Chapter 260

Chapter 260

The vast bedroom was dimly lit by a single bedside lamp, casting a soft glow. Unica, clad in a nightgown, leaned wearily against a dark red velvet sofa. She had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol at the evening's social event, and now, startled awake, she still felt a lingering discomfort.

Gently massaging her temples, she forced herself to focus and asked, "What are your thoughts on this?"

She was not alone. Eve sat in a single armchair to her right, eyelids drooping as she perused an urgent dispatch on the marble coffee table. Lin Zhengfeng, after delivering a glass of warm water to Unica, had discreetly withdrawn. Besides them, a senior advisor with deep-set frown lines also participated in the small discussion. Around forty or fifty years old, she had arrived at the princess's residence shortly after Eve. Formerly a seasoned lady-in-waiting to the Empress, she had recently been assigned to the First Princess.

Unica had not initially summoned her, but rather another trusted confidante. However, when this stern-faced woman entered, Eve instinctively glanced at Unica.

Unica narrowed her eyes and gave Eve a subtle look. Eve immediately understood—this was an operative planted by the Empress.

It was almost comical that even between a mother and daughter, such mutual suspicion was necessary.

In the dim light, Eve lowered her long lashes again, her face completely enveloped in the shadow of her wide-brimmed gauze hat. Several times, she detected the scrutinizing gaze of her colleague, which the latter evidently believed to be well-concealed.

"The situation is dire. The casualty figures are truly horrifying. The Royal Zerg awaken on planets that are already resource-scarce, yet paradoxically possess high population densities—making them ideal feeding grounds for the Zerg. Coupled with the swarms drawn by the Royal Zerg, in just the first six hours after an awakening, a single location can see over a hundred thousand lives lost, affecting at least three surrounding planets."

Eve's voice was grave. "And this is only the first night. Data indicates this awakening of Royal Zerg is far more destructive than previous ones. The situation is extremely grim, and we cannot rule out a connection to the re-sealing of the Zerg Mother."

From the first recorded Royal Zerg until last night, the Empire had only discovered seven in total. Yet, in a single night, twice that number had awakened.

The gravity of the situation could not be underestimated. Everyone had assumed that sealing the Zerg Mother would suppress Zerg activity, but reality had shattered their complacency.

"However, there is one anomaly in the data report: the incident in the Ursa Minor system. While still terrifying, the casualty count is significantly below average—only just over three thousand deaths and twenty thousand seriously injured. A reasonable analysis suggests this is due to the administrative decree, 'New Regulations for Mining Operations on Resource Stars,' issued half a month ago by the joint government of the stars in the Lyra tail region and the central stars of Ursa Minor. This decree mandated the relocation of miners and their families from resource stars to nearby designated residential planets. The Royal Zerg happened to awaken on a resource star, and due to its proximity, only one intermediate residential planet was significantly affected, buying precious time for evacuations on other residential planets."

Unica hummed softly. Eve paused her initial report, yielding the floor to her colleague. The other advisor then stated, "Chris has just departed the capital planet."

"Although she was nominally scheduled to assume her post after the New Year, given the emergency, her early departure is understandable," Unica opened her eyes, her green gaze, deep as still water, fixed calmly on the advisor. "That is not important."

The advisor insisted, "No, it is very important. If Chris arrives early, she will gain public favor sooner. And if she actually manages to resolve the Royal Zerg threat, the situation will become even worse. Perhaps even Lady Frigga will no longer oppose her. We absolutely cannot allow—"

Eve heard Unica draw a sharp, despairing breath. Then the princess, renowned for her refined etiquette, couldn't help but interrupt the advisor's slippery slope argument: "Then what do you propose?"

"Have Prince Anthony join the battlefield as well," the advisor stated gravely.

"......"

Uncertain whether to be relieved that the advisor wasn't insane enough to suggest sending a novice to assassinate Chris, or exasperated by the Empress's unrepentant nature, Eve voiced Unica's unspoken thoughts: "Prince Anthony does not possess the royal family's hereditary Oath-type Spiritual State. He would likely fare poorly against the Zerg."

The advisor dismissed the concern: "Lady Frigga doesn't have it either, yet she firmly holds her command. I believe with His Highness's strength and the blessings of the empire's past kings, dealing with Royal Zerg... if Chris can do it, then Prince Anthony certainly can too. Besides, aren't there relatively safer war zones? The new regulations were championed by the Medici family—they must despise Chris and likely won't secretly obstruct us."

