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overlord_ Welcome the Birth of the King_chapter_0255
Chapter 288
Chapter 254: What Needs to Be Proven Was Never Free Will
Rorona Rent covered an extremely large area, especially near Francia Palace, which boasted vast gardens and vacant lawns adorned with decorative fountains.
And at this moment!
A large crowd had unknowingly gathered here, and the perimeter was even surrounded by elite soldiers clad in full armor.
The First Prince, His Highness Barbro; the Second Prince, His Highness Zanac; and the Third Princess, Renner, were all present.
Such a large commotion had attracted the attention of the entire Royal Capital. However, with the elite soldiers blocking the outer perimeter, and given the status of the two princes and the princess, not even the great nobles could get close without permission.
But in a Royal Capital as leaky as this one, investigating the cause of the incident was not a difficult matter.
According to information circulating among the maids who served the princess, the two adventurer teams invited by Princess Renner, Blue Rose and Free Will, had a dispute and intended to resolve it in the adventurer's fashion.
On the spacious, verdant lawn.
The crowd stood at the edge, their gazes fixed on the two figures in the center of the grass.
The turn of events had completely exceeded everyone's expectations.
Princess Renner clasped her hands, her blue eyes looking at the center of the field with worry. Yet, deep within them, she remained calm, though a strange glint had appeared.
This was not part of her plan. Not even the appearance of her two older brothers had made her feel so surprised.
In the center of the lawn.
Evileye and Tang Zheng stood in opposing positions, calmly watching each other.
Of course.
Due to the mask obscuring Evileye's face, Tang Zheng couldn't observe her expression.
"Things have gotten a little more interesting."
Tang Zheng's eyes shifted slightly as he rapidly analyzed the course of the whole affair amidst the slightly chaotic situation.
Evileye's actions were definitely not because of that set of magical assassin's gear.
First of all.
Tang Zheng already knew Renner's true objective: the Slave Trade Division of the Eight Fingers. This wasn't hard to guess; when the story began, the proposal to abolish slavery had already been passed.
Now, it was simply being advanced. Tang Zheng could guess some of Renner's motives for abolishing slavery at the original time, and her current motives were even easier to deduce.
The army that Leinas was currently forming!
Although Leinas had now completed its formation, control of the entire army actually had nothing to do with Renner, because the one providing support was the Second Prince.
No money, no resources, and certainly no people!
Under these circumstances, Renner was bound to make a move. The fundamental purpose of inviting Tang Zheng was to show that she knew about the connection between Leinas and Tang Zheng, thereby gaining his support.
The Eight Fingers was a huge, juicy prize.
Blue Rose was nothing more than a bargaining chip, and an invisible check and balance.
The members of Blue Rose likely hadn't realized this. Lakyus's relationship with Renner was too close, but Gagaran and the others were different.
And the arrival of the two princes could not be hidden from the experts present.
Gagaran suddenly telling Lakyus to talk "business" was to prevent her from violating the Adventurer's Guild regulations or even getting involved in politics.
This was to evade the reaction that would be caused by the arrival of the two princes.
However—
Evileye directly used the words "deciding the ownership of the loot the way adventurers do" to blow the whole situation wide open.
It caught everyone completely off guard.
The advantage of doing this was that no matter what the two princes had come to do, the talks could no longer continue.
"There should be another reason."
The priest's robe hanging naturally on Tang Zheng swayed with the light wind. He lifted his foot, releasing the patch of grass he was stepping on and allowing the blades to straighten again.
"The Ninja's 'Concealed Presence' passive ability can even evade magic-based detection methods."
"But when facing Evileye, who is of a higher level and of the vampire race, she might have intuitively sensed something was off. So she wants to test it out herself?"
The entire sequence of events was now clear.
A sharp glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes.
Evileye, through her mask, watched Tang Zheng's small movements. A deep, heavy voice came from behind the mask: "What are you doing?"
"I just feel that in the upcoming fight, many of these flowers and plants will die." Tang Zheng glanced at the beautiful lawn and spoke with some regret.
"Oh, are you trying to refuse now? Just as you refused twice in the great hall earlier," Evileye spoke flatly, without any emotional fluctuation.
Tang Zheng shook his head, raised his gaze, and looked at the short figure wrapped in a red robe opposite him.
According to Renner's plan, Blue Rose would definitely assist in dealing with the Eight Fingers.
At that time, it would also be quite beneficial for Tang Zheng.
Not only could Imina smoothly take over more divisions of the Eight Fingers, but he could also take the opportunity to learn new magic and techniques from Evileye and the others.
But!
He didn't care about these boring things at all.
Now, Evileye was right before him.
And—
Tang Zheng's gaze became placid. He wasn't here to cooperate with this Golden Princess.
To think she could influence two adventurer teams with just words and wisdom was to grossly underestimate the powerful!
