The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v3c12

Chapter 12: Role Reversal

Undeniably, Moonflower’s offer at this “little Tea Party” was tempting: the “Hour of Death” ability, a part of the Fate Taboo Authority.

However… Luo Ling only felt a sense of sadness.

For Moonflower, this ability was perhaps just a proof of concept, a valuable bargaining chip. She didn’t care about the ability itself, only using “Hour of Death” to obtain the power she truly desired.

But for the former Victoria, it was the result of countless sacrifices.

If the Old Man had successfully controlled “Hour of Death,” its power in his hands would have been on a completely different level compared to Moonflower’s.

As Moonflower herself admitted, she was a Nightmare Path walker, far removed from the Present Path.

Not everyone was like Luo Ling, adaptable to all Paths.

Linna, despite being assimilated by the Puppet Ballad’s power, her consciousness even tainted by it, still primarily relied on her own abilities in battle, not the Puppet Ballad’s.

She could use them, but they weren’t effective.

The fundamental reason was incompatibility with her Path.

Moonflower faced a similar situation. Although she could use “Hour of Death,” its power was greatly diminished due to the Path mismatch.

Therefore, offering “Hour of Death” as a bargaining chip in exchange for a more suitable Taboo Authority was Moonflower’s optimal strategy.

But the problem was…

Iris raised her hand, her small face serious. “That sounds good, but where can I find a Nightmare Taboo Authority to trade with you?

“And even if I did, why would I trade with you?”

This was a crucial question. Iris wanted a Taboo Authority not for herself, but to save Lord Jingwei.

Her objective was different from Moonflower’s. Any Taboo Authority would suffice, as long as it gave her enough power to protect herself.

Moonflower and Camellia exchanged smiles, not immediately answering.

Luo Ling rolled her eyes and pecked Iris’s head in exasperation, her voice echoing in Iris’s mind,

“Silly, it’s Camellia who needs this Authority. This is a transaction between them. You’re just… a helper—the only difference between you and Snowdrop is that you’re free, and she expects payment.”

This explained why Moonflower had directly proposed this condition, disregarding whether Iris and Camellia could actually fulfill it.

“R-really?”

Iris’s expression changed slightly.

Just then, Moonflower said with a smile,

“Of course, I have a lead, hee hee… we’ll act together.

“If this operation succeeds, and I obtain a Nightmare Taboo Authority, I’ll give ‘Hour of Death’ to you two—whether it goes to you or Sister Camellia… I would prefer you, of course, but Sister Camellia also wants it, so it will depend on your abilities then.”

“So, is this a transaction?” Iris asked after a moment of silence, suddenly calm. “You’re inviting me to participate in this operation, with ‘Hour of Death’ as payment, or rather, with the opportunity to compete for ‘Hour of Death’ as payment?”

It was clearly Luo Ling speaking now.

Luo Ling couldn’t stand it any longer and used her domination ability through the fungal threads to temporarily control Iris’s body.

At the negotiation table, Miss Iris was a terrible negotiator, lacking the intelligence and calm judgment to handle such situations, often led by the nose, which was why she had been tricked so many times before.

But now… Luo Ling and Iris were allies. As teammates, Iris’s incompetence frustrated Luo Ling.

Seeing Iris about to sign another disadvantageous contract, Luo Ling had to intervene.

If anyone was going to sign it, it would be her, not some third party.

Iris, trapped within her own mind, was bewildered, unsure how to react to Luo Ling controlling her body.

…Which saved Luo Ling some trouble.

Iris’s sudden change was noticed by everyone. Moonflower’s playful smile faded, her wary gaze falling upon the teal bird nestled in Iris’s hair.

Although it seemed like a different person, Moonflower didn’t sense any change in Iris’s aura. The only explanation was that the divine avatar’s power had temporarily dispelled Iris’s confusion.

Tsk, she was becoming harder to fool.

Luo Ling’s guess was correct. Moonflower and Camellia had made a deal beforehand.

This important transaction, of course, wasn’t bound by a simple contract they could easily break, so the time and location… had been decided during their private conversation at the last Tea Party, while Iris wasn’t paying attention.

They had made an exchange, the final decision being that Camellia would help Moonflower obtain a Nightmare Taboo Authority, in exchange for “Hour of Death.”

But… just the two of them weren’t enough.

Moonflower knew that obtaining a Taboo Authority this time wouldn’t be as easy as in Victoria. She couldn’t just claim the spoils; she had to participate directly.

