novelraw #143 - Section 143
#143 - Section 143
The Eternal Night Empress calmed herself, her figure flickering as she appeared in a secret mage tower belonging to the Arcane Council.
"Send people to explore the Abyss. Report any anomalies to me immediately, but do not act rashly," the Eternal Night Empress commanded.
As her subordinates left one by one, she fell into thought.
The Seven Gods' actions in the material plane are for faith, but the Abyss and Hell offer no faith.
Only the ancient gods, who once upheld absolute order, might have wanted to end the chaos of the Abyss.
The result was that the most powerful angelic legions were corrupted by the Abyss, giving birth to devils, a completely new evil faction.
Now, the strength of Baator Hell arguably surpasses even the Abyss. Devils suppress the Abyss in the Blood War while infiltrating the material plane.
With no faith to gain and the potential for super-troubles, the Seven Gods still attacked the Abyss and achieved considerable success…
Why would they do this?
For the first time, the Eternal Night Empress began to consider the Seven Gods' endless conquests, perhaps not solely for accumulating faith.
What did they, and the God-King above them, see from their infinite heights?
…
…
Kambusak Desert, Orcish Royal Tent.
Duke Nankarnidon gazed at Tassika, radiant in a pure white dress, beautiful with pride and confidence, finally connecting her to the "orc slave" he saw swaying like wild grass by the river that night.
He wasn't stupid; he had experienced the Patriotic War and the subsequent southern and northern campaigns, making him familiar with many of the Empire's tactics.
Combining what he had heard about the Audu prison riot some days ago with the sight of Princess Tassika, unharmed and having accumulated a fighting force far too quickly, he realized this was a grand play orchestrated by Margaret.
If Tassika is now nominally the Orcish Queen, but in reality, an Imperial-modified spy, capturing him, an Imperial fugitive, would be a great achievement, right?
Moreover, he once treated a princess as a "slave" and requested a trade, not hiding his contempt. Wouldn't she hold a grudge?
Thinking this, Duke Nankarnidon broke out in a cold sweat, his back instantly soaked.
This hoarding expert, speculation king, and god-level operator seems to have impulsively come to the wrong place…
His mind was a mess, but Tassika was extremely patient.
After greeting him, she looked at him with a smile, like a cat admiring a mouse within striking distance, regarding his reactions and facial expressions as entertainment?
Duke Nankarnidon forced a smile, bowing.
"Your Highness, please forgive my blindness. Only now do I realize your identity. I am willing to apologize for all my previous discourtesy. Surely someone as magnanimous as you wouldn't hold a grudge against a drunken old fool, would you?"
Tassika smiled and said, "I haven't quite decided on that question yet, you know."
Duke Nankarnidon secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Tassika didn't immediately order him chopped into mince meat and was willing to communicate, indicating that her role as queen outweighed her role as princess, and she was prioritizing benefits?
So this little vixen is thinking about the benefits, clearly threatening me, wanting to extract advantages from me, right?
Give it, I can give it all. Now is the crucial moment to use my intelligence to save my life!
Duke Nankarnidon's brain was working frantically, his lips moving rapidly: "Your Highness, meeting is fate. I happen to have a batch of grain that can help you gather more tribes. I am willing to dedicate it all to you."
He stepped forward, lowered his voice, and said with confidence, "Moreover, as an Imperial Duke and an important military official, I can help you find a way to completely break free from Imperial control and truly establish a powerful Orcish kingdom. At that time, you can settle the old blood feuds with that cruel Empress!"
Tassika asked mercilessly, "Duke, you are now a fugitive dog fleeing in panic. What guarantee do you have that you can achieve such a grand goal?"
Although her words were very impolite, Duke Nankarnidon was overjoyed.
No matter how I complete it, as long as you are interested, there is something to talk about!
He ignored insults like 'fugitive dog' and solemnly said, "Because the Eternal Night Empress has lost virtue and cut herself off from the entire Imperial nobility. A very serious crisis has emerged within the Empire, and this is the best opportunity for the Orcish tribes to accumulate strength and then become independent in one fell swoop!"
He pointed out that the Free Duchy Alliance that appeared in the south was just the beginning.
Next, more nobles will stand up to resist the Empress's tyranny and the absurd operations of that madman Roger!
