Chapter 628
After confirming that Keleisi knew nothing about Sadana and the necklace, Charles, accompanied by Lucy, sought out Aivina.
To uncover the whereabouts of the necklace, he needed to find the baptismal priest Elois, who had been sacrificed along with Bishop Bragg.
Lucy was in charge of the investigation, while Aivina was a firsthand witness.
Charles needed their memories to corroborate his own.
After a brief conversation, Charles let out a slow breath of relief.
Bragg had indeed been sacrificed by him, and this matched his own experiences.
However, the difference was that the investigation into Bragg had not turned up any leads on his baptismal priest, Elois. This meant that Elois was still alive and remained the bishop of the Holy Ascension sect in the city of Bliss.
“I need to go to Bliss, and the sooner, the better,” Charles said, looking at Lucy.
“Are you going to find that archbishop of the Holy Ascension sect?” Aivina asked, her gaze fixed on Charles. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
“No,” Charles shook his head, smiling to reassure her. “There’s no danger... I can also check on my sister while I’m there.”
At this point, the only entity that posed no threat to Charles might be the Holy Ascension sect.
His sister had previously been placed in a rehabilitation center in Bliss by Lucy for treatment. This trip would allow Charles to assess the situation in Bliss and, if possible, bring his sister back to Ansu.
Having her by his side would be safer now, as Charles had gained enough strength.
---
“Big sister?”
Aivina looked at Charles, blinking slowly, her expression tinged with confusion.
Charles furrowed his brow slightly, sensing something was off. He turned to Lucy and said, “You arranged for my sister to go to the rehabilitation center in Bliss.”
“I...” Lucy opened her mouth slightly, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead as she racked her brain to recall all the instructions Charles had ever given her.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t remember Charles ever giving her such a task.
Lucy took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her brow and said, “I... I’m sorry, Lord Charles. I seem to... uh...”
Seeing Lucy stammering, Charles took a deep breath.
She steadied her trembling right hand and turned to Aivina, asking, “You met my sister Lichi when we were in Boren City, right?”
Aivina seemed to sense Charles’s emotional turmoil. She stepped closer, taking his hand in hers. “Charles, stay calm. I can help you check if someone has implanted false memories in you...”
They... had no memories of Lichi?
Charles inhaled deeply, raising his hand to gently wave it. “No need...”
After a long silence, Lucy finally spoke up. “Um... Lord Charles, do you still need to go to Bliss? If you do, I can arrange it right now...”
Even if he couldn’t see Lichi, going to Bliss would still allow him to find Elois, who held the Sadana necklace...
But now, Charles’s mind was in disarray, and he couldn’t properly gauge the urgency of the situation.
“The train is too slow, Charles.” Aivina placed her hand on his shoulder, speaking softly. “If you’re willing, we can go to Bliss and Boren City. We can ask my father for help.”
“With the ‘Crown Guard’s’ iron chariots and the ‘Maestro’s’ marching tunes, we can reach maximum speed.”
Now that a third of the Royal Symphony was under Charles’s control, and the Queen’s Sword was entirely in his hands, he could indeed provide Charles with a lot of conveniences if he wished.
“I want to go,” Charles said, looking up into Aivina’s eyes. “I want to go to Boren City first... to take a look.”
“Alright.” Aivina nodded, wasting no time as she immediately stood up and headed for the door. “Father is still in his study; I’ll go find him.”
Charles sat in the parlor, his mind a whirlwind. Lucy, sensing the tension, kept quiet, trying to lower her breathing and make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
What had gone wrong...
Time ticked by, and Charles pondered the rationality of it all.
Almost everything remained unchanged. The only alterations he could discern had no real impact on reality...
Why was it that others had lost their memories of Lichi?
Had Lichi’s very “existence” been erased by something... and why her, of all people? Why this relative who affected his emotions the most...
If this was a conspiracy, it was undoubtedly aimed at him.
Before long, the Queen’s Sword and Royal Symphony had gathered downstairs.
When Charles first heard Aivina was assembling members of the Queen’s Sword and Royal Symphony, he wanted to ask why. But upon learning it was for Charles’s needs, he didn’t hesitate to grant Aivina that authority without a second thought.
The family’s power had risen significantly, entirely thanks to Charles’s defeat of the Strong Sound, and Charles was well aware of this.
This mobilization didn’t require any formal orders; it was directly summoned by Charles, who handed command over to Aivina. As for the paperwork, Charles could fill that in later.
The Russell family’s influence had nearly eclipsed the royal family, and this small-scale mobilization wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Whatever Charles said was the reason would be accepted.
Aivina led Charles onto the war chariot, pulled by four horses forged of iron, with a guard composed of the “Crown Guard” and “Musicians” flanking the front and rear.
The knight commander of the Queen’s Sword leading the charge was a familiar figure—Opode.
As the team rode out of the city under the night sky, Opode, riding his warhorse, turned back to the chariot before they sped off. He looked through the window at Aivina and said, “Miss Aivina, we’re ready. If we don’t encounter bad weather, we should reach Boren City in about four hours.”
The chariot could break through all obstacles, heading straight to Boren City without the detours required by trains that had to stop at resource cities.
“Let’s go.” Aivina squeezed Charles’s hand and nodded slightly at Opode outside the window.
Opode nodded in return, then guided his horse to the front of the convoy. With a command, the horses let out a metallic neigh, propelling the sturdy chariot forward along the road.
As they moved further away from Ansu, the waiting musicians began to play, their stirring melodies invigorating the “Crown Guard,” pushing the speed of all the horses to their peak.
Booming—
From a distance, the convoy resembled a terrifying steel beast, charging forward with billowing smoke and thunderous sounds.
Along the way, the slightly thinner cobblestone roads were crushed underfoot, while the gravel and dirt paths were plowed, leaving deep furrows in their wake.
The chariot’s glass shielded its occupants from the flying debris outside, but the ride was far from comfortable.
The wheels of the chariot lacked rubber or any cushioning material, and every bump sent jolts through the interior. It was only thanks to the chariot’s weight that it hadn’t fallen apart at such speed.
However, there were a few grips inside to hold onto, preventing the passengers from being tossed around too much.
This tactical approach of the chariot assault was a legacy left by Strong Sound, and such a formidable armored force had won many difficult battles.
After nearly four hours of jarring travel, the convoy’s speed gradually decreased, and the rough gravel road transformed into a smooth cobblestone path.
Sensing these subtle changes, Charles, who had been holding Aivina’s hand tightly, slowly opened his eyes.
Opode, controlling his black-armored horse, approached the chariot, panting as he looked toward Aivina. “Miss Aivina... ahead... is Boren City... are we heading to the city hall?”
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