Chapter 1592: Trapped in the City

Zhao Li Xin paid no attention to Salvo, to Alinna, or to the Arwegian soldiers who watched him with admiration and curiosity in their eyes.

He had come like a whirlwind and left like a passing breeze. No one stopped him. Strangely, no one even thought to. It was only after his figure had completely disappeared from sight that the commander of the Arwegian army seemed to snap back to his senses.

A dozen questions rushed into his mind all at once, like who that mysterious man is, his origin, and that power... Such terrifying, destructive power. He had never seen anything like it since King Lucas killed Nazareth.

"...Do you know him, Mr. de Rova?" the commander finally asked.

Salvo’s gaze remained fixed on the direction Zhao Li Xin had left. His expression was unreadable, his eyes dark and distant.

"Nobody," he said at last, his tone laced with faint disdain.

He turned and walked toward Alinna.

The girl stood there with a pure, innocent smile, her figure bathed in soft light as the sea breeze gently stirred her hair. All around her, people stared in awe, their voices rising in hushed murmurs as they praised her beauty and the divine power she had just displayed.

Alinna heard every word. A soft blush spread across her cheeks as she lowered her head, feigning shyness under the attention. Yet Salvo did not miss the fleeting glint of pride and quiet satisfaction that shimmered in her clear blue eyes.

A cold smirk appeared on his face. How naive and gullible the girl was. She never questioned it, not even once. Not about the sudden awakening of her powers, or how it coincided with the emergence of Bael, she never wondered why the organization constantly promoted her as a replacement figure for Princess Lorient; no, she accepted everything given to her without question, as if she deserved it.

’Ha, how funny.’

"You’ve worked hard, Saintess," Salvo said gently. He took her hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of it.

Alinna’s face turned even redder, her eyes shimmering with infatuation. "It’s nothing..." she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Suddenly, her body swayed, then her vision blurred, and for a brief moment, the world seemed tilted beneath her feet. Luckily, before she could fall, Salvo’s hand shot out, steadying her by the shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with concern, his eyes fixed on her face.

Alinna pressed her fingers lightly against her temple, her brows knitting together as if trying to grasp something just out of reach. She shook her head slowly.

"Mm... I’m fine..." she murmured, but then she turned quiet as if she had forgotten about something. Alinna looked up at him, her eyes were blank.

"Why... am I here?"

For a moment, a cold glint flashed in Salvo’s eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "You helped purify Bael’s toxin... and its carcass," he said smoothly, his tone calm and patient. "You save a lot of people, Alinna. Don’t you remember?"

Alinna paused, then, as if something clicked back into place, a soft smile spread across her face. "Oh... yes, that’s right..." she said with a bright smile.

"How was it?" Her eyes lit up with anticipation, just like a kid waiting for praise.

Salvo smiled broadly. "You were perfect."

_______________________________________________

Zhao Li Xin walked unhurriedly toward the parked car, his steps steady, as if the chaos he had just left behind were nothing more than a passing disturbance.

The sea breeze carried the faint scent of salt and smoke, tugging lightly at his coat as he approached. He reached for the door and pulled it open, and there she was.

Lory was already inside, leaning casually against the steering wheel as she looked up at Zhao Li Xin, a playful grin tugging at her lips.

"My husband seems to have been offered another lucrative deal~?" she teased, her tone light and playful.

Zhao Li Xin let out a quiet breath, the faintest hint of amusement touching his expression. He stepped into the car and closed the door with a soft click, shutting out the noise of the outside world in an instant.

His gaze shifted to her, meeting those bright, teasing eyes that always seemed to see right through him.

"Is there any deal more lucrative than being Her Highness’s husband?" he said with a meaningful tone.

Lory narrowed her eyes, then let out a soft snort, clearly pleased with the answer. "Good answer," she said, her nose scrunching slightly in satisfaction, her grin widening.

Without another word, she pressed down on the gas pedal.

The engine hummed to life with a low, restrained growl, and the car surged forward, leaving the ruined shoreline behind.

The noise faded first, then the crowd, and finally the suffocating tension that clung to Arsedia Beach like a stubborn shadow. Soon, even the wreckage disappeared as it was gradually swallowed by distance.

However, this relief was only momentary, as another problem soon emerged, although not major, but still troublesome. Lory and Zhao Li Xin found themselves unable to get out of Arwegian without being noticed.

The borders were now heavily fortified, soldiers posted at every crossing with sharpened vigilance. The port lay crippled, its operations halted after the attack—no ships entered, none departed. And the airport...

Lory’s eyes flickered over the screen of her phone, the glow reflecting faintly against her face as she scrolled through the flood of reports. Her brows furrowed.

’Arwegian country’s international airport fell into chaos.’

After the string of Bael attacks, it had become the most tightly guarded point in the entire country. Flights were overbooked, overwhelmed by desperate citizens trying to flee. Delays piled upon delays, tensions ran high, and order teetered on the brink of collapse.

She sighed, lowering the phone slightly. "We’re trapped here, honey." She pouted, glancing sideways at Zhao Li Xin.

He tilted his head, then asked with a confused look, "And what is the problem?"

Lory stared at him for a beat... then chuckled, shaking her head. "Um, you’re right."

Her gaze shifted back to the road sign written ’See you again at the Arsedia Beach.’

So they were officially out. Before she could dwell on it further, her phone rang. Lory answered without hesitation, tapping the speaker on.

"Hello, Luc."

"Are you still in Arsedia Beach?" Lucas’s voice came through, threaded with concern.

