Just as Elvia had expected.
The Third Prince had lost John's Holy Knights, his greatest military force and reliance.
He was now on the verge of absolute fury and madness.
And her safe return undoubtedly made her the most direct and convenient outlet for his rage.
The heavy, synchronized thud of iron boots marching closer broke the tranquility of the Royal Hotel.
In the blink of an eye.
A large number of knights and guards clad in the armor of the Third Prince's faction appeared.
They surrounded the hotel, sealing it completely with a murderous aura.
Leading them was the Third Prince himself, his eyes bloodshot and his face twisted with rage.
Yet Elvia showed no fear.
She tidied her skirt.
Under the tense gazes of her few remaining loyal guards, she walked openly out of the hotel gates.
She faced the fury that had practically materialized in the air.
She naturally had the confidence to do so.
She believed that at this very moment, her “dear” siblings were watching.
They were surely hiding in some nearby corner with an excellent view.
They would be leisurely sipping red tea, enjoying this fine show.
They wished for nothing more than for the Third Prince to be blinded by rage and execute her on the spot.
That way, the Third Prince would bear the crime of slaying his own blood.
He would be permanently disqualified from the throne.
Although he had lost John's Holy Knights, his power remained.
The influence of the great noble families the Third Prince had cultivated and bound himself to over the years was still not to be underestimated.
The force he brought with him now was more than enough to crush all of Elvia's defenses.
“Elvia!!”
The Third Prince's voice roared like a wounded beast.
He stared intently at her.
The pressure of his Low-tier Transcendent rank, mixed with a violent aura, washed over her.
“Tell me! Why are you standing here completely unscathed?!”
“While Lord John and his loyal knights... had their soul lamps extinguished and left no corpses behind?!”
“Was it you?! Did you and your sewer-rat allies plot all of this?!”
The knights behind him took a step forward in unison.
The collective aura of ten High-tier Transcendent experts merged into one.
The pressure turned the faces of the Low-tier Transcendent adventurer guards by Elvia's side pale, leaving them barely able to breathe.
The difference in strength was as vast as heaven and earth.
Elvia forced herself to endure the suffocating pressure.
She lifted her head, her voice clear and calm.
“Third Brother, please calm down! Use that brain of yours that is currently filled with rage and think!”
“Do I, a mere High-tier High Rank knight, have the ability to annihilate an entire knight order led by a Mid-tier Legendary powerhouse?”
“If I truly had that kind of power, would I have waited until now?”
“Then how did you cross so many perilous Forbidden Zones and return to the Royal Capital?!”
The Third Prince questioned in a furious voice.
“Why did you violate the royal decree, leave your fief, and return to the capital?!”
“And where is the Gold Rank Dreamweaver adventure group that you claimed escorted you in front of Father?!”
“Don't think for a second that I will believe your excuses!!”
“Hmph, I have already stated in front of everyone that Dreamweaver's true destination was not the Royal Capital. They have already departed!”
Elvia puffed out her chest and countered sternly.
“As for why I returned, I have made it very clear. I came back to be married!!”
“Imperial regulations dictate that any princess marrying below her status must return to the capital, regardless of which fief she resides in!”
“Then where is your husband?! Why haven't you brought him to meet Father?!”
The Third Prince pressed on.
Because if I ask that guy, he would reject me right in front of everyone.
The completely merciless kind!!
Elvia thought with a tinge of sadness.
As a woman of noble birth and unparalleled beauty, hailed as the most beautiful princess in the Royal Capital...
...she was actually being rejected by a High Rank rogue mage.
“Because... he is a devout believer of the Holy Church of Light.”
“With the Holy Saintess's arrival imminent, he intends to close his doors, recite scriptures, and pray for her arrival!”
“Brother, surely you wouldn't want to disrupt a devout believer's prayers at a critical juncture like this?”
“He is, after all, a Holy Saint who can cast supreme Light Magic.”
Light Magic was one of only two high-tier magics.
It had always been highly favored by the Holy Church of Light.
The Holy Church of Light believed that Light Magic was a blessing bestowed by the Goddess of Light upon her most devout believers.
Therefore, they took extreme care of anyone who mastered Light Magic.
To what extent? If you knew Light Magic and registered with the church, you could receive one hundred gold coins every month...
...and enjoy free, lifelong Light Healing treatments at the priest halls.
