area51novel Page 134
Page 134
"It's not just being shortlisted! It's a competition!"
Tang Ke said with certainty, "Only by putting that old guy in the light can he completely change his values and stop tarnishing the name of Moss!"
“As a fellow trainee, you’ll help me, right, Jenny!” With a hopeful look on his face, Tang turned to look at Jenny.
In his eyes, this companion, who had also been influenced by Mino, was already his staunch partner and comrade!
"If the spirit of the Mino Warriors could see this from heaven, they would be pleased with our alliance!"
"Uh, just so you know, it seems the Mino Warrior isn't dead yet..."
Jenny was initially hesitant, after all, she had only accepted the quest posted by Tang Ke on the Adventurers' Guild, and it was paid daily. However, upon hearing Mino's name, her expression finally wavered.
"And can the two of us alone help Duke Moss be recognized as the greatest nobleman?"
"Don't worry, at times like this, we need to use the wisdom and methods that the Mino Warrior once taught me!"
He looked up, his eyes bright.
He simply couldn't understand how extraordinary wisdom must one possess to devise such simple yet powerful strategies—
“I just secretly unplugged the amplification magic device from Dane’s podium.”
"Now, we have eliminated a powerful opponent!"
……
Holy Church.
The hustle and bustle of the working-class neighborhood swept in, stripping away the chaotic sounds, leaving only ethereal echoes reverberating within the church, as if the goddess were constantly bestowing teachings upon the believers—
A rich herbal scent wafted through the air in front of the bed, subtly conveying a sense of positivity and upliftment…
In the sacred and bright room, Hope brought in a bowl of medicinal soup, looking with a kind expression at the weak and powerless old man by the bedside:
"Your Holiness, it's time to take your medicine."
Chapter 183 The Little Devil Shines
Holding a bowl of purplish-red medicinal soup, Hope, with a concerned expression, helped Brad up from the bed and said hopefully:
"Try this herbal remedy; it will definitely have an extraordinary effect on your body!"
Brad now looks like he's aged more than ten years; his face is deeply sunken, revealing his bone structure, and his eyes are incredibly dull.
"I've told you so many times, Hope, you don't need to prepare food for me. Find me something... like a silver cross, that might be better." Brad coughed a few times, trying to persuade Hope, but was pressed down firmly again.
Brad was helpless; he could easily break free from Hope, but that would only make him more likely to be exposed.
"Your Holiness the Pope, you've come again. While faith can purify the soul, the cross can't be eaten..."
Hope made a joke, then carefully brought the medicine to Brad's lips. To ensure the medicinal properties of the herbs were fully preserved, he added every last piece of dragon's blood grass.
Brad looked utterly disappointed. What effect could these ordinary herbs possibly have on him? It would be better to give him two holy artifacts to eat, which would guarantee immediate results!
However, he naturally dared not make such a request, and could only think of secretly stealing the cross to eat after he finished drinking the herbal medicine.
However, as the slightly fishy-smelling, scalding hot medicinal soup went down his throat, Brad felt a sudden itch all over his body, as if his brain was about to grow.
"Your Holiness, are you really all better?!" Hope asked with delight.
Brad was stunned. He turned to look at the mirror in the room, and his previously withered face suddenly became full of life!
Flesh and blood?!
A chill ran through Brad, and he looked down in terror, sensing the changes in his body.
"What kind of herb is this?!"
Brad coughed violently, his senses spreading throughout his body in disbelief.
The mechanical body, which had been painstakingly transformed by the "decaying artifact" essence, was now shrinking and degenerating. Its once indestructible limbs were gradually dissolving into... withered and powerless muscles.
"No! What's going on?!"
Brad showed a look of intense pain; this was a semi-mechanized holy body that he had completed by consuming a large number of holy artifacts!
"Who? Who told you to do this?" Brad snorted angrily, grabbing Hope's collar as he spoke, his voice filled with rage.
"It's... Astrid, the scholar. She said these herbs are good for your health!"
Hope blinked in astonishment, not understanding why Pope Brad, whose "complexion" was constantly improving, had become so agitated.
“Astrid?!” Brad’s eyes flashed with intense hatred, his tone filled with rage:
"That woman is a monster!!!"
……
"Ah chirp!"
Inside the Kingdom Library, Astrid sneezed.
With a slight tremor in her shoulders, Astrid, buried among a pile of books, quickly and timidly looked around. Only after confirming that she did not see the terrifying human paladin or the king did she breathe a slight sigh of relief.
"Waaaaah, I heard that the Demon Clan's first line of defense is already on the verge of collapse. Swell and the others... they won't blame me, will they?"
Astrid lowered her head, looking aggrieved.
She originally just wanted to come to the capital to gather some information, but somehow she was hired as a librarian and was awarded the title of great scholar after writing a few articles.
