The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

The current situation still presents a chance for Lilith to turn things around. If she can escape through the secret passage, get outside the palace, and find Judith, then even if she can't reclaim the royal city, at least escaping shouldn't be a problem.

If we were to say who in the capital actually holds the most military power and weapons, it would only be Judith and Scott, who are commanding the war on the southwestern border. In this situation, Scott might be at a loss, but Judith, whose stance is gradually becoming clear, will not.

If Judith can be found and controlled through her, the outcome of this coup is still uncertain.

But what Lilith and Nora could think of in their desperation, Claire couldn't have been unprepared for. That's why Claire deliberately chose a time when almost all the foreign officials were not in the palace and closed the palace gates.

Even if Judith realized what was happening, the palace gates, which were inherently fortified, would not be so easy to open.

Once the dust settled, Judith had no choice but to acknowledge the new king and even sever ties with Lilith.

Even if Judith rebels directly, it doesn't matter. Without a king, Judith cannot command the garrison outside the city. Even if Judith returns to the South, she can still join forces with Anjou and sell out the South.

Indeed, for Claire, it didn't matter how much territory the kingdom lost; becoming queen had become Claire's obsession, and she was willing to pay any price for it.

Just as Lilith and Nora arrived at the entrance to the secret passage with their guards, several secret guards emerged from the passage. At the same time, the tax office gate was also breached, and Claire led a group of palace guards and secret guards to storm in.

Claire laughed with satisfaction as she looked at Lilith, who was panicking at the entrance to the secret passage.

"It's too late, Your Majesty. Is it possible that something you can think of is something I, who am familiar with the palace, cannot think of?"

After admiring Lilith's panicked expression, Claire looked with satisfaction at the craftsman kneeling behind her.

“My Queen, you are as kind as ever. You even couldn’t bear to kill the craftsmen who built the secret passage. But it is true, even if you had killed them, there are other craftsmen in the palace who could have helped me find the secret passage. It’s just a matter of time.”

Claire used her professional strength to grab the craftsman, then threw him into the middle, a twisted smile on her face, and shouted, "How does it feel, my dear Your Majesty, to be betrayed by someone you once saved?"

Coups are never just about military force; the artisans and even servants in the palace can also play a significant role. Claire, for example, used her status to gather a large number of servants. Although these people had no combat ability, they were quite useful for both intelligence gathering and message transmission.

The craftsman knelt on the ground and said to Lilith, "Your Majesty... Her Highness said that if we don't help find the secret passage, she will kill me and my family... I... I have no choice."

The craftsman still had some conscience and couldn't help but burst into tears. Lilith was still comforting him, saying, "This is not your fault; it was my oversight."

But Lyle roared in fury, "Lilith, do you know what? I hate it when you pretend to be a saint here! Do you think you're so innocent? You were involved in framing Lena back then, weren't you? Don't think no one knows your thoughts and schemes. Why do you act like a saint after you become queen!"

"I will let everyone know that you are a despicable, shameless, and treacherous villain, and that I am the rightful heir and ruler of this country!"

Do you think I wanted to be in this position?

Although Lilith was much calmer than Claire, she couldn't help but retort, "I sit on the throne and my feet never even touch the ground, yet I'm asked to handle the affairs of an entire kingdom? I'm exhausted every day, so exhausted that my feet barely touch the ground, you know, literally?"

Hearing this, Claire, who had just been furious, couldn't help but chuckle.

"Do not laugh!"

Lilith's petite frame unleashed tremendous power as she shouted, "If it weren't for you abstract Augustines, would I be struggling like this? If you hadn't killed your father and left this mess, I'd still be a princess who doesn't have to worry about anything, you know? Do you think I want to help your Augustine family with this mess?"

"I even helped you cover for yourself before, what a load of rubbish!"

Lilith's words were so revealing that everyone present couldn't help but gasp.

Women fighting is truly terrifying.

"Don't listen to her nonsense! Get her! Whoever captures Lilith Dorian will be duke, dead or alive!"

This duke is probably not a real title, and regardless of the success or failure of this coup, the kingdom will undergo tremendous changes. But no one present can care about that now, not even the guards, or even the craftsmen and servants that Claire brought.

"Protect Your Majesty!"

Nora let out a powerful roar, leading her last guards in a final stand.

"550C, execute Holy Light Purification Attack, and activate the defensive barrier simultaneously!"

As Lilith finished speaking, several light screens appeared simultaneously, not only blocking the attacks for Nora and the remaining guards, but also the holy light spears directly pierced through several people.

Even Claire was surprised by this scene. Lilith's Holy Word spell was actually real. Not only that, in the past, saints who used Holy Word spells usually only mastered one Holy Word spell. There was no one like Lilith who was throwing them away so freely.

Even some of the bodyguards hesitated when they saw this scene. Lilith really seemed like a saint with the protection of a goddess.

"Suppress the fire with muskets, don't be afraid. This isn't the goddess's holy light; it must be some evil magic imitating the goddess's divine power!"

Claire's explanation was weak, but those present had staked their futures on it, so even the weakest explanation left them with no choice but to believe it.

The muskets and ray guns in the armory were pointed at Lilith, and they began frantically pulling the triggers.

At first, Lilith could hold on, but she soon started to have a headache. After all, although the shortcut phrases consumed very little magic power, it did not mean that there was no consumption. Moreover, compared to magic power, they consumed more mental energy.

Lilith turned to look at the guards at the entrance to the secret passage, and pulled Nora along as they rushed into the passage. This was Lilith's only chance, and Nora understood perfectly, directing the last guards to block the entrance to the secret passage.

The guards in the secret passage were caught off guard and were pierced through by several spears of holy light.

Claire was somewhat flustered by Lilith's unexpected fighting prowess, but she still roared, "You think going into the secret passage will work? You need to know whose house this is! You're courting death!"

Soon, the people around Claire rushed towards the entrance of the secret passage.

Just then, Nora suddenly shouted, "Your Majesty! Protect yourself!"

Nora blocked the entrance to the secret passage, took something out of her pocket, and pulled the tab.

"As the prime minister of a kingdom, it's perfectly reasonable for me to carry explosives!"

Nora laughed. This was prepared for the demons, but Nora didn't expect to use it so soon. Originally, Nora had already made up her mind to protect His Majesty with her life, and now she was even more convinced of this idea. This was not simply out of personal feelings. Nora understood very well that the kingdom could not lose His Majesty.

Lilith was blasted away, but thanks to the Holy Light Shield on her body, she was in a very sorry state, but at least she was still conscious.

The secret passage, or rather the entire Northern Tax Office, had been half destroyed. As soon as Lilith reconnected to 550C, a soft holy light appeared in front of her.

"Emergency plans have been activated. Citizens are requested to follow instructions."

......

Meanwhile, at the palace gates, Judith was gathering her forces to try and open them. Judith and the nobles of the inner city had already sensed something was wrong, but only Judith led her people to the palace. Seeing the sudden explosion inside, Judith kept praying that Her Majesty the Queen was alright.

Just then, something happened inside the palace gates, and the palace gates slowly opened from the inside.