Chapter 118 Dark Chess Game

◎Feedback...The kitten shook its ears, as if thinking carefully.◎

Rome, brightly lit.

Several temples in the pantheon constantly replenished their lamps with oil to keep the flames burning. The high priest's favorite tower was shrouded in a hazy halo, appearing inconspicuous.

With the profits from the glass and book business, the temple was well-maintained by the Melia family.

The private vault was once again filled with treasures, and the high priest's table was often filled with bottles of newly brewed wine, which was mixed with only sugar and no water, and had a very mellow flavor.

"Please go back." The high priest poured himself a glass of wine and drank it slowly with honey snacks.

Sura sat in the shadows, his expression dark and inexplicable. After a long pause, he leaned forward slightly. "I know everything about you and Muala."

"...What's the matter?" The high priest didn't even raise his eyelids. He pushed the wine aside and pretended to listen attentively.

"Do you really want me to say it?"

Sura grabbed the bottle and let the wine pour onto the table. He dipped the purple-red liquid and wrote the two words "Restore the Nation".

The word sounded ridiculous. Restoring the country? Restoring what country? Even if Caesar died suddenly, the remaining princes and princesses, as well as the noble elders behind them, were no pushovers.

Besides, Muala is dead. The dead cannot carry out any plan and can always keep secrets.

The high priest was indeed calm. He laughed and said, "You are drunk, drunk to the point of madness." Even Sura didn't touch a drop of wine.

It's understandable, fearing poisoning. During Caesar's absence, the Senate hadn't dared to act rashly, yet Marcus, using his father's influence as a pretext, was playing tricks. It's easy to imagine what kind of "hint" he'd received.

"Then just treat it as drunken talk."

Sura threw the empty bottle onto the carpet, leaving a purple-brown stain.

His voice seemed to come from hell, dimming even the lights: "A fate that is not your own has a price tag, nameless man."

[Nameless Person], a child who lost his parents at birth, or... a madman who exchanges his name and other things for benefits from legendary creatures.

The High Priest has no real name. His real name has long been seized by a certain existence and will never enter the sight of the gods again. Such a person can become the High Priest, which means that he is the lost manifestation of the gods.

"What do you want to say?" The high priest tensed his body, finally adopting the wild dog-like stance he had in his youth. He clasped his fingers tightly around the ring, glancing toward the side door.

All the bodyguards were stationed downstairs, while his own guards hid behind a secret door. The room was equipped with several layers of defensive equipment. He didn't know where Sulla had heard this information, but regardless, he had the advantage.

[Anyway, Sulla's visit was a secret one. If it really didn't work... it would just mean Rome would lose one of its most powerful senators.]

"I want to say, how dare you betray the queen?" A strange smile appeared on Sura's face.

The high priest could hear the sound of his teeth grinding. Impossible! There was absolutely no way Sulla could be connected to that place! He, he was committing a fraud. Yes, it had to be a fraud.

"I don't know what legends you've heard. Muala is dead. You can talk to him about anything."

Seeing the furnishings around him, his courage slowly returned. He was no longer the poor, penniless boy, he was the high priest, he had countless servants, and he had earned money and fame through Melia's business.

The appearance of fairies on snowy nights was just a childhood dream. Muala went crazy in his later years and even wanted to use the "Dragon Lady" to conquer Rome.

Ridiculous, there are no dragon girls these days. Even if there were, what would it have to do with him? He just wanted to run the Pantheon well and earn more, more, more gold coins.

Is this really the case?

The beautiful figure from the depths of his memory arrived as promised, and her slender shadow strangled his neck.

"You've done so much for Mu'ala, are you really going to fail at this last moment? Don't fool yourself. You were the one who built those pillars."

Lie! You lie!

I didn't help Muala. It was all his own fault, all his own madness. He even said he was raising a destined princess. Melia doesn't look like a princess or a dragon lady at all. The plan was doomed to fail, so he gave up on her earlier...

【Before? 】

Both the imaginary voice and himself suddenly realized the crux of the matter.

What about Melia now? Is she really the Dragon Queen now? No, she's probably just a helper the Fairy Queen brought in to replace the old useless one.

But what does that have to do with Sura? Sura just wants Melia to die.

Yes, that’s right.

The high priest regained some of his resolve and looked up into Sura's deep grey eyes. Years of experience in both magic and human nature had made him realize immediately that he was right.

Sulla hated Melia so much that even if he was crazy and wanted to invest in a plan that was doomed to fail, he would never help Melia "restore her country."

Could it be that Sura was the real madman, and he wanted to take advantage of it—his fingertips instantly pressed against the ring.

Boom, boom, boom.

This was the last sound the High Priest heard.

…

Meow, the kitten is poking its head out.

"Cheek!" the big cat chirped the little one and nudged her into the bushes. "This is the Temple of the Gods. What if there are some bizarre defenses?" The goblins really scared me.

"Nini, wait here for your mother."

“Ouch.”

The white cat walked upstairs with a brisk pace. It was familiarity that made her employee, who had come into contact with the high priest more than once, quickly notice the laziness beneath his solemn expression.

[“Miss, this person can be bribed.”] The employee said with certainty that he had a very good eye and was always successful in selling and negotiating prices.

Of course, Melia was willing to believe the expert's analysis. She climbed up the stairs quickly. This time, there was no "little monster" blocking the stairs.

It would be best if you could buy it with money, but even if you can't, you can just try again and empty the shopping cart for free.

A soft clattering sound echoed in the hallway, and she arched her back, tentatively walking to the right.

