Conditions.

'This stuff again…' Stiles' muscles twitched in frustration as he heard that familiar word from George: 'Ruler'.

'Why must you hunt me wherever I go… maybe I'm the one overthinking things, and I just have to follow this path to gain what I seek.'

Stiles' brain whirled as he thought of all possibilities.

"Why would you present such an offer?" Stiles inquired in an attempt to have a deeper understanding of the situation.

"Yes, why would I make such an offer?" George said as if contemplating the reason behind his proposal.

After a few seconds of silence, he said gleefully. "Nothing, actually."

Stiles felt George's answer was weird, but decided to digest the facts.

'What was I expecting? How could a mortal like him know the answer to my questions…?'

"But I do know this, lad... Becoming a 'Ruler' would grant you access to what you seek." George's wrinkled face gave an exorbitant look as he mentioned this.

"The unknown is feared, but…" George paused in his statement, his eyes becoming unfocused.

"Seems I'm going off point here." He sighed, relaxing back on his chair.

'Why did you start when you don't plan on finishing it?! Want to act mysterious, don't you?!'

Stiles felt his blood boil, staring hatefully at the old man that drew his interest and then cut the excitement short.

"I plan on leaving Kynburgh, and I don't plan on getting into your battle," Stiles laid out his plan before George, eagerly waiting to witness his reaction.

"Ohhh… how shameful," George uttered in exasperation, disappointed by Stiles' words. "Kynburgh is the key, can't you see it."

'Kynburgh is the key. How cunning, using these words to tie me down to the fortress.'

"Why should I believe that?"

"I never told anyone, even the woman I loved with all my heart." Goerge voice was dreamy as he reminisced. "Immediately after I took over Kynburgh as its ruler, I got something similar to visions."

'Is this some ability of Kynburgh rulers…'

"At first, I thought it was a nightmare or just a dreamy scene, sometimes I even took it to be an attack from my enemies.

But slowly, my eyes opened to reality as everything I saw came to fruition, or rather surfaced before me…

Like the moment when I had to give up my love for the survival of Kynburgh.

That scene played in my dreams over and over. It was like a plague but I failed to pay attention, costing me more than expected.

My current situation also appeared before me in dreams, but as always, I tried to cover my eyes, only seeing what I wished to see.

I also saw past events that helped me activate the palace barrier.

Kynburgh is more than a fortress, it's like a living being; it can grant you visions of your past, present, and future."

George's voice sounded crazed as he praised the abilities of Kynburgh. He was like a possessed man—rather fanatic, who just saw what he had been fantasizing about.

'I would love to argue with his words, but it holds an inkling of truth… a worthy attempt, indeed.'

"You believe Kynburgh can help me out with my goals?" Stiles inquired, probing for more information.

"It's complicated, lad. I saw… I don't know if it will be the same for you." George made sure to lay his honest thoughts on the matter, portraying his sincerity before Stiles.

'At least, I can feel a semblance of honesty in his words. He does not seem to be manipulating any of his words, rather saying things as he saw them…'

"What of your children?"

"I seek the growth of Kynburgh, not its maintenance… to be honest, I don't trust them with Kynburgh's maintenance."

George's answer was simple, but Stiles could feel the weight behind those words.

'So you don't believe your children can develop this fortress… how unfortunate are they to receive such a low rating from their father…'

"You have known them their whole life, while me for some days through your ears and eyes in the palace," Stiles said, preparing for the main point. "Where does this confidence that I'll be better for Kynburgh stems from?"

"Hahahahaha…" George chuckled, his frail voice filling the room. Despite his age, George was quite vibrant, not letting his near end get the better of him.

"Now you make me more confident, lad." George cackled. "I would have loved to see this vision as fake, but decided to fulfill my part to avoid Kynburgh's and my entire bloodline's doom."

'If what he says is true, then this Kynburgh is a scary place. What connection does it have with the ethereal lady, then?'

"Won't it be ideological for me to wipe out your bloodline?"

'I have to poke more holes in his mouth to get information… At least, this should be enough to make him talk.'

"Using small questions like this to receive information is a smart move, but it won't work for an old monster like me, lad."

George found Stiles' method of doing things interesting, causing him to grow more interested in the boy.

'If not for the fact that I was on my deathbed, I would have made you my disciple…' George sighed, feeling down by the situation.

Stiles was at a loss for words. He didn't know if to openly deny the old man's words or act dumb.

"For the sake of my interest, I made sure to set rules. Just take the situation as a game where to win, you need to clear the obstacles."

'Cunning old man! He surely had a card like this up his sleeve…'

"I'll be stating the conditions for you now…

The first condition, you must gain the approval of Kynburgh's higher-ups through a meritorious deed. I'm sure the current attack on Kynburgh would be a nice playground to complete this task, right?"

George's voice echoed in Stiles' ears, causing him to tighten his fist.

'I would have labeled you the master behind all the things that happened in the past few days if not for the fact that you don't have the required power level.'

Stiles could tell that, though George Louis Albert, king of Kynburgh, was strong, he did not have the power to influence the scene to this extent.

After all, even his mom was affected by his powers and she was clearly stronger than George, so he narrowed out George as the culprit.

"The second condition is to get married to my daughter, the youngest one in particular—Eve George Albert."