This flippant attitude towards war didn't sound like someone trained by the Cavendish family. Unica frowned, scrutinizing her for a moment: "How long have you served the Empress?"

"Your Highness, I have served Her Majesty the Empress since her youth. My father was the captain of the personal guard under the previous head of the Cavendish family. I am absolutely loyal to the Empress and the several Highnesses," the advisor replied, a hint of pride on her face. "Your Highness's honor is my honor. Please feel free to employ me with confidence."

But to her surprise, Unica, after hearing this, merely stated flatly, "Return to the palace. You need not come to the princess's residence again."

"Why?" came the utterly astonished question.

"Every child of the Cavendish family has undergone real combat training in the military. Your father was a loyal and righteous man who died heroically on the Zerg battlefield protecting his lord. But as his daughter, a person cultivated by the Cavendish family, how can you treat the battlefield with such a dismissive attitude?"

Unica looked at her with disappointment. Though she didn't raise her voice, the advisor instinctively flinched. After a slight catch in her throat, she hastily tried to defend herself: "That's not what I meant, I just thought—"

"Enough, no more explanations. Accepting responsibility is also a virtue of the Cavendish family. Return to the Empress's side. The palace is a more suitable place for your scheming," Unica had no patience to listen further, interrupting someone for the second time that night. She picked up the documents on the coffee table instead. "Moreover, the one I summoned tonight should have been Perrin, correct? Whether she couldn't make it due to unforeseen circumstances, or you pulled some strings behind the scenes, it doesn't matter now. Return to where you belong, and send Perrin to me."

The Empress's advisor remained incredulous, seemingly unable to grasp how things had escalated to this point, and flustered by Unica's rare display of firmness. In her agitation, she took a step forward, but a loud "BANG!" of a gunshot exploded right in front of her, dangerously close, jolting her back to her senses.

The faint, acrid smell of gunpowder stood out starkly amidst the room's fragrant aroma.

She turned her head stiffly and saw that Eve had stood up at some point. Eve was playfully twirling a compact pistol in her left hand—the very weapon that had nearly killed her moments ago—while her right hand gracefully extended, fingers together and then spreading open, long and pale, in a gesture of dismissal.

Black hat, black dress, black gun—she looked like an emotionless assassin of the night.

"Did you not hear what Princess Unica just said?" Eve asked with genuine curiosity.

The advisor had no doubt that Eve would actually kill her. That bullet had grazed her nose bridge. If she hadn't had some trained reflexes, her nose would likely be broken now.

After the unwelcome guest left, her movements stiff and awkward, Unica suddenly slumped back into the soft sofa behind her, covering her eyes with the back of her hand, also hiding the disillusionment in her gaze. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, it was my duty," Eve modestly declined the thanks. "But is it really alright, sending your mother's person back like that?"

"What can she do to me?"

Unica first snorted coldly, then fell silent for a moment before finally saying disappointedly, "She long since stopped caring... not even about Anthony's life, let alone mine. I should have realized it when she forced Heloise into that marriage for an alliance. Thankfully, Heloise is doing well now. Anthony ending up like this is partly my responsibility too. I can't just sit back and watch my own brother go to his death."

Heloise Otto, the Empire's Second Princess, was also Unica's sister and Anthony's sister. Eve knew Unica was dissatisfied with this marriage because the Second Princess was only married to the artistic younger brother of the head of the Garcia family, while the head's own wife came from a cadet branch of the Medici family.

...Wait, the Garcia family?

The hereditary governor family of the far star systems. Eve quickly sorted through the documents on the table. Sure enough, Cygnus, under Garcia's jurisdiction, was also listed among the affected areas this time.

Her fingertips tapped lightly on the table. As a new plan began to form in her mind, Eve carefully said, "But Anthony is, after all, nominally the Crown Prince of the Empire. If during a national crisis he's only known to hide on the capital planet, it wouldn't sound good if it got out."

"If we follow that logic, the one who should most go to the front lines is our great Emperor, the Sun of the Empire, not that so-called princess picked up from outside only after she reached adulthood."

Unica said sarcastically. Even though she knew Eve had a point, she remained silent for a long while before saying, "You wouldn't say this without reason. Whatever idea you have, speak directly."

