Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 567 - 406: We Are Still Good Sisters, Right? (5)

Chapter 567: Chapter 406: We Are Still Good Sisters, Right? (5)

Wozworth?

Shaye’s voice lacked much respect for Wozworth; after all, when it came to comparing strength or age, Wozworth was but a junior in front of Shaye.

Qin Chu’s face bore a look of curiosity. He found it surprising that Wozworth had managed to exist for such a long time under the erosion of the Evil God’s Blood.

Wozworth’s strength and will were quite commendable, but the erosion of an Evil God was not something mere mortals could easily resist. Logically speaking, Wozworth should have become abnormal long ago, completely transforming into a character similar to Karsas, the Prince.

Yet until now, other than having experienced an earthquake, the other aspects of the Imperial Palace seemed rather calm. It had been consistently quiet without producing any major incidents; on the contrary, Wozworth had started to appear as an enlightened monarch.

Recently, he dealt with more than a dozen corrupt nobles consecutively, and even executed a Prince who had been committing crimes, doing so with due process.

Wozworth seemed to be particularly concerned with the matters of the East Factory, showing considerable effectiveness during this period.

Now, what exactly is the Emperor doing here? Could it be because of Veronica and Anpton? Qin Chu doubted that their appearance could escape the notice of the current world-spanning network of Wozworth’s informants.

"Then, the two of you can return to the Holy Court first. I will notify both of you once I’ve made detailed arrangements," Qin Chu said.

Veronica and Anpton seemed to have no intention of meeting with the Emperor either; given the Church Court’s situation was somewhat delicate, they quickly nodded their heads after hearing Qin Chu’s words and left through the window.

Pulling at his collar, Qin Chu’s face was draped with a smile as he walked toward the hall, the hearty laughter of Wozworth already audible from a distance.

Seeing Qin Chu come out, Wozworth stepped forward briskly, greeting him with an enthusiastic hug.

"Oh, my dear brother, how I have missed you..." Wozworth’s rugged face was filled with sincere joy, seemingly considering Qin Chu as his dearest brother indeed.

That fluffy paw of his, just like before, patted Qin Chu’s shoulders with a thump.

Although Wozworth had always presented himself with a forthright image, it felt like it was getting to be a bit too much.

One could sense a peculiar scent from his nostrils; doubtless, the degree of Wozworth’s erosion by the Evil God was deepening. Under ordinary circumstances, Wozworth should have gone mad by now—so why was he still able to maintain his sanity?

Could it be that Wozworth’s will was truly that formidable?

Qin Chu maintained his smile while strange thoughts churned inside him, gently patting Wozworth’s back: "My good brother, I’ve missed you too."

Princess Carol, who had come along with Wozworth, rolled her eyes at their display, tongue in cheek.

Feeling queasy, she had the urge to vomit.

Good brothers, good big brother? Did such titles have anything to do with the Royal Family?

As for Qin Chu, he really could put on an act. He was the one who informed her about their father’s erosion by the Evil God, and yet now he could pretend as if nothing had happened.

Qin Chu’s eyes imperceptibly scanned over Carol’s pretty face, sensing that this Princess seemed surprisingly obedient. She no longer wore the somewhat revealing dresses of before but instead dressed as a Royal Princess should, her once ever-present whip nowhere to be found. Even her tender white hands were covered with a pair of black lace gloves.

Her slender feet, clad in black stockings, were encased in transparent crystal shoes, every bit the Princess.

Well, she was a Princess, although she had never exuded the temperament of one before.

No one would ever imagine that this woman, who had previously strangled enemies with her whip and dragged them around while running, laughing maniacally with a "woohaha," was now elegantly dressed.

Yes, this memorable scene had become well-known throughout the Imperial City thanks to some people’s spreading the word.

It was only when she stuck out her tongue that one could catch a glimpse of her original playfulness.

"Brother, do you need something from me?" After sitting down, Qin Chu didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

Wozworth’s lips were curved in a smile: "Augustus is dead..."

"And Wise Mountain, cough cough, only Lady Nadia is left; everyone else has disappeared." Wozworth initially wanted to say that Wise Mountain was also done for, but upon seeing Nadia beside him, he hurriedly changed his words.

"Before Augustus died, everyone in the Imperial City could hear his voice. I won’t beat around the bush, brother, are you interested in the Pope of the Holy Court?"

Qin Chu’s eyes narrowed to slits. Was this a deliberate probe knowing that Veronica and Anpton had come to find him?

"You know me well, big brother."

"If it were up to me, I’d rather spend my time with the women around me," he replied.

Wozworth appeared visibly impatient: "Dear brother, think it over properly..."

"If that is what you desire, I’ll help you. The Pope of the Holy Court definitely won’t be able to escape from the palm of your hand."

"After that, once we’ve swallowed up the Earth Mother Goddess Sect, I’ll control imperial power, and you’ll control divine authority. Wouldn’t it be great for us brothers to rule the world together?" Wozworth spoke quickly, not caring in the slightest about the bunch of women in the living room.

Huh?

