Chapter 652 — Ophelia Norton's Identity

The Defiance Plan was the most important secret project of the Gondor Empire during the Spark Era. From the very beginning, it had been controlled by the Gondor royal family. Therefore, upon hearing the surname Norton, Gao Yang had already formed certain conjectures about Ophelia's identity. But conjectures were conjectures—now, hearing confirmed intelligence from a true ancient, the impact on his heart was still considerable!

"Her current name is Virodai Moen," he let out a soft breath, and his opening words startled both Camille on the communicator and Wright beside him. "She is inside the Yaoxiao Cathedral, and in three hours she intends to announce that the Pope and the entire college of bishops have all been martyred."

"Holy Light..." Wright's face showed an expression of shock. The impact of this news was so great that in that first moment he did not even realize the Northern Church had suffered a blow that, to the Southern Church, was absolutely good news. Even Emily, floating behind him, sensed the surge of Holy Light around Wright. The little girl immediately concealed her form, then poked half her head out from the ripples of Holy Light, cautiously surveying her surroundings.

Camille's entire form turned purple-red—a sign of extreme shock: "Is the information reliable? Where did you obtain this intelligence?"

"She told it herself, and accurately described your origins and the Defiance Plan," Gao Yang said, then concisely recounted his experience in the Yaoxiao Cathedral the previous night, described the cooperation terms proposed by the Defiant who called herself "Ophelia Norton," and finally appended some of his own conjectures. "I believe there is a larger truth behind her. What remains of the Defiance Plan may be more than we imagine—she used 'we' to refer to herself, which may mean that the original Ophelia Norton has through some ancient magic split into several souls, and the so-called Virodai Moen is merely a temporary vessel used by one of those split souls."

"That conjecture is quite possible..." Camille mused, and after some thought said cautiously, "I advise you to treat this Defiant with caution—even if her identity is genuine, you must maintain sufficient vigilance and sufficient distance. You must not trust her easily."

Gao Yang glanced at Camille: "I thought you, as a fellow Defiant, would feel more warmth and trust toward that 'princess.' After all, in a sense, she was once your superior."

"I do indeed have some pre-existing trust and warmth toward Princess Ophelia as a fellow Defiant, but before that, I am first your advisor and scholar," Camille buzzed. "I must warn you of the potential risk, especially since this risk may be very great."

"Tell me your concerns."

"The Defiance Plan is the most extreme and audacious plan since the birth of mortals. The Defiants are a group of extremists who attempt to ensure humanity's survival by stealing, twisting, or even controlling the power of gods. Paranoia, extremism, and recklessness are themselves the traits of Defiants. We did have noble goals and firm resolve, and the original starting point was very good, but the long passage of time and humanity's inherent paranoia can easily twist these good elements," Camille said, voicing his concerns. "If what you say is true, Princess Ophelia Norton has lived for a thousand years, seven hundred of them after the fall of the Gondor Empire, spent in human nations in the form of a parasitic soul. Such a long and alienated existence must have had a profound influence on her..."

Here Camille paused, his tone grave: "I dare not imagine what a human being would become after experiencing such a thousand years—she might be a saint who has transcended mortal spiritual limits, but more likely she is a madwoman."

Gao Yang stroked his chin, pondering: "You have likewise experienced a thousand years, and under even worse circumstances—you were sealed within a fortress in the Shadow Realm."

"Yes, then you must not have forgotten that I, too, was once half-mad," Kamael said. "And my body has been remade into a spirit form, no longer subject to the various neural signals and hormonal substances of a flesh-and-blood body. In a sense, my mental state has become semi-fixed, and its resilience exceeds that of flesh-and-blood humans. But Princess Ophelia... she has dwelt in one fleshly body after another, and it is hard to say what changes her mental state has undergone over these long years."

"Then you take a negative view of Ophelia's offer of cooperation?"

"...Not entirely," Kamael shifted his tack. "Her cooperation is still of enormous value, not only because she now controls the great cathedral of Frostperch, but also because she possesses knowledge we do not understand. Moreover, it is necessary for us to learn through her what changes the Church of the Shining Star has undergone over all these years, and to learn what exactly she intends to do by means of the Church. I am merely offering you my advice, laying out all the risks for your consideration."

Gao Yun nodded slightly and looked toward Wright, who stood to one side.

"What is your opinion?"

Wright had already been pondering for some time. Facing Gao Song's question, he said in a deep voice, "...I believe cooperation is possible, my lord."