Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Chapter 592: The War of Light and Darkness

Third Person’s POVA moment later, three thin blue lines suddenly appeared upon the wall before them. The glowing lines spread outward and connected together, and gradually outlined the shape of a door.

Seeing this scene, Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The entire mechanism had been activated without using mana.

This was clearly a hidden passage built upon mechanical engineering rather than magical principles.

Such a thing was exceedingly rare among mages who preferred solving everything through magic.

More importantly, it meant that detecting this hidden entrance would be incredibly difficult for anyone relying solely upon soul sense or mana perception.

Elis raised her hand once more and used her mana to draw a glowing six-pointed emerald star at the center of the outlined door.

The moment the final line was completed, the hidden door slid silently aside, and a brightly illuminated tunnel appeared beyond it.

Elis stepped inside without hesitation and gestured for Ethan to follow her.

He entered behind her and had barely crossed the threshold when her hand glowed once again.

Behind them, the hidden entrance slid back into place and vanished completely.

Within moments, the wall looked exactly as it had before, and no trace of it remained to suggest that a secret passage had ever existed there.

Neither of them spoke during the next ten minutes.

The tunnel gradually sloped downward, making it obvious that they were descending beneath the palace.

White crystal lamps embedded into the walls provided illumination while the air grew slightly colder as they ventured deeper underground.

The silence between them remained unbroken as their footsteps echoed softly through the enclosed passage.

Eventually, another identical blue-lined doorway appeared ahead.

After repeating the same unlocking process, Elis led him through it.

The moment Ethan emerged from the passage, he found himself standing inside a narrow snow-covered alleyway hidden between rows of tall buildings.

The alley was deserted and dark.

Snow covered the stone ground while towering structures rose on either side, blocking much of the already sparse sunlight from above.

No pedestrians were present, and no sounds of city life reached this secluded location.

Waiting before them stood a plain white carriage.

The carriage itself was completely ordinary, and two brown horses were harnessed to it, neither of which possessed even the faintest magical aura.

They looked like common beasts one might find pulling merchant wagons through any city.

After emerging from a secret tunnel beneath the royal palace, the sight was almost laughably mundane.

Ethan immediately understood the purpose behind it.

The royal family, or, more specifically, Shixea’s faction, clearly wished to hide any connection between him and the palace.

Everything from the secret route to the ordinary carriage had been arranged to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

Thinking about it, Ethan scoffed inwardly and couldn’t help but sneer at Shixea and her hypocrisy in his mind.

Elis gestured for him to enter.

The moment Ethan climbed inside, he found Shixea already seated within.

She sat gracefully upon one side of the carriage like an elegant noblewoman.

Her conservative white dress concealed almost all of her body while emphasizing her natural beauty even more.

A small smile rested upon her face as she looked toward him, but Ethan did not return the smile.

Instead, he calmly sat opposite her and crossed his legs.

Seeing his cold and indifferent behavior, Shixea maintained her composure perfectly and asked politely,

"Did you sleep well, Young Master?"

"No. I didn’t. Now, care to tell me about our target?"

Ethan’s answer came without hesitation.

There was no attempt at politeness, nor any effort to conceal his impatience as he simply directed the conversation back toward the subject he had interrupted the previous day.

For the briefest moment, Shixea’s expression twitched.

The reaction was tiny, but Ethan noticed it nonetheless.

Across from him, Elis remained silent while secretly observing the exchange.

She could not help feeling somewhat worried for him, especially after last night’s activities and the acceptance of the attraction she felt towards him.

Despite understanding Ethan’s personality, she still found it unbelievable how little fear he displayed despite knowing the influence and power possessed by the people before him.

Meanwhile, Shixea turned toward the driver seated outside.

"Start the carriage."

The hooded driver flicked the reins.

The horses began moving, and the carriage rolled smoothly through the snowy streets of the city.

Only then did Shixea continue.

"Due to the ongoing war between the light mages led by the Luminous Cradle Empire and the dark mages of the Southern Shadowlands, who are supported by the demons and liches of the Blood Veil Continent, the Ice Emperor currently spends the majority of his time within the Central Divine Region of the Dark Star Continent."

Her expression became serious as she spoke.

"The Ice Emperor is considered a close ally of the Divine Brilliance Emperor and frequently assists him in battling the legendary dark mages, lich lords, demon kings, and countless other enemies emerging from the Southern Shadowlands.

However, the true reason behind his participation goes beyond simple friendship.

The Southern Shadowlands have already fallen completely under the corruption and darkness of the Blood Veil Continent due to the humans of that region adapting and embracing the filthy, dark path."

As she said this, a flash of disgust appeared on her face before her expression turned to normal.

"If their influence is not contained, it could eventually spread across the remaining four human regions.

"Because of that, the Ice Emperor believes it is his responsibility, along with the responsibility of every righteous human ruler, to resist the darkness and defend humanity under the leadership of the Divine Brilliance Emperor and the holy light mages who continue to stand against the corruption consuming the south."

While Shixea spoke with conviction, Ethan remained silent, and outwardly, he showed little reaction.

Internally, however, he frowned as something about the explanation and that flash of disgust on her face bothered him.

The constant references to fighting evil, defending righteousness, and following the guidance of holy light sounded suspiciously familiar.