She was eventually forced to become the Demon King's top traitor, but so far she's only participated in one operation to hunt down the hero Mino... She's definitely not cut out for that!
Astrid was so uneasy that even the frames of her glasses were trembling. If this continued, would she really die a humiliating death in the human capital?
"No, no, this can't go on!"
Clenching her small fist, Astrid stood up as if encouraging herself: "I am the number one traitor in the Demon King's army, the legendary sixth demon!"
"Now that I've earned the title of Honorary Scholar, no one can better fulfill the role of a mole than me! Oh!!!"
"Either erupt in silence or perish in silence," the cowardly Astrid finally decided to stand up for herself. She decided to secretly do something earth-shattering to live up to her identity as the kingdom's number one mole!
"But... what should I do?" Astrid pondered deeply.
The worst thing she could imagine was probably secretly writing a submissive romance novel for Prince Ota...
The main reason is that for safety reasons, it is no longer possible to contact the Demon King's castle frequently. Swell has only left her a secret one-way communication channel, and she has to be careful of traps planted by humans in their intelligence. It must not be used unless it is an emergency!
"I've got it!" Suddenly, Astrid's eyes lit up:
"I'm now qualified to participate in the core roundtable meeting. If I can secretly push for decisions that benefit the demons at the next roundtable meeting, wouldn't that help the Demon King's castle?!"
Astrid began to daydream.
When she displayed her intellectual wisdom as a great scholar at the roundtable meeting, using her excellent eloquence and meticulous logic to win the admiration of the nobles and Prince Ota present, she calmly guided humanity to avoid the harm to the demon race, gradually corrupting the kingdom to its weakest point, yet no one doubted the elegant scene above her head.
This is what a real mole should do!
"Astrid, we will win!"
Astrid was immersed in self-satisfaction, and a strange chuckle unconsciously came from the corner of her mouth.
Completely forgetting her social anxiety, she was about to face the scrutinizing gaze of all of humanity's elite on that day...
……
The second day of the noble selection.
Dane stood on the podium, his face as black as an iron pot.
Yesterday, some scoundrel somehow managed to unplug his entire megaphone!
No matter how easily the common people in the capital are lured, they can't just look at a blank-eyed person standing there and eagerly come up to contribute their votes. Otherwise, there's no need to hold this election event; it can just be an online election.
What's even more infuriating is that... Dane turned his head and saw that just five meters away from his podium, a series of clanging sounds were gradually building up a rough outline of a podium over the course of the morning.
Normally, although the competition among the nobles was fierce, they also maintained a sense of propriety, and their speaking platforms were set up in various parts of the commoners' district, almost evenly and scattered.
The behavior in front of him is clearly an attempt to divert the flow of people from his area, which is tantamount to defecating on his head!
—Can you even tolerate this?!
Dane stormed off to confront Tus, who was in charge of maintaining order at the event, and even Tus was taken aback.
"The Duke of Moss's representative, Tonk, did not pay the venue fee in advance, so we did not set up a stage for him. According to the rules... as long as he sets up the stage himself, there are no location requirements in the rules."
At this point, Tus was also a little annoyed. To put it bluntly, these rules for the selection were designed to prevent honest people from being deceived, but not to prevent dishonest people. Who knew that Tang Ke would find a loophole in the rules and exploit it in such an irreproachable and shameless way!
In some ways, the other party really does have the style of his father, Duke Moss!
Returning from Tus's place with a belly full of anger, Dane took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and decided not to argue with Tong Ke any further.
The other nobles were one thing, after all, it was Duke Moss, and no matter what he did, he couldn't change the situation... It was just that he was somewhat disgusted.
Dane gradually calmed down, a hint of arrogant sneer rising in his eyes.
He is the adopted son of Grand Duke Thanaus, and there is no need for him to argue with the second son of Duke Moss in this situation.
Turning his head, Dane was about to adopt a composed demeanor.
Then, on the podium, Tang Ke pulled out a very familiar-looking amplification device...
Chapter 184 I have never seen such a shameless person!
"Tang Ke, aren't we going a bit too far by doing this...?"
On the podium, Jenny said weakly, glancing nervously at Dane every now and then, "Dane's eyes are like he wants to devour us!"
"Don't worry, it's just concern between friends."
Tom, busy setting up the stage, wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed with a candid expression:
"Dane is good in every way, except that he is too kind and too honest! I am very happy for him to become the Grand Duke's adopted son, but he should also be exposed to the wickedness of people's hearts and can no longer treat people with his pure heart!"
Looking at Dane, Tonks felt a surge of self-satisfaction: "One day, he'll thank me!"
"I really will thank you..."
On the podium.
His face contorted with barely suppressed anger, Dane clenched his fists, forcibly suppressing the urge to swear.
He has never seen such a shameless person!