Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Silencing.
Su Cheng was silent for a few seconds.
Perhaps Kai wouldn't want her to do this - take risks for what he wants, use this fake identity to work with the Imperial Prince, and most likely not for any good reason.
But she did want to return the favor.
Even though he might say that finding out the whereabouts of the dragon bones is already a reward.
But this was a task that had been decided when they first met, and now she was no longer satisfied with this level.
Su Cheng: "...Your Highness, do you understand me?"
The prince laughed. "Ms. Kahn, I knew nothing about you before today's party, but I just had someone do some research and I found that you can indeed help me."
Su Cheng showed a look of wanting to hear more details.
"You have elven blood, and on the surface you are a wind magician, but in fact you have mastered some unknown forbidden techniques—"
The red-haired woman curled her lips. "Your mansion isn't cleaned up properly, so I can probably guess what's inside."
Su Cheng didn't say anything.
She asked Camus to inquire about Vanessa's residence and left some traces there in order to create this kind of misleading information.
Moreover, Vanessa herself must be no simple matter.
After all, if you simply study wind magic, it is normal to get injured, but the probability of killing yourself is not high.
If it was a high-level mage, it would be possible, but Vanessa is only at the third level.
Therefore, the "forbidden spell" that killed her was most likely not ordinary elemental magic, or was mixed with other things.
Aguila's actions were indeed very quick. She must have sent people to search Vanessa's house not long ago.
Su Cheng: "Your Highness——"
The prince raised his hand to interrupt her. "I won't pursue this matter. After all, I'm not from the Vatican. I just found that your ability could be of use to me."
Su Cheng took a deep breath: "Your Highness's subordinates must be full of hidden talents——"
"Oh, I can find such people," Aguilar said, pausing. "But they are not as... unknown as you, at least relatively speaking. Few people would suspect you. And don't worry, I won't ask you to complete a task you can't do."
"Your Highness," Su Cheng sighed, "The auction has just begun."
She turned her head to look at the store outside. The host's loud voice echoed in the hall as he introduced the first item.
"...Ofenmore Crystal! One of the best meditation aids! It helps you focus your mental energy, making it easier for you to connect with elemental spirits!"
In the display cabinet in the center of the platform, a fist-sized crystal ball was suspended. It was translucent and had a faint silver mist flowing inside.
The host reached out and touched the crystal ball, and the mist inside suddenly condensed, and the surrounding air was faintly filled with flames.
"...The starting price is five hundred gold coins!"
"So," Su Cheng turned around, "you're going to have to compete with Prince Cassiopeia for the dragon bone? Maybe there will be other people joining your battle?"
She didn't want to show her desire for the dragon bone, so she paused and deliberately revealed a hint of greed.
"Excuse me, but if the dragon bone doesn't reach you, do you have anything else of equal value that you can trade for?"
"Hmm?" The prince raised his eyebrows slightly, looking a little unhappy. "If I want something, then it must be mine, because I am richer. Besides, Cassiopeia has more than one goal. To be precise, she just wants to buy it to please His Excellency the Archbishop, so she is not limited to a specific auction item. As long as it can achieve her goal, even if it is a different one, it will be fine. Do you understand?"
Su Cheng nodded slowly.
For the princes, there is definitely a limit to the total budget invested in this auction.
If Aquila is determined to buy the dragon bone, Cassiopeia will most likely change her target, unless she is too emotional and insists on competing with her sister.
Su Cheng tried hard to recall.
But in the original novel, this person is just a victim of cheating, and he doesn't have many scenes.
"Coin of fate!"
The host yelled at the top of his lungs, "When it lands heads, you might win a bet or avoid disaster—in short, all kinds of good things. But when it lands tails... hehe, the previous owner won seven dice games in a row, was struck by lightning three times, his house was knocked down by a wounded griffin, and both children were seriously injured. He was forced to sell it. The starting price is one thousand gold coins! Remember, if you win the auction, you must take it with you!"
In his hand was an ancient silver coin with a smiling face on one side and a skull on the other.
Suddenly, the host threw it into the air, and the coin spun strangely in the air for more than ten seconds before falling.
——Face up.
The host heaved a sigh of relief, "Looks like I'm going to have good luck!"