If you were bullied, the local church would mobilize a massive crowd to handle it for you.
Even if you only knew a single novice Light Magic spell.
Coincidentally, Elvia happened to know that Lin Gui could use Light Magic, even if it was just the novice Illumination spell.
But that was enough to make the Third Prince wary at this critical juncture.
It was true that the Royal Capital possessed immense political and economic strength.
But militarily, any random city-state in the Central City-States could crush the Carter Royal Capital.
Not to mention the Holy Church of Light, the number one religion of the Central City-States.
“Hmph! Who knows if you're just bluffing.”
“After fighting you for so long, do you think I don't know your talent for pulling cards out of thin air?”
“Oh? Then go see for yourself. He is currently at a temporary post office in the Seventh Ring called the Pariah Messenger.”
“His name is Lin Gui, a Mid-tier High Rank Holy Mage.”
“Right now, he is delivering letters to the pariahs, accumulating merit and faith for the Saintess's arrival.”
Elvia's words were a mix of truth and lies.
This left the Third Prince and his advisors completely unable to tell what was real.
And Elvia did not give them any time to react.
She looked around and said with a smile,
“Brother, what you should be doing right now is investigating the true cause of death of John's Holy Knights.”
“Rather than venting your rage on your innocent sister here in broad daylight!”
“Do you really want to lose your chance at the throne forever because of a moment of impulse?!”
Elvia's words were like a precise scalpel, slicing deep into the areas the Third Prince cared about most.
His chest heaved violently, his bloodshot eyes glared fixedly at Elvia, and his fists clenched until they popped.
The surrounding murderous aura waxed and waned, reflecting the intense struggle within him.
Ultimately, his desire for the throne and a rational assessment of the situation barely managed to suppress his boiling intent to kill.
The Third Prince stared intently at Elvia, squeezing a sentence through his teeth.
“You had better... pray that Lord John's death truly has nothing to do with you. Otherwise...”
He did not finish, but his venomous, serpent-like gaze spoke volumes.
With a violent wave of his hand, he led his knights and guards away, retreating as quickly as a receding tide.
Watching the Third Prince's retreating figure, Elvia's tensed nerves finally relaxed slightly, her back completely drenched in cold sweat.
She knew that temporarily turning him away did not mean the crisis was resolved.
On the contrary, the look the Third Prince gave her before leaving told her everything.
Next, he would stop at nothing and use every underhanded method to “catch” her.
Ubiquitous surveillance, meticulously planned “accidents,” framed charges...
...or even directly sending death squads for kidnapping or assassination.
As long as he wasn't caught red-handed with solid proof, the Third Prince would no longer care about any superficial sibling bonds.
Once she fell into his hands, what awaited her was certain doom.
It would be torture and exploitation far worse than death.
At the thought of her potential end, Elvia's face turned pale.
By the time she had left the Royal Capital, her subordinates and influence had basically been wiped clean.
It was still an unknown whether the guards currently by her side had been turned against her during her absence.
No, I must find an absolutely safe place... Her mind raced.
The palace? It was crawling with spies and might not be safe; she might just walk straight into a trap.
The sanctuary of some great noble?
Without a significant exchange of benefits, who would challenge a raging Third Prince for the sake of a fallen princess?
Seek the protection of her other siblings?
The moment the thought arose, she snuffed it out.
No, they wanted nothing more than for the Third Prince to get rid of this “trouble” for them. How could they possibly offer her shelter?
It would be a mercy if they didn't kick her while she was down.
Elvia furrowed her brows, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Plan after plan was proposed, only to be rejected.
Finally, a certain person's figure abruptly entered her mind.
A guy who could wander around right in front of a Legendary demon without a single scratch.
Lin Gui.
“Tsk! I wanted to make him beg me for help, but here I am, having to actively seek his protection instead.”
“How the tables have turned.”
Elvia did not hesitate for a second.
When it came to her own life, let alone her pride—
she wouldn't even blink an eye if she had to get down on her knees and beg for mercy.
With this in mind, she immediately arranged for her most trusted guards.
They mounted their horses and escorted her away from the Royal Hotel at top speed.
They headed straight for the Pariah Messenger post office in the Seventh Ring.
She had to get there before the Third Prince sent people to verify her claims.
She needed to find Lin Gui and get their stories straight!
And at the same time, have him activate the Shroud of the Gloomy Night so she could hide inside it.
