Chapter 75: A New Situation

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains onto the bed, and I slowly opened my eyes.

I felt something warm pressed against me.

Looking down, I found Charlotte holding me tightly, her head resting on my chest.

(What... what is this situation?!)

I instantly widened my eyes, my whole body stiff.

I could clearly feel Charlotte's soft body and even breathing.

Just then, Charlotte seemed to wake up too.

She lifted her head, those lycoris-colored eyes looking directly at me.

“Good morning, Miss Melantha.”

Charlotte's voice was as calm as ever, as if our current position was perfectly normal.

“G-good morning.”

I stammered in response.

“Um.... why are we in this position?”

“Sorry... I might have had a nightmare.”

Charlotte said, then released her arms from around me and sat up.

“We should get up.”

We both got dressed and then went to the grand hall.

It seemed the two of us were the last to arrive.

When Charlotte and I arrived at the grand hall, we saw that several familiar figures were already there.

Edward, Emily, Helena.

Victoria, Isabella, Sebastian.

“Wait, are two people missing?”

I spoke subconsciously, my gaze sweeping around.

“Where are Mr. William and... Mr. Graham?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the atmosphere in the grand hall suddenly became heavy.

I noticed that the expressions on Emily's and Isabella's faces turned incredibly ugly, as if my words had touched a raw nerve.

In the end, it was the butler, Bond, who broke the silence.

“Young Master William was eliminated last night, and the one who killed him was Mr. Graham. However, because Mr. Graham violated the rules, he himself was also expelled from the manor after killing Young Master William.”

Hearing this, I was stunned for a moment, then my gaze subconsciously turned to Isabella.

“But if Mr. William was eliminated...”

I didn't finish my sentence, because Isabella shot me a cold glare.

“According to the rules, if the employer is eliminated, then the knight is also considered disqualified and must also leave.”

Bond said, then looked at Isabella.

“My sincerest apologies, Miss Isabella, please—”

“Wait!”

Isabella suddenly spoke, interrupting the butler.

Then, she turned to look at Emily.

“Please hire me as your knight, Miss Emily.”

She said.

“Since your knight has been eliminated, and I no longer have an employer, we just need to establish a new employment relationship, right?”

The moment Isabella's words fell, the grand hall was plunged into silence.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Emily and Isabella, and the air was thick with tension.

“Is... is that allowed?”

Emily turned to look at Bond, as if seeking his approval.

Butler Bond frowned, seemingly contemplating the feasibility of this proposal.

A moment later, he slowly spoke: “Of course it is, ladies—the Master has just given his approval.”

“When did...”

Before I could finish, I felt Charlotte tug my hand, signaling me not to say more.

As soon as Butler Bond finished speaking, the atmosphere in the grand hall suddenly became complicated.

Everyone's gazes shifted back and forth between Emily and Isabella, all seeming to await Emily's decision.

Emily was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“I accept your request, Miss Isabella.”

She nodded, her gaze firm as she looked at Isabella.

“From this moment on, you are my knight.”

Isabella let out a sigh of relief and bowed deeply to Emily.

“Thank you for your trust, Miss Emily. I promise I will absolutely not let you down.”

As the two's partnership was formed, the original situation also changed at this moment.

I saw the expressions on Helena's and Sebastian's faces instantly turn a little ugly.

“I knew that damned Apostle of Chaos was completely unreliable.”

Sebastian said, grinding his teeth.

“Now we're on our own...”

“Don't be anxious.”

Helena said softly, stroking the raven in her hands.

“We still have a way.”

After the meal, Victoria walked over to my side and nodded towards Charlotte.

As a fellow Shepherd of Order, Charlotte wasn't too wary of Victoria, so she also gave her a slight nod.

“Excuse me, may I borrow Miss Melantha for a moment?”

Victoria asked softly.

“Miss Isabella and I have something we'd like to say to you.”

Hearing this, I glanced at Charlotte, as if seeking her opinion.

Charlotte nodded slightly, indicating that I could go.

