神奇影院

--The Capital, Deiferus--

.

The air was fresher than it used to be in the past, with many finding it difficult to recall how stinky the city was.

The roads were cleaner, and the people were more organized. Many jobs were sprung out, with job postings placed on various notice boards across the city, with a location, time, and interview requirements.

Word went around faster than usual, but many lived this sort of hustle and bustle.

The unemployment rate had decreased, with all sorts of positions getting filled.

What? Does the City need more street cleaners? Eh? The cleaners get paid from the tax collected?

What? So-and-so restaurant is looking to give 15 new employees?

Amazing! The tax structure had changed and was more organized than earlier.

People with jobs got their salaries with tax already deducted.

Many liked this method, as they didnt indeed worry so much about tax matters.

The many secretaries and office people in each establishment did these jobs, double-checking everything severally before it was sent to the Taxation offices.

Good...

Things were more structured, although people still needed to pay land taxes. The process was simpler than before when corrupt officials would tell what was owed by sight and greed.

Everything was fair to the best of their knowledge. They couldn\'t be happier.

Change had swept Deiferus like a storm. And while many jubilated, some were on the brink of despair.

Snap!

A pencil broke at its base.

A charming young girl wore a gloomy face while staring at the document before her.

What did they mean?

If not for her grandfather, she would\'ve been inclined to believe these people were working with the enemy.

Her initial excitement concerning these people had diminished as the years went by.

That\'s right. It\'s been a little over 2 years... 2 whole bloody years since they promised to get Ulrich Tudor out of Baymard.

Fine!

From here on horseback to the many coastal shores closer to Baymard, it would take at least 3 months without a break.

It could go up to 4 months depending on what dangers one faced and how long their break periods were during their trip.

From there, there were already the Trans-Baymardian ships that would bloody hell take them to Baymard in a couple of days, not like previously when one would spend another 3~5 months at sea.

So yes!... At most, it should have taken them 6~9 months to and fro between Deiferus\' Capital city and Baymard. Escaping by land would be difficult, especially since Baymard expanded its territories.

Other... Fine!

Let\'s say they did use a total of 3 months and 1 week (horseback + Baymardian ship) to Baymard but chose to flee using an ordinary ship with Ulrich so as not to get discovered easily.

Still, it should take them a total of 7 months to reach the capital.

3 months, 1 week, to go... Plus 7 months, coming back... That should\'ve been a little over 10 months, not even up to a year.

Yet, these people had spent 2 years with no signs of her beloved anywhere.

Heh…

They had the guts to keep writing to her, telling her to regain calm and that everything was under control. What Under control?

Bah!

She swept her hand across the table, knocking off her documents and bowl of fruit to the ground, her cheeks trembling vigorously.

What happened to the promise that taking him out would be a piece of pie? What happened to the purpose that they would treat this matter as a top priority?

She knew the T.O.E.P was indeed powerful.

This made her conclude that they might have been neglecting her matter, probably not taking it as seriously as she did.

They probably felt they could rescue him easily and didn\'t bother to do it yet, probably helping other members fulfill their wishes first, right?

Damn! Damn! Damn!...

She had been played for a fool.

Ezenia\'s chest raised up and down severally, squeezing the document into a ball that took all her fury.

The worst thing wa that ger mother-in-law was getting tired of her empty promises.

You have to know that even though she didn\'t mention a word about reg T.O.E.P, she arrogantly swore before them that she would get him out in less than a year... Mind you, she said this 2 years back.

Now, when her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and other inlaws saw her, their initial excitement and warmth were no longer so vibrant... Especially after heading that she posted herself onto their miss hated enemy, Henry Tudor, the current monarch of Deiferus.

Even if it were her, she too would feel uncomfortable with someone chummy with the enemy.

They even began thinking she was a double agent planted by Henry from young to this day. Many thought Henry was a scheming one.

Yes...

First, he watched the many competitors kill and eliminate themselves. And when it looked like a final victor was to emerge, he suddenly appeared, surrounding the Tudor palace, taking the throne without even breaking a sweat.

Such a person was truly scary in their opinion since they long forgot his existence, not thinking he would be so daring.

Even Ulrich, who hunted him during the last year before his capture, didn\'t think Henry would be the one to have the last laugh.

It happened like a dream. No one saw it coming. And that made Henry\'s ultimate victory one history would remember amongst the other great throne battles.

What\'s more, Henry\'s era in Deiferus led to many things, like signing the treaty, more food in the land, and so on.

It\'s clear to see he would become one of... If not the most famous Monarch in Deiferus\' history. But in Ezenia\'s eyes, he was just a thief, stealing her beloved\'s throne.

...

"Wait? Wait? Did they just ask me to WAIT SOME MORE?"

Ahhhhhh---

~Crash!!!!

A large vase shattered into a million pieces as Ezenia breathed heavily with her back hunched and her hands spread out like a werewolf\'s.

She blew off the few strands of messy hair away from her face.

Are you now calm?

"Come out."

Swish!

All 10 hidden guards appeared one knee to the ground.

"Mistress... We are here."

Ezenia narrowed her gaze, looking out her window.

The sunny atmosphere outside was a stark contrast to her foul mood.

"We\'re done waiting... I\'ve decided we will do it ourselves!"

Everyone wore no expression, understanding her words. They couldn\'t blame the mistress. It seems these T.O.E.P people weren\'t taking her request to heart. And even her grandfather, the one who cleared the path for her acceptance into the T.O.E.P, also advised her to wait.

Maybe there was indeed something going on that caused them to delay fulfilling her request, or perhaps they certainly looked down on her... But they knew her mistress was under stress on this matter. Her to-be inlaws were growing less friendlier, and every time, she had to put up an act when meeting her enemy.

No matter who it is, they would get annoyed by it all, especially if those who were meant to help her weren\'t doing so.

Ezenia\'s voice was cold.

"It\'s a good thing we continued building our forces, irrespective of the promised \'help\' along the way. And after these few years, our forces had grown stronger and stronger by the day. With this, we will no longer wait!"

Very quickly, she picked several pieces of unused paper from the chaos on the ground, writing up several shorts notes

"Take them... Contact our allies... They have no more than till March to gather and send their forces to the Capital.

There was just no way... The news would take several months to reach the many forces scattered about. Again, these forces will have to take at least 2 weeks to prepare their armory and whatnot before using several months to head back to the Capital.

This was already the 1st week of September. And 7 months later was March.

Winter officially ends around the 20th of March. But many a time, the snow still carried on till April before the rains poured in.

She planned to take advantage of this and strike when the room was hot.

There was no better time to strike than in terrible weather, everyone knows this. And while these forces were preparing for the bug war, she was going to have several special teams of assassins and killers rescue Ulrich.

By 7 months or so, he should be here, right on time before they make their big move.

Kill Henry, put Ulrich on the throne. Ezenia\'s properties were clear.

For that man, she was willing to cross a burning mountain if it would bring him out. But whether he would do the same for her was uncertain.

"Go!... Tell them to prepare... Their true ruler will return. And no one... Not even Baymard can stop this movement!"

This time, it would be as the Baymardians say...

CHECKMATE.