"There are many who've wanted to kill me," Dean Bruce said calmly, "but none have succeeded. The souls of all those who disappeared—are they in that courtyard? Where are their bodies?"
"And why should I tell you?"
Miranda Joy replied, her face twisted in a mocking smile.
Dean Bruce remained composed. "If you don't answer, do you think you'll survive? Your father may not be so eager to protect you."
At these words, Prani Joy fell silent. Though he didn't hold much affection for Miranda, he wouldn't harm his own daughter.
However, he also knew that Dean Bruce was his savior, and helping Miranda could very well cost him his life.
With this thought in mind, Prani Joy's tone turned cold. "Miranda, tell us where the bodies are, or I will ensure you never leave this place! Rulda, prepare to act—don't let her escape!"
"Heh," Miranda suddenly smirked. "You're asking Miranda for answers. But what does any of this have to do with me?" A sly grin spread across her face. "Did I ever claim I was Miranda?"
Her words left everyone in the room stunned, even Dean Bruce. Although he had suspected something like this, hearing it confirmed out loud was still a shock.
If she wasn't Miranda Joy, then who was she? And when had she taken Miranda's place, fooling even Prani Joy?
It became painfully clear that Prani Joy's dislike for Miranda had blinded him, to the point where he couldn't even recognize his own daughter.
Without hesitation, Rulda Chel sprang into action, casting a spell. With a sharp stomp of his foot, flames erupted around the room, forming a barrier of fire that encased them all.
The imposter grinned wider. "Now that the game is up... let's be honest. Old man, if you hand over the throne to me, I'll spare your lives. You and your two sons can live out the rest of your days in the palace. But if you refuse to give me the throne..."
Her voice darkened, filled with malice. "I'll leave now, and I can't promise that the bodies of those nobles will remain unharmed."
Her thinly veiled threat caused everyone's brows to furrow in concern.
Dean Bruce could feel the weight of the situation. His primary objective was to save the entire Quirell family.
Most importantly, Linda Quirell had already been rescued, so whether or not the others were saved was of less significance to him. He had already gained the rewards he sought.
But there was one thing Dean Bruce couldn't tolerate—losing face.
Rulda Chel's voice grew cold. "I've already sealed this room. You think leaving will be that easy?"
Now that he knew the person in front of him wasn't the real Miranda Joy, Rulda Chel's tone had taken on a far more menacing edge.
The imposter shook their head and spoke softly, "Given that I possess the ability to separate souls from their bodies, do you think it was difficult for me to disguise myself as Miranda?"
As they spoke, the imposter turned toward Prani Joy, their voice chilling. "Prani, do you want to continue being king, or will you stand by and watch as the Empire of Lane Cloud crumbles into ruin?"
Hearing this, Prani Joy's expression became heavy with worry.
He couldn't bear the thought of handing over the throne to a stranger, even if that stranger would forever live under the identity and face of Miranda Joy. It was unthinkable.
Luckily, he hadn't hesitated to spend his Supreme Mage points on the lottery. Without those tools, he might have had to resort to brute force to subdue this imposter Miranda Joy.
Stepping forward, Dean Bruce retrieved the Soul Blood Nail from his system inventory and drove it directly into Miranda Joy's shoulder.
As her body trembled, a strange sensation washed over Dean Bruce, linking him to her soul.
After a moment of thought, Dean Bruce attempted to send a command to the soul within Miranda Joy's body. "Take us to where the bodies of the captives are being held," he ordered.
"Okay," came a soft reply.
To everyone's astonishment, Miranda Joy's body began moving, walking toward the exit of the palace. Her movements were slow and deliberate as if guided by invisible strings.
Rulda Chel quickly dismissed the flaming barrier he had erected earlier, and the group hurried after her.
They followed Miranda Joy out of the palace, her eyes shut tightly, as she made her way toward her personal quarters. Before long, they arrived inside, where she stopped in front of a white stallion, standing still and silent, not moving or speaking.
Dean Bruce raised an eyebrow, suddenly recalling the strange look he had noticed on the white stallion when he first saw it. He immediately understood what was going on. "There's likely a soul hidden inside this horse. Rulda, can you break this magic?"
"This is, after all, a matter concerning your Empire of Lane Cloud. I can't keep doing all the work, can I?" Dean added, with a calm but pointed tone.
Hearing this, Rulda Chel's face showed a hint of embarrassment. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Let this old man give it a try!"
Dean Bruce remained composed, but inwardly, he let out a sigh of relief.
With the Book of Dispel Magic gone, he didn't have the strength to break such complex magic on his own.
Thankfully, Rulda Chel, being the Grandmaster of the empire, possessed significant power. Though he hadn't detected the anomaly earlier, now that the secret had been revealed, he would have a solution.
Buzz—
As crimson light flickered, a soul suddenly floated out from within the horse.
"Sister!"
"Third Princess!"
Cries of shock and joy filled the air. Apart from Prani Joy, Apollon and the other members of the Empire of Lane Cloud rushed forward.
Apollon Joy's eyes were red with emotion. "I knew it! She wasn't my real sister! The real Miranda had such a good relationship with us, how could she ever plot against her own family?"
"..."
Rulda Chel, however, was the first to sense something wrong. He quickly turned to Dean Bruce and asked, "Mr. Dean, if we return the soul of the Third Princess to her body, will the artifact you've implanted in her still function to lead us to the remaining bodies?"
"It won't," Dean Bruce replied with a shake of his head. "You should have no trouble safeguarding the Third Princess's soul with your skills. Just send someone to handle that. The priority now is to locate the rest of the bodies."
"Understood, Mr. Dean," Rulda Chel responded. He then subtly signaled to several guardians, directing their attention back to the controlled body of Miranda Joy, who still held the key to uncovering the location of the captives.