Chapter 121: Lor'themar

Before long, Link and the others had spent their first night in Starshine City. Early the next morning, Link went out again with Lin Xi to explore the remaining parts of the city. Their main purpose was to observe the distribution of power among the various churches and assess their own strength.

It was then that Link discovered that the royal capital truly deserved its reputation. Hidden talents were everywhere. White Spirit sensed quite a few powerful auras from the sky alone, including many that belonged to sixth-tier or higher experts.

In Red Moon Province, the number of sixth-tier experts could be counted on one hand. Here, however, there were enough of them to be described as “quite a few.” It was clear that seventh-tier powerhouses must exist as well.

Under such circumstances, even though Link and his companions could act without restraint in Red Moon Province, they had no choice but to keep a low profile here.

As a matter of fact, Link had already reached the mid-sixth tier. After obtaining the complete Nine Suns Divine Skill, he had continually consolidated his cultivation, setting aside time to practice every day. Once he had fully adapted to the Nine Suns Divine Skill, his strength had leaped to the mid-sixth tier. If he fought with all his might, then so long as he did not encounter a seventh-tier expert, he was confident he could put up a fight.

It was precisely this strength that gave Link the courage to set foot in the royal capital at such a critical juncture. Otherwise, whether he should come at all would have remained a matter for serious consideration.

That afternoon, Link returned to the villa. Not long afterward, Johnson came to see him and informed him that a distinguished guest had arrived and wished to meet him in private.

The guest’s identity greatly surprised Link.

It was Prince Lor’themar.

Link had come to rescue Sylvanas. Strictly speaking, he and Lor’themar were not allies. Why, then, had Lor’themar come looking for him? Moreover, Link’s affairs were supposed to be confidential. How had Lor’themar learned of them? Could there be a spy among his people?

Just as Link began to wonder whether Count Lothar’s men had betrayed him, Johnson explained that Lor’themar had brought Sylvanas’s personal token and assured Link that there were no traitors on their side. Lor’themar had most likely learned of Link’s arrival from Sylvanas herself.

That was quite intriguing. Rumor had it that Sylvanas and Lor’themar were bitter enemies. Why would she tell him about Link? Link was currently the key to curing Sylvanas. Even if there were only the slightest chance that he could heal her, she should never have revealed his existence to a rival for the throne.

At that thought, Link’s heart stirred. After connecting a few clues, he asked Johnson to bring Lor’themar inside while he remained in the room to wait.

Before long, Johnson arrived with Lor’themar. The young man was handsome, with golden hair and an extraordinary appearance. His beauty surpassed the ordinary kind of handsomeness and veered toward the ethereal, leaving anyone who saw him dazzled. It was said that the Starshatter family possessed elven blood. Judging by Lor’themar’s appearance, that rumor was clearly true.

Still, Link had seen countless remarkable sights. To say nothing of the extraordinary women at his side, there was also the golden-haired girl he had glimpsed aboard the ship on his way here.

Link studied Lor’themar briefly. After Johnson politely introduced them and left the room, Link immediately put on the smile of a charlatan and said, “Father above, Your Highness. It is a pleasure to meet you. May the Father be with you.”

Lor’themar responded with a gentle, refined smile. “Greetings, Archbishop Neil. It is a pleasure to meet you as well. My elder sister has mentioned you. She said that Count Lothar invited you to treat her illness. May I ask, what solution do you have for the current situation?”

Lor’themar’s tone was warm and calm. He did not state his identity outright, nor did he use a royal title when referring to his sister. He even addressed Link with respect, making it difficult to believe that he was a noble prince.

Yet his final question made Link’s eyelid twitch. It was clearly a veiled probe.

After studying Lor’themar without revealing anything, Link deliberately put on a puzzled expression. “Father above, I am afraid I do not understand what Your Highness is asking.”

Lor’themar glanced at him, then gave a soft laugh and shook his head. “Never mind. Let us not discuss that. Archbishop Neil, are you truly capable of curing my elder sister?”

Link maintained his charlatan’s smile. “Father above, Your Highness, I can only do my utmost and try. I cannot guarantee that I will succeed, but you must believe that the Father is merciful to all living things. Her Highness the Princess is a noble and remarkable person. The exalted Father will surely protect her.”

As he spoke, Link stared intently into Lor’themar’s eyes, hoping to catch the slightest change in his expression. His words were also a test. If Lor’themar harbored ill intentions toward Sylvanas, he would surely react. Even if he did not, there ought to have been some other response.

Yet Link had still underestimated the eighteen-year-old prince before him.

After hearing Link’s words, Lor’themar’s gaze did not waver in the slightest. He continued to wear that calm smile and replied in the same warm, even tone, “Then I can set my mind at ease. Archbishop Neil, please do not leave. I will make the necessary arrangements first so that you can enter the palace without falling under the surveillance of certain people. We should have an opportunity by tomorrow evening. At that time, I will return here and take you into the palace to meet my sister.

“I must leave now. The royal capital is not peaceful, and remaining here too long would inevitably cause trouble. Farewell.”

With that, Lor’themar rose and departed.

