383 You’re More Open-Minded Than I Thought At the VIP Area on top of the Dvalinn Tower… "Are you certain that it was Evuvug's corpse, and not the corpse of some random beetle?" Renz asked his brother in a calm tone. "They're on their way back here," Wendell replied. "We can personally confirm if it's really Evuvug or not." Renz frowned, but he also understood that the only thing he could do was wait until the Naval Fleet of the Leventis Family and the Central Government returned. Since they were not part of the operation, Arthur and Lawrence asked Elrod and Renz to not send any of their ships to spy on their military operations. Thinking that their mission was bound to fail, Wendell and Renz agreed to their request. The only reason why they became aware of the news was due to the spies whom they had planted on the 69th Battalion. These spies had informed them about the death of the Brain Beetle, who had traumatized many Wanderers in the past, at the soonest time possible. Unlike his brother, Renz, Wendell was truly hoping that the Brain Beetle was indeed dead. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢 If that were the case, they would have a higher chance of reclaiming the Northern Regions of the Continent, which would become their stronghold in the battle against the Jinns and Majins. Suddenly, the communicator in Wendell's hand started blinking. When he saw who the caller was, a smile appeared on his face before pushing the button that would allow him to talk to an old friend. "Is it really true that the Brain Beetle is dead?" the Monarch who ruled the Cygni Continent, Douglas Griffin, asked with a solemn expression on his face. "I'm still waiting for the Leventis Family's fleet to return here to my Headquarters," Wendell replied. "Until I get to inspect the corpse myself, I will not confirm or deny anything." Douglas nodded in understanding, but just like Wendell, he was truly hoping that the news wasn't fake. Right now, they needed hope, for the fate that had fallen in the Rigel Continent might also happen in the Cygni Continent. Any news that would boost the morale of the defenders would be welcomed with open arms. Sensing that he and Wendell were thinking about the same thing, Douglas shifted his attention to Renz, who was seated on the couch. "I've heard about your bet with Arthur's grandson," Douglas said. "If he had really defeated the Brain Beetle, are you really planning to become his subordinate and take orders from him?" "It's still not confirmed that the Brain Beetle is dead," Renz replied calmly. "But let's say that it is indeed the Brain Beetle… if that is the case, I will not go back on my words." "Hoh~ you're more open-minded than I thought." Douglas arched an eyebrow. Renz shrugged. "If I'm going to take orders from someone, I'd like to take orders from someone competent. There are too many incompetent people in the world who are in positions of power. I believe that it's all thanks to them that the world is being overrun by the Jinns and Majins." Douglas and Wendell didn't say anything and only looked at Renz, who casually lit a cigar and gave it a few puffs. They didn't know if the strategist of the Dvalinn Federation was referring to them or not, but it still made them feel that Renz was indirectly targeting them with his words. "Well, you're not wrong," Douglas said after a minute of silence. "Still, to think that Arthur's grandson would be the one to accomplish this monumental task—it makes me feel a little envious. "If my lineage had such a talented individual, I would certainly be able to sleep peacefully at night." Wendell chuckled. "Indeed. I feel the same way." "Inform me when you are going to inspect the corpse of the Brain Beetle," Douglas said. "I want to see for myself if that f*cking bug is really dead or not." Wendell nodded. "Very well. I'll contact you as soon as they arrive." Douglas returned Wendell's nod before cutting the connection. The travel time from the Southeast of the Rigel Continent to the north usually took an entire day. The only reason why the representatives were able to arrive early was due to the fact that they rode a plane to reach the Naval Fleet that had just finished their mission. At first, Benedict proposed to take Zion, Arthur, Lawrence, and Tristan to the Dvalinn Federation's headquarters by using their plane, but the teenage boy declined their offer. Thirteen told them that he was exhausted from the entire ordeal and that he wanted to sleep before meeting Wendell and Renz. Since the body of the Brain Beetle was inside his Dimensional Storage, and Benedict and the other representatives couldn't just go back empty-handed, they decided to stay as well. All of them had inspected Evuvug's body and could confirm that it looked like the Brain Beetle. However, there was a possibility that they were wrong, so they decided to let Wendell, who had seen Evuvug up close in the past, serve as the final judge. While the teenage boy was sleeping peacefully with Tiona, the spies of the 69th Battalion were feeling giddy after their employers handsomely paid them for the information they had given them. The Valkyries were also in a good mood because Thirteen said that Viola, Sharon, and Louise had played a huge role in dealing the final blow to the Brain Beetle. Thirteen had spun a tale of drama, suspense, and desperation, painting the battle with Evuvug as the greatest battle ever waged in the Rigel Continent. Of course, he made sure to add the Centipede King to the story, telling everyone that while the two Kings fought with each other, his team took advantage of the confusion to go for the killing blow. Hans had been briefed about the made-up story beforehand to make sure that both their testimonies were consistent. As for the Valkyries, their memories of the battle were a complete blank. But they were fine with that. This wasn't the first time they couldn't recall anything because Thirteen had trained them that way. They had already experienced it many times when they had been undergoing the teenage boy's experiment. Before the battle, Zion had explained that the moment the battle started, he would put the three of them in a trance-like state so that Evuvug's Mind Control wouldn't work on them. The story that he created was foolproof, so the teenage boy was confident that he would be able to handle the interrogation that would happen once they returned to the Dvalinn Federation's Headquarters. The only regret Thirteen had was that he didn't have the time to look for the Cursed Artifact that was supposed to be hidden in Evuvug's Lair. But he was fine with that. He planned to return to the South after meeting up with Wendell and Renz in the Dvalinn Federation. Since he had won the bet, he would finally be able to get the authority he would need to scout the lands of the Rigel Continent unhindered, as he looked for the Cursed Artifacts that his Master had hidden during his lifetime.