Volume 2: Empire Chapter 35: Blackmail
Luke, who was clearly here to blackmail him, expressed his curiosity about two other things, one of which was the main purpose of his visit... the Lava Demon Heart.
The second prince, Alex, did not know that this lava magic heart had been transformed into a mysterious prop. It was a collection he had obtained in his early years. He carefully collected it because it was larger than other lava magic hearts.
This lava magic heart named "Du Jun" by the players was suspended in a square glass cover. It was the size of a basketball, covered with irregular grooves. Inside the grooves was an incandescent flame, burning the entire magic heart with an orange-red light. The high temperature did not spread but concentrated on the surface of the magic heart, forming a halo with a thickness of five centimeters.
Luke was surprised and said, "Such a large lava devil heart is rare. It should come from a Dumo-level lava stone devil. To kill a Dumo-level lava stone devil in a volcanic environment, it is not enough to rely on strength alone. It requires more luck."
Sinclair understood and said, "The Meteor Governor is really knowledgeable. This lava demon heart is indeed from a lava stone demon of the Governor Demon level. It was an unlucky guy. A volcanic eruption ejected and it flew several kilometers and then fell and was seriously injured.
But they still killed many adventurers who came after hearing the news.
Later, the lava stone demon broke through the encirclement and fled towards the volcano, but unfortunately fell into a hot spring halfway. "
"It's really unlucky." Although Luke had heard about the experience of this lava stone demon, he couldn't help but sigh when he heard it again.
"Even worse was that... when it climbed out of the hot spring, a huge rock rolled down from the mountain and smashed it back into the water, pressing it to the bottom of the water. The Lava Stone Demon was drowned. Also, because of the long period of cooling by the water, the heat energy generated by this Dumo-level Lava Demon Heart was not as much as that generated by an ordinary Lava Demon Heart.
My uncle kept it here after he got it.
If it had met Miss Clear Sky, it would have been able to die with more dignity."
"Yes, Miss Qingkong will definitely let it die with dignity." Speaking of Qingkong, Luke seemed to think of something important: "The last time I met Miss Qingkong, she said that her museum still uses coal for heating. Insufficient heating in winter is a problem, and a gas leak is the most troublesome."
Sinclair said tactfully, "Then use the Lava Magic Heart to provide heat for the heating boiler. It would be a waste to leave this Lava Magic Heart here. Uncle must be tired of it after looking at it for so many years. Why not give it to Miss Qingkong?"
Solving the heating problem for the Oulu College branch will not only make Miss Qingkong happy, but Dean Wilred will also be very happy. "
"Of course they will be happy. Miss Qingkong and Dean Wilred regard students as their most precious treasures, much more valuable than these useless things that can only be looked at."
Sinclair exclaimed: "Only deans and professors like this can educate outstanding talents for the empire."
Luke said: "Miss Clear Sky said... the greatness of the present will eventually pass away, and the world will always belong to the next generation."
After hearing Luke's words, Sinclair did not respond, but just stood there in a daze.
Nightingale, who had been accompanying him, did not think too much about it. She called her servant and whispered to him, asking him to convey to Prince Alex that Meteorite had taken a fancy to Lava Demon Heart.
After Luke achieved his goal, he did not pull the wool off the Second Prince. If he asked for too much, the Second Prince would be reluctant to give it all, and it would be troublesome if the "Superintendent" Lava Demon Heart was filtered out during the selection.
The three gifts have been selected, and we just have to wait for the Second Prince to personally deliver them to Qingkong.
Luke and Sinclair said goodbye and left.
Prince Alex was left alone , feeling angry and resentful... and the intention revealed by Meteorite this time forced him to calm down. If he lost his composure at this time, he would be in Meteorite's trap.
A sense of crisis made Alec summon Nightingale to his side and ask in detail what Meteorite and Sinclair had seen and said.
Nightingale poured a glass of red wine for Alec, then sat on his lap and talked slowly.
"The greatness of today will eventually pass away, and the world will always belong to the next generation..." Alec murmured and repeated what Meteor said: "Fortunately Agatha is not a man, otherwise Fania and I would not have any qualifications to compete with her."
Nightingale noticed the changes in Alec's body, his attention was moving away from herself.
