"Our three-way Northern Campaign must not be missing any one of us. You're going to Salvia Kingdom to handle the Divine Mirror, and that's already the most dangerous task of this whole operation. Since you're determined to go, take these divine items with you for protection."
"I and Prince Leland will ride back to our own countries as fast as possible. We'll mobilize our troops and power according to our plan and lie in wait near the borders of Salvia and the other kingdoms."
"As soon as word of your success reaches us, Gladiolus and Dahlia will immediately launch an attack. We'll take down Salvia and the others in one move."
After rushing for several more days, the four of them finished discussing the details of the campaign. Then the three caravans split up. Gareth and Prince Leland each took their own people and raced back to their respective countries to begin moving their forces.
Elara handed over her group to Mr. Gong again and left all the Shadow Guards of the "Attendant" clan to them. They were to escort the team quickly and safely back home.
But on the day she sent off the "caravan," someone who had been hiding inside the carriage and not showing himself for several days suddenly came to see her.
"You... take this."
Emory handed Elara a sheet of paper-thin skin.
As soon as Elara touched it, the System in her mind gave a startled cry:
"Wow! Master! This skin is actually a divine item too! Did Emory just give you one of their Thousand Faces Sect's divine treasures? It's perfect for changing identity and hiding your appearance!"
Elara raised her eyebrows slightly. Then she heard Emory, who was standing before her with lowered eyes, speak:
"I don't know what you're going to do again, but I know it must be something dangerous. You saved me and my senior brother, and I don't have anything else to repay you with for now. This 'Face Illusion' was something my master left me."
"It lets you freely change into someone else's appearance three times within ten days. Any gender, any body type."
Emory said that, then pressed his lips together and glanced at Elara. "Take it with you. Be careful... don't get hurt."
It really was a good thing. Especially since she was going to infiltrate Salvia's royal palace, having the ability to freely disguise as someone else was a huge advantage.
Elara originally only wanted Emory to give her some tools for disguise. Now with the "Face Illusion," the problem was completely solved.
"Alright, once this is all over, I'll return the 'Face Illusion' to you."
Elara accepted it. Emory finally lifted his eyes slightly. His long and narrow gaze curved a little as he looked at her. Then he softly said, "No need," before bowing and returning to his carriage.
After sending off the "caravan," Elara led the remaining guards of the Wei clan and quickly headed toward Salvia Kingdom.
Salvia was located at the northernmost edge of the western continent. The temperature there was cold all year round. There were very few forests, and only the southern border was covered in vast grasslands.
Directly below Salvia was Narcissus Kingdom to the far east, Salvia Kingdom to the southeast, and various other nations to the far south.
Elara was coming from the east, so she had to pass through what used to be the eastern lands of Gladiolus, now known as Narcissus Kingdom.
She had traveled from Plumera to attend the banquet in the Geranium Kingdom, and with all the delays along the way, it had taken her more than twenty days in total.
Now, rushing straight to the Salvia Kingdom, with the trade caravan already split up and the Uno clan all being people with strong inner power, and since Salvia was located further east, Elara took shortcuts and small paths. It only took her thirteen days to reach the imperial city of Salvia.
Before entering the city, Elara and the Uno members changed into the trade caravan disguises prepared for them by Prince Leland.
After entering the city smoothly, they quietly observed the imperial city of Salvia while heading toward the inn that Prince Leland had arranged for them.
The overall landscape and customs of the Salvia Kingdom were very different from the central and southern parts of the continent. It was somewhat like the ancient northern tribes of Huaxia, only even more barbaric and primitive.
Even within the imperial city, the local customs were still wild and uncivilized. Not long after entering the city, Elara saw a group of nobles from the Salvia Kingdom wearing unusual clothing and riding horses, dragging a long line of naked slaves behind them.
They shouted and laughed loudly as they sped through the streets, pulling the screaming slaves like strings of grapes, leaving trails of blood and flesh on the road.
The bystanders, who were not slaves, burst into laughter as if they were watching some kind of amusing entertainment and felt quite delighted.
The slaves tied to the street by chains through their collarbones trembled in fear like animals, or else remained numb and lifeless.
The rigid class system of this era seemed to be enforced even more harshly within the Salvia Kingdom.
Listening to the screams and laughter around her, Elara lowered the veil on her hat and walked past the roadside cattle, horses, and sheep toward the inn.
Inside the inn, the waiting innkeeper greeted them like ordinary guests.
That night, the innkeeper took Elara and Uno to a shabby little house in the southern part of the imperial city and gave them two sets of palace servant uniforms from the Salvia Kingdom.
After they changed into the outfits, the innkeeper quietly told them about recent events in the imperial palace. He also gave them two human-skin masks and two identity tokens, then carefully explained the roles they were going to play once they entered the palace.
"Honored guests, the palace servants who serve closely beside the emperor undergo strict inspections every day."
"To make sure you can enter the palace smoothly, your current roles are just as a female servant and a male slave going out to buy supplies. The palace servants are already waiting outside. Once you enter, be very careful!"
...
The imperial palace of the Salvia Kingdom had three main halls.
One for holding court, one for the emperor's residence, and one for the residence of the palace women.
The emperor's hall, located in the center of the entire palace, was where the emperor of Salvia usually stayed all year round.
The top three assassins from the Blood Garment Tower often took turns guarding that area, always keeping watch over the emperor.
In addition to these three halls, at the northernmost part of the palace was a very hidden and long-sealed old hall.
This old hall could only be entered by the royal bloodline of Salvia and the chief palace servant who had served beside the emperor since childhood.
Disguised as a purchasing maid, Elara entered the palace with the supply cart and calmly took out the map tracker, scanning the entire detailed layout of the palace and storing it in the System map.
She recalled what Prince Leland and the innkeeper had told her about recent events in the Salvia dynasty and the palace, the patrol times of the royal guards, and the current positions of the three Blood Garment Tower assassins. Elara pondered how to get close to the chief palace servant and quietly take his place.
Not long after entering the palace, she heard a sharp, harsh female voice.
"You dare to come back this late just from buying supplies? Don't you know what day it is today? If His Majesty arrives and things aren't ready, none of you worthless dogs will survive!"