Before long, Cyborn, leading Leya and Erica, quickly arrived on the second floor of the building, the so-called VIP section.
“Your Highness… they have arrived.”
“Mm, you’ve worked hard, Cyborn.” The young man nodded slightly, then cast his gaze upon the one person in this entire affair who most piqued his interest, and indeed, his curiosity… Leya!
“Heh, your gaze is quite unique. To be honest, it’s my first time seeing a subject of the kingdom who can remain so calm after meeting me.”
“Is that so? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I am not from here…”
Leya casually assessed the young man before her. Her first impression was of someone who appeared incredibly distinguished, even haughty, likely due to his noble birth. This was a fact Leya could accept.
Her second impression, however, was far more unsettling: a politician’s practiced facade. He seemed calculating, his true thoughts carefully concealed. Truth be told, Leya detested dealing with such insincere individuals.
“Oh? Then, Miss Artoria, are you perhaps from a foreign land?” The young man’s eyes narrowed, and the wine glass in his hand trembled imperceptibly.
If that were truly the case, then this person’s identity would require thorough investigation. After all, the Kingdom of Alvia was currently embroiled in chaos, with many harboring ill intentions attempting to exploit the turmoil. Could this individual be one of them?
Leya immediately discerned the young man’s unusual reaction. A question also arose in her mind: how did he know her name? She was certain she hadn’t mentioned it.
Nevertheless, she maintained a cool demeanor as she replied, “No, I hail from the Forest of Shadows, having grown up there since childhood.”
Her explanation wasn’t entirely a deception. After all, when Leya had been reborn, she had indeed been transported to the Forest of Shadows.
“The Forest of Shadows…” the young man murmured softly. Though many doubts lingered in his heart, he knew it would be unwise to press the matter further.
With a snap of his fingers, a square emblem instantly appeared in the young man’s hand. It was engraved with the images of a shadow wolf and crossed swords, glowing brightly as if crafted from a precious metal or crystal.
Spatial magic!
This truly was spatial magic!
Upon closer observation, Leya noticed a shimmering silver ring adorning the young man’s right index finger.
‘A spatial storage ring?’ Leya’s eyes lit up.
“Miss Artoria, speaking while standing can be rather inconvenient. If it’s not too much trouble, perhaps you’d care to sit and converse?” The young man smiled, gesturing to the chair opposite him.
Given the square table, designed for equal seating, there was no implied hierarchy. Undoubtedly, the young man believed he had already lowered himself sufficiently and shown Leya considerable respect. For an ordinary citizen, such an invitation would have prompted immediate, deferential thanks, coupled with repeated refusals out of humility.
“No need. I don’t have much time. Let’s get straight to the point.”
“How dare you, in His Highness’s presence—” Cyborn, standing nearby, was visibly angered by Leya’s attitude and was about to loudly reprimand her. However, the young man stopped him with a wave of his hand.
“Cyborn, stand down!”
He frowned briefly, but quickly replaced it with a smile as he said, “I hope Miss Artoria doesn’t mind, heh. In that case, I shall cease with the pleasantries.”
‘So, speak your mind already!’
‘Hmph… This master and servant duo certainly performs their coordinated act well. It’s a pity they aren’t actors; the entertainment industry might be missing two formidable talents because of it!’
Then, the young man suddenly spoke with grave earnestness: “Miss Artoria, I wonder what your thoughts are on the current state of the Kingdom of Alvia?”
Perhaps recalling Leya’s mention of the Forest of Shadows, the young man added, “Currently, my Imperial Father is gravely ill and unable to attend to state affairs. Central authority has been firmly seized by certain ambitious individuals, and even my Eldest Brother, though a prince in name, is nothing more than a puppet…”
“I said… Your Highness, why don’t you just speak plainly, alright?”
The young man fell silent.
‘Damn it, why are you completely deviating from the script? This isn’t how it’s written, hey! If you act like this, how are we supposed to play along properly?’
Even the young man, usually as steady as a rock, now felt a hint of awkwardness. He stood frozen, momentarily at a loss for words.
Meanwhile, Leya inquired about the system’s remaining time. Seven minutes were left, meaning only two minutes remained until the planned departure.
She glanced at Erica, who had remained silent throughout, quietly clutching Leya’s sleeve behind her. After a moment’s thought, Leya stated bluntly, “To be honest, Your Highness, I find all these domestic squabbles and family affairs utterly tiresome.”
The young man fell silent once more.
‘Although she seems to have a point,’ the young man thought, ‘damn it, we are royalty! Royal affairs are matters of the entire realm!’
Ignoring the Sixth Prince, who was now looking somewhat flustered, Leya continued, “The reason I agreed to meet you was to see what kind of person Harvey’s ‘boss’ from yesterday truly was. But frankly, I’m a little disappointed…”
The young man fell silent yet again.
“Today, technically, you helped me. However, before I leave, I wish to remind you of something.”
As she spoke, Leya’s gaze grew increasingly cold. “Erica is not some piece of merchandise, nor is she an item you can casually trade! Should anyone dare to treat her as such, I wouldn’t mind having their head put up for auction as well…”
She cast one last glance at the auction hall downstairs, which was now gradually emptying.
“I will not thank you, for even if you hadn’t intervened, I would have rescued Erica myself. Perhaps, it is the Guild of Roseland who should be thanking you.”
“Heh heh… Miss Artoria, what exactly do you mean by that?”
“What do I mean?” Leya chuckled, then took Erica’s hand and walked out the door without a backward glance.
“Seven days from now, at the Guild of Roseland headquarters… you will understand!”
****
“Your Highness…”
Cyborn looked at the young man with a hint of awkwardness.
‘It must be said, this operation… was a complete and utter failure, leaving us stripped bare…’
To be addressed with such bluntness, treated with such disregard by an individual… The young man let out a scoff. It seemed to be the first time since his birth he had experienced such treatment!
Truth be told, the young man had almost lost his temper and shown his displeasure.
“Cyborn… after such close contact, do you believe you could… defeat her?”
“Er…” Cyborn stammered.
Cyborn replied very cautiously, “Her sword lacks conviction. If it were now… I believe I could still manage a draw.”
“Conviction?” The young man paused, surprised. Then, he offered a faint smile, picked up the wine glass from the table once more, and took an elegant sip.
“Then, in your opinion, what is her conviction?”
Rubbing his nose, Cyborn gave an awkward smile and said, “…Your Highness, may I decline to answer that question?”
“Hahahahahahahahaha—”
The young man suddenly burst into laughter. He picked up the emblem he had placed on the table earlier, and spoke with an inscrutable expression: “It seems a mere Earl, a general commanding thirty thousand in Volantis, might be quite unworthy of her… Hahahahaha—”