Chapter 130 - 109: To Survive, Betray

Chapter 130: Chapter 109: To Survive, Betray

"Wait, Uncle Chris. You may go, but they must stay."

"Why? They are my Knights."

Khrish froze for a moment, then turned and demanded.

"Are they really just your Knights?"

Lian snapped his fingers, and the banquet hall doors slammed shut.

Khrish swallowed hard, the hairs on his body standing on end.

This was a sense of crisis honed by years on the battlefield.

Even though his men held the absolute numerical advantage in the banquet hall, he still felt afraid.

The Lian before him only had a single Maid in a black Cloak by his side.

"Lord Lian, I don’t know what you’re talking about. They are indeed my Knights—vassals who have sworn eternal Loyalty to me. I trust Catherine wouldn’t turn on vassals who have just pledged their allegiance, not if she wants to last long on this path."

"A vassal’s vassal is not my vassal."

Lian said coolly,

"Uncle Chris, you must have heard that saying, right? Besides, I am Catherine’s fiancé. You didn’t swear Loyalty to me. All I’m doing now is eliminating some potential threats that could harm Catherine."

"How could we be a threat? We will help Catherine."

Khrish argued desperately.

Lian shook his head. "I’ve received intelligence that there are Assassins mixed in among your men. I’ll give you one chance now: point out the Assassins and prove your Loyalty to Catherine. I will then politely see you out. Or, you can be politely ’seen out’ along with the Assassins."

The meaning of those two ways of being "seen out" was clearly different.

Khrish’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped.

’What do I do? Do I really have to betray Lady Mary? What will happen to my family then?’

’But if I don’t give up the list of Assassins now, I will definitely die here.’

’Play dumb? Just act like I’m innocent and know nothing?’

’Will Lian believe me?’

’Who on earth gave him this intelligence?’

’Could it be that he planted a Spy among my people?’

Just as Khrish was waging a fierce internal struggle, the Assassins could no longer hold back and drew their blades.

They knew that to save his own skin, Khrish would, in all likelihood, give them up. It was better to just start the slaughter, deal with the man before them, and then go take care of Catherine.

The Assassins were all Heartless. They did not die easily and possessed extremely high combat prowess.

Moreover, Lian had sent away all his military officers.

For the Assassins, this was a perfect opportunity to strike.

Even if this deviated from Lady Mary’s arrangements.

But they believed that as long as they could ultimately kill Catherine and complete the mission, Lady Mary would absolutely not get angry over a few extra deaths along the way.

And so, the Assassins burst forth from the Knight Order, surrounding Lian as quickly as shadows.

"Assassins! There really are Assassins! Protect Lord Lian!"

Khrish shouted, thinking quickly on his feet.

His remaining twenty-man Knight Team, understanding his unspoken command, surrounded him, protecting him with their weapons and shields.

"I told you to protect Lord Lian!"

Khrish roared.

But the Knights replied with utmost Loyalty, "We are your Knights. No matter the circumstances, we will always prioritize your safety."

Lian had no interest in watching Khrish and his Knights put on a show. The Shadow Assassins had already surrounded him.

They were truly worthy of being Heartless Assassins; their Speed was so fast that even Lian had to give them a thumbs-up in approval.

Unfortunately for them, as they closed in on Lian, they also drew infinitely close to the Disease Witch, Dora.

A crimson mist emanated from the black Cloak. Red spores multiplied in the air, landing on the Assassins and causing them to collapse before they could even swing their blades.

Their expressions twisted in agony, they clutched their throats and coughed relentlessly, spitting up blood from their internal organs.

"How could this be... That’s? That’s the Disease Witch."

The moment Khrish realized that the Disease Witch Dora wasn’t dead was also the moment he knew his own death was imminent.

Dora simply tore off her Cloak, revealing a head of long, scarlet hair.

"Everyone, good evening. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am Lord Lian’s personal guard. Who is this Dora you speak of? I don’t know her. My name now is... Magic Box."

Although she didn’t like the name Magic Box, Dora also disliked being called the Disease Witch.

Because she had once made a terrible mistake.

The Heartless, though infected by the virus, would not die, because their hearts were kept with Mary.

But it was a different story for Khrish and his Knight Order. They had inhaled a large amount of the toxic gas and soon collapsed, their faces twisted with despair.

"Magic Box, the others can die, but leave Khrish. He is the Governor of Yusofa. Although Yusofa is small, it’s a stepping stone connecting the Rose and Blue Moon Territories. You understand his value, don’t you?"

Lian asked.

Dora let out a soft "Oh," and walked slowly to the dying Khrish. The moment her finger touched him, she absorbed the virus from his body.

Khrish remained unconscious and would likely be in shock for about twelve hours, but his life was no longer in danger.

"These are the Heartless. They won’t be killed by my virus, but they’ve lost all combat ability."

Dora looked at the twenty-odd Heartless on the ground, thinking that Mary must have paid a steep price to assassinate Catherine this time.

She despised the Heartless. It was these very creatures who had made her lose control and destroy the place she had protected for so many years.

She picked up a sharp dagger and plunged it into the body of one of the Heartless.

One stab, two stabs, three... The Heartless let out an agonized scream.

But he would not die. He would endure endless torment.

"Magic Box, stop playing."

Lian’s original plan had never been to kill this group of Heartless.

Dora turned back, her eyes blood-red as she looked at Lian.

"Magic Box, you know your identity, don’t you?"

"I know. I am your personal guard, eternally loyal to you."

Dora said, lowering her head. But she still wanted to torture these bastards for the sake of the millions in the Blue Moon Territory.

"Magic Box, you are Dora’s twin sister. Your name is Magic Box. That is your identity. No one who meets you will ever call you a sinner, because you are innocent. So please, don’t stain your hands with blood. You are the newborn Magic Box."

Lian bestowed a new identity upon Dora. She was momentarily stunned.

She pointed at the black Cloak on the ground. "Does this mean I don’t have to wear a Cloak and mask anymore?"

"That’s right. If you don’t like the Cloak and mask, you don’t need them. In the future, Magic Box will be my right-hand woman, and we will bask in the sunlight together."

Hearing Lian’s words, the hatred in Dora’s heart gradually faded.

She yearned for a new life. She yearned for it more than anything.

She wanted a life completely different from that of the Guardian Witch. She wanted to travel to every corner of the world. She wanted freedom and hope.

Dora dropped the dagger in her hand.

The Heartless she had just stabbed ground his teeth and said, "Damn you, Disease Witch! You can never become someone else. Your name will be recorded in the annals of history to stink for ten thousand years! You are the true culprit behind the fall of the Blue Moon Territory!"

KACHA—

With a swift motion, Lian brought down his blade and lopped off the talking Heartless’s head.

Villains die from talking too much.

Dora froze, looking at Lian. "Didn’t you just tell me not to dirty my hands? Why did you kill him?"

"I don’t like it when people defy me."

"You can’t kill me! I’m one of the Heartless! HAHAHA! You can’t kill me at all!"

The head that had rolled onto the floor mocked Lian and Dora mercilessly.

Lian reached out and pinched the red entry on the head.

The next second, he crushed the [Heartless] entry and gained 500 Points.

The eyes of the headless Assassin went wide, and he died completely.

"You happen to be wrong. Besides Mary, I am the only one who can kill the Heartless."

The corners of Lian’s mouth turned up slightly. Blood stained half his face, making him look like a soul-reaper from Hell. The sight struck psychological terror into the other Heartless.

They were already suffering from Dora’s virus. Now, realizing that Lian truly possessed the means to kill them, how could they not panic?

At this moment, they had only one thought in their minds.

’We must betray her to survive!’