Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 489 - 335 Obstruction from Destiny (2)

Chapter 489: Chapter 335 Obstruction from Destiny (2)

However, before Angelica could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps emanated from the doorway, quickly followed by a flustered figure.

It was Princess Carol

Seeing that Carol’s face was pale and her eyes were filled with anxiety, Angelica knew something significant must have happened.

This left Angelica somewhat helpless, always feeling that every time she tried to clarify things with Qin Chu, there would be some inexplicable interference.

Was it a coincidence?

"Angelica? Do you need something?" Qin Chu asked.

Compared to the Princess who had barged into the palace, Qin Chu still paid more attention to his own dutiful little maid.

Angelica responded with a soft smile, "It’s nothing important. Let’s talk another time. The Princess has come to visit, and it looks like she has some urgent matters. It would be better for the master to address this issue first."

As for her own matters, they could be dealt with later.

Angelica was not in a hurry, and although she felt doubtful about those strange sensations, she hadn’t detected any malice, so it probably wasn’t too serious.

Just then, Carol had also noticed Qin Chu and Angelica. Her previously panicked eyes suddenly brightened, and she quickly walked over and grabbed Qin Chu’s hand to lead him away.

"Hey, wait a second, what are you doing, Princess Carol?" Carol’s actions took Qin Chu by surprise, although he was well aware of the Princess’s reckless personality.

However, there was a matter of propriety between men and women.

If anyone saw you behaving like this, it could damage our reputations, making others think I, Qin Chu, am the sort of man who frivolously mixes with girls.

Carol seemed to realize her actions were somewhat rash. Though her heart was racing, this was the Hero she was dealing with, and propriety was necessary.

Carol took a deep breath, let go of Qin Chu’s wrist, stepped back, and curtsied, holding the hem of her dress, "Mr. Brave, my father summons you."

Wozworth?

Speaking of which, ever since the incident with Mevis, Wozworth had been unusually quiet.

Qin Chu was quite familiar with Wozworth; though he was meticulous, sly, and adept at disguise, he was genuinely brutish and hearty too. If Wozworth had nothing to do while Qin Chu was in the Imperial City, he would simply come over and drag him off to... cough, go drinking and such.

But in the recent month or so, Wozworth had been quiet, not leaving his home and locking himself in the Imperial Palace.

Seeing Carol’s anxious demeanor, Qin Chu vaguely intuited that something might have happened to Wozworth.

Casually wiping his face, Qin Chu said, "Let’s go."

A hint of gratitude appeared on Carol’s face as she quickly led the way at the front.

As they left the palace and there were no others around, Qin Chu finally asked, "What exactly happened to Wozworth?"

Could it be an assassination attempt, seeking my help to treat him? After all, those coveting the Emperor’s throne are not few.

"My father..." However, the situation was clearly different from what Qin Chu had anticipated. Carol’s brows furrowed tightly, and she appeared both fearful and pale, "My father has been quite strange lately."

"I’m not sure how to describe it, but he’s been very irritable..."

"Hasn’t he always been irritable?" Qin Chu responded in exasperation.

In all of Oville Empire, there probably wasn’t a person who could say that Wozworth had a gentle nature.

"No, it’s different," Carol emphatically shook her head: "Although my father’s temperament is usually... well, a bit that way, he still loves us children deeply. But in the last month, he has secretly executed two Princes, three Princesses, and one Royal Princess..."

"The other Princes and Princesses often get scolded or even beaten for no reason, with several Princes ending up with broken arms and legs."

"I’m worried that my father might be acting abnormal because of the previous affair with Mevis, which might have upset him... Mr. Brave, you’ve always had a good relationship with my father, please talk to him."

Carol’s voice was full of pleading.

Although this Princess had an unruly nature, didn’t really care about royal affairs, or had any interest in competing for the throne...

Carol still cared deeply about her family and didn’t want to see it disintegrate and collapse with fatalities.

Qin Chu frowned deeply, considering that Carol thought Wozworth might be reacting to being cuckolded by the Empress and Princesses, but Qin Chu felt this possibility was unlikely.

What a joke, who was Wozworth?

That man had grand ambitions.

He wanted more than just to be Emperor; he also aimed to overthrow the Holy Court and the Earth Mother Goddess Sect, consolidating royal and divine authority within his own grasp.

Such was Wozworth; his will was much more resolute than his daughter Carol could imagine.

Previously at the old church of the Earth Mother Goddess Sect, even after discovering Mevis was involved in the largest gathering of the Blissful Witch Association and carrying an evil fetus, Wozworth did not rage out of control. Instead, to see through Qin Chu’s real power, he simply hid in the shadows, watching discretely.

