CHAPTER 1465: BEFORE THE STRIKE

When Lory arrived with Zhao Li Xin, Fredhardt and Fargo were already standing across the desk while Lucas sat behind it, accepting a report. Their expressions were tense and serious, and the moment Lory and Zhao Li Xin entered, all eyes flicked toward her.

"Your Highness, Mr. Zhao," Fredhardt greeted with a polite nod.

"Princess. Li Xin," Fargo added, giving a casual salute.

Lory strolled into the room, her tone light. "What did I miss?"

Zhao Li Xin gave Fargo and Fredhardt a faint nod in acknowledgment, then pulled out a chair across from Lucas for Lory to sit, and then he found another chair for him to sit.

Fredhardt spoke first. "We’ve got great news from Jay. Miss Boyd has just gained us a very valuable ally inside White Rose School."

Lory’s brows shot up. "Lydia did?!" Admiration sharpened her voice.

"Your friend’s proving to be a better asset than we thought," Lucas said evenly.

"At first, I thought she was just a quiet, timid girl," Fargo admitted, "But turns out, she’s braver than I imagined."

"That’s to be expected from a woman who escaped her own indoctrination and ran from the most powerful organization in the world," Lory said, openly proud.

Fargo raised both hands in mock defense. "I agree. She’s got balls."

Lory’s eye twitched, but she let it slide and turned to Fredhardt. "What exactly did Jay say?"

Fredhardt explained Lydia and Dominique’s conversation. At first, everyone’s eyes lit with interest, then quickly darkened with grim realization. None of them had imagined the situation inside White Rose School was that dire. Now they wondered if the same methods had been used on other members to break their will and force submission.

"No wonder it’s nearly impossible to find defectors," Fargo muttered, shaking his head in disgust. "I used to think it was their unwavering loyalty, but disappointingly, it’s all just manipulation."

"I wonder if the Saintess went through the same," Lory said quietly.

"You think she’s innocent?" Lucas asked.

Lory gave a small shrug. "I hope so. I’d hate to fight a young girl like her."

"Then check it for yourself when she arrives," Lucas replied. He knew Lory well enough to recognize her soft heart, even toward her enemies.

Lory sighed. "I think I will."

Lucas steered the conversation back. "So—when is Lydia scheduled to receive the blessing?" He looked to Fredhardt.

Fredhardt checked his tablet. "According to the schedule, in two days. She’ll enter what they call the preliminary preparation. In short, they’ll isolate the candidates to make sure none run away.

I’m guessing they don’t want another Miss Boyd situation."

"Ironic," Lory said with a dry smile. "She’s back in the same cage she escaped from."

"No, it’s different," Fargo interrupted. "This time, she got a lot of people watching her back."

"After that, she’ll be sent to receive the blessing," Fredhardt continued. "But the location isn’t disclosed."

Fargo snorted. "And no one asks where they’re being sent, even when the Saintess lives in the same compound?"

"I heard the blessing requires a special site," Fredhardt sneered. "But honestly, they can spin whatever excuse they want, and no one dares question it. No one in their right mind ever does..." He ended with a sharp, sarcastic smile.

"Well, that’s true," Fargo agrees.

"So, after two days, they’ll be taken to Zalchana," Lory concluded.

"Yes, at the same time, the saint and her entourage will arrive in Harland approximately in three days, and they will check into Bellvue hotel and rest for a day before attending the exhibition," Fredhardt confirmed.

Lucas tapped his index finger against the table in thought before looking at Fredhardt. "How’s Garrof and his team?"

"They will hijack the convoy of cars carrying the healers, while our agent gives support," Fargo answered.

Lory’s mouth twisted into a bitter grimace. "They’re really treated like cattle, aren’t they?"

"Yeah," Fargo muttered, his tone heavy. "And just like cattle, they don’t even realize they’re being driven to slaughter."

"Make it clean, I don’t want they to know who’s taking the healers, not yet," Lucas’ eyes glint cunningly.

"Do we already have the security detail set around the convoy?" Lory asked.

Fargo inclined his head. "Jay was working on it. It shouldn’t pose much difficulty for him to find out soon."

Lucas leaned back slightly, his voice steady but carrying weight. "Good. Once the drugs are secured in our hands, send them to N.I.M.S. for analysis. We need to know exactly what’s inside that drug. And start working on an antidote right away; we can’t predict how many lives have already been touched by this poison. Also, inform the director of the Royal Hospital to prepare treatment for the healers as soon as they arrive."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Fredhardt’s reply was solemn, his posture firm.

Lory released a quiet sigh, her gaze softening. "Those healers... convincing them of the truth will be no easy task. I wouldn’t be surprised if some bear resentment toward us."

Lucas smiled, calm and composed, yet with a warmth in his eyes. "We can handle that, but letting innocent people die quietly without lifting a hand, that we cannot handle."

Lory’s shoulders sank with a helpless nod. "They remind me of Lydia when I first met her. I can’t blame them for how they feel. Still... I hope everything turns out well."

Lucas’s lips curved into a measured grin. "Leave that to us; you just need to focus on how to approach the Saintess and make sure not to reveal your identity."

