Chapter 25: Nephthys's Betrothed

In the study, Queen Adair held a report from the Extraordinary Arena, her gaze lingering on a few lines for a long time:

“...repelled the legions of liches, devils, and orcs on the devastated land, and established the glorious Aefin in the midst of blood and fire...”

The Prime Minister, standing to the side, sighed:

“So well-written, and with such exceptional talent. I wonder whose child this is; I truly wish to meet them.”

Queen Adair was slightly surprised, taken aback by her father’s high praise. Her father’s standards had always been incredibly discerning; it was rare for him to hold a young man in such high regard. After finishing the report, she murmured to herself:

“To be able to take on seven opponents of the same rank while only at the first tier, and to win with such ease... and he refuses to show his face. Could he not be one of ours?”

The Prime Minister said: “I heard he intends to continue his challenges tomorrow, and he has signed up for ten matches in one go. I wonder if he is truly confident or just grandstanding.”

“Does Father wish to see him?”

The Prime Minister replied: “That is not necessary. Send someone instead.”

The Queen nodded slightly: “That is my intention as well.”

A knock sounded at the door: “Your Majesty, Prime Minister, His Majesty and Prince Haug are entering the palace shortly.”

The Prime Minister asked in surprise: “Why is His Majesty hanging around with Haug? When did they become so close?”

The Queen replied indifferently: “His Majesty is pursuing his extraordinary advancement with his uncle.”

The Prime Minister’s lips twitched: “Did he succeed? Is he a [Paladin]?”

“I assume so, otherwise he would not have come to the palace so suddenly.”

The Prime Minister curled his lip in secret: “He never liked cultivation. Even if he succeeded, he is only at the first tier. At his age... it is too late. If I recall, you were nearly at the fifth tier by sixteen.”

The Queen’s tone remained calm: “Isn't the ‘Lord of Shadows’ you admire so much also at the first tier?”

The Prime Minister scoffed: “If he had half the strength of the ‘Lord of Shadows,’ I would have returned the reins of power to him today and gone home to wait for my grandchildren!”

Ultimately, this was a world of the extraordinary where strength reigned supreme. The higher the monarch’s talent and the greater their power, the more confidence it provided to the people and the nobility, and the more cohesive the nation would be.

The Queen’s lips twitched slightly: “Then you should continue being the Prime Minister!”

The Prime Minister clearly began to push his agenda: “Listen, daughter, you are nearly at the Legendary tier. Even if he stays in a cold war with you, can’t you take the initiative? Our Angrain family is counting on you to carry on the bloodline!”

The Queen’s face was as cold as ice: “You don't mind that he is only six years old now?”

“A six-year-old mind does not mean a six-year-old body. I do not care. He is an adult now, and I want to hold a grandchild within three years...”

“Father!”

“Fine, I will stop pressuring you. Do as you see fit.”

Soon, Kaelen and Prince Haug arrived at the study. The Prime Minister bowed slightly.

***

The Queen sensed the aura radiating from Kaelen and asked: “Has Your Majesty reached the first tier?”

Kaelen nodded: “Yes, sister. However, Uncle says my aura is still unstable, so I may need to stay with him for a few days to solidify my foundation.”

Kaelen blinked, noticing a faint blush rising on the Queen’s usually cold and elegant face. Was he seeing things? He was unaware that, only minutes prior, an old man with no sense of decorum had been discussing the prospect of grandchildren with his dear sister. The Queen felt a bit awkward seeing Kaelen now.

Kaelen, however, did not think much of it. He had come to the palace specifically to inform the Queen. He had many things to attend to over the next few days and might not be able to appear at the palace. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he needed to lay some groundwork.

The Queen nodded slightly. Seeing Prince Haug, she had a sudden thought and handed over the report from the table: “Uncle, if you are free tomorrow, could you pay a visit to the Extraordinary Arena?”

Haug was stunned, taking the report to read: “Your Majesty, do you mean you want me to observe this ‘Lord of Shadows’ at close range?”

“Yes. I have thought it over, and you are the most suitable person to go. If we can recruit him to the royal cause, I would prefer it to be through you.”

The Queen’s words left a complicated taste in Kaelen’s mouth. If his uncle were to handle the recruitment, the person recruited would naturally become a direct asset to the King. Had he really misunderstood the Queen all along? Was he not living the life of a puppet emperor, but rather that of Emperor Xuan of Han?

