n

n

nTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

nPeople were bustling in and out of Wissen Castle early in the morning. There were guards patrolling near the castle, servants cleaning the castle, and even a few warriors heading out to hunt in Terras Forest in groups. No one noticed that a few tall foreigners had secretly made their way into the castle following Argus, Yang Ling’s personal guard.

n“Sir, this way please!” After leading Renaya and his group into the meeting hall, Argus shot a look to Jarlock, the leader of the barbarians. Jarlock understood the signal and immediately led a team of fierce barbarians to guard the door.

n“Welcome to Wissen Castle, please sit!” Yang Ling was all smiles, and he signaled for a maid beside him to serve tea.

nAs Yang Ling observed the tall Renaya, his composed footsteps and sharp gaze, then looked at the followers walking respectfully behind him, Yang Ling knew that Renaya was a man who had been sitting in the upper echelons of society for many years. He thought about Renaya’s status and background back in the Rossi Empire.

n“I am the envoy of the Rossi Empire, and I am completely in charge of this operation. Sir Yang, you may call me Renaya!” Renaya graciously sat on the opposite side of Yang Ling.

nRenaya didn’t relax his guard, even though Yang Ling was in casual wear, lazily leaning on his large chair. Yang Ling was not as high-spirited and energetic as Renaya had imagined him to be.

nBut one should not judge a book by its cover. A person who had nearly a thousand warriors, a mysterious background, a seemingly endless supply of money, and a Magical Beast army was definitely not an ordinary noble.

nNegotiations were like playing a poker game; one should not reveal all of their abilities too quickly!

nRenaya had introduced himself in an ambiguous manner, saying that he was an envoy from the Rossi Empire. He didn’t reveal his status as a prince. It would be enough for him to reveal that he was authorized to handle everything on this operation and negotiate on behalf of the empire.

nRenaya was calm and intelligent, but unfortunately, there were calculations that were beyond his control!

n“So Prince Renaya, you are in charge of this operation. It is no wonder that you have been able to cause so much trouble for the Banto soldiers with just a few hundred men. You are quite powerful!” said Harribell’s voice.

nYang Ling and Goode had never heard of anyone called Renaya, but Harribell conducted business all over the Tailun Continent, so she was familiar with most of the royalty in the various empires. Even though she had never seen Renaya in person, the reputation of the Twelfth Prince of the Rossi Empire had long entered her family’s list of notable people.

nPrince?

nYang Ling was very surprised. Originally, he had thought that Renaya was merely an important official or a trusted aide of the king in the Rossi Empire. He had never expected that the man would be a prince.

nIf they were sending a prince to attend to the matter personally, it was clear how important foiling the Banto Empire’s plan was to the Rossi Empire.

nAfter getting over his surprise, Yang Ling’s smile became even more radiant. The more importance that the Rossi Empire placed on this operation, the more advantageous it was to him. As long as he spent a little effort, Yang Ling believed that he would be able to obtain an even greater profit.

nAt the same time, Renaya was also very surprised when he saw the veiled Harribell. He had never expected someone to have heard of him in this far away, desolate town.

nThere were many talents here indeed!

nThe lad Yang Ling was definitely born into a noble family; otherwise, there was no way that he could have gained this many outstanding followers!

nEven with his eyes closed, Renaya could feel that there were at least three Great Swordsmen and two Great Spellcasters with exceptional abilities around Yang Ling. Other than that, there were faint waves of Magical Energy coming from behind the screen in the hall. There were probably several powerful fighters lying in ambush there.

nEven though he could not sense any traces of Magical Energy or Battle Energy from Yang Ling, Renaya did not dare underestimate the seemingly lazy young man.

nAfter all, a Summoner who could summon a large number of Magical Beasts to defeat the Nine-headed Snake Monster was definitely not an average person. Renaya’s inability to sense any ripples of Magical Energy from within Yang Ling suggested that he had already reached a level where he could mask his abilities at will.

nAn enemy that you couldn’t understand was the most terrifying!

nLooking at the imperceptible Yang Ling and experiencing his massive abilities, Renaya felt lucky that he wasn’t the young man’s opponent. Otherwise, Renaya might have difficulty leaving Wissen Town alive, much less foiling the tactics of the Banto Empire.

nAfter a series of formalities, Yang Ling smiled and shot a look at the old butler behind him. The old man understood and instructed the servants to serve wine and food.

nGolden brown roasted lamb oozing with fat, fragrant teriyaki beef, and casks of precious hundred-year-old Raphael Red Wine… Even though it was incomparable to the opulent banquets in the Rossi Empire, the food was enough for Renaya and his group to enjoy.

nOver the many days they had been hiding in the Terras Forest, they had been gnawing on hard rations as they did not dare make a fire to cook. They had gotten sick of the food long ago. Now that they were being served such fragrant dishes, they barely even stopped to chew.

nAfter they finished their meal, the old butler instructed the servants to serve plates of Wissen Town specialties such as Alpen Cashews and peanuts that had been kept in the cold since the summer. Finally, they served each person a cup of premium jasmine tea, much to the awe of Renaya, who was deeply knowledgeable.

nHe truly is a noble!

nIn the harsh winter, when an ordinary person might not even have enough to eat, Yang Ling was able to incorporate such luxuries into a mere meal.

nAfter taking away the dishes, Yang Ling smiled and started talking. He slowly talked about everything from how big Terras Forest was to the life habits of Twin-horned Deer. He avoided talking about the matter at hand.

n“Sir Yang, may I know when you will be willing to mobilize your troops?” After listening to Yang Ling’s nonsense for a while, Renaya finally couldn’t hold it in any longer.

n“Oh, that can’t be rushed!” Yang Ling pretended to deliberate for a moment. “Steve doesn’t have enough coats to ward off the cold, nor does he have a way to replenish the rations and weapons he has exhausted. This winter is going badly for him. Even if he is able to get through the winter, I would think that his troops will be weak by then. We’ll certainly be able to mobilize our troops then!”

nHe’s going to wait until next year?

nIn his surprise, Renaya almost choked on the tea in his mouth. According to reliable information, Steve’s reinforcements were already quickly making their way toward Wissen Town. Time was tight, and the situation was getting worse. If they waited until spring to engage in battle, they would not have any chance of victory against ten thousand fully prepared Black Armor Guards.

nHmph, a crafty young fox!

nTaking a deep breath, Renaya forcefully calmed himself down from the urge of slamming the table. He did not have to think too much to know that Yang Ling was only trying to fish for more profit. On the negotiation table, being rash was a taboo. It would be easier to pay a foolish price if he was rash.

n“Sir Yang, Wissen Town is rich in resources. It would be too much of a pity if it landed in the hands of the Banto Empire.” Renaya pretended to pause and look at Yang Ling, who seemed to be thinking about something. “While we have been here, you have supplied us with much help. As a reward, the Rossi Empire would confer upon you the title of Leader of Wissen after we successfully defeat the arrogant Banto people. You would control a piece of land with the radius of a few thousand miles. We would also support you in terms of military and finance!”

nAfter a moment’s deliberation, Renaya had decided to go straight to the point. He might not be able to achieve his aim in time if he continued to discuss things with a sly fox like Yang Ling.

nHe’s offering to name me the Leader of Wissen?

nYang Ling gave a calm smile after understanding Renaya’s bargaining chips. The Rossi people were intelligent indeed. This would not only foil the plans of the Banto Empire, they would also obtain a piece of land situated behind their mortal enemies, putting Yang Ling in a deadlock with the Banto Empire. But he wouldn’t be foolish enough to slip into that trap, not even if he was thinking with his butt.

n