Su Cheng frowned as he watched this scene.
"...Ms. Kahn?"
The prince called out to her in confusion.
Su Cheng turned around as if waking from a dream, "I was thinking that the gold coin seems to be good. If the dragon bone will cost you too much money——"
Aguila looked at her in surprise. "Are you still interested in causal magic? Or are you actually an arcane mage as well?"
Su Cheng shook his head. "I'm just interested. Forget it. Dragon bones seem to be more valuable and more useful to me. If it weren't for you, it would be difficult for me to get access to materials of that level."
The prince snorted softly and waved to the guard a little further away. The man quickly brought over a few pieces of parchment and then turned and walked out.
Su Cheng looked down.
This is a document about the Empire's Director of Armaments, Marquis Melina Varius.
She is a powerful figure in the military department, reporting directly to the Minister of War and having great autonomy within the scope of her duties.
In the Imperial Army, the research and development, procurement, manufacturing and storage of weapons, armor and equipment are all within its jurisdiction.
This meant she controlled a massive budget, countless craftsmen and alchemists, and several important military-industrial fortresses.
Although this person was not an official member of the Imperial Conference, he was often summoned to attend and had a huge influence.
Su Cheng deliberately showed some confusion, "Your Highness?"
The prince misunderstood her expression. "You may also know, Miss Kahn, that Marquis Varius has been ill recently. Of course, the public explanation is that she failed to advance to the eighth level—"
"actually?"
"The real reason is not important," the prince said calmly, "just keep watching."
Su Cheng turned a page and found various evidences at the back.
It proves that the Marquis used his power to secretly deliver many weapons and equipment that were not included in official records to the mercenary group raised by Cassiopeia.
Moreover, she promoted several loyalists of Prince Cassiopeia in the military factories, arsenals, and logistics units.
They also embezzled a large amount of funds by falsifying R&D costs and exaggerating material losses.
But in the imperial government, these things are probably not very new.
"What does your Highness mean?"
"I want you to sneak into Marquis Varius's mansion and find the ceremonial sword hanging in her study. It was a birthday gift from Cassiopeia."
Aguila crossed her fingers. "Then leave the Spiritual Erosion Mark on it. Don't refuse. I know you can do it. I don't need you to actually influence Varius. Just cast the spell on the sword. I will bring this to the attention of His Majesty's men. Then my father will also know that the Marquis fell ill because she was controlled by heretical sorcery for too long, causing irreversible damage to her body."
She smiled and said, "You know, Varius is my father's cousin. They have always had a good relationship. If my father were not the emperor, they might have married. My father doesn't really like Cassiopeia, but Varius has praised her many times in the imperial court, and my father still finds it a bit strange."
Su Cheng suddenly understood.
The emperor doesn't understand why the marquis admires Cassiopeia, and Aquila plans to give him a reason.
——Because the Marquis was controlled by Cassiopeia's evil magic!
Su Cheng nodded slowly.
This barely matches the plot of the original novel in her memory.
Although she didn't know any Spirit Erosion Marks, Aguila would most likely not let her demonstrate them on the spot, because those magic spells were often very troublesome to cast.
Everything is still going according to plan at the moment.
Su Cheng read the information again carefully.
Aguilar did not rush her.
"Everyone, the next item in the collection is not a magic item, but a pure musical instrument—"
The host suddenly spoke in a singing tone.
"The zither's body is made of top-grade pine crystal wood, and its strings are made of silver-speckled dragon and lion hair. It possesses exquisite craftsmanship, but its value lies not in the material... otherwise, it would only sell for a few dozen gold coins at most."
He paused deliberately. "Its preciousness lies in the vast amount of time it carries. This harp has existed for at least a thousand years. It has no magical structure, no runes engraved on it, and no alchemists have modified it. The reason it has remained immortal for thousands of years is due to the influence of some kind of time magic. Therefore, the wood has never cracked, and the paint has never peeled. Ah, I can even smell the lingering pine resin in the case!"
The host was holding a transparent box in his arms, which contained a silver-white lyre.
The body of the guqin has smooth lines and spiral wood grain. Under the light, the guqin has a hazy luster around it, as if it is wrapped in a layer of thin frost-like barrier.
