CHAPTER 1464: UNEXPECTED ALLIED II

Lydia look at her in pity but she understand her desperation and admired her determination "So you’ve been here for so long what do you know so far?"

"Unfortunately, not much. Even after all this time, they are very careful about what they reveal. Only those in the main building of Elysium might know something, but even then, I don’t think everyone trully understand what was going on there. I think only the higher-ups, or those serving directly under the Constellation and Alexander Behrenn, would know exactly what happened."

"But you must know something? You mentioned mind-control potions, also you know the existance of the creature they’ve been hiding?" Lydia pressed.

Dominique’s expression turned grim. "Yes. I managed to get information from one of the Paladins, I deliberately make him drunk and as expected he begin to slip. But stil I don’t have the ability to confirmed all this information. But he told me that the creature is the one who given the blessings to those healers, and it’s not the Saintess. He also spoke about a ’new world order’ They built, how we would stand at the peak under our leader. I don’t know. The more I heard, the more insane it sounded."

Lydia held her breath. She had already known of this, yet no matter how many times she heard it, her blood still ran cold. And each time, her resolve to stop them hardened all the more.

"Do you know anything about the location?" Lydia probed.

Dominique shook her head. "No. They’re even more secretive about that. They have special times for the escorts, and unfortunately, he’s not one of them."

Lydia massaged her temples in disappointment before pressing on. "And the drugs?" she asked quietly.

Dominique flicked her gaze toward Lydia, then gave a bitter chuckle.

"Well... in a way, it’s all because of you. After you left, rumors began to spread among the students, stories, whispers. Some of the younger healers started to question things, to doubt. The kind of thoughts the higher-ups considered dangerous. So they decided they needed to tighten their leash.

They focused especially on the young healers. The older ones were already too far gone, fully indoctrinated, easy to control. But the younger ones? Some hadn’t been with the organization long enough to fully under their control."

Lydia’s face tightened with guilt. She had never imagined her escape would bring such harm to those left behind.

Dominique continued, her voice low but steady. "The drugs weren’t just ordinary potions. They were designed specifically for healers, crafted so their powers remained unaffected, while only their minds were compromised. The substance was slipped into the daily drinks, especially wine. The dosage increased so gradually, day by day, that no one noticed. You experienced it yourself. If you hadn’t already been aware of what was happening, you never would have realized that your sudden euphoria came from the drugs, would you?"

Lydia clenched her fists. Dominique was right.

"The more you consume," Dominique said bitterly, "the more clouded your mind becomes. And with all the luxury and indulgence they smother you in, you begin to stop questioning anything, stop noticing the strangeness around you. The drugs keep you oblivious, make you complacent, until ignorance is all you have left. You become easy to control... like cattle."

Her lips curled, but her eyes betrayed the ache behind her words. "Just look at them. You could march them straight to the edge of a cliff, and they’d still believe they came to enjoy the view."

"How could we get them out from under the influence?" Lydia asked, desperate. "What if we change the potions, make them stop taking it altogether?"

Dominique shook her head, sighing wearily. "It’s not that simple. These are drugs that control both mood and thought. If you stop suddenly, their emotions will crash. Paranoia and delusions will take hold. It would break them."

Jay had been silent until now, his face unreadable in the shadows. Then, slowly, his voice cut through the air, calm and cold as steel.

"Can she provide us with a sample of the drug? One vial is sufficient."

Lydia glanced at Dominique. "Can you get one of the potion? Maybe they can do something with it."

Dominique’s eyes lit up at the mention of ’they’ She knew Lydia was talk about the King’s men or perhaps...Archknights. At once, her interest sharpened.

She paused only briefly before replying, her voice laced with delight. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I still have it in my office. As principal, I kept it in my possession, just in case I ever needed it."

"Well, we need it now," Lydia said dryly, her tone edged with sarcasm.

Dominique smirked, a glint of irony in her eyes. She had never imagined that cursed potion would be used for something like this, but in that moment, she was grateful it served this purpose, rather than bringing harm to another innocent child.

Jay’s expression didn’t change; his tone was precise, calculated, almost mechanical. "At two o’clock, a beggar will sit in front of Elysium’s gate. He will wear a dark coat and a black hat. Deliver the vial to him. Nothing more, nothing less. Do you understand?"

