“...You’re right.” Adele took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in her heart.

She raised her head, her gaze fixed firmly on Vina. "I will gradually expose Lucien's crimes and divide his forces. Apart from those incorrigible die-hards, I don't believe those opportunists will still follow him wholeheartedly after discovering that their family tombs have been robbed and their ancestors' remains have been used to make awakening potions."

“That will do,” Venere nodded. “These things will take up a lot of his energy and will also help me infiltrate the palace.”

Seeing that the two had finished their discussion, Jessica took the Zhīdiān Zhāna from her chest and returned it to Vína.

"We won't fall too far behind you. If you need any help, just call me that again."

“Definitely,” Wiener nodded.

The next moment, the two figures gradually blurred and finally disappeared in front of Venus.

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

When Vina and Jeremy arrived in the capital, they were already in a sorry state, looking like refugees.

They traveled day and night, even delivering military intelligence faster than messengers.

So much so that when they arrived in the capital, it was still a prosperous and peaceful place, and they were completely unaware of the news of the defeat at the front.

This made the two raggedly dressed people even more conspicuous.

"Halt! Where did you come from?"

A city gate guard stopped the two suspicious-looking men, his tone wary.

You don't even recognize me?

Jeremy wiped the dust off his face and stared coldly at the guard.

Even in the most disheveled state, the oppressive aura of someone accustomed to high office still sends chills down one's spine.

"Lord Jeremy?" The guard was taken aback for a moment, then recognized the haggard man before him and involuntarily took a step back. "How did you come to be like this?"

"Is this something you should be asking?" Jeremy's voice was low. "If we delay the battle, can you afford the consequences?"

"The villain dare not!"

The guards were so frightened that their faces turned pale. They quickly waved to their companions to let them pass, and did not dare to stop Vina any further.

"Hmph!" Jeremy snorted coldly and passed through the city gate without looking back, with Venere following closely behind.

Once the two figures disappeared at the end of the street, the guard who had stopped them finally changed his expression.

"I'm leaving this place to you. I have to leave for a while." Before he finished speaking, he rushed towards the palace.

Back in the capital, Jeremy's tense nerves finally relaxed a bit.

Instead of heading straight for the palace, he led Vina into a side alley and stopped in front of an inconspicuous house.

Jeremy can disregard his image in order to return to the capital as soon as possible, but he cannot be disrespectful in the slightest when he meets His Majesty later.