Tilting her head, Lory mused aloud, "That’s not a problem, but I’m gonna need everyone’s help as usual." Her eyes darted mischievously across the room, a spark of playfulness cutting through the heaviness.

A ripple of laughter followed. Fredhardt gave an almost indulgent shrug. "And, as usual, we’ll be right there with you."

Meanwhile, Zhao Li Xin sat in silence, sipping wine from the jade cup he had casually drawn from his spatial ring. With one leg crossed over the other, his posture remained relaxed yet undeniably graceful.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips when Lory made a joke, but he did not interject.

His quiet was not born of apathy; rather, he deemed it unnecessary, for everyone present was more than capable of handling the matter at hand. Besides, he knew all too well that his own methods were ill-suited to their way of doing things.

For example, Zhao Li Xin cared little for the healers’ well-being. If it had been left entirely to him, he would have allowed Zalchana to devour them, just to observe how much her strength would grow.

To gain an even deeper understanding, he would have gone further: like slipping an explosive device onto one of the healers and detonating it the moment they drew near Zalchana, simply to measure the limits of the creature’s power.

His methods were undeniably cold, merciless, and cruel—hardly suited for rulers like Lucas and Lory, who placed human life above all else. To him, Lucas’s approach often seemed slow and unnecessarily roundabout.

Yet, witnessing a monarch treat human lives with such regard stirred something unrecognizable within him. Sometimes, he found himself wondering: had he been born in this kingdom, what kind of man would he have become?

Zhao Li Xin’s eyes darted to Lory, and his gaze softened. It doesn’t matter where he was born or lived, he was sure the end would still be the same, he would feel in love at first sight with Lory.

Feeling Zhao Li Xin’s gaze, Lory turned her head instinctively.

"Li Xin, do you have anything to add?" she asked, rising from her chair and striding toward him with a sweet smile.

Zhao Li Xin restored the jade wine cup back into his ring and replied calmly, "No. You’ve already covered everything flawlessly."

Fredhardt raised his brows, still unconvinced. As the king’s Archknight, he prided himself on his keen judgment of character, honed through years of encountering people from every walk of life. Yet in all his long and seasoned experience, he had never come across anyone quite like Zhao Li Xin, a man of unshakable calm, deliberate patience, and calculating focus, whose every action seemed guided by a sharp and disciplined mind.

What made Zhao Li Xin even more unsettling was his indifference to worldly desires, which made him nearly impossible to manipulate or predict. Thankfully, he wasn’t without a weakness; his unwavering devotion to Lory was palpable for anyone to see. In fact, it was so blatant that anyone could see he was completely at her mercy.

The irony wasn’t lost on Fredhardt; for all Zhao Li Xin’s power and menace, a single pout from Lory was enough to make him bend over backwards to coax her. But, if not for that, Fredhardt would have racked his brain on how to pry Zhao Li Xin away from her since he was the destined one.

"You really don’t want to add anything?" Fredhardt asked, his tone carrying a subtle challenge.

Lory leaned against Zhao Li Xin’s shoulder, her violet eyes glinting with anticipation. Meeting her gaze, Zhao Li Xin could only resign himself; she truly was his ’Achilles’ heel’.

After a thoughtful pause, he spoke. "If you don’t mind a few casualties among the enemy, why not blow up the site where Zalchana is being held?"

Fargo frowned. "You think that will kill Zalchana?"

Zhao Li Xin’s tone remained casual, almost detached. "No. But it will force a reaction, either from Zalchana, the organization, or Luxemborough. If they move her, we learn where and how. If they don’t, it means she cannot be moved, and that knowledge is just as valuable. And if Zalchana herself reacts... all the better. We can gauge the creature’s strength by her response."

The room fell silent. The others exchanged glances until Fredhardt finally muttered, "It’s... not a bad idea."

"Considering there are no innocent people there, I don’t mind killing some of them, just take it as a revenge for all those dead healers there," Fargo said firmly, his expression hard.

Lucas turned to Zhao Li Xin. "How big of an explosion are we talking about?"

"The bigger, the better," Zhao Li Xin replied, his voice calm and detached.

Lory’s gaze swept the room. "What do you all think?"

Lucas leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "It won’t hurt to see how the enemy handles that matter...I’m curious how this affected Zalchana?"

Fargo tactfully pulled out his phone. "I’ll plan the details with Jay."

Fredhardt regarded Zhao Li Xin with a knowing smile. "I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me. You make me more and more intrigued, Mr. Zhao."

Zhao Li Xin’s gaze stayed calm, his reply casual. "I’m married."

Fredhardt’s smile didn’t waver. "I don’t mind," he jests.

Lory’s eyes darted between the two, her expression darkening before she wrapped her arms possessively around Zhao Li Xin’s neck. "WELL, I MIND!"

Lucas ignored the silly banter and yawned. "Alright then, I’m gonna take a quick nap." Somehow, he pulled up a small pillow from behind him and placed it on top of the desk before him.

Fargo’s mouth twitched. "Oh, no, you don’t!" he confiscated the pillow swiftly.