"The starting price is 1,500 gold coins!"
Su Cheng was stunned for a few seconds, then turned his head thoughtfully. "The information says that Marquis Varius' husband was once the principal organist of the Royal Theatre, and he still goes to the opera from time to time."
Aguila scoffed. "Why, you like that? His fighting spirit is mediocre, not enough to maintain youthfulness. Even though he puts a lot of effort into maintaining it, the results aren't very good."
Su Cheng: "...No, I plan to contact this person. I will use the Shadow Mark to leave a mark on him, so that in the next day, I can find a time to teleport to within a certain distance of him. But in order to leave the mark, I need to have skin contact with him, and the time cannot be too short, so I want to give him a gift to get closer to him."
She made up lies in a serious manner, trying not to look like a liar.
"Oh," Aguilar nodded in understanding, "I understand."
After saying that, he turned to look at the only remaining guard and said, "Go buy that piano."
The guard nodded silently and left.
Su Cheng watched the man leave, thinking that Aguilar probably wanted to distance himself from the matter, so he did not bid directly from the box, but asked the guard to go out and buy it.
"Do you have any questions?" the red-haired woman raised her chin. "Or do you need anything else?"
"Your Highness," Su Cheng deliberately showed some hesitation, "If the people of the Holy See find out that Your Highness Cassiopeia is using heretical magic..."
Aguilar raised the corner of her mouth, her eyes a little sarcastic, "Why? Are you worried about her?"
Su Cheng sighed, "She's a prince, and the emperor's daughter. I'm worried they'll think the matter is serious, so they sent someone to investigate. If they find out it's me, I'm done. They'll eliminate someone who uses 'heretic' power, you know that, right?"
"Then guess why I asked you to do this?" The prince glanced at her and said, "Don't worry, I have a way to prevent them from finding anything."
Su Cheng was not at all reassured and did not believe her at all.
"...Okay," Su Cheng thought for a moment, "So what about Marquis Varius? There's a reason she's 'sick,' right? Will she recover?"
"Young man," the prince chuckled softly, "you are also of noble birth. Don't you know that in the court, regardless of victory or defeat, there is only life and death."
The red-haired woman stood up. "The only rule is to unite with the party and suppress those who are different. If you hesitate and show mercy, the sharp blade originally prepared for others will eventually pierce your throat."
"Besides," Aguilar scoffed, "it's actually the same outside the court. Besides, that beast in human form isn't someone worthy of your sympathy."
Su Cheng pretended to be in deep thought, then nodded slowly after a few seconds, "I see. Now I'm curious about how the dragon bone feels."
The prince smiled with satisfaction.
While they were talking, the guard came back, holding the transparent crystal box in his arms, which contained the guqin.
Su Cheng just took a quick glance and turned around nonchalantly, ready to continue watching the auction.
"Before that—"
Aguilar suddenly spoke up, waving the guard over, "You still need to sign a confidentiality agreement, Miss Kahn."
The guard took out a scroll. Su Cheng took it and took a look, and found that it was full of various terms.
——Mainly restricting myself from revealing today’s conversation.
Even if the mission fails, or she regrets and doesn't want to do it anymore, she can't tell anyone about it.
Once you try to leave a relevant message in any form, to anyone, or even just on an object, you will die immediately.
The specific provisions are written in great detail, leaving almost no loopholes.
……almost.
She couldn't sign.
Because the signature below needs to be signed, it is not Vanisha Kahn.
If it were someone else, maybe it would be fine, but as a follower of the God of Contract, once she signed, the consequences would be unpredictable.
If the God of Contracts believed that she was not qualified to fulfill the contract using someone else's identity and judged her as a traitor in some sense, then she would be doomed.
She didn't dare to gamble.
"Your Highness," Su Cheng raised his head. "Excuse me, but is this paper blessed by the God of Contract?"
"No, that kind of thing might lose its effectiveness over time," Aguilar raised an eyebrow. "But the one before you is none other than the God of Contract's favored one. He will validate our agreement."
He pointed at the guard.
Su Cheng: “…”
The guard's clothes were very good. Su Cheng originally thought that the prince was wealthy, but now he realized that the other party was obviously not a simple guard.
