Huh? Are they all real?...

"Right in Surras, at the perfect time."

"The Empress arrived a beat late; was it because she went to deal with him?"

"Yes, that was also the time when I completed the replacement."

Of the three demigods, he was the only one who stayed behind. His reason was that he knew the empress would definitely arrive, so after a token resistance, he hurriedly led his soldiers to flee.

But he certainly didn't expect that Saint Constantine would appear in Surras.

"How despicable."

"We are enemies, so it doesn't matter whether it's despicable or not."

After leaving those words, he pulled the greatsword that was stuck in the jester's heart out.

The jester stumbled and fell towards the city walls.

The Shadow Assassin ignored all of this, since he had neither the means nor the intention to contain the other party's extraordinary abilities.

Of course, if he's lucky and the other party forms a seal on their own, he wouldn't mind taking credit for it.

But there's no need to rush, he's right below the city.

On the contrary, if you rush into it, the other party might seize the opportunity to take you down with them before they die.

As an assassin, he had seen far too many similar things.

After waiting for a while, he realized something was wrong.

Why was there no sound of it hitting the ground?

After a brief moment of surprise, he vanished from his spot and reappeared in the shadows below.

No, nothing.

The corpse that should have been on the ground has vanished!

Damn!

He ran away? !

The Shadow Assassin couldn't believe it.

He had clearly been preparing for tonight for a very long time.

The carefully chosen timing, the perfectly positioned stance, the meticulously placed curse—every single one of these was designed to ensure the other's death.

But how could he have run away?

Could it be that he drank a magic potion?!

He had considered stealing the potion first, but unfortunately the potion was well hidden and he couldn't find it at all.

That's why he was even more careful in preparing for his fatal blow.

In that situation, the opponent has no chance of turning the tide.

Even if something went wrong and he drank the potion, the question is why there's no reaction?

As dawn broke, the Shadow Assassin still hadn't found the vanished jester, but he had indeed reclaimed Anlas.

At the same time, he also received news from Grasse City—they had also succeeded.

The two lost strongholds of the empire have both returned to the Empress's hands.

Thus, the barriers that once prevented invasions by the northern countries will become two large hands that are tightly gripping their necks.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, like a turtle in a jar!

Outside the city of Anlas.

The old prime minister, Hassank, looked regretfully at the fortress that had fallen once again.

So this is where the young empress was waiting.

What a bold idea, but the results were indeed tremendous.

Meanwhile, beside him, the jester was being kept alive by his subordinates using every method they could think of.

But none of these worked; they only delayed his death.

The curse they were facing was indeed beyond their level to resolve.

But the jester has a way of turning things around, a way of reversing everything.

"Potions! Give me potions! I need to advance!"

He didn't find the potion on himself, so the other person must have taken it.

Since the other party was willing to rescue him and bring him here, it means that they do need him.

An angel is needed to use the sealed artifact to fight the Queen.

Then, once he became an angel, he truly transcended the concept of being called a mortal.

Then they would be qualified to break free from the curse.

Upon hearing the jester's plea, the old prime minister immediately turned around.

And he took something out.

But that was not the potion the jester craved.

Instead, it is a mirror:

“I thought you would want this right now, so I brought it with me.”

Mirror?

I don't want any mirror. Do I want to see how pathetic I am right now?

I need a potion, a potion!

The jester shouted almost like a roar.

But there's no sound.

And why aren't my lips moving?

And why am I laughing?!

Is that really me in the mirror?!

The jester was terrified.

Where have the shadows gone?!

Where are those three shadows who should have mocked their own incompetence long ago?!

In the mirror held by the old prime minister, he did not roar, nor did he show any displeasure.

He simply observed the body and the face with interest.

Chapter 78 The Joker is in Position

"I've seen this face many times, but this is the first time I've seen it from this angle. Surprisingly good."

Hassank and his men all knelt on one knee as the old prime minister respectfully addressed them:

"I am honored to witness the return of a supreme being, Your Majesty!"

With a wave of his hand, one of the old prime minister's subordinates brought over an exquisite iron box.

"Your potion has been retrieved."

