Showdown at the Summit of St. Karen

"The key to breaking the deadlock... me?" Ophelia murmured.

Luo Wei nodded. "If our speculation is correct, Carlton possesses the same ability as you. Since he fears you so much, it means you must be a hindrance to him—perhaps even capable of dismantling the domain he's created."

Tilis leaned in eagerly. "So think carefully! If he can do it, there's no reason you can't! If he altered the rules of this domain, just change them back!"

"You're oversimplifying it," Ophelia said with a bitter smile. "Forget about rules—reshaping terrain within a limited scope is already my limit, and even that only lasts for a short time."

"Hey, Ophelia! Have some confidence!" Tilis groaned. "Where’s that usual arrogant, high-and-mighty attitude of yours? The Dreamscape is your domain! Our lives are literally in your hands!"

"I know, I know..." Ophelia instinctively glanced at Luo Wei. "Give me time. I need to study this carefully. I won’t let you die... I absolutely won’t!"

"Be more confident," Luo Wei encouraged with a smile. "I believe in you because you truly have that potential."

Luo Wei wasn’t as knowledgeable about the Dreamscape as Ophelia, nor could he manifest things from nothing like she could. But he understood that this power was essentially "belief-made-real."

He recalled the time Ophelia had imprisoned him in her manor. On the final day—the day he had pushed her to the brink of madness—her Dreamscape had manifested like an apocalypse, twisting reality with surreal, nightmarish visions. That was the first time she had awakened to this ability.

That was why Luo Wei believed in her potential. He had witnessed it firsthand. For Ophelia to succeed, she needed to conquer her self-doubt—to truly believe she could surpass her father.

Once the discussion about the Dreamscape concluded, Luo Wei fixed Ophelia with a serious gaze.

"This is our only path forward now. Are you prepared? You must face your father, defeat him... even kill him."

If that old bastard was dead set on killing Ophelia, then he had to die. And his throne? Someone else would have to take it—someone like Ophelia, whom Luo Wei fully intended to support.

After a long silence, Ophelia nodded.

"Mm."

Seeing her expression, Tilis cut straight to the point. "I’ve never seen you so hesitant. Are you reluctant? Or just scared? Don’t tell me you’re afraid of him?"

"Nonsense!" Ophelia scoffed. "Why would I be afraid of him?"

"Liar," Luo Wei called out bluntly.

Ophelia shot him a sidelong glance. "I’m the one who detects lies, not you."

"He’s not that formidable, Ophelia," Luo Wei said, holding her gaze. "Without this domain, Tilis could crush him with one hand."

"I know..." Ophelia frowned. "But Carlton is a deeply calculating and terrifying man. No one outmaneuvers him. I’m worried he still has hidden cards to play..."

"He’s concealed his strength for years. He won’t be as simple as we think..."

"We must be cautious. We can’t afford even the slightest carelessness..."

Listening to Ophelia’s muttering, Luo Wei and Tilis exchanged a glance, both exasperated.

Ophelia truly feared her father. Even before Carlton had revealed his true power, she had always been like this...

Luo Wei could understand, to an extent. What child didn’t fear their father? Especially when that father was as cold and ruthless as Charlton II.

At one point in Ophelia’s life, her philosophy had revolved solely around control—either controlling or being controlled. That was why she had once believed that only by completely dominating Luo Wei could she feel secure. To her, that was love.

Most psychological issues stem from one’s family, and Ophelia was no exception.

Her fear had roots in her childhood—a childhood warped by her father’s cruelty. Charlton II had made her realize, at a young age, the allure and terror of power. At his whim, she could be cast aside in a rural estate to wither, or summoned back to court to bask in wealth and favor she had never known.

Luo Wei watched Ophelia. Perhaps only by conquering Carlton in her heart could she truly transform.

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Tilis cracked a joke. "Alright, if you can’t bring yourself to do it, I’ll handle it for you!"

Ophelia turned to her. The witch grinned.

"Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick—so quick he won’t even leave ashes behind! Painless~"

Ophelia rolled her eyes. "How merciful of you. But right now, I’m troubled by something else."

"What is it?"

Ophelia’s expression turned grave. "A coup. Or rather, the legitimacy of power isn’t as simple as you think."

She sank into deep thought. Though she had rehearsed this scenario countless times in her mind, now that the moment had arrived, it still felt rushed.

"Really?" Tilis sighed. "You schemers and your endless complications. So tedious..."

"In my opinion!" she declared flippantly. "We just kill the emperor, then slaughter every rival! Anyone who opposes us? Keep killing until no one dares! That’s how we did it in the Arcane Covenant!"