I then followed Victoria away, arriving at a secluded corner where Isabella had been waiting for a long time.

“Excuse me, is there something you need?”

I asked.

“Miss Melantha,” Victoria said, getting straight to the point: “The current situation has been broken.

Miss Isabella and I have the same idea—let's eliminate Mr. Sebastian first.”

Hearing this, I was slightly taken aback, but I quickly nodded.

This was not surprising to me.

Sebastian is a Shepherd of the Red Moon, and while I am currently a Shepherd of Knowledge on the surface, Victoria and Isabella naturally wouldn't make an enemy of me so quickly.

“Then... do you have a plan?”

I asked.

“My idea is to focus our fire on Helena first and eliminate her.”

Isabella said.

“But Miss Emily doesn't have any combat abilities, and I'm not good at fighting either.”

After a pause, she looked at Victoria again.

“I am a Shepherd of Order, I'm not good at fighting either.”

And so, the gazes of the two fell upon me.

“I...”

I hesitated for a moment, then said: “I heard from Miss Charlotte that Mr. Edward seems to have studied swordsmanship for a long time.”

Hearing this, Isabella turned to look at Victoria again, but Victoria shook her head.

“Mr. Edward is unwilling to join us. He says he's more than capable of dealing with the others by himself.”

“So arrogant and conceited...”

Isabella frowned.

“Then what do we do? If none of us have combat abilities, won't we be suppressed by that guy Sebastian instead?”

“My suggestion is that we first disclose our respective abilities.”

Victoria said, “I am a Shepherd of Order. If you agree, I can go first. But after I speak, you must also speak, and no lying is allowed. How about it?”

After hearing Victoria's proposal, Isabella and I exchanged a look, and then the latter nodded.

“I have no problem with that. You go first, Miss Victoria.”

Victoria took a deep breath and then began to introduce her ability: “I am a Staff Bearer of the Prima Materia stage. My scepter can establish rules, no more than three at most, and once a rule I've established is agreed to by others, then those others will also be bound by the rule. For example, just now, I actually already established the first rule, and you both agreed to it—so from now on, neither of you can lie.”

Hearing this, Isabella frowned, and it was at this moment that both she and I felt a force.

It seemed something was suppressing us, not allowing us to even entertain the slightest thought of lying.

“I am also a Shepherd of the Prima Materia stage.”

Isabella said.

“My scepter is replication.”

“Replication?”

“That's right. As long as I've seen it with my own eyes, be it a mystical art or something else, I can replicate it. But I can only use it once. After using it, I need to observe and record it again. However, Scepter Liberation won't work.”

Hearing this, Victoria pondered for a moment, then said: “Can you replicate anything?”

“What kind are you referring to?”

“What if I have Mr. Edward demonstrate his swordsmanship?”

Victoria said, “If you watch from the side, can you replicate it?”

Hearing this, Isabella thought for a moment, then nodded.

“I can, but... that kind of demonstrative swordsmanship, I don't think it would be of any use.”

After a pause, she looked at me.

“It's your turn, Miss Melantha.”

“I am... a Shepherd in the Development Phase.”

I said after a moment's hesitation.

Hearing this, Isabella and Victoria frowned at the same time.

“Only the Development Phase? I thought everyone invited here would be at least a Staff Bearer.”

Isabella said.

“Then do you have any special abilities?”

“I” I thought for a moment.

Obviously, I absolutely could not tell them about 【The New Moon】.

However, Victoria only said we were not allowed to lie, she didn't say we weren't allowed to conceal.

So, I cleared my throat and then said: “I know Alchemy.”

“Alchemy?”

Isabella became interested.

“To what extent?”

“I can transform blood into metal.”

I said.

“【Forging iron with blood】... Anything else?”

Isabella asked again.

“And 【Smelting/Reforging】.”

I said.

“Nothing else?”

Victoria asked.

“Yes, nothing else.”

I nodded, and fearing they wouldn't believe me, I quickly added:

“Those two are the only Alchemy skills I know.”

This was the truth.