Having always been in the royal palace, she would never understand the power of top-tier experts, much less that such people cannot be easily swayed.
Cooperation?
That's based on the premise of equality between both parties, and Renner was not worthy.
The simplest and most direct way to prove this was to display power!
From the very beginning, it was not Free Will that needed to prove itself, but Renner, as a princess, who had to prove she was worthy of serving Free Will!
"Words are sometimes pale and powerless."
Tang Zheng stared at Evileye and spoke in a gentle, warm tone, "The most direct way for adventurers to communicate with each other has never been through words."
The fight that Evileye suddenly proposed, although it caught everyone by surprise, made Tang Zheng feel that the timing couldn't be more perfect.
Evileye raised her head, seemingly sizing Tang Zheng up seriously, and suddenly said, "Compared to before, I actually admire you a little now."
"Hmm? That would be my honor."
Tang Zheng gave a wry smile.
As the two fell into silence again, an invisible wave of magic power radiated from their bodies, faintly forming a pressure that spread out in all directions.
The people standing on the perimeter all had different emotions.
The loose flesh on Second Prince Zanac's face twitched. His eyes shifted to the side, glancing at Renner, who wore a look of utter worry. "What in the world is going on here?"
"Brother, this matter is my fault."
Renner frantically lowered the hands she had been holding to her chest and bowed in the direction of the Second Prince and First Prince.
Her golden hair fell forward.
Renner's deep blue pupils stared at the ground, a horrifying desire flickering within them.
The brief exchange in the great hall had given her a satisfaction that Climb could never provide.
If Climb's existence brought comfort to Renner's heart, then Tang Zheng, who could understand her words and knew what she was planning...
...was like someone suddenly appearing before a desperate and lonely Renner in the middle of a desert and handing her a glass of water.
However, the current situation made Renner realize that just as Lakyus could not fully influence Evileye, she could not influence Lord Tang at all.
She couldn't keep him by her side like she could with Climb.
This feeling… it was driving her a little crazy.
Renner stood up, her expression returning to one of worry. She clenched her slender fingers so tightly that her fingertips turned white.
When Climb saw Her Highness the Princess apologizing for this matter, he felt a surge of emotion and wanted to speak up and explain on Renner's behalf.
But he knew that at this moment, he absolutely could not speak. The current situation had already caused Her Highness the Princess to lose face.
He couldn't cause any more trouble.
If possible, Climb actually hoped that Miss Evileye of Blue Rose could teach the leader of Free Will a harsh lesson.
Climb quickly suppressed the thought and looked nervously at the two on the lawn. He still hoped they wouldn't fight.
This place was close to Francia Palace, and great nobles or foreign guests often passed through here. The Royal Family had always advocated for elegance, splendor, and an aristocratic style.
The destruction caused by their battle would further affect the Princess. It wouldn't be impossible to change the location to another training ground.
Climb's mind was a mess. He also felt his own weakness, that he was unable to do anything.
"Is that so."
Second Prince Zanac stared at Renner, a faint, mocking smile on his lips. He suddenly turned his head to look at the tall and burly First Prince Barbro beside him:
"Brother, who do you think will win?"
First Prince Barbro narrowed his eyes and spoke gravely, "They are both adventurers of the Kingdom. Regardless of who wins or loses, we must do our best to avoid any injuries. Any damage would be a loss for the Kingdom."
After saying this.
First Prince Barbro glanced out of the corner of his eye at the members of Blue Rose and Free Will on either side.
"Tch."
Second Prince Zanac sneered inwardly.
As expected, even his foolish older brother could be smart at critical moments.
The reason the two of them had gone to Renner's palace was, of course, for the adventurer team, Free Will.
As for Blue Rose, their leader, Lakyus, was closest to Renner and had a special status, making it almost impossible to win her over.
Compared to Blue Rose, Free Will was clearly more valuable in the eyes of the two princes.
"Ahem."
First Prince Barbro cleared his throat and said righteously:
"Leinas, Gazef, if any accident occurs on the field, rescue the two of them immediately."
"Yes." Gazef nodded gravely.
With such a major incident occurring in the royal court, Gazef, as the Warrior Captain, had naturally rushed over at the first opportunity. He was also here to protect the princes and their entourage.
Leinas's mouth twitched slightly as she said flatly, "Understood."
She didn't think for a moment that she could stop her Master, and she had never seen him use his full power.
The people of the Kingdom, unlike those of the Empire, did not revere magic, so they had no idea of the terror of truly powerful magic.
First Prince Barbro clasped his hands behind his back, a satisfied nod on his stern face.
Gazef was the King's man, and Leinas was Renner's, though she was likely supported by his 'good' younger brother, Zanac.
Here, his status was the highest, so neither of them could object to his order. Even if something really did happen, he wouldn't be the one to suffer the loss anyway.