After he left, the charlatan’s smile vanished from Link’s face, replaced by doubt and solemnity. Lor’themar had not said much, but his words had revealed a great deal. Most importantly, the situation in the royal capital was clearly dire. Even Lor’themar had to act with extreme caution. It seemed that the entire city was already filled with the eyes and informants of various factions.

Then there was the relationship between the two siblings themselves. It did not appear to be as terrible as the outside world claimed. They were not mortal enemies merely because of the succession struggle. However, Lor’themar’s ambiguous attitude made it impossible to determine whether the siblings had joined forces only temporarily under pressure from the outside.

Finally, Lor’themar did not seem as ordinary as the rumors portrayed him. His unfathomable bearing alone suggested that he was a man of profound schemes.

“The waters of the royal capital are even deeper than I imagined. I wonder whether getting involved is truly the right choice.”

As Link pondered this in secret, another night passed beneath the inscrutable heavens.

On the third day, Link remained in the villa and did not go out. It was not until nightfall that Johnson came to tell him that Lor’themar had completed his arrangements and that Link could now set out in disguise.

Link secretly instructed his two spirit beasts to follow them. The others made preparations as well. If anything went wrong, they would immediately regroup and flee Starshine City.

Guided by Johnson, Link took a winding route through the city, circling around again and again before finally arriving outside a mansion near the royal palace. He then slipped in through the rear entrance and met Lor’themar in one of the rooms.

The moment they met, Lor’themar apologized before Link could speak.

“I am sorry, Archbishop Neil. You have been put through a great deal of trouble. We had no choice. Too many people are watching us at present, and this was the only way to avoid their eyes.”

Link smiled. “There is no need to apologize, Your Highness. The great Father once said that to make a person resilient, one must first labor his muscles and strain his bones. This must be a trial granted to me by the Father.”

“To make a person resilient, one must first labor his muscles and strain his bones?” Lor’themar’s eyes lit up. He soon smiled as well. “The archbishop speaks wisely. That sounds somewhat like the literary style of the Dongyun Empire. It seems that Archbishop Neil has also studied the culture of the Cloud Mountain Continent.”

“Heh, I have studied it a little. After all, I am an easterner myself. However, those words were spoken to me by the Father and have nothing to do with the Dongyun Empire.”

With a faint smile, Link corrected him, then changed the subject. “Father above, there is no time to lose. Your Highness, please take me to see the princess. Where is Her Highness now?”

“My elder sister is still in the palace.”

As he spoke, Lor’themar walked to a nearby bookshelf and reached for one of the books. At once, the shelf split in two, revealing the entrance to a secret passage.

Lor’themar smiled at Link. “Archbishop Neil, this is an escape route belonging to the royal family. It leads directly to the rear gardens of the palace, allowing us to avoid the eyes of the various factions. You may rest assured that we mean you no harm. Even though you now know of this passage, we will not act against you. My sister will explain the specific reasons once you meet her.”

Link silently nodded to show that he understood. The two of them then entered the passage, one before the other.

The passage was very long and contained a hidden chamber stocked with large quantities of food and fresh water. It was clearly an emergency shelter and escape route reserved for the royal family.

Under ordinary circumstances, anyone from outside who learned of such a secret would surely be silenced. Link had seen plenty of similar plots in novels, but he never relaxed his vigilance. There was no question of overlooking anything. He did not trust the prince before him in the slightest. Lor’themar was simply too mysterious and unfathomable.

Fortunately, the unexpected incident Link had imagined never occurred. The two passed safely through the secret passage and entered the rear gardens of the royal palace.

Under Lor’themar’s guidance, they soon arrived before a luxurious room. It was Sylvanas’s bedchamber.

The guards at the door immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing Lor’themar. He spoke in a deep voice. “Open the door. I have brought the person Her Highness wishes to see.”

The guards seemed to have received their orders in advance. Without seeking permission from the room’s occupant, they immediately acknowledged him and opened the door.

Lor’themar then dismissed them and led Link inside.

The room did not resemble a woman’s private chamber. Numerous weapons were displayed throughout it, and the overall arrangement was more reminiscent of a general’s quarters than the bedchamber of a princess. An aura of killing intent permeated the room, enough to make anyone hesitate at the threshold.

There were no maids in attendance. Only Sylvanas lay quietly on the bed, seemingly asleep.

Like Lor’themar, she was breathtakingly beautiful, far beyond the ordinary. Years of illness had left her face pale and sickly, but her brows still carried a heroic sharpness. Even in sleep, she seemed to conceal a murderous aura.

When the two of them came within three meters of her, Sylvanas suddenly opened her eyes. Her voice was cold and filled with killing intent.

“Who is there?”

Lor’themar hurriedly replied, “Sister, it is us. I have brought Archbishop Neil, the man Count Lothar mentioned.”

After hearing Lor’themar’s words, the killing intent on Sylvanas’s face subsided somewhat, though her sharpness remained undiminished. She immediately turned over and rose from the bed, entirely unconcerned that she was wearing only her nightclothes or that two men stood before her, one of them a complete stranger.