The Princess And The Lord-Chapter 1418: The strategy Briefing

"Zhao Li Xin then recounted the complicated relationship between himself, Lazarus, and Emperor Lei Yu, as well as Lazarus’ plan for Lory and her world. Everyone held their breath; their faces turned pale, tightened with fear and horror."

Never, even in their wildest dreams, had they imagined that a powerful entity—one akin to the gods themselves—could harbor such overwhelming hatred and a twisted obsession to annihilate all life in their world. A being far more dangerous than even the Black Dragon, Nazareth.

Cold sweat trickled down their spines, despite the already frigid weather. Fredhardt and the other Archknights wore tense expressions as Zhao Li Xin continued, recounting his experience within the hidden ruin—the tale of the girl whose tragic fate led to the birth of the Black Dragon, Nazareth. He revealed how Evereth had been manipulated by Lazarus... and, worse still, she was not the only one.

"What the fuc*in*—dam* SNAKE! He’s already dead and still causing us this much trouble!" Fargo lost his temper, cursing loudly.

"Based on your account, Behrenn and Nevaro may have been influenced by Lazarus," Fredhardt said, beginning to assess the situation.

"Yes," Zhao Li Xin nodded. "According to what she told me, the creature called Zalchana was also under his influence. And they all share the same goal—the downfall of the Lucient family."

Son’of a Bitc*!" Clift cursed under his sharp breath.

Samuel sat limp in his chair, "So all this time...I’ve become a pawn of destruction of my own world?" he muttered in disbelief.

Lydia trembled as the realization sank in. All this time, she had served as a healer for the S.A.I.N.T. organization, believing she was helping the world. But now she realized—she had unknowingly contributed to the destruction of her own world. And Marissa, her friend, had been one of the innocent victims.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as her voice quivered in distress.

"I... I didn’t know... I really didn’t..."

Owen immediately pulled her into a hug, trying to calm her down.

"You didn’t know. It’s not your fault. It was theirs!" Owen shouted, his voice shaking with emotion.

Edmund pinched the bridge of his nose, his glabella furrowing deeply as he tried to process the weight of it all. He felt lost... helpless.

"So all that destruction... all those deaths... it wasn’t a coincidence? It was all planned by them?" Edmund muttered, his voice tight with disbelief.

"This is just—" The words caught in his throat. Edmund lowered his head, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the bitter truth.

Beside him, Hugo reached out and gently squeezed Edmund’s shoulder, a quiet gesture of support. He didn’t speak, no, he didn’t need to. The look on his face mirrored his son’s grief and rage, etched with the same sense of betrayal.

The atmosphere in the room thickened, heavy with a storm of anger, guilt, and remorse. A painful silence hung over everyone as the weight of the revelation sank in—that all the pain, the battles, the countless losses they had endured were not random misfortunes, but carefully orchestrated steps in a grand design laid out by a powerful, unseen entity.

The realization that their lives had been manipulated, their choices nothing more than movements in a twisted game, made them feel as though invisible strings had bound them all along, like puppets dancing at the whim of a cruel puppeteer.

It was suffocating.

What struck them deeper was not just the manipulation, but how powerless they now felt in the face of it. Many in this room were not ordinary people.

They were the elites, the privileged, the capable, the influential. The Hamilton family stood as one of the wealthiest and most respected families in the world. Lydia was honored for her healing gift, which led her to be recruited by the most prestigious organization in the world.

While Garrof and the others had once held esteemed positions of authority, power, and recognition. They had been looked up to, followed, and trusted. But now, all of that felt like an illusion.

This revelation stripped away their pride, laying bare their vulnerability. It humbled them in ways they had never imagined.

For the first time, perhaps, they saw themselves not as leaders or heroes, but as normal people, clueless and weak, just as helpless as those they had once protected.

"I know some of you feel responsible..." Lory’s voice finally broke the silence. "But it’s not your fault. How could it be? This plan was set in motion thousands of years before our kingdom even existed. How could we humans possibly have known?"

She smiled bitterly.

"I know what it’s like to carry that guilt. Believe me—no one knows it better than I do. But let me share something I’ve learned from experience: mourning your failures won’t change anything. Regret won’t help anyone."

She took a deep breath and stood a little straighter. "What we can do now is look to the future. We must protect it at all costs. If not for me, or for my kingdom, at least do it for your family... and for yourselves."

In that moment, something subtle, yet powerful, began to shift among them. The weight of despair still lingered, but beneath it, a new flame began to flicker.

Their eyes, once clouded with guilt and helplessness, now lit up with a renewed sense of hope and determination. One by one, they turned their gaze toward Lory, as if silently urging her to lead the way.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Lory leaned back in her chair with quiet poise. She clasped her hands neatly over her knee in a graceful, composed manner, her expression calm but resolute.

"I have a plan," she said, her smile confident, soft, yet unmistakably sure.

"First," she said, her voice steady but urgent, "We need to rescue all the healers who are still in the dark, those who remain loyal to the organization, unaware of the truth behind its facade."

A few murmurs rippled through the room. Garrof leaned forward, his thick brows drawn into a frown. "Would they even believe us?" he asked bluntly. "They’ve practically been raised by the organization, would they believe us?"

Lory didn’t flinch. "Well, it won’t be easy. Even with the evidence we have, doubt will linger. That’s why I need someone they trust, someone who was once one of them." She turned her gaze toward Lydia.

The young woman blinked. "M–me?" she stammered, pointing to herself in disbelief. Her eyes darted nervously around the room, and her shoulder instantly tensed.

