"Give you one last chance. When His Majesty calls out, are your ears truly sensitive enough to respond appropriately?"
Who has the courage to dare respond directly?
At most, only a small number of bold and loyal subordinates slightly nod in acceptance.
"Very well, you honest individuals! In reward for your sincere hearts, as the Count, I will grant you the right to use magical items."
For some reason, whenever people hear the word "reward," regardless of the situation, their hearts become filled with anticipation.
The guards, who had been taught the virtue of honesty by their teachers and had strictly adhered to it until now, couldn't help but feel fortunate that they had preserved their integrity.
Sister Glasses reached into her inner pocket and pulled out a thick and long... wooden hammer!
Don't be fooled by the fact that it's not made of metal. With the speed at which it can be forcefully swung, it would certainly knock someone unconscious for a day and night without any problem.
"Boss, where's our reward? This hammer doesn't look like something good..."
The honest children all began to retreat in unison.
In front of them, the pursuer concealed by shadows had a smile on their face, lifting a somewhat heavy wooden hammer in their left hand and fondling the head with their right.
"Your reward is right in front of you. Don't underestimate it, for it is a new type of magical item called the 'Memory Forgetting Hammer,' crafted with the hands of many great magicians in the country!"
The corners of Sister Glasses' mouth lifted, resembling the result of stuffing two eels into it, creating a terrifying curvature.
"Do you know? Just one strike from this hammer, based on the difference in physical constitution, will cause the person hit to lose memories ranging from a day to ten years. Isn't it amazing?"
Yes, magic is truly amazing, causing some of the subordinates to swallow nervously.
"Boss, we were wrong. You don't have to go through the trouble of making us forget what we shouldn't remember. We can erase the recorded sound in our minds on our own... please spare us!"
"Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk, you better cooperate obediently. Otherwise, for the sake of His Majesty's reputation, I might have to rename this hammer to 'Life Restart Hammer,' how about that?"
"Life Restart Hammer," a profound and extraordinary item that defies the heavens and absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, alongside the "Life Restart Gun" and the "Life Restart Knife," collectively known as the "Reincarnation Trinity."
If one were to be struck head-on by the entire hammer, they might truly be posthumously recognized as a martyr for duty;
The guards who understood this point decided to resist the tyranny before them until the very end...
At this moment, the ceremony taking place on the high platform interrupted them, causing a commotion and drawing many eyes once again.
The Holy Maiden, who was presiding over the purification ritual, didn't appear relaxed at all;
This was because she knew who or what she was confronting.
(Whispering) "This is not simply being contaminated by something impure. Inside Her Majesty the Empress... there is a curse, a very powerful curse!"
The concept of curses requires no explanation.
Once this troublesome entity is imposed upon a person as a vessel, the most severe consequence is death, while the lightest results in residual effects;
And since it is a curse, it is impossible for it not to exhibit any negative effects;
Recalling a well-known piece of information regarding Isabella, the Holy Maiden immediately understood.
Sleeping disorder!
Isabella must sleep for over ten hours a day, even if an earthquake were to occur, there would be no chance of her stirring even slightly;
The doctors in the country thought that her abnormal condition was an illness, never realizing that it was a curse.
(Whispering) "But this is even stranger! The ruler of a small country like her shouldn't be worth receiving such a powerful curse. Moreover, wouldn't it be more convenient for the forces capable of casting such a curse to directly assassinate the target?"
It seems that the mystery surrounding this lying Empress only deepens, and the Holy Maiden's interest in her has grown considerably, with her blood beginning to boil.
She knows very well:
If she were to remove this curse, she would gain a huge favor from the Empress. Considering the Empress' character of repaying favors, she becomes increasingly convinced of the correctness of this purification."Let the onlookers below wait and see who will come out on top. Let's have a duel, curse!"
As time passed, it felt neither long nor short, but for the people below, it seemed exceptionally lengthy. For them, it was an agonizing, indescribable torment!
Fortunately, the changes did not proceed in the direction they feared most. Along with the passing of time, Isabella's body underwent transformations that seemed to be leaning towards the positive.
The powerful curse lurking within her body was gradually being extracted, and with the progress of purification, the person's health condition was constantly improving. The cells and blood damaged by the curse were emitting a vibrant vitality.
The ritual seemed to be reaching its final stage.