The other party shook their head and said:

There's no rush now.

"His Majesty?"

The old prime minister was somewhat surprised, but dared not say anything, and could only bow his head reverently.

He turned slightly and looked towards the direction of the capital, saying:

“This little girl is quite bold. Not only did she let hundreds of thousands of you in, but she also stood by and watched the six northern dukes rebel in droves.”

"A slight misstep could lead to the tragic end of national ruin and family destruction."

The old prime minister echoed, and also agreed, saying:

"Yes, a slight misstep could lead to total defeat, but she has indeed won exceptionally well."

"She has regained control of the two fortresses that controlled the border, and we, including Liu Gong, have become fish on a plate."

"And now even I don't know how many of the coalition forces are her people."

He smiled and turned back, saying:

"The north belongs to the Six Dukes. Although their power has diminished considerably since Trajan's repeated raids twenty years ago, the north still belongs to them."

"Because Tula knew that he couldn't sever the roots of the Sixth Prince that had grown on this land for thousands of years during those years."

"So he compromised. During the Great Purge, Trajan only removed the branches of the six princes; their roots remained deep underground, and few people knew how deep those roots were."

At this point, He bent down and grabbed a handful of soil.

The mud and sand spilled freely through the gaps between his fingers, while the grass and roots remained on his palm.

"But Trajan did not achieve what he did, but the young princess who killed him did."

"In order to recover from Trajan's exploitation in order to fight against the newly enthroned emperor, they will only desperately squeeze the flesh and blood of their people. Twenty years is a really good time."

"It neither allowed the six dukes to fully recover, nor did it make their people deeply resent their lord."

"Then, the lord launched a war, which brought in foreign enemies, and their already difficult life of exploitation became even harder."

Looking at the grass with its clearly visible roots in his hand, he said with amusement:

"That's it, those six clowns lost immediately. And they dragged you all down with them."

“Ever since Trajan killed your crown prince and caused you to fall apart, the only reason you have remained a unit is because you have been maneuvering between the parties.”

"Then, since not all the old folks from back then have died, and there's still some old friendship between them, plus this time it's definitely profitable."

"So you were able to persuade them to unite and try to swallow up this rising empire."

“Originally, as long as your supply lines weren’t cut off, you could have fought for several more years. With Baratheon’s southern borders now independent and its entire north under siege, they couldn’t outlast you.”

“But now, you have completely lost contact with the local area.”

With a gentle blow, the grass in my hand completely broke off from its roots, falling to the ground in two pieces.

"Without supplies from home, your morale will likely plummet, not to mention you'll face the biggest logistical problem."

“The land of the Sixth Duke is indeed still in your hands, but at this point in time, let alone whether you can still work together with one heart and one mind, even if the Sixth Duke is really willing to give strong support.”

"Can the land they have exploited for twenty years still support your astronomical consumption?"

"In fact, the more this is the case, the more difficult your situation will become, because you are standing against the land beneath your feet!"

"The people of the Six Dukes will only yearn for and welcome the Emperor's army more and more, and will work together with them to destroy you."

"This isn't a war; it's clearly helping the royal family win over the hearts of the people and consolidate their land holdings."

After clapping his hands, He looked at the ashamed old prime minister and smiled:

"The young princess has left you with only two options: either surrender immediately if you see the situation clearly, or accept astronomical reparations or even the cession of territory that you fear most."

"Either we fight to the death and she wears us all down on this land. Then she won't even need to launch an attack, because you'll all fall into chaos on your own."

"Who told you that almost all of your main forces and famous nobles died abroad?"

As for the possibility of a desperate battle, He didn't even bother to mention it. They hadn't even made it through when morale was high and logistics were complete, so there was no need to think about it now.

The old prime minister bowed deeply, then he slightly opened his arms and said to Him:

"That's why I want to welcome your return, Your Majesty!"

The old prime minister had a general idea of ​​the Empress's extensive network of spies and preparations.

He knew that this trip south would definitely lead to a very unexpected situation.

Therefore, in order to ensure victory, he found true collaborators—one or three supreme beings.

As long as their return is assured, the old prime minister is confident of victory.