Chapter 410: The Mad Bomber

"After all, you know as well as I do that my strength isn't built on the same foundation as yours. To this day, I don't fully understand why this body of mine grows stronger the way it does. But I'm basically a human cheat code."

Wang Yu admitted his advantage with disarming frankness. His training and persistence had played their part, but only a small part. Most of his strength came from that inborn "specialness" that defied every norm.

"How many spend their entire lives without even brushing against the threshold of legends? Whereas you—just how many years did it take you to reach this level? Damn it, Edward and I watched you climb step by step, but even calling you a monster feels like an understatement."

Charles scowled, unable to hide his exasperation. Wang Yu's rise was absurdly quick. Back in the hinterlands of the north, he had only been a grand knight. Now, by their next meeting, he'd already ascended into a legend—and one of the foremost among humankind, at that. Come to think of it, was he even human at this point?

"But this is great news. With a powerhouse like you on board, we can take far more aggressive measures in this campaign. For example..."

Charles recovered quickly, his gift for adaptation kicking in. The shock of Wang Yu's monstrous growth gave way to planning for the battle ahead.

They were brothers-in-arms; Charles would be delighted if Wang Yu woke up tomorrow stronger than the God of Light himself.

"How about storming the royal palace, cutting down Donatien Charlemagne, and having the four dukes proclaim a new king on the spot?"

Wang Yu dragged out the last few words, making it clear that he expected Charles to chime in.

"Uh... isn't that a little reckless? No matter what, the royal family must have some trump card that gives them confidence. Even with you as a legend, we can't just charge in blindly."

Charles blinked awkwardly. He'd already been thinking of pushing the plan further now that Wang Yu had joined, but he hadn't expected Wang Yu to make such an outlandish suggestion.

"True enough, which is why we should prepare more thoroughly: a bigger payload, a more sudden strike, and more troops in the field."

As Wang Yu spoke without a flicker of hesitation, sweat began to bead on Charles's brow. Charles realized he had misunderstood Wang Yu's plan. Wang Yu wasn't talking about a solo assault. He was talking about delivering a bomb straight to the royal palace.

"That really is your style, isn't it? It's crude and brutal—and damn it, it actually might work. If the blast is powerful enough, if we can find a way to deliver it..."

Charles gnawed his fingernail, muttering under his breath. The more he thought about it, the more he had to admit the plan was feasible. And while the Nightblades might not be able to produce such a weapon at the moment, the Church of Nightfall certainly could.

"Very much your style. Well, let's follow through with this scheme. But this ‘bomb' of yours..."

Charles gave him a conspiratorial wink.

"Leave the bombs and the bombing run to me. That's what I'm good at. As for stabilizing Aleisterre afterward, that's all yours. I don't play politics."

Wang Yu's tone was casual, but his clarity about his role was absolute. He knew nothing of power games or statecraft. What he excelled at was solving problems in the simplest, most direct way possible: by obliterating them.

His ideal role was that of a war machine. Point him at a target, drop him into the fray, and watch him blast everything around him to ruin. Better yet, he wasn't just a brute—he fought with his brain as well as his fists.

"Of course. Leave that to us. Life's been rough lately, but I've learned a thing or two about handling such matters. I never expected this trip to bring us such a powerful ally. I'm truly grateful for your assistance."

Charles clapped him hard on the back, grinning. He trusted Wang Yu completely. If Wang Yu was going to handle it, then he and Edward could focus entirely on their own strengths.

"No problem. Even without your plan, I was already intending to settle accounts with the royal family. This way, it all dovetails neatly—and saves me the hassle of cleaning up afterward."

This was a perfect win-win situation.

"Well, I'll hurry back and start the preparations, then. We'll keep in touch through the Prayer Network.

"Funny, isn't it? The royals banned the spread of the Church of Nightfall, cutting themselves off from the Prayer Network. But even if they'd allowed it, their secrets would have been an open book to us. Either way, it's a dead end for them."

