I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 873 - 873 872. Fifteen Shots

Chapter 873: 872. Fifteen Shots Chapter 873: 872. Fifteen Shots Ares had not expected that Steel Finger would not choose to betray the person behind him, instead, he ended his own life by attacking Ares.

In Utopia, premeditated murder naturally warranted [Punishment].

Ares glanced at the two people who had escorted Steel Finger up and also roughly speculated in his heart.

It was likely that Cleopatra had already known that things might go south, so she had staged this play in advance.

Now, Steel Finger had been punished and died, and it was likely that those who had a hand in it, who knew even a little of the inside story, had already been erased from Utopia.

Cleopatra was truly worthy of her title as the Queen of Beauty, her ruthlessness was in no way inferior to the most venomous creatures in the deserts of the Wasteland.

He looked at Cleopatra, this woman was now displaying her pitiable side, deceiving everyone.

It’s not exactly lying, just that partial truths sometimes equal lies.

“To make up for it, if anyone feels unwell in the coming days, you can all come to the Yellow Sand Brotherhood for a free check-up and treatment, all expenses will be on us. It’s our mistake, and I should rectify it,” Cleopatra added, causing many Utopia residents to nod their heads in agreement.

Now, even if they hadn’t consumed those specific foods before, people would still go to the Yellow Sand Brotherhood and take advantage of a free check-up, possibly even snag some snacks.

Seeing this, Lu Ban fell into contemplation.

“It seems that Cleopatra knew not to completely rely on the Misty City people. From the moment I went to find her, she had a backup plan… No, perhaps she had been prepared even earlier.”

Whether the poisoning plan succeeded or not, it now looked as if Cleopatra had gained a wave of public favor.

For many, a leader who boldly takes responsibility for a mistake they didn’t make seems to have more grace.

On the other hand, Ares, although the [Punishment] was not carried out by his hand, that horrifying scene still instilled fear in many.

Back and forth, Cleopatra not only did not lose public support but went even further, gaining a broader trust from the residents of Utopia.

Was this also within her calculations?

In comparison, Ares of the Wild Wolf Guard seemed like the unfortunate Tom, played with in the palm of someone’s hand.

It is also likely that even his discovery of the food was a flaw that Cleopatra deliberately exposed.

Otherwise, given this old and cunning merchant’s quality, it’s impossible that she would attend this meeting without any precautions.

Now, Ares’s Wild Wolf Guard had not gained any benefits but instead served as a foil to the Yellow Sand Brotherhood, truly making a wedding dress for someone else.

“It doesn’t look that simple.”

Lu Ban sighed.

He had never been good at dealing with humans, and now in the state of Cleopatra’s affairs, the academy simply had no one capable of standing up to her.

Even waiting fifteen rounds seemed too long.

At the close of the meeting, Lu Ban cast a distant glance toward Cleopatra.

He noticed that the Saint was also watching him.

There was no surprise in Cleopatra’s gaze, rather there was a hint of admiration.

It seemed she had anticipated Mad Poison’s failure as well.

Even though Mad Poison hailed from the Foreign Domain and was a mysterious Chosen by the Gods, Cleopatra still managed to use him, making him a part of her plans.

Truth be told, the likes of Mad Poison probably couldn’t compare to the status of a Saint in the Wasteland, easily manipulated by those from Misty City.

This correlated well with the conduct of her namesake historical figure—the true Cleopatra—who, by herself, navigated among the heads of the great empires of her time, making those heroes fall at the hem of her garnet skirt and prolonging the history of Egypt.

After leaving the debate square, Lu Ban returned to the academy’s library.

Du Danping was at the table, writing something.

The ink in the Wasteland was made from the bodily fluids of a certain insect, roughly the size of a finger. To use it, one would squeeze the fluid from the bug taken out of a jar and blend it with the sap of a plant to create an ink that wouldn’t fade even when exposed to water and sandstorms, quite common indeed.

Explorers sometimes found pens from the old civilization’s relics, most of which were no longer functional, though pencils could still manage to write. Such treasures were highly priced in the Wasteland and only a few could afford to use them.

Of course, the illiteracy rate in the Wasteland was extremely high, with many unable to write their own names. In a world where the average education level was prenatal, to master the Common language and also read the texts of ancient times was to be an unprecedented genius beyond even the term “prodigy.”

“The Yellow Sand Brotherhood has won this round,” Du Danping said after hearing the description from Lu Ban and his companions.

“The Wild Wolf Guard has been strengthening internal security lately, rooting out quite a few spies from other City-states. Despite this, such actions have little impact on the Common citizens. With this incident, their influence will diminish. The Quicksand Council should make a move soon; we need to be on our guard.”

“Why the Quicksand Council?” Lu Ban asked. In his view, the Quicksand Council at least held a friendly reputation with the academy. So why was Du Danping suggesting they guard against the Quicksand Council now?

“The Quicksand Council doesn’t have a Saint among its members, and for that reason, they covet the position of Utopia’s leader immensely. Although they are the descendants of some former heroes of Utopia, they lack sufficient military strength and wealth—they’re merely inheriting their ancestors’ fame,” explained Du Danping.

“Such a group will desperately want to prove themselves. Due to their lack of strength, they initially adopted the strategy of connecting with the academy, hoping to compete against the Yellow Sand Brotherhood and the Wild Wolf Guard. But now, with the Yellow Sand Brotherhood dominating, the policies of the Quicksand Council will change. Simply put, they might resort to more extreme actions to reshuffle the current state of affairs.”

It’s like playing chess with a child; everything seems normal as long as you’re countering moves legitimately. But once the child faces an irrecoverable disadvantage, instead of thinking about how to turn the tables or fight back, they’re more likely to flip the board.

So, when the four powers were initially in relative equilibrium, the Quicksand Council could still maneuver and struggle.

Now, evidently, even their biggest opponent, the Wild Wolf Guard, was nearly suppressed. The Yellow Sand Brotherhood could dominate alone, and there would be no point in continuing the game.

Furthermore, without a Saint, the young people in their twenties from the Quicksand Council truly didn’t have much time left. They couldn’t simply wait until the next change of Saints. To lead Utopia, now was their only chance.

Under such pressures, they were the ones most prone to explode.

“Based on my investigation these past few days, I suspect the Quicksand Council is in cahoots with some Heretical Cultists.”