Chapter 538

"Wha... What shall we do?"

The king's voice quivered with trepidation as he addressed the young man sitting before him.

"He has found out! The Assassin Squad is our kingdom's top secret; it should have remained undisclosed... Hmm, it seems Prince Davey has some means to verify the truth," the young man, leader of the Illuminati, mused thoughtfully.

"But... But then!" the king interjected urgently.

"The damage has already been done. Since we took such drastic measures, the Royal Family of the Rowane Kingdom will have to step back and observe the situation calmly. Without Prince Davey, the Rowane Kingdom is just a minor nation compared to Boltis."

"But now, that Davey of Rowane is there!"

"Even so, he's just a human. He won't dare turn the entire continent against him with such foolish acts."

As the leader of the Illuminati spoke, the king sighed heavily.

"Suppose..." the king murmured anxiously, "...he really does make a bold move and wreaks havoc in our country?"

"There are laws prohibiting war, so a full-scale conflict is out of the question. And even if he dares to wage war, it won't matter; we will lend you the thing."

"Really?" The king's eyes widened.

"Yes, it's nearly complete. Don't worry. No matter how powerful he is, he won't be able to resist the force we possess."

"Hmm..."

"As long as he exists, the Boltis Kingdom will always be under the watch of Rowane."

"But the Empire might intervene..."

"Don't worry about that. Our members in the Empire will handle it."

"Okay, that sounds promising."

The young man smiled, turning to leave. As he walked away, he muttered, "If things go wrong, you're just a pawn we can dispose of."

Of course, the king of Boltis did not hear this.

* * *

The Boltis Kingdom—a place entangled with past resentments. Davey recalled a prior clash with the seventh prince of Boltis in the Duchy of Felicity. The vampire Shari, confidant of Queen Lynesse, had infected the Seventh Prince, leading him to commit unspeakable acts that endangered everyone, including Baris and Winley. Boltis faced severe criticism and substantial reparations for this incident, leaving their economy teetering.

"Well, visiting the Boltis Kingdom is a good idea," Davey muttered to himself.

Baris responded with a bitter smile. "What brings the Duchess of Felicity here?"

The duchess clung to Baris's side, giggling. "I'm soon to be engaged to Prince Baris. It's unofficial, but I am his fiancée."

"Ah... Yes." Davey found her reasoning for falling for Baris absurdly whimsical. "Prince Baris? Cute, isn't he?"

Baris had grown significantly, and his stature was no longer particularly small.

Davey glanced over to see Rinne, sitting in the coachman's seat, stretching and yawning. Above her head, Perserque, as always, slept soundly. Both desired to escape the weird atmosphere caused by the Duchess of Felicity, who clung tightly to Prince Baris. Davey, too, wanted to escape, but his position demanded that he stay.

"Anyways, I haven't thanked you yet," the duchess said, turning her bright smile to Davey. "Thank you for helping our duchy. Your awakening as a saint and transforming the area into a sacred land significantly improved the spirit of our duchy."

"That's good to hear."

"We may not have much to offer, but I really wanted to express my gratitude."

At her sincere smile, Davey responded casually, "Then consider this as payment."

He formed a circle with his thumb and index finger.

She laughed awkwardly. "Ahaha... I don't have authority over financial matters..."

Watching her avert eye contact, Davey thought she was skilled with nonverbal social cues. From Davey's perspective, the closeness between the duchess and Baris was apparent, though he did not know the details of their relationship. The duchess seemed smitten with Baris, and being a capable woman, she would likely be a significant support to him.

"Duchess, you're drawing quite a stare from my brother. Perhaps a little space would be..." Baris gently suggested.

"Oh my, is the prince already tired of me? Sob... sob..." she whimpered playfully, causing Davey to chuckle.

Despite the peaceful atmosphere, he knew things would change upon entering the Boltis Kingdom. Only the sound of horse hooves clattering against the ground filled the air.

* * *

The situation in the Boltis Kingdom was worse than Davey had heard. Despite being the capital, the streets were filled with suffering commoners. Many shops were closed, and the air was tense.

Baris, noticing Davey's expression, remarked, "It's not your fault, brother. Ever since the prince of Boltis died, there's been a shift in the kingdom's power dynamics. The current king and his nobles have strengthened their hold, and inexplicably, taxes have increased. The common people are left with little to eat, and now a severe drought has added to their woes."

"A drought?" Davey quickly opened the window to check the sky. The dry air brushed against his face, furrowing his brow. "That's strange. The wind patterns don't suggest a drought. The Lahtma Mountain Range around the Holy Empire usually brings moisture from east to west. So if there was indeed a drought, it should also appear in some parts of the Holy Empire."

"I know, that's what's odd about it," Baris agreed.

Davey fell silent, contemplating the situation. "It's not something to worry about right now."

Boom!!

As they entered the grand gates of the kingdom, rows of soldiers stood with weapons ready, a clear show of force. They might have seemed to welcome the visitors, but it was obvious that their intent was to intimidate Davey.

'Cute,' Davey thought to himself.

"Master Davey, we've arrived at the Boltis Kingdom," said Rinne.

"Davey of Rowane has arrived."

Davey instructed Rinne, using some mana to write the coordinates and giving her some cubes. "Proceed with my command."

"Acknowledged," Rinne saluted.

As Davey stepped out of the carriage, an official greeted him, "Welcome, Prince Davey of Rowane."

"Nice to meet you. I am Davey O'Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom."

"I received the message that you were coming, but we couldn't properly prepare for your arrival in time as you arrived earlier than expected. Please forgive us."

"Thank you. But let's skip the formalities. We're not here for pleasantries."

The official's face twitched at Davey's straightforwardness, but the official masked his emotion with a smile and said, "I will first take you to the VIP room. You must be tired due to the long trip."

