The Villain Saint is my secondary account

The timely sound of the ship's horn rang out, and the towering merchant ship slowly approached the shore under the guidance of the port sailors.

Ella donned a cloak and veil, and stepped onto the dock under the protection of a group of casually dressed Templar Knights and Septian guards.

Following the civil war in the royal election, according to King Skadi's investigation, most of the letters received by the senior members of the Samuel Hermitage in Loren came from the Kingdom of Valen. In addition, by analyzing Hyde's family's ancient books, the second princess Lilia speculated that a tomb of the god of life might also be hidden within Valen.

Therefore, Ella came here for these two purposes: to find traces of the Samuel Order and clues about the tomb of the God of Life.

As usual, when Ella arrived in a new place, she would contact the local rulers as a noblewoman to obtain information from the official upper echelons, while Ye Xiao would disguise himself and go to the local taverns and black markets to find out the rumors circulating among the people.

However, Ye Xiao was currently unable to leave the ship of the Dark Shepherds, so Ella entrusted the reconnaissance mission to Li Cheng, who had some experience. She then took the Templar Knights to stay at an inn in the city and entrusted a letter to the official in charge of registration to inform the municipal council and explain their purpose as members of the Loren Empire's Tide Merchant Guild.

Of course, this "intention" was somewhat embellished. The Tide Merchant Guild was a merchant guild registered in Stormport by the Haivier family, and Ella used this to obtain the identity of a wealthy merchant's daughter.

She claimed that her team was in Valen to conduct archaeological excavations and magical research, and provided some archaeological qualification documents from the Royal Academy of Loren to explain the origins of her large group.

And with such an endorsement, it wouldn't seem too suspicious when Ella sent her men to various libraries to look up information or organized people to explore the wilderness.

Winter days are always short. While on the ship, Ella could still see the last rays of sunset on the horizon. But after checking into the hotel and entering her room, she saw the last rays of the setting sun completely sink into the western hills. Thus, she abruptly welcomed her first night after arriving in the Kingdom of Valen.

Night, like a thick velvet blanket, slowly covered the ancient city, the salty sea breeze stirring up the misty air and veiling the buildings in the city with a hazy veil.

The silhouettes of church spires and tall chimneys intertwine, and gas lamps, like twinkling stars, connect the bustling streets and alleys—even after the sun has set, this port city remains busy. Pedestrians wearing tricorn hats and trench coats hurry along, while workers in canvas shirts and overalls carry brass equipment and bottles in small groups through the streets.

As Ella was admiring the night view outside the window, a message from Li Cheng suddenly popped up in her field of vision.

Once you enter a large city that can be classified as a main city, the system's communication functions will work normally again.

[The Saintess's Dog 2: Saintess, we've done some quick inquiries and found two pieces of information that might be of interest to you.]

[Late Night Snack: Seriously, don't you feel uncomfortable seeing my handsome profile picture in the chat and still calling me "Saintess"?]

The updated system now adds the ability to set an avatar for players' profile cards and chat boxes. Any image that players upload to the system using the in-game photo crystals can be used as an avatar.

[Saintess's Dog 2: Indeed, so when will you change your profile picture to yourself, Saintess? I don't want to see Brother Ye!]

[Late-night snack: Change your head my foot!]

[The Saintess's Dog 2: Oh, changing my profile picture does seem like a good option. Right, why didn't I think of that?]

[Midnight Snack: You bastard! You dare to mess with me?! I'll kill you!!]

Ella's lips twitched. If Li Cheng changed his profile picture to hers, she always felt that her image was being tarnished.

This is truly a manipulative system. Why not add more useful features instead of constantly creating these random glitches? Why not just give her a QQ Show and a Yellow Diamond membership? That way, her name would sparkle and shine like gold when she chats with others.

Of course, when Ella thought this way, she completely forgot about how, as Ye Xiao, she had been happily taking selfies from various angles in front of the photo crystal to make her profile picture look good.

[The Saintess's Dog 2: Alright, alright, let me report the information I've gathered to you first.]

One is news about Edward Teach, the notorious pirate in the Magala Sea for whom the Valen government has offered a bounty.

[It is said that he recently kidnapped the third prince of the Aslan Empire and publicly demanded a ransom from the Aslan Empire, requiring a hostage exchange to take place in Freeport within a week.]

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Young Lady's Pleasure

Ella was a little nervous about this first piece of news.

Has Edward Teach gone mad? How can he be so arrogant?

Although Ye Xiao did witness Edward attacking Prince Aslan's ship to seize the merfolk during the time warp on the ghost ship, he was still unaware of the events.

Because Ye Xiao was too slow and was swallowed by the sea monster, Ella was unaware of what happened afterward.

But unexpectedly, Edward, who had captured Aslan's prince, actually dared to use this as an excuse to demand a ransom from the Aslan Empire.

Prince Aslan was no ordinary nobleman. Edward's actions were tantamount to slapping the Aslan Empire's royal family in the face in front of the entire continent.

