Quick Transmigration: Saving The Crazy Villainess

Chapter 354: Agatha (52) <2-in-1>

To fall for the same trick twice would mean one was incapable of learning from their mistake. Francis IV, as seemingly useless and careless he was in politics and management, was still not as inept to ignore this rule.

Margarette was unlucky. Because unlike when the king first tasted the same magic and tactic from Jiang Li, he was now more prepared in case it happened to him again.

Shortly after he realized his mobility was taken away from him, Francis IV immediately chanted something which lit up the talisman given by the fortune-teller. The talisman was specially requested upon learning his adoptive mother couldn't stay any longer. At witching hours of yesterday, the fortune-teller spent her last hour in this world by speaking with him and explaining to him some stuff, in which the grasping the spell needed to activate the protective talisman became his greatest headache. But, at least the result bore fruit now.

He managed to free himself from the binding magic. 

Looking at the woman who was dumbfoundedly looking at him after all her spells were negated, he roared for his servants to either wake up or be in a formation.

What he ordered came into a reality.

But it seemed Margarette was not totally without means to escape if put in an encirclement so she didn't immediately flee upon realizing things were not going her way. With wrinkled forehead, she asked the king about Jiang Li, the so-called Supreme Magician who barged into the palace yesterday.

The king, bewildered by the purpose of her visit, replied he didn't know where that fellow was now. In his mind, he was also criticizing the girl whose three views seemed to be very skewed.

'I've done my divination, and it says this daughter of mine doesn't harbor ill intention against Jiang Li. Wasn't she there when the old hag was almost frozen to death? That old hag is her adoptive grandmother! Even if she doesn't know, don't tell me she forgot she's her master?'

The king seemed to have forgotten that his own concubine had no good morals to boast of as he thought of this.

But indeed, if Margarette was a filial disciple, she would have thought of taking revenge for the fortune-teller whom she didn't know if alive of death. However, all Margarette had in mind was Jiang Li. It was because she was his wife that she couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt towards him. It was unusually strong, she was even suspecting if there other people inside her influencing her. Perhaps, Aliyah's multiple personalities? She wondered.

But the heartache was indeed there. She badly wanted to find him.

Unfortunately, Francis IV, her cheap father, didn't live up to her expectations and had no information to offer even after minutes of talking with him. She had to flee when more palace guards turned up. The trip was a waste. Nothing was gained.

The other unfortunate thing was that she didn't know the one she was looking for was only a few dozen meters away, checking up on the villainess and the royal envoy from Borley.

They were not even miles apart but their lives seemed to never have any intersection after that.

When Margarette charged into the palace to get news about Jiang Li, the latter was busy meeting Agatha.

When Margarette went to House White after hearing another report of his sighting there, Jiang Li was actually no longer there but spying on the knight male lead while secretly practicing his magic.

Days after that, Jiang Li was watching the fight between the two male leads outside the inner district when the girl strode into the royal envoy's house upon receiving news of a young Supreme Magician stealing some very important items from Prince Benedict. The former happened when Adam and his team formally kidnapped the Duchess after Marian was identified formally with the help of the royal envoy.

It was before the robbing incident. It was such an interesting turn of events that would make one wonder if the stealing was done deliberately only after Prince Benedict made use of the communication tool with the Pope of Penemue to verify Adam's guess.

A week after that incident which resulted in Adam's successful kidnapping, Jiang Li was teaching a talented young boy in the village near the desert when the next fight between the two male leads broke out. It took place right outside the same village, and Margarette was there, following the tracks deliberately left by the guy.

When she got embroiled in the matter, having contributed to Adam being distracted due to her face, she almost lost to despair, arriving at a terrifying conclusion.

A popular quotation came out of her mouth. "Once is coincidence. Twice is stupidity. Thrice is an enemy's action." 

"He knows I have the means to locate him if he just leaves any clue. So this is all in his calculations?" Margarette chewed on her lower lip, feeling wronged at this unending chase.

"Why couldn't we just sit down and talk? I already reflected and I'm more than willing to change as long as he comes back."

She carefully pondered over their actions and even referenced the relationship between other couples. In her findings, the majority of those whose marriage had failed did not really hold a good talk or try again to work it out before giving up on each other.

Communication was the key. But even if she was willing, how could she work on this without Jiang Li's cooperation?

It takes two people to tango!

Her eyes reddening from helplessness, she cursed at Jiang Li's heartlessness and pridefulness.

Yet, even so, deep in her heart, she understood that he wouldn't do this to teach her a lesson had she not committed a grave mistake.

But until when would they be in this situation? This was the question plaguing her mind. 