Seeing that Tassika was listening attentively and did not interrupt him, he became more and more confident and began to talk about the rumors of the Eternal Night Empress and Roger that were circulating among the Imperial nobles.
As well as Roger's behavior of harming nobles and acting as the Eternal Night Empress's lackey, his words were full of contempt and insult.
Tassika's face gradually turned cold.
Obviously, Duke Nankarnidon misunderstood, thinking that night was Roger forcing a prisoner to act as an escort.
So he thought that scolding Roger would win Tassika's favor.
But Tassika didn't like listening at all!
"The Orcish tribes only need to give the nobles a little support, and the nobles willing to overthrow the Empress's tyranny will inevitably appear like a prairie fire. At that time, Octavia and Roger, this pair of dog men and women, will surely die…"
"Enough!"
Tassika interrupted Duke Nankarnidon and said coldly, "Sir Charles and the Empress have a purely innocent relationship, certainly not the relationship you slander. If he thinks you nobles deserve to die, then I am very willing to help him catch a fish that escaped the net."
"Ah, this…" Duke Nankarnidon suddenly froze, finally realizing that Tassika's reaction was completely different from what he had expected.
That's not right. She seems to respect Roger very much?
It's impossible that the outing that night was this little princess begging that useless younger brother to go with her, right?
What is she after?
An Orcish princess doesn't want to overthrow the Empire, but is actually craving the body of an Imperial Marquis?
Damn it, in that case, didn't I just pat the horse's hoof?
Just as Duke Nankarnidon's mind was racing, Tassika had already ordered: "Come, take him down!"
Chapter 125: Tassika's One Fish N Eat Theory
"Bitch, you're playing me!"
Duke Nankarnidon naturally wouldn't sit still and wait for death. While speaking eloquently, he had long accumulated strength, just waiting for the situation to change and explode.
Multiple magical items on his body were triggered. He didn't hesitate to use all the spells he had prepared in advance for infiltrating the enemy, all shooting towards Tassika.
He himself moved towards the door while opening a portal, trying to jump away randomly.
With this set of reactions, Duke Nankarnidon was still a sufficiently calm legendary mage. Even in the event of an accident, he did not forget that the goal was to escape. The angry emotions were just a pretense, and the attack was just a feint to divert attention.
Unfortunately, Tassika started preparing to arrest him as soon as she heard his name, not inviting him to talk business.
Moreover, every sentence of Duke Nankarnidon stepped on Tassika's reverse scale. There was no reason to show him mercy.
In a battle between spellcasters, the side with more preparation will have the absolute upper hand if there is no absolute difference in strength.
Tassika only used one syllable to trigger the space lock prepared in advance.
Then a series of divine spell countermeasures directly made Duke Nankarnidon's attack ineffective.
Immediately afterward, she prepared an attack and torture package, giving Duke Nankarnidon a double blow to his body and soul, causing this Duke, who considered himself a senior legend, to fall painfully to the ground.
Tassika looked down at him from a high position. Is the legend very remarkable?
Who isn't a legend these days?
Just like Sir Roger said, this standard is too low and needs to be changed long ago.
There was also a commotion outside, but after two rounds, the followers brought by Duke Nankarnidon were suppressed by the Four Great Guardians.
Soon, Duke Nankarnidon and his followers reunited as prisoners.
Those people were still a little confused. They clearly came to talk business with their master. If the talk failed, they could just go to the next one. Why were they arrested?
Could it be that this Orcish royal tent is actually a black shop and bandits, preparing to eat them alive?
These people still couldn't react. In the past, when they talked business outside, other forces estimated that they had the Green Vine Empire behind them, so they had to give them some face and would not easily tear their faces apart.
But now they are wanted criminals of the Green Vine Empire, without the guarantee of that powerful empire, and without absolutely powerful force to protect themselves, then why talk business with a newly rising regime?
It can be said that even without the new and old hatred between Tassika and Duke Nankarnidon, habitual thinking would lead to Duke Nankarnidon's complete defeat.
He only thought about what he had done for the Empire, but never thought about what he had gained from the Empire.
Perhaps this is the shortsightedness of some humans, always thinking that everything they own is taken for granted, not understanding that rights and obligations are equal.
They must wait until they are severely taught by reality before they can clearly realize that they are just a small part of a huge national machine.
