Palace, study room

“Your Majesty, the Golden Estate first distributed a limited-edition batch of the free magic game helmet to nobles and believers of all empires and kingdoms throughout the human world through the Hall of Light everywhere.”

“Free?” Lex the Great on the throne frowned. “The entire human world? Even if it’s part of it, the cost is quite staggering.”

“That’s right, it’s really shocking. According to my preliminary estimate, this investment accounts for almost 70% of the entire early income of the yellow dragon wine or even more.” Old Kovax said emotionally, “When I got this data, my first reaction was that the Royal Highness Third Prince was crazy. He left and abandoned the yellow dragon wine with such a good source of money to make some magic game and invested such a huge amount of money, but…

“Now the first sale of the magic game has caused the whole world to boil…” Old Kovax said with a wry smile, “The magic game helmet order fair at the Golden Estate almost caught up with the triennial trade fair of the human world. Even the elf tribe, who has always been aloof, is here. This is just the beginning! In terms of the income of the magic game, the magic game helmet itself is still a small part. The charging cost of the magic game helmet can theoretically continue indefinitely! You can imagine what huge and long-term benefits this magic game will bring! If the dragons are the creator of the magic game, then Royal Highness Third Prince is the ‘mother’ who gives the game a vast life force! With such a vision, such courage, and such talent, whether it is the empire’s Government Administration Council, the Commerce Department, or even the entire human world, no second person can match it!”

“It’s been the first time in 30 years that I’ve heard you compliment someone like that.” Lex the Great took a deep breath and nodded, “He’s really dazzling, too dazzling… Will he be even more dazzling?”

Old Kovax’s lips moved as if he was about to say something, but the words turned into, “I don’t know.”

“Ancient heritage, mechanic grand master, the Holy Church, the yellow dragon wine. ” Lex the Great didn’t say a word. His brows moved slightly, “These are all secondary. Why even…”

Lex the Great didn’t say the words the ‘Dragon Valley’, but his mind was full of ups and downs, “Real good show” – The magic game is what Arthur referred to as the ‘real good show’!

Compared with outsiders, Lex the Great was much clearer about the inside story of the Dragon Valley. Whether it was the yellow dragon wine or the magic game, he had never heard any news before. He only heard that the dragons became an association partner with the Storm Island about a year ago, and they used some kind of ‘ancient illusion’ of the Storm Island to test dragons and dragon riders. What does this ‘ancient illusion’ have to do with the magic game? How does it relate to the ‘ancient alchemy civilization’?!

So, even the dragons…

“I don’t know.” Old Kovax replied, his head dropped even lower. No one knew if the answer was referring to Lex the Great’s ‘why’ or the unspoken name.

“You really don’t know,” Lex the Great gave him a half-smile, as if reading the old courtier’s mind, “because you’re just Old Kovax, and he is ‘Arthur’.”

“Arthur. Roland.” Old Kovax added somewhat redundantly, but Lex the Great was lost in thought. His right index finger on the armrest of the seat was tapping continuously.

As an old minister who had served for many years, Old Kovax felt a chill in his mind. There were only 2 situations in which His Majesty would have such habitual things. The first was anxiety; the second was… killing intent.

Either way… Old Kovax shuddered.

Lex the Great waved his hand, and Old Kovax bowed and retreated. Unknowingly, a drop of cold sweat fell from his forehead.

The ruler of the Dragon Bright Empire stood up, paced back and forth in the study, turned his head abruptly, and saw the portrait on the wall on the side. The dignified and beautiful woman was bathing in the moonlight shone into the window, smiling toward him.

Under the same moonlight.

The Shion Palace.

Under the laurel tree in the garden.

“This is the last etiquette class.” Veronica sat down with a smile, “Unfortunately, Yini didn’t come today. I prepared her favorite rose cake.”

Chen Rui glanced at the empty plate and said with a smile, “So, I will solve this regret for her.”

Veronica glanced at him angrily, “You don’t know to save some to take back to Yini. Man can’t be so selfish.”

“Haha,” Chen Rui’s palm showed 2 delicate cakes, “Teacher was fooled. I secretly hid 2 pieces in the space ring.”

“You…” Veronica smiled and shook her head. Suddenly, a small cup was stuffed into her hand.

“Teacher, this is the pudding I made before I came here. It’s a very novel snack. You can try it.”

“Did you make it yourself?” Veronica looked at the strange dessert with a fruity fragrance in surprise. She picked up a spoon, scooped a piece and put it in her mouth. Her eyes slightly brightened, “It’s delicious.”

“As long as the teacher likes it, I will often make it for you in the future.”

