Woodworth's objective now shifted from defeating Mors to discovering why he would murder Morgan.
"What could possibly be on that card to make even Woodworth react like that?"
As a fellow member of the Fang Clan, Barghest knew her kinsman's temperament well. If even he was this agitated, it had to be something monumental. She instinctively gripped Jiang You's arm and pressed, "Tell me."
"It concerns the very survival of the Faerie Realm."
Although Morgan's death was only the beginning of the destruction, Jiang You's statement wasn't an exaggeration. Without Morgan, no one could control these scumbag fairies. Any fairy with even a shred of humanity met a terrible end. It was a classic case of bad money driving out good.
"It's that serious?!"
Barghest's grip tightened abruptly, so hard that Jiang You even received a Duel invitation notification. Looks like my arm would have been snapped clean off under normal circumstances.
Jiang You recalled Barghest's Strength stat was B+, while his was only C. How is the gap between us this huge?
"Extremely serious. This is the start of the apocalypse."
Noticing Morgan's gaze also turning toward him, Jiang You pulled Barghest to sit beside her. He knew Morgan was intensely curious but too proud to approach him directly.
In truth, Jiang You had been worried that if Woodworth played that card, Morgan would immediately pressure him into rebellion. Big Dog's integrity was already top-tier throughout Britain. If he were gone, the next lord to rise to power would likely be some real piece of work. Although Morgan trusted Big Dog a great deal—even forgiving him after he stabbed her through—the woman had a talent for speaking without thinking. Despite her trust and awareness of Big Dog's strength, when he returned defeated, she didn't bother asking what happened or checking his condition. Instead, she immediately berated him as a "useless failure."
You have to understand, Woodworth had just been defeated because he never received Morgan's support. Anyone in that situation would suspect they'd been sacrificed. At that moment, Woodworth's mind was already clouded. How could he not go berserk after hearing Morgan call him a "failure"?
So, Jiang You decided it was time to teach Morgan a lesson. Her careless words had led to the utterly absurd deaths of Fairy Tristan, one of her closest companions, and Woodworth, her most loyal subordinate. It was simply outrageous.
Jiang You then briefly explained the original plot's progression, including the treacherous deeds of Aurora, Beryl, and Fairy Tristan.
"..."
After hearing the story, Barghest didn't know what to say. She wisely chose to remain silent. Jiang You might dare to speak so bluntly, but she certainly wouldn't dare to pass judgment.
"Are you saying this is all my fault?"
Morgan's face darkened, her eyes locked on Jiang You. Her magical power condensed into almost tangible pressure.
"Exactly."
Jiang You met Morgan's gaze without flinching. Worst case, we'll just duel. No big deal. Just because no one in the Faerie Realm dared to openly defy her didn't mean he wouldn't.
"Have you ever stopped to think about how much trouble your way of speaking—and your overzealous 'education' of Fairy Tristan—has caused you?"
They stared each other down for over a minute before Morgan finally relented. As the queen who had violently suppressed all of Britain, she could not make mistakes, nor could she afford to. She had wanted to reject Jiang You's words, but the truth was, there was no one left who dared—or was able—to speak to her like this. In the end, she conceded his point.
"I will try to be more mindful of my words in the future," she said, "but I don't have much energy to spare for such matters."
She even pawned off Fairy Tristan's education on Beryl, Jiang You thought. The woman is ridiculously busy, but it's all her own doing.
"You insist on handling everything yourself. What are you, the Sīzōng of Ming?"
Suddenly, Jiang You saw a striking resemblance between Morgan and that last emperor who had hanged himself from a tree. She couldn't even find time to raise her own child. She appeared diligent, but in reality, all she was doing was patching holes in a sinking ship of a nation.
Morgan's face darkened again. She was well aware of the story of Sīzōng (Chongzhen), and she couldn't help but wonder if Jiang You was insulting her.
"With your personal power, you don't need to worry about rebellions," Jiang You continued. "There are things you can afford to delegate. If your subordinates are incompetent, then cultivate your own talent from a young age. If the Fairies are unreliable, then turn to humans. You know what humans are like—at least they aren't so... abstract."
Though Jiang You's suggestions were somewhat idealistic, he had a point. Morgan's strength meant she didn't need to overthink many things. If all else failed, she could simply suppress any opposition with brute force—which was exactly what she had been doing all along.
Barghest felt like she'd been hit by a stray bullet, but she couldn't refute his words. If it weren't for Jiang You, she might not have been able to guarantee her lover's safety.
"There is some truth to what you say," Morgan conceded, having taken some of Jiang You's words to heart. "But human lifespans are too short. Even if I train them, they can only serve for a few decades at most. In the Faerie Realm, that's simply not practical."
"But the time it takes to train a human is even shorter from your perspective," Jiang You countered.
Morgan's mind is completely fixated on Britain's survival, he thought. She's obsessed with using only the most durable resources, and her thinking is as rigid as stone. She just can't adapt.
"You can establish schools and have retired human officials train the next generation," Jiang You suggested. "Offer them sufficient compensation, and they'll be breaking down the doors to get in."
This would also improve the overall treatment of humans in Britain—a true win-win situation.
Just then, Fairy Tristan successfully defeated the Mors she was facing. After delivering the final blow alongside Great Cernunnos, the Mors's Life Points were depleted.
Mors B LP 3000 → LP 0!
The Shadow Game began its final reckoning. The Mors's body twisted and contorted until it took on the silhouette of a Fairy. Soon, the black curse receded, and the Fairy Noble successfully reverted to his original form.
"I... I actually changed back!?"
Overjoyed, he touched his body repeatedly, laughing and nearly jumping with glee.
"It really works?"
The Fairies once again confirmed that Fairy Tristan hadn't been lying. Cheers of relief erupted from the crowd. The Fairies didn't fear death, but Mors' Curse threatened to erase them from existence entirely—a fate far more terrifying than death itself. But now, Mors' Curse was no longer a problem.
"The Fairy Savior!" Jiang You shouted, seizing the moment to lead the chant.
"The Fairy Savior!"
Soon, a Fairy reacted and echoed the chant. In an instant, the hall erupted with fervent cheers, and Fairy Tristan's identity as the Savior was truly cemented.
But Fairy Tristan hadn't forgotten her true purpose. She raised a hand to quiet the crowd's cheers and questioned the Fairy Noble who had returned to his original form: "How did you contract Mors' Curse? You showed no symptoms before, and it shouldn't have manifested so quickly."
Aurora's face paled slightly. She recognized him—he was the Fairy Noble who had turned and seen her face.
Before the noble could even answer, Fairy Tristan turned to Aurora with a deliberately theatrical smile.
I've been exposed all along! A chill ran down Aurora's spine.