Chapter 168: Eveste’s Weakness
At the same time, in the study.
Hearing Eveste’s inquiry, Shirlina’s hand holding her teacup paused ever so slightly. She gently blew on the steam before taking a small sip.
“Heraemius’s tomb? The ancient ruin the Empire recently discovered in the ruins of Claremont City?” Shirlina’s voice was calm, almost indifferent. “Why are you asking about this?”
The faint sense of joy that had accompanied their sisterly late-night chat dissipated in an instant.
Eveste said nothing, simply staring at her.
Noticing this, Shirlina spoke softly: “I don’t know much about the tomb. All I’ve heard is that whatever is buried inside dates back a very long time.”
“Judging from the style of the carvings on the tomb’s surface, it can likely be traced back to the early Second Era.”
The Second Era—also known as the Era of Divine War.
During that time, the gods had yet to establish their divine kingdoms and instead walked the earth in their full forms, exercising their respective dominions.To have a tomb of such grandeur in that era, the identity of the tomb’s occupant must have been unimaginable.
But that wasn’t what Eveste was concerned with.
The origins of the tomb meant nothing to her; her interest lay solely in fulfilling the long-held desire she had harbored for so long.
Looking at Shirlina’s breathtakingly beautiful face, Eveste suppressed her jealousy and irritation.
When she thought about it, sitting here face-to-face and chatting with this woman was already a strange and remarkable occurrence.
In the past, just seeing that face would have made her want to tear it apart.
Back then, hatred and jealousy had twisted her into a monster unrecognizable to herself.
Fortunately, now that Lynn had entered her life, his subtle influence had shaped her into what she was today.
One was the most despised being in the world, while the other was beauty personified, beloved by the gods themselves. By all rights, they should have been like water and fire—completely incompatible.
And yet, in Lynn’s eyes, Eveste had become the most beautiful woman in the world, while Shirlina had repeatedly been snubbed.
Because of this, jealousy no longer mattered.
Even if it did, it was reserved only for that woman ten millennia into the future.
With this thought, Eveste let out a cold laugh. “You don’t know much? You just returned from the border, and you expect me to buy that excuse, Shirlina?”
“From what I’ve heard, the Tomb Raiders are under your control, and you’re the one in charge of this excavation.”
The atmosphere grew silent for a moment.
Shirlina lowered her gaze, quietly staring at the light brown tea in her cup. Her chest rose and fell gently as she sat there without a word.
After a long pause, she finally set her teacup down gently.
Meeting Eveste’s gaze, Shirlina spoke seriously: “Based on the information I have… Heraemius’s tomb is a trap.”
“As of last week, my Tomb Raider squads have made eighteen separate incursions into the tomb. Thirty-six men have perished, while seventy others returned to the surface with varying degrees of physical deformities. Worse, some developed a phenomenon we’ve come to call ‘hollow syndrome.’”
“It’s as if… their minds and consciousness were stripped from their bodies, leaving behind little more than living corpses.”
Shirlina’s expression turned grave as she spoke, emphasizing the word “stripped.”
Hearing this, Eveste’s eyes lit up slightly.
This was exactly what Saint Roland VI had described.
“I need to know what’s inside the tomb,” she said without hesitation.
Shirlina sighed softly at her sister’s resolute response.
Although Eveste had seemed to change for the better since returning from the border, the moment the topic shifted to anything related to the curse on her face, she reverted to her reckless, obsessive self.
“Little Eveste…” Shirlina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “During your visit to Orne City, didn’t you notice a change in how Father and the council treated you?”
Although it was unseemly to talk about their father behind his back, Shirlina decided to remind Eveste anyway.
Eveste frowned.
A change?
From start to finish, all she had ever felt from those around her was malice.
Whether it was from Saint Roland VI, the council nobles, or the entire Glostine Empire—
When it was all malice, what change could there possibly be?
Seeing her sister’s reaction, Shirlina explained softly: “To Father and the others, you were once a tool for handling sealed objects.
“Although they were wary of you, their primary interest was in the mysterious dominion you held within your body.”
“But this trip to the border brought about too many unexpected events. If it hadn’t been for a series of coincidences and Lynn’s unwavering efforts, you would have already fallen into a deep slumber—or suffered even greater backlash.”
“Do you know why that is?”