Veronica looked at the pudding in her hands, and her eyes suddenly turned red. She lowered her head.

“Teacher?”

“It’s okay, I just feel warm.” Veronica raised her head. The strangeness in her eyes had long since disappeared, and she still smiled, “Teacher is very happy, because I haven’t felt this way for a long time.”

“Teacher… If you want, I can always accompany you.”

“What if,” Veronica’s smile became more indifferent, “I have fallen into the abyss where there is no sunlight?”

The abyss…? Chen Rui looked straight into her eyes and slowly stretched out his hands, “Then I will use these hands to pull you out of the abyss.”

Veronica’s fingers trembled. She slowly raised her hands as if to reach out to his outstretched hands, but she finally changed direction and touched his face.

The hand gently caressed the face. It was as warm as ‘Arthur’ remembered.

It’s just that in Chen Rui’s sense, Veronica’s emotions at this time were uneasy and fear. There was a hint of strange breath that had been hidden for a long time.

This trace of breath was very familiar to Chen Rui.

Destruction.

This warm hand, stroking his face, was like a sharp knife stroking back and forth between his throat.

As long as the other party moved a thought, his head would be separated from his body… If Chen Rui was still the original ‘Arthur’.

Chen Rui didn’t evade; he just stared into her eyes. At this moment, he felt a trance, but his memory became clearer.

In college, the teenager met Veronica who was like an older sister. The teenager who lost his mother since childhood was deeply attracted by this teacher.

There was no identity coercion, and no superfluous evil thoughts. Only a heart that longed for care and closeness.

True feelings could always move people. Veronica, who had always been withdrawn, finally accepted this younger brother.

In the beginning, it was a very pure sibling relationship, and that was Arthur’s 2 happiest years.

With the growth of age, the mind of the young man had quietly changed. In his life, except for his mother who died of illness, no woman could replace Veronica.

Until the marriage was announced.

The warm hands moved away, and the boy’s tears blurred the vision.

He braved the rain and rushed back to the Dragon Bright Empire.

Then, he knelt and begged outside Lex the Great’s bedroom for 3 whole days until he fell into a coma and became seriously ill.

Unfortunately, that result still could not be changed.

Veronica seemed to see these past events through his eyes, and another emotion began to appear. It was entangled with destruction and fear, stuck at a stalemate.

The destructive breath became stronger and stronger as if it would burst out immediately.

Chen Rui’s Star Power was charged, but unexpectedly, there was neither massacre nor destruction, only 2 quivering lips lightly pressed on his face.

Despite the veil, he could still feel the warmth as if even the soul could melt in it.

The warmth gradually faded away.

“You’re going to the Blue Glory Empire tomorrow. This is a farewell from your teacher. If you get married in the future, don’t come here again. Treat Princess Landbis well, as well as Yini and Zola.”

“Teacher…” Chen Rui clearly felt that instead of weakening, the power of the fierce struggle at the moment became stronger.

The other hand that she hid behind her back clenched into fist while trembling. The skin on the back of the hand was already showing strange cracks. The fingers that were pinched into the palm penetrated deep into the flesh. Traces of blood seeped out and dripped onto the ground.

Looking at that gentle smile, if he hadn’t known what had just happened, he would have thought it was just an ordinary kiss.

Calm and warm.

Another familiar feeling.

In the memory, the fragments that had been broken were recovering bit by bit.

“Go on, I’m a little unwell. I need to rest.” Veronica’s voice was calm.

Chen Rui gently stroked his face that was kissed just now, and he gave her a deep look, “Veronica, wait for me.”

At this moment, instead of calling him ‘teacher’, he called out her name directly and turned away.

After walking a few steps, the petals beside Veronica suddenly turned into powder.

As if he didn’t seem to notice, he walked all the way out of the Shion Palace without looking back.

The moment Chen Rui disappeared, the space beside Veronica suddenly changed, turning into a blood-red world. A terrifying roar came from her throat, and a fierce power surged out as if some kind of beast was raging. The sky was torn apart, and the whole space was shaking.

With the eyesight of the maids in the distance, they couldn’t see it at all. Even if they looked closely, they could only see that the shape of the shade under a certain tree was a little distorted, and the fallen petals disappeared one after another. They didn’t know the real change in space.

After a long time, the terrifying turbulent power in the blood-red space just stopped.

Only that vaguely graceful figure was left, holding her shoulders with her hands that had turned into terrifying claws. She sat down tremblingly, and she curled up like a lone wild goose with broken wings.

Under the deep moonlight, a pair of star-like eyes in the distance were silently watching this scene.

TL: Star-like eyes? Princess Landbis?