Chapter 35: A Letter from the Imperial Capital

Bethalia stepped into the dungeon and took a long, appreciative breath. The dim, damp air, heavy with the faint scent of blood, brought back fond memories of her time as the Rose Queen.

Dark elves were not only known for their exceptionally promiscuous lifestyles but also for finding pleasure in murder, torture, and bloodshed. Having taken a vow of chastity—forsaking all carnal desires until death—Bethalia found the former inaccessible, leaving her to rely on the latter for amusement.

She was different from the chaotic evil dark elf nobles who delighted in tormenting the innocent. Fortunately, the dark elf queen never lacked for bitter, mortal enemies, and the dungeons of the Shining Sun Court were always well-stocked with her "toys."

Shattering teeth, breaking limbs, pouring in poisons, or even poking a small hole in an enemy and using a bellows to pump air inside until their flesh separated from their bones, turning them into a screaming, bloated balloon—these were all in a day's work. One could even peel off the skin afterward to craft a beautiful drum.

In this regard, Bethalia had a fairly positive view of Ryan. As a necromancer, he was clearly no self-righteous paladin, nor would he lecture her on the cultural customs of the dark elves.

It was a pity, then, that their master-servant dynamic destined him to be the very obstacle standing between Bethalia and her freedom. They could never be friends in any sense of the word. Before him, Bethalia would forever wear a mask of deception.

Upon entering the prison, she happened to see Elina stepping out, a stack of interrogation transcripts in her hand.

"Did he crack?" Bethalia asked.

"Yes." Elina didn't want to elaborate.

"How dull," Bethalia sighed, disappointed. That meant there was no reason to use any more "methods."

"Give them to me," she said, holding out her hand with a smile. "Ryan said your work is to be handed over to me from now on."

"Very well." Elina didn't press for details.

Bethalia took the confession and began to read it carefully. "What do you make of his testimony?"

"It has nothing to do with me," Elina replied.

"Don't be so cold; I'm not Ryan," Bethalia teased. "I suspect this fellow is lying through his teeth for the most part."

"Mm."

"Guess how Ryan will deal with him?"

"I don't know."

"Talking to you is such a chore," Bethalia complained. "Even back when we were fighting the Pale Spirits, you always wore that icy expression."

"Do I have to feign a smile?" Elina replied, flashing a fake, gentle grin.

"At least a fake smile is easier on the eyes." Bethalia had finished reading Diamond’s confession. She flicked the papers with her finger and said, "No matter how much he lies, the hydrographic charts around the Gem Archipelago and the patrol routes of the High Elven Navy must be etched in his memory—otherwise, he’s a dead man walking."

"Perhaps he's just lying to stay alive," Elina said softly.

"Impossible," Bethalia smiled. "Kalich is desperate to get a slice of the smuggling trade, but Ryan might not even be interested in that. Would fabricating such a confession guarantee his release? Unless he’s certain he can appeal to Ryan's specific desires, there’s no need to take such a risk by lying."

"Come, take me to see the prisoner."

***

In the study at the top of Blood Castle, Ryan continued to read the letter sent by Marsh Malone.

Marsh was a sheltered young lady, and perhaps not the brightest, or it would be hard to explain her tendency to "empathize with extinct primitive tribes."

In her letter, she wrote that she had recently been reading *The History of the Amazons* by Bovaro, which Ryan had recommended. She was deeply shocked by the claim that "one in every three imperial citizens possesses Amazonian blood," to the point that she would wake up in a cold sweat, dreaming that her great-great-great-great-grandmother was an Amazonian slave, reaching out with withered, talon-like fingers to strangle her in her crib.

Ryan couldn't help but chuckle. How did this Bovaro calculate such a figure? He had likely scoured historical records, found that one-third of the imperial capital's nobility kept female slaves, assumed all of them were from Amazonian tribes, further assumed all noble families in the empire followed the capital's example, and then assumed every child born in those households was the offspring of a noble and a slave.

The conclusion that "one-third of the Empire has Amazonian blood" was arrived at through such rigorous deduction—certainly enough to convince most noblewomen in the Empire.

Of course, Ryan had to seriously point out that the number was actually wrong; it should be one-sixth. After all, the Amazonian tribes only recognized women; men could never be Amazons—which was exactly why he had handed the title of Association Elder over to Bethalia.

Reading further, he found that at the end of the letter, Marsh mentioned something else:

"Next Thursday, in the West District of the Imperial Capital, the Association is holding its first salon. The esteemed Empress will also be in attendance. She asked me to convey her appreciation for your recent charitable donation and hopes to meet you in person. Note: This is a private invitation and does not represent the official position of the Royal Court."

"Please give me a reply as soon as possible."

The Empress wants to meet me? Ryan frowned, keeping his composure.

The current Empress, Margelina, wife of Emperor Nilokas and daughter of the Duke of Longwater, was famous for her enthusiasm for charitable work, earning praise from both nobles and commoners alike.

Of course, players on the game forums who had fully experienced the main storyline had a completely different opinion of this "Virtuous Empress."

The Empress wants to see me now? Just because I donated 200 gold crowns to the Amazonian Association?

Ryan had donated such a massive sum specifically to insert himself into the regional main plot unfolding within the Empire. Now that the Empress had summoned him, how could he not go?

Arrange the itinerary immediately! Before the rainy season on the Rainforest Peninsula ended, he had to go to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible to complete his strategic layout.

Considering he would be away for a long time and someone needed to oversee affairs at Salt Island, he couldn't take Deia with him. As the lord's personal maid, she could fully represent his will, so she would manage Salt Island in his stead.

As for Elina and Bethalia, the two ancient elven heroes, logically one should remain to guard Blood Castle and ensure Deia’s regency went smoothly.

But unfortunately, as resurrected ancient heroes, the "Caged Birds" within them required regular infusions of magic from Ryan; otherwise, they would disintegrate, releasing the imprisoned souls back into the River Styx.

In that sense, the two elven heroes could not be separated from Ryan for long. Since he didn't know how long this trip to the capital would last, he would have to take both of them along as his companions.

"Deia, Deia!" He called her from the next room. "Go inform Elina and Bethalia to come to my study for a meeting."