Leaving the Bubbling Cauldron and going back out into the street with Ifira slightly ahead of her had taken off the edge in Rontress' nerves. She found herself staring at the distant clock tower, or what would soon become one, and thought about all the things she can do during the following negotiations.

  Because what else would this call be for? The members of the crown who came here would want to talk to her and Ifira, not fight. Otherwise there would have been an army at their doorstep instead of a formal request to see the visiting royalty.

  Rontress didn't know who came here so she's unsure of how they'll react while they are talking, in the end, she decided to make a set of generalized plans that can be altered and changed depending on who would be there and how the conversation unfolds.

  Noises coming from all around her made it almost impossible for her to think, as good as it is to have productive villagers, she couldn't help but think that maybe it would be better if these guys had an hour or so to just rest inside their homes at the start of the day.

  Flotol has very short mornings, Rontress didn't know when it started or how it came about but for some reason, people are already active by the time 6 o clock rolls around. Maybe shifting the chime of the clock tower around 6:30 will help mitigate this?

  Eh, no, she'd rather not do that.

  Decreasing Flotol's overall productivity sounds like a bad idea anyway so she scrapped that train of thought and just pushed through the noise of the morning rush hour.

  "We're stopping by Dragon's Den." Rontress mentioned after she got the time to think. Ifira didn't reply but she knows that her friend is listening so she went on, "we can't have the royal family thinking like we're aggressive by putting negotiations in a place where we have an advantage so I think it's better if we hold it in a more familiar building for them."

  "Do people even think about those kinds of things? Why would they care which building the meeting is held in?" Ifira turned back for a moment and gave her an assessing look. "You've always been doing this and I have observed the reactions of everyone we have had the displeasure of negotiating with."

  "And so far?"

  "So far none of them have voiced anything like that? Or even thought about it really, they react the same regardless of where we take them."

  Well, Ifira did have a point, but at the same time, Rontress knew that some of those people lowered their guards back then, allowing her to easily gauge their feelings, string them along, or coax out their true opinions.

  Besides that, there's also things like—

  "Even then, location matters, if we take them to Dragon's Den, it means that it will be more socially acceptable for them to drink, and that, as always, will be to our advantage."

  "King Obierce isn't your run of the mill though, he has the same tricks as us and no doubt pulls off the same strategy during negotiations."

  "Well let's see who has a higher alcohol tolerance then, a Dryad and the Perfect Vessel or some fat king." Rontress wore a confident smirk as she said her retort.

  "King Obierce isn't fat."

  "He isn't?" She remembers him being fat back in the game. Or maybe she's mistaken? "What's his name?"

  "Aordan Nuow Obierce."

  "Not Aegob?" Wait what? Since when did the succession happen during canon? Or maybe it never happened?

  "Aegob is the second prince, and please don't say that in front of the king, saying that the debauched prince becomes king is probably a crime right now."

  "Really?" Rontress chuckled, no wonder he was fat in the game, so he's the kind of ruler who's basically useless?

  "No... Rather, I don't know, no one has said it before." Ifira let out her own chuckle, this one had an air of amusement to it. "Mostly because no one thinks that it's even possible, it'd take a lot of assassinations before that useless fool takes the crown."

  "... Huh." Now it isn't so funny anymore. What happened during canon? Why was this never covered?

  "Why do you seem so confused?"

  "It's just, I'm wondering why you know? You've gotta be worse than a pest in order for people to think that the princesses are a much better candidate for the throne than you." The lie went out smoothly and Rontress' previous confusion got covered up, it was like it never happened.

  "Well, yes." Ifira threw out the kind of agreeing tone that couldn't come from rumors alone, but witnessing the actual truth. "He is that much of a failure, Aegob is the kind of guy I would personally kill, come to think of it, I think I was close to cutting off his hand once."

  "When did that happen?"

  "Four years ago, when I left for the capital to learn more about my true purpose." So shortly after they both met? What happened during that time? "He tried to lay his hands on me, giving me sweet words that I would have fallen for if I didn't know he was lying to my face."

  "What did he tell you?" Well this is juicy, Rontress wondered if this is the reason why canon Ifira was implied to be close to Aegob during her youth.

  "He told me that I am the greatest and prettiest girl he's ever seen, and that his brother didn't know what he was saying when he rejected me."

  So love bombing? Really? Guess it would work on a kid, especially if they just got rejected and the words came from a— presumably. — handsome guy. Not that Rontress knew, this is the first time she's hearing all of this.