However, the process of finding Lin Gui was far more difficult than she had imagined.
When she rushed to the dilapidated post office bearing the “Pariah Messenger” sign,
there was only a group of “staff” sorting letters with swift efficiency despite the utter disdain on their faces.
Alongside them was a long queue of refugees with expectant looks in their eyes.
“Where is Lin Gui? Where is that black-haired, black-eyed mage?”
Elvia grabbed someone who looked like the manager and asked urgently.
The manager recognized Elvia's identity.
Although he was astonished that the Seventh Princess would appear in a place like this,
he still maintained a superficial level of respect.
“Replying to Your Highness, that mage's movements are unpredictable.”
“He only drops by occasionally. We don't know where he is right now either.”
Elvia felt anxious.
After leaving a message for them to notify her immediately if they saw Lin Gui,
she departed without a moment's rest.
Her guards soon brought back news of Lin Gui's location.
They had found traces of him at the Adventurer's Guild in the refugee district.
Elvia hurriedly mounted her horse and rushed over.
Along the way, through the scattered reports of her guards and her own observations,
she got a clear picture of the “good deeds” Lin Gui had performed in this lower district in just a single day.
The post office with the insulting name.
The highly efficient yet arrogant staff.
And the refugees weeping with joy upon receiving their letters...
Everything carried a bizarre sense of contradiction.
She had originally thought Lin Gui was a highly moral, straight-laced crusader who couldn't tolerate a single speck of dust.
Now, it seemed she had misjudged him.
Arriving at the Adventurer's Guild in the refugee district, she found it even more bustling than the post office.
And the moment she stepped inside,
she was drawn to the quest board in the center of the hall.
A crowd had gathered around it, packed several layers deep, discussing something with great excitement.
She squeezed her way forward with effort.
When she clearly saw the commission posted at the very top, written in bold font,
even with her mental fortitude, she couldn't help but twitch her eyes violently.
【Commission: Find the Tomb of Queen Catriona】
【Details: Provide any verified and valid clues related to Queen Catriona and her tomb.】
【Reward: 560,000 gold coins】
【Client: Lin Gui】
The long string of zeros at the end almost blinded everyone.
Five hundred and sixty thousand gold coins!
This was a sum large enough to bankrupt a minor noble family.
It was a terrifying fortune that could tempt even the strongest experts!
As for where Lin Gui got so much money,
Elvia could guess a thing or two.
He had likely emptied the vault of another unfortunate wealthy person.
But when she actually witnessed this insane commission amount with her own eyes,
she was still left dumbfounded by his jaw-dropping generosity.
“Have you seen the mage who posted this commission?”
Elvia inquired of the guild staff.
“That gentleman left right after posting the commission and paying a massive deposit. No one knows where he went.”
Elvia's heart sank.
He wasn't at the post office, and he wasn't at the Adventurer's Guild.
She had mobilized almost all the connections and eyes she could muster in the refugee and commoner districts,
yet she hadn't caught even a shadow of Lin Gui.
The sky gradually darkened.
Standing on the noisy street and watching the bustling crowd, Elvia felt truly powerless for the first time.
This guy was like a drop of water in the ocean, completely vanished without a trace.
“Could he... have already left the Royal Capital?”
A terrifying thought involuntarily surfaced in her mind.
If Lin Gui had really left,
then what she had said to the Third Prince would become an outright lie and provocation.
What awaited her would be the Third Prince's unbridled, mad vengeance!
At the thought of being imprisoned and tortured, Elvia's face grew pale.
She bit her lower lip, forcing herself to calm down.
Standing on the noisy street of the refugee district,
watching the people around her scurry about for their livelihoods,
she felt a deep sense of powerlessness for the first time, and... a trace of feeling abandoned and aggrieved?
Just as her mood was about to hit rock bottom,
her gaze swept past a small street-corner stall selling roasted insect skewers.
She spotted a familiar figure.
It was sneakily slipping into a women's clothing boutique.
It instantly drew all of Elvia's attention.
The figure seemed ordinary, but the light, graceful posture of an elf was evident in her stride.
Furthermore, the curve of a pointed ear occasionally peeked out from the side profile of her hood.
It made Elvia's heart skip a beat!
Theia?!
Suppressing her excitement, she pulled down her hat and quietly followed.
To conceal her movements, she quietly activated a magic item.