(end of chapter)
Rorona Rent covered an extremely large area, especially near Francia Palace, which boasted vast gardens and vacant lawns adorned with decorative fountains.
And at this moment!
A large crowd had unknowingly gathered here, and the perimeter was even surrounded by elite soldiers clad in full armor.
The First Prince, His Highness Barbro; the Second Prince, His Highness Zanac; and the Third Princess, Renner, were all present.
Such a large commotion had attracted the attention of the entire Royal Capital. However, with the elite soldiers blocking the outer perimeter, and given the status of the two princes and the princess, not even the great nobles could get close without permission.
But in a Royal Capital as leaky as this one, investigating the cause of the incident was not a difficult matter.
According to information circulating among the maids who served the princess, the two adventurer teams invited by Princess Renner, Blue Rose and Free Will, had a dispute and intended to resolve it in the adventurer's fashion.
On the spacious, verdant lawn.
The crowd stood at the edge, their gazes fixed on the two figures in the center of the grass.
The turn of events had completely exceeded everyone's expectations.
Princess Renner clasped her hands, her blue eyes looking at the center of the field with worry. Yet, deep within them, she remained calm, though a strange glint had appeared.
This was not part of her plan. Not even the appearance of her two older brothers had made her feel so surprised.
In the center of the lawn.
Evileye and Tang Zheng stood in opposing positions, calmly watching each other.
Of course.
Due to the mask obscuring Evileye's face, Tang Zheng couldn't observe her expression.
"Things have gotten a little more interesting."
Tang Zheng's eyes shifted slightly as he rapidly analyzed the course of the whole affair amidst the slightly chaotic situation.
Evileye's actions were definitely not because of that set of magical assassin's gear.
First of all.
Tang Zheng already knew Renner's true objective: the Slave Trade Division of the Eight Fingers. This wasn't hard to guess; when the story began, the proposal to abolish slavery had already been passed.
Now, it was simply being advanced. Tang Zheng could guess some of Renner's motives for abolishing slavery at the original time, and her current motives were even easier to deduce.
The army that Leinas was currently forming!
Although Leinas had now completed its formation, control of the entire army actually had nothing to do with Renner, because the one providing support was the Second Prince.
No money, no resources, and certainly no people!
Under these circumstances, Renner was bound to make a move. The fundamental purpose of inviting Tang Zheng was to show that she knew about the connection between Leinas and Tang Zheng, thereby gaining his support.
The Eight Fingers was a huge, juicy prize.
Blue Rose was nothing more than a bargaining chip, and an invisible check and balance.
The members of Blue Rose likely hadn't realized this. Lakyus's relationship with Renner was too close, but Gagaran and the others were different.
And the arrival of the two princes could not be hidden from the experts present.
Gagaran suddenly telling Lakyus to talk "business" was to prevent her from violating the Adventurer's Guild regulations or even getting involved in politics.
This was to evade the reaction that would be caused by the arrival of the two princes.
However—
Evileye directly used the words "deciding the ownership of the loot the way adventurers do" to blow the whole situation wide open.
It caught everyone completely off guard.
The advantage of doing this was that no matter what the two princes had come to do, the talks could no longer continue.
"There should be another reason."
The priest's robe hanging naturally on Tang Zheng swayed with the light wind. He lifted his foot, releasing the patch of grass he was stepping on and allowing the blades to straighten again.
"The Ninja's 'Concealed Presence' passive ability can even evade magic-based detection methods."
"But when facing Evileye, who is of a higher level and of the vampire race, she might have intuitively sensed something was off. So she wants to test it out herself?"
The entire sequence of events was now clear.
A sharp glint flashed in Tang Zheng's eyes.
Evileye, through her mask, watched Tang Zheng's small movements. A deep, heavy voice came from behind the mask: "What are you doing?"
"I just feel that in the upcoming fight, many of these flowers and plants will die." Tang Zheng glanced at the beautiful lawn and spoke with some regret.
"Oh, are you trying to refuse now? Just as you refused twice in the great hall earlier," Evileye spoke flatly, without any emotional fluctuation.
Tang Zheng shook his head, raised his gaze, and looked at the short figure wrapped in a red robe opposite him.
According to Renner's plan, Blue Rose would definitely assist in dealing with the Eight Fingers.
At that time, it would also be quite beneficial for Tang Zheng.
Not only could Imina smoothly take over more divisions of the Eight Fingers, but he could also take the opportunity to learn new magic and techniques from Evileye and the others.
But!
He didn't care about these boring things at all.
Now, Evileye was right before him.
And—
Tang Zheng's gaze became placid. He wasn't here to cooperate with this Golden Princess.
To think she could influence two adventurer teams with just words and wisdom was to grossly underestimate the powerful!
