Shane's movements froze. The tip of the animal bone in his hand hovered half an inch above the sandy ground, as if pinned there by her words.
Only after a few seconds did he slowly raise his eyes to look at the princess sitting in the shade of the tree.
Her expression was calm, but her eyes looked straight at him without the slightest flicker of hesitation.
Shane's brow twitched slightly. He put down the bone in his hand and raised his right hand, fully exposing the metal ring on his wrist to the sunlight.
“Necromancers are usually nothing but disaster to this world.”
Shane's voice was flat. His gaze rested on Alicia's face, observing her reaction.
There were two layers of meaning behind these words, and he wanted to see which layer the princess would understand.
The first layer was very straightforward: I am a necromancer, a desecrator in the eyes of the world, and the source of disaster.
Take me away? Have you thought this through?
The second layer went deeper: This ring represents the judgment of the Imperial Magical Council.
And the Magical Council is independent of imperial power, even rivaling it in certain aspects.
You are merely a princess. Where do you get the authority to pardon an exile sentenced by the Council itself?
At the very least, it would require the emperor himself to nod in agreement.
And would the emperor overturn the Magical Council's judgment for a single necromancer?
In the memories Shane possessed, this was virtually impossible.
But Alicia's reaction caught Shane somewhat off guard. She didn't hesitate in the slightest. Exuding confidence from head to toe, she looked Shane straight in the eye without a shred of doubt. “I can do it.”
“And if you are willing to help me, the process will be even faster.”
Shane's eyes narrowed.
She was so certain. Where did her confidence come from?
After all, from the moment they met until now, less than an hour had passed, and they had spoken fewer than ten sentences to each other in total.
He had even displayed undead creations right in front of her.
Yet, instead of showing any disgust, this princess had actually extended an olive branch to him?
Shane suddenly found it somewhat absurd, but at the same time, he felt a spark of curiosity. He began to study Alicia closely.
What exactly did she see in him?
Shane searched through his fragmented memories for information about this Third Imperial Princess.
But the original owner of his body, Shane Leynas, had been a pure necromancer who spent most of his life hiding and researching death magic.
He knew very little about politics and the royal family.
He only knew that the Augustus family had ruled the empire for over six hundred years, and the current emperor had three sons and two daughters.
And the Third Imperial Princess, Alicia, did not seem to be favored.
In the original owner's vague memories, he had rarely heard any news about her.
In that case, since she had become the master of this desolate land, did it mean she had failed in the struggle for power?
Or did she have other designs?
Regardless, coming to the most barren land in the empire with no people and no resources under her command...
Shane suddenly began to understand.
The reason the princess had suddenly extended an olive branch was not because of trust, nor was it because she didn't mind his identity as a necromancer.
It was because she needed him.
She needed any power that could help her gain a foothold in this desolate territory, as well as a bargaining chip to make a comeback.
And he, perhaps, was that bargaining chip.
Interesting.
With a quiet chuckle in his heart, Shane stood up, took a few steps forward, and stopped about two meters away from Alicia, maintaining a polite distance.
“Your Highness,” Shane spoke, his voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation. “Do you truly believe that I, a necromancer, can turn this desert into a lush green land?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Alicia answered. Her voice was clear, firm, and resonant:
“I do.”
As she said this, her gaze still didn't waver in the slightest, meeting Shane's eyes head-on.
Because she knew that this man was truly planting trees, not using it as a cover for some conspiracy.
Although Alicia did not understand death magic, nor did she care for the doctrines regarding the opposition of life and death.
But she understood results.
And the result was that there was an expanding oasis right here.
And all of this had been achieved by the thin, pale exile before her.
Shane looked at her, remaining silent for a few seconds.
He could sense the sincerity in her words. It was a peculiar feeling.
In his past life, he had grown accustomed to hearing phrases like “desert reclamation is too difficult,” “this place is beyond saving,” and “you're just wasting your effort.”
Later, when the oasis began to take shape, it turned into “you guys just got lucky,” “the policy support was in place,” and “with so much investment, there was bound to be some result.”
But very few people would ever say: I believe you can turn this desert into a green land.
Even if they did, it was usually accompanied by some sort of condition.