  Also, wasn't Ifira eight back then? Rontress frowned in discomfort and she decided to ask more about the situation. Ifira's age never crossed her mind in her past life but now that it did, she's tempted to punch Aegob in the gut and send him flying through a wall.

  "By the way, how old is he?"

  "He's about our age, he's the second prince, remember?"

  "Yeah, sorry Ifira, but I don't care enough about royalty and politics to follow that kind of thing, I'm genuinely lost whenever you mention their names." So he's already like that while eight years old huh? Great. "... And how old is the crown prince? Right now, I mean."

  "Zale is 17 right now."

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  He's five years older than the two of them, and Ifira somehow likes him? Rontress doesn't want to blame her best friend— god knows she's had her own celebrity crushes back on earth. — for liking him but it just doesn't feel right to her.

  "Oh okay."

  Rontress decided that their conversation ended there, she didn't want to pry any deeper about Ifira's feelings nor did she want to know more about the royal family. She can ask about the king and how he acts but Rontress wanted to figure the man out herself.

  Ifira's impression of the royal family is clouded by her general apathy of other people, feelings for the crown prince, and childish whims. So not exactly a trusted source, if Rontress wanted to make a psychological profile for the king, she had to personally make it.

  Now that she knows the current king isn't the incompetent baboon in the game, she wanted to get a feel for how he acts and hopefully, it's enough to give her an edge for future negotiations.

  Despite their prior argument about meeting locations and how ineffective they are, Ifira waited for Rontress to schedule a room in Dragon's Den. Afterwards, the two of them rode a carriage near the gate of the Gilded District and headed for Ghorise.

  "I ordered a lot of alcohol." Rontress mentioned, earning a nod from her friend. "Hopefully Aordan doesn't shy away from it and starts drinking, it's stronger than normal so there's a good chance it'll affect him."

  "He most likely has a sub class and passives that grants him poison immunity, his father once built a tolerance for poison and for the same things, rumor has it that he also liked to party when he was young so he's no stranger to alcohol."

  "He's a dangerous guy who's played our game before, got it." Rontress nodded, she looked out the window, thinking. "What if I give him our brand of alcohol? The kind that actually gets us drunk, I mean, if we become lethargic after half a bottle, surely he'll fall in just two?"

  "You're taking our wine? Is that what you're saying?"

  "Not the old ones, god no." Rontress would rather die than give her vintage wine to some king. She's cultivated those things for four years and she's not letting anyone but her and Ifira drink it.

  "You're taking wine from the latest batch?"

  "Yep." She smirked mischievously, Ifira was considering it so maybe there's a chance that this actually happens?

  "Hm. That sounds interesting, I'll tell Knave to prepare it."

  "He's not gonna know what hit em!"

  The two girls giggled, all while the carriage moved across the paved, brick road that connected Flotol and Ghorise.

  A pair of guards dared to stop the carriage once they got to Ifira's estate, Rontress opened the door and slowly peeked out, "it's us! Let the carriage in!"

  "Well, they're obedient at least." Ifira was staring out the window, her gaze slightly heated. In the background, the sound of creaking metal resonated as the gate opened, "the militia is turning out well no?"

  "Maybe." Rontress didn't want to say yes immediately, the Murk Men have only been active for two years so talking about their results is no different from counting chicks before the eggs hatch. "I'll wait until the mages come around before I give my opinion."

  "Maybe I should as well?" Ifira murmured in consideration. "Though, I am curious just how big of a change would a bunch of mages give to the army, I don't see them as anything more than glorified scholars."

  "A lot, actually." Rontress tried to argue before she dropped the topic. "Let's just see once they're active and combat capable, we'll assign one to every battalion and then send three to help with the war."

  "Yes, I feel that we should mention this to the king during our negotiations."

  "Definitely, yep." Rontress stood up just as the carriage came to a stop, she waited for a second and then opened the door. She turned to Ifira, "after you?"

  "Why thank you." Ifira took her hand and held it as she descended the stairs, she let go halfway through and that was when Rontress followed after her. "They're close, get ready, they don't like it when we're not bowing by the time they step out."

  "Royalty."

  "I thought you were gonna say noble."

  "Well, that's what we're fighting for, to keep my status as a noble." Rontress returned the cheeky smile Ifira shot her. "Hopefully the king doesn't come to hate us after this."