Charles had been laying the groundwork for this for some time. Now that Wang Yu was on board, he was eager to act right away.

"Exactly. I'm only now understanding the true power of the Prayer Network. The Church of Nightfall's meteoric rise owes an immense debt to this system."

Charles waved farewell as he rushed off back toward Aleisterre with his fleet, while Wang Yu turned back toward his temporary lodgings on the Isle of Dragons.

"Information is everything. If I'm not mistaken, the royal family still thinks of you as just some church archbishop, one who happens to have the power to slay a grand knight.

"By the way, Wang Yu, do you plan to craft this bomb on your own, or will you work with Mr. Icarus and the Council of the Arcane to build it?"

Avia, who had been waiting by his side, turned to him and asked how he meant to fulfill his part in the plan.

"Bombs don't have to be alchemical explosives. Why don't we try to realize that old design you came up with instead?"

A knowing smile touched Wang Yu's lips. He and Avia had spoken before of certain "special weapons" that hadn't been possible given their circumstances in the past. But now, with Wang Yu's unique abilities and newfound might, such notions were no longer as fantastical as they had been.

"You mean... that?"

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Avia caught his meaning at once. She raised a finger skyward.

"Exactly. And if we develop it together with the Council of the Arcane, all the better. This isn't something that only we can take advantage of, after all."

She nodded. Their thoughts aligned once more. This was a most fitting gift for the royal family, their long-standing foes. Hopefully, when the time came, the royals would appreciate it.

Meanwhile, Charles initiated a conversation with Edward through the Prayer Network. In the far north, Edward sat alone in his chamber, eyes closed, replaying and analyzing the torrent of words Charles had just flung at him. He weighed the report piece by piece, using it to shape his next priorities.

"Wang Yu's already a legendary knight? Hah... a bomb, of course. That's just his style. Then we'll need to shake things up ourselves. Strike hard, then stabilize the realm at once."

"Sir Wang Yu? It's been so long since I last saw him. Is he already a legendary knight? His progress is frighteningly fast."

A soft tickle brushed his throat. Edward opened his eyes as a supple tail curled against his neck. Beside him sat the young catfolk woman Sue, flipping through pages she had copied from the Prayer Network with a bit of magic. Her tail, never still, had curled around the back of the chair to tease him.

"Right? But 'legendary knight' isn't all that apt. Better to call him a legendary warrior. He only looks like a knight on the surface. What good fortune it is to have such a reliable comrade..."

Edward smiled faintly, looping his finger around the tail at his throat.

"Well, I suppose we'll meet Sir Wang Yu and Lady Avia again before long. Let's do our part properly. I'll help you however I can!"

Stretching lazily in her chair, her furry ears flicking rapidly atop her head, Sue spoke with earnestness and delight. She set the papers down for a moment, then eagerly picked them up again.

Her restless tail froze mid-sway. A thought had struck her. Peeking out from behind the sheet in her hands, she asked softly, "Edward, have you decided who should sit the throne of Aleisterre once the royal family is dealt with? It can't be Sir Wang Yu. He'd never agree. Neither will Sir Charles."

The question caught Edward off guard. He had scarcely thought of it. Compared to the coming battle with the royals, what followed had always seemed secondary.

Yet Sue's words rang true. She knew him well enough not to mention his own claim—he had no wish for the crown either.

Their plan had shifted. With Wang Yu's arrival, the battle itself would be brutally simple. It was what came after—the swift restoration of order and the naming of a new sovereign—that loomed larger now.

"As for a candidate... it can't very well be my father, can it? Though... truthfully, there's nothing wrong with that choice."

The image of the Grand Duke of the North flickered across his mind. His father was noble in both deed and spirit. He himself would inherit the mantle of duke, which left the crown as a separate matter.

Edward shook his head. It was a plausible answer, but not one to be settled on so lightly.

"What does Aleisterre truly need?" he murmured. "A wise and virtuous king...?"