"Lord, my Lord!"
Kael was watching the fierce battle between Leinas and the Lava Demon with great interest when Enri suddenly arrived, slightly out of breath. It was clear that something important had happened.
As expected, after greeting each other, Enri reported with a slightly hurried voice, "Lady Lakyus wants to meet you. Do you have time to see her?"
"Lakyus?"
Kael's eyes moved slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
He knew that Renner was about to attack Eight Fingers' strongholds. Lakyus coming to see him at this time was probably to ask for help. A guess that was almost certainly correct.
"Alright, tell someone to bring her here."
"Yes."
Enri nodded, then conveyed Kael's message to the person on the other end of the magical communication.
Not long after, Lakyus arrived from the Re-Estize Royal Capital to the Church of Destiny's special training ground via teleportation magic, appearing before Kael. A flash of light and she was there.
She first respectfully touched her chest as a greeting to Kael, and before she could speak, she heard Kael say, "You're in trouble and want to ask for my help, right?" Kael's voice sounded playful, as if he already knew everything.
"...Your Excellency, how did you know that?"
Lakyus was slightly surprised, her eyes wide. A secret she thought only she and Renner knew. She asked Kael in astonishment, was his guess really that simple?
But Kael merely smiled mysteriously and did not answer the question. His gaze was full of secrets.
After that, he waved to Enri and the others beside him, signaling that he wanted to speak with Lakyus alone, and asked them to leave first. An undeniable gesture.
"Tell me, what do you want to ask me?" Kael asked, his tone flat yet inviting once more.
Lakyus suppressed the doubt in her heart, dismissing the question about Kael's knowledge. She first briefly but clearly introduced the Eight Fingers organization to Kael. Then she stated that she wanted to launch an attack on Eight Fingers' strongholds in the Re-Estize Royal Capital but was in a dilemma due to a lack of manpower.
"So, I would like to ask Your Excellency to allow the adventurers in the church to help us complete this plan. In return, we will pay a certain amount of compensation to the church." Her voice sounded a little cautious, unsure how Kael would react.
Hehe.
After listening to Lakyus's suggestion, Kael activated the effect of the [Sky Feather Belt] and moved closer to her within fifty centimeters.
His height was already taller than Lakyus, and coupled with the height provided by the [Sky Feather Belt] hanging from him, he could look down at her. A subtle dominance of position.
With his arms crossed over his chest, Kael slightly raised the corner of his mouth and said, "The rewards you mentioned are not so valuable in my eyes. But I'm a little curious, why are you doing this, for the sake of the kingdom's people, or for Renner?" A pointed question, testing Lakyus's motivation.
Lakyus felt the pressure of Kael's close proximity and couldn't help but take a step back. She looked at him, her eyes full of honesty, and replied, "There is no conflict between the two. Eliminating the evil organization, Eight Fingers, is clearly a good thing for the kingdom's people, and Renner is a kind woman. This matter can only be realized thanks to her." Her tone was firm, defending the princess.
"If you're doing it for the sake of the kingdom's people, I think that's fine, but if it's for Renner..."
Kael suddenly said this, his voice containing an indescribably strange tone.
Lakyus noticed that when Kael uttered the word "Renner," a sneer appeared on his face, as if this person had a negative prejudice against the princess.
Although she didn't know why, as Renner's good friend, she couldn't stand by and watch Kael misunderstand Renner. This felt like a personal attack.
So she wanted to ask about this detail, an urge to understand, but was interrupted by Kael.
Kael closed his eyes slightly, as if he had thought of something, and said to her with a smile: "Forget it, since you're asking for my help, I'll agree to your request." A quick and unexpected agreement.
"But for the reward, besides the portion you mentioned, I want half of all the assets in Eight Fingers' strongholds. You also have to promise to do one thing for me."
"How about it, do you accept these terms?" Kael concluded, his eyes opening and sharply looking at Lakyus, awaiting her answer.
This seems to be asking for too much, Lakyus thought. However, there was a catch.
But Lakyus knew that ordinary assets were just empty land to him and held no value at all—Kael sought something more than mere gold or jewels.
After a moment of thought, she asked Kael about one of the conditions, "Then, Your Excellency, what do you want from me?" Her voice was full of curiosity and a touch of anxiety.
"I haven't decided yet."
Kael raised an eyebrow confidently and said, "But don't worry, what I want you to do will definitely be within your capabilities, and it won't put you in danger." His tone was reassuring.
Lakyus was silent for a moment after hearing this, processing Kael's words. Kael's trust in her, though strange, felt real. Then she nodded seriously, "Then, I promise you." A sincere pledge.
You agreed right away? Kael thought, slightly surprised by Lakyus's quick acceptance.
Kael looked at Lakyus with satisfaction and said, "Alright, now that the terms are agreed, go find Enri. She will help you allocate the manpower you need."
"On behalf of Renner, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you!" Lakyus bowed deeply, relieved and thankful.
As night fell, in the Re-Estize Royal Capital.
The buildings protected by towering walls were quite far from the city center. Although the gate at the entrance of the stronghold was equipped with magical lights displaying [Eternal Light], it still appeared somewhat dim.
However, behind the isolating walls, several braziers for illumination had been set up in the inner courtyard, so there was no problem lighting the area.
"Hey, have you heard everything? Lord Succulent was captured while on escort duty."
"I've known for a long time. If this hadn't happened, the other six-armed masters wouldn't have returned, right?"
The two men guarding the stronghold's gate whispered to each other, their voices low and slightly worried.
It was not difficult to deduce from the content of their conversation that both were members of Eight Fingers' Security Department and the Six Arms.
And this stronghold was a major Six Arms base in the royal capital.
Because Succulent and his employer Coco Doll were captured by royal officials, this incident had damaged the Six Arms' reputation. The organization's leader, Zero, who also bore the title "Fighting Demon," immediately recalled the other four elite members.
The next step was to cooperate with people from other departments in Eight Fingers to rescue Coco Doll, who was captured by the authorities, and preserve the Six Arms' reputation.
Then find out the mysterious organization that defeated Succulent and let them see how powerful the Six Arms truly are! A clear plan for revenge.
In any case, those were matters for the leader and some adults to consider, and they, the members, only needed to follow the arrangements and act accordingly.
"Is the weather getting cold lately?"
One of the guards rubbed his arms, trying to keep warm. The damp night air was starting to feel piercing.
At that moment, he saw a dark shadow suddenly appear above the courtyard and slowly descend. An unnatural silhouette.
"Who's that!?"
His duty as a guard made him immediately draw the sword from his waist and shout a warning, his voice tightening.
His companions were startled by his sudden action, but they reacted quickly and drew their weapons, pointing them towards the shadow.
Under the watchful eyes of the two men, they saw that the approaching figure was fully revealed under the firelight.
The other person wore a red suit and a strange mask on their face, giving people an impression of immense elegance and tranquility.
But the two guards dared not relax at all and instead felt a little afraid. The aura emanating from the figure far surpassed anything they had ever felt.
For behind the man, a tail wrapped in silver plates swayed with his steps, and the six thorns at its tip shone sharply.
Not human!?
This was something that could be easily judged. A horrifying reality that struck them.
Before the two could move, a voice came from behind the mask of the incoming person, "Kneel!" An absolute command, making their knees feel weak.