Chapter 169: Chapter 76: The Divine Kingdom’s Secret Realm, Nearing Its Opening

On a forest path near the eastern steam railway of Ogrande City.

A cloud of gray mist abruptly appeared.

HSSSS...

A faint, rustling, tearing sound echoed.

When the gray mist dissipated, two figures had already appeared on the deserted, secluded path.

Having landed, Marquis Albert surveyed his surroundings for a moment.

He then let out a slow breath, and the wary, guarded expression on his face, framed by graying temples, finally began to fade.

Immediately after, his gaze fell upon Zorn, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I never thought there would be such a peculiar exit inside the Ancient Ruins."

"I was expecting a big fight, or maybe a chase. It seems we’ve been saved a lot of trouble."

"Most Ancient Ruins like this have similar exits. If you search carefully, you can usually find some trace of them," Zorn said in a low voice.

Of course, while the Ancient Ruins did indeed have such a secret passage, it wouldn’t have mattered if it were sealed shut; they still wouldn’t have been able to get out. An exit like this required the resonance method from the source of the Tree of the Magic Ring to be used.

The main advantage of the hidden passage was that it allowed them to enter and exit far from the main entrance area in Split Mist Town.

Though it was quite a hassle, it was extremely safe, especially with Split Mist Town occupied by the Harvesters and the Holy Fierce Sun Church.

Not far away, Alvin was driving a horse-drawn carriage toward them at a gallop.

Before leaving the ruins, Zorn had already notified Alvin to come pick them up.

Having so many subordinates made operating in Ogrande extremely convenient.

After boarding the carriage, the group of three began to head north.

Although Zorn had only been away from Ogrande City for a few days,

the city already showed signs of a major upheaval.

All of Ogrande City’s civil servants had been put on leave, and even the city hall building was long deserted.

Many of the Steam Factories associated with the municipal government had also shut down and ceased production.

At key intersections, members of the Holy Fierce Sun Church’s Knight Order, as well as Church Believers, could be seen maintaining order.

The entire city of Ogrande was running on social inertia.

In contrast to the halt of official government power,

underworld organizations like the Sanma Gang were diligently operating as usual.

Even though Ogrande City was in a state of quasi-war,

the lives of those at the bottom of society had to go on.

However, the impact was inevitable. With the Church imposing martial law across the city, it was considered good if business reached even a third of its usual volume.

At a time like this, Zorn’s earlier efforts in taking over the Sanma Gang and building his own system of Transcendent Believers were beginning to show results.

Zorn’s two potion factories, due to their connection with the city hall, had also been hit hard.

They had currently suspended operations.

Fortunately, the Witches had been dismissed early and hadn’t been captured.

But the Sanma Gang, which Zorn had invested in consolidating early on,

had now become a powerful source of "Fighting Essence" for him.

Believers from the underbelly of society were more adaptable.

The carriage plunged into the Fog Zone to the north.

Zorn was very familiar with this road.

It was the path leading to Gray Mist Castle.

Zorn had come here by invitation before and had reaped considerable rewards.

Finally, the carriage arrived at Gray Mist Castle, located at the foot of a mountain and occupied by the [Blood Shadow Rose].

...

When Marquis Albert, Zorn, and Alvin were led into the grand hall by the castle’s butler,

the hall was already filled with well-dressed men and women.

Some held small plates of food, others carried glasses of wine.

They gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing in a harmonious atmosphere.

It was like... no... it *was* a gathering. Though not large, it consisted entirely of Transcendent.

Zorn swept his gaze across the room, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Inside the hall were not only the major figures of Ogrande City,

but also some important people from the Sun Church.

There were also many people from the host organization, the [Blood Shadow Rose].

Just a month ago,

no... even just half a month ago,

the people of Ogrande City were calling for the heads of these two organizations.

But now, they were "raising their glasses together" and were about to discuss confidential matters.

There were also familiar faces in the hall that Zorn recognized.

But when his gaze fell on the nearby table laden with all sorts of desserts and delicacies,

GRUMBLE...

Hunger began to gnaw at him.

Zorn walked straight to the table, started with a glass of red wine as an appetizer, and then began to demolish the food.

He hadn’t had a decent bite to eat during all those days underground.

These delicacies gave Zorn a voracious appetite.

As Zorn was enjoying the food,

a fair, slender hand gently patted his shoulder.

Zorn knew who it was without even turning around.

Joliya, dressed in a white court gown, fixed her bright, sparkling eyes on him.

"Zorn, long time no see!"

Her voice was exceptionally gentle.

"Mmph! Good... after... noon... Joliya!"

Zorn said, his mouth stuffed with food, sounding slightly rude.

Seeing this, Joliya covered her mouth and giggled.

Middle Rank Level masters were everywhere, so it was impossible for the two of them to discuss secrets in front of everyone.

So Zorn continued to eat from his plate while chatting with Joliya.

It might have been uncouth, but the pig’s trotters steamed with spices were truly delicious.

"You two know each other?"

Before long, another figure approached Zorn’s side. It was Isabelle, dressed in a violet and gold court gown.

Her tall figure gave her an exceptionally dignified and grand presence.

The bearing and aura of the future Empress of the Steam Empire were far beyond that of any ordinary person.