"Let’s not, let’s not..." Luo Wei quickly intervened, restraining the bloodthirsty witch.

This mission had a chaos threshold. If Tilis went on a rampage through Wignar, he’d be doomed alongside her—and this time, there’d be no respawns.

So the current situation was this:

He had to thwart Eleya’s schemes, oppose Charlton II, and orchestrate a coup—a challenge akin to dancing on eggshells.

Ophelia suddenly looked up at the group. "I need you all to help me stage a performance. I can’t afford to become the public’s enemy."

Her pale eyes shifted to Luo Wei. He would understand.

Luo Wei nodded. Since she mentioned legitimacy, under the shadow of the still-revered old emperor, any rebellious prince or princess would lack moral standing.

Thus, framing their actions as "purging the court of evil influences" or "marching to the capital to protect the emperor" would be far more palatable.

The wisdom of the ancients.jpg

"You can’t rush to the forefront," Luo Wei mused, stroking his chin. "I’ll find some scapegoats—craft a proper villain for the masses."

Ophelia mirrored his gesture, nodding. "Among the people, the ‘sorcerer’ Hawkins and his ilk—those who ‘bewitched’ the emperor—are already despised. Well... not that it’s undeserved, given how little Carlton bothers with governance."

Here we go again... Tilis couldn't help but inwardly complain to herself as she watched the two of them synchronize inexplicably.

This pair really were born schemers—the moment it came to conspiracies and plots, their tacit understanding kicked in perfectly.

"And then there's Second Prince William," Luo Wei said, clearly determined to settle last time's score. "William has been entrenched in military circles for years, maintaining excellent relations with all those marshals and generals. That's precisely why almost no one believes you could ascend to the throne."

"Though we can now see in hindsight that the Emperor never cared about William's little maneuvers—after all, the Emperor himself is the deepest schemer of them all—but no one else knows that."

"To everyone else, William has always been ambitious, always coveting the throne, while the aging Emperor—and even you—are seen as the weaker side."

"So," Luo Wei concluded, "Since he's so eager to take the throne, let's give him a push and help him along."

Ophelia curled her lips into a smile. "William the ambitious, slaying his own father in a coup, plunging Wegener into chaos."

Luo Wei picked up the thread. "Forced into action, Her Highness the Princess rallies her troops in resistance, ultimately purging the traitors and executing the mastermind, Second Prince William."

"Not a bad script," Ophelia remarked.

Luo Wei performed a respectful bow, hand over chest. "Her Supreme Majesty, the Empress, shall arrive tomorrow at her loyal Saint Callen, greeted by the jubilant cheers of the people."

Ophelia waved a hand, laughing. "Rise, my dear subject~"

"Hey, hey! Are you two rehearsing a play here?" Tilis interjected. "Don't start celebrating before the game's even over!"

Ophelia continued analyzing. "Morally, it's sufficient. But right now, we lack military strength."

With supernatural powers restricted, armies armed with countless guns and artillery became the dominant force. Last time, the city defense forces had practically steamrolled through the streets, wiping out the supernatural factions—the Special Affairs Division was completely annihilated.

Ophelia looked around at everyone. "Our opponents will be William's city defense forces, Hawkins' Royal Mage Corps, and finally, the royal guards at Hagleitz Palace."

"The Royal Mage Corps is ours to handle," Tilis declared immediately. "I'll return to the archipelago at once and persuade the Elder Council to bet on you."

"Carlton's domain nullifies all magic, but he left a backdoor with magic crystals. We can exploit that," Luo Wei said. "You'll need to mobilize mages skilled in crystal magic and bring a massive stockpile of magic crystals."

"Don't worry," Tilis waved dismissively. "Don't underestimate a magical organization with millennia of history. Your empire is practically an upstart in our eyes."

"Thank you," Ophelia said with a smile.

"This isn't a free favor, you know!" Tilis shot her a glance. "The Elder Council has big appetites! Whether the Magical Hermetic Order becomes a legitimate organization depends on whether you can take the throne!"

"I will restore the Magical Hermetic Order to its former glory and reestablish it as the Continental Mage Association," Ophelia vowed.

"Promise?"

"Of course."

With their "deal" struck, Ophelia resumed analyzing the enemy's forces.

"William's city defense forces number ten thousand—enough to sweep through the entire capital. But the bigger threat is the First Army stationed north of the capital. Those sixty thousand troops are the closest to the city. We must wrap this up before they arrive, or it'll be too late."

