Chapter 492: Scallop Class

Looking up at the night sky above the dome, where brilliant violet hues shimmered and shifted, the veiled Evelyn lifted an oyster, tilted her head back, and slurped it down. She remarked casually, "The Empress's New Garments are ready."

"Huh?" Anphel froze for a moment, swallowing the peony shrimp in her mouth.

Evelyn explained, "The celebratory fireworks launch once every fifty years. Since you weren't involved in the preparations, it's only natural that you wouldn't know about it. This is a joint project between the Belldet, Salome, and Mercury families to plan a fireworks festival for the Isa Imperial Family. Production started three years ago under the codename 'The Empress's New Garments.' Before the display officially begins, we need to conduct a positioning test. The violet glow in the night sky means all units are ready."

"Once every fifty years? How many times has the Belldets done this already?"

"If memory serves, the Belldets have supplied the imperial family's fireworks since the reign of the second Empress of Isa."

"Doesn't that mean this tradition has continued for seven hundred years!?" Anphel thanked the chef, picked up a peeled crab claw, and stuffed the entire piece into her mouth. "What kind of fireworks need three years of advance manufacturing and cooperation between three families?"

"I don't know the details. I'm not the one doing the labor," the blue-haired capitalist said. "You only need to know two things. First, the user of these fireworks must be at least a Sacred Realm sorcerer. Second, the fireworks must be visible across all of Gospel."

Anphel blinked. "You mean the fireworks were prepared across the whole kingdom, and once the time comes, they'll launch simultaneously?"

"No. There are only fifty sets, and they will activate solely in Nabistin," Evelyn replied. "According to the product design, these fireworks incorporate space-attributed materials from the Distant Sky Domain, such as Unmemorable Wood, Water-Spout, and Pearl of Musical Palace. When all fifty fireworks resonate at close range, they produce an effect close to a Space Class Miracle, spreading the spectacle across the entire sky of the Gospel Kingdom. Everyone can celebrate the birth of the new Empress at the same time.

"That explains why the user must be a Sacred Realm sorcerer. A sorcerer lacking proficiency in the Space Class wouldn't qualify to set off the fireworks."

Anphel stuffed a spoonful of crab roe into her mouth and murmured in amazement while chewing, "So fifty Sacred Realm sorcerers currently stand by in Nabistin, waiting to launch fireworks later?!"

"What's so strange about that?" Evelyn took a sip of her ruby-red Lala Fat drink. "Almost all Sacred Realm sorcerers across the Gospel, along with every Legend, are gathered in Nabistin. The Isa Imperial Family commanded Sacred Realm sorcerers for fireworks displays hundreds of years ago, let alone now."

"It was already this extravagant centuries ago?" Anphel looked puzzled. "My impression was that the Isa Imperial Family wouldn't flaunt wealth or seek attention... Does this display carry special significance?"

Evelyn shrugged. "Aside from the basic design we were explicitly told not to touch, everything else was left to our discretion. The Isa Imperial Family provided the materials and left the processing to us. On top of that, requirements were low, payment was generous, and they even provided technical support. Seeing the initial business proposal made me think the Isa Imperial Family was running a charity."

Evelyn winked at her younger sister. "With such high quality, the fireworks display will definitely leave an unforgettable impression. Tell me later if you like it. If you do, we actually manufactured an extra batch as backups. When the time comes, I'll find a few Sacred Realm sorcerers to set them off for your wedding."

Anphel tilted her head while eating crab meat. "Wedding?"

"The Woven Festival ends tonight. Do you really think Annan can keep Ashe and the others tied down forever?" Evelyn rested her chin on her hand. "Once Iger returns to Montphera, the Belldets will hold a grand wedding for you two!"

The Ghost-Obscuring Veil from the Schemer Ranking really is useful. Evelyn has become increasingly lifelike lately, Anphel thought.

To resist the control their ancestor's bloodline imposed, every generation of Belldets split into two heirs to inherit the family power.

One became a vessel for the collective mental sea of all living beings. Their consciousness would shatter beneath the thoughts of countless minds, gradually turning them into an empty shell, a hollow stone.

