When the plot-skips players into the game world

Chapter 883: Chapter 257: The Conspiracy Against Yulia

After most of the people had left, Pengbonazi grabbed a blood servant who looked to be only around eleven or twelve years old and drank their blood voraciously. When the servant’s face turned pale and they collapsed on the ground, to be carried away by other blood servants, only then did he finally calm down completely.

Rubbing his forehead, he asked sarcastically, “Is there any more bad news you want to tell me?”

“Indeed.”

Prince Heinrich nodded: “It has been confirmed—Count Leo Karl has now become a warrior. He no longer possesses the Power of Transcendence.”

“Hmph, that is the least surprising piece of bad news.”

Pengbonazi snorted coldly without much of a reaction, “Although he was also on the path to Transcendence, he never really seemed like a Transcender. Now that he has been put on the Path of Adaptation, it is not unexpected… After I heard about the ‘warrior’ matter, I thought he might leave us.

“But what about his Flame Demon? I haven’t heard any news about a Flame Demon getting out of control recently.”

“It appears that he has merged with his Flame Demon and is now adapting to his new Strength.”

Prince Heinrich reminded, “Although he has lost the path to Transcendence, it seems his Strength hasn’t weakened—at all, it may have even become stronger.”

“That’s not surprising, the Flame Demon is indeed suitable for him. He doesn’t rely purely on the power of the contract to suppress it.”

Pengbonazi shook his head slightly, “Since Karl is no longer a Transcender, you should find another sacrifice.”

“Am I to decide?”

Prince Heinrich was somewhat surprised.

“Of course, ‘Pengbonazi’ isn’t part of the Rose Cross Society. If I were to decide, it might make our friends wary.”

Pengbonazi chuckled lightly—it was the first time in days a smile had appeared on his face, “You’re the host of the ritual, it would be more natural for you to decide on the sacrifice. Just pick anyone, no need to consult me.”

“…The ritual will definitely continue, and one less person is of no consequence. No other Transcenders have become warriors… What do you think of Master Walter?”

“Let’s leave Walter out of it, I rather like his daughter. If we were to use him as a sacrifice, we’d have to kill her too. That would be quite a shame.”

Pengbonazi casually spoke yet seriously considered and provided a reason for refusal.

Prince Heinrich was not surprised by this, and proposed another name: “How about Lady Marasia?”

“We need the power of the Fallen Celestial Marshal, and it’s not good to use a woman as a vessel, is it?”

“Then… Count Dorn?”

“Hmm, let it be him.”

“Okay, I’ll inform the others.”

Prince Heinrich nodded.

But then he hesitated, “There’s one more thing, father… what should we do about Count Karl?”

“Deal with it as you see fit.”

The “Red Chancellor” Pengbonazi said lightly.

“I mean,” the lord of Leipzig emphasized, “he knows the secret of the Ring of Ouroboros ritual. And now, he has been excluded… Should we silence him? He may be stronger than before, and if need be… I think I may need support.”

“I’ve already said, deal with it as you see fit.”

Pengbonazi cast a profound glance at Count Leipzig: “What do you think?”

“…I think, there’s no need to kill him.”

Count Leipzig hesitated for a moment, yet still spoke up on behalf of Earl Karl: “He was originally the sacrifice for the ritual and doesn’t know too many secrets. He is also aware of how many people were involved in this grand ritual… I believe he understands the gravity and won’t talk. He is also a smart man.”

“You want to save him?”

Pengbonazi was slightly surprised but still nodded: “That’s fine.

“As I said—it’s up to you to deal with him. That means you can do whatever you want, but you must take responsibility. Don’t make a mess and expect me to clean up after you… I’m already fed up with that. Though you call me father, I never said you should treat me as one and act all spoiled. You’re not my own flesh and blood, enough is enough.”

The Red Chancellor sighed, fatigue creeping into his tone for once.@@novelbin@@

“So, father,” Prince Heinrich confirmed once again, “what should we do about Heracel’s hidden stash?”

At that, the Red Chancellor also fell silent for a good while.

“The Blood of Heracles must be obtained. But I don’t know how much information Emma has leaked… Our opportunity may only come once.”

Pengbonazi casually drew a blood servant into his embrace, pondering intensively at the same time: “A violent approach is not feasible—as I’ve said, we can’t confront the Holy Nation head-on. And now, Avalon has become one with the Holy Nation.

“So here’s the thing, Heinrich. Your Leipzig—it has quite a number of Alchemists, right?”

“Yes, father.”

“I remember there’s an Alchemist from Avalon who studies explosives. He’s a Stibnite… and also Yulia’s teacher.”

“That’s correct.”

Prince Heinrich nodded: “His name is Nobel, previously part of our Leipzig’s third Alchemy team. Later on, he tweaked a classic alchemy formula and accidentally created a more stable explosive. The deputy chairman of the Royal Alchemy Association disliked him, claiming that this was a modification that infringed upon the achievements of predecessors and an attempt to maliciously register a copyright on an accidental discovery, not a product of his intellectual effort, and thus it should not have copyright.”

“Ridiculous.”

Pengbonazi scoffed: “Aren’t those alchemy formulas all about modifying what came from our predecessors? I’ve been tired of it since Valentine’s time.”

“But there were many who envied Nobel, especially since his project had low technical content yet brought huge economic benefits. As a result, the deputy chairman’s perspective was widely accepted, and he was regarded as a ‘researcher of vile virtue with good luck.’

“He tried to sue the other party… but as you know, that’s impossible. Later on, he left in indignation. When the Royal Alchemy Association pressured me, I couldn’t keep him.”

“Now I roughly understand what kind of person he might be.”

Pengbonazi mused: “So this is the plan, Heinrich. I’ve thought about it… If we were to hold an apprentice alchemy competition or offer him some benefits, given his obsessive nature, he likely wouldn’t return. Not to mention bringing Yulia back with him.

“Here’s what you’ll do—write him a letter in the name of his former colleagues. Just ask him, since you heard he’s returned to Stibnite and registered patents for all his classic formulas, why hasn’t he come back to them?

“Then casually mention that ‘Nobel’ took on a new student who is said to be extremely talented, having inherited all of Nobel’s knowledge, and has been in contact with ‘you.’ But ‘you’ suspect the student’s invention of potential copyright infringement—after all, with the war stopped, he won’t be able to resist.”

“…That will work?”

“Yes, that will do. Then find an actor to play this out and publish the news about Nobel returning to Stibnite with his student in the newspapers. But don’t send the newspapers directly to him; let him find it on his own.”

Pengbonazi chuckled softly: “For researchers as obsessive and noble as them, neither benefits nor threats work. But once their reputation and the theft of their results and honors are at stake, they will jump high to prove themselves. If Yulia is clever enough, he will bring her back with him, allowing her to inherit his network and achievements—Yulia has been sick for too long, and now with Aiwass becoming so strong, she’s unwilling to fall behind and eager to grow… She will definitely come.

“Valentine was the same kind of person… I understand them all too well.

“…To be honest, I quite miss such people.”