Amber Sword

"This is impossible," Ben firmly rejected, but he paused and then asked, "What are the conditions?"

Wood smiled, just as he had predicted, the real mastermind behind the Princess’s side was this young man. But what made him uneasy was that the other was the same type of person as he was; the Holy Temple was going to bleed a lot this time. "We can have the northern nobles cede Ampezel."

"You mean we still have to coexist peacefully with those who attempt to usurp the throne? If we destroy the Knoelia Fleet, we can still seize the opportunity to go north."

Wood already understood the way people like Ben acted; such people always considered the consequences before issuing orders. Therefore, he wouldn’t threaten with the Holy Temple’s retaliation as it would be meaningless. He considered for a moment and said, "As you said, the Kerkova Royal Family should continue to hold the throne, but there are many nobles in the north, and it will take time to ease their suspicions. It’s better for Erune to unify peacefully than to confront."

Ben looked at this Flame Temple’s Great Priest with surprise; he heard his implied meaning. Wood meant to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Kerkova Royal Family, which in turn would strip the north of its factual hold, making the kingdom’s internal strife fade away.

Could it really be that easy? Would the Temple truly compromise so thoroughly? The remaining forces in the north are strong enough to battle the Princess; even if they fail, the Cruz people could stubbornly adhere to their opinion. Or is this another trap? He couldn’t help but deeply suspect.

"Mr. Ben, there’s no need to suspect another deception this time. I will tell you the reason, and you will understand it just by hearing; the reason actually lies with Moros."

"Moros?"

"You should know, he killed Princess Magdalene."

"No, wait," Ben suddenly realized something terrifying. "Wasn’t Princess Magdalene killed because she discovered your secret?"

Wood’s face turned a bit unpleasant. "How could the Holy Temple do such a thing? Besides, she didn’t know the Temple’s plan from start to finish. Requesting Williams from the main Temple and seeking reinforcements from the Empire were decisions I made after reading Moros’s letter, and apart from Moros himself, no one else knew."

"So, the Princess encountered another secret?"

"I’m afraid that’s exactly it," Wood’s face was full of seriousness, "Mr. Ben, Moros is probably a Lurker of the Unity of All Things."

"Ah!" Ben couldn’t help but exclaim. "So you opened the Flame Gate in Ampezel Port?" He saw Wood seriously staring at him, understanding that there was no need to say more.

At that moment, Ben felt as if he was doused with a bucket of cold water.

The situation had become grave.

Now he understood why Wood came to seek reconciliation. It turned out the entire affair was a huge conspiracy. If Moros was a spy for the Unity of All Things, he knew early on that the Flame Temple would set up the Flame Gate in Ampezel, perhaps guided by him, as the Unity of All Things aimed at those very Flame Gates.

The Flame Gate was indeed a massive Teleportation Array, and the core of the Array designated the teleportation target, but the Array itself lacked intelligence; with slight modifications, it could interconnect other places.

For example, the Demon’s lair, the River of Sulfur.

Ben suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

Ben, Romantic said she found a trap and wanted to help you. Initially, this was Antitina’s first sentence when they met. He thought she referred to the Temple’s scheme, was annoyed by her childishness, but at this moment, he suddenly realized Miss Merchant might have long known what she was facing—she already knew the plot he hadn’t uncovered.

For the first time, Ben felt extreme unease, even entertained the thought that he might lose forever that brave, ever-supportive, lovable person.

Once that thought arose, it became uncontrollable, making him feel increasingly cold in the rain. From Buqi onwards, Ben knew there was at least one person in the World who would always be with him; he could pinch her cheeks without hesitation, call her a fool, and she would scold him, pout and put on airs.

But he would never forget that promise, what she said to him that night.