At least for now, with Victoria’s secrets still hidden, Moonflower held a slight advantage and had to act quickly. Otherwise… if the Taboo Godchosen got involved, things would become much more complicated.

Therefore, Moonflower had paid a hefty price to hire the powerful Snowdrop, and then tricked Iris into helping, adding another pawn.

Every bit of strength counted. Although Iris was weaker, she was still a God’s Favored, even without manifesting her divine avatar, she wasn’t to be underestimated, especially now.

“Miss Iris, don’t worry,” Camellia said, her voice as gentle as ever, although slightly childish.

“Even if ‘Hour of Death’ falls into my hands, it’s fine. I also have a lead on ‘Uncertain Fate,’ another of Fate’s abilities, which I’ll give to you.

“You can go alone, or invite us to join… as long as the payment is sufficient. Just like you said, this is a transaction.”

“Empty words are meaningless,” Luo Ling said, using Iris’s body. “I hope to propose a formal transaction at the next Tea Party.”

Even Camellia and Moonflower’s private deal had been made at the Tea Party. After all, the First Seat’s endorsement was valuable.

Within the Lost Kingdom, deception and lies were forbidden, the foundation of the Tea Party.

“No problem,” Camellia nodded readily.

Moonflower’s expression held a hint of disdain, but she quickly smiled.

“How about that, little Iris?”

Her gaze, however, was fixed on the teal bird on Iris’s head.

“…….”

Luo Ling’s consciousness returned to the bird. She looked up, meeting Moonflower’s seductive fox eyes, and rolled her eyes, covering her beak with her wing.

Just looking at Moonflower made her feel like she could smell the old fox’s stench, disgusting.

“Okay…”

Iris nodded, her face still blank.

Who was she? Where was she? What was she doing? And what deal had she just made?

Had she even been speaking just now? She couldn’t remember.

The confused Iris listened to Moonflower and Camellia discussing the details, occasionally nodding in agreement.

Luo Ling, as her teammate, felt helpless, but her domination was limited, as her reserve of power-infused fungal threads wasn’t large, a single use depleting it completely.

However… at least the details of the transaction were finalized, minor details didn’t matter.

Only Snowdrop didn’t participate in the discussion. Her role in this private meeting was clear: the powerful muscle hired by Moonflower and Camellia.

However, since Luo Ling revealed Jingwei’s true form, Snowdrop had been staring intently at her, her cold gaze unwavering.

“Could it be… that she knows Jingwei…?” Luo Ling wondered.

As fellow Sequence Grotesqueries from the Great Xia Imperial City, it was possible, but unfortunately, Her expectations were misplaced.

Luo Ling was just an imposter. The real Jingwei was still dormant; even if Iris tried to relay the message, it would be pointless.

Soon, this “little Tea Party” ended.

The surrounding greenery faded, the “past” shifting back to the “present,” and they returned to the desolate Qing Qiu Kingdom, ravaged by the ten suns.

“Goodbye everyone, remember to be on time next time, don’t be late!”

Moonflower said with a smile, waving goodbye.

She and Camellia exchanged glances, a silent communication passing between them.

Luo Ling noticed this, but she wasn’t surprised.

Only Iris remained oblivious, not understanding the situation. If Luo Ling hadn’t accompanied her, she would likely have been used again.

However, this was all Luo Ling could do.

She had wanted to leave some Spores in Qing Qiu Kingdom, but she discovered that in her Spore vision, Qing Qiu Kingdom only existed in the “present,” not the “past.”

…There was a reason why they had chosen this location for their little meeting.

As the surrounding scenery began to shift, Luo Ling sighed in relief. This tedious private gathering was finally over.

Just as Luo Ling pecked Iris’s head, intending to lecture the silly girl, she suddenly looked up, sensing something.

Within the distorted, overlapping scenery of the Great Xia Imperial City, a gaze fell upon her, not on Iris, but on Luo Ling, the small teal bird.

This gaze was ancient and distant, as if it had existed since time immemorial, only now noticing Luo Ling’s presence.

A chill ran down Luo Ling’s spine.

But… nothing happened.

Then, a sorrowful sigh and an indistinct murmur echoed,

“You finally…”

“Ow, what’s wrong?” Iris said, rubbing her head where Luo Ling had pecked her repeatedly, her voice filled with grievance. “Miss Black Kite, why are you pecking my head?”

