Through Elvia's rapid-fire explanation, which was laced with a hint of flattery, Lin Gui got the gist of what had happened.
“So, you just threw me out there as a shield?”
Elvia quickly explained, “Don't worry! I didn't mention your name to my Third Brother!”
“Oh?” Lin Gui drawn out his tone, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.
“So, does that fabricated fiancé of yours 'just happen' to be named Lin Gui?”
“Yes... I mean, no!” Elvia nodded subconsciously.
Realizing her slip-up, her smile instantly froze.
She quickly tried to salvage the situation, flashing what she thought was a charming smile and pressing two slender fingers against her dimples. “Hehe~”
“A woman's words are nothing but lies,” Lin Gui deadpanned.
“Ahem!” Elvia cleared her throat twice, forcing a change of subject.
“Anyway, you need to help me cover up this lie! From now on, you are my fiancé who I'm marrying down to, and a devout believer of the Holy Church of Light!”
“Marrying down instead of marrying into the family?” Lin Gui caught her choice of words.
Elvia paused for a moment, her tone a mix of complexity and relief.
“...Because I plan to give up my claim to the throne.”
She looked at Lin Gui with a resentful gaze.
“From the moment Lyon's knight order failed to bring back the Umbral Tree Flower, and I failed to fulfill my promise to my father, I was kicked out of this struggle.”
“Lyon... that pack of scumbags was the knight order you supported?” Lin Gui raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah!” Mentioning this made Elvia feel a pang of regret.
“I built Lyon up from scratch. To nurture him, I spent almost all my savings and resources, hoping he would break through to the Legendary rank like Gorn...”
As for how Lin Gui had eliminated Lyon's knight order,
Initially, Elvia still had many questions.
But after traveling with him all the way to the Royal Capital and witnessing his methods, all her doubts vanished.
What a joke. This guy's concealment magic combined with Theia's elusive arrows...
Even the Legendary archer Gorn had fallen at their hands,
Let alone a guy like Lyon, who wasn't even a Legendary expert.
“Oh?” Lin Gui gave her a meaningful look.
“So those scumbags were your people. It seems you're no saint either.”
“Pfft!” Elvia felt her scalp tingle and quickly explained.
“Hey, I can swear on my life! I might not be a pure saint, but I've absolutely never harmed a single hair on the heads of the lower class! My reputation among the commoners and adventurers is actually excellent!”
Lin Gui slid the book in his hand back onto the shelf and smiled indifferently.
“What are you afraid of? I just mentioned it in passing.”
Elvia's lips twitched.
What was she afraid of? She was afraid he would secretly seize all her assets without her knowing!
Afraid he would knock her out with a brick out of nowhere and throw her to the demons!
“You said I'm a believer of the Holy Church of Light,” Lin Gui changed the subject.
“As the actual rulers of these remote mountains, would the Carter Royal Capital really fear a so-called 'Saint' who only knows Novice Light Magic?”
Elvia smiled and explained.
“Under normal circumstances, of course they wouldn't.”
“But things are different now. The Dark Tide is coming, and many prophecies and signs indicate that...”
“...the most likely location for the next massive Dark Tide to erupt is right here in our borderlands!”
“The Royal Capital spent half of the national treasury's reserves just to secure a visit and potential support from the Holy Saintess.”
“Forget a 'Saint.' Even if you were just an ordinary commoner who believes in the Holy Church of Light...”
“...our royal family would have to welcome you with open smiles and treat you like a high noble!”
She paused and added.
“Fortunately, the Carter Royal Capital is remote, and true believers of the Holy Church of Light are as rare as phoenix feathers.”
“So, as long as you display Light Magic, no one will doubt your identity. Instead, they will do everything they can to win you over.”
“Is that so?” Lin Gui stroked his chin, a playful look flashing in his eyes.
“Does that mean I can... do whatever I want in the Royal Capital?”
Elvia's eyelids twitched wildly. “What... what do you want to do?!”
“Nothing,” Lin Gui said flatly.
“I just want to change the name of my post office. What do you think of... 'Dogshit Noble Post Office'?”
Elvia massaged her temples. “If you do that, every noble in the Carter Royal Capital will go berserk!”
“Haha, just a joke.”
Elvia grumbled inwardly.
Your expression doesn't look like you're joking at all!
As they chatted, Elvia leaned close to Lin Gui's ear.
She quickly whispered all the details he needed to watch out for, the current distribution of power in the Royal Capital, and the Third Prince's personality and habits.
Lin Gui also briefly shared his progress on finding the Queen's Tomb,
as well as the clues he had obtained from Fal regarding Roger and Avalon.
Before long, a slight commotion rippled through the library.
A man's figure appeared, causing quite a stir.
The Third Prince walked in, surrounded by a group of High-tier Transcendent knight guards.
As the most favored candidate for crown prince at the moment,
he instantly drew the attention of all the noble ladies present.
Their eyes were filled with admiration and adoration.
Some pretended to be reserved while smoothing out their skirts.
Others boldly threw him flirtatious glances,
hoping to win the favor of the future king.
The Third Prince ignored them.
He walked straight toward Elvia and Lin Gui.
His face no longer held its previous rage, replaced instead by a warm, friendly smile.
“Elvia, aren't you going to introduce your... 'brother-in-law' to your brother?”
His tone was gentle, but his sidelong glances were like knives, constantly sweeping over Lin Gui.
The knights behind him looked at Lin Gui with undisguised arrogance and contempt.