"Yes," Lory said firmly. "You were one of them, Lydia. You trained with them, lived beside them. They would weel more familiar with you, so they’re more likely to trust you than a stranger like us. I believe no one else is more suited to this task than you. However, it’s a very dangerous mission; therefore, the decision is in your hands."

A hush fell over the room.

Lydia’s hands trembled slightly in her lap. She looked down for a moment, as if searching for courage beneath the floorboards. Then, slowly, she lifted her head. Her voice was quiet but unwavering. "Okay. Leave it to me."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Lory’s lips. "Good. You won’t be going in alone. Owen and Daniel will be assigned to protect you. Garrof, Lloyd, and Gavin—you’ll serve as supervisors for this mission."

Lory then continues, "You’ll be working with the Noxcra agents to create a safe route—one that allows any healer who chooses to leave to escape quietly and securely. Jay, I want you to lead that operation."

Jay, leaning lazily on the wall with his arms folded, nodded casually. "No problem."

Just as Lory was about to continue, a hesitant voice broke through the room.

"Excuse me..." Maddeline raised her hand slowly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lory turned to her. "Yes, Maddy?"

Maddeline stood up, wringing her hands together, her expression full of inner conflict. "Can I help Lydia? I want to speak to the healers at Elysium, too. Maybe I can convince them to leave."

A silence followed, deeper than before.

Lory’s eyes narrowed. "Are you sure? You’ve been avoiding them for a long time."

Maddy nodded, her jaw set and her gaze unwavering. "I know. But I’m tired of running. That’s why I returned to Wellington in the first place. I want to find a way to save all those healers. I cannot save my sister or Jessi, that’s why I want to save them, even just one, then maybe everything I had been through would make sense!"

For a moment, Lory said nothing. Then, reading the sincerity in Maddy’s eyes, she gave a slow nod. "Alright. If that’s what you want. But listen closely, don’t make a decision on your own, you are a team, I want you all to move as a team, don’t be reckless and watch each other back, Understood?"

A chorus of affirmations answered her. Then, a voice from the far end of the room spoke up.

"Don’t worry. I make sure she didn’t do anything...reckless," Jack said with a calm finality.

Everyone turned. Maddy’s breath caught. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, stunned. She hadn’t expected him to accompany her. After everything that happened, she thought he was still angry with her.

Maddy’s face grew warm. She quickly looked away, pretending as if it didn’t bother her, but the thumping in her heart told her otherwise.

Lory, however, didn’t miss the moment. A knowing smile played on her lips. "That’s good. After all, your opponent is the Paladin. We’ll need all the strength we can get. I leave Maddy to you, Jack."

"Uh, Yeah.." Jack rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding Lory’s gaze, pretending to be unaffected. But the slight twitch in his lips shows his true feeling.

The tension in the room eased slightly as a few quiet chuckles rippled through the group. Yet, despite the momentary levity, the weight of the mission ahead still hung over them all like a gathering storm cloud.

"Alright, moving on..." Lory’s voice brought everyone’s attention back. "Samuel, are you familiar with Luxemborough’s new device called MADD—Mana Deterrent Device?"

"I’ve heard rumors," Samuel replied, his expression tightening with concern. "Some kind of weapon designed to take down Gifted individuals. Is that the one?"

"Yes," Lory said, her tone light despite the gravity of her words. "I had the pleasure of experiencing it firsthand. That was just the prototype, though. They’ve been working to perfect it, which is exactly why they need him." She tilted her head toward Ethan, her eyes narrowing meaningfully.

"Oh?" Samuel raised his brows in surprise. "No wonder they’re so desperate to find you. That’s... not good." He let out a short, humorless chuckle.

Ethan’s face flushed crimson. Of course, he knew exactly how serious this was.

"I need you to find out how far their MADD experiments have progressed," Lory continued, her smile curving pleasantly. "Think you can do that for me?"

Samuel let out a dramatic sigh, replying with mock sarcasm, "Ah, so now you need my help, I thought Noxcra is the best agent in the world?"

Lory wasn’t fazed; her smile only deepened. "They are, but...You didn’t think our partnership was free, did you?"

Samuel knew Lory was testing him, Samuel gave a soft snort. "Yeah, I got the message." He rubbed the back of his neck, then added, "But I’m going to need some help."

"Of course," Lory said without hesitation. She turned her gaze toward Clift. "Would you mind assisting Mr. Albretch?"

Clift immediately understood that he wasn’t just being asked to help—he was also being asked to keep an eye on Samuel. He smirked knowingly. "My pleasure."

Samuel’s brows twitched slightly "..."

"Ethan," Lory turned to him, her voice gentle but firm. "I need you to share everything you know about the MADD device with Samuel and Clift. They need to know what they’re looking for."

Ethan gave a short nod. "Understood."

"Oh, and Mr. Old Hamilton, can you ask your friends to work with us?" Lory wants to use the power of elites to put pressure on Luxemborough and the S.A.I.N.T. organization.

Hugo knew what Lory’s attention was and gladly helped her, "Considered it done."

Lory scanned the room, her gaze lingering on each face. "Does everyone have their task?"

Serena tentatively raised her hand. "Um... what about me?"

Lory clapped her hands together lightly. "Oh! Right, thank you for the reminder." She paused, thinking for a moment, then said, "I want you to research everything you can find about the Seed of Life and Zalchana. I’ll grant you access to the kingdom’s private archives."

Serena’s eyes sparkled with utter delight. She didn’t believe she would be given access to enter Harland’s private archive!

"Yes, Ma’am!" she answered excitedly

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