CHAPTER 1450: FIRE AND SMOKE

Amidst the silly bantering and ridiculous arguing, a small smile tugged at the corner of Jay’s lips. Despite what he’d said earlier, he actually missed this time very much.

The stupid conversations, the sarcastic jokes, and the relentless teasing that had defined their youth. Even in the worst situations, facing powerful beasts or swarms of hundreds of enemies, they never passed up the chance to throw jabs and laugh together.

But those moments had become increasingly rare. Under the pressure to rebuild their kingdom from ashes, the grief of losing the King and the former archknight, then the trauma from losing Lory, everything happened so much and too much, at the same time, yet they didn’t have the luxury to mourn because millions of their citizen depend on them.

Thus, everyone threw themselves into their responsibilities, using work as a way to cope with the lingering trauma, overwhelming grief, and unspoken guilt.

Thankfully, Lory had returned, not shattered by her trials, nor hardened by bitterness, but still radiant with spirit, kindness, and even stronger than before.

Her presence became a balm form their wound, and because of that, they could finally begin to untangle themselves from the grief and guilt that had long burdened their hearts.

"Yo, Jay, what do you want to report?" Fargo’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, yeah—about that." Jay straightened, gathering himself. "Lydia Boyd told me Jasmine Wu was selected for the new batch to receive the Saintess’s blessing."

"What?" Fargo blinked. "Hold on—let me turn on the loudspeaker."

Jay waited a moment, then repeated, "Well, we all know what happens to girls like Jasmine Wu when they’re selected for the Saintess’s blessing. Lydia wants to know how we’re going to proceed with the rescue plan. Oh—and there are thirty healers chosen this time."

"That’s a lot," Lory murmured.

"Yeah," Jay said grimly. "The number keeps going up—and so does the frequency."

"I guess that means Zalchana is growing stronger," Lucas said, his expression darkening. "The power from small groups of healers must no longer be enough."

"Tsk. We need to do something about that creature," Jay muttered.

"We need to find its location first," Fredhardt chimed in.

"We still haven’t gotten any solid leads on that," Fargo added, disappointment clear in his voice.

"Why not use Jasmine Wu to find Zalchana’s location?" Zhao Li Xin said suddenly.

Everyone turned to Zhao Li Xin in unison.

Fredhardt stroked his chin thoughtfully, then nodded. "That could work... but it’s risky."

"The bigger issue is—would Jasmine Wu even agree to cooperate?" Lory said, concern etched across her face. "Would she really be willing to use herself as bait?"

"Well, Lory has a point. A rich young heiress probably isn’t the type to risk her life willingly," Jay said, shooting Lory a playful grin. "I only know one crazy young heiress who would ever do something like that."

"Hey, I’m a professional," Lory gives Fargo a side eye.

"Perhaps..." Zhao Li Xin’s calm voice cut through again, "We could use Miss Boyd instead. With a shapeshifter spell and a dose of Versipell Potion, she could take Miss Wu’s place."

"That’s too dangerous!" Lory objected immediately. "Why not let me take her place instead?"

No one was surprised; everyone had expected Lory to say that.

Jay shook his head. "No, you can’t. Lydia grew up among them. She knows how healers talk, how they carry themselves, how they blend in. You can’t replicate that in a short time without raising suspicion."

Lory’s shoulders slumped. As much as she hated to admit it, Jay was right. Zhao Li Xin rubbed Lory’s head to comfort her. While Jay continues, "Not even Maddeline could pull this off as she was living outside the organization too long."

"I know..." Lory sighed, "So—what’s the plan? We must make sure our people’s safety comes first."

"That’s why I’m here, Princess," Jay chuckles, his voice laced with confidence.

A faint, amused smile flickered on Lucas’s face. He leisurely crossed his legs. "When will the plan be executed?"

"In two weeks," Jay replied.

"At the same time, the saintes will arrive here to attend Zhao Li Xin’s painting exhibition," Lory said.

"If we keep drawing the enemy’s attention here," Fredhardt said with a pointed look, "They’ll be forced to pull back their elite personnel to reinforce security around the Saintess and Alexander Behrenn."

"That would thin out the guards around the chosen healers," Fargo added, nodding.

"But how exactly do we pull that off?" Lory asked, brows drawn in concern.

"We escalate the perceived threat level near the Saintess and that... Behrenn thing," Zhao Li Xin offered calmly, as if suggesting a change in the weather.

Fredhardt raised his coffee cup in salute. "See? Your husband gets it."

Lory narrowed her eyes at him. "You want to threaten the Saintess and Behrenn directly?"

"Just a little," Fredhardt replied with a nonchalant shrug. "We don’t need to launch an actual attack, just enough to rattle their security apparatus. Stage something. Feed them intel. Make them think they’re being hunted."

"We can use decoys," Zhao Li Xin added. "Hire illusionists or use doppelgänger constructs to create fake sightings of known rebels near the Saintess’s latest travel route."

"I can have our informants spread whispers in the right places," Fargo said. "Make like there’s an assassination plot for the saintess and Alexander Behrenn. We just need to feed it through trusted enemy channels, so they’ll believe it."