Margarette had no idea, as it was only something Jiang Li could answer. But perhaps, it was a good thing that he couldn't tell her right now. It would be better that she had no idea about his plan. Otherwise, she would just be more heartbroken.

Jiang Li once told the system."They said absence makes the heart fonder" 

To which the special being replied, "So you left?" If it had eyes, the system would have widened them at him in shock. "So that's the real reason?"

The young man looked down and chuckled. "Oh. No."

The child practicing writing on the ground looked up nervously at his teacher.

Jiang Li shook his head at him and gave a reassuring smile. In his mind, he continued, "That saying is for her. Absence makes the heart fonder. As for me, I simply left to regain my IQ. You know, it has been a popular joke on the internet before how matters of the heart can make even the most intelligent person stupid."

The system braved asking when he planned to end the cat-and-mouse running game. Jiang Li only smiled. But if Margarette learned what was in his mind, she would have despaired more.

Unfortunately, the youth was really in his childish grandpa mode, set on disciplining a very bad granddaughter even to the point of being heartless to himself just to prove how petty, cough, resolute, he was.

Days passed. After that grueling fight which was followed by an emotionally and physically taxing journey, Adam and his knight companions finally managed to bring back Marian to Borley. Margarette and her group separately also entered this foreign kingdom with mixed emotions. The duke and his force were hot on their trails. 

Somehow, or rather through the magic of their very own existence, they managed to drag the huge personages in the kingdom, including the high priests of the churches, into their mess. This brought them closer to the real conspiracies and schemes being weaved by the Gallagher clan, relatives of the Pope of Penemue and House White. At the same time, Marian came into contact with the killer of her brother, albeit it was a coincidental one where she only thought the guy was familiar and gave her an uncomfortable feeling. 

Anyways, while the two pairs of leads were stirring up dramas and confrontations all over the capital city of Borley, Jiang Li was busy planning how to sneak into the Church of Wisdom's archives. Days had been spent on it as his target was in the heart of the main headquarters of a religion.

As everyone knew, the library was the most valued wealth of the church since they were believers of wisdom. The place where millions of valuable books and insightful arts had been kept was guarded by more than a hundred holy knights outside. Inside it constantly patrolled about fifty clergymen.

The real headache for the infiltration was the magic arrays 'allegedly' set up there by the Goddess herself. Coming up of ways to deal with the complicated chain of arrays had been the real cause of his consecutive days of staying up very late. Thankfully before the fifth day ends of staying in the capital, he managed to think of something. 

When he successfully managed to sneak into the library, the guy with large eyebags hurriedly plunged himself into the sea of knowledge. The system became bored from watching him read tomes for hours so it asked him one thing when it could no longer restrain its curiosity.

It was the same question that Margarette had brought up to herself before.

"Hey. My dear host, we both know your female lead has chased after you all the way here to Borley. And I think if she learns you are now in this gigantic library, she wouldn't hesitate to follow you here. So, when do you plan to stop this game and see her?"

That time, Jiang Li was too absorbed in reading so its words only entered one ear and exited another. Surrounded by tall shelves and books about history and magic, he was standing before a particular section holding only classified books. The one he was reading was about the angels who have ascended and made themselves gods for Mu denizens to worship. There was even a frown on his face as if he was reading something he was being skeptical about. 

The system had to call out his name several times before he temporarily stopped scanning the page he was on. He blinked his eyes, "When I plan to stop this, you ask?"

Footsteps rang from his left. When Jiang Li turned his head to that direction, the child-like voice asked back in a rather hesitant and defensive tone.

"I mean, will it be once you are very very very sure that Agatha won't be in danger anymore and won't court death by herself anymore? That is, after officially completing your mission? Or will it be after your one-month tour outside the Mu continent?"

The owner of the footsteps, the librarian or a patrolling priest perhaps, passed by and Jiang Li did not speak before ensuring the other was no longer nearby. Although no nervousness could be seen on his face as he was in an invisible state, this wanted fake messenger wanted to make sure no accident would happen. He was careful, not letting his pride in his spell blind him with complacency.

Only when the noises faded, returning that part of the library into a serene state, did Jiang Li's breathing become regular again. A corner of his mouth lifted up with a smile. "Wrong answer, sorry. I only plan to see her again once I'm done with my new goal."

"New goal?"

Jiang Li nodded in a jovial manner. 

The puzzled system did not get a definite answer even after an hour of waiting. Then, another hour later, its imaginary eyes just widened when the guy suddenly pumped his fist with joy. Curiosity got into it and he checked what restricted book made Jiang Li behaved like that.

Its title read, 'On How To Become A God'. 

It sounded like a piece of bad news for Margarette. 

...