Thinking too much.
Senac felt a pang in his stomach. He gently pressed a hand to his neat suit, suddenly realizing he was overthinking things.
The one who truly needed to worry wasn't him, but his elder brother.
"Ha."
A faint, almost imperceptible chuckle escaped Senac's lips. He continued to maintain a poker face as he watched the bowing attendants lining the corridor.
Speaking of which, This time, he hadn't seen the commoner named Climb by his sister's side. Perhaps even calling him a "commoner" was a compliment for someone who had been practically picked up off the streets.
For a period, his sister had been practically inseparable from Climb, but lately, she had grown much closer to Renners.
That seemed more normal.
Inside the palace room, Princess Renner watched Senac leave, then settled back onto the comfortable, plush brown and blue sofa, lost in thought.
The maids in the hall seemed accustomed to this. They privately whispered among themselves, likely speculating that Princess Renner was experiencing some youthful emotions.
Like the summer weather in the Royal Capital, no one knew what the princess was thinking.
Suddenly.
Princess Renner looked up and smiled at the maids in the hall: "Thank you all for your hard work."
Everyone bowed and, as usual, quietly retreated from the hall. Aside from those on duty, the rest of the maids left one after another.
Princess Renner's deep blue eyes gazed at the empty sofa directly opposite her. A slight indentation was visible on the soft cushion.
The next moment, Tang Zheng's figure emerged from the sofa, as if he had been sitting there all along.
Ninjutsu: Concealment
This ninja skill ensured that as long as Tang Zheng didn't wish to be found, no one in the entire Royal Capital could discover him.
Princess Renner's eyes widened, and a flicker of surprise crossed her calm face. She politely sat up straight: "Your Excellency Tang."
"Long time no see, Princess."
Tang Zheng looked at Princess Renner, whose golden hair shone brightly under the overhead lights, and smiled: "Still as radiant as ever."
"You flatter me."
Princess Renner lowered her head, her golden hair falling along her earlobes. A curve appeared at the corner of her mouth, which she quickly suppressed before looking up again:
"What would Your Excellency Tang like to drink? How about black tea?"
"A few days ago, I managed to get some special black tea from my father. It's a specialty of Ulovana's border countdom."
Tang Zheng shook his head: "Drinking tea so late will keep me awake."
"Then how about juice?" Princess Renner quickly suggested.
"I don't particularly care for sweets, Princess, so there's no need to prepare anything."
Tang Zheng waved his hand, indicating it wasn't necessary.
Princess Renner nodded slightly, looking serious, as if committing Tang Zheng's preferences to memory.
"Renners kept sending messages saying you wanted to see me. Is there something you need?" Tang Zheng asked calmly, his arms in loose white sleeves, one hand resting on his lap, the other on the sofa.
"Congratulations to Your Excellency Tang's Adventurer Team on being promoted to Adamantite Rank adventurers," Princess Renner congratulated him, her tone then turning a little dejected:
"I'm sorry, I don't have enough money to buy a congratulatory gift."
Tang Zheng's gaze flickered.
The fact that she referred to it as "Your Excellency Tang's Adventurer Team" instead of directly using "Free Will" showed that Renner clearly understood that the adventurer team was merely a tool to him, not important.
This woman, she really is...
However.
Tang Zheng noticed that this encounter with Princess Renner was different from their last. She seemed less insincere and less formal.
"You're very thoughtful, Princess," Tang Zheng smiled, not bothered by the gift issue. Instead, he was curious about Princess Renner's actual purpose.
"Hmm…"
Princess Renner didn't seem to think so. Her beautiful eyes gazed at the young man opposite her, who was full of mystery with his black hair and brown eyes, completely unlike ordinary people:
"Your Excellency Tang should be aware of my situation."
"As a princess... more precisely, the third princess, I am a spare among the spares in the royal family. My only outcome is to marry a noble and bring royal blood to their family."
Princess Renner calmly stated the outcome that had been decided from the moment of her birth.
There was no complaint, no anger.
It was as if she were talking about someone else's affairs.
"If my brother, who will be the new king, remembers me in the future."
Princess Renner smiled brilliantly, speaking softly, "If you give me a remote, desolate place as my territory, where I can live out my days, then I'll have to thank you profusely."
"It's already the best possible outcome."
For ordinary people.
