The Righteous Player(s)

“…So, will there be many people looking for trouble?”

After listening to Annan’s narration, Longjing Tea swallowed hard.

He gradually realized that. Could it be that the difficulty of this mission actually lies in “how to escort Celecia safely”?

It turns out that this isn’t actually a capture mission, but an escort mission.

“Indeed, never take the underground route—don’t try to take the subway from the Papal Kingdom back to Austere-Winter. It would spell disaster.” Annan said solemnly, “You are taking Celecia with you, and you cannot teleport back… This is very troublesome.”

“I suggest you find a way to drive the airship directly back to Austere-Winter. I will inform my sister to open the barrier and let you in as soon as she sees you.”

“This should be very safe… Even if those who have a grudge against Celecia locate you, as long as you fly high enough, they shouldn’t be able to attack you.”

Stop it, boss.

Don’t babysit us anymore…

Longjing Tea became more and more uneasy as he listened.

Originally, he didn’t think there would be any danger in flying back in the airship… but after Annan said so, he suddenly felt that something was off.

“…That’s all. I’ll hang up first.”

Longjing Tea spoke somewhat reluctantly, “If we encounter any problems later on, I’ll hold another ritual to consult you. Or perhaps you could bring someone with you…?”

“I might be a bit busy in the following days and may not have the time to respond to your ritual promptly. I suppose I should bring a few people with me… In a moment, I’ll grant access and have Suuankou and Citalopram teleport over. Then you can have the Child teleport over. Yiyi and Jiu Er will be teleported to you to bolster your combat power.”

Annan thought for a moment and responded.

…Are you leaving without Sister Hyphen with you?

Longjing Tea was a little surprised.

Lin Yiyi boasted the best close-quarter protection among her peers, with the sole exception of facing heavy gunfire, much like scenarios in movies.

Moreover, it was normal to bring Citalopram along. After all, she was somewhat of a healer. But why specifically choose to bring Brother Koutsu and Child?

The team setup seemed strange.

However, Longjing Tea didn’t ask further and hung up first.

Anyway, there were three players following Annan — if there was anything that needed attention, they wouldn’t be too late to ask.

With this in mind, he hurried over to arrange the follow-up matters.

Arthur and Euphemia didn’t need to ride in the airship with them. They boarded the ship with Absolver and would only leave when they were back to a place without the Gray Mists.

Once they returned to a populated area, the outsiders would immediately notice “Celecia was no longer the captain”.

To be honest, Longjing Tea thought it wasn’t a bright idea to have a volatile and destructive Destruction Wizard on an airship. What if he was killed by a sniper or curse? He would then detonate in the sky…

Arthur’s conscious decision to leave indeed allowed Longjing Tea to breathe a sigh of relief.

—It was recommended that the Destruction Wizard was not allowed to use any public transportation.

On the other side, Annan also sighed in response.

Nothing should go wrong with Celecia’s side.

She still seemed willing to cooperate.

Once Celecia was sent to Austere-Winter, the next step of the plan could proceed. Although the Winter Insurgent did not look like a simple traitor… this did not prevent Annan from taking preventive measures against him.

Is “the Winter Insurgent” a friend or foe?

Has he truly Austere-Winter, or is he carrying some special mission…? It’s even possible that he got carried away playing a double agent and blurred the lines between pretense and reality. All these are possibilities.

Regardless, I must meet him in person.

But before that? I need to make a trip to the north.

Although the players did not find much evidence, they were certain that the “Dolgoruky” family was affiliated with Fallen.

The Dolgoruky family was most likely the Northern Brotherhood’s scapegoat to take the heat… Annan didn’t have a clear idea of the details, and he was baffled by their confidence. Why would they think Annan would be satisfied after punishing the “Dolgoruky” family only?

“Sure enough, Ivan is too gentle.” Annan sneered, “Should I say? He is indeed an [Inept Ruler].”

“However, what’s my [Tyrant] way of doing things? Is it different from him?”

Besides Citalopram, the sneaky healer, Annan specifically summoned Wandering Child and Suuankou back to his side.

Annan just planned to cause a scene.

In a street battle, Suuankou’s blasting skill was even more effective than indoor battle; in the worst-case scenario, Wandering Child also had the ability to dig tunnels at high speed, allowing the party to escape.

Moreover, he could demolish buildings in an instant—no matter how sturdy a city wall was, it could not withstand his attack. Whether they were walls of ice, earth, or wood, the Child God could erase them from a distance.

It’s quite fair to say that he specializes in wall attacks. It’s also quite useful for disintegrating static defense. Paired with Suuankou’s blast magic…

The corners of Annan’s mouth raised slightly.

“Ah? I’m looking forward to this adventure a little bit…”

Annan murmured, squinting his eyes happily.

Everything seems fine now.

Don’t run away cowardly — I even brought Suuankou here. If I don’t get to blow up something, I feel quite sorry for the blood of Destruction flowing in him.

“—Your Majesty Annan.” Just at that moment, the female Winter’s Hand with deep blue long hair appeared silently behind Annan, “Lord Ivan is looking for you.”

“What’s the matter, Zoya?”

Annan asked as he stood up. He walked quickly through the corridor following the Winter’s Hand who managed his daily necessities.

Zoya led the way before Annan and whispered, “Lord Ivan… is approaching the Dragon Transformation.”

“…Ah.” Annan’s steps halted abruptly, and he let out a soft exclamation.

He pursed his lips and resumed walking again. However, he didn’t say anything else.

When Annan entered Ivan’s bedroom, he already felt something was wrong.

The room was filled with white frost.

It was like opening a closed cold storage. A frosty mist visible to the naked eye lingered around Annan’s feet.

Ivan was lying upside down on the bed.

He lay at the end of the bed, his head raised just enough to stare at the portraits of the two women hanging above.

As the door opened, a subtle change came over Ivan’s eyes, the color lightening gradually until his pupils were a pale yellow. He shifted slightly, attention drawn to the movement at the door.

Even the action of raising his head was so stiff that it was difficult to complete.

“…Annan.” Ivan whispered in a very weak voice.

However, it wasn’t exactly a weak voice.

It was the muffled and vague sound made when the tongue had frozen stiff.

Annan walked over and held Ivan’s hand.

His hands were so cold — so cold that Annan’s health bar dropped a bit.

“Do not touch me.” Ivan answered word for word.

He spoke a few words, only for his voice to be cut off because his throat had already been half-sealed by ice.

Ivan just continued, “Annan, people have two hands… One for taking away and one for giving.”

“You had lost one. But now you have it back.”

“They are your hands.”

“It is a powerful hand that can grasp—and pull down—the moon.”

“Be nice to them.”

Annan was startled.

Does Ivan mean that I should treat the players better?

“You don’t need to remind me of that.” Annan smiled helplessly, “Besides, I won’t pull the moon down either.”

“If I need to, I will make the moon come to me.”

Thank you for supporting our novels. Your comment, interaction, and just by reading the novels are a great support to us! Discover what unfolds next by accessing the chapters before anyone else! Your support means the world to us! Click here to access our support page.