Chapter 538

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, youre just a pawn we can dispose of."

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

* * *

The Boltis Kingdoma 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 fiance."

"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 dont 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.

"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 ORowane and the continent's Saint, Prince Davey ORowane. 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 ORowane, 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.