Pirate Kingship-Chapter 854 - 512: Crisis! Is Our Old Continent Actually the New Continent?
Byron felt a surge in his heart, and the Raven Mist Ni, who was stationed on the battlefield of the two major parties at home, spread its wings and flew towards the "young painter", transmitting the clear image back.
"Sister!"
He reached out and took Catherine’s hand, adorned with an engagement ring, activating the [Golden Triangle] to share the distant view with her.
Only the main body was not here, leaving only a fragile avatar of the Succubus Therese Achebeir completely unable to see anything. She crossed her arms and pouted her red lips.
[Hell Painter] Leonardo, who leisurely strolled through the mountains and forests as if on a spring outing, appeared to be a handsome young man of about twenty years old.
He wore an ordinary white shirt and black trousers, with a red and green checkered cloak over them, and his golden hair was braided and fell onto his waistcoat. His olive-green eyes were profoundly deep.
If such a romantic and artistically inclined young man appeared at a salon hosted by noblewomen, they would undoubtedly scream with excitement and immediately fight over the right to take him home that night.
However, during their last return to the Royal Capital of Kingston to accept the title of Earl and sainthood, Byron and Catherine inadvertently caught a glimpse of the true face of [Devil Duke] Richard York.
They also learned some of the secrets of this [Genie of the Bottle], and certainly would not be deceived by his harmless appearance.
At the end of Silver Era 1471, while inspecting the Sorenburg Principality’s territory, Richard inadvertently discovered a bottle containing a demon by the seaside.
He deduced from the direction of the ocean currents that the drifting bottle most likely floated along the "Third Ring Current Zone" from the depths of the Sea of Monsters to the end of the current.
He was unaware that this creature actually came from a much more distant Eastern Continent ruled by animated knowledge, far more dangerous than he imagined.
The [Genie of the Bottle] promised Richard York that as long as he was freed from the bottle and provided a suitable body, he could fulfill three wishes for him.
But the condition was that whatever Richard gained, his archenemy would gain the same.
Richard, naturally cautious, made an experimental wish—to gain the forbidden knowledge of becoming a mythical creature [Devil] through the "Abyssal Beast Mark":
"[Devil], a spiritual body creature that rules the Abyssal Pit in hell, can maintain immortality by trading for the ’Fifth Element,’ much like the [Night Demon].
The soul and the Fifth Element are the sources of a devil’s eternal life, becoming the currency of their trade.
As long as the soul remains immortal, one can possess others at will, replacing their aging body, and live forever in the mortal world.
The best target for possession is one’s own blood descendant, ensuring a perfect match without any rejection.
After the "Death Stranding" incident in the Royal Palace, Byron and Catherine already knew that Richard’s desire to freely switch bodies was to take over his nephew’s body and discard his dwarf form.
Once he could use his nephew’s body to assume the throne, the rest of his wishes could be easily realized, without any need for external force.
As a cunning conspirator, [Devil Duke] Richard was well aware that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and was extremely cautious in his dealings with the devil.
He also, as promised, found a suitable body with a blood relation for the Genie of the Bottle.
That body belonged to this once destitute art student who even failed to get into the Vinaia Art Academy, the [Painter] Leonardo.
After being possessed by his demonic ancestor from the Eastern Continent, he immediately became knowledgeable without studying, transforming from a previous artistic ignoramus to an "all-knowing" prodigy!
[The Kingmaker] Warwick also gained the forbidden book "Abyssal Beast Mark" through the transaction.
He planned to seize the body of his grandson or granddaughter after placing Duke Clarence George on the throne, naturally becoming the true ruler of the country.
If not for this Genie of the Bottle stirring trouble everywhere, perhaps neither [Devil Duke] nor [The Kingmaker] would have had such ambitions so quickly, and the Royalist Party and Earl’s Party wouldn’t have been at odds.
The Genie of the Bottle could stir up the situation like this in the Kingdom of Hightins, known for its "Gold Medal Troublemaker" heritage, truly living up to its demonic reputation. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
This creature is the real mastermind and the biggest fish hiding in the deepest waters, while also being the "heartfelt trouble" lurking around the two.
Byron naturally had a wariness towards such skilled "kindred" and paid particular attention to its every move.
"Sister, Miss Theres, Old Woodville won’t show up for a while.
Why don’t we follow this visitor from the Eastern Continent to see what he’s up to?"
As he spoke, Byron nullified the gravity for the two of them, and they floated lightly like two falling leaves, following the wind, with Teres’s avatar flapping its wings behind them.
They followed the [Hell Painter] through the forest for about ten minutes, when suddenly a noise appeared ahead, and after passing through a sheltered mountain hollow, they saw firelight again.
Through the snow-covered treetops, they saw a pursuit team bearing the flag of the nobility, unmistakably from the Earl’s Party of [The Kingmaker] Warwick’s faction.
And among them, they saw a familiar figure.
