After understanding the abilities of the Rank Four Law Pathway, Freya put Law Freya back into the system. She then attended the aristocratic gathering as usual. Things unfolded exactly as they had in the simulation: the theft of the Rank Seven potion was discovered, the city lockdown began, and the Mind Reader arrived at the Holmes family's residence to conduct a search, only to leave empty-handed.
The next afternoon arrived. Perhaps Freya was just lucky, but right when her Future Simulation cooldown finished, Euphy's grandfather, Augustus, brought news that she could now go see His Majesty the King.
Without hesitation, Freya directly entered the simulation. As for which form to use, after some thought, she still chose to enter with her original body. On one hand, suddenly turning from an ordinary person into a Rank Four extraordinary in another form right in front of Euphy's grandfather would be a bit difficult to explain. On the other hand, she decided to use this opportunity to contact Trig as an ordinary person.
Soon, under Augustus's guidance, Euphy and Freya—the three of them—arrived at the palace. However, their meeting place this time was not the grand throne room, but a study-like room. The King was not wearing his elaborate royal robes today, but rather a refined set of loungewear. Still, he wore the crown that symbolized his authority on his head.
Before the three of them arrived, the King seemed to have been handling official business, writing with his head lowered. Hearing the knock on the door, he finally set down his pen and paper, looked up, and said, “Come in.”
Augustus was the first to push the door open and walk in. He bowed slightly and said, “Your Majesty.”
The King nodded slightly and asked, “What is it?”
Only then did Freya and Euphy follow him inside. The moment the King saw Freya, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly, clearly already knowing what this was about.
Augustus said, “Actually, the one who wanted to see you this time is not me, but...”
Before he could finish, the King waved his hand. “Alright, I know. You two step out for a moment. I would like to speak with this lovely young lady alone.”
Augustus and Euphemia withdrew from the room upon hearing this and closed the door behind them. The King then beckoned to Freya, saying, “Child, come closer.”
Freya walked slowly toward the King, but still maintained a distance of three paces. The King had originally wanted to reach out and pat her cheek, but seeing that she was not coming any closer, he sighed and said, “Child, what is your name?”
Freya said, “Freya Russell.”
The King said, “Russell... So it was her... Child, your presence here today proves that you already know, doesn't it?”
Freya nodded. With a bit of hesitation and reluctance, she said, “Are you... my biological father?”
Honestly, if possible, Freya really did not want to call this guy her father. After all, aside from contributing a few cells, he had done absolutely nothing for her.
To her surprise, the King's next words were, “Sigh, child, I have wronged you.”
A giant question mark popped up over Freya's head. Looking at the King's current expression and demeanor, he actually seemed genuinely remorseful.
Of course, she couldn't rule out the possibility that he was a master actor. But even if he was just putting on a show, it wouldn't hurt Freya. She had come here to get benefits anyway. If he was acting this remorseful, shouldn't he be even more generous with his compensation?
The King continued, “I am deeply sorry. I cannot give you a formal status, nor can I let you return to the palace as a princess. But is there anything else you want? I will do my best to satisfy your wishes.”
In truth, the King's mindset was highly complex. Back when he had first become king, he had looked down on illegitimate children and didn't think his youthful indiscretions were wrong. But once he and the Queen had three children of their own and he became a father, watching those children grow day by day made him slowly start to regret his past actions.
From time to time, he would wonder how his illegitimate children were doing, whether they were living difficult lives, and want to make amends. Yet, he was also somewhat afraid. Having done nothing all these years, if he suddenly showed up, how would those children look at him?
The ultimate result of this internal conflict was avoidance. He didn't send anyone to search for his illegitimate children, holding onto a sliver of wishful thinking—what if he didn't actually have any illegitimate children?
Although the King had whipped out five contracts all at once in the previous simulation, he actually had no idea how many illegitimate children he had or who their mothers were. Those five contracts were simply a manifestation of an extraordinary ability. To put it simply, it was an ability to 'send contracts to children who carry his bloodline.'
However, all of his wishful thinking vanished the moment he laid eyes on Freya. There was no need for any blood test; the King could tell at a single glance that the girl in front of him was indeed his child. That was why his guilt was entirely genuine.
But for the stability of the kingdom and to maintain his relationship with the Queen, he certainly couldn't just bring Freya back to be a princess. That was why he said, “Child, is there anything I can do to compensate you?”
Thus, Freya said, “I want to become an extraordinary and walk the Law Pathway. Can you tell me what the advancement rituals are for the Law Pathway from Rank Four to Rank Five, and from Rank Five to Rank Six?”
Actually, she had hesitated over whether to ask about the Rank Six to Rank Seven advancement ritual as well. But on second thought, she decided against it. Wouldn't asking that be completely blowing my own cover?
Even so, her request still left the King very puzzled. “Aren't you still an ordinary person? Why are you asking about advancement rituals? If you want to become an extraordinary, I can arrange a Rank One potion for you. Once you drink it, take your time to digest it. When you are done digesting it, come back to me, and I will give you the Rank Two potion.”
Hearing this, Freya couldn't help but complain inwardly. Please, no. If I really digest them slowly, the grass on your grave will probably be three feet high by the time I come back.
Thus, Freya naturally resorted to her ultimate weapon: acting cute. She clasped her hands together, blinked her adorable eyes, and stared at him. “Is... is that not allowed?”
The King immediately leaned back, took a deep breath, and said, “Alright, alright. Of course you can, of course you can! But which class advancement's ritual do you want to ask about?”
The advancement rituals for the three class advancements—Arbiter, Punisher, and Listener—were naturally different.
Freya said, “I want to go down the Arbiter path.”
The King thought for a moment, then said, “The Rank Four to Rank Five advancement ritual for an Arbiter is...”
...
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