A princess should live in a fairy-tale world, wearing vibrant dresses, free and unburdened, but reality differs from imagination.
If anyone else heard these words, they would surely empathize deeply, feel pity, and be filled with sorrow or reluctance over Princess Renner's predetermined fate.
But—
Tang Zheng leaned back against the sofa rest, looking bored and indifferent. He knew very well what a "monster" the person opposite him truly was: "So?"
"I think... I might be able to help Your Excellency Tang."
Princess Renner raised her fair, delicate hands, clasping them to her chest, her pure, azure eyes filled with anticipation as she spoke.
She looked exactly like an innocent, pure maiden, making it hard to refuse her.
However!
"When did you decide this?"
Tang Zheng's voice remained indifferent: "Was it because of the Abelion Hills incident? What did you discover?"
"Rumor has it that the Slane Theocracy and the Holy Kingdom contributed the most to the Abelion Hills incident. This is the common and accepted belief among most people."
"After all, the power of a nation far surpasses that of adventurers and individuals. The only standout was the girl named Anri from the Adventurer Team."
"But I don't see it that way."
Princess Renner lifted a finger and placed it on her rosy, plump lips. Despite her innocent and cute appearance, the words she spoke were filled with profound thought:
"Instead, I believe Your Excellency Tang played a crucial role, so significant that it forced both the Slane Theocracy and the Holy Kingdom to cover it up."
A flicker of curiosity passed through Princess Renner's pupils.
Faced with these words.
Tang Zheng's expression remained unchanged. It wasn't unexpected for Princess Renner to figure it out, as she knew he possessed more power than he outwardly displayed.
However, the words that followed.
Even Tang Zheng felt a surge of astonishment.
"Furthermore."
Princess Renner pressed her slender finger to her lips, her gentle smile deepening slightly:
"The moment Your Excellency Tang allowed the Martial King, Go Gin, to leave the Bahharuth Empire, you were already making arrangements, weren't you?"
"In fact, I think you even have people within the Evil Secret Society, Zuranon. The Abelion Hills incident, perhaps..."
She trailed off at the end.
Princess Renner didn't continue speaking, her innocent, delicate gaze meeting Tang Zheng's indifferent eyes in the air.
This woman!
Tang Zheng's gaze turned slightly cold. It was important to note that Princess Renner rarely left the palace, and her avenues for obtaining information were extremely limited.
Even outside, crucial information about the Abelion Hills incident had been sealed off by both the Slane Theocracy and the Holy Kingdom.
Especially the latter pieces of information—those were entirely Princess Renner's personal deductions. While there were some errors, that wasn't Princess Renner's fault.
And the other party was also limited by her knowledge and experience.
"I should be able to help Your Excellency Tang, shouldn't I?"
Princess Renner spoke again, filled with anticipation, as if she had instantly transformed back into an innocent maiden.
Displaying one's value.
It was the simplest way to gain recognition. She had once secretly shown her talents to the Emperor of the Empire.
"Why did Crimson Drop establish its headquarters in the Council State?" Tang Zheng asked.
At his words.
Princess Renner's deep, azure pupils brightened. She was overjoyed internally; this undoubtedly meant the man before her had acknowledged her value.
"I personally believe it's probably my father, the King, and the noble faction intentionally showing goodwill to the neighboring Council State."
Princess Renner didn't ponder much, but spoke directly.
"The relationship between the Kingdom and the Council State?"
"In reality, the nation is very wary of the Council State, especially since incredible creatures like Dragon Lords exist there."
"I see."
Tang Zheng nodded lightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"Does Your Excellency Tang wish for the nation to further engage with the Council State?" Princess Renner seemed to guess Tang Zheng's thoughts.
Tang Zheng didn't hide it: "That's right... It would be even better if the Council State could send a Dragon Lord to be stationed permanently within the Royal Capital."
Princess Renner was briefly astonished, then fell into contemplation, as if considering the feasibility.
She didn't show any of the anger a royal should, nor did she consider the impact this situation would have on the kingdom.
"Princess, you could try reaching out to the Magic Caster Guild," Tang Zheng then said softly.
"The Magic Caster Guild, you say?"
Princess Renner's voice held a hint of excitement as she heard yet another one of Tang Zheng's ideas or commands. "Your Excellency Tang, it would be a good time after we win the war against the Empire."
