Chapter 347: Seeds?

Julia frowned. She seemed unsure of the plan because it was not something they could hide from the public. All hunters and low-borns relied on the jungles of the wild lands for food, or to earn a living. Besides, if the Wild lands were set ablaze, everything that lived there would head into the towns and cities. It would increase insecurity. This plan needed to be thought through.

"We have to tread carefully." She started, but Trinity cut her off rudely.

She snapped her head toward Julia, eyes blazing with pure, venomous fury. "I am the Divine Soul maiden, Julia, I don’t tread, I stomp. I will not have anyone threaten my position in any way. We have enough on our plates with this new support for the Somnivores among the low-borns. Take the sanctum soldiers and trusted Soul maidens to the Wildlands immediately!" Trinity roared, pointing a shaking finger toward the window. "Start with that idiot’s town. Cleanse the place and slaughter every single traitor who dared to bow at that fake!"

Julia swallowed her advice and tilted her head slightly. "And what about Lucian?"

Trinity sneered, her lips curling over her teeth like a rabid hound. "Let that idiot guide you to his town first. Once you reach the destination and confirm his words---" She made a sharp slicing motion across her throat. "Kill them all. Every peasant, every trader, and him. Erase the town and claim their land for the Sanctum. Leave our flag on every land that you conquer." She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to smooth down her ruffled silk robes, though her eyes remained murderously wide.

"The protective veil is stronger now," Trinity muttered, a wicked, greedy smile slowly spreading across her face. "There is no reason to fear the Wildlands anymore. It will become my personal backyard. I will develop it to become the new city for Soul maidens. After re-building it, I plan to take over nation after nation until I take over the whole world. The Divine Maiden should be the only ruler_ that was how it was supposed to be!"

She stepped down from her seat, walking over to Julia and pushing her face right into Julia’s space. Her voice dropped into a chilled, terrifying whisper. "If you catch Zyra alive, bring her to me. Do not kill her. Once I strip that map from her and tear Zena’s weapon from her hands_ I am going to strip her naked, parade her through the main streets of the capital for everyone to laugh at, and burn her alive at the stake as a false maiden. Let’s see who dares to remember her and her mother after that!"

Julia listened intently, her face completely calm despite the violent horror of the order. She simply crossed her arms and asked the only practical question that mattered: "How many soldiers should I take?"

Trinity threw her head back, her manic laughter echoing off the stone walls. "All of them!" Trinity shrieked gleefully. "Take every single guard and commander! I want you to fill the Wildlands until there isn’t a single rock left for her to hide under."

Julia gave a deep, crisp bow, her armor clinking softly. "Understood, Divine maiden."

Turning on her heel, Julia marched out of the room as she called the leader of the sanctum guards to prepare for war, leaving Trinity alone to nurse her furious, twitching brow.

Suddenly, Lucian burst back inside the room, his boots skidding across the polished marble floor he nearly tumbled over. Regaining his balance with a desperate, flailing arm wave, he scrambled into a deep bow.

"Forgive me, Divine Maiden! I forgot to report one more thing!" he huffed, clutching his side like he’d just outrun an angry demonic beast.

Trinity, sitting high on her throne, slowly rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Spill it!"

"It’s about Zyra and her people!" Lucian gasped, still doubled over. "They’ve got alien technology. Their weapons are strange. Crazy advanced stuff! And they just delivered a mountain of fruits and food to Twigs Blue Crossing. They have supplies."

Trinity arched a single, perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Food? Advanced tech? Are you sure?"

"I have proof!" Lucian yelled wildly. He slapped his pockets, pulled out his phone and hastily tapped the screen. "Look! I took pictures."

Excited to play the hero, Lucian took three eager steps toward the dais to present pictures.

Before he could take a fourth step, Julia stepped out from the shadows like a terrifying ghost. With lightning-fast movement, she slapped Lucian’s hand, snatched the phone out of mid-air, and glared at him with enough coldness to freeze an ocean.

"Ah_ my phone! Careful, it is broken already." Lucian whimpered, pulling his hand back and nursing his bruised knuckles. He wondered where the woman had come from when he had seen her leaving.

Julia ignored his whining. She tilted the phone and looked at photos of tomatoes, big bags of grain, and neatly packaged seed pouches. Her icy eyes widened just a fraction.

"Well?" Trinity called down, leaning forward.

Julia turned and walked briskly up the steps of the dais, bowing low as she thrust the phone toward the Divine Maiden. "Divine Maiden, look. The quality of these crops is excellent. And the packaging of this sugar. These children’s toys! I’ve cross-referenced them with the reports from our intelligence network. These are the exact same supplies that have been mysteriously flooding the black market lately."

Trinity snatched the phone from Julia’s hands, squinting at the screen. She swiped left. A picture of fresh apples. She swiped left again. A giant sack of rice. She swiped a third time_ and froze. Her gaze locked onto a photo of metallic, vacuum-sealed bags labeled: Apple seeds_ High yield.

"Seeds?" Trinity whispered. "What in the fucking nine hells is this?!" She shrieked, slamming a fist onto the armrest of her throne so hard the sound echoed like thunder. "Are you kidding me?! Seeds?!"

The hall went dead silent. The guards shrank back against the walls, praying they wouldn’t get turned into ash.

"If those filthy peasants start planting their own food_" Trinity muttered, her eyes darting back and forth in pure panic. "If they harvest their own crops, they will flood the market with affordable food. Then, people won’t need our high-priced grains. They won’t beg us for aid! The power will shift right back into her dirty little hands!" She scoffed. "This little bitch has a really good plan. She is even more cunning than the old bitch that gave birth to her."