"The plan isn't perfect," Eve said with a smile. "But I can assure you, Anthony will survive, whether from the battlefield or from Chris."

Only guaranteeing survival, nothing else—it sounded very risky.

But now, there was only the option to take the gamble. Otherwise, what good outcome could a deposed crown prince expect?

Unica didn't even dare guarantee that if she herself truly reached the position closest to the throne, her husband and subordinates would spare Anthony out of sibling affection.

After an inner turmoil, she finally sighed in resignation and waved Eve over, signaling her to come closer and speak into her ear.

-

A few days later, Eve received a message from Long Quan, stating that the research materials related to Louis and the Zerg venom had been delivered to Gu Zhaoxi's place, and she could pick them up anytime.

Seizing the opportunity to go out, Eve also brought along the custom-made Alchemical Tool crafted for her last time. The weapon, tailored by Long Quan based on her combat parameters, looked like a gem-encrypted cylinder resembling a monocular. In reality, it was a folding weapon that could quickly switch between three forms: a lightsaber, nunchaku, and pistol. It handled both ranged and close combat and was powered by energy stones.

Eve was generally quite satisfied with this weapon, though some parameters needed further adjustment after testing it. Long Quan usually didn't leave the Luo residence often. Gu Zhaoxi's bar served as a common meeting point among alchemists. Of course, delivering items directly to the Luo residence required the bar's behind-the-scenes boss to handle it personally.

The bar was still its usual quiet, money-losing self, with only a few alchemists huddled in booths, discussing recent academic problems in low voices. The moment Eve stepped inside, they fell silent simultaneously, peering out from various corners, scrutinizing the newly arrived woman with strange looks.

The scene was somewhat eerie, especially since alchemists preferred to wrap themselves in heavy black cloaks, not even showing their faces, making them look like ghosts in daylight. However, Eve had just received a message from Unica on her way, informing her that Frigga had already left the capital planet with Anthony and Alice, heading for the Cygnus system. With her objective achieved, she was in a good mood and couldn't be bothered to fuss over Gu Zhaoxi's little tricks.

Isabella had not left the capital planet, which was normal. After all, the battlefield was the battlefield; if the family head went, the heir would surely stay behind. Eve pondered for a moment and specifically reminded Unica to keep an eye on Isabella.

At the bar counter, yellowish light fell from a wooden ceiling, like shadows of bygone times, making the half-mask of the bartender behind the counter appear even more hazy and intriguing. She had just mustered a signature smile when the customer, whom the boss had instructed to give a hard time, slammed something onto the table with a slap and said coldly, "Go get your boss."

"Wh—"

The bartender was startled and instinctively looked down. There, on the dark stained wooden counter, lay a gleaming lightsaber, its silver blade glaringly bright enough to blind someone. Her heart sank, and she gulped down the rest of her words.

Why wasn't this following the script?!

"The boss can die but not the worker," the professional bartender immediately wiped the frivolous smile off his face and replied respectfully and seriously, "Yes, guest. Please wait a moment."

Gu Zhaoxi had indeed been hiding inside, waiting to see Eve get messed with. Little did she expect that before she could even make a move, her employee had already switched sides. Soon after, another woman in uniform, wearing a half-face mask, pushed open the sliding door nearby. Her deep green hair was tied into a thick, long braid behind her back. As she adjusted her collar, she said irritably, "Back so soon? I thought you’d stay in the Divine Realm for at least a month before coming back."

"If I stayed that long, everything would already be settled. What would be the point of me coming back then?" Eve didn’t bother with pleasantries and cut to the chase. At the same time, she flicked her fingers slightly, retracting the long sword. The gleaming silver blade instantly transformed back into an ornate treasure tube, making Gu Zhaoxi unable to resist stealing a few more glances. "This tool still needs some fine-tuning. I’ve already sent my suggestions to Lord Long Quan. When you have time, help me take this to the Luo residence. Also, where are the paper documents Lord Long Quan asked you to give me?"

"They’re all paper documents. I left them in the lab. What’s the rush? But the thing Lord Long Quan made for you looks pretty interesting," Gu Zhaoxi toyed with it back and forth, quickly getting to the point. "Mind lending it to me for a couple of days?"

"Very much mind. Better not. I need it for an official trip soon. It’s urgent."

"Tsk, stingy."