If he had just kept a low profile and given the Aslan royal family some face, they might have actually given him some money to settle things privately.

But now even the taverns in Coral Harbor are talking about this, which shows that this guy has no intention of giving any face at all.

Does this guy really know he's just a pirate? Ella clicked her tongue inwardly.

Freeport is a unique island city-state located in the southwest of the Magala Sea, at the junction of the Pasifi Sea and the Magala Sea. It is an independent and autonomous island city-state. Because it is far from the continent of Meya and close to the southern continent inhabited by beastmen, it is a city where human pirates and exiles often gather. Therefore, it is also known as the "City of the Seven Seas" by the pirates.

The name doesn't actually come from the fact that it connects to seven seas. In fact, besides the Pasifi Sea and the Magala Sea, it only has one more sea to the south, the Azur Sea, which is located in the northern part of the South Road.

It is only because of its highly "free" laws that pirates from all seven seas around the world regard this place as their safe haven, hence the nickname that sounds very powerful but is actually somewhat ironic.

However, no matter what, this is still just an island city-state. If Aslan, one of the three great empires, is really provoked, he might not only destroy Edward, but also the entire city.

While reading Li Cheng's description, Ella also paid attention to the posts and discussions on the player forums. Indeed, most players were amazed at who this pirate Edward was, while some players active in Freeport were cursing him, saying that Edward was courting death and trying to drag them down with him.

But Ella felt that, based on her previous interactions at the auction, Edward didn't seem like a reckless person.

There may be a deeper secret behind this. According to Ella's memories as Ye Xiao in her previous life, such an event did not happen at the time, but the famous pirate Teach seems to have been a real person.

Regardless, Freeport is definitely going to descend into chaos in the near future.

[The Saintess's Dog 2: Besides this, there's another thing that's been circulating here lately: a series of murders that have been happening frequently at night in the Foggy City.]

Fog City is the capital of the Kingdom of Valen, about two hundred miles from Coral Harbor. The fact that a murder case that happened there has reached here shows that it must have had a significant impact.

Ella raised her eyebrows slightly.

[The Saintess's Dog 2: This matter is also being discussed on local player forums, mainly because the way the victim died is very similar to what we encountered in the Royal City of Loren.]

I'll send you a picture and you'll see.

[View Image]

Oh, by the way, Your Excellency, you're not eating right now, are you?

[Late Night Snack: You've already sent it all, what the hell are you asking now?]

Ella observed the pictures Li Cheng sent her, and she had to admit they were truly shocking.

The victim was disemboweled, his internal organs were removed, and only a broken skeletal frame remained, hanging from the roof of the house.

The murder that occurred during the last imperial selection was the work of those people at Samuel's clinic in the capital.

In order to create the relics, they attacked innocent people on foggy nights and extracted their internal organs as raw materials.

After Ella revealed the truth of the matter to Holman, the latter regretted for a long time that he had ever cooperated with such a perverse sect.

However, whether it is the doctrine of the Samuel Order or the obsession of these believers, they would hang the bodies of victims with their internal organs removed in particularly conspicuous places in the city, as if showing off a work of art.

There seems to be some strange religious implication hidden within this.

[Midnight Snack: We can investigate this matter more thoroughly now. If all goes as expected, it should be the clue we're looking for regarding the Samuel's Priory.]

[The Saintess's Dog 2: Yes, ma'am. Then, as usual, I will go to Fog City tomorrow in the name of the Adventurers' Guild to investigate this matter.]

[Late Night Snack: Okay, bro, be careful.]

[The Saintess's Dog 2: Ah, the Saintess calls me Bear Brother, she cares about me]

【night snack:……】

After sending the message, Ella also released her raven familiar from the window.

These black birds with tiny tentacles quickly disappeared into the night.

……

The next morning.

Early in the morning, Ella sent Geraint, dressed in plain clothes, to the city council to apply for access to the local library under the guise of archaeology.

She herself was too distinctive in appearance to show herself, and besides, her subordinates could handle this matter, so there was no need for her to go in person.

A servant made Ella a cup of black tea, and she sat by the window, sipping it slowly while admiring the view outside.

It has to be said that with the improvement of the Seven Stars Society and the Templar Knights under its command, she no longer needs to be involved in many minor matters.

Loren's affairs are handled by Lilia and Isaac, while Hyde and Dong Muge manage the archaeological research of the ruins. The Septian Society and the Templars are responsible for conducting field investigations.

With her crow familiar by her side, she doesn't need to worry too much about her companions suddenly encountering danger, because she can open a portal at any time to rush over and provide support.

Unless she encounters some major problem like an evil god, she can simply sit by the window like a pampered young lady, enjoying tea and the scenery, browsing player forums, and waiting for reports.

I feel like this is a bit lazy.

Ella stretched comfortably, propped her cheek on her hand, and after thinking for a while, decided to take a stroll around the city center of Coral Harbor.

