The Villain Saint is my secondary account

As Pandya's final form is a black spider, his offspring will likely also be black.

But since the spider in front of us is translucent white, it means that they must have gone through this growth process as well.

So, if Pandia had other offspring before, where would their molted skin end up?

Ye Xiao suddenly remembered the dense black "cotton wool" that covered almost the entire sewage pool from top to bottom.

At that moment, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Chapter 164 Cooperation

The next day, Ella went to the palace to "pay her respects" to Leonard's teacher, as agreed with him.

The palace was rather deserted when the Royal Council was not in session; neither Raymond nor Skadi seemed willing to stay there for long.

The other non-royal nobles preferred to stay in their own residences.

As she walked through the empty corridors to the side hall, Ella saw very few people, except for a few royal guards and maids who were working.

Oil portraits of past kings hang on the walls of the long corridor, most of them wearing burgundy velvet robes studded with diamonds, solemnly gazing ahead.

Leonard reached out and knocked on the door of a reception room.

After a short wait, the door opened.

The first thing that came into view was a long table with exquisite carvings. Looking past the several chairs lined up side by side to the other end of the table, there stood the figure of the chief archmage, Bazel.

Of course, Ella didn't think the person she was supposed to talk to was Bazel, because at that moment the elderly archmage was sitting respectfully beside an empty high-backed chair.

Leonard walked to the table, pulled out a chair for the silver-haired girl by the door, and gestured for her to sit down.

"His Highness Leonard, a member of the royal family, bowed on my behalf. That's quite gentlemanly of you."

Despite saying that, Ella walked in without any hesitation and sat down in the chair.

This time, she went to the meeting alone, since bringing guards or something wouldn't really make much difference.

“Miss Heville, it is only natural for mortals to serve the gods.”

A cold tone echoed in the room. Ella saw pale mist condensing into a curtain on the roof opposite the table, falling in layers and piling up on the empty chair next to Bazel, converging into a doll that looked like it was made entirely of fabric.

Her upper body, veiled in white gauze, emerged from the pile of fabric, the wedding dress adorned with silk completely concealing her entire body.

“This should be our first meeting, Miss Havil. You may call me Alyosha.”

"Hmm." Ella narrowed her eyes slightly and responded with a light smile, "Miss Alyosha seems to know me quite well, so perhaps I don't need to introduce myself further."

"Hehe, I've heard a little about it, but mostly from your sister." Alyosha tapped the table lightly with one hand, and an exquisite chessboard appeared in front of Ella. "Human toys, Miss Havil, have you ever studied them?"

Ella had memories of learning chess as a noblewoman, and she knew that the crystal-carved chessboard in front of her followed rules somewhat similar to international chess. So she casually raised her hand and moved the white soldier forward one step.

"Since she knows my 'sister,' does that mean Miss Alyosha was also involved in the Stormport incident?"

"I just wanted to give it a simple try, Miss Haville... or perhaps it would be more appropriate to address you as Miss Lydia Haye?"

“Try it, Miss Alyosha is quite straightforward,” Ella said, her gaze lingering on the other’s face covered by the white veil. “To be frank, my unassuming sister withstood three punches back then, and I’m a little curious how many punches Miss Alyosha can withstand.”

Alyosha was silent for a moment, then her fingers moved slightly. The black pieces on the distant chessboard avoided Ella's attack from the side, and a pawn on the edge moved forward a square on its own, as if pinched by an invisible finger. "...Ahem, don't misunderstand, Miss Lydia, I'm just being frank about what happened in the past in order to increase your trust in me."

"Do you think I would trust a god who once plotted to kill me?"

"Forgive us for our ultimate desire to break free from the control of the Outer Gods. I think it would be better to disclose this potentially dangerous information before we start cooperating than for you to discover it yourself later."

"Oh?" A hint of amusement flashed in Ella's eyes. Her second move on the chessboard mirrored the opponent's pawn, pushing forward with a relentless pressure. "So, according to you, my sister isn't considered an Outer God?"

“If we share a common goal, even the enemy of my enemy can temporarily become an ally.” Alyosha once again dodged Ella’s attack on the chessboard and moved the pawn in front of the queen two squares forward. “This is actually the reason why I invited Miss Lydia here.”

Ella also moved the soldiers in front of the Queen. "Hmph, then I'm curious, what kind of enemy would make the shrewd Miss Alyosha have to seek cooperation with her former enemy?"

Alyosha hesitated for a moment, then moved the black soldier on the queen's flank two steps forward and placed him at the angle of the white soldier, as if to hand him over to Ella to kill.

"Mother of Life, Miss Lydia should have already heard of this newly ascended deity during this royal selection."

“Interesting. I thought she was another partner of yours.” Ella stared at the black soldier sent by the other party, but did not rush to make a move.

“That’s how it was. She seemed to have some conflict with the arthropod mother of the Samuel’s Order. At first, as a minor deity mediating between the two without any established power of my own, taking advantage of the situation to fight back was the best option I could make.” Alyosha clasped her hands in front of her lower abdomen. “But as our cooperation deepened, I discovered that the abilities she displayed were far beyond what ordinary deities could achieve.”