It seems that those favored by God will not become guards. Most of them are just collaborators. Of course, it is not ruled out that they are the price of losing a bet.
In principle, those favored by God can sense each other.
But this usually refers to situations where the power of a deity is used and certain consequences occur.
Su Cheng: "...I can't sign. Some of the clauses here are too unfair. For example, Article 20 says that if a fourth person knows about this, I will pay with my life. You've already stipulated that I cannot pass on any information to the outside world, which has already eliminated the possibility of me betraying you. What's the point of Article 20? What if someone else leaks it? Will I die then too?"
Aguilar sighed. "First, I know you have many ways to circumvent those textual restrictions. Secondly, this matter is known only to the three of us. Look, I can't possibly tell you. I can swear to Mr. Leo right now that I have never let anyone other than you and him know about this plan. In fact, I can add this sentence to the scroll. As for after you complete the task, I will need to mobilize some people to carry out the follow-up work, but I can also swear that they will not know the specific agreement between you and me."
The man next to him raised his hand, and the Libra mark on his palm was faintly visible.
Su Cheng frowned and stared at the pattern, revealing a look of confusion, uneasiness and curiosity.
Her heart was in turmoil.
Even though she didn't consider herself an expert at writing contracts, she could still find some useful points in the scroll.
Or to be more precise—
It can be used by the prince to kill himself.
The Ring of Silence must also be a force. Aguila may not want to kill her openly to silence her, but if he uses the power of the God-favored, he will become an oath-breaker.
Then she can die cleanly.
Su Cheng: "...Of course I believe that His Highness will not cheat me, but what about him?"
"Sir Leo?" Aguilar looked at the God's Blessed One beside him. "He also swore an oath to me."
"Ha," Su Cheng laughed sarcastically, "I never believe in the followers of the God of Contract. They are all liars. They have ten thousand ways to play with the terms and oaths, and then betray them, only to let others pay the price."
As he said this, he looked at Mr. Leo.
Su Cheng's eyes met his.
At that moment, the look Leo gave him was as if he was looking at a dead person.
Su Cheng: “…”
Now she was very sure that Aguilar would kill her sooner or later.
Mr. Leo did not hide the malice and sarcasm in his eyes, and there was a deep mockery and contempt in his eyes.
If she herself was not a person favored by God and had not used this power to take lives, she might not understand the meaning of it.
"Ms. Kahn," Leo sneered, "I assume you've never come into contact with a God-favored Person? I advise you not to jump to conclusions about areas you don't understand—"
Su Cheng frowned and looked at him, "Then do you dare to swear again?"
Leo glanced at her with disdain. "Who do you think you are to make me swear an oath to you?"
"Who asked you to swear to me? Shouldn't you swear to His Royal Highness the Prince?"
Su Cheng said with amusement, "Before you went out to buy that zither just now, you already knew about the plan between His Royal Highness and me, and you must have met many people along the way. What if you have already told others about this? Then wouldn't I die if I signed this scroll?"
"?"
Leo looked at her as if she were a psychopath, then at the prince.
The red-haired woman looked at him thoughtfully.
Leo's face darkened, knowing that the other party was also suspicious. "I didn't do that. I didn't tell anyone—"
"Speak?" Su Cheng shook the scroll in his hand. "The ways of leaking information mentioned here are far more than just 'speaking'."
"you!"
"I've been sitting in this room without going out. I haven't had a chance to communicate with anyone."
Su Cheng spread out his hands, "If you have a clear conscience, you can make a verbal oath. You, Prince Aguila, and Vanessa Kahn, except for these three people, no one else knows about the plan about Marquis Varius, otherwise you will die now."
"Ha!" Leo laughed. "Of course! I—"
Before he finished speaking.
His eyes suddenly bulged outward, his eyeballs were bloodshot, and his pupils shrank to the size of a needle tip.
There was a small cracking sound from under the skull.
Immediately afterwards, like a watermelon hit by a sledgehammer, the man's crown exploded first.
Broken bones, blood, and brain matter flew into the sky, creating strange patterns of scarlet and milky white across the walls and ceiling.
Half of his face was ripped off by the impact and fell to the ground with a thud.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