"Your Highness, is the eldest princess worthy of your attention?"
"What do you know!" Alex embraced Nightingale: "Agatha uses meteorites to plan for the present, and uses Qingkong to plan for the future. Once Qingkong really becomes the dean of Oulu College, batches of Oulu College graduates will be the strongest foundation for Agatha to rule the empire.
This is what's so scary about Agatha... She took over the Secret Service and laid out the plans for the present while my brother and I were still having fun."
"But Your Highness, you just said that the eldest princess is not a man, and His Majesty will not give the throne to her."
"But my father has never appointed a crown prince. No matter how well Fania and I do, it is far from the standard he wants. I heard that he is now... Have you found out anything about the matter I asked you to investigate?"
Nightingale leaned over to Alex's ear and whispered, "The Extraordinary Species Breeding Center is indeed conducting experiments to extend human lifespan, and the test subjects are all elderly people suffering from various diseases.
The Crusader Project of the Cross Society also began the experiment of eternal life secret technique under the suggestion of His Majesty."
The tingling sensation in his ears made Alex feel a little hot in his heart. He took a sip of red wine to moisten his dry throat, and then said, "You must always pay attention to the experiments on both sides, and send people to disrupt their experimental progress when necessary."
Nightingale said in shock: "Destruction! If His Majesty knew about it..."
Alec kissed Nightingale on the cheek. "In the entire palace, no one except Your Majesty wants these experiments to succeed. The Extraordinary Species Breeding Center and the Cross Society know how to cooperate."
Nightingale put her arms around Alex's neck and glared at him, "Your Highness, I have done so much for you. When will you fulfill your promise to me?"
Alec smiled and said, "I have already sent out the people who will redeem your family's property. As for the title... the empire is now dealing with the hereditary nobles of the Blade Brotherhood, so it will not confer titles on hereditary nobles at this time.
Even though Yunxing had done such a great thing in Nutao City, he was only given the title of lord. His father would only give him the title after he found Dai'er and married her.
Wait a little longer, when I become the emperor of the empire, it will only take a word from me to restore the glory of your family. You will even become the empress of the empire..."
Nightingale fell on top of Alec: "Thank you, Your Highness!"
…
Luke and Sinclair sat in the royal carriage and returned to Copper Mulberry Avenue. Each of them had his own thoughts and no one spoke.
It was not until they were about to reach their destination that Sinclair said, "Governor Meteorite, I have not known you for long, but I have heard a lot about you. These few days of contact have made me admire you very much.
There is a question that I shouldn't ask, but I still hope you can give me an answer, even if it is a lie. "
Luke just took back the consciousness that he had given to Qingkong and integrated it, accepting Qingkong's new knowledge. After hearing Sinclair's question, Luke came to his senses and said, "As long as I answer, it will definitely not be a lie, you can ask."
Sinclair hesitated for a while, but still asked, "My father, Uncle Alec, and Aunt Agatha, who do you think is the best candidate for the future ruler of the empire?"
Luke replied: "This is indeed not a question you should ask, nor is it appropriate to ask me."
Sinclair smiled and said, "Yes, I should support my father unconditionally. It is a wise choice for you not to answer."
Luke looked at the somewhat disappointed Sinclair and smiled: "If I say... I never care about who will be the future ruler of the empire, would you believe it?"
Sinclair was surprised by Luke's answer: "You just said that as long as you answer, it must not be a lie."
"Whether that sentence is a lie or not, and whether this sentence is a lie or not, it's up to you to judge."
"This..." Sinclair couldn't tell which of Meteorite's words was a lie: "If you didn't lie, can I know why? Shouldn't you support Aunt Agatha?"
"Your Highness Sinclair, there are some things that cannot be assumed, and we can only make judgments. No matter whether the choice is right or wrong, no matter what the result is, we must be determined to move forward. I don't have the foresight you think, but I am watching every step I take firmly on the path I have chosen.
What will happen in the future is not something I can control, let alone who will be the future ruler of the empire."
Sinclair fell into deep thought after hearing Luke's answer, but soon he smiled in a generous manner.
"In fact, I don't care who the future ruler of the empire will be. Who knows, one day the empire may be like our neighboring country without an emperor. Your values are very much to my liking. You are a friend worth making. I recognize you as my brother!"