The other heir's soul would undergo dilution by pure mental energy. No matter how intense their feelings became, waves could never ripple across that soul, transforming them into a person devoid of blood and tears, a being of pure rationality.

The Belldets paid such a heavy price for more than mere lifespan extension. More importantly, it meant rebelling against a selfish, cruel ancestor. Since the necromancer Angel treated its descendants as simple resurrection machines, the descendants had no reason to remain warm, sentimental gears.

Now, with the Ghost-Obscuring Veil, Evelyn no longer needed to end her life before forty to resist the bloodline's intensifying call. The veil protected her soul perfectly, and using the family's mental energy no longer diluted it. Long-buried emotions, suppressed for years, had begun awakening.

Previously, Evelyn would have urged Anphel to hurry up and get pregnant so that the genius child Leia could be born. Instead, she was now contemplating a wedding. Yes, she was merely projecting her own longing for marriage onto her younger sister, but for someone who had once viewed family members as nothing more than reproductive tools, Evelyn's shift in personality brought Anphel a profound sense of comfort. Still...

Anphel smiled. "Why are you so certain Iger will return to Montphera? Or rather, why would he come to Montphera at all? Montphera isn't his home."

"You will become his closest family member. You'll marry him and bear a daughter capable of making Ashe jealous. How could the Belldets not become his home?"

"That's the Gospel's perspective, not his. He won't accept such a future."

"I don't understand. Is it because he dislikes you? Or because he lacks feelings for you?"

Anphel gave it serious thought. "He probably likes me."

"Then isn't that enough?"

Anphel tilted her head. "How should I explain this... Iger is... a tsundere[1]."

The chef placed a plate of Iceberg Fish Slices on their table. Evelyn picked up a piece and tasted it. She murmured, "So this is what the meat of a Fish-Slaying Dragon tastes like... And then? What does being a tsundere have to do with anything?"

"He finds it difficult to accept entering an intimate relationship. He's like a sensitive scallop-type man. Whenever someone gets close, he wraps himself in indifference and hostility. Only when nobody pays attention does he quietly open a crack, revealing his hidden softness and allowing himself to feel the warmth around him.

"I'm not the first person he fell for, and I won't be the last. He may have witnessed me blooming, but he won't stop for me. What he needs isn't a family member to rely on, but an opponent standing on equal ground."

Anphel sighed. "Perhaps we do like each other. Perhaps our feelings haven't ended. But we won't have a future together."

The blue-haired woman nodded thoughtfully. "I get it now."

"Good that you do," Anphel blinked. "Since you've already given him all the other information regarding the Control Class, from now on, don't bother—"

"I'll drag Iger over here, force-feed him Vanmura's signature Strengthening Potions, and arrange your wedding ceremony once the two of you have Leia and he can no longer escape," Evelyn said matter-of-factly. "It'll just be hard on you, having to play the female knight."

Anphel no longer knew whether her sister was speaking from rational thought or emotion. "What I mean is that we aren't suitable..."

"It's you who isn't suitable for him, not the other way around," Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Even the Gospel wouldn't dare claim it can make everyone happy. Since you can already see a future where at least you're happy, why throw it away? Besides, how do you know this isn't the best ending Iger can achieve? If he misses you, perhaps he'll end up alone for the rest of his life."

"But he doesn't want—"

"It's clearly you who doesn't want to accept the future the Gospel wove."

Between bites of the Fish-Slaying Dragon slices, Evelyn continued, "Because Rusty Crow cares more about his career than you, because that future isn't satisfying enough for you, you simply give up. Why not try fighting for a better future instead? You said he needs an opponent capable of standing on equal footing with him, so why don't you try becoming that person?"

Anphel stared at her sister in shock, looking as if she had just witnessed a Lala Fat discussing philosophy.

"The Gospel has already sliced the fish, arranged it beautifully on ice, and delivered it right in front of you. You think the taste is lacking, so instead of throwing it away, why don't you season it yourself?

