[Chapter 58] Hope – Mithril Bullets

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Hope and her siblings had watched everything from the South Wing’s top floor. The Rose Palace had been evacuated and placed on lockdown. It should almost be as secure as the Inner Palace. They’d remain there until Wise deemed it too dangerous.

This fragile peace is more frustrating than the standoff. Of course, Hope understood they were powerless to act, but that didn’t change her feelings. The worst is nothing has been resolved. Whatever disaster had befallen Nirvan, it’d merely delayed the conflict. The mealstorm continued swirling beyond the menacing off-shore fleet.

As Hope paced the upstairs lounge, her wrystal flashed. ‘A package was dropped off for Hope Skyfell. It’s on a shelf at the gatehouse. Pick it up at your convenience. ——Palace Administration’

What’s this? Hope eyed the message suspiciously until the realization hit her. The mithril bullets I ordered! Orthos Braslin had offered to drop them off when they arrived.

Wait, they’re just sitting on a shelf? Hope remembered the fortune she’d spent on them, and the blood drained from her face.

“I’ll be right back.” She rushed off. The palace might be deserted, but there’s no way I am leaving them out in the open.

She burst into the gatehouse and was relieved to see a brown box. That must be it. She then froze noticing a almond-haired man sitting besides the shelf. Why does he seem familiar?

“Good evening, Hope.” The stranger rose. “I’m Sion Gale. It’s a pleasure to finally meet the reason I’ve been stuck on the Isle of Dreams.”

Oh, no. Why is the ‘Child Killer’ here? I’m screwed…

“Funny story,” Said a voice behind her. “But the gatehouse is a weird blind spot in the palace’s defenses. Lily’s phoenixes don’t notice what happens here.”

Sarah stood at the entrance, “The Laughing Man wished me to relay some wisdom: ’An insistence on doing everything oneself and a refusal to rely on others… Both are exploitable flaws which lead protagonists to their downfall.’”