The Image Projection Crystal... before meeting Anselm, Sitana had only heard about it from her noble "classmates" at the Skyfrost Tower.
An interesting, intricate, and expensive little trinket.
When she burst out of Anselm's mansion, the slow-witted Miss Young Wolf finally realized—it seemed she didn't have the money to acquire such a thing!
Not only was she without money, but she also lacked the means. This caused Sitana's expression to waver uncertainly as she walked down the street.
With everything else in place, how could she let such a great opportunity slip away just because of a mere piece of stone?
Undoubtedly, Sitana was a bit of a fool.
Yet, with her intuition honed to an extreme level of acuity, she was always able to catch a glimpse of that glimmer of insight amidst the chaos.
"Lots of nobles are scared of Hydra," the girl murmured to herself, "So to rally them against Hydra, the Earl Hardstone gotta have solid reasons."
But no matter how much she thought about it, she still couldn't figure out how to get her hands on the Image Projection Crystal.
"Buying it is definitely out of the question."
Sitana rubbed her cheeks, crouched by the roadside, and watched a gray-skinned puppy wobble past.
"Using Hydra's name, they might just give it... pfft! I'm not that shameless."
When the second thought arose, Sitana pinched her arm hard, her expression turning sour.
"So, does that leave me with no choice but to... steal it?"
After much thought, the inexperienced Miss Young Wolf could only come up with such a despicable and absurd plan.
Her expression darkened as she watched the gray-skinned puppy pant and run towards her: "If it comes to that, I'll just steal from a damn noble instead of a shop... Hey, don't eat trash!"
The girl swiftly grabbed the puppy by the scruff of its neck and, with great familiarity, gave it a firm slap: "Spit it out! Eating trash will make you sick, you silly dog!"
"......Wait a minute, trash."
Sitana watched as the puppy, looking innocent, spat out the trash, and her eyes gradually brightened.
"Yeah, if I'm gonna steal, why not start by sifting through the 'trash heap'?"
*
Late at night, the Scarletfrost Earl's Manor.
In the judgment against Earl Scarletfrost Cantrell at the time, all of Anselm's penalties were directed at the Earl himself.
The Scarletfrost Manor, being the family property of the Scarletfrost family, did not belong solely to Earl Scarletfrost. When the Earl's offspring inherited the title, they would also inherit the manor.
Similarly, although the Earl's personal assets were all plundered, um, or rather, confiscated, the "family property" within the manor was only sealed off.
As for how this family property was divided... that was another matter of the unsavory politics among the nobility that remained hidden from the public eye.
Due to this, Graytower Grand Duke's arrangements in the Red Frost territory were not significantly harmed, while Anselm held the most powerful bargaining chip. Their conversation at the Howlingwinds Castle ultimately ended in what appeared to be a peaceful manner.
Under the cover of night, Anselm stood at a distance, observing at the lifeless Scarletfrost Manor. The members of the Scarletfrost family had the right to continue living there, but due to Anselm's instructions to Savile, after the trial of the Scarletfrost Earl, they all moved out, leaving behind only this empty manor.
And within it, the highly enticing... "family property."
Regarding why the Scarletfrost family consented to this, on one hand, it was the tacit rules and mutual understanding among the nobility. When the "family" as a whole had not yet faced the brink of utter ruin or at the end of their rope, everyone would preserve some semblance of dignity, refraining from offending them to the limit and devouring everything.
On the other hand, when Anselm intended to do so, their willingness or unwillingness mattered little.
Moreover, routine guard shifts were in place, and the Graytower Grand Duke required these assets to maintain his strategy in Scarletfrost. From any perspective, no one would have the audacity to tamper with the items within this manor.
And tonight, not only did such a bold person appear, but there were... two groups.
"Has Sitana arrived?" Anselm suddenly asked, though there was no one by his side.
"Miss Sitana is on her way," Savile appeared behind Anselm, slightly bowing his head, "However, her concealment of her movements is rather... crude."
"Have you taken care of it for her?"
"Please rest assured."
Sitana could never have imagined that all her thoughts and choices, all the possibilities of her actions... none of them escaped Anselm's calculations.
—Anselm Hydra was the person who understood Sitana Rancemalos best in this world, a truth that was a hundred times more profound than this statement itself.
