Chapter 1 Warmth

The warm lights of the bedroom seemed to keep all the shadows and coldness of late autumn outside the door. The moonlight shone softly on the knight-patterned carpet and the magnificent furniture.

Across the long table, Alexandria, the Third Princess of the Kraitian Empire, was still sitting there. Her brown hair fell naturally over her shoulders, and her eyes were like a deep pool, but they lacked luster as if she were already dozing off. Her cheeks appeared pale and translucent in the moonlight.

She was like someone who had struggled with all her might but was met with utter despair, so hope had finally shattered into pieces, never to be pieced together again.

"So, in Your Highness Princess Alexandria's view, there is really not the slightest sign that the Kraitian Empire is being eroded?"

Lan Qi confirmed with Alexandria once more, as if relieved.

"No."

Alexandria's tone was short and firm.

However, Lan Qi's words only made her feel as if she was being repeatedly tortured.

Although Alexandria knew that Lan Qi did not mean to, because he knew nothing.

But if he had deliberately asked again, then this person's character would be too vile.

Unfortunately.

She wouldn't dream of "a wise and all-powerful national hero saving her and her country." That was a story that only appeared in fairy tales.

"..."

Hyperion didn't dare to speak on the side, always maintaining tension and carefully paying attention to every possible piece of information.

She could see that Princess Alexandria had a particularly stubborn mouth.

Under the influence of the Great Poet, the princess's emotional fluctuations were very obvious.

At this moment, Hyperion's heart was also full of calculations.

She didn't want Lan Qi and Princess Alexandria to see anything.

Only she knew that the disappearance of her father, Duke Mikaiah Alanzar, was related to the Kraitian Empire.

This Miss Alexandria, as a princess, probably knew some key information!

But Hyperion was absolutely unwilling to drag Lan Qi into this, so she could only listen in like this, hoping that Lan Qi could unintentionally help her ask for some information that would help find Duke Mikaiah.

However.

Even though Hyperion acted as usual, Lan Qi still looked at her.

He smiled but didn't speak.

This startled Hyperion!

She felt that her acting was obviously flawless.

Why did Lan Qi's sudden gaze make her feel inexplicably that her thoughts had been seen through by him?

"Hyperion, don't worry. We subjectively recognize her as a possible accomplice of the Rebirth Church, so maintaining vigilance or even detaining and controlling her before confirming her identity will not violate the international laws of the Southern Continent."

Lan Qi said gently.

His words relieved Hyperion.

It turned out that she was just overthinking.

"..."

Lan Qi smiled silently and turned his head.

He seemed to be laughing at Princess Alexandria's stubborn attitude.

In fact, Hyperion didn't know that he already knew many things, even what Lan Qi had told her before, "He would rescue Mikaiah," she still regarded as a joke.

To retrieve Duke Mikaiah, he really had to hurry before the Ninth Progenitor, Marquis Bernhard, lifted the seal and killed Duke Mikaiah to obtain the [Primal Tablet - Darkness].

The [Primal Tablet - Darkness] was a top-level magic card that every blood clan could not refuse, as they were born with an affinity for the dark attribute.

In the era when the blood clans were sealed, it seemed that the [Primal Tablet] series of items had not yet been born, so none of the blood clans who had just been unsealed possessed a [Primal Tablet]. Even in the main story a year and a half later, the blood clans launched an operation to hunt down tablet holders.

The [Primal Tablet] series had the characteristic of "dropping upon the holder's death," but for the blood clans who possessed immortality, obtaining a [Primal Tablet] was almost equivalent to permanently possessing it.

Since the [Primal Tablet - Darkness] would be obtained by the Ninth Progenitor, Marquis Bernhard, in the future, and Lan Qi already knew that the Third Progenitor, Seventh Progenitor, and Eighth Progenitor had been unsealed earlier but had not obtained Mikaiah's [Primal Tablet - Darkness], it was highly likely that Mikaiah was still alive.

According to Lan Qi's plan, after visiting the Northern Continent to find the [Primal Tablet - Seal] and preparing himself after challenging the Shadow World once more, he would go to the blood clan's lair in the Kraitian Empire with Hyperion to conduct an ecological balance survey.

If he could obtain a supporter from the Kraitian Empire before that, it would definitely be for the best.

As long as this Princess Alexandria was an enemy of the blood clan, then they would have the same goal.

So Lan Qi decided to probe her a little.

"Your Highness Alexandria, based on your previous answer, please forgive my presumption, but the current predicament of the Kraitian Empire is not the Rebirth Church, but rather a creature far more terrifying than cultists that makes you so fearful."

Lan Qi put down his teacup, his gaze already shifting away from the princess, his eyes calm, but his tone was firm.

"...What are you talking about? I don't understand. Moreover, the Kraitian Empire is not in any predicament at all. It doesn't need you to speculate wildly!"

Alexandria's shoulders trembled slightly. Although she was still refuting Lan Qi, even Hyperion could see that she was putting on a brave face.

Lan Qi's words seemed to be able to accurately break her defense.

"With the Twelve Guardian Generals present, why are you afraid? Can you no longer distinguish which of them have been manipulated?"

Lan Qi chuckled and said to himself.

"Every word you are saying now involves a serious crime. Stop it, and I can let bygones be bygones."

Alexandria's lowered voice was short and cold, desperately trying to contain her almost chaotic thoughts.

Originally, she could have maintained her acting skills from the beginning to answer Lan Qi, but in the end, under the influence of the Great Poet, she couldn't control herself!

She didn't know why Lan Qi probed again and again, as if he could see through all her inner thoughts!

"Has there been any figure in the palace recently that makes you afraid?"

Lan Qi didn't give her a chance to rest. A new voice followed.

"I warn you, don't ask anymore!"

Alexandria's voice was obviously wrong, trembling like a frightened little lion.

"There's at most a year and a half left..."

Lan Qi tapped the table lightly, as if giving Alexandria the final answer.

His voice was as firm as the sound from the Clock Tower of Destiny in the dark night.

"The Blood Moon will completely engulf the entire Kraitian Empire, Your Highness. Your country is doomed."

The short words exploded in Princess Alexandria's ears like thunder.

"!!"

Accompanied by the sound of the table and teacup colliding, Princess Alexandria finally took a step back in fright and stood up.

In the dark night, she was like a girl who had been frightened by thunder.

She stared at Lan Qi, wanting to explore something from the depths of Lan Qi's eyes, but she could never find any answers from those natural emerald green eyes.

Even if Lan Qi could deduce some clues from her performance and words.

But looking at the current North and South Continents, absolutely no sane person would think that a behemoth like the Kraitian Empire would perish in just a year and a half because of the blood clan!

"What exactly, what exactly do you know..."

Her eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness, as if the tears that had already dried up were beginning to flow again.

(End of this chapter)