The Hidden King

Chapter 23

In the dungeon, Annina's demeanor shifted from seductive to calm and rational. Liam and the guards' relentless questioning failed to make her utter a single word. She stubbornly maintained her silence regarding the large quantities of gold found in her villa. Even when a paralyzed old man from her villa was brought to the temple, the priests shook their heads, claiming he had lost his mind, merely a senile old man.

After several days of stalemate, High Priest Osha suddenly summoned temporary leader Liam and the elders to the temple. He presented a divine oracle, stating clearly that Annina was pardoned for hoarding gold and that the gold should be used to return missing portions to the tribes. The decision, simple and without inquiry into the gold's origin, shocked the elders, sparking endless discussions. Liam was visibly enraged.

Osha, expressionless, announced the release of Annina and Kenny, returning the senile old man to Annina's care. The meeting hastily dissolved, leaving the incredulous arrangement unchallenged and the decree unchanged.

Kenny left the council hall without looking back, disappearing into an alley. He was now alone, even his previously recruited guards abandoning him.

Annina emerged from the hall to a crowd of subordinates. They brought her a carriage, and though a hint of defiance briefly flickered across her face, it vanished into a mask of cold indifference. She casually instructed her respectful followers, then boarded the carriage. The procession, mounted on horses, headed straight for the temple.

Upon arrival, Heidi stood at the temple's entrance, observing as the medical priests assisted the senile old man out of the temple and into Annina's carriage. She watched in silence until the carriage was out of sight, then left the temple to discuss matters with Milia.

Milia sat in the garden outside her small clinic, sorting freshly picked herbs, which, when refined, would become medicines. Ethan, following her instructions, tended to the other plants in the garden. When Heidi stormed in, she found them calmly tending the garden. "You two are too relaxed! Our hard-earned captures have been released, and you're here gardening?" she exclaimed.

Milia looked up, brushed the dirt off her hands, and smiled, gesturing for Heidi to sit. She went to the kitchen and brought out a cup of tea, reassuringly saying, "Don't worry, letting them go this time was not entirely pointless. Their relationship should be completely shattered."

"Those two lunatics, fighting over gold," Heidi laughed. "Liam caught some of their escaping subordinates, all mercenaries and wandering werewolves. One group worked for Annina, the other for Kenny in the river domain. Both sides came to steal gold, showing complete distrust between them."

Milia nodded knowingly. "Heading westward across the sea was merely a facade for their mutual deception. These two scoundrels and tricksters are hardly worthy of such lofty ambitions."

Ethan sighed, his indignation still fresh. Why would the divine forgive Annina? To clandestinely attempt to hoard such a vast amount of gold from the tribes, and the gods show no concern? It was the tribes' rightful wealth, after all.

"And that paralyzed old man, he surely isn't Annina's father. We can almost ascertain that he is the ancient deity Nukas, lost in the mortal realm. Oddly, he has lost all mental faculties and powers. His descendants should still be in the Far North. How could they allow him to fall into Annina's hands?"

"This is highly irregular. He may have been abducted, and his descendants are evidently restricted from leaving the Far North." Milia contemplated. "He must have been manipulated, utilized to indoctrinate the refugees and issue false prophecies."

"Let us observe the unfolding events. After such meticulous planning, losing the gold will undoubtedly prompt their next move." Milia spoke assuredly. Turning to Ethan, she added, "You needn't accompany me at the clinic every day. Instead, you and Alik can continue monitoring Annina's villa." Ethan nodded. Heidi, witnessing his newfound composure, recalled his once rebellious nature and couldn't help but smile to herself.

Annina wearily returned to her villa, first visiting the old man retrieved from the temple. Kneeling by his bedside, she tenderly inquired about his condition, softly feeding him sweet soup. The old man's gaze was vacant, a foolish smile on his face as he regarded her, reaching out to caress her head, as if she were his daughter. Annina sighed deeply, resting her face against his hand, closing her eyes.