Countless nights and days of meticulous study, numerous plans overturned and reworked... under Anselm's watchful gaze, everything was more firmly in his grasp than the inexorable hand of fate.
Such control was evident in the fact that Anselm was never the type to set a plan in motion, then sit back with a glass of wine, watching events unfold, and confidently smile that "all according to plan" expression. To him, that was not confidence, but folly.
All the taming and planning concerning Sitana, Anselm was constantly on guard against any potential influences that could alter the plan, even making adjustments before those influences could take effect.
Otherwise, he would not have borrowed the most special Savile from his own father.
—Among the seven Contract Heads of Flamel Hydra, Savile was the weakest in overall strength, and also the one least able to guarantee Anselm's safety.
Yet, he was the Contract Head most capable of assisting Anselm in ensuring that all plans would be executed exactly as his will dictated.
From beginning to end, Sitana was under his absolute control, only Miss Young Wolf herself was never aware of this.
If Sitana failed to find the Image Projection Crystal in this adventure, Savile would even find an opportunity to drop it on her path.
Anselm, gazing at the Scarletfrost Manor from afar, revealed a satisfied smile, one that was so joyful it was incomprehensible even to Savile.
Only Anselm himself knew the source of his joy; it was not due to his control over Sitana, but rather... something else.
"Those vermin," the old man's tone carried a hint of disdain, "are also preparing to infiltrate the manor."
"The timing is perfect, heh... Watch over her, Savile."
"As you wish."
The butler slightly bowed, then promptly vanished from behind Anselm.
Those whom Savile, the refined gentleman, would contemptuously label as "vermin" were undoubtedly the complete opposition of Hydra.
And Hydra's opposition often equated to the opposition of the Empire.
Therefore, those standing against the Empire could only be...
The rebels.
The existence of rebels in this land, Scarletfrost, given the extended period of intense pressure, was not an uncommon phenomenon.
Knowing that the Scarletfrost Earl was finished, they were indeed the only ones, in theory, with both the audacity and the justification to infiltrate Scarletfrost City during the chaos and pilfer the assets of the Scarletfrost family.
So why... was it only at this moment that they chose to act?
[Regarding the Application for the Deployment of Earl Hardstone's Private Retinue] — Malena had once been puzzled by this document.
Following the Scarletfrost family's downfall, their sizable private army was also forced to disband, and the city garrison forces under the Scarletfrost Earl's regime were thrown into chaos, either defecting to other factions or being replaced by representatives of rival nobles. This severe weakening of Scarletfrost City's defense capabilities was the key factor that emboldened the rebels to venture into this dangerous territory where the two Grand Dukes were vying for control.
And the Earl Hardstone, citing the need to bolster the city's defenses, submitted an application to Anselm for the deployment of external private troops to enter Scarletfrost.
Malena could not understand why Anselm agreed, as it was disadvantageous to him, indirectly reducing his control over Scarletfrost City.
But she did not know that Anselm cared little for these matters; the eventual ownership of the city and the territory held no significance for him.
Although the explanation given to Marina at the time was, "Allowing the Hardstone Earl to strengthen his power means that the Ironblade Grand Duke can further seize the initiative, enabling him to gain more autonomy in the chess game between the two Dukes."
In reality, however, this was not Anselm's true intent.
The rebels who had infiltrated Scarletfrost City during its weakened defenses, if they had been biding their time without making a move, upon hearing that Earl Hardstone's substantial private forces were imminent, would certainly opt to act without delay, for the risk of failure would be too high once the troops were stationed.
Anselm only needed to make the defense system of the Scarletfrost Manor stringent enough to be a thorn in the rebels' side, deterring them from rash actions, until this day arrived, until they were forced to make their final gamble.
Therefore, there were no coincidences, no accidents.
Only the destined and absolute domination of Anselm.
"Don't leave a bad impression on the Martial Goddess who should have belonged to you, comrades of the Revolutionary Army."
"While the first impression may not necessarily determine the outcome, if it's not a good beginning..."
Hydra chuckled softly: "In the future, she may not trust you immediately."
"That might lead to some occurrences that are only to my liking, wouldn't it?"
The shadow of the serpent enveloped the lifeless manor.
None could escape.
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