It was the 【Hazy Veil】.
A faint light-distorting effect enveloped her,
making her appearance look blurry and difficult to discern in the eyes of others.
She followed the figure into a clothing store.
Sure enough, she saw the other party carefully picking out clothes.
She seemed quite interested in a few long dresses with elven-style embroidery.
The store clerks were busy attending to other customers,
and did not notice Elvia, who was covered by the 【Hazy Veil】.
Seizing the moment when Theia picked up a dress and turned to slip into the fitting room,
Elvia followed her inside like a slippery fish!
However, she had only just stepped into the fitting room.
A bone-chilling coldness immediately pressed against her throat!
Theia's reactions were incredibly fast; having already sensed someone tailing her, she instantly pinned the intruder with a dagger.
“Don't move! Who are you?!” Theia's lowered voice was filled with vigilance.
“It's me! Elvia!!” Elvia blurted out in panic, quickly revealing her identity.
At the same time, she slightly adjusted the 【Hazy Veil】, letting her face become clear to Theia for a brief second.
Seeing that it was her, the force in Theia's hand relaxed slightly.
She then couldn't help but let out a low chuckle and sheathed her dagger.
“So it's you, sneaking around like that.”
Elvia finally let out a sigh of relief and grumbled in a hushed, annoyed voice,
“You already knew it was me, didn't you?! You did that on purpose!”
Theia shrugged, noncommittal, her emerald eyes carrying a hint of playfulness under the shadow of her hood.
“Alright! I don't have time to chat with you!” Elvia asked urgently.
“Where on earth did that guy Lin Gui go?! I have urgent business with him! A life-or-death matter!”
Theia was about to speak,
but she immediately recalled being “tricked” by Elvia back at Eagle Fortress, so she shut her mouth and snorted coldly.
“Why should I reveal the movements of my team member to an unrelated person?”
“Huh?!! You...” Elvia was choked up with frustration.
But as clever as she was, how could she not realize that the other party was sulking over what happened at the fortress?
She immediately put on a smiling face, leaned closer to Theia, and argued,
“Oh, come on, wasn't I just trying to give you a friendly heads-up...”
“Did we need your heads-up?” Theia interrupted her, speechless.
“There's no way a mid-tier disguise spell could fool an Epic demon!”
“If you had told us the truth about the fortress earlier,”
“we wouldn't have had to face that Epic Banshee Queen directly!”
“Even Lin Gui's 【Shroud of the Gloomy Night】 couldn't fool her!” Elvia tried to explain.
“The roads around the Royal Capital go in every direction. Detouring for a day or two would have been much safer than facing an Epic Banshee Queen!”
Theia's words left her completely speechless.
If they had told Lin Gui beforehand, he would have known.
He would have found another way to pass through without having to leave any offspring.
The Shroud of the Gloomy Night had too much versatility, after all.
Helpless, Elvia could only launch a “friendship” offensive.
She noticed that Theia was still holding the light green dress she had selected.
Her eyes darted around, and with a flattering smile, she cozied up to her, saying,
“My dear Theia, beautiful elven lady~ Look at how well this dress suits you!”
“The color, the embroidery—it's practically custom-made for you!”
“If you wear this, that guy Lin Gui will definitely be staring with wide eyes!”
As she spoke, she quietly slipped a small bag of gold coins into Theia's hand.
“Consider this my sponsorship! Just tell me where he is~ I really have a matter of extreme urgency!”
Theia looked at the heavy purse in her hand and said, exasperated,
“You still haven't given me my share from the Whispering Forest yet.”
“Oh, come on~ The goods haven't even been sold yet, but I'll definitely give you your share!”
“Besides, I've already caught wind of an item that can resolve your wanted status and conceal your demon energy.”
“In the upper-level auction three days from now, a concealing item perfect for you will be up for bids.”
“When the time comes, even if it bankrupts me, I will secure it for you!”
Elvia patted her chest in guarantee.
With Lin Gui's absurdly powerful concealment magic, he could just wander around the wealthy circles for a few turns,
and he'd probably become the richest man in the Carter Royal Capital.
Combined with her status as backing, securing a grand finale auction item would be a breeze.
Theia sighed.
In the end, her heart softened.
Holding the dress, she held it up against herself in front of the mirror and said casually,
“He went to the Carter Royal Library in the First Ring to look up your family tree.”
Rate on N.U.