Qin Chu stared at Wozworth, trying to discern something from his face, but quickly gave up.

All he could see were sincerity and anticipation.

There was no pretense at all; it seemed to be Wozworth’s genuine inner thoughts.

What’s this guy up to? He couldn’t seriously be considering me as his real brother, could he? For an Emperor, even a real brother is supposed to be one of the greatest enemies, right?

But, Qin Chu noticed something.

Wozworth was indeed a bit off the mark. Under normal circumstances, he would never discuss such matters in front of so many people, especially not topics like absorbing the Earth Mother Goddess Sect.

His sanity had certainly become compromised, yet in some respects, he was surprisingly calm.

Watching Qin Chu seem troubled, struggling to make a decision in a short time, Wozworth grew increasingly impatient, yet he showed remarkable patience towards Qin Chu: "It’s alright, brother, take your time to think about it, I just don’t want you to waste this opportunity."

After patting Qin Chu on the shoulder again, Wozworth finally stood up, turned around, and prepared to leave.

Carol had been following behind Wozworth, but when she reached the doorway, the Princess suddenly stopped: "Father... Father King..."

Her voice was shaking with apparent fear.

"What’s wrong?" When facing his daughter, Wozworth smiled benevolently, but that smile seemed to frighten Carol even more, as her petite body trembled incessantly.

"Father King, I, I wish to stay at Mr. Brave’s palace." Despite her fear, Carol tried to suppress the terror in her heart and spoke with a trembling voice.

Wozworth said nothing, his eyes suddenly narrowed, but Carol could feel the sharp gazes sweeping over her.

"I, after all, am a member of the Hero Team, and I occasionally need to be with my teammates..."

"Is that so..." Wozworth suddenly opened his mouth wide and burst into loud laughter: "Then you stay, and learn well from your Uncle Qin Chu."

Then, his eyes suddenly shifted towards Qin Chu, his voice bearing an added weight and even his gaze seemed to carry an inexplicable sorrow:

"Brother, my daughter, she’s a bit off, but... I’m entrusting her to you, please take good care of her."

This strange sorrow lingered only for a brief moment before Wozworth turned and left without looking back.

Carol watched her father walk away until his figure had completely vanished from sight, and then her tense body suddenly relaxed, stumbling backward to collapse onto the couch, gasping for air.

In the hall, each girl could feel the oddity of the situation.

This was not in Carol’s character at all.

What exactly had happened within the Imperial Palace?

After a long while, Carol finally lifted her head, looking around at the gazes that fell upon her, and spoke almost word by word: "My father... has completely lost his mind."

...

An endless great forest.

Two figures were walking slowly.

One of them was dressed in a pure white gown that even bore sacred runes of the Holy Court, garments only the Holy Daughter could wear.

This woman was none other than Rose Vesper.

But the Rose Vesper of now bore none of the purity and elegance of a Holy Daughter; instead, she radiated an astonishing allure.

Her fair cheeks were dotted with droplets of crimson blood, which did not detract from Rose Vesper’s beauty but rather added a touch of enchantment.

Behind Rose Vesper lay a swath of green-skinned beings on the ground, their necks severed.

Rose Vesper had slaughtered all the demons in this part of the forest, leaving none behind.

The blood of these demons was truly filthy, the stench nauseating, but Rose Vesper had no choice, it was the source of her power.

Trailing behind Rose Vesper was a slightly more petite girl.

If any former members of the Hero Team were there, they would recognize that this girl was named Aili.

However, the Aili of now was distinctly off, resembling a lifeless puppet as she quietly followed behind Rose Vesper, her eyes devoid of focus, breathless, heart still, nothing more than a walking corpse.

Suddenly, Rose Vesper felt an itch in her ear.

She frowned slightly and stopped in her tracks.

Her face clearly showed annoyance and struggle, knowing it was Message Magic. Such magic had occurred countless times in recent days, irritating Rose Vesper to no end.

She even knew who was trying to contact her.

Asina, Silf, Catherine—apart from those now with the Brave, no one else from the former Hero Team could possibly be trying to reach out.

Rose Vesper had no desire to connect with her former teammates, at least not for the moment. She feared they might deduce her current location through their conversation, something Rose Vesper absolutely did not want to happen.

But she also understood that this situation couldn’t last forever.

If she still wished to revive Jie Luo, she had to make contact with her former teammates.

Another Fragment was in the hands of Asina and Silf.

Catherine, the traitor, was the only one who might be able to obtain Qin Chu’s blood...

But what worried Rose Vesper the most right now was whether, after she had utterly fallen from grace, her former teammates might have abandoned the Hero Team’s plan and sided with Qin Chu.

Such a turn of events was not impossible.

Though Rose Vesper knew how deep these three people’s feelings for Lord Jie Luo were, she didn’t believe their resolve was as firm as her own.

After some time of hesitation, Rose Vesper took a deep breath and finally made her decision, pressing her finger to her ear. Shortly, Asina’s familiar voice came through:

"Thank goodness, I’ve finally reached you, Rose Vesper."

"We’re still sisters, right?"