Chapter 336: A New Undercurrent

“The dove has returned.”

The Robin lifted his head, looking at the white dove descending from the sky.

He set down the wineglass he’d been holding in his wings, then pulled out a handkerchief to elegantly wipe his lips. With a polite smile, he said to the White Tiger across the long table,

“Looks like it’s brought good news.”

“Heh, could there be any other kind?”

The White Tiger swirled his red wine lazily, appearing utterly confident.

“Indeed.”

The Robin suspected nothing, taking up the letter the dove had carried. As he opened it, he continued casually,

“Speaking of which, I recently acquired a batch of new wine. I wonder if the Chairman might be interested?”

“Oh? Wine even you find worth showing off?”

“It’s a new kind of drink called champagne. It’s been growing popular among young people.”

“For it to earn your praise, it must be something special?”

“They say when you uncork the bottle, it bursts forth with a surge of foam—quite a spectacle. The flavor itself is also excellent.”

“Interesting. Sounds like the perfect drink to open during a celebration.”

“Exactly. I was even thinking of sending a few bottles to that old lion, Campbell—so he can open them at his own son’s funeral. Just imagining the scene gets me excited...”

“Haha, not a bad idea! That truly sounds exciting.”

The White Tiger laughed heartily.

“When the time comes, I’ll definitely be there to celebrate—hmm? What’s wrong?”

The White Tiger suddenly frowned, staring in puzzlement at the Robin.

Across the long table, the Robin’s lively chatter came to an abrupt stop. As he read the letter in his hand, he could no longer picture the image of humiliating the Campbell family. The human-like joy on his face gradually faded.

Instead, his entire body began to tremble. Even the proxy puppet body he’d constructed from magic started to flicker and blur as his composure shattered.

“Th-this... how is this possible?”

The Robin muttered like a madman, convinced he must have read it wrong—or that his substitute puppet was malfunctioning. Rubbing his eyes, he reread the letter again and again.

But no matter how many times he looked, the information remained unchanged.

And it was... utterly unbelievable.

“What’s happened?” the White Tiger asked, frowning. “Did those people slip up? Get caught leaving evidence? Hmph. That would be troublesome, but as long as Muen Campbell—”

“...No. It was clean. Completely clean.”

The Robin cut him off. “So clean, in fact, that no one even noticed Muen Campbell was brutally hunted down in that forest.”

“What do you mean?”

The White Tiger’s frown deepened.

“I mean...”

The Robin raised his head and said, word by word,

“Muen Campbell... is still alive.”

Clatter.

The expensive crystal wineglass shattered instantly in the White Tiger’s grip. His eyes reddened at once as he fixed his gaze on the Robin, roaring,

“What did you say? Say that again!”

“I said... Muen Campbell is still alive.”

The Robin’s voice was so cold it seemed to freeze the air.

The White Tiger abruptly calmed down. His eyes turned icy as he glanced toward the letter in the Robin’s hand.

“And those people?”

“No idea.”

The Robin replied,

“According to the report, soldiers under the Count of Ailer’s command discovered Muen Campbell and the girl accompanying him at the forest’s edge. They’re currently escorting them to the Holy City. No sign of anyone else. It’s very likely—”

“Are you telling me some kind of fairy tale?”

The White Tiger’s rage exploded again. With a thunderous crack, the antique mahogany table between them was reduced to splinters under his palm.

“That was a Sublimation-rank magician, two Fourth-Rank warriors, and a priest said to be unbeatable below Fifth Rank! With their combined strength, they could even besiege a true Fifth Rank! Don’t tell me they—all of them—lost to that little Second-Rank brat!”

“I know it’s impossible! We analyzed every scenario together not long ago!”

The Robin waved the letter furiously, shouting just as unhinged,

“The one telling fairy tales isn’t me—it’s this damned report! Have you considered it might be wrong?”

“Impossible! The intel can’t be wrong. My subordinates may be idiots, but none of them would dare fabricate a lie that could be exposed instantly!”

“Then...”

“What does the rest of the letter say?”

“The rest?”

The Robin blinked. Only then did he notice—this time, the report wasn’t a single sheet. There was more than one page.

The first piece of news had shocked him so much that he hadn’t realized.

His eyes swept quickly over the second page. Then—

His expression grew even more horrified.

“A Calamity...”

“What?”

“The report says—the Calamity that dwells in the Forest of Dead Doom... that dragon... has awakened.”

“......”

Silence fell. The two men—among the highest powers in the Empire—stared at each other, at a rare loss for words.

No matter how meticulous their schemes or far-reaching their ambitions, before a world-shaking event like the awakening of a Calamity, all of it became meaningless.

After a long while, the White Tiger finally spoke.

“Are the two events connected?”

“Whether they are or not... only that Campbell boy might know. But if we go by reason...”

The Robin closed his eyes, unable to continue.

Yet the White Tiger understood what he meant.

By their prior analysis, Muen Campbell couldn’t possibly have survived such a carefully planned ambush on his own.

Unless he truly became a follower of some Evil God... No—even that might not have worked. To gain sufficient power from an Evil God required a price, and even as a duke’s son, isolated in the wilderness, how could he possibly pay enough to rival a priest blessed with multiple Divine Favors?

It had been a flawless kill, a deathtrap with no escape. And yet this was the outcome. There was only one explanation left—

“Could it be... even Heaven itself stands with the Campbells? What a °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° lucky brat.”

The White Tiger’s face darkened like storm clouds.

“It seems we’ll have to proceed with that plan.”

“What?”

The Robin’s face drained of color. “That’s too risky!”

“There’s no such thing as too risky. I already told you—if we can’t kill Muen Campbell, then we must use that plan.”

“But...”

The Robin’s gaze flickered uneasily, his voice turning hoarse. “You’ll drag all of us straight into Hell!”

“Haven’t we already got one foot through Hell’s door?”

The White Tiger stared into the Robin’s eyes and said coldly, “If we don’t act, then at the funeral, it won’t be Muen Campbell opening champagne—it’ll be us.”

“......”

The Robin lowered his head in silence.

After a long pause, a sigh-like answer fell upon the wreckage of the wooden table.

“Let’s hope we don’t really end up in Hell, Chairman.”

“Don’t worry. Hell is for filthy wretches like the Campbells. I’ll lead us toward true prosperity.”

A cruel smile curled the White Tiger’s lips. Raising his fist, he shouted with fanatic fervor,

“All for the—Gloryblood!”

...

...

“What?”

Muen suddenly jolted awake at a distant call.

Turning his head, he heard Ailer’s voice from outside the window.

“Young Master Campbell, the Holy City—we’ve arrived.”