Chapter 474

But just as Leon was about to open his mouth to say something, the Red-haired Bureau Director seemed to have anticipated his thoughts in advance, slightly shifting her body and whispering into his ear: “I have a pair of earrings on my ears. During combat with me, whether attacking me or being attacked by me, the effect of these [Heart-stealing Studs] will be triggered, allowing me to hear parts of your innermost thoughts.”

“…”

So that’s how it is…

After hearing the Red-haired Bureau Director’s explanation, a flicker of understanding involuntarily crossed Leon’s eyes.

No wonder the Doe of Afflicted Flesh endured such bullying without retaliating; as a member of that mysterious organization, it must have secrets it didn’t want the Bureau Director to know. Thoughts are things even the True God cannot fully control.

The more the Doe of Afflicted Flesh didn’t want the Bureau Director to hear, the more likely it would dwell on certain things in its mind. If they were to really fight, it would be almost equivalent to self-exposure, so naturally, it could only try its best to avoid direct confrontation.

“Director, may I ask something?”

After glancing at the Taurus Director who was deep in thought in the crystal ball, Leon poked the back of the Red-haired Bureau Director and communicated through soul exchange: ‘What’s up with your [Heart-stealing Studs]? Are they easy to trigger?’

‘Pretty easy.’

The Red-haired Bureau Director blinked and said: ‘These two Heart-stealing Studs come as a pair. The one on my left ear triggers every time my body is attacked, while the one on my right ear triggers every time I attack the opponent’s body. Usually, I only use the one on my right ear.’

Every time you hit the opponent’s body, the [Heart-stealing Studs]’ effect gets triggered?

After hearing the Red-haired Bureau Director’s words, Leon’s eyebrows couldn’t help but twitch slightly.

If that’s the case, then the number of times the [Heart-stealing Studs] get triggered is directly linked to the frequency of attacks. And with our Bureau Director’s total of over 100 million “Slaughter Blood Hairs,” when it comes to attack frequency, there probably aren’t many people who can even compare.

That means, unless she’s worried about receiving too much useless information and overheating her brain, anyone fighting against our Bureau Director would have their plans completely transparent, all their intentions preemptively detected.

Sss… Upon careful consideration, this is quite insane. No wonder no one wants to provoke her.

‘Leon.’

Quietly reaching behind her back, the Red-haired Bureau Director gave Leon’s hand a little twist before glaring at him rather unhappily.

‘Are you forgetting that our souls are still connected? I can hear what you’re thinking.’

Uh… I haven’t forgotten, but I can’t control what pops into my mind…

Caught red-handed for “talking” ill of someone mentally, Leon could only shift the topic somewhat awkwardly:

‘The Aquarius Director mentioned that members of that organization sign something, and if they leak any secrets, they’ll immediately die on the spot. Later, under the Aquarius Director’s suggestion, that thing was modified, but there must still be some restrictions.

So Director, your [Heart-stealing Studs] effect absolutely counters them. If we encounter someone suspected to be a member of that organization in the future, you can first inquire about these matters. If successful, they’ll drop dead instantly; if not, at least you’ll hear some news.’

“Great idea!”

…

“Olivia.”

“I’ve been pondering it, and I feel like this matter might be far more serious than we imagined.

If I’m not mistaken, the ultimate goal of that organization’s actions against royal families across various countries is likely to weaken or even block the protective effects of the Watchtower Palace.”

The Watchtower Palace again? Upon hearing the Taurus Director’s judgment, Leon and the others couldn’t help but exchange glances, after which the Red-haired Bureau Director asked:

“Could you elaborate further? Why does attacking members of the royal family weaken the effects of the Watchtower Palace?”

“This is a long story…”

The Taurus Director’s expression wasn’t too good as she explained:

“At first, we ‘Palace Sitters,’ after completing our ascension to the palace, could still retain human hearts. But over unimaginably long periods, we are destined to gradually lose our will under the influence of the Watchtower Palace, becoming indifferent to human emotions.

However, the source of power for the Watchtower Palace is love—for oneself, for loved ones, and even for the entire human race. Souls lacking this drive of love will diverge from the Watchtower Palace’s power, making it difficult to continue serving as Palace Sitters.”

When she paused here, the Taurus Director sighed: “To tell the truth, this matter is somewhat cruel…

Because Palace Sitters are truly very rare, sometimes there are even vacancies. To ensure each Palace Sitter’s ‘service life’ is long enough to last until the next Palace Sitter arrives, the first Twin Fish Director came up with a clever method—adding an ‘anchor point’ for all Palace Sitters.”

“Anchor point?”

“You can think of it as the person most cherished by the Palace Sitter, preferably a spouse or direct bloodline descendant.”

The Taurus Director gently explained: “Love is not only a feeling but also a habit. With this anchor point, even if the Palace Sitter’s soul slowly loses its original rich emotions over time, it will follow this habit, maintaining its current state and continuing to carry out the mission of protecting humanity.

The ancestors of the royal families of the Twelve Kingdoms chose their children as anchor points before ascending to the palace. Although the ‘anchor points’ they originally chose have long since passed away, this connection has been passed down through bloodlines, spreading among the members of the royal families of the Twelve Kingdoms.”

“But weren’t the souls of those past Palace Sitters already scattered with time?”

Leon couldn’t help but ask upon hearing this:

“If they are no longer around, shouldn’t the existence or absence of these anchor points have no impact on the Watchtower Palace?”

“No, even though their souls have disappeared, their will doesn’t vanish because of that; instead, it becomes part of the Watchtower Palace.”

The Taurus Director shook her head and said: “Depending on the strength of the soul, a Palace Sitter can last at least three to four hundred years, and some can even continue for over a thousand years until they are completely erased. This period is truly extremely long.

Even ordinary people sitting facing walls for extended periods might leave their shadows on the walls, and the souls of those predecessors were originally very powerful. After sitting quietly in the Watchtower Palace for thousands of years to protect humanity, their ‘shadows’ have long been etched into the Watchtower Palace, becoming part of it.

The increasing efficacy of the Watchtower Palace is closely related to the ‘shadows’ left by these predecessors. Even though their souls have been eroded by time, their will continues to guard our race according to the habits they had during their lifetimes.”

(End of Chapter)