"Let's do that later. I came here to deal with something serious."

At Davey's request, the official's face twitched once more. Davey could see through the official's attempts to stall.

Davey requested again, "Take me to the king of Boltis so that I can discuss with him."

"Umm... Our king is tired because he dealt with some diplomatic issues..."

"I'm not sure if this can simply be seen as a failure on the part of your ministers."

"Wha...What does that..."

"Please tell the king that I'm here and that I would like to talk to him."

Davey's aura made the official step back, frightened.

"Wa...Wait here, please."

Maintaining relationships with the Boltis Kingdom had always been difficult. The kingdom had a history of conflict with Rowane, similar to the tense relationships between neighboring countries, specifically Japan and Korea, or China and Korea, in Davey's previous life.

As they walked through the opulent palace, the assembled soldiers and knights paid them ostentatious homage.

Clang!

The soldiers took their positions with such discipline that their halberds in hand seemed ready to shatter, a sight that would normally be intimidating, but Davey neatly ignored their efforts.

"Your Majesty! Crown Prince Baris O'Rowane and Prince Davey O'Rowane from the Rowane Kingdom have arrived," announced a servant.

"Let them in," commanded a stern voice as the doors opened.

Davey whispered to Baris, "I have the authority to negotiate, but you'll be the one speaking."

"Me?" asked Baris, surprised.

"Yes. Trust me, Baris?" Davey inquired.

"If I don't trust my brother, then who can I trust?" Baris replied.

"Right. Let's shake down these tricksters. Enter confidently. You're my proud brother."

Davey's encouragement brought a devilish smile to Baris's face. Adjusting his glasses, Baris entered with confidence and greeted, "May glory be upon the sun of the Boltis Kingdom."

"Welcome," said the king, sitting arrogantly.

Baris slowly took a seat across the table. The king, an elderly man with a weary expression, had governed the Boltis Kingdom for a long time. Though his eyes were not sharp, they hinted at something sinister being concealed.

"Crown Prince Baris O'Rowane and the continent's Saint, Prince Davey O'Rowane. I've heard much about you. Welcome to the Boltis Kingdom," greeted the king.

Baris, smiling, replied, "Thank you for your hospitality."

"But... I didn't expect you to meet me so soon before even settling in," said the king.

"There's no time to delay on such matters," Baris signaled to Davey, who was controlling the negotiation through Baris.

This was not only to elevate Baris's status but also to prepare for any situation where Davey might be targeted. Additionally, it served as a great opportunity to show other countries that any attempt to sow discord between Baris and Davey was futile.

As Davey told Baris about what needed to be said, Baris momentarily looked perplexed but soon nodded confidently.

"We've received the letter from the Rowane Kingdom. It's regrettable," said the king.

"Yes, His Majesty from the Rowane Kingdom asked me to convey thanks for the 'gift' sent by the Boltis Kingdom," replied Baris.

"Hmm... I sent no such gift," the king retorted.

"Which is why the Rowane Kingdom would like to reciprocate," Baris said, causing the king's expression to slightly darken.

"We expect a sincere apology from Your Majesty, a thorough investigation and disclosure of this incident, and a public statement about the Assassin Squad," Baris demanded, causing the king to frown further.

"Is this a lack of manners, or do you rely too much on the prince behind you? This is thoughtless, Crown Prince," the king chided.

"Then, we ask for Your Majesty's sincere apology, clarification of this incident, disclosure about the Assassin Squad, and actual compensation from the Boltis Kingdom, including 200 horses," Baris continued, provoking an even deeper frown from the king.

Simultaneously, a prince sitting beside the king glared coldly at Baris. "Crown Prince Baris O'Rowane, making such outrageous demands as soon as you arrive? Are you out of your mind? How can we possibly..."

"We demand Your Majesty's genuine apology, a full disclosure of this incident, and the handover of all Shadow Assassins to the Rowane Kingdom, along with 200 horses and 80 wagons of wheat," Baris insisted, infuriating the Boltis prince.

"Crown Prince Baris! This is preposterous! Making such irrational demands!"

Baris tilted his head and asked, "Is this not enough for you?"

The king sighed bitterly, glaring coldly at him. In the past, Baris could not have been so bold against a king. But now, things were different.

"How should I interpret this insult?" the king asked angrily.

Baris smiled brightly, fully briefed by Davey. He seemed to enjoy the situation as he boldly continued, "Then, let's adjust our demands. Your Majesty will personally visit the Rowane Kingdom and offer a sincere apology to the king of Rowane, clarify the entire incident, and publicize it. Additionally, hand over the southern grain-producing regions and six other territories of the Boltis Kingdom to the Rowane Kingdom. In return, we will consider this matter closed."

Clang!!! Clang clang!!!

Enraged, the prince drew his sword. "How dare you behave like this! Is this an outrage?!"

"Did you just draw your sword?" Baris asked calmly.

The prince continued, "You accuse us falsely and make such absurd demands, is this the Rowane Kingdom's way?"

Baris replied firmly, "The Rowane Kingdom is not a vassal of the Boltis Kingdom. You should choose your words more carefully. What makes you think you can speak so lowly of His Majesty?"

The prince fumed, "You!"

Baris, undeterred, added, "You have no fear, I see. Very well. If these terms are unacceptable, let's adjust our demands again."

Reassured by Davey's words through telepathy, Baris inhaled deeply and then declared, "Your Majesty will personally visit the Rowane Kingdom and bow to its king, apologize sincerely, and hand over the southern grain-producing regions and six other territories of the Boltis Kingdom. In return, we will let this matter pass."

Baris shamelessly increased his demands, watching as the king and prince reacted with growing anger.