Yet Alicia's trust was completely unreserved. This feeling caused the corners of Shane's mouth to slowly curl upward, and an almost gentle smile appeared on his pale face.
Seeing Shane's smile, the princess also felt a surge of joy, thinking she had succeeded.
However, Shane's next words caused her expression to freeze.
“But, I refuse.”
For a split second, she doubted her own ears.
He refused?
After she had shown that she could help him leave this place of exile, and after she had so firmly said “I believe you,” he had actually refused?
Why?
Beside her, Elon also turned his head to look at Shane in astonishment, unable to believe what he was hearing.
Although the guards not far away couldn't hear the conversation clearly, they sensed the shift in mood, and their hands instinctively crept back toward their weapons.
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
Shane seemed entirely oblivious to it all.
He withdrew his smile, returning to his calm, almost indifferent expression.
Then he turned back to the edge of the pool, picked up the animal bone again, and resumed drawing and writing on the sand.
“Your Highness, do you see this?” Shane didn't look up, his voice drifting over with the gentle breeze.
“This oasis currently has about three hundred plants. Among them, around two hundred have fully survived, and over eighty are still in the observation period.”
“Based on the current progress, I estimate that the area of this oasis can triple within three years.”
“Within five years, a stable microclimate can be formed, reducing the magic turbulence in the surrounding areas.”
“Within ten years...”
Shane finally raised his head and looked at Alicia. “There will be a real forest here. Though it won't be massive, it will be enough to alter the ecology within a twenty-mile radius.”
“I have already planned out every step, but I need time.”
“A lot of time.”
Alicia listened quietly. The initial astonishment on her face had faded, replaced by a look of understanding.
“The Ring of the Exiled restricts my range of movement, but that doesn't matter. This desert is vast enough.”
Shane raised his wrist again, letting the cold metal ring catch the light. “The Magical Council sentenced me to one hundred and fifty years. This period is more than enough for me to turn this dead land into something beyond their wildest imaginations.”
“As for leaving...”
He shook his head slightly and continued, “If I leave, what would I do?”
“Return to human society and continue hiding? Or perhaps become a disaster in everyone's eyes once more?”
Shane looked straight at the princess. Seeing the contemplation in her eyes, he pursed his lips and continued, “Though this place is desolate, it is mine. I can plan according to my own ideas and plant at my own pace.”
“No one cares that I am a necromancer or what methods I use, as long as green things grow.”
At this point, Shane continued to look at Alicia. A trace of what could be described as “gentleness” appeared in his eyes, and a faint smile could even be discerned. “So, thank you, Your Highness. Thank you for your trust.”
“But I choose to stay.”
Shane's words plunged Alicia into a long silence. Finally, she lowered her head and let out a soft breath. “I understand.”
She stood up, brushed the sand off her robes, and walked toward Shane. Still carrying that aura of confidence, she stopped a step away from him. “Then, let's try a different proposal.”
“You continue your desert reclamation plan, and I, as the lord of this territory, will provide you with all possible support.”
“You don't need to agree to help me right now. We can cooperate first, starting from the most basic things.”
“For example...”
She turned to look at the guards and servants who had returned to their resting state. “My group needs to establish a stronghold, and your oasis is the only place in this region suitable for survival.”
“Moreover, I have craftsmen among my servants who excel in construction. They can help you build some basic infrastructure.”
“My mentor, Elon... though he might not be comfortable with your methods, his understanding of plants and ecology could perhaps provide some useful advice.”
“We can avoid interfering with each other while still offering mutual assistance.”
Alicia turned back, looking into Shane's eyes. “What do you think, Shane Leynas?”
Shane did not speak. He quietly looked at the princess before him, and then, slowly nodded. “Very well.”
Finally, the corners of Alicia's mouth curled up into a bright smile. She extended her hand. “Then, here's to a pleasant cooperation.”
Shane looked down at her hand, remained silent for a couple of seconds, and then grasped it.
It felt warm to the touch, unlike his own icy hands, carrying the temperature of a living human.
Shane said, “Here's to a pleasant cooperation.”
Behind the princess, Elon watched this scene with a complex expression.
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