Duke Nankarnidon's personal strength was crushed, and there were also proud and fierce generals of the Orcish tribe staring at him, knowing that his hope of a comeback was approaching zero.
Although he is a traitor to the Green Vine Empire, in the eyes of the Orcs, he is also an Imperial.
It has been less than half a month since the destruction of Slena City, and it would not be enough to beat this human-like old thing to death ten thousand times.
Tassika sensed the restless emotions of her subordinates and asked these tribal Orcish warriors to drag those subordinates out.
Soon, the sound of fists hitting flesh came from outside, mixed with heart-wrenching screams.
Only Duke Nankarnidon and Tassika were left in the camp again.
Listening to the screams outside, the Duke's face was strange and puzzled: "Why? Why did you make up your mind to arrest me long ago, and still chat with me for so long?"
"Because I was waiting for Sir Charles to reply to my message before I could decide whether to arrest you or not."
Although Tassika's tone was cold, the joy in her eyes could not be hidden.
While waiting for Duke Nankarnidon, she logged into the Mage Camp and entered the small space exclusive to the two of them. It was the first time she left a message for Sir Charles after they separated, reporting the situation she encountered.
The reason for taking action later, superficially, was that Tassika couldn't listen anymore. The real reason was that Roger finally saw the message and asked Tassika to help catch Duke Nankarnidon.
Duke Nankarnidon was even more puzzled: "I have reason to suspect that you are more loyal to the Empire than I, an Imperial."
Tassika giggled: "Is that not allowed, Duke? The Empire can give a future that the Orcish gods cannot give. I look forward to that kind of future."
Duke Nankarnidon sneered: "National strength is eternal. Do you believe that a piece of paper can bind such a huge war machine as the Empire?"
"Of course I don't believe in a treaty signed with Duke you! But Sir Charles's promise is different."
Duke Nankarnidon looked at the princess in front of him, who was so sure, and suddenly remembered his analysis before taking action. Then his mind flashed back to that night by the river, Tassika's expression when she was with Roger…
It didn't look like she was being forced. On the contrary, she had a very obvious…
Dependence? Attachment? Adoration?
The Duke was not always so bastardly.
When he was young, he was an unimportant younger son of the Carnidon family. He rose to become the South Carnidon family, surpassing the main family, entirely by relying on his personal strength and supporting the Empress.
So he was also used to it and knew what a girl looked like when she really liked someone.
Duke Nankarnidon blurted out: "You arrested me just to please that Roger Charles, right?"
Tassika instantly blushed and said in a low voice: "That's not true…"
Duke Nankarnidon wanted to curse. Who would believe you aren't!
The word 'hypocrite' was invented for you!
He regretted it ten thousand times. If he hadn't been cursing Roger and the Empress that day, but had praised that useless younger brother, would his treatment be much better now?
The screams outside the camp gradually subsided. It was estimated that his subordinates had been beaten to the point of dying by those rude Orcs.
Will it be his turn next?
Tassika was still seriously explaining to Duke Nankarnidon: "I'm really not trying to please Sir Charles. I just need to contact him for some official business."
She counted with her fingers: "Discovering your whereabouts once, how to deal with it once, transferring to the border once, discussing afterwards once… Thank you for giving me four reasons to chat with Sir Roger!"
"You… this kind of performance, what is the difference from a simp?"
Duke Nankarnidon almost vomited blood. The psychological activities behind your statement are more humble than directly trying to please!
This is not even daring to express affection openly.
Girl, you are so beautiful, and you are also a princess of a country. You don't have to be so careful that you don't even dare to have a crush, right?
Tassika blinked her eyes and asked confusedly: "Does this count as simping? I, I thought I was hiding it very well…"
"What kind of ability does that kid have, he killed me!"
Duke Nankarnidon was dumbfounded. This princess's favorability towards Roger is too high, it would not be an exaggeration to say she is a fanatic fan!
The person he looked at but couldn't get showed a giving-away attitude to others, and his heart directly exploded with sourness!
Even if he can't say he likes her very much, it is more uncomfortable for a very confident and proud duke than being defeated by Tassika head-on.
What's even more uncomfortable is that he actually came to the door and scolded that kid for a full ten minutes in front of the fan?