"You said he's a scallop-type person, but aren't you actually the same way? The only difference is that Iger uses coldness to reject others, while you use gentleness to protect yourself. Ultimately, both of you lack confidence in maintaining an intimate relationship. The Gospel is merely your excuse."

The blue-haired wealthy woman clenched her fist. "That's why the Gospel Rankings were never meant for you two to see. They were meant for me. At this rate, the world will probably end before you even manage to create Leia. I'll have to personally pry open your scallop shells and properly season you two!"

Craving the dish after mentioning it, Evelyn turned around. "Bring me a serving of steamed scallops!"

The two chefs nodded without a word.

Unsurprisingly, the sight of the sisters eating with such enthusiasm attracted frequent glances from the other guests in the hall.

Anyone qualified to attend this banquet was destined to become part of the ruling class governing the world alongside the Isa Imperial Family. The dishes served at the banquet were luxurious and delicious, but they paled in comparison to the fragrance of power.

The new Empress, the Azure Highway, the future rankings, the apocalypse... Too many matters needed to be discussed. Everyone else was busy scheming to prevent their status from declining or searching for ways to rise higher. Yet this blue-haired woman was still eating, and eating far too much!

Evelyn no longer cared. Following the battle at the Belldet Estate, she had offended fully sixty percent of the Gospel's forces, while the remaining forty percent viewed her with extreme caution.

Everyone knew Iger was the true mastermind behind everything, yet the mere information that "The Belldets could control Sacred Realm sorcerers" was enough to cause panic.

The personnel responsible for communicating with the Belldets had all been replaced with ordinary people. Outside the Sacred Realm sorcerer offices, warnings were explicitly posted: "Montphera residents are prohibited from entering."

Rather than ostracizing Evelyn, they simply feared her. The Belldets' Control Class was far too difficult to guard against. A casual, polite response like "Sure" could easily become the hidden trigger to voluntarily become Miss Evelyn's dog.

And so, Evelyn and Anphel hid in a corner, enjoying their food.

The banquet was buffet-style. Certain dishes tasted best when freshly prepared upon request, particularly the seafood they were currently eating. Aside from ordinary seafood, the banquet offered ingredients harvested from creatures of the Virtual World, such as Fish-Slaying Dragon, Mudfish Drake, and Foxlight Dragon.

These ingredients tasted no different from normal food, yet because creatures from the Virtual World rarely escaped into reality, even a top-tier noble family like the Belldets found it difficult to purchase them. Naturally, Evelyn had no intention of missing such an opportunity.

As the sisters struggled to finish the Fish-Slaying Dragon, two tall, voluptuous elves suddenly sat down beside them.

"Is it good?"

"It's alright," Evelyn lifted her head and looked at Quinna. "Want some?"

Quinna smiled. "I wouldn't dare accept kindness from a Belldet. I'm here to discuss a business deal with you."

"Business?" Evelyn found it rather amusing. "Vanmura doesn't need an amusement park to increase its citizens' happiness. Montphera doesn't need the Mermaid Weed to improve work efficiency. The Six-Emblems would never tolerate their people being controlled, and I would never allow Montphera to have a united family clan... So, what exactly can we cooperate on? Developing Iger and Ashe together?"

"The Six-Emblems currently have no need for Iger. However, it's obvious that we share common interests. For example..." She paused. "An unprecedented path that has been cut off for seven hundred years. Are you interested in welcoming a sunrise without an Empress?"

Evelyn's expression did not change, whereas Anphel quickly caught on to the hidden implication behind the elf leader's words. "You want to deal with the princess? On what basis?"

"On the basis of Ashe Heath," Nona replied.

Even Annan could think of this trump card; naturally, they understood it immediately.

Suddenly, Evelyn laughed. "Increase what they desire; grant what they need. Once again, I've been taught a lesson by the family motto..."

She looked at Quinna. "What do you want me to do?"

"Among all the guests present..." Quinna stared intently at Evelyn. "How many people can you control?"

Evelyn remained calm. "Three-fifths, perhaps. But I won't stake everything and gamble my life with you, nor will I fully reveal this trump card. At most, I'll let them muddy the waters and disrupt the situation."