Luke was also surprised by Sinclair's avant-garde ideas. It should be because he was fighting in the North and was exposed to many new ideas from neighboring countries.
"I am honored to be recognized as a brother by His Highness Sinclair. But...if I marry Princess Dale, you should call me uncle."
Who would have thought that Sinclair smiled and said, "Aunt Dale went abroad a long time ago, you won't be able to find her. But I heard some rumors about you and Aunt Agatha..."
Luke asked puzzledly, "What rumors?"
Sinclair smiled slyly and told Luke the rumor he had heard: "You thought it was well hidden, but you didn't expect that this secret has spread throughout the court."
Luke really didn't know that the scandal between him and Agatha had spread within the court, and he learned about it from Sinclair instead of the spies around him.
Shelley and Pisco, these two big mouths, are so proud of themselves after coming to the imperial capital! Do you think that when you get home, Agatha will be crowned as the king, and your eldest will be the prince next!
"This..." Luke neither denied nor admitted: "Such an exaggerated rumor must have been exaggerated by someone in order to increase the suspicion of the eldest princess in the attack on Princess Dale."
The topic returned to Princess Dale's case. Sinclair asked, "Did you find anything in Uncle Alec's manor? Are you planning to send the things you asked for to Miss Clear Sky so that you can use the secret technique to find clues?"
Sinclair's imagination was good, and Luke used it and said, "You are very smart and have a talent for solving cases. Those three things must be sent to Miss Clear Sky, and a secret language ceremony will be performed using the strange technology of the Department of Mysticism.
I hope to find some useful clues.”
Sinclair didn't know much about the mysterious occult arts. The royal family's education didn't allow them to touch such uncertain things casually. But the various rumors about the occult arts made Sinclair very curious: "Can I watch from the sidelines?"
"No!" Luke refused bluntly. I'm upgrading my bloodline, what's your point of watching! "Since you treat me as a brother, give me some face and don't mess with me here today! I'm not as idle as you, and I have a lot of work waiting for me to deal with."
When the carriage arrived at 236 Copper Mulberry Avenue, Luke stopped Sinclair who was about to get off and asked the driver to take him back to Silver Manor.
Then, under the saluting gaze of the guards, he walked into the Sixth Special Agent Department with his cane.
The news that Luke, who was under surveillance by many parties, went to meet the second prince, Alec, with Sinclair soon spread throughout the imperial court. The details were still being further investigated, but the reaction of Prince Alec immediately afterwards was confusing to everyone.
Prince Alex publicly sent a batch of valuable gifts to Qingkong's museum, and also made a rare visit to Agatha's Tulip Manor. He did not leave until late at night, when he was personally seen off by the eldest princess.
Luke didn't know how his blackmail would be interpreted by the court. It didn't matter how it was interpreted. He only cared about how the secret ritual tonight could improve him.
If Nightingale's dagger was aimed at me, could I deal with it as calmly as Sinclair?
In Nutao City, it was Qingkong who made trouble in the open while he reaped the benefits in secret; after arriving in the Imperial Capital, Qingkong moved back to dominate the entire field with his strength, while he moved forward to be on the front line, and he had to fight some of the subsequent battles himself.
Luke and Qingkong met in a carefully selected secret room.
This secret room is larger than the one in Raging Waves City, and its confidentiality has been confirmed by players, so you can be assured.
The word of the secret spell to be performed this time is named "Rekindled Heart of Fire" and is a secret spell inherited from the bloodline of the lava stone demon.
All the auxiliary words required to cast this secret language have been collected, and the missing item, the "Stone Plate of Sinking", can be replaced by the Book of Disaster.
The subject "Governor" Lava Demon Heart was sent to the museum along with the gifts by Alex, and was now floating in the center of the secret magic formation.
Qingkong walked to the side of the Lava Demon Heart and took out a reagent bottle from his space backpack. The reagent bottle contained red liquid. After pouring it out, the liquid turned into a stream of fire and poured onto the Lava Demon Heart.
It was as if the grooves on the awakened lava demon's heart suddenly expanded, and its volume expanded and contracted.
A heartbeat like the sound of a heavy drum echoed in the enclosed space...
