Chapter 360: Trinity finds out.

Hunter tapped his hands nervously against his thigh. "Hey...Beauty, now that we have your attention. Can you explain why called me a beast?" He pointed to himself. "I am all human."

Zyra raised her brows. All human! I am quite sure I saw you grow a few inches when we were battling those King beasts during the flood.

That memory was vivid in her mind. But, as nobody else talked about it, she chose to play the fool as well. If Soul maidens could exist, other humans could mutate in various ways. Besides, sons of Soul maidens had always been stronger and better looking than average humans.

[It’s complicated. I am busy right now.]

Beauty vanished immediately, leaving Zyra and Hunter in a state of confusion.

Zyra called the system in her mind, but it didn’t respond. So, she gave up with a sigh. Sooner or later, they would have an answer.

"I am human." Hunter muttered.

She patted his arm gently. "And I believe you."

Hunter turned his head, pointing a finger right at the faint glowing mark on the back of Zyra’s hand. "Hey. Instead of debating my DNA or sending the hunting team out to hunt boring old deer in the forest, why don’t we just take them to clear out that dungeon of yours?"

Zyra paused, considering it. It wasn’t like she had anything to lose? Besides, ever since she extended the timeline of the search for her parents, she had been restless. Sitting around working in the factories was not working anymore. She desperately needed a chaotic distraction to keep herself from going rogue and recklessly charging out there alone to search for them.

A slow smile curved up the corner of Zyra’s lips. "You know what, Hunter? That might just be just what I need. Go grab the gear."

****

Back in the capital, the divine maiden started her mission very early in the wee hours of the morning. She personally visited the leaders of every nation, one by one. By mid-morning, she had arrived at the residence of the very last person on her list; the Iron Regent, Gregory Goch.

A butler led her through a huge, sprawling state house perched on a high hill. Below the hilltop mansion lay Amenia, the biggest and most prosperous city in the Aurora Dominion. The view was grand, but Trinity’s attention was instantly ruined the moment they reached the outdoor pool.

There sat Gregory Goch.

He was lounging in a large reclining chair under a giant sun umbrella. He wore nothing but an absurdly tiny pair of floral swimming shorts, casually sipping wine, and watching an old war movie.

Trinity’s eye twitched. She scoffed so loudly the butler flinched. Look at this guy, she thought, her chest burning with anger. The entire world is in chaos and he’s out here tanning his thighs!

She swallowed her fury with great difficulty. She needed to be smart. In the past three days of the tournament, not a single major leader had shown up in their VIP boxes. The crowds were already whispering. People were saying the leaders were boycotting her! If she blew her top now, she’d probably look like a beggar.

The butler bowed softly. "Lord Regent, the Divine Maiden Trinity, has arrived."

Goch lowered his wine glass, revealing dark, lazy eyes. He looked Trinity up and down, completely unbothered by the fact that he was almost naked in front of the most powerful woman in the new world. He didn’t even grab a towel to cover his hairy chest.

"Ah, divine maiden," Goch said, stretching his arms like a sleepy dog. "What brings you to my humble home? Can I get you something? A cold fruit juice? A grilled shrimp? We have a lot of those since the floods. The only thing it was good for was lowering the price of sea food."

"I am not here to eat, Goch," Trinity said coldly, folding her arms.

Goch narrowed his eyes, a small smirk playing on his lips. He paused the movie which he was viewing on a projector. "Yeah, I figured. Volkreign called me two hours ago. He said you barged into his home screaming like a wild bird. So, save your breath. I already know why you’re here, and my answer is no. I’m not going to the tournament."

Unlike with the other cowardly leaders, Trinity didn’t start throwing a tantrum. Goch wasn’t some weak puppet you could just slap around; he led a nation with many resources and had the biggest army among all nations, and the other leaders usually followed his lead.

She took a deep breath, dropping her arrogant posture just a tiny bit. "Goch... just tell me why. Why are all of you doing this? Why are you boycotting the tournament? The others won’t say why? I know something is wrong; I didn’t get to where I am by accident."

Goch stared at her for a long second. Seeing her actually lower her tone made him exhale a heavy sigh. He ran a hand over his face. "Fine. I’ll give it to you straight," Goch grunted, sitting up. "We aren’t boycotting you; this is not personal. We’re being blackmailed."

Trinity blinked. "Blackmailed?"

"Every single one of us received a Red Envelope five days ago," Goch grumbled, his tone turning dark. "The message inside was simple: ’Show up at Trinity’s tournament, and your deep, dirty secrets will be revealed across the world.’ There were recordings..."

Trinity’s eyes went wide, then narrowed into sharp slits. She didn’t give a damn about what embarrassing dirty laundry Goch was hiding. They all had their dirty little secrets. "Why did you not come to me! I would have caught the black mailer already! You are all exhausting!" She run a hand through her hair and took a deep breath to steady herself. "Do you know who sent the envelopes?"

"If I knew, I’d have smashed their head with a hammer already!" Goch snapped back. He winced inwardly just thinking about his secret. His heartbeat fast in his chest. If the world found out that his father_ the former Iron Regent, whom everyone thought died_ was actually alive and locked up in his deep basement prison all these years, things would go completely up in flames!

His leadership over the Aurora Dominion would come to an end. Damn it, Goch cursed himself silently. If only I had the guts to actually kill the old man. Now somebody is using him to leash me like a dog!

Trinity watched his face shift through three different shades of pale. She crossed her arms and took a step forward, putting on her most angelic, confident smile. "Listen to me, Goch," Trinity said softly, playing her best card. "So, what if your secret comes out? Even if it does, we can easily twist the truth, we are good at that. We just deny everything! Who will the people believe? A nameless blackmailer, or the divine ruling order?"

Goch grunted, looking unconvinced. "Words are cheap, divine maiden, but you don’t know how bad my secret is. I cannot risk losing my power in a game of chess that I am bound to lose."

"Whatever you are hiding is of no consequence." Trinity declared loudly, puffing out her chest. She raised a hand toward the sky, practically glowing with arrogance. "I am the Divine Maiden! Under this sky, there is nothing impossible for me. As long as you and the other leaders stay loyal to me, I will personally stand in your corner. Nobody can touch you!"