Meeting again with the princes

"Up until now, many of the small spy insects are heading towards various regions of the continent," Diablo said, spreading out a small map of the continent along with some notes. "The insects going to nearby places, like the Elshire Forest, are about to arrive, but others heading to much farther areas, like the Kingdom of Darv or the coastal regions, will take a few more days."

"That's good," I replied, reflecting on what we had been planning with our limited resources.

After learning how to manipulate souls, I decided to create a small army of flying insects that would serve as my eyes in different parts of the continent. Why use insects instead of people? The answer is simple.

First of all, when manipulating a person's soul, there are numerous restrictions. One of them is that the person's mental strength and mana must be lower than mine. Even if this condition is met, my ability to control many people would be limited.

This is because controlling and manipulating a soul isn't as simple as it seems. In Diablo's case, I was able to do it because the vessel used for him was weaker than me, and even then, with the help of [Great Sage], the process mentally exhausted me. Also, some mana must be left in their body as a safety measure.

Additionally, a person's cognitive capacity is far greater than that of an insect. Manipulating a person's soul to make them completely loyal to me would take a lot of time, which is a resource I reserve only for followers obtained through the card system.

Insects, on the other hand, are far more discreet than people. Being small, they can gather information in various places without being noticed. However, this approach also has its downsides.

One of them is the difficulty in transmitting information, which is slower than I would like. But nothing is perfect, and given our circumstances, it's the best option for now.

"Have you gathered any information?" I asked.

"Yes," Diablo replied as he unfurled a scroll. "A few years ago, evidence was found of some unknown artifacts attached to mana beasts shaped like birds, creatures never before seen on this continent. These mana beasts had the ability to almost completely blend into their surroundings."

Diablo proceeded to detail all the information he had gathered over the past few days, as well as the recent movements of the royal family, including the selection of the members of the Lances, all of whom were the original members.

Representing the elves were Aya and Alea, the dwarves had Olfred Warend and Mica Earthborn, and finally, the humans were represented by the Lances Aura Varay and Bairon Wykes.

During this recent period, they had been searching for more clues about the possible presence of people from the other continent in Dicathen. If there were artifacts attached to mana beasts, then someone must have placed them there, or those mana beasts somehow had to reach the continent.

"They've also been clearing out several dungeons where some high-level mana beasts have been found," Diablo continued, closing the scroll before offering his opinion. "Now, with the possibility of another continent, the artificer Gedeon has been tasked with finding a way to cross the sea, but so far, he hasn't found a stable solution."

"Additionally, they plan to reveal this information in a few more months, once negotiations between the kings are concluded," Diablo added. "It seems there's a fear that the inhabitants of the other continent might possess more advanced technology than ours, and from this perspective, it's quite evident that they're ahead of us."

"A few years ago, it was decided to allow other races to become adventurers, as a first step to gradually acclimatize the people of the continent to the existence of other races," Diablo explained, a slight smile on his face that suggested indifference to the situation. "This also led to the acceptance of other races at Xyrus Academy, accelerating this process even further."

"After all of this, I imagine that when the kings make their announcement, they'll reveal the existence of the Lances to the public, and along with that, talk about the existence of the other continent," I muttered, vaguely recalling what I had seen in the Manhwa. "This could foster an even greater sense of unity among the people since, despite their different races, they all belong to the same continent. Achieving that unity against a common enemy would be key."

"It's clear they'll deliberately present the New Continent in a negative light so that this potential new common enemy becomes the reason why the three races must unite," Diablo reflected as he handed me the scroll to review in case I had any doubts. "Logically speaking, there could be significant advantages, like trading raw materials, exchanging magical knowledge and artifacts, or sharing different technologies. But more importantly, it would create potential competition between the humans, elves, and dwarves, with each of them trying to reach the New Continent first to claim the new resources."

"Don't worry too much about it, as we won't interfere for now. Just stick to the plans we have in place," I responded as little Kumara woke up and looked at me with pleading eyes. "Take little Kumara with you, so she can grow faster."

"Get stronger, little one. When you reach the white core, come back to me," I added, stroking her beautiful blue fur before turning to Diablo. "Also, look into the dwarf kings and their movements. If you find any irregularities, don't interfere—just send me the necessary information."

"Understood, my lord," Diablo replied, bowing before gently taking Kumara in his arms and disappearing from the room. With the information Diablo had provided, I recalled a few things I had seen in the manhwa, though not much. The only thing that came to mind was that the King of the Dwarves, along with the King of Sapin, weren't entirely trustworthy.

***

A few months passed during which I focused solely on absorbing the mana contained within Sylvia's horn. A little more than a third of its energy remained, which led me to reflect on several important matters.

One of the things that intrigued me was Sylvia's level of power. It was clear that her strength had to be far greater than that of a simple white core; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to help me advance to where I was now. It was also likely that this same mana would be used up to help me reach the white core.

However, this logic raised an important question: Was there a level of power beyond the white core? If so, what were the conditions to reach it? Was it reserved only for certain special lineages, like the dragon lineage?

I decided to set those questions aside for the time being. There was no point in getting caught up in issues for which I didn't yet have clear answers. I'd save that dilemma for later and focus on the present.

"Let's go for a walk," I whispered, stretching my back. It had been many days since I last wandered through the city, and it would be interesting to see if I could find anything worth buying.

Walking through the crowded streets of Xyrus was quite an adventure. The stalls and shops all competed for the attention of passersby, with vendors shouting deals and trying to lure customers in with tricks and flashy tactics. The atmosphere, far from peaceful, was an organized chaos, with tension in the air as the crowd bustled around.

The new school term at the academy was about to begin, and with it came the arrival of important families, eager to drop their children off in the city. Merchants, ever opportunistic, tried to sell their goods at inflated prices, taking advantage of the influx of wealthy people.

But this time, the city was more crowded than ever. It wasn't just people from the kingdom of Sapin; neighboring kingdoms had sent their own as well. The diversity on the streets was obvious, but it also gave rise to conflicts and tensions between the different races, which had led to more than one altercation.

"Princess Kathlyn! Prince Curtis!"

A voice broke through the noise of the plaza, drawing my attention to a familiar group of figures: Arthur, Elijah, and Lord Helstea. Surrounding them were five young people kneeling before two noble-looking figures, escorted by a knight.

"They must be the king's children," I thought, recognizing the two of them easily, though my memories of what had happened were still stubbornly unclear. I sighed in frustration and shook my head. "Let's see what trouble my younger brother has gotten into this time."

"Your Majesty! My friends and I were having a peaceful conversation when this barbaric commoner suddenly attacked us for no reason!" accused one of the kneeling youths, pointing at Arthur indignantly. "We are outraged!"

"Is that true?" Prince Curtis demanded furiously, his gaze fixed on Arthur with suspicion.

"Are you an idiot?" I interrupted, striding towards the group with purpose.

My interruption caused a brief silence, during which everyone turned to look at me, each reacting differently to my words. Arthur and Elijah seemed surprised by my arrival, while Mr. Helstea looked visibly nervous, fearing the situation would escalate.

"You're always getting into trouble," I remarked with a smile, ruffling Arthur's hair before greeting Elijah. My attention then turned to little Sylvie, who quickly leaped into my arms.

"What did you say, you damned elf?!" shouted one of the kneeling youths, brandishing a metal rod as he charged at me. "Let me handle this insolent fool, my lord."

"One more idiot than the