The Villain Princess survived the Imperial Riot

A day when the best gather together.

After two years of silence, Yunting Villa has regained its former bustling scene. The high wall that symbolizes the Tianlong restricted area has also opened its gates. Imperial knights, fully armored and like exoskeletons, stand along the high walls and watchtowers, as silent as stone statues.

A small number of armed dwarf-cast mechanical servants patrolled the periphery of the villa, their living brains protected in sealed crystal cans, and thick organic fluid crawled throughout the webs in the mechanical structure along with the peristaltic nerves.

Hestia did not establish the name of this gathering, but Aynive told her a prophecy from the Silent Organ - a Zangxiu would record the meeting in the secret history of the Dream and name it the "Pact of Lorraine".

Secret history is part of Dreamland, its traces interfering with its evolution. Endless historical materials converge into millions of tributaries flowing from the sea of ​​origin, driving the development of history and the changes in the material world.

The iconic secret history will serve as an anchor point for dreams, giving rise to unknown mysteries, which will be retraced, imitated, and carried forward by later secret practitioners.

Contradictory secret histories don't offer absolute truth or falsehood; they simply fork in the tributaries of fate. However, only official history revealed in the Dream Constellation holds a dominant position, determining the rule of the Constellation gods, the authority of the Elder Constellations, and the miraculous manifestations of myths in the human world. Secret histories that have been tampered with, submerged, or hidden will be ignored, lost in secret vaults untraceable to the world.

When a piece of history is completely tampered with or forgotten, it usually also means the "extinction" of the myth.

Hestia didn't care what kind of evaluation she would leave in history, nor did she worry about being fabricated by those Tibetan cultivators.

Mengsu does have powers similar to the "History Book of Years", but the cost of fabricating history is unimaginable. It's okay to use the Spring and Autumn style of writing, but if you want to fabricate rumors about the princess, you must first endure the backlash of Mengsu.

"Viola, I'll grant you two days of leave. You can go anywhere during this time, but don't stay at Yunting Villa." Under the dining table, the princess used her feet to pull open the maid's leather shoes, teasing her soft and round toes, and said nonchalantly, "Clara will be with you during this time, do you understand?"

"Eh? But I want to stay in the library..."

"Then take the library books with you," Hestia said. "Many secret cultivators will be coming to the manor. Why would a mortal like you join in?"

"Oh..." Viola nodded, "Your Highness, will it be dangerous? In fact, I am about to start the ascension ceremony."

"It's not dangerous, but this mountain will be much more lively from now on."

Hestia didn't explain much.

After ordering Clara to escort the maid out of the villa, Iyana, who was standing by her side, whispered to the flickering emerald light and said softly, "Your Highness, there's news from the Cocoon Sisterhood that there might be someone who wants to assassinate you among the guests attending this time."

"At the convention?"

"Well, they should start during the tribute ceremony. It's said that it will be a treasure map related to the 'Arrow of Furnace Punishment'. I will notify General Ant and ask him to capture the person as soon as possible."

"No, if you want to offer the map, then go ahead," Hestia shook her head and chuckled. "If it's really the 'Arrow of the Hearth', such a divine artifact, we have to give it some reward."

The Arrows of Furnace Punishment are a legend passed down among the Cindersea Dwarves. Rumor has it that two hundred years ago, at the last moment before the God-Emperor beheaded Furnace Punishment and Jedi Tiantong, the God-Emperor Furnace Punishment used the last of his heavenly fire to forge three divine artifacts, and ordered his apostles to bring these three artifacts to seek out their successors to avenge him.

These three sacred weapons are called "Three Arrows of Furnace Punishment". They have the supreme power to destroy the Emperor of God with one arrow, pacify Tailan with one arrow, and defeat the Kingdom of Heaven with one arrow.

The apostle was later captured by the Emperor of God, his soul torn apart and his body divided, but the whereabouts of the Three Arrows of Furnace Punishment disappeared, leaving behind only conflicting rumors.

In the game's plot, there is indeed a dwarf savior who uses a sacred artifact to activate the Ember Sea volcano, leading the Ember Sea dwarves to break free from their shackles and causing the disintegration of the empire. However, Hestia does not know whether that sacred artifact is related to the Three Arrows of the Furnace.

"Well, I will always protect Your Highness." Iyana said.

Hestia nodded and flipped open a new Adventurer's Daily published by Liliana. She smiled at the sentence "The Merciful Holy Dragon is Fran's only savior" and asked, "Any other news? Who will be coming?"

