NOVEL NEXT 191. Plans for the Future
"Otto City is in a state of distress," Ravenna spoke aloud as she wrote, "thanks to Bolita's maneuvering toward building a Conley Armory there… and the trade halt, information thanks to Kenric." She stopped for a moment, reviewing her handwriting.
"I can leverage my victory in this war, and the convenient credit for Nolan's death to my favor." Her pen scratched another neat line of ink. "It will be far easier to convince Otto City to join my dukedom without bloodshed, especially in the current climate. With the perception of safety… and the undeniable perceived strength of Kim City's naval warfare capabilities."
Ravenna's expression hardened. "Although… that same perception could be a double-edged sword. If my enemies believe Kim City is far more capable than it truly is, they may appear with overwhelming force to test it." She tapped the ledger again and let out a short exhale. "Still… this is for the better."
Another arrow flowed across the page, this one pointing from Otto City to a blank section. She wrote in careful, deliberate script: Cult of Absolution & Aurora's Parents' Disappearance.
Her tone dropped, cold and edged. "From what we know, the cult was, and still is active in Otto City. There's no other explanation for how Count and Countess Flask vanished… and Ethan Flask was found dead just as their investigation reached the city."
She leaned back slightly, pen poised but unmoving. "The cult wasn't a priority for me before, since I intended to detour from the main plot… but now, more than ever, the threat is real. And immediate."
She connected another arrow from that entry to yet another space on the page and wrote in bold strokes: The Reveal of Marie's Saintesshood.
Then She opened the Reputation system.
[ Reputation System v1.0 ]
User: Ravenna Solarius / Joy Cha Kim
Reputation Level: 71 — (6000 / 120,400 EXP)
Current Reputation Points: 200,050 RP
Titles Unlocked: Raven of the Sun Palace, Unruly Princess, Beast Slayer
{ View Reputation Log } { Spend Reputation Points }
Opening the { Spend Reputation Points } and selected the internet option to access the Light's Conquest's Novel website.
"The Cult of Absolution showing up this early…" she muttered, tapping the edge of the page with the pen tip. "If this were following the original novel's timeline, it wouldn't have been much of a concern yet. But now?" Her lips thinned. She drew another arrow connecting Cult of Absolution to Otto City. "Now that the Saintess's existence has been revealed, they won't stop until they kill her, just like they did in the original story."
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "At least… Nobody knows exactly who the Saintess is. Not yet. Only that she's somewhere in Kim Dukedom."
With a swift flick of the wrist, she penned a new line across the parchment: Continental Holy War.
Her voice dropped into a low murmur, almost as if she were reciting a prophecy. "In the second half of the original novel, once the Saintess was revealed, all twelve religions began a holy war, each trying to claim her as their own figurehead. In that version of the timeline, Marie was in the hands of the Main Herptian Church on the Western Continent. They managed to protect her… until the Witch of the West appeared, forcing all twelve religions to unite against the witch and the cult."
She paused, pen hovering midair. "But now? Now Marie is here. On an island, far from the Western Continent. Which means…" Her eyes slid back to the words Continental Holy War as she added a new arrow branching from it. "If the war comes, it will come here, to Kim Dukedom."
Another section of the page soon bore fresh ink: Herptian Headquarters, Western Continent.
"The Main Herptian Church will almost certainly reach out to me now," she mused aloud. "They'll want to solidify their connection, especially since they know now that the Saintess is within my territory. And the Imperial Court, along with my darling siblings, will no doubt assume that the only reason I've managed so well on this remote island is because the Herptian Church is already backing me."
A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "I should let them keep thinking that. And when the offer comes… I'll take it. Working with them will make my position unassailable."
Her eyes flickered briefly with something like respect. "In the novel, they suffered heavily during the holy war… but they still managed to keep Marie safe until the end. Aligning with them now will give me the resources and the legitimacy I need."
She underlined the entry with a precise, heavy stroke.
Her gaze drifted back across the web of ink until it landed on a particular entry: Order of Expansion. She traced the letters lightly with her fingertip, the corner of her mouth tilting upward in something between a smirk and a grimace.
"I should start there," she decided aloud. "Kenric will have to be my first move. If I can solve the Order of Expansion issue swiftly, it clears a massive obstacle out of my path. One less thorn in my side before the real game begins."
She reached into the desk drawer, retrieving a fresh sheet of fine parchment, the kind reserved for formal correspondence, and laid it flat on the desk. The smooth surface gleamed faintly under the soft light of her study's chandelier. Dipping her pen in ink, she poised it over the page… only to notice the faint shift of colors in the room.
Her eyes flicked toward the tall window, where the pale orange and rose hues of dawn had begun to spill over the horizon. The first sliver of the sun peeked above the sea, scattering gold across the waves.
A faint, wry chuckle escaped her lips. "So… I stayed up the entire night worrying," she muttered, half amused, half weary. The irony wasn't lost on her, hours spent plotting and writing, yet she felt no closer to rest.
Still, the sight of a new day carried its own strange reassurance. Straightening in her chair, she set the pen to the parchment, the ink flowing in crisp, deliberate strokes as she began to draft her letter to Kenric, one calculated word at a time.