"She was able to steal a portion of the authority that rightfully belonged to the God of Life from the tomb containing the remains of the God of Life. Doesn't this ability sound somewhat similar to that of your sister?"

"So, Miss Alyosha, are you saying that because of this special ability to steal divine power, you think there is actually a deity behind these two who is manipulating everything from behind the scenes?" Ella smiled.

“Great wisdom, Miss Lydia. In fact, my plans since the start of the royal selection have all been aimed at finding the shadow of that behind-the-scenes deity.” Alyosha didn’t seem to care about Ella’s sarcastic smile and said as if she were being very honest, “Fortunately, I have finally glimpsed a sliver of the truth from fate, but unfortunately, I have found that I am not qualified to fight against it.”

“He manipulates and revives those old gods who should have been lost in history, giving them the ability to reclaim the authority of the new gods and make a comeback,” Alyosha said earnestly. “Miss Lydia, Loren is just one step in His process. You should also be able to sense that as the light fades, the twilight of the new age of gods is coming.”

“I admit that I once hated you for my own benefit, but now I sincerely hope to convey my concerns to you—a more dangerous and powerful enemy is lurking, and its existence threatens the entire New Age of Gods.”

"Therefore, I would like to seek your assistance in temporarily setting aside the power struggle surrounding the Royal Court of Loren and confronting this truly formidable foe."

Ella didn't reply immediately, but instead stroked her chin thoughtfully.

This Alyosha... has been picking on me all along. Now, the prince Raymond, whom I have painstakingly nurtured, has been poached by me, and half of the empire's political arena has actually begun to obey my orders.

With her political position already at a disadvantage, and knowing that she herself, whom even the fake saintess and the moon goddess couldn't defeat together, was no match for her in terms of sheer strength, she realized that her defeat was inevitable.

At this point, she approached him, confessed her weakness, and offered to cooperate with him to fight against another powerful, lurking enemy.

Is this a desperate tactic she had to use to turn the tide in the chaotic royal selection process, or is there really such a powerful threat that forced her to seek my help?

What she said, was it the truth or a lie?

Ella stared at the black pawn that her opponent had offered as a gesture of goodwill on the chessboard, and suddenly a sense of understanding dawned on her.

The rear guard abandoned its troops? I see... I'm afraid it's both.

“It’s not that it’s impossible, and I’m not a petty person,” Ella said with a charming yet slightly wicked smile on her beautiful face. “However, I have a few conditions.”

Chapter 165 Uneasiness

After their conversation, Bazel watched Ella's graceful departure through the door. Once the door closed, he finally couldn't help but bend down and ask Alyosha, who was sitting beside him, "Teacher, is it... that we really have to give up on the royal selection like this?"

“Bazaar, can’t you even understand this simple thing?” Alyosha said impatiently. “The royal selection is just a game for mortals. Even if we seize the throne of the Loren Empire without joining forces with Ella Heville, the power behind the Mother of Life is not something we can fight against now.”

"But... after seventeen years of planning, we were just one step away..."

“Bazaar, I taught you that the most important thing in chess is not calculation, but patience.”

"When you have the advantage, press forward relentlessly; when you are at a disadvantage, learn to lie low."

"Seventeen years is just the beginning. We have plenty of time. The most important thing now is how to survive this chaotic storm." Alyosha waved her hand. "Fate has not been on our side since the moment Haye's tomb was opened prematurely. Now, all we can do is wait."

Bazel stared blankly at his wrinkled hands, lost in thought.

"Did you hear that, Bazel?"

"Yes, you're right, teacher."

"If you understand, then you may leave."

After a moment's hesitation, Bazel slowly nodded and then respectfully left the room.

Then, he went to a deserted corner, took out a thin, black twig from his clothes, stared at it for a long time, and sighed.

"But I can't wait another seventeen years, teacher."

……

The words are divided into two parts.

The next day arrived.

Ella was sipping her black tea while discussing her previous meeting with Alyosha with Lilia.

Her conditions for Alyosha were to stop the ongoing assassination plot against the nobles, and that after Raymond became king, Alyosha's forces would not interfere in royal politics, and that she would have to provide her with a list of all the Life Cult members placed among the nobles.

As the stronger party being asked for peace, Ella naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity to make a demand.

In addition, Ella asked the other party to demonstrate his divine authority, a request that Ella wanted to see if she could take this opportunity to replicate the other party's divine authority.

Alyosha readily agreed to the first request, but refused the second.

Alyosha was particularly cautious when it came to matters concerning herself. Of course, it's also possible that she knew something, as she refused to reveal her divine title or the divine authority she possessed.

In short, Ella has now become the sole behind-the-scenes power holder of the reformists, and correspondingly, she will need to help Alyosha deal with the Mother of Life and the forces behind her.

Ayla was happy to have a ceasefire, saving her from some of the backstabbing and intrigue with this guy. After all, even Ayla had trouble dealing with those Life Cult martyrs who were openly cooperating with Alyosha and planted among the nobles.