"That's enough," Quinna leaned closer to Evelyn, looking down at the young family head whose authority surpassed even her own. "Pleasant cooperation."

"Pleasant cooperation."

With only a few words, two of Gospel's greatest factions formed an anti-Isa alliance.

They acted so casually not only because the price was low, making it little different from buying a lottery ticket, but also because they had long grown tired of the Isa Imperial Family's restrictions.

Quinna had not felt it as deeply, but Evelyn had personally experienced the Isa Imperial Family's absolute control over the nation.

Unlike the family system, Belldet's Spend Bel System faced almost no barriers to expansion. In theory, spreading it should have been effortless, yet it remained strictly limited to the areas surrounding Montphera.

It felt as if they were national champions forced to compete only in neighborhood tournaments; anyone would feel suffocated by that limit.

Within Gospel, an invisible hand seemed to operate behind the scenes. Whenever Belldet attempted to reach for something beyond its boundaries, that force shoved them back down.

No matter how much Evelyn expanded her lending business, the moment she left Montphera, everything became incompatible. Even the secret of "Grant others what they desire, give them what they need" completely lost its effectiveness.

It was not just Evelyn. Her parents, her ancestors, and countless generations before them had all attempted to break free from the limits of Montphera, only to be quickly pushed back into their cage every single time.

There was no administrative interference, no financial sanctions, and no deliberate sabotage.

Instead, nobody paid them any attention. The same applied to the other families like Salome, Mercury, and the Six-Emblems. These powerful factions dominating their respective regions could ultimately never escape the cages Gospel had built for them.

Therefore, when Quinna asked Evelyn whether she wanted to "deal with Isa," Evelyn could not possibly have chosen another answer.

Rationally speaking, the Belldets had to eliminate Isa as an obstacle to advance further. Emotionally speaking, how could Evelyn not covet the highest position in the Gospel Kingdom?

She was Evelyn Belldet, the Queen of the Caged Birds ruling over millions in Montphera. The depth of her desire for power had long since seeped into her heart.

"Grant others what they desire, give them what they need" wasn't only the secret of the Control Class, but also its side effect.

What desire could stir the human heart more deeply than power? What temptation could prove more intoxicating than controlling millions? Those having tasted the sweetness of power resembled wolves starved far too long. Their hunger could never be satisfied. Millions of people, tens of millions of people... until the entire world became their slaves. This was the deeply ingrained professional creed of every Control Class sorcerer.

To Evelyn, it felt like she was trapped inside the Gospel, trapped in a kingdom filled with miracles and blessings where everything was governed by the Gospel, leaving no room left for adventure.

This was happiness for the weak, but for the strong, it was a tragedy. Now that she finally had a chance to break free from this cage, how could Evelyn refuse to lend a hand?

In Ashe and Quinna's plan, bringing Evelyn onto their side would raise their chance of success to 50%. After quickly communicating the plan through the Book of Gospel, Anphel suddenly realized something. "Since Ashe has already entered, are Iger and the others here as well?"

Quinna smiled faintly. "What do you think of the two chefs' skills?"

With only the Belldet sisters present in the seafood area, the two chefs had naturally become their exclusive cooks.

The one with slightly darker skin was responsible for cutting and cooking the ingredients, while the other was responsible for arranging the dishes and seasoning them.

Only then did Evelyn realize something was wrong. She actually had no impression of the second chef at all. His height, hair color, skin tone, age, eye color... every single characteristic remained vague and indistinct.

Each time he delivered food, her attention had been completely focused on the dishes in his hands. Not even the slightest bit of her awareness had been directed toward his face. Naturally, her mind had never formed a true image of him.

This is... the Control Class's Attention Manipulation!

Under Anphel's flushed and embarrassed gaze, the blond-haired chef placed a plate of scallops on their table. "Dear guests, your scallops have arrived."

1. I assume most of you already know what a tsundere is, but for those who don't, it refers to a character who acts cold or harsh on the outside while secretly being kind and affectionate. ☜