"So... we're short on troops. Very, very short."

This was her greatest headache. Once the Emperor reacted, the anti-magic domain would render the Special Affairs Division—their sharpest blade—useless. Unlike William, Ophelia didn’t command a sizable army.

"We may lack soldiers, but that doesn’t mean we lack firepower!" Luo Wei suddenly interjected.

Everyone turned to him. Luo Wei smirked mysteriously. "There’s still a big guy parked in our old mansion’s backyard."

Tilis smacked her forehead. "Right! The steam Gundam! I spent nights studying that thing!"

"Is the steam Gundam fully operational now?" Luo Wei asked.

Tilis nodded eagerly. "I followed your original design, retrofitted it with naval cannons, and overhauled the fire control and propulsion systems. It’s ready for piloting now."

She showed Luo Wei the blueprints, only for him to shake his head repeatedly.

"A single naval cannon isn’t enough. The firepower needs to be overwhelming! Unstoppable! We have to show them that the times have changed!"

Tilis went back to revising the blueprints. "Time’s tight, so I can only add one more cannon. But with this much weight, the machine might be overburdened..."

Ophelia leaned in. "With this many turrets, it’s practically a land battleship... Can it still fly?"

Deploy it along the vital route, and it becomes a mobile fortress," Luo Wei explained. "Firepower is paramount. It has to hold the line against the city defense forces."

"Got it." Tilis nodded solemnly. "I’ll head to Callen University to steal weapons. Luo Wei, which floor are the naval cannons on?"

Luo Wei thought for a moment. "Basement level two in President Danton’s building. Oh, and if you see any other new weapons at our school, feel free to install them on the steam Gundam too."

Tilis nodded again and prepared to leave the Dreamlands.

"Wait!" Ophelia suddenly raised a concern. "Who’s going to pilot it?"

The question stumped everyone. Luo Wei glanced at Tilis—the witch’s mission was already the most critical. "King against king, soldier against soldier." She alone would face Hawkins and Eleya, two top-tier powerhouses. Having her pilot the steam Gundam would be a waste of her talents.

"Both Luo Wei and I have our own tasks..." Ophelia mused worriedly. "We can’t pilot it either."

"Then who else is trustworthy enough...?" Tilis pondered.

Luo Wei’s gaze drifted toward Helena, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, her eyes darting between them without managing to interject.

"Um... could I pilot it?" Helena timidly raised her hand.

All eyes turned to her.

Her voice trembled slightly, but her bright blue eyes burned with determination.

"Miss Witch! Please... teach me how to operate this machine. I want to help everyone!"

"But..." Tilis hesitated. "You’d need a solid grasp of magic crystals and magitech. The machine requires activating numerous crystal spells in sequence during operation. If you mess up the order, the entire system will crash instantly..."

"Miss Witch! I won’t mess this up!" Helena’s voice remained resolute. "I’ve been secretly studying my brother’s copy of Gould’s Book of Magic all this time. Even though it’s so profound and hard to understand... I forced myself to learn it every night! I’m not completely clueless about magic theory now!"

"So that’s what you’ve been up to lately?" Ophelia looked at her in surprise. "No wonder you’ve been disappearing every night—you were hiding in your room, studying in secret!"

"Our Helena has really grown up," Luo Wei said warmly, patting her head.

It was worth noting that Helena had spent her childhood as a street urchin, never receiving a proper education, let alone university-level knowledge like magic engineering.

For a girl like her, it must have taken an incredible amount of effort just to make sense of Gould’s Book of Magic.

"I just want to help my brother and not hold everyone back~" Helena grinned.

After receiving her brother’s approval, she turned to Tilis again. There was no trace of nervousness in her tone now—only unwavering determination.

"Miss Witch, please teach me! I will learn how to operate this machine!"

"Alright, alright," Tilis sighed in resignation. "Fine, I’ll leave it to you. Fortunately, time in the Dreamrealm is long... I should be able to teach you."

"Yay! Thank you, Miss Witch!" Helena laughed cheerfully.

Once all the action plans had been finalized, Luo Wei looked at everyone.

"Then, for the last time—here’s to success. We’ll meet at Hageritz Palace."

"To success!!"

Seeing everyone’s expressions—some serious, some brimming with enthusiasm—Luo Wei smiled. He had chosen to rely on their strength. No matter the outcome, he would never regret this path.

Now, there was only one last thing left for him to do.

Contact his mentor outside the Bureau—the Duke of the Northern Territories, head of the Thornflower Family, Evelyn Abraham.