Having always been in the royal palace, she would never understand the power of top-tier experts, much less that such people cannot be easily swayed.
Cooperation?
That's based on the premise of equality between both parties, and Renner was not worthy.
The simplest and most direct way to prove this was to display power!
From the very beginning, it was not Free Will that needed to prove itself, but Renner, as a princess, who had to prove she was worthy of serving Free Will!
"Words are sometimes pale and powerless."
Tang Zheng stared at Evileye and spoke in a gentle, warm tone, "The most direct way for adventurers to communicate with each other has never been through words."
The fight that Evileye suddenly proposed, although it caught everyone by surprise, made Tang Zheng feel that the timing couldn't be more perfect.
Evileye raised her head, seemingly sizing Tang Zheng up seriously, and suddenly said, "Compared to before, I actually admire you a little now."
"Hmm? That would be my honor."
Tang Zheng gave a wry smile.
As the two fell into silence again, an invisible wave of magic power radiated from their bodies, faintly forming a pressure that spread out in all directions.
The people standing on the perimeter all had different emotions.
The loose flesh on Second Prince Zanac's face twitched. His eyes shifted to the side, glancing at Renner, who wore a look of utter worry. "What in the world is going on here?"
"Brother, this matter is my fault."
Renner frantically lowered the hands she had been holding to her chest and bowed in the direction of the Second Prince and First Prince.
Her golden hair fell forward.
Renner's deep blue pupils stared at the ground, a horrifying desire flickering within them.
The brief exchange in the great hall had given her a satisfaction that Climb could never provide.
If Climb's existence brought comfort to Renner's heart, then Tang Zheng, who could understand her words and knew what she was planning...
...was like someone suddenly appearing before a desperate and lonely Renner in the middle of a desert and handing her a glass of water.
However, the current situation made Renner realize that just as Lakyus could not fully influence Evileye, she could not influence Lord Tang at all.
She couldn't keep him by her side like she could with Climb.
This feeling… it was driving her a little crazy.
Renner stood up, her expression returning to one of worry. She clenched her slender fingers so tightly that her fingertips turned white.
When Climb saw Her Highness the Princess apologizing for this matter, he felt a surge of emotion and wanted to speak up and explain on Renner's behalf.
But he knew that at this moment, he absolutely could not speak. The current situation had already caused Her Highness the Princess to lose face.
He couldn't cause any more trouble.
If possible, Climb actually hoped that Miss Evileye of Blue Rose could teach the leader of Free Will a harsh lesson.
Climb quickly suppressed the thought and looked nervously at the two on the lawn. He still hoped they wouldn't fight.
This place was close to Francia Palace, and great nobles or foreign guests often passed through here. The Royal Family had always advocated for elegance, splendor, and an aristocratic style.
The destruction caused by their battle would further affect the Princess. It wouldn't be impossible to change the location to another training ground.
Climb's mind was a mess. He also felt his own weakness, that he was unable to do anything.
"Is that so."
Second Prince Zanac stared at Renner, a faint, mocking smile on his lips. He suddenly turned his head to look at the tall and burly First Prince Barbro beside him:
"Brother, who do you think will win?"
First Prince Barbro narrowed his eyes and spoke gravely, "They are both adventurers of the Kingdom. Regardless of who wins or loses, we must do our best to avoid any injuries. Any damage would be a loss for the Kingdom."
After saying this.
First Prince Barbro glanced out of the corner of his eye at the members of Blue Rose and Free Will on either side.
"Tch."
Second Prince Zanac sneered inwardly.
As expected, even his foolish older brother could be smart at critical moments.
The reason the two of them had gone to Renner's palace was, of course, for the adventurer team, Free Will.
As for Blue Rose, their leader, Lakyus, was closest to Renner and had a special status, making it almost impossible to win her over.
Compared to Blue Rose, Free Will was clearly more valuable in the eyes of the two princes.
"Ahem."
First Prince Barbro cleared his throat and said righteously:
"Leinas, Gazef, if any accident occurs on the field, rescue the two of them immediately."
"Yes." Gazef nodded gravely.
With such a major incident occurring in the royal court, Gazef, as the Warrior Captain, had naturally rushed over at the first opportunity. He was also here to protect the princes and their entourage.
Leinas's mouth twitched slightly as she said flatly, "Understood."
She didn't think for a moment that she could stop her Master, and she had never seen him use his full power.
The people of the Kingdom, unlike those of the Empire, did not revere magic, so they had no idea of the terror of truly powerful magic.
First Prince Barbro clasped his hands behind his back, a satisfied nod on his stern face.
Gazef was the King's man, and Leinas was Renner's, though she was likely supported by his 'good' younger brother, Zanac.
Here, his status was the highest, so neither of them could object to his order. Even if something really did happen, he wouldn't be the one to suffer the loss anyway.
(end of chapter)