"No, I already left," Lory replied smoothly. "The area’s about to be locked down after the Bael attack."

A breath of relief crackled faintly through the line. "So you made it out... that’s good."

"Princess, did you see what happened?" another voice chimed in—Fredhardt, sharp and eager.

"Yup," Lory grinned, her eyes sliding toward Zhao Li Xin. "Not me, though. That was all Li Xin. He even had a friendly little interaction with Salvo de Rova."

"Hmph. Salvo de Rova..." Fredhardt scoffed, his disdain practically tangible. "Still strutting around with that pompous look and that ridiculous—"

"Yup," Lory cut in smoothly, her grin widening. "White cape, silver armor, and long, sparkling blonde hair that makes you jealous."

"I’M NOT JEALOUS!" Fredhardt snapped immediately.

"Dude," another voice came in, "just grow your hair out and get over it," Fargo said with a mocking tone.

"Who said I want long hair anyway?" Fredhardt shot back, before muttering under his breath, "Beside...it doesn’t suit my style."

"Your uptight, boring style," Fargo quipped.

"Alright, that’s enough about Salvo’s hair," Lucas interjected, his voice firm as he shut down the pointless bickering. "Let’s stay focused. What did Salvo de Rova want from you, Li Xin?"

"The same thing," Zhao Li Xin replied, his tone flat, unconcerned. "He wants me on his side."

"Yeah, he’s pretty persistent about it," Lory added, then paused, her expression turning serious. "Wait, you don’t think he’s gay, do you?"

"I... don’t know," Lucas admitted. "Wasn’t there a rumor about him and the Saintess?"

"Oh, please, just because someone dates a woman doesn’t mean they wouldn’t date a man," Fargo chimed in with an ambiguous tone.

"And you’re speaking from experience, huh?" Fredhardt shot back dryly.

At that, Zhao Li Xin’s expression darkened, though his composure never wavered. "I don’t like men... or women," he said evenly, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. Then, without the slightest trace of embarrassment, he added, "I only like my wife."

"Aw, honey, honeey." Lory smiled sweetly.

A wave of discomfort rippled through the line; no one seemed particularly eager to acknowledge that tone of hers.

"...Right. Not important," Lucas cut in quickly, his voice tightening as he forced the conversation back on track. "Focus, everyone."

"Not for a lifelong old bachelor, of course," Lory grumbled under her breath.

"Dam* that’s hurts, Lory." Fargo sounds dejected.

"You might not see it, but I have a fragile heart, you know," Fredhardt added, placing a hand over his chest in mock offense.

Lucas exhaled audibly, reining himself in. "Alright, everyone," he said, steering the conversation back once more. "What else did you see there? I caught the news—the Saintess purified the toxic water... quite dramatically, I might add."

"Yup, you should’ve seen their reactions—they nailed it," Lory sneered, a hint of amusement slipping through. "Though, luckily, the press wasn’t around when Li Xin showed his power." She clicked her tongue lightly. "Otherwise... they would’ve figured out the Golden Mask’s identity by now."

"But he kept his disguise during the fight, right?" Fredhardt asked, more seriously this time.

"He did," Lory replied.

"Good," Fredhardt said, his tone settling into something colder, more calculated. "Leave the rest to me."

Lory exhaled slowly, her fingers tightening ever so slightly around the steering wheel as the memory resurfaced. "By the way... the attack was quite severe. I saw the damage myself." Her voice softened, weighed down by what she had witnessed. "I can’t even begin to imagine how much loss this country had to bear."

Lucas leaned back in his seat, his gaze drifting briefly to the passing lights outside before returning to her. "I think it stems from internal friction," he said evenly.

"One of Arwegian’s top officials made cooperation with Anchora unnecessarily difficult. On top of that, several factions openly opposed any alliance with Luxemborough... for obvious reasons." His tone sharpened slightly at the last words. "If you ask me, this attack was meant to pressure Arwegian into compliance."

Lory frowned, her brows knitting together. "Oh? I thought the deal was already settled on Arwegian’s side." There was a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she glanced at him.

Lucas shook his head. "Not quite. There are still a few decent officials left, people who saw through Luxemborough’s scheme and refused to play along."

A brief silence followed, filled only by the low hum of the engine and the distant murmur of the city.

"So..." Lory finally spoke again, her voice quieter now. "What’s your plan?" She hesitated for a fraction of a second before adding, "Are you going to help them?"

Lucas didn’t answer immediately. His expression remained unreadable, his thoughts concealed behind a calm, impenetrable exterior. "That depends," he said at last. "On whether they’re willing to accept my offer. You know how suspicious politicians can be." 𝚏𝗋ℯⅇ

"And how opportunistic they are.." Lory let out a faint, humorless huff, her gaze settling back onto the stretch of road ahead. The passing lights flickered across her face, but her eyes remained distant, burdened by what she had seen.

"Anyway... B-13 won’t be enough." Her voice was quieter now, edged with certainty. "I’ve seen it myself. With the current standard of their soldiers, and the Bael growing stronger by the day, inevitably, they’ll be overwhelmed sooner rather than later."

Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel, the leather creaking softly under the pressure.

"If it comes down to it..." she continued, her tone turning heavy, almost resigned, "they’ll accept any deal that guarantees their country survives."

"That to be expected..." Lucas murmured. He fell silent for a moment, as if weighing something in his mind, before his tone shifted, gaining a subtle edge of interest. "By the way, I received news from Clift and Jay about Anchora’s new seed."

"Oh," That caught her attention instantly.