Haug glanced subtly at Kaelen beside him; Kaelen had just told him what happened at the arena. The Prince looked at the Queen with a faint, indiscernible oddity, thinking to himself: *You have no idea that this ‘Lord of Shadows’ is standing right in front of you, pretending to be a child!*

He agreed. Perhaps because of the Prime Minister’s words, the Queen felt a hidden sense of relief upon hearing that Kaelen would be staying at the Prince’s estate that night.

They chatted for a while longer before parting ways. Once outside the palace, Prince Haug looked at Kaelen, who was walking silently in front, and said in a low, serious voice:

“Do you intend to keep deceiving her forever?”

Kaelen fell into a long silence before finally replying:

“I cannot trust her unconditionally yet. Perhaps she is sincere, or perhaps she is a brilliant actress who has deceived us all. To put it bluntly, even if there is a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I cannot take the risk. Furthermore, there are too many eyes and ears in the palace. The more people who know, the greater the risk of exposure. Until I have complete control over Emerald City, my true condition can only be known to a few.”

Prince Haug sighed: “Your mother always treated Adair like her own daughter. You have been in a cold war with her, and now you refuse to trust her—is it because she shared your mother’s love, and your childhood jealousy is at work?”

Kaelen stopped, his eyes showing a complex emotion. After a long time, he spoke slowly:

“Perhaps. Since the Queen has asked, you go to the arena tomorrow, Uncle. But unless it is an absolute emergency and I give the signal, do not reveal anything easily.”

...

Early the next morning, the gates of the Extraordinary Arena were crowded with citizens eager to watch the match. Thanks to Raymon’s high-profile promotion, almost all of Emerald City’s attention was now focused on the “Lord of Shadows,” who had secured ten consecutive victories and was now challenging higher-tier opponents.

Kaelen changed into a stand-up collar hunting outfit and wore a mask of a different style and color, entering the arena with a low profile. Had he worn yesterday’s attire, he feared he would not even have been able to get through the gates.

Once inside, the stands were already packed. Scanning the crowd, he spotted Nephthys. What caught his attention was a blonde man standing in front of her, and the two seemed to be locked in a heated argument. Kaelen could feel the resistance and annoyance in Nephthys’s heart.

Kaelen narrowed his eyes and walked over. Their voices drifted to him:

“...Young Master Bogus, I repeat: the so-called engagement was never agreed to by me. It was your mother’s wishful thinking, and it holds no weight. Stop pestering me. Must you make things so embarrassing for everyone?”

The young man named Bogus gritted his teeth, seemingly struggling to suppress a flare of rage: “Why didn’t you mention this before? Why go back on your word now? Do you think that because you’ve climbed onto the ‘Temple of Battle’s’ coattails, you can just discard our Dupont family?”

Nephthys’s expression darkened, her voice laced with anger: “I have been expressing my attitude to your mother all along; it is your mother who refuses to see me! The reason I am confronting you now is that I have signed an employment contract with a gentleman, and I do not want these trivial matters to interfere with that contract!”

Bogus’s eyes widened, his face burning with jealousy as he nearly roared: “What gentleman? What contract? Nephthys, you dare to sign a contract with another man without my permission!”

Nephthys’s face turned ice-cold, and she said sharply:

“Mr. Bogus Dupont, I tell you solemnly: I have never had any relationship with you, nor with your Dupont family! It was Aunt Morton who raised me, not the Duponts! Since you refuse to be civil, I will speak plainly. Return Aunt Morton’s belongings to me, and I will have nothing more to do with your family!”

Bogus’s handsome face twisted completely. He had long regarded the beautiful, adorable Nephthys as his personal prize, but her cold, decisive words shattered his delusions, making him feel as though he had fallen into an abyss.

He shouted: “In your dreams! If you have the guts, come to our house and take them yourself!”

“You!”

Just as the two were at each other’s throats, Kaelen’s voice rose from behind them:

“I didn’t hear that you were coming today?”

Nephthys turned, and seeing him, she let out a sigh of relief. Then she frowned slightly and whispered: “Sir, did you hear everything?”

Kaelen replied: “Not everything. It seems you’ve encountered some trouble. Do you need help?”

Nephthys shook her head gently: “This is a private matter. I will handle it.”

Kaelen slowly reached out and patted Nephthys on the head: “I do not allow my people to be entangled in trivial annoyances. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to ask.”