In their eyes, this mere Mid-tier High Rank mage was weaker than even the elite soldiers guarding the city gates.
They really didn't know what Princess Elvia saw in him.
Elvia was famously beautiful, the dream girl of many knights.
Seeing her clinging tightly to Lin Gui's arm in such an intimate posture,
an inexplicable fire of jealousy flared in the hearts of these knights.
How could they know that Elvia's overly “intimate” gesture
had absolutely nothing to do with romance?
It was purely so that if any unexpected danger arose,
she could immediately be wrapped in Lin Gui's 【Shroud of the Gloomy Night】 and carried away to safety...
Before Elvia could speak, Lin Gui took a step forward and calmly introduced himself.
“Lin Gui, member of the North Wind Transport Team.”
He flashed the badge on his shoulder.
Then, with a soft pfft, his right index finger
ignited with a small, steady, and warm white flame.
It was the Novice Light Magic spell, 【Warmth】.
“And as it happens, I am also a believer of the God of Light.”
This sight caused the pupils of the Third Prince, his advisors, and his knights to shrink.
They had anticipated the identity of a Saint, but the identity of a North Wind Transport Team member...
The North Wind Transport Team.
Led by Freya, a Mid-tier Legendary ice mage,
it was a top-tier merchant caravan that traveled through dangerous routes.
The weight of its members' status in the Royal Capital was not a single bit inferior to that of an influential noble.
Especially for the Carter Royal Capital, which relied heavily on material transport,
such transport teams were entities they had to do everything to stay on good terms with.
On top of that... his identity as a believer of the Holy Church of Light!
The combination of these two identities produced an effect far greater than the sum of its parts!
Even Elvia was stunned, but she quickly came to terms with it.
With Lin Gui's superb mastery of 【Levitation】,
being recruited by a top-tier transport team like North Wind was completely normal.
She also instantly understood how Lin Gui had forced those high nobles to compromise regarding the post office.
Elvia was completely at ease now.
She even let go of her tight grip on Lin Gui's arm, and her smile became radiant and genuine.
A mere “Saint” might still face the risk of being secretly captured.
But with the added status of a North Wind Transport Team member,
even the King of Carter would have to carefully weigh the consequences.
Let alone the Third Prince, who had just lost his greatest aid, John's Holy Knights!
Sure enough, the Third Prince's eyes narrowed slightly.
He quickly gestured with his eyes for his advisors to verify this.
After receiving a subtle nod of confirmation from his advisor,
the smile on his face instantly became much warmer and more eager.
His attitude underwent a complete hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.
He began to chat warmly with Lin Gui, expressing a strong desire to build a closer relationship,
and he formally invited Lin Gui to the Imperial Ball in two days, as well as the Royal Auction immediately following it.
At the same time, he stated that he would immediately report the “good news” that Princess Elvia's fiancé was a member of the North Wind Transport Team to his father, the King.
He proposed holding an unprecedentedly grand wedding for Elvia and Lin Gui,
specifically to announce Elvia and Lin Gui's wedding plans at the Imperial Ball.
Lin Gui wanted to refuse.
But Elvia immediately leaned close to his ear and spoke urgently in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Agree to it first! We must solidify our 'marriage'! Consider it a massive favor I owe you!”
Lin Gui raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.
Ultimately, he did not oppose the Third Prince's proposal on the spot. He merely replied in a flat tone:
“Your Highness, you are too polite.”
“As a believer of the God of Light, I advocate for simple and frugal cultivation. There is no need for the wedding to be overly extravagant and wasteful. A simple registration will do.”
“As for the banquet... I will attend on time.”
Having secured Lin Gui's promise, the Third Prince left satisfied with his entourage.
But before leaving, his meaningful gaze lingered between Elvia and Lin Gui once more.
After the Third Prince left, Lin Gui looked at Elvia with a strange expression.
“The Umbral Tree Flower that Lyon's knight order was looking for... is in your hands right now, isn't it?”
“Are you really just giving up the struggle for the throne like this? Aren't you afraid of being purged once the new king ascends?”
Elvia smiled, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
“I am definitely giving up my claim to the throne. But if they think they can just walk all over me... I will make them pay a bitter price.”
“Alright then.” Lin Gui asked no further.
“It's about time. I need to take Theia out for a walk.”
Recalling the striking appearance of that half-demon elf when she dressed up, Elvia asked in confusion.
“By the way, why didn't you bring Theia with you? Aren't you two usually inseparable?”
Lin Gui explained.
“Her demon energy awakened too suddenly.”
“And the 【Shroud of the Gloomy Night】 can only conceal physical traits, aura, and magic fluctuations.”
“It cannot completely cover the other three high-tier energies: demon energy, soul force, and divine power.”
“It's fine from a distance, but up close, even with the 【Shroud of the Gloomy Night】 active, we would likely be detected by powerful experts with sharp perception.”
“Before she completely masters restraining her demon energy, it's best not to take this risk.”
“And yet you're still going on a date with her?” Elvia muttered.
“The commercial district is huge,” Lin Gui said calmly.
“As long as we avoid the main streets frequented by powerful experts, and stick to the remote streets run by refugees where few masters pay attention, we'll be fine.”
He glanced at the sky outside the window and waved his hand.
“Alright, I won't chat with you anymore. Theia is probably getting impatient.”
Without staying any longer, Lin Gui departed.
His figure melted into the library's bookshelves, quickly vanishing from sight.
Rate on N.U.
