To Rex, each and every beast looked fascinating.
Without hesitation, he checked its status, and a similar panel fluttered into existence before him.
[Name: Nyra]
[Entity: Beast]
[Species: Silvershade Panther]
[Bloodline: Umbrasil Lineage]
[Rank: Noble Rank – 2 Star]
[Potential: SS]
He let out a soft smile, but before he could mention its bloodline, the king spilled proudly,
"You know, Rex, my daughter won that panther in a bet from that Umbrenfall brat, though he was making excuses like his dumb father to not hand over that panther.
Eventually, the panther chose to come with her while respecting their bet.
Haha, that was a good day, Umbrenfall. And fall, they did." He chuckled at his own joke.
While not heeding their conversation, "You can come out too, Kytheris," Princess Vivienne mumbled under her breath, and suddenly the atmosphere became heavier.
A woman stepped out of thin air—or to be more precise, she became visible to the naked eye—while carrying a certain charm and aura that even pulled Rex in and made the king nervous.
Looking at her, the king bowed down slightly and mumbled respectfully, "Lady Kytheris."
{Father, she is very strong.}
A tall woman, fox-like ears, with moonlit silver hair that cascades down like flowing mist. Her eyes pale lavender with crescent pupils. Behind her, three fox tails drift weightlessly, each trailing different wisps of elemental energy—illusion, fire, and moonlight.
Kytheris stood on the right while Nyra stood on the left. At the center stood Princess Vivienne, who casually spoke, "So, Rex, is it? Show your Aspect. I've called both of my beasts."
"Fine, your grace," he said respectfully and glanced at King Edmund. "Your majesty, I cannot tell what that fox-like woman's bloodline is, but that panther's bloodline is from the Umbrasil Lineage," he said with a naive tone.
I hope she doesn't kill me for calling her fox-like, he mused, glancing at Kytheris to check on her expression, but instead, her eyes had widened in shock, and that shock wasn't limited to her.
"Haha, very good, Rex. You really can change our kingdom's fate."
The king let out a surprised laugh, beaming with joy, while the princess's mouth twitched in disbelief as she questioned,
"Father, is that his Aspect? Identifying a beast's bloodline?!" She stepped forward instinctively and questioned her father, who replied happily, "Yes, my daughter."
Vivienne narrowed her eyes and questioned again, "Are you sure you didn't mention anything about Nyra's bloodline?" she asked.
This time, however, the king turned serious. "No, there is no way he could have known about its bloodline beforehand, since even some people in the palace don't know about it," he stated, clearing any of her doubts.
The reason King Edmund was trusting Rex so easily was because when Rex had entered Duke Asselin's home, he had received all the information regarding Rex, even about him saving a village, and Rex being… a noble's son.
The king knew all about Rex.
"Father, let him join my company in Verdant Abyss Forest. With him and Kytheris combined, we could sweep most of the purebloods within the forest clean," she said with furrowed brows.
And added, "Hehe, I'm getting excited all of a sudden, imagining how Aelindra will react after hearing about Rex's Aspect."
"Calm down, Vivienne. We can't disclose his Aspect to many people yet. That is the reason why I brought him here. Let's keep this a secret. And I'll be the one to inform them, as they should be arriving in an hour."
The king and princess conversed with excitement, their minds already imagining the resources the purebloods would bring in.
Even the crimson vial that Princess Vivienne had just consumed was the real blood of a pureblooded beast. With mixed-in herbs and medicines, it acted as a potent potion that helped them advance in rank easily.
It was a sought-after resource, and not just the blood.
But beasts themselves were undeniably valuable, dead or alive!
If any beast didn't submit to humans, they could very well kill them and put their full body parts to use, meat, fur, bones, fangs—each and every small part—would be used, without wasting anything.
And such valuable beasts in the Verdant Abyss Forest were numbered in hundreds of thousands, populating the whole kingdom-like forest.
And this forest… had not been touched for many centuries due to many reasons.
"Where are you from, kid?" Kytheris questioned suddenly in an enchanting voice, the sound of it drawing Rex in as he absently blurted out, "E-Earth."
Everyone glanced at him while Kytheris raised an eyebrow. But just then, a voice called out from behind,
"Your majesty, delegations from Lyonesse Kingdom have arrived and are waiting for you in the meeting room of Roaming Vessel."
The king looked at him and nodded. "I'll be there shortly," and then glanced at his daughter. "Let's go, they are already here," he said,
But before fully turning away, "Rex, you also come with us. Since after meeting them, we are directly going to Verdant Abyss Forest," he added.
Rex nodded with a small smile. "Okay, your majesty," and mumbled innocently.
When everyone took their first step, Nyra jumped into Princess Vivienne's shadow, while Kytheris blended in with her surroundings, turning invisible.
Rex and Vivienne followed behind the king as she began, "Rex, we will be in the same party. Forgive me for looking down on you.
And for that, you can call me big sister from today onwards, I'll also take care of you from now on, so don't worry about anything," she said with a soft smile.
"Then, I'll be in your care… big sister," Rex replied shamelessly with a small smile, not hesitating to address her informally.
She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. You can get close to me shamelessly and I can't, he thought, glancing at her with an innocent smile.
They continued their chatter and walked toward the same platform Rex had first landed upon.
He picked Darius on their way and also introduced him to others. After climbing the same staircases, they finally stood on the platform, but there was something different this time.
A giant ship anchored before everyone, effortlessly hovering on the platform. If anyone looked at the Lumora Palace right now, they would see a wondrous view where many people had been boarding the Roaming Vessel in an orderly fashion.
And before Rex's group could marvel at the view, their attention shifted as the king grumbled in a strict tone,
"No one talks about Rex's Aspect to anyone. Treat him like a normal kid. Am I clear?" he said, looking at everyone.