Suddenly, a gentle knock interrupted. Burk peeked in, informing her of Kenny's intrusion. Annina smirked contemptuously. "Let him in." Rising, she left the old man's room, gently closing the door.

Kenny burst into the villa, sword drawn, as several guards surrounded him, swords at the ready, creating a tense atmosphere. Annina appeared at the top of the stairs, signaling for the guards to stand down. Descending slowly, her voice cold, she greeted, "Oh, you're here. Are you here to fight me?"

Kenny demanded, "Tell your people to leave. I want to speak with you alone!"

"How disappointing. If you had come with a pretense of love to beg for mercy, I would have forgiven you and given you a chance." Annina dismissed the guards, gesturing for Kenny to follow her to the study. Kenny shut the door behind them, glaring at Annina.

Their eyes met with coldness and suspicion, no longer reflecting the fervent love they once shared. Annina had likely anticipated this scene; she was unsurprised. Instead, she poured herself a glass of wine, took a sip, and savored it.

"What are you scheming? Why did the gods forgive you? What alliance do you have with them?" Kenny seethed.

"Oh, why don't you explain your people's involvement?" Annina smirked. "You merely seek gold. There's no need for this pretense of anger. What concern is it of mine if the gods are involved?"

Kenny's face contorted into a grotesque grimace. His clenched fists seemed to struggle to restrain himself from rushing up to twist her neck. "Didn't you bring a group of people to try to steal the gold? Are you betraying me too?"

"What do you have that's worth betraying? Right now, you're nothing but worthless trash! Get out and never appear before me again." Annina shook a bell, summoning the guards to drag Kenny out, pushing and shoving him out the door. Ethan, watching from the distant woods, smiled.

After Kenny left, Annina sat alone for over an hour, drinking two more glasses of wine before standing up. She walked alone out of the study and downstairs to the basement. She opened a locked iron door, entered a dim space, and turned to lock the iron door behind her. This was a narrow underground corridor spiraling deeper underground. She picked up a torch from the wall, lit it, and walked down alone, her figure reflected on the wall by the flickering fire, constantly stretching and distorting.

At the end of the underground corridor was a spacious altar, surrounded by twelve unextinguished sacred lamps. In the middle of the altar was a stone table with a shallow stone basin containing some silver flowing liquid. Annina knelt before the altar, chanting a spell. The silver liquid on the altar began to rotate and flow, mist filling the basin, forming a small silver tornado that gradually dissipated, solidifying into a mirror. In the mirror, the face of a male god appeared, with a golden diamond-shaped mark on his forehead.

The god's face looked coldly at Annina kneeling on the ground, who dared not raise her head, meekly reporting a series of events. The god patiently listened, his expression calm, as if he were not angry. Annina glanced at him, emboldened, and smiled obsequiously. "Actually, it's not as bad as it seems. Although the gold was taken back, none of the tribes dared to pursue it. We'll have another chance next time."

The god smiled faintly, his smooth face showing no signs of age, enveloped in a faint golden light. "We? It's you, not us. I've said before, if things go well, you'll have a chance to live in the divine realm. But, unfortunately. With things turning out like this, do you think you still have a chance?" Annina lowered her head, unable to speak.

"If you want to live, hurry up and get things sorted out." The god said lightly, waving his hand, not even interested in hearing Annina's reply, and disappeared into the air.

Annina sat down on the ground, tears falling from her eyes as she looked at the empty and cold altar. Her figure in the flickering firelight was extremely lonely and desperate. However, in the blink of an eye, she struggled to stand up again, pacing back and forth, pondering how to escape her final fate.

Elder Gabriel's hand trembled, his anger almost bursting from the veins on his forehead. He stared at Kenny sitting calmly opposite him, his eyes seeming to spew fire. "What are you still doing here? Do you really think you're released without guilt? Liam must have people watching you. If you dare to do anything, you'll be caught immediately. Take the chance now and run for your life."