As he walked out of the Governor's Palace, Todd looked up at the blinding sunlight and remained silent for a long time.
Mylis patted him on the shoulder and said softly, "Go back."
Todd whispered to Myris, "Did you know that Saladin's life was coming to an end?"
Mylis hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“His heart was beating fast and slow, and multiple organs in his body were beginning to fail. This didn’t seem like an illness…” Todd’s voice suppressed a hint of anger: “…it’s more like poisoning.”
Myris understood the implication in the other person's words: "Saladin was indeed poisoned with a slow-acting poison, a very rare mushroom extract. Small doses can have a calming and relaxing effect, but long-term use will lead to the gradual collapse of the body. But... this matter has nothing to do with me."
"Who did that?"
"Eleanor of the Elders."
Myris shook his head helplessly: "There was once an alliance between the Empire and the Elder Council. The Empire provided the Elder Council with supplies and protection in exchange for the latter's intelligence and supernatural support."
"But this period of prosperity was short-lived. As the empire expanded, the ambitions of the Elders also grew. The latter extended their reach into Saladin's most sensitive area—religion. Eleanor ignored the empire's prohibitions and began to actively proselytize, recruit believers, and repeatedly expand the military strength and equipment of the Mother Goddess's followers."
"Faced with this situation, Saladin, a devout believer, finally erupted in anger. He ordered the destruction of the Mother Goddess's altar, the arrest of the cult's followers, and the reclaiming of the occupied lands. The alliance between the Empire and the Elders officially ended, and their relationship plummeted to a freezing point."
"Eleanor, as the mother goddess, clearly understood that as long as Saladin was alive, she would never have a chance to rise to power. In other words, a unified empire would be a disaster for her. Therefore, she used the most common and effective method used by the alien races—poisoning."
Todd closed his eyes and sighed softly: "I used my X-ray vision to see that Saladin's body is nearing its end, and this country will soon be plunged into chaos."
Todd opened his eyes, looked at Myris, and asked, "So, what about the throat bone?"
Myris's white eyes trembled slightly, and he shuddered as if he had heard terrible news.
"There are some things you already know: Throat Bone murdered his adoptive father, Theodore. After that, he took all the Relief Society's experimental equipment and personnel. Using Theodore's mutant technology, he joined Saladin's side and began conducting his experiments under the protection of the Empire..."
Todd interrupted Myris: "Experiment? What experiment?"
The old man replied, "Those things you saw at Watchtower and Northrock Fortress..."
Todd was taken aback: "The Necromancer's successor?"
“It’s not just the Necromancer’s successor; Throat Bones is plotting something much bigger…” Every time the name Throat Bones was mentioned, a hint of fear would flash across Myris’s face: “I’m sorry, Todd… I can’t say any more.”
Todd stared at the old man and slowed his speech: "Master Myris, you are my first master. I respect you. If the throat bone threatens you in any way, I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety."
Mylis shook his head vigorously: "Todd, you don't understand, you don't understand! Marcos, my only son, his soul is imprisoned. If I don't do what the throat bone says... Anyway, forget about my affairs and get out of here as soon as possible!"
Todd wanted to persuade Myris again, but the old man shut his mouth and turned to leave.
Disappointed and resigned, Todd had no choice but to return to the tavern of the Alien Association.
Upon seeing his return, Rachel, who had been anxiously waiting, rushed to greet him: "Why did it take you so long to come back? I thought something had happened to you!"
Todd slumped into a chair, his face filled with frustration.
Rachel sat down beside him, looked at his expression, and tentatively asked, "What? You didn't see Myris?"
"No, I saw him. Besides him, I also saw someone else I didn't expect."
"who?"
Saladin.
Rachel gasped: "How could he be in Anuda City?"
Todd shrugged and told Rachel about his conversation with Saladin and his observations.
"You mean, Saladin is dying?" Rachel said incredulously, "The Saladin who is known as God's representative and the immortal god of war is terminally ill and beyond cure?"
After a moment's thought, Rachel said, "However, this sounds a lot like Eleanor's style. It's better to destroy people and things that you can't control than to let them go unchecked. Besides, once the Empire collapses, it will give the Cult of the Mother Goddess more opportunities to develop."
Seeing that Todd was still in a bad mood, Rachel said, "Saladin's death is more beneficial than harmful to Twilight City and Froststone City. You should be happy."
“I understand…” Todd said with a solemn expression, “But after talking with Saladin today, I don’t know why, watching such a king slowly die, I feel an uncontrollable bitterness in my heart.”
Rachel said thoughtfully, "I think I can understand. Perhaps this is the mutual respect between heroes..."
“Myris said something about the throat bone…”
Todd repeated the old man's words, and Rachel listened with a furrowed brow.
"After Theodore died, all his research materials and equipment, along with the entire technical staff of the relief organization, vanished without a trace. If the throat bone took all of it, then many things would make sense. But the question is, what exactly did the throat bone intend to do..."
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