William and the others returned to their carriages because they didn't want to experience Cadell's hospitality. Only Jerkins remained inside the Mayor's Residence because there were still a few things he had to consult with Cadell about in regards to the Tribe Gathering that would be happening a few days from now.
Inside the carriage of the Angorian War Sovereign, William was having a meeting with his members and discussing their next course of action.
"Wendy, Amelia, I am going to give the two of you an important mission," William said with a serious expression. "From now on, until we return to the Hellan Kingdom, the two of you will be my fiances."
"Okay."
"Huh?!"
Wendy easily agreed to William's request because she trusted him completely. As for Amelia, William's order was too sudden and too ridiculous which made her unable to give a proper reply.
William smiled at Wendy before looking at the bewildered Amelia who was looking at him in an anxious manner.
"Listen, we are going to a gathering where the second son of the Great Chief will be choosing his brides," William explained. "Do you know? 99% of the time, the Antagonist will always flirt with the Female Leads because they are beautiful or they fall in love at first sight upon seeing them?"
"Eh, I still don't understand? What does that have to do with me becoming the Commander's Fiance?" Amelia asked back.
"The reason is simple. If we are going to follow the standard script of light novels, Wendy and you will become the prime bride candidates of the second son of the Great Chief if the script has to be followed," William answered. "I am very sure of it. Then, I will have no choice but to fight with him in a duel in order to prevent the two of you from becoming his lovers."
Amelia blinked her eyes once then twice before reluctantly nodding her head. Although she still didn't fully understand William's words, she couldn't deny the possibility of being targeted by the Second Son of the Great Tribal Chief of the Northern Tribes.
Ian was frowning, but didn't interject his thoughts into the conversation. He also understood William's logic and it would give the two girls added protection if they were to go and meet the ruler of the Kyrintor Mountains.
"I understand," Amelia replied weakly. "But, I'm not very good at acting."
"It's fine. All you need to do is…," William gently held Wendy's shoulder and pulled him closer to him. "Stick to me whenever there is an opportunity. Like this."
As if helping William show the right way of showing affection, Wendy hugged William's body and rested her head on his chest. Her eyes were closed and there was a sweet smile on her face. Clearly, she wasn't acting. She was really showing her affection to William, which made Amelia blush in embarrassment.
"I know that this is going to be hard." William understood Amelia's hesitation because it was only natural for her to act this way. "But, if you are given a choice between becoming my fake lover, or becoming the bride of the Chief's son, what would you choose?"
This was a no-brainer question for Amelia. She'd rather become William's fake lover than be forced to marry someone she hadn't even met. They were in the Northern Regions and not in the Hellan Kingdom.
They were in enemy territory and if the tribes were hell bent to keep them there, it would be very hard for them to escape their grasp.
"I-I understand." Amelia sighed. "I will do my best to act as the Commander's fiance. Please, forgive me if I'm no good."
"It should be me who should be asking for your forgiveness." William bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry, Amelia."
"Raise your head, Commander. This is a mission. I will do my part as a member of the Angorian War Sovereign."
"Thank you."
After Amelia accepted William's suggestion, the Half-Elf discussed possible scenarios that might happen.
"It is almost a guarantee that a duel cannot be avoided," William said. "When this happens, I want all of you to remain calm and not move from your positions. I will handle everything. As for you, Dave, you will leave Northwell after we start our climb to the peak. Return to the place where we camped earlier and wait for my signal. You remember how it should feel, right?"
Dave nodded his head. As one of William's "True Knights" William would be able to summon him once a day, just like how he could summon the members of his herd anytime.
When they were still in Lont, William secretly tried using this ability to summon Dave and Conrad. After their initial surprise, the three found the Knight Summoning a very sound strategy in storming the enemy's base once William had made a successful infiltration.
This was another one of his Trump Cards and the reason why he left Conrad at the academy. The Half-Elf was confident that he would be able to summon his Dragon Knight as long as they were both in the Southern Continent.
-----
"You said you wanted to see me," a man wearing a gray robe greeted Lionel while the Prince was having some tea inside the Sky Pavilion.
The Sky Pavilion was actually a High-Class Brothel that was reserved only for the nobility of the Hellan Kingdom. Although this was a brothel, this was not a place for prostitution. The ladies that worked here only used their charms and skills to entertain their guests.
Singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, and other literary arts were the foundation of the Sky Pavilion. Harassing and molesting the ladies of this establishment was strictly prohibited. Any offenders would immediately be thrown into the jails of the Hellan Kingdom. Some of them would never see the light of day again.
Lionel raised his head and made a gesture for his guest to sit down in front of him. The man wearing the robe nodded his head and sat according to the Prince's wishes.
A pretty lady that served as the Prince's personal maid, poured the newcomer a cup of tea before leaving the room.
As soon as the door closed, Lionel took a scroll from his pocket and placed it on top of the table.
The man wearing gray robes picked it up and began to read its contents. He read silently for two minutes before returning the scroll on top of the table.
"If the two of us are going to work together then, it is only fair for our side to show you our sincerity," the man said in a business-like tone. "The first answer to your question is Yes."
Lionel sighed internally because his suspicion was confirmed. The first question written in the letter was whether the secret organization had already found the Hidden Domain.
"The answer to your second question is another yes." The man continued. "We are willing to give you a quarter of the gains we can get from you know what."
Lionel nodded his head. His second question was whether the organization was willing to give the Prince a slice of the riches that would be found inside the Domain of the First King of the Hellan Kingdom.
Even though it was only a quarter, that was already a good bargain for him.
"The answer to your third question will depend on your ability." The man chuckled. "We have no need for useless people. There are plenty of candidates to choose from. Remember that, okay?"
Lionel's third question was if they were really going to support him in becoming the Emperor of the Southern Continent. Depending on his performance, they could discard him anytime if he didn't meet their expectations.
"As for your last question…," the man rubbed his chin. "Although it will require a lot of effort on our part. We can do it."
The man paused and clapped his hands as if remembering something.
"A month from now, the Hellan Royal Academy is going to have an Inter-Division Battle between all the Year Grades, right?" The man inquired. "I think we can have the princess visit during that time to promote the good relationship between the two kingdoms. I think that there will be nothing wrong with that arrangement."
Lionel clenched his fist as he kept the calm expression on his face. Deep inside, he was feeling excited.
At the end of the scroll had been his biggest request. Lionel asked the organization to show him their sincerity by bringing the Third Princess of the Kingdom of Freesia to the Hellan Kingdom.
Lionel promised that he would work with them if they were able to accomplish this task, and the man in front of him promised that he would comply with his request to have the Princess visit their kingdom.
'Finally, I will be able to see her again,' Lionel thought happily. 'Sidonie, after many years, I will once again gaze upon your beauty.'
The man wearing the gray robe eyed the Prince with a friendly smile. He answered all of the questions truthfully because he really had no interest in ruling the Southern Continent. What he planned to achieve was a greater calling.
Something that mere mortals couldn't possibly comprehend. He would gladly hand the Southern Continent to Lionel on a silver platter if the Prince could acquire the key for him.
The key that opened the domain that held the secret to Immortality.