Maggie stood atop the Temple of Light, looking down over the entire city of Santa Fe. In her hand she held a snow-white feather, a feather from Archangel El, and also from the guild master of the Silver Wheel.
From the moment she chose to target the Zefnia family, she took all factors into account, including all the resources she could utilize.
Good or bad, those with ulterior motives or impure intentions, can all become her allies.
As long as the Duke can be dealt with.
Have you finally made up your mind?
El's voice was cold and devoid of emotion.
"certainly."
Maggie agreed without hesitation, but the final decision on how far the cooperation plan should go was up to her.
El didn't want her to touch the Duke, fearing that the host monsters residing on him would escape.
But she didn't intend to keep that agreement, after all...
Maggie can only feel at ease if her hated enemies are killed by her own hands.
As for the cost of breaking the promise made to the angel.
Once the demon on the Duke is completely dead, even the angels will be powerless against her.
"Alright, the Silver Wheel will cooperate with your actions."
As El finished speaking, the air returned to calm, the feathers flickered in and out of focus, and finally faded completely into the darkness.
This means the transaction has been officially established.
Maggie folded her feathers, turned her gaze to the scenery below, and a cold smile played on her lips.
"Dear Father, I hope you like my gift."
Her voice echoed in the night, like a dirge for the Zevenaya family, a death knell tolling for them.
Santa Fe's night view is always beautiful, but it's especially stunning tonight.
Following Maggie's orders, the Paladin Order and the Holy Mage Order intensified their operations, and the searches became exceptionally rigorous. All the drug dealers selling the Elixir of Life were arrested one by one by the Paladin Order, and even some hidden locations were not spared from the Paladin's search.
Those captured were destroyed on the spot, and occasionally there were sparks of resistance, which Maggie found indescribably beautiful.
This was the gift she gave to the Duke.
A real counterattack.
She didn't linger at the top; she merely glanced at it before leaving the spire without a second thought. This was just the beginning; there was more to come. Hopefully, the Duke could hold on a little longer and not let this spectacular drama end so abruptly.
...
For a long time afterward, the sanctions imposed by the Temple of Light spread outward from Saint Fey City, and more and more slave auction houses were shut down, radiating outward to the three kingdoms.
Apart from the Kingdom of Vatia, which had not yet been successfully infiltrated by the Duke's Palace, the other two kingdoms were not spared.
Because of the oral and written instructions from the Holy Maiden of Light, the kingdom's army cooperated fully with the Temple of Light's operations, and Harun's actions went very smoothly.
In the chaotic and noisy environment, a hideout that was very important to the Zephnea family was thoroughly investigated by the paladins. Although the slave trade was not completely prohibited between the kingdoms, it was limited to certain races.
Unsurprisingly, many illegal races are being auctioned off here, including those so rare they are almost extinct.
"The Holy Knights are enforcing the law; all other individuals must stand aside."
Holding his sword, Harun looked like a prince descending to earth in the dark and cramped environment, but unfortunately, in such a place, he was no different from the Grim Reaper.
After all, no bad person wants to see a paladin appear before them.
The Paladins were always fast. Because of Maggie, everyone had a clear objective: to reach the hideout and clear out a slave auction site in no time.
Besides Harun leading the team, Vice Commander Ferrier, the Holy Mage Commander Gloria, and her Vice Commander were also leading the operations.
Just as the Holy Knights were preparing to evacuate after all the slaves had been cleared out, a group of men in black, their faces obscured by cloaks, appeared outside and blocked Harlan's path.
“We’ll take them away.”
A white-haired man wearing a mask stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the disheveled slaves who had just been rescued from the iron cages, and spoke in a calm voice.
"?"
The paladin walking in front was still a little stunned. This guy, whose origins were completely unknown, actually dared to stop the paladin order and demand slaves. This was simply unreasonable.
Although the Temple of Light would have no use for these slaves, as their sheer number would only burden the temple, this was still... far too blatant.
The paladin was about to reprimand them and warn them to leave when Harun interrupted him.
"Okay, I'll leave it to you."
He and the white-haired man exchanged a glance, said nothing more, and simply made way for each other.
The paladin was completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened.
"Commander, this..."
After the man in black left, he hesitantly walked up to Harlan, his tone questioning with caution.
After all, he was his immediate superior, so he didn't dare to question him too much.
"These slave temples cannot accommodate them all, so it's good that they take them with them."
Harun glanced deeply at the highest point of the Temple of Light before explaining in a calm tone.
All of this was arranged by Maggie to eliminate any concerns they might have about their actions.
He just hadn't expected that Her Highness would grow so quickly, even managing to contact and cooperate with such a mysterious organization as the 'Silver Wheel'.
But ultimately it wasn't appropriate to tell the people in the temple, so he didn't say anything more.
"..."
The paladin didn't quite understand, but since his guild leader had said so, he couldn't press the matter further.
Similar scenes were playing out simultaneously in various locations. The speed of the cleanup was far beyond normal levels. No matter how fast the Duke destroyed the evidence, or how hard he tried to cover up the slave auctions and the sale of the poison, he could not withstand Maggie's targeting.
What Maggie wants now is no longer explicit evidence.
Instead, it made the Duke unable to sit still any longer and caused him to act irrationally.
Only when the enemy is fully exposed can she act in the name of justice, and completely extricate herself from this sinful deal without being implicated.
She has already turned down her own family for the greater good, how could she possibly still be involved in any illegal transactions with her family?
In addition, the Holy Knights began targeting all of the Zefneria family's legitimate businesses, all of which were related to the Tumi potion. Even if they couldn't seize them on the spot, they could disrupt their operations and make it impossible for them to continue.
Gloria had only been on the mission for five days when she returned to the temple to report, her eyes filled with amazement.
"Your Highness, you're amazing! You can even hide a slave auction site in a place like this!"
She was holding a map, and the locations hidden on it were completely unexpected, which is why she was so surprised.
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