Chapter 191: Chapter 186: A Dilemma

Yed’s shout spurred the Lord’s Mansion, already on high alert, into action like a startled behemoth.

The Defender Army, the Lord’s vassals, and guards all began to converge on the source of the commotion.

By the time they arrived, the battle was already over.

The creature born from an Ordinary maid was quite limited in Power. Facing Reya, who was already proficient with several Low-level Divine Skills, it couldn’t even make a splash and was easily subdued.

But as everyone present watched the monster, bound to the ground by light, roaring and struggling ceaselessly, no one felt the slightest bit of relief. Instead, they grew even more tense.

It wasn’t that they were unprepared for the possibility of an enemy attack at any moment. The real question was, why would something like this happen *inside* the Lord’s Mansion?

Four Saint Professionals from the Sun Church, leading over thirty members of the Defender Army who had mastered basic Divine Techniques, had inspected the Lord’s Mansion all night, turning it inside out. Logically, there should have been no room for any residual Evil Magic to take effect.

Something must have gone wrong somewhere.

While maintaining her suppression of the poor soul controlled by Evil Magic, Reya looked up at the head of security for the Lord’s Mansion.

"Knight Locke, has anyone entered the Lord’s Mansion since last night?"

"I am certain no one has."

"Last night, Lord Paris gave an order: the Lord’s Mansion was sealed. No one was allowed in. Anyone who left and wished to re-enter would need to be vetted by both him and Pastor Reed."

"And the few who left last night have not yet returned."

At this, the serious-faced young Knight paused for a moment.

"Only Mr. Jon came by earlier with several Mr. Dwarves and a Mechanical Body. But they didn’t enter the Lord’s Mansion. They spoke with Lord Paris at the gate and left just a short while ago."

After his words, everyone present fell into Silence.

This was strange. The Lord’s Mansion currently housed a coalition of forces, with no fewer than ten Knight Level experts alone. The security was unprecedentedly tight, yet an attack had still occurred.

This was absurd!

’Did the enemy just materialize out of thin air?’

"Then, there’s only one possibility left..."

A voice, tinged with a hint of helplessness and exhaustion, spoke up. Everyone followed the sound and their gazes met Yed’s.

"An enemy skilled at stealth took the opportunity to slip in..."

Seeing everyone’s eyes turn to him, Yed continued to explain.

"We are in the light, and they are in the dark. If it were me, I would also seize every opportunity to disrupt my opponent’s deployment."

"Everyone, war is not a child’s game. The enemy will not sit back and watch us calmly make all our preparations. From the day they launched their rebellion, we should have been ready for this!"

Then he looked at Locke, his voice rising a few notches as he spoke sternly.

"Knight Locke, please announce immediately for everyone to assemble in the main hall. That includes all servants and miscellaneous staff. Don’t miss a single one!"

"As you command, Lord Yed!"

"Pastor Reed, please take some men and handle the identification process. Prevent any Lurkers from mixing into the crowd!"

"It is my duty."

After giving these two urgent orders, Yed scanned the crowd again. He watched them gather in the main hall under the guards’ guidance, saw the fear and unease in their eyes, and sighed softly. In a low voice that only he and Reya beside him could hear, he said,

"If I’m not mistaken, the town is about to descend into chaos as well..."

Reya’s brow furrowed, and she asked in an equally soft voice,

"Father, with the enemy acting so brazenly, is there truly nothing we can do to fight back?"

"Of course there is."

Yed stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking into his daughter’s eyes.

"If we were to dispatch the Power concentrated here in the Lord’s Mansion, any ordinary level of chaos could be quelled without causing any real impact."

Reya was sharp; she immediately understood the other meaning hidden in his words.

"But if we do that, the safety of the nobles can’t be guaranteed... They would never agree to it..."

"If we protect one side, we can’t protect the other..."

"Yes. This is the dilemma the enemy has deliberately created. As long as we haven’t purged the enemy’s influence from all of Birch Town, we can only react Passively."

After another sigh, he suddenly mentioned a name.

"Ivory, I’m counting on you to hunt down the enemy..."

The Shadow beneath Yed stirred slightly, and a somewhat hoarse female voice immediately sounded.

"And what about you, Yed? If something happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to my sister?"

She was clearly worried that her departure would give the Lurkers an opportunity to strike.

Beside them, Reya couldn’t help but look at her father as well.

As his daughter, she naturally wanted her father’s safety to be guaranteed above all else. Having Aunt Ivory, a master of Shadow Magic, as his personal guard would be for the best.

But considering the bigger picture, the only one who could truly fight a Lurker was another Lurker. Right now, other than Aunt Ivory, no one else had the ability to fight the enemy in the shadows.

As a follower of the Sun, how could she be so selfish as to place her family’s personal interests above the safety of the many?

At this very moment, she was feeling the true weight of being caught in a "dilemma."

But Yed, facing the two people closest to him, showed no change in expression.

"I cannot force others to do as I do, but for me, personal life and death are far less important than the stability of the overall situation."

"They can disregard others for their own safety, but I, Yed Xavier, will never choose that path."

He reached out and patted his daughter’s shoulder, a gratified smile on his face.

"Besides, even if I am ambushed and killed, won’t you still be here?"

"Reya, you’ve matured. You must learn to face everything, even the death of your closest kin..."

"Father..."

When Reya heard Yed calmly say those three words, "ambushed and killed," the moisture welling up in her eyes could no longer be held back. Large teardrops rolled down her pale cheeks.

She bit her lower lip hard, trying not to cry out, but her shoulders couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

Just imagining that possibility made her feel as if her heart were being squeezed tight.

Yed watched his daughter’s tear-streaked face crumble in an instant. A flicker of barely perceptible heartache crossed his eyes, but he said nothing more.

In this heavy atmosphere, the Shadow at his feet rippled gently like water.

Ivory’s voice sounded again, tinged with a hint of helplessness and deep-seated concern.

"Yed... you’re still the same as ever. You haven’t changed one bit."

"Always shouldering the heaviest burdens, the worst possibilities, without a moment’s hesitation. And placing them on the people who care about you, too."

Immediately after, the Shadow at Yed’s feet seemed to fade for an instant before returning to normal.

In the end, this free and mysterious woman still complied with Yed’s command.

And so, only the father and daughter remained in the dining hall.

Yed took a step forward and patted his daughter’s trembling shoulders, comforting her.

"Silly child, don’t cry. I was just making plans for the worst-case scenario."

"With you here, with Mr. Jon, with Viscount Paris, with so many brave people on our side, I believe the situation will never spiral into something irreversible!"

"Remember, Reya, a young person must have faith. Not just in yourself, but in those around you as well."

Perhaps his words had an effect, or perhaps it was the girl’s innate resilience that allowed her to pull herself together.

In any case, after that brief emotional release, Reya took a deep breath and forced herself to stop sobbing.

She straightened her back and, looking a bit disheveled but still stubborn, wiped the tears from her face, meeting her father’s encouraging gaze.

"Yes, Father. I understand."

"I’ll do my best..."

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