"How was my parfomance?" Varian smirked.
"You're still in the role!"
"Oops, how's my performance?"
"I've recorded it."
"W-Wait, what?" Varian reached out his hand to grab Sia but she slipped away, giggling.
Sarah hit him softly on the chest and said. "Why are you so shameless?"
With a snort, she turned around and left. When she left the room, she slammed the door shut with her powers even though it was an automatic door.
"It's my fault?" Varian lowered his head and murmured. "Enigma, you think so too?"
Enigma in her spirit form gave him a long stare of silence with her purple eyes.
Oh dear, her bright eyes. Even though she didn't utter a word, Varian could hear her from her eyes.
"It's not exaggerated as you think, okay? I've been to some civilizations in the tower where they talk worse." Varian said with an honest expression.
Enigma crossed her legs and tapped her chin with her index finger.
Varian looked at her with a hopeful gaze, wishing at least she believed him.
"So?"
Enigma turned and looked at him straight in the eye with a serious gaze.
Varian straightened his back as he awaited her judgement.
Enigma gave him a little smirk and went back to reading another book.
"You naughty…" Varian wanted to slap her ass but held himself back. Since Isadora, he maintained some distance.
"I'll go see how our venerable guests are doing." Varian rubbed his hands and decided to take out his grievance on them.
— — — —
"Princess, this place has some quirks and raises some doubts. But nothing that points to a big secret, much less something that could give you enough merit over the two princes." Ashley placed her hand on her chest and reported to the Princess she served.
Being an official and sent to conduct a census were all superficial reasons. The original envoys were changed by the crown prince candidates.
Even though Azalea's death was significant, an unimportant princess dying wasn't very important. At least not important enough for the candidates to put down everything and rush here.
Varian got a wrong sense of the urgency from Baldur—a prince who himself wasn't very well versed in the deep politics of his kingdom.
Even if he did know, he'd have done the same. It was wise to prepare earlier than later. For now, he had to endure while these envoys would 'uncover' all the secrets of this 'primitive civilization'.
"Did you find any traces of battle? Azalea is a rank 4 or rank 5? Whatever, the traces of that battle should be obvious in an unsophisticated civilization like that."
A dignified voice came from the other side of the communication crystal, inspiring equal amounts of awe and respect in Ashely's arrogant heart.
"None. There were no traces in here. Our locators point to this region, so it must not be too far." Ashely's confusion was evident in her tone.
"Weird. Maybe Baldur killed her. Have you found any traces of him? Maybe he's in that civilization."
"Perhaps," Ashley nodded lightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. "I'll dismantle the last brick of this place if I have to, but I'll fulfill the mission."
"Do not return if you can't finish your mission."
With those harsh words, Princess Sonya cut off the call.
— — — —
"Howz every sing sowing?" Varian rubbed his hands like that greedy businessman and asked with a bright smile.
They sat in the center of a pavilion, in the middle of a pink lake that had glowing blue fishes jumping out of the water from time to time. The warm breeze in the early morning only added to the wonderful experience.
But the envoys appreciated neither the scenery nor the exquisite dishes served. They didn't even appreciate Varian's generous words.
"This place, to be blunt, is very…barren." Finar crossed his legs and said with an indifferent expression.
"You bring your wife and daughters here. Not so barren. Ahaha."
"What did you just say?" Finar slammed the table and rose to his feet, glaring down at Varian with killing intent.
Varian looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Barren? Bring your momma, papa, wifey, and daughter. No barren. But you big boy. No mama, papa. So, wifey, daughter."
"He thinks 'barren' as in lack of people. So, if you think it's barren, you bring your family, is what he is saying." Ashely stood up and her wings spread out, stopping in front of Finar, and preventing him from any violence.
Finar turned his gaze to Ashley. "Since when did Barren mean lack of people?"
"In their language, it does." Ashely pointed to a hologram showing human's lingua franca and translation.
"You're studying their language? That backward animal calls?"
"What were you doing for the past six hours? We were given access to all their records. We should be studying everything, including language."
"Whatever," Finar took a few deep breaths and sat down.
"Cool! Coool! No angry! You happy, I happy." Varian waved his arms around, appearing to be genuinely concerned at his outburst. "You no wife? Itz okay! We have many donke—"
"What the—"
"Donkels—it's one of the new words added to their lingua franca, it means attractive young women."
Finar looked between Ashley and Varian with a grudging expression before shutting his mouth.
As the envoy of candidate number 2, he had been overactive just to prove that number 2 wasn't really behind number 1.
A man who didn't even back down under life and death battles gave in and dropped out of the conversation.
'Finally, my chance.' Ashley pursed her lips. Her princess was number 3 in the race—so, it was her duty to do her best and take her to number 2.
As for number 1…
Ashley cast a glance at the envoy who remained relaxed and silent until now.
Edison. Subordinate of number 1. He was so confident in his prince's ability that he wasn't taking any stress from this mission.
"Leave all the hospitality talk, I'll ask the questions. You answer." Ashley narrowed her eyes and pushed the conversation.
"You sow lady, you sow." Varian nodded with a positive smile.
Resisting her urge to smash his face, Ashley asked the most obvious and pressing question.
"How did your civilization remain undetected so far? What's the secret?"
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