"Oh."
Tang Zheng nodded, agreeing, "Yes, having Renners and Gazef achieve victory would indeed be a good catalyst."
Normally, the war between the Kingdom and the Empire takes place around autumn, specifically July or August, which is still over two months away.
Since the Empire initiated the war, the Kingdom had never won a single conflict, always suffering heavy losses.
However.
Tang Zheng and Princess Renner's brief conversation inadvertently revealed that the Kingdom would inevitably win the upcoming autumn harvest season war.
Such a prophetic conversation.
If it were to reach the outside world or be overheard by others, even people from the Empire, they would surely mock Tang Zheng and Princess Renner for their ignorance regarding the war.
"Suddenly, there's so much more to do."
"Your Excellency Tang, you don't understand how to cherish women at all. No wonder Renners harbors quite a bit of resentment towards you."
Princess Renner leaned slightly forward, her fair, "golden" beautiful face softening as she spoke.
"Suddenly, I have a lot of expectations for the future."
"If you think there's too much, then never mind," Tang Zheng said calmly, looking at Princess Renner with indifference.
Regarding the young woman before him, it was impossible to think of her with a normal person's mindset, especially since her displayed demeanor and true self were two completely different things.
"Not at all."
Princess Renner's swan-like neck leaned forward another fraction, her beautiful sapphire eyes fixed intently on Tang Zheng, her pink lips parting as she exhaled a warm breath.
"I actually hope, Your Excellency Tang, that you would whip me."
"If I could unite with Your Excellency Tang, nothing would be better."
Her innocent, pure face stood in stark contrast to the words she spoke, creating a wildly divergent style.
For a moment, Tang Zheng wondered if the Princess Renner before him was a succubus, and the warm breath coming from her mouth might actually be a charm-inducing mist ability.
"Heh."
Tang Zheng sneered, "Just do what you're supposed to. As for Renners, simple provocations won't have any effect."
Under Princess Renner's blue gaze, Tang Zheng's figure turned into a translucent white and vanished.
Looking at the empty blue-brown sofa, Princess Renner seemed to still smell Tang Zheng's lingering scent, a strange flicker of excitement crossing her face.
If one were to view it from Renner's perspective, the ultimate goal of everything she did was to seize control of the Kingdom's power, to compensate for her miserable situation as a mere spare.
Or perhaps it was her desire to completely destroy the kingdom that had confined her.
However, these were the thoughts of a normal person.
For the mentally unstable Renner, all her cooperation with Tang Zheng was simply for that inner "satisfaction."
...
—Tove Great Forest.
The next day, after bidding farewell to Lakyus's group, Iville Ai used teleportation magic to return to the depths of the forest, searching for the crimson Dragon Lord.
The result?
She found nothing.
"How can this be? That Dragon Lord clearly promised me," Iville Ai said, her emotions somewhat agitated, as she stood atop a giant tree, gazing in all directions of the forest.
Given the crimson giant dragon's immense size and constantly emanating terrifying draconic aura, even if the Tove Great Forest was vast, she should have been able to sense its location.
Unless it had already left!
But…
Iville Ai felt a pang of disappointment and anger. She had finally found information about the one who had destroyed the kingdom in the past. Was the clue going to be cut off again?
"That crimson Dragon Lord was very concerned about [Origin Magic] and the so-called [Sanctuary]."
Iville Ai stopped her wild thoughts, planning to stay in the Tove Great Forest for the next few days. "Perhaps something else delayed it, and it temporarily left here."
"Should I build a place to stay, or investigate if there are any traces of Zuranon remaining deep in the forest..."
As Iville Ai pondered silently, she suddenly felt a chill run through her body, and an inexplicable coldness arose.
The next moment.
The massive figure of the crimson Dragon Lord appeared out of thin air directly above them.
"What kind of ability is this... I didn't sense anything at all?" Iville Ai looked up, her heart filled with disbelief.
For such a massive creature to be able to completely "vanish," especially this crimson Dragon Lord, which seemed to be fire-elemental.
But recalling their previous fight, neither the shadow-strike method nor the ability to completely conceal its presence, seen now, were traits typically attributed to fire dragons in legends.
"If you're ready, let's go." Tang Zheng looked down at Iville Ai and said calmly,
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