Eveste furrowed her brows but remained silent.
Shirlina continued, her tone steady: “It’s because they fear you.
“Previously, you were under the watchful eye of the major churches, and the Empire had several demigods and saints monitoring you. Despite your power, you were still within a controllable range.”
“But now, as this mysterious power within you continues to grow, they’ve realized you are slipping beyond their control.”
“And for sealed objects that can’t be controlled, you know as well as I do how they are usually dealt with.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned icy.
Despite the oppressive tension, Shirlina continued speaking calmly: “The incident with the Wish Jar was their first attempt.
“They tried to weaken your power, even planning to send you to a research facility to uncover the origins and mechanisms of this power for their own use.”
As Shirlina finished speaking, the room fell silent once more.
As someone deeply entrenched in the empire, she was well aware of these truths.
In fact, she didn’t even need to investigate; guessing their plans was almost effortless, given the pettiness of those people.
Fearful. Plotting. Banding together. Mocking. Greedy.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Eveste’s lips.
Though anger simmered within her, this was exactly what Lynn had already analyzed for her.
“Shirlina, I’ve never paid any attention to what you’re talking about,” Eveste said, crossing her legs and looking as regal and cold as ever. “And besides, you’re straying from the topic.”
A flicker of urgency crossed Shirlina’s eyes.
As much as she knew Eveste, she also understood her stubbornness—once a decision was made, it wouldn’t change.
But as her elder sister, she couldn’t bear to watch Eveste march forward recklessly down the wrong path.
“Perhaps from the surface, the Orne City incident looks like a failure for them. But as long as you remain in the game called the ‘Saint Roland Empire,’ you’ll never be free. And this won’t be the last such incident.”
“Furthermore, I don’t know what Father’s true motives are for telling you about Heraemius’s tomb… but, Eveste, I don’t want to see you in danger.”
“Especially not when you know it’s a trap.”
“Shut up.”
Eveste felt a wave of nausea rise at Shirlina’s concerned words.
She glared coldly at her. “Shirlina, stop pretending to be the caring elder sister. I haven’t been a three-year-old child for a long time.”
“We’ve never had the kind of sisterly relationship where we could talk things out... not in the past, and not ever in the future.”
In true mood-destroying fashion, Eveste’s sharp words completely silenced Shirlina’s lengthy and heartfelt advice.
Seeing her sister’s reaction, Shirlina couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.
Clearly, her troublesome younger sister was still holding a grudge over a misunderstanding from more than twenty years ago.
Though Shirlina had explained countless times, Eveste only ever believed what she saw with her own eyes.
“Besides, don’t forget—I’m a Tier 6 Demigod. In terms of strength, even if you and the other eight siblings were tied together, none of you could beat me.”
Eveste spoke calmly.
If the royal selection ritual had been conducted as an all-out deathmatch, she would have ascended to the throne long ago.
Unfortunately, in this invisible battle for supremacy, power was merely one factor—and not even the most important one.
Moreover, there was no familial bond left between her and Saint Roland VI.
When it came to his words, she could only trust half at most.
For this reason, her vigilance toward Heraemius’s tomb far exceeded what Shirlina imagined.
Eveste understood very well how terrifying the curse on her face was—it wasn’t something that could be easily removed.
If it were, she wouldn’t have spent so many years at a loss, eventually pinning her hopes on this tomb.
“Can you at least tell me why you’re so determined?”
Shirlina, at her wit’s end, looked at her sister with a hint of confusion.
A reason?
Eveste’s mind instinctively recalled her recent battle with the Witch of the End behind the Door of Blood.
During the fight, the two had exchanged a few words.
Though the Witch had mostly remained cold and unresponsive, her emotions had stirred slightly when the topic of Lynn was mentioned.
Even so, Eveste had managed to extract the information she needed.
According to the original course of fate, Heraemius’s tomb was supposed to be discovered during her year-long slumber.
This matter should have had nothing to do with her.
But ever since Lynn had disrupted the threads of destiny, everything had changed.
In the original timeline, the Witch of the End had used her own immense power in the future to remove the curse on her face.
But that had only happened after she ascended to the level of a deity.
Currently, Eveste was far from reaching divine status—and she couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
Additionally, removing the curse in the same way would make her feel as though she had been influenced by that vile woman.