Iyana replied, "Some prestigious ones include the Saye family and the Forest Rangers of the Rasfen Sea; the Blood Feast of the Caslat Realm; the Rotten Bone Cult and the Dawn Society of the Golden Plateau; and the Enigmatic Pirates of the Sea of ​​Mist... In addition, the Church of Radiance, the Arcane Alliance, the Adventurers' Guild, and the Tyran Financial Group will also send people to visit."

"Where are my sisters?"

"Cocoon Sisterhood?" Iyana asked, then continued, "They will participate under the name of the Sisterhood of Our Lady."

"The Order of Our Lady?"

"The Convent is a small, secretive order under the Church of Radiance."

"Oh."

Hestia nodded and stopped asking questions.

The Cocoon Sisterhood mainly adheres to the Moth Blade Branch Path, the Path of Unity/Kingdom, and theoretically does not possess the power of Radiance.

Many branches possess the ability to access other roots, but the Sister-Mother's extraordinary ability lies in the fact that the Ritual of Clothing allows for the sharing of power without loss. This means that Marilyn could, through collusion with two nuns from the Church of Radiance, obtain Radiance power and engage in role-playing.

Secret cultivators have arrived at Yunting Villa one after another. Before the conference actually begins, the princess goes to the dungeon first to check on the prisoners she had detained a month ago.

A month is enough time for the princess to investigate the origins of the brother and sister.

Cynthia Roland, a descendant of an ancient and declining family, no longer had the resistance she had before after being imprisoned for nearly a month. Only fatigue remained in her lifeless eyes.

The Roland family claimed to be descendants of the elder Rafaan who lived three thousand years ago, but in fact, they had even lost the elder's name, and the ancestor that the family could trace back only went back to fifteen hundred years ago at most.

Therefore, Madam Ainiwei speculated that the founder of the Roland family might have risen under the inheritance of the elders and had no blood connection with them.

But these are not important. To Hestia, Geno Roland and Cynthia Roland are just insignificant little people. The reason they are still alive is not only because they want to see if there will be rescuers, but also because of the relationship with the purple puppy.

Back then, the Order was not a "tower," and the brother and sister followed the Order-casting branch, following an even more ancient path. But antiquity does not necessarily mean strength, especially now that many of the elders and gods of the past have been forgotten. Those paths are like desolate paths overgrown with weeds, full of confusion and thorns.

The root of casting symbolizes creation, destruction, transformation of energy and material foundation.

In the ancient mystical traditions of Order, Geno Roland's rank was known as the Judge. He possessed a flame powerful enough to incinerate a small town, which, in battle, transformed into a strange state of being bathed in flames. This consumed the user's vitality, but the Path of Order stabilized his state, preventing him from fading with the incineration.

Unfortunately, Iyana interrupted his transformation, so before the secret technique was completely completed, she burned herself into severe disability.

Although the outstanding medical skills of the Yunling Medical Society saved Geno Roland's life, those crazy medical scientists wanted to try to equip him with an energy circulation system, so they invited the Arcane Society to transform the good ranger into a half-machine servant.

Geno Roland is still fixed on a brass base to provide heat for the artificial hot springs in the new medical school. The scene is too cruel, and Hestia has not yet told Cynthia the truth.

This concerns the memory of Cynthia Rowland—

The brother and sister once had an encounter with the purple puppy. Although Aphra later erased this memory, everything in the world will inevitably leave traces and it is impossible to be flawless.

Cynthia's practice of the power of creation allows her to repair the characteristics of things to a certain extent, and the path of order pursues the perfection of me, which will spontaneously restore the state. Therefore, what Hestia has to do is to wait for this woman's memory to heal, so as to find out the origin of the purple puppy.

It would be even better if the siblings also met Aphra's younger siblings.

No one knows how to exploit weaknesses better than the princess!

Ever since she had aroused the purple puppy's desire for revenge, Hestia had not visited her to check on her condition. However, from what Iyana had said, Aphra had become much more obedient since her last escape and seemed to have come to terms with reality.

But how could the elf maid know that Aphra's cooperation was just to regain her freedom as soon as possible so that she could go to the back mountain to dig out the jade token that could allow her to "restore" her power?

Perhaps the next time the princess goes to the cave, she will see the purple-skinned puppy wagging its tail in flattery.

Unfortunately, the princess was ultimately unable to manipulate the purple-skinned puppy through bewitching tactics, and could only gradually lure her into a trap. Lies eventually come to light; they are far less effective than weaknesses.

"It's you……"

Cynthia opened her eyes weakly.

