Courage City, Second Level of the Dream Prison.

 

Edith Melchior, the guardian in golden robes and blue hair, stood before the largest teleportation node, silently waiting like a sculpture.

 

As one of the true founders of Courage City and even the United Human Kingdom, Edith was the last surviving member of the initial group of adventurers.

 

Transcendent powers granted her an ageless appearance and a lifespan of thousands of years. Time had almost left no traces on this royal ancestor, except for those wise and experienced eyes.

 

Although considered immortal, transcendent beings could still be killed, just like some of Edith’s companions.

 

Because the transcendent beings were not at the top of the pyramid. Above them, there were more powerful entities – pseudo-gods and even true deities.

 

At the first meeting, the palpitations from the depths of her soul made Edith realize that the two girls accompanying each other were beings far beyond her, surpassing the transcendental realm.

 

Therefore, she did not hinder them.

 

Moreover, the black-haired girl named Violet even kindly healed Edith.

 

Though the descendant named Ben committed a grave mistake, his true error was not understanding the insignificance of being a mortal. He easily provoked those truly superior beings, and whether he could survive depended on fate.

 

Two figures in silver robes, stained with blood, entered the room filled with nodes from behind and bowed.

 

“Leader, the enemy has retreated.”

 

“… It seems that Miss Violet has made progress. I wonder… Oh, they’re here.”

 

As Edith spoke, the dazzling teleportation node flashed, and the golden-haired and black-haired girls appeared in front of the three 【Sin Wardens】, just like they did initially.

 

“Hey, everyone’s here.”

 

Miss Priestess waved towards the three highest-ranking 【Sin Wardens】 in front of her, greeting them with a relaxed expression.

 

“Welcome back, Miss Violet. How do you evaluate this peculiar sight in our Human United Kingdom?”

 

Returning the gesture with a gentle smile, Edith didn’t rush to inquire about the outcome of their journey. Instead, she brought up something more akin to casual family talk, as if she didn’t care about Ben’s life and death.

 

“It’s alright, quite interesting. Miss Edith, if you have the chance, could you spare some time to sit down and chat with me? I’m quite interested in the designer who built this place and the history of the kingdom.”

 

“Hehe, of course, it would be my pleasure.”

 

After a brief thought, Edith took something from her sleeve and handed it to Violet.

 

“With this item, the 【Sin Wardens】 will naturally understand your identity.”

 

“Well, I won’t be shy then~ Hmm…”

 

Accepting the token and waiting for a moment, seeing that the three of them didn’t seem to intend to initiate the conversation, Violet had no choice but to try to liven up the somewhat stiff topic.

 

“Why did you two come here? Is the outside battle over?”

 

At these words, the Left 【Sin Warden】 in a silver robe finally spoke up.

 

“Yes, thanks to Miss Violet’s previous assistance, we managed to repel the enemy. How about your side?”

 

“We’ve basically figured it out. It seems like you guys don’t have much going on either… Well then, I’ll be on my way, it seems busy outside.”

 

Although she said that, Violet didn’t immediately lift her foot.

 

“Miss Edith, with your considerable combat strength, aren’t you going to lend a hand outside?”

 

Everyone tacitly understood that in this context, “you” mainly referred to the two legendary-level individuals and the guardian, Edith. Especially the latter, not only had she survived for nearly a thousand years as a living fossil of the royal ancestors, but she also possessed transcendent-level combat power.

 

In the absence of Violet’s interference, Edith’s presence could be said to have the power to turn the tide.

 

However…

 

The ancestral figure smiled and shook her head.

 

“The duty of the 【Sin Wardens】 is to guard against evil, and only to guard against evil. Political disputes are not within our purview, unless the kingdom is truly in a life-or-death situation. Otherwise, I will not intervene. Should I have interfered every time there was a political upheaval or conflict over the past eight centuries?”

 

“Well… that makes sense.”

 

The more powerful an individual, the more indifferent they were to power struggles. Violet was, so was the loli princess Lucine Constantius, and the guardian Edith was no exception.

 

Perhaps, in the eyes of the ancestral figure, as long as the kingdom persisted and the Melchior family held power, it didn’t matter who sat on the throne.

 

Eight hundred years was a long time, enough to mellow the vigor of a person and make them indifferent like water.

 

After some thought, Violet still didn’t bring up the fact that Ben had escaped through unconventional means and intended to split the country to establish his own rule.

 

“Well then, I’ll take my leave for tonight. I…?”

 

Just as she lifted her foot, Violet’s expression suddenly changed, showing a somewhat strange but also an anticipatory look.

 

“Master, what’s wrong with you?”

 

Xiao Guang, who always kept her attention on Miss Priestess, was the first to notice the change in her expression.

 

Edith and the others also cast curious glances.

 

“Ben Melchior is dead… Just a moment ago.”

 

After a moment of contemplation, Violet spoke out this fact.

 

The three 【Sin Wardens】 expressions changed.

 

Edith, the worldly-wise royal ancestor, immediately grasped the significance of this short statement and the hidden meaning in Violet’s demeanor. However, she didn’t show much sadness about the death of the heir. Instead, she questioned.

 

“Miss Violet, are you suggesting that you didn’t do anything to the child, and someone else killed him?”

 

“Well, it’s more or less like that. Oh well… I’ll tell you everything.”

 

There was no point in continuing to conceal the truth, so Violet briefly explained what happened after her encounter with Ben, including the conversation between them.

 

“To escape the blockade of the 【Dream Prison】 in this way… it’s quite remarkable.”

 

Muttering a couple of sentences with a furrowed brow, Edith looked at the black-haired girl in front of her.

 

“So, Miss Violet, do you think…”

 

“Yes, because I sensed something suspicious, before parting ways, I secretly cast a detection spell on Ben, and just a moment ago, that connection was severed.”

 

Miss Priestess spoke frankly.

 

“He couldn’t have noticed and dispelled my magic in such a short time. The only explanation is that Ben Melchior is completely dead, and there’s no resurrection through any means.”

 

In that case, the only person who could have located their teleportation destination ahead of time, bypassed the protection of the transcendent Rebecca, and killed Ben was…

 

Rebecca herself.

 

As expected, it was correct. 【Eternal Throne】… or at least Rebecca had long betrayed Ben Melchior. All her actions were purposeful, subtly assisting the second prince’s faction while quietly leading it to destruction. Even at the final moment, she personally intervened to kill him, eliminating any potential threats.

 

The replicated version of the secret document between Ben and the Beastman Kingdom was evidently intentionally preserved by Rebecca and discreetly placed in the 【Ring of Demon God’s Protection】 when he wasn’t paying attention.

 

With her abilities as the second in command, a transcendent-level powerhouse, and having gained Ben’s trust, accomplishing this was not difficult for Rebecca.

 

Therefore, Violet had never intervened or opposed them from the beginning. After learning that information, she had already realized that a massive plan was coming to fruition. Tonight, Ben Melchior would surely meet his demise.

 

Perhaps he never understood that, from start to finish, there was another pair of more discreet but omnipresent hands manipulating the changes in the situation.

 

The second prince, who thought he was cunning and farsighted, was nothing more than a puppet in the hands of others, unaware of his own strings.