Tsk tsk, his subordinates are out investigating, Ye Xiao is working as a slave, while he himself is out traveling and shopping. It feels rather strange.

Ella stroked her chin. She and Ye Xiao were the same person, but she wasn't simply limited to multitasking.

Ye Xiao's weariness while adrift at sea could be felt by her if she wanted, just like an immersive operator controlling two bodies simultaneously.

However, if one does not wish to, one can isolate oneself and entrust the experience to a separate consciousness that resonates with the mind, making the experience more like a VR movie playing in the background.

The switch is as simple as a thought, seemingly without difference, but sometimes doing so can put all of Ye Xiao's troubles on "another me".

It felt like a rather sinful act, Ella covered her mouth and chuckled, but it was also quite enjoyable.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Lonely King

At this moment, in the Royal Palace of the Loren Empire, in the Imperial Study.

Skadi buried her head on the table, looking somewhat sad.

The documents on the table were piled up like a mountain. The two ministers, Holman and Isaac, had actually handled most of the political cases for Skadi, but some matters that ultimately required the king's approval still needed Skadi's review.

Moreover, Skadi was also a student at the Royal Academy. As a queen, she could not slack off in her studies. From magic and swordsmanship to history and politics, every subject was taught by Loren's top professors. For a leader of a country, even mediocre academic achievements would be a sin.

Holman and Minister Isaac were capable assistants in political affairs, but when it came to supervising her studies, they were worse than devils.

Skadi felt immense pressure, but what was even more painful was that this day, which she had been looking forward to for so long under such pressure, had not yet arrived. She had waited for almost half the morning, but the man in her heart, with his messy, disheveled hair and lazy expression, who always made her feel at ease, had not appeared.

Ye Xiao had indeed promised Skadi that when he arrived in the Kingdom of Valen in half a month, he would go on a date with Skadi and go sightseeing in the Kingdom of Valen.

However, this wasn't the first or second time that such an agreement had been broken due to Ye Xiao's other commitments.

Skadi was already used to this scumbag and liar's behavior, so when Ye Xiao didn't show up on the agreed date, she was only disappointed and not particularly resentful.

After all, that guy always has a lot on his plate, things to save this person and that person. Since he stood me up, it can only mean that he really encountered something important that he had to get involved in.

Otherwise, he would definitely come.

Skadi felt that she was sensible. Although she was still young, she had gone through hardships to wear the crown and understood the responsibilities. She knew that Ye Xiao would not give in to her small demands in the face of those important matters.

But Skadi couldn't help feeling somewhat disappointed.

Just to have some free time on this day of the month, she stayed up late every day, specially commissioned a tailor to make a noble long dress to match the Valencian style, and even asked a geography professor to plan a sightseeing route to Coral Harbour and the Foggy City...

Of course, these were all minor matters. Skadi raised her head sullenly, put on her gold-rimmed round glasses, and unfolded a piece of parchment with her fingers.

This is a proposal from the Archduke Seychelles, with a decision deadline of three days. It could have been dealt with later, but since I have some free time now, I might as well take a look first.

Speaking of this Grand Duke Seychelles, every time he makes a proposal, he always mentions whether the executor can appoint Ella Hevie.

Ella, Ella, I know Ella. That stinky woman runs around abroad, living a life of debauchery. I'm the one who ends up handling all these political cases. If you want her to be the executive officer so badly, why don't you just give her the territory?

Skadi became increasingly frustrated, and when she saw that the proposal was to apply for funds from the national treasury for some kind of fisheries reform, she was even more overwhelmed.

"Ugh, this is so annoying. How can we let the palace pay for optimizing local industries?"

Skadi's lips twitched, and she plunged the quill into the inkwell, intending to cross out the proposal.

"...But if I don't give it to that guy, he'll just send it again with the message, 'Your Majesty, please also let Miss Havilie see it...' Damn it, do you think I don't know that sentence is implying that I don't understand!"

Skadi gritted her teeth and muttered to herself.

However, she didn't know much about the fishing industry in the coastal province. After hesitating for a while, she thought it would be better to have her secretary summon Isaac to analyze the situation for her before making a decision.

Ugh, so annoying… Skadi then slumped back onto the table, turned her head, and looked out at the clear blue sky.

Birds flew through the clouds, and she reached out and grasped at the air, as if trying to reach the distant horizon.

Just then, a fluffy silver thing suddenly peeked out from under the windowsill into her field of vision.

"What a coincidence, Your Majesty! You called for me?"

Skadi paused for a moment, then stared intently at the petite girl climbing onto the windowsill before suddenly straightening up.

"Hai...Haviel!? How did you get here...What are you doing here!?"

"Hey."

Ella gracefully jumped down from the windowsill, the dark blue skirt embroidered with gold fluttering slightly as she landed. "I just came to play with you, Your Majesty."

"Are you a little kid?! Who wants to play with you?!"