To think that such a man would be angered to the point of losing control over being betrayed by the Empress and Princesses, Qin Chu believed it possible.

But to say that Wozworth would be so agitated as to undergo a drastic change in temperament, Qin Chu absolutely didn’t believe it.

"First, take me to see him," after pondering for a while, Qin Chu said.

Carol nodded, her slender legs moving swiftly, the sound of her high heels clicking on the ground. She was even beginning to neglect the poise of a Royal Princess, almost running... although Carol hardly ever cared about such things.

Under Carol’s guidance, in less than half the usual time, Qin Chu’s figure appeared outside Wozworth’s study.

"Father, Mr. Brave has arrived..." Carol’s slender neck moved gently as she reported outside the study with caution.

If this were the usual Carol, she would have kicked the door open long ag—how could she be so obedient?

"Qin? Please come in, come in..."

Immediately, Wozworth’s urgent voice emanated from the study. He seemed somewhat elated, as if he could hardly wait to see Qin Chu.

Please!

Through Carol’s gaze, Qin Chu felt such a plea, nodded slightly, and then pushed the door of the study open and walked in.

After closing the door behind him and just as he looked up at Wozworth inside the study, Qin Chu was immediately taken aback.

Is this still His Imperial Majesty?

His hair was a messy bird’s nest, and his full beard seemed to have tangled together due to lack of careful grooming for a long time, with residues of something strange and unidentifiable caught in it.

His complexion was pale, his skin almost looked cracked.

His eye sockets were sunken, and his eyes were full of bloodshot, as if he hadn’t slept well for ten days or half a month.

Like Carol, he held a dark grey whip in his hand.

The moment Qin Chu saw the whip, his brows furrowed; he felt an involuntary attraction to it.

While Qin Chu was still shocked by Wozworth’s current state, Wozworth suddenly approached quickly, grabbed Qin Chu’s shoulder, and, with a wide mouth revealing his yellow teeth, said, ’Good brother, you finally came. Help me...’

How long had this guy gone without brushing his teeth?

Speaking of which, had he been eating raw meat recently? What was with the blood smell in his mouth?

Qin Chu felt nauseous, even the urge to vomit and most bizarre was the oppressive, odd aura he felt since Wozworth approached him.

Upon closer inspection, Wozworth’s complexion was filled with a dark gloom.

There was a look of somberness deep in his bloodshot eyes.

He was restless, with great fluctuations in his spirit, and his personality seemed to be increasingly leaning towards the extreme...

This sight deeply shocked Qin Chu. At that moment, Shaye in his mind was also clearly shaken by Wozworth’s condition. Shaye had been cocooned inside Qin Chu’s body lately, busying herself with God knows what and rarely appearing, seldom even speaking to Qin Chu.

But this time, even Shaye couldn’t help herself.

"Could it be that Wozworth has been contaminated by the Evil God?"

A twinge of alarm went through Qin Chu’s heart, his expression becoming more solemn.

Wozworth’s symptoms did seem similar to the early stages of contamination by the Evil God, although not as obvious as Onions, Prince Augustus, and Karsas had shown.

But why would Wozworth be contaminated by the Evil God?

Qin Chu hadn’t thrown any of those strange threads on him; this matter shouldn’t be accounted for by himself, right?

Suppressing the palpitations in his chest, Qin Chu forced a smile, was about to pat Wozworth’s shoulder but decided against it considering Wozworth’s current state, and said, "Brother, don’t panic, we can talk things out slowly."

For some unknown reason, upon seeing Qin Chu, Wozworth’s restlessness seemed to quiet down a bit, and he even invited Qin Chu to sit.

Then, Wozworth looking around, upon realizing they were alone, spoke mysteriously, "Qin, let me tell you..."

"Lately, there has been frequent unrest within the Holy Court. That old coot Augustus must be plotting to kill me."

"Also, that woman Saint Monica, always feigning youth, has been secretly meeting with Augustus. Those two bastards together surely can’t be up to any good; they definitely plan to join forces to get rid of me..."

"And my son is actually colluding with the Nobles below to seize the throne, and my daughter too wants to harm me."

"My wife wants to poison me, then shamelessly fool around with her lover..."

"And those damn Nobles, always wanting to overthrow the rule of the Royal Family, they all must have been bribed by Augustus and Saint Monica, those two..."

Watching Wozworth’s state, Qin Chu’s eyes narrowed into slits.

Paranoid!

Yet, weirdly enough, this Emperor seemed to suspect everyone around him of wanting to harm him, but why did it appear as though he had never once suspected Qin Chu, the Hero?