As if she’d never seen a weapon that didn’t require inspection before, the green-haired alchemist set the item down disgruntledly and remembered something else. "Another thing—your original body has been repaired. It’s in the Divine Realm now. If you have time, remember to ask the God of Death Butterfly to take you back and switch bodies."

It was fixed that quickly? In just a few days, they managed to cleanse the Zerg Mother-level pollution plus the Zerg venom originally left in her body by Agnes? The Divine Realm Lord’s power was truly terrifying. Eve was amazed, deeply feeling that she had been somewhat disrespectful to Cionanado that day.

But even though she greatly admired his power, after a moment of thought, Eve decisively said, "I’ll go later."

Gu Zhaoxi: "Why? Have you grown fond of this living corpse lifestyle?"

It wasn’t actually that bad, but to have a perfectly good original body and not use it, insisting on using this corpse that had been buried in an apple tree trunk for who knows how many years—even Gu Zhaoxi found it a bit perverse.

Eve: "No time. I’m busy lately."

"..." Gu Zhaoxi said sincerely, "You really shouldn’t go too crazy."

Eve punched her.

But having the materials wasn’t enough. If it were just about running errands, she could have sent someone else. The reason she called Gu Zhaoxi—who was busy investigating Agnes and trying to rescue Louis—here wasn’t just because they hadn’t seen each other in a while and she missed that sharp-tongued charm of hers. There was another important reason.

Eve glanced around. Since Gu Zhaoxi appeared, no one else had paid them any attention, or rather, no one dared to stare at these two overlords. She was very satisfied with the bystanders’ self-awareness, then mysteriously leaned forward. Under the black cloak, a pair of pure blue eyes sparkled like crystal. Her voice, no longer deliberately suppressed, returned to its original clear and pleasant tone: "I found a new apprentice."

Gu Zhaoxi: "What’s that got to do with me? You’re not naive enough to think that just because I’ve helped you a few times, I’d kindly help you babysit, are you?"

"You’ll definitely help me, and you’ll even beg to help me once you meet her," Eve chuckled, unable to hide the pride in her words. "She’s a true genius, more talented than Louis Oliver, definitely a future Five-Star candidate."

"—Don’t you want to try nurturing a Five-Star Alchemist with your own hands?"

Gu Zhaoxi, with a personality as unpredictable as gods and ghosts, cunning, deep-minded, and playful, seemed to like everything and be interested in everything. But when people tried to please her by catering to her preferences, they’d be surprised to find—no one really knew what this master’s specific likes were.

That said, there was one thing Eve was sure of: Gu Zhaoxi had taken in so many students—over twenty—which was rare even among Senior Alchemists. Enough to start a class, a number uncommon for any master of caliber in any field. More mysteriously, despite seeming unreliable, her students were, without exception, quite skilled.

She definitely had a passion for teaching. While Eve was away from the capital, having Gu Zhaoxi manage a temporary teaching arrangement was the perfect solution.

Sure enough, Gu Zhaoxi’s eyes shifted, narrowing foxily: "Really? Do you know what you’re saying? Louis is the youngest and most talented alchemist in history."

Stop pretending. Eve clearly remembered when the God of Death Butterfly praised Lin Ling, it explicitly said Lin Ling’s talent surpassed Louis’s and was on par with Gu Zhaoxi’s, meaning Gu Zhaoxi’s talent was definitely higher than Louis’s.

Thinking this, she suddenly felt that maybe Louis’s status as the least successful among the four Five-Star Alchemists wasn’t just due to luck and strategy.

"Stop pretending. The God of Death Butterfly said it himself," Eve said. "And it also said your talent is actually higher than Louis’s, right? Master Gu Zhaoxi, the half-human, half-tree person hybrid."

"In the morning, one sees the mother's hair frosted; in the evening, Anqi's face like jade." (This classical couplet implies the passage of time and the preservation of youth/beauty despite it.)

Gu Zhaoxi—how many years of fleeting time lay behind someone who would give themselves such a name?

Hearing this, Gu Zhaoxi snorted coldly and slapped the table lightly but firmly. "That brainless blabbermouth, God of Death Butterfly."

Eve couldn’t help but agree, but Gu Zhaoxi also shot her a sharp glance. However, due to the disparity in combat power, she suppressed the urge to silence Eve permanently.

Fortunately, Gu Zhaoxi finally relented: "I can’t fully believe what you say. You’ll have to bring that little apprentice out for me to see first."

Eve snapped her fingers with satisfaction: "Naturally."