She had endured the pecking during the meeting, not daring to react in front of Moonflower and the others.

They had returned to Twilight Victoria.

Having learned the way to Qing Qiu Kingdom, they no longer needed Iris’s burning hometown as a transit point.

Luo Ling, recovering from the shock of that gaze, pecked Iris’s head again in frustration.

“Because you’re stupid!”

She pecked so hard sparks flew, yet she still couldn’t undo the damage caused by this idiot selling her out again.

She had had to intervene and save the situation herself.

“Ow… stop pecking, stop pecking… I’ll become even stupider…”

Iris clutched her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

Luo Ling flapped her wings and landed, transforming back into the teal-haired girl, her face filled with exasperation, as Iris watched reluctantly.

“Forget it, it’s done,” Luo Ling sighed, rubbing her forehead. “At least it’s not the worst outcome…”

Seeing Luo Ling no longer angry, Iris smiled.

“Hee hee.”

This silly bird…

Luo Ling’s lips twitched, then her expression turned serious.

This trip to Qing Qiu Kingdom, even disregarding the meeting itself, had been fruitful.

It was Luo Ling’s first time in another Origin Point, experiencing the differences between the Great Xia Imperial City and Victoria firsthand.

Moreover, it made Luo Ling understand why the Godchosen were so fixated on Kingdoms, why Moonflower still resented Amethyst for receiving “Victoria at the Final Hour.”

—Besides Victoria, almost all existing Origin Points had incomplete Paths.

The Great Xia Imperial City, and even Valhalla, based on Camellia’s brief description, seemed to be the same.

Using abilities in a Boundary lacking their corresponding Path, without a Kingdom, would result in rapid depletion, just like the Awakened Ones in Victoria.

A powerful Kingdom was essential for a Godchosen or God’s Favored’s strength.

Because of this, Victoria, the only Origin Point with all Paths, was even more valuable to the beings in the other two Origin Points.

On the other hand, Moonflower’s actions were also important to Luo Ling.

Unlike Iris, Luo Ling wasn’t working for free. Any Authority, once in her hands, could be utilized.

By accompanying Iris, Luo Ling intended to claim not just Moonflower’s target Authority, but even “Hour of Death,” if possible. She just happened to be lacking an Other Shore-Present Path.

“Their destination seems to be… a Kingdom in Zhuolu’s Battlefield?”

Zhuolu’s Battlefield was the most important location in the Great Xia Imperial City, equivalent to Victoria within the Victoria Origin Point.

The story that took place there, the Battle of Zhuolu, was as famous as Jingwei’s story, although, like Victoria, after countless collapses and distortions, the stories of the Great Xia Imperial City had deviated significantly from their original versions.

However, this name also indicated the danger of Moonflower’s operation, no wonder she had gathered so many powerful allies.

Besides other competitors, Zhuolu’s Battlefield itself, containing a Taboo Authority, was likely incredibly dangerous.

“In that case, their reason for bringing Miss Iris… isn’t so simple…”

Luo Ling looked at Iris meaningfully. The silly bird was still smiling, completely unaware of the danger she had just narrowly avoided.

“Alright, I’m going back now, you prepare yourself,” Luo Ling sighed. “If possible, you be the bird, and I’ll be you.”

Since the little bird on Iris’s head couldn’t stop the silly girl from rushing into danger, and Luo Ling’s domination had limited uses, this was her only option.

“Huh?” Iris paused, hesitating. “But… I’ve never been a bird before…”

“Hmm? You haven’t transformed before?” Luo Ling asked, surprised.

“I have, but I quickly changed back,” Iris replied.

“Why?”

Luo Ling blurted out, then realized the answer.

“Because I didn’t have a head to nest on…”

Iris said sheepishly.

When she truly controlled the Mountains and Seas Authority, Jingwei had already been injured, so even if she wanted to cuddle with Her Lord, she couldn’t.

“In that case… let’s practice. You transform into a bird and nest on my head,” Luo Ling said after a moment of thought.

Practicing was important; they couldn’t mess up in front of Moonflower and the others.

“Really?”

Iris’s eyes lit up.

“Of course.”

Luo Ling nodded slightly. She had been nesting on Miss Iris’s head for a while now; it was only fair for Iris to do the same.

“But… aren’t you going home?” Iris hesitated.

Luo Ling thought for a moment.

“It’s fine, I’ll take you with me.”