Cockroaches crawled along the cracks in the bricks, mice gnawed on moldy bread in the corners, and fleas swarmed faintly among her tangled hair. She wasn't as lucky as the purple puppy, who had the personal care of the villa's matron. If her years of outdoor experience hadn't accustomed her to the filthy environment infested with fleas, leeches, and parasites, Cynthia would have suffered a nervous breakdown in the first week.

But Cynthia is not much better off now. With her desperate eyes, she only wishes for a quick death and has no hope of killing the dragon in front of her.

"Do you remember anything?" Hestia walked over and crushed the sneaky mouse to death with one foot, splashing blood everywhere. "Where did you meet that purple-skinned elf?"

"Where is Geno...?"

"He's not dead yet," Hestia said, "but if you don't get any results, you can't be sure."

"Afra..." Cynthia opened her mouth with difficulty, "No, I don't know."

"Look, you remembered the name," Hestia said with a smile, "Did you not know it, or did you not want to know?"

Cynthia lowered her head, her eyes unclear.

The princess is still alive, does that mean Aphra has failed?

But since the dragon came to interrogate her, it meant that it had not yet gotten the desired result, and Aphra was most likely still safe.

If Aphra was alive, she still had hope of survival. If she betrayed her companions at this moment, she would be doomed.

"Do you think that as long as she's still alive, there's hope for you to be rescued?" Hestia revealed Cynthia's thoughts and sneered, "Dark elves are the most ruthless. She's treated you like an abandoned child. Do you really think she'll come to save you?"

"Whatever you say." Cynthia gritted her teeth, "I really don't know anything."

But soon, her pupils contracted and she stared at a strand of hair at the princess's fingertips.

It was not Tianlong's silver hair, but pale, flexible and silky.

"She's already fallen, idiot! If she really kills me, I won't come to rescue you, but will just pack up and run away!"

"A hair doesn't mean anything." Cynthia took a deep breath.

"Oh, that means your memory has recovered well, right?" Hestia smiled warmly, but that warmth was like a shadow under the sunshine.

Seeing that she couldn't hide it anymore, Cynthia couldn't help but ask, "If you caught Aphra, then why are you asking me?"

"Because her bones are stronger than yours, ma'am," Hestia said helplessly. "She has family. Do you know where they are?"

Cynthia frowned. "I've only seen her, a dark elf. Besides, Aphra is very smart and cautious. If she really has family, how could she possibly tell..."

Suddenly, she froze, remembering her earlier encounter with the Dark Elf.

Aphra bought a carriage full of daily necessities, definitely not for herself.

"What do you remember?"

"No, there isn't."

"Being stubborn will only exacerbate your suffering, you ungrateful assassin lady," Hestia curled her lips. "Your only value to me is providing more clues about Aphra Manro. If you exhaust my patience, I will slice off the remaining flesh of your brother and stuff it down your throat."

"Jeno! You put him—" Cynthia was about to get angry again, but compared to her initial arrogance, she now only felt a deep sense of powerlessness. "He was seriously injured that day, and his life or death is unknown. I want to see him!"

"The medical school saved his life, but he's not in great shape, so I reject your request."

"So how is he now?!" Cynthia asked anxiously.

"Still alive..." Hestia remembered the description of the high-spirited ranger crying in despair like a child in Whistling Falcon, and could only shake her head.

"How do you prove it?!" Cynthia said anxiously, "If you kill him..."

"I can give you a fresh ear, or a fresh arm if you keep asking." Hestia shrugged. "You're not in a position to negotiate. Do you think your information is that important?"

"Uh?"

"I'm going to tame a purple puppy. Her family is just my whip and whistle," Hestia said, standing with her hands behind her back, shaking her head slightly. "Do you understand? You're not important to me, and neither is she, but she's more worthy of taming than you, so this is your and your brother's only chance to survive."

Hearing this, Cynthia felt as if she were under nine feet of ice. The terrifying coldness penetrated her bones, making her tremble all over. "You...devil!"

"Right now, Geno is still a stranger to me. The choice is yours."

“…” A look of painful struggle flashed in Cynthia’s eyes.

The morality of the rangers is gradually falling apart with despair.

If she becomes someone she despises, then what will the path she has upheld for so many years, the order she has upheld, the poor people she has helped, and the evildoers she has punished mean to her?

"Interesting." Hestia sensed Cynthia's spirituality.

The witch's sixth sense told her that the path of the secret practitioner in front of her had collapsed. Unless he changed his ways or started practicing again, his life would end here.

"I've never met Aphra's family." Cynthia closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. "But when we were in Crocodile Bay Forest, she exhibited some strange behavior..."