When Lydia conveyed this, Dominique’s eyes flared with sudden hope, as if she had been handed a lifeline thought forever lost. The severity in her face shattered, replaced by a rush of excitement. In that instant, the gulf between stern mentor and wary intruder disappeared, replaced by a strong and fierce camaraderie, two souls bound by the same desperate cause.

To take down the S.A.I.N.T. organization.

Jay observed the exchange with a narrowed, calculating gaze. Lydia had just secured an ally within the White Rose, and its the principal, no less. Thi is undoubtly a game changer for their part, and he was already considering how best to exploit it.

Jay can’t wait to report their achivement to Lucas and Lory, he was sure they would find this outcome very satisfied. With Dominique in play, embedding Noxcra agents into the White Rose was no longer a distant possibility but a practical strategy.

The school’s proximity to Elysium made it an ideal vantage point; from there, surveillance on the organization could be maintained with far less risk of exposure.

Once Lydia and Dominique parted ways and slipped out undisturbed, Jay turned to his subordinate without taking his eyes off their retreat.

"Send the word, ’false alarm’ tell everyone to stand down."

"Yes, sir." The reply was brisk. A few keystrokes later, the disguised agents dispersed, vanishing back into Elysium’s sprawl. Jay lingered, already mapping the next steps in his mind, each move a piece aligning on the board.

_____________________________________________

__Cestine Palace__

Lory was enjoying a rare moment of leisure at Zhao Li Xin’s painting studio, casually scrolling through her phone. The headlines about the upcoming grand exhibition in Herriond caught her eye, but her brief peace was cut short when her phone buzzed in her hand. The caller ID flashed Fredhardt.

She pressed the answer button with a sigh. "I’ve only been resting for fifteen minutes—"

"Sorry, Princess, but we’ve just got an update from Jay..." Fredhardt cut her off, before giving her a brief explanation of the situation.

"Oh?" Lory’s brows gradually furrow. "Really—You’re in the study room, right? Okay, I’ll be there in a minute." She ended the call then sighed.

Lory then turned toward Zhao Li Xin. "Honey, are you very busy today?" she asked, propping her chin on her palm.

Zhao Li Xin set his brush aside without hesitation. "It’s fine. I’ll continue later." He’d overheard Fredhardt’s call; if it was from Jay, it had to be important.

"You can keep painting if you’re busy," Lory murmured, guilt tugging at her.

She hated that she was always pulling him into her world’s problems. Zhao Li Xin had never cared for matters that had nothing to do with him, and she knew it. Yet, because he cared for her, he allowed himself to be dragged into them again and again.

"Everything that happens here is connected to you, how could I ignore it?" A faint smile tugged at the corner of Zhao Li Xin’s lips as he circled the wide desk, hands clasped neatly behind his back, every movement carrying his usual quiet grace.

He stopped before her and traced a gentle line along her cheek with his finger, his gaze warm and unguarded.

Lory puffed her cheeks. "You’re even being forced into the spotlight during the exhibition. I know you don’t like that."

"Silly girl." Zhao Li Xin pinched her nose lightly, his tone soft. "It’s not that I hate it. I’ve simply never placed any importance on such things. The truth is I don’t mind with fame or attention, as long it served my needs. That’s why you don’t have to think too much about it."

"Besides, did you forget how famous I was in the past? It’s not as though I repulsed by it."

Lory rose quickly to her feet and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. "You were indeed very famous," she said with a laugh muffled against his chest, "but still... I promise you, once this is over, we’ll finally take our long-overdue honeymoon."

Zhao Li Xin lowered his chin to rest against the top of her head, his embrace steady and protective. "Yes, I’ll hold you to that promise," he murmured, his voice low and soothing. "Anywhere is good, as long as I’m with you."

"Yeah, me too." Lory’s mood brightened instantly. She rose on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, then grinned. "Come on, everyone’s waiting for us."

She laced her fingers tightly with his, tugging him along as she muttered under her breath. "Meeting after meeting... every single day, it never ends. I’m gonna demand a raise!"

Zhao Li Xin chuckled at her grumbling. No wonder she always tried to shirk responsibilities whenever he entrusted her with authority over the sect. She didn’t even want to handle the household ledgers, something most matrons would fight tooth and nail to control.

But seeing how busy she is right now, he can imagine how busy lory was in the past, therefore it was understandable, once she was free from her tittle and obligation, she avoided all type of responsibilities the way a student avoids their principal. If something can be avoided, why go looking for it?