"And once their security detail shifts toward Behrenn and the Saintess," Jay followed, "It will be easier for us to extract the healers when the times come."

"Well...that would work." Lory tilted her head.

Lucas folded his arms, thinking for a long moment. Then he nodded once. "Proceed. But keep it in mind, this is a distraction, not a declaration."

Fredhardt bowed his head courteously. "Understood. Just smoke and mirrors."

"You heard that, Jay?" Fargo spoke into the phone. "You think that will help you?"

"That’ll do," Jay replied with a soft chuckle. "Thanks, guys."

"Stay safe out there, Jay," Lucas added.

Jay’s voice came back, steady and warm. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

__________________________________

Three days later, the world was shaken by unexpected news.

The news didn’t just spread and erupt, like a thunderclap tearing through a quiet sky.

Every major outlet lit up within minutes, almost crashing the global NET server from the sheer volume of traffic. Feeds slowed. Streams buffered. Notifications came in waves, relentless and urgent.

On every screen, in every city, across every nation, one headline dominated every broadcast in bold, flashing letters:

’ATTACK ON SAINTESS CONVOY’

’ALEXANDER BEHRENN TARGETED – CAR EXPLODES MINUTES AFTER LEAVING THE ELYSIUM!’

Within hours, the headlines splashed across every major publication and news screen. Holograms, papers, news terminals, every medium buzzed with breathless urgency.

’This marks the boldest attack yet on the central authority.’

’Security around the Saintess has been dramatically increased.’

’Officials remain silent, but sources suggest rebel involvement.’

Social feeds exploded with panic, speculation, and outrage.

Footage of the scorched road, where the Saintess’s car had been ambushed, had flooded every channel. Smoke billowed in the background as guards and paladins scrambled to form a protective wall around her.

Though the answer was unharmed and no casualties were reported, the message was unmistakable: Someone wants her life.

Elsewhere, a second video went viral within minutes, captured by a distant traffic surveillance drone and broadcast worldwide. The footage showed a massive fireball erupting on a quiet highway, consuming the road in flames. Alexander Behrenn’s armored car was the target.

The video was grainy, but unmistakable: figures in tactical armor, armed with heavy weapons, opened fire on the vehicle and its escort. Explosions lit up the scene as Paladin personnel scrambled for cover. Several were visibly injured in the crossfire.

Thankfully, just before the final blast, a brilliant protective shield flared to life, encasing Behrenn’s vehicle in a shimmering dome of energy. He was unharmed. Silent. Untouched inside the glow, as chaos unfolded around him.

Commentators dissected the footage frame by frame. News anchors speculated on the attackers’ identity. Strategists questioned how anyone had breached the security perimeter of not one, but two of the most heavily guarded figures in Dolza.

Behind the noise, whispers grew louder: Who dares to do this? Who is crazy enough to attack two most prominent figures in the world?

Just as the public was still reeling from the attempted attacks, another wave of headlines struck like a second bolt of lightning.

This time, the world’s attention turned to Herriond, the King’s City, where the most prestigious art institution, Harland’s National Art Gallery, announced its first major exhibition in nearly a decade.

After years of silence, the gallery was reopening its grand halls, this time, for the mysterious painter whose sudden rise to fame had captivated the art world. The exhibition title is "Fragments of Eternity".

The event was billed as a celebration of culture, beauty, humanity, and triumph over the long, bitter years of the Dark Age War.

According to the official press release, all profits from the exhibition would be donated to war-torn regions still struggling to rebuild.

The announcement alone was enough to dominate the headlines. But what truly set the world ablaze was the exclusive guest list.

Only those who had proven their service to the people during or after the war, and those with a clean, respectable public image, received the invitation.

Among them were three names that caught everyone’s attention. The saintess’ name, Allina Lisandra Miza, Alexander Behrenn, and Salvo De Rova. However, after multiple attacks on the saintess and Alexander Behrenn, people question would they should attend the event at all, or would they hide.

Almost immediately, a spokesperson from S.A.I.N.T. stepped forward to issue a fiery public response:

’We will not be intimidated by cowards and terrorists. The Saintess will not cower in the shadows. By the will of God, she is protected, and she will continue her divine duty without fear. Furthermore, we will accept the invitation of the Harland Kingdom and attend the event according to the schedule.

The declaration was broadcast live, with the S.A.I.N.T. emblem glowing behind the speaker like a holy crest. Supporters cheered. Critics raised eyebrows. Analysts debated their brave yet recklessnes decision.

Meanwhile, in the shadows where the real game was being played, something else was unfolding.

Security forces were quietly pulled away from the lesser-known convoys, specifically those escorting the newest batch of healers. Resources were redirected. Supervision is reduced, security personnel are replaced or changed to less qualified ones.

All eyes were now fixed on the two most important figure. Exactly as planned.

And somewhere far from the noise, in a quiet, flickering safehouse tucked behind enemy lines, Jay leaned back, watching the headlines scroll across the laptop screen.

A sly smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Nice work, guys."