That thought deeply irritated her.
I’m the one who decides the future.
So why should she follow in that woman’s footsteps instead of forcing her to conform to Eveste’s own path?
This was why Eveste was determined to obtain Heraemius’s tomb.
It was the core reason behind her every choice.
But competing with another woman out of petty jealousy? Naturally, that absurd reason would never be shared with Shirlina.
“None of your business.”
Eveste’s curt response prompted Shirlina to let out a soft sigh.
After a long silence, Shirlina finally revealed the truth about Heraemius’s tomb.
“As you suspected, the tomb seems to contain some sort of ‘authority.’ Its characteristic is the ability to ‘separate’ conceptually connected entities. The ‘hollow syndrome’ that appeared among the Tomb Raiders was caused by their unconscious exposure to the tomb’s rules.”
“As for whether this authority is complete or whether it can affect a Tier 6 Demigod, that remains unclear.”
“However, I suspect the tomb’s owner must have been at least a Tier 7 Saint during their lifetime. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to leave such a terrifying imprint on reality even after tens of thousands of years.”
Just as I thought!
Hearing Shirlina’s explanation, a flicker of fervor appeared in Eveste’s eyes.
In her mind, she could already see herself restored to her original beauty, with her adorable little dog snuggling up in her arms, happily licking her face.
Her motivation surged to its peak.
Seeing Eveste’s enthusiasm, Shirlina still couldn’t shake her worries.
“Whether or not the tomb’s authority can remove the curse on your face remains uncertain,” Shirlina said after much deliberation. “And aren’t you concerned that… the reason they’re guiding you to Heraemius’s tomb is to use that same ‘authority’ to strip you of your powers?”
Hearing this, Eveste smiled faintly.
“High risk, high reward,” she replied.
“If I can’t even take a small risk, how am I supposed to defeat that vile woman ten thousand years from now?”
“Besides…” Eveste’s tone remained calm.
“As you yourself said, they fear me now.
“If they’re afraid, that means they lack the means to force me to obey. So I just have to do whatever I want.”
Looking at her sister’s composed demeanor, Shirlina hesitated to speak.
A Tier 6 Demigod was undoubtedly powerful, even within the Empire—a rarity among rarities.
But that power was relative to humans.
The greatest threats in this world didn’t come from humans but from terrifying rules, sealed objects, and incomprehensible entities.
And as Shirlina had said earlier, as long as Eveste remained within the framework of the Saint Roland Empire, she would never truly be free.
The incident in Orne City had been a way for her to avoid being excluded from the royal selection, and the outcome had been favorable to all involved.
But what about next time?
Even if no one could force her to relinquish her powers or authority, what if someone’s existence compelled her to make that choice willingly?
Since returning from Orne City, Eveste had changed significantly, and this was a good thing.
But change also meant that there was now someone she cared about.
For the powers in the capital, a Tier 6 Demigod wasn’t truly frightening.
What was terrifying was a Tier 6 Demigod with no attachments and no desires.
The moment someone had something to care about, they also gained a weakness.
These thoughts were what Shirlina hoped Eveste would keep in mind.
But seeing her sister’s current expression, Shirlina found it hard to say the words aloud.
Perhaps I’m just overthinking things.
With a soft sigh, Shirlina set her teacup down.
At that moment, the tea had grown cold.
Just as Shirlina was about to wrap up their late-night conversation, the door to the study was suddenly knocked upon.
“Come in,” she called.
The next second, the mansion’s stewardess entered in a state of visible panic.
Upon seeing both princesses present, she composed herself slightly and spoke quickly.
“Your Highnesses, a male body was just discovered in the third-floor corridor. Judging by the attire, he appears to have been one of the banquet guests.”
Hearing this, Shirlina’s expression turned serious. “Have you identified the deceased?”
“Not yet. However, he was wearing a crow mask, and we are currently conducting an investigation—”
The stewardess’s words were abruptly interrupted by an unexpected voice.
“What did you say?”
Eveste suddenly raised her head, her gaze locking onto the stewardess. Her tone carried a faint tremor.
Shirlina froze.
Was it just her imagination, or did her sister’s eyes reflect a level of fear and despair she had never seen before?
It was as if… her entire world had crumbled.
So this is your weakness, isn’t it?
Shirlina thought to herself silently.
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