Super Righteous Player
Chapter 810 - 349: Identical Tricks

Chapter 810: Chapter 349: Identical Tricks

Long before Annan entered the "Great Hunt" nightmare and encountered Philip from years ago.

Annan sensed something different about him.

Philip had said to Annan...

What he pursued was "youth."

Annan had asked him, "Is it eternal youth, or immortality?"

And Philip, without hesitation, made the choice of an adult—

"I want both."

He said so.

Prince Philip then whispered, "I do not want to grow old. It’s something that once experienced, one never wants..."

His words were then interrupted by fireworks.

Annan did not have the key to enter that nightmare—his entrance was through the random selection of the "Radiance" series, and he had already decrypted it 100%. It was likely impossible for him to enter again.

The nightmare also had a "reminiscent" nature, ensuring that the events he encountered were those that had actually happened. Going inside once more would be very difficult.

But merely from those fragmented words and the tone Philip used when he spoke them, Annan could discern some critical intelligence.

—Philip seemed to have aged once before.

And it wasn’t any temporary aging curse, nor was he dreaming of someone on their deathbed.

Only the true, prolonged inconvenience of being elderly, and the deeply engrained pain that aging brought, could completely change his mindset and dreams, giving birth to such an intense, almost mutated, desire to enjoy life.

—His "desire to enjoy" was so strong that he was even willing to completely abandon worldly power.

Typically speaking, as a prince, even if he failed to secure the throne, enjoying a life of luxury shouldn’t be difficult.

Or it could be said... his desire to desperately compete for the throne to attain higher pleasures in itself was entirely contradictory.

"Apart from that, Philip knew things he shouldn’t have known. For instance... using demon’s blood for the ’Blood-eating Holy Rite’ to make his body young and healthy.

"And Philip never had access to high-ranking corruptors—nor was he a high priest of the Goddess of Cup. Neither the correct way to use demon’s blood nor this Divine Art should have been within his grasp."

Annan looked at Kafney and said solemnly, "I remember Kafney once told me that Philip had fallen into a nightmare and received the Curse Binding of his life passing twice as fast; he had also sold half of his lifespan for some special power."

"...Yes, I remember."

Kafney seemed puzzled, "But Prince Philip indeed had grown old once, and even almost died of old age."

"Exactly," Annan retorted, "But do you know what kind of ritual sacrifices half of one’s lifespan? Or what kind of ritual can replenish that lifespan?

"—You must understand, royal family members are not allowed to use life-extending rituals. If Philip had just used a ritual to make himself younger, that would be one thing... but if his original lifespan had already been exhausted, then using the ’Blood-eating Holy Rite’ would be an illegal ritual. The Silver Baron Church would not ignore this."

Kafney was taken aback.

She quickly realized something and slightly widened her eyes, "So... he continuously consumes candies made from demon blood just to maintain the illusion that he rejuvenates himself?"

Seeing this, Annan couldn’t help but chuckle softly, "You truly are all ’Noahs.’ Even the deceptive methods you use are exactly the same."

Kafney had once, as a young child, loudly declared "I want to be the queen when I grow up" – a childish utterance that allowed her to offload her Curse Binding onto others and silently advance into a Transcendent, thereby releasing herself from the unstable mind control afflicting her.

For a little girl of only eight or nine years old, this was already an exceptionally clever mentality. To come up with such a plan independently, without relying on anyone’s aid, and to calmly execute it... and after having escaped the control, she still continuously pretended to be "under control", maintaining this façade for years.

This, essentially, was the limit of human intelligence.

If it weren’t for Annan’s assistance, perhaps Kafney would have ultimately fulfilled her wish by herself.

But if that was the case... without Annan completely purifying her erosion and restoring her sanity,

Noah might have faced a dark reign under a mad, overly clever young queen. Her unseen tentacles extending from beneath her skirt would control the entire empire... or completely tear it apart.

"―And Philip used tricks identical to yours."

Annan said gravely, "You knew he had aged, even nearly to the point of death, but the other nobles of Noah didn’t know this. I’m not wrong about this, am I?"

"...Yes."

Kafney slowly nodded, "Now, I fear I’m the only one who knows this. Those nobles certainly wouldn’t realize there’s an issue... even the Eldest Princess only knows that Philip once traded his lifespan, but she never saw him at the brink of death."

"So, the reason that you were targeted by the followers of the Corrupted Husband back then, but not continued to be targeted by Prince Philip after you escaped from your mother, now makes sense."

Annan returned to Kafney, and with his right index and middle finger, gently touched them to Kafney’s lips.

"―It was Philip who wanted to silence you. For him, even your father could not be his enemy... Philip’s only concern was that you would not tell the Eldest Princess about this."

Wisdom flickered in Annan’s eyes, "But he didn’t want you to realize... that it was Philip who was silencing people.

"So, after the followers of the Corrupted Husband were rooted out, Philip did not make another move.

"And those nobles remain unaware that Philip’s lifespan had already been exhausted. They further couldn’t realize that Philip had extended his lifespan through some method allowed by the Silver Baron... and you and the Eldest Princess only thought that it was because the ’Blood-eating Holy Rite’ performed with demon blood was so effective that it allowed Philip to regain his youth."

"So, Prince Philip periodically holds the ’Blood-eating Holy Rite’... just to make his rejuvenation seem plausible!"

Salvatore blurted out.

Kafney then slowly added, "At the same time, it’s to divert our attention to ’why he received the Divine Arts of the Blood-eating Holy Rite’ and ’what exactly his dealings are with the fallen ones’..."

"Exactly."

Annan nodded, "Then after that, I received some information. Philip’s rejuvenation is linked to a Great Calamity Curio.

"I had a faint suspicion at the time—Hadn’t Philip rejuvenated himself through the ’Blood-eating Holy Rite’? Why would he need a Great Calamity Curio?

"But it wasn’t until just now, when discussing those old nobles desperate for extended life, that I suddenly remembered a detail...

"―Kafney once mentioned, he aged so much he was ’nearly dead.’"

Annan emphasized the last word.

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