Very good, no one. The High Priest has been making a lot of money lately, so he's probably less wary. He's a part-time magician anyway, so it's understandable that he doesn't want to use secret guards.

The cat's head rose from behind the cabinet and suddenly moved to the door.

She pressed her belly to the floor and put her ear to the door in a serious manner: "Let me listen~ Is the high priest asleep? If not, notify the employees to come and visit immediately~ Oh, this is not a good thing at night."

Listen—no sound, no sound at all.

Go home, go home, find an employee tonight and ask him to come to your house tomorrow~ The cat's tail just curled up, and Melia couldn't help turning her head: Since you are here, take another look, I always feel... it is very quiet.

The cat looked around, grabbed the carved pattern with its two little paws, and crawled in through the ventilation hole.

A soft cat cake easily emerged, the white cat shook its fur and opened its eyes: the high priest was slumped in a chair, with cups and plates scattered around him, as if blown by a strong wind.

There was a penetrating wound on his chest, and at his feet lay a man who had been cut into two pieces: it was unclear whether he was an assassin or a dead secret guard.

Gulp, the cat's fur exploded as Melia flipped through "The Rose Princess" as quickly as possible.

Why did the high priest die?! He and Sulla are practically invisible in the original novel, with no mention of them in the latter half. How could they just die here? Even Caesar died just a little earlier than the original.

Is it just this little bit that caused the butterfly effect? ​​Or is it because the business grew too big and was wiped out by enemies?

The white cat ran out, but stopped halfway: "No, Miranda's illness is serious. Now the high priest is dead and there is no doctor. I have to get some medicine back."

"Meow."

The little white cat poked its head out of the door.

"Nini! Didn't mommy tell you to wait here?" Melia quickly ran over and bit her daughter's neck.

"Meow~" The kitten blinked innocently.

"Forget it, let's go back to Shadow Rome first and find someone to help us move things." The gold coins spun in the air, and time and space changed.

"Meow~"

A moment later, a white cat appeared in Shadow Roma. She carried the kittens around at high speed. "Misha, Misha—is Miranda still conscious? Let's move things together."

"Yes! Miss, is it the same as last time?" Misha leaned halfway out of the stone house, her arms wrapped in chains. She chained Miranda to herself, ensuring that any unusual movement would be detected immediately.

"Great! I hope she can pick out the medicine." Melia slumped against the door frame. "The high priest is dead. Let's go..."

"Collecting bodies?"

"No~ Empty his potion and treasure vault. Miranda, go with you to find the healing potion, and I'll take the others to empty the treasure vault."

Melia stood up and licked her lips. "I've nurtured the temple for so long, it's time to reap the benefits. These little gold coins should be put into the market. What's the point of them just sitting in the treasury?"

…

"Sister~Sister, are you awake~~"

A long cry came from behind the curtains, and Melia opened her eyes. Taffy was piling blankets on the side of the bed to cover her ears, but it couldn't stop Sonny's mouth.

"woke up……"

Melia wearily threw back the blanket and rubbed her shoulders vigorously. "Well, if your soul moves boxes at night, your body will be tired when you wake up."

The little white cat slithered out from his arms and circled around the bottles and jars.

She playfully moved things here and there. Nini had helped move a lot of things last night and now she suddenly had a taste for luxurious decorations.

Although it is just interest to tap with claws.

"That's great~Sister, do you have any ideas about the gold-casting man?" Sunny leaned against the door curtain.

She was wearing a white fox scarf today, which made her look furry. Her lips and nose were painted red, which must be a popular makeup style among the Huns.

"Golden man? Oh, by the way, I haven't asked you yet, what should we pay attention to when casting a golden man." Melia shook her head and put on her robe.

Sunny slowly lowered the curtain. "It's simple. We must collect gold and copper ourselves, and then melt them down to create a golden statue at a specified time and place. Whoever can create a statue that is universally recognized, or even the most recognized by the Great Wizard, will become the Golden King."

The words are brief, but they contain a lot of meaning. The most interesting part is the time and place restrictions.

"Sister, do you have any ideas~?" She sat on the blanket with a smile, took out a ball from behind and threw it to the little white cat.

The little white cat caught the ball and sat down properly: "Mom, this is her property, can I have it?"

That’s great, the child remembers it after listening to it once ~ How could such a sensible child become a big devil?

Melia patted the cat's head and said, "Okay, remember to say thank you. This is called giving a gift. When you receive a gift, remember to thank and give back. Don't accept gifts that are too expensive."

Feedback...The kitten shook its ears, as if thinking carefully.

After a while, she raised her little paw and kicked the ball back to Sonny: "Then I don't want it. The return she wants must be very troublesome."

Uh, something seems wrong, yet it's right.

Melia thought to herself in distress, how can she tell her child that it is impolite when she is doing the right thing?

"Nini, please be polite when communicating with others~"

"Okay, it's okay for elders to give gifts to children, right? Giving back is something adults should consider."

Sonny blinked meaningfully. "So, sister, is there any way to contact the forger? A wizard would be fine too. I don't have enough talent here."

No way——No, if we use Shadow Rome, the Golden Man will be no problem at all!

Melia raised her head and rubbed her fingers slightly. "Hey, yes, yes. What price can you pay?"

"Mom." The kitten poked its knee. "Is this politeness?"

The author has something to say:

Thanks to Linglong, nanaya_scarlet, and jgbvgyfch's Leilei~

Thanks to Chufan, Linglong, 62382160, Yunzhongfeixiang, and Dreaming Fantasy for their support~