  "He won't." And now Ifira sounded resolute, her expression had the same energy and it didn't abate even as the girl bowed.

  Rontress shortly followed, bowing just as the flying carriage landed and the sound of the griffons' claws clacked against the stone floor.

  With her head lowered and her gaze focused on the ground, Rontress began to wonder just who came to their humble little town. Is it the competent crown prince? The king himself? Or maybe it's the more idiotic member of their family who decided to pay them a visit?

  If it's Aegob then there's a hundred percent chance she comes out on top, all she needs to do is go to the brothel in the Swampside District and ask for their workers and everything would fall into place.

  However, if it isn't the incompetent prince? Then she may have to actually wrung her brain dry in order to not just keep her title as a noble, but leave Dragon's Den knowing that her family does not have any restrictions or laws that hinder them when ruling Flotol.

  She heard several footsteps, far too many for it to be just one person, and felt dread. So it's not just one member of the royal family? Just how many of them came here?

  After the carriage emptied, it was silent for a few moments until the flying carriage that carried the servants and attendants of the royal family landed. The sound of claws thumping against stone reigned for a minute before the noise died down, by then, Rontress had steeled her heart for the possibility of dealing with more than just one royalty.

  "You may rise."

  Okay, that's the permission for them to come up from their bowing positions and address the royal family formally. After that? They can finally talk like normal people.

  Well, as normal of a conversation as she can have with a member of Oberlon's rulers. Which is very restricted, to say the least.

  When Rontress stood straight, she didn't see one or even two people, there's four. Okay, why did four of them decide to come here at the same goddamn time? What was the occasion? Is there some festival even she didn't know about happening?

  "Your highness, thank you for gracing us with your presence." Pretentious, Rontress felt that this whole thing is pretentious. Grace her with his presence? She hated that she had to say this out loud. "I am Rontress Owelline, the daughter of Flotol's current mayor."

  "Ah, how polite. I was told you were a barbaric child who killed everything she came across, perhaps what those adventurers claimed is actually false?" Smiled King Obierce, which I noticed wasn't actually fat? He seemed fit under all his robes actually.

  "Adventurers huh?" Was he referring to all the people she killed four years ago? Rontress did remember letting them go on purpose, but for them to survive for long enough to spread rumors that turn her into some kind of monster?

  "Yes, adventurers, I see that their claims weren't exactly correct? We do not know what happened but worry not, we are here to judge fairly and should the things we see turn out positive, we will be more than happy to officiate your claim of Flotol and its surrounding territory."

  The guy who spoke was fit, the white, three-piece suit he wore failed to hide the sheer bulk of his arms, his wide shoulders also couldn't be hidden. Actually, is that even possible?

  Blonde hair, red eyes, and a smile that would charm anyone who sees it... Well, Rontress didn't feel charmed, she felt danger, this man was dangerous, not because he can kill her, but because he can replace her with someone more incompetent than her to lead Flotol.

  She needed to get in his good graces no matter what.

  "Thank you for your consideration." Rontress bowed, "I am happy that the kingdom has a fair and just ruler to take after the throne in the future."

  "Well, thank you for the compliment, you're one with a sharp tongue, aren't you?" Was this guy figuring her out? Wait, of course he would, Rontress just assumed he's the type to enjoy asskissers, which was clearly wrong.

  "And also very pretty." The voice was light, almost chime-like in tone. Was that forced? She didn't know if it was forced. She wanted to though.

  Blonde hair, red eyes. Features of royalty. A princess then? Rontress didn't know who this girl was, she's never seen her before.

  Firelight Chronicles didn't have a princess character in Oberlon, did this girl get assassinated before the start of the game?

  Speaking of assassinations, the person potentially responsible for why that happened was among them: he had the same blonde hair and red eyes as the rest of his siblings, but unlike Zale's sharp features and muscular frame or the princess' softer face, he had chubby cheeks and a plumb body.

  Where his brother looked charming in a three piece suit, Aegob doing the same screamed vain vanity and unchecked arrogance. He's the kind of royalty you would see in a realistic medieval setting, not a world based off of a power fantasy video game.

  Rontress was more familiar with the version of him that was digitally drawn, with simpler features and smoother skin but Rontress can still tell who this was.

  Aegob, and apparently, someone so far from taking the throne that people here think he's a joke.

  Just how did this man manage to get the crown during canon? Well, that's up for her to find out.

  And she will, Rontress had a feeling that what's happening to her is just the start of an ongoing conspiracy.