Now that we have the list, Ella doesn't need to do it herself. She can just send a copy to Li Cheng through the community system, and he will naturally know what to do.

Just as she had expected, after Li Cheng instructed Princess Skadi to set up defenses against the members on the list, the three assassination attempts that occurred in the past two days were all easily thwarted.

Knowing who is going to make the move makes prevention much easier, which has earned Skadi a slight rebound in her approval ratings.

Furthermore, according to Ella's speculation, the true identity of the Mother of Life, who is entrenched in Greygold Town, now seems very likely to be the one who has returned to Pandia.

And the other party had obviously arrived in the capital city on the night Ye Xiao infiltrated the sewers.

As the complex web of power dynamics came to light, there was one thing Ella still couldn't quite grasp amidst the chaos of information.

What is the true purpose of the other party coveting the Loren royal power?

Even Alyosha couldn't answer this for Ella. She herself wanted to take this opportunity to seize a national power that would serve her, but Mother of Life, all she knew was that the Cult of Life was using the royal selection as an excuse to recruit players with an unusual enthusiasm, just like how they had secretly contacted many player guilds before, when they recruited the guild leader of the Grizzly Bear Guild.

The Samuel Order recruits players because of their extraordinary affinity for the Relics, but what is the Cult of Life's purpose?

Ella and Lilia discussed it for a long time, but they still couldn't find an answer to this question based on the information they had.

The only clue that can be gleaned is that the answer might be related to the Sprout of Life, since the Grizzly Bear Guild's schemes all revolve around this key item, as can be seen from their actions.

However, the origin and purpose of this thing remain a mystery.

Ella rubbed her temples, unable to reach any good conclusions for the time being.

The overall situation of the imperial election is now in her hands, and she can be said to have complete control over both factions. However, the apocalyptic scene she saw in the Ring of Fate a few days ago, where the entire imperial city was submerged by a withered forest, still lingers in her mind.

This made Ella somewhat uneasy; if she had to explain why, the current situation was simply too calm.

But after today, the extension period for the royal selection will officially end. Has the Cult of Life not yet realized that Prince Raymond's royal selection faction has already slipped out of their control?

The situation is still somewhat unclear. Ella is torn between whether to have Dukes Havil and Seychelles change their votes and send Skadi to the throne. However, time is running out. The nomination period will end at 9:00 AM the next day.

Therefore, if she doesn't make a decision soon, Prince Raymond might actually win the royal selection without even realizing it.

"Well, Your Majesty, I actually think that the true purpose of the Mother of Life and the deities behind her may not be to support the Fourth Prince."

Just then, Lilia suddenly spoke.

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Ella looked at the black-haired second princess with curiosity.

“Because, all along, I’ve seen that their contribution to the imperial selection has been very limited,” Lilia said softly. “The ones who supported the Fourth Prince and helped him win over the noble factions were actually Alyosha’s subordinates. The fact that the Samuel’s Order was able to so easily win over the reformist nobles with supernatural resources as a bargaining chip actually shows that the Cult of Life didn’t invest much in this area at all.”

“If it were a sudden attack without prior knowledge, it would be understandable to be caught off guard. But now, looking at it this way, the three elders of the Samuel Hermitage have clearly been replaced by the Cult of Life. Even if they dare not openly oppose or reveal their identities due to orders from the higher levels of the Church, it is impossible that they would be completely unaware of this.”

Chapter 166 Change of Formation

Lilia's words made Ella seem to suddenly realize something.

She listed the events involving the Life Cult and the Samuel Order on a piece of paper, her brow furrowing slightly.

Rather than saying that the Cult of Life wasn't focused on supporting the Fourth Prince, it's more accurate to say that they seemed to secretly give him preferential treatment at certain times.

"...If that's the case, I'll have to go to the palace again to verify my guess."

"Hey, may your journey be safe, my lord. If you discover anything, remember to reward me when you return," Lilia said with a smile, her hands clasped together.

Ella patted Lilia's head, then left the house and got into the carriage.

After arriving at the palace without stopping, she went straight to the main hall and found the clerk in charge of recording the votes, and asked for a record of the recommendation vote.

This record mainly documents which nobleman voted for which crown prince at what time, starting from the imperial election. Naturally, every time the voting was modified, it was also recorded here.

However, the file was unexpectedly thick, and Ella was quite overwhelmed by its size. So, after making a copy using magic, she hurriedly returned to the villa.

"Ah, the deity has returned so quickly, but even such a short reunion is enough to stir my heart..."

"Stop going crazy, Your Highness Lilia. Help me find the nobles in this record who keep switching allegiance to different factions."

If the Life Cult's actions were not focused on supporting Raymond, they would have inevitably given themselves away with this record.

Although flipping through this thick stack of records was quite tedious, Lilia enjoyed it because it was Ella's request.

And the little princess's speed in flipping through books was indeed far beyond that of ordinary people. Ella watched Lilia read ten lines at a glance and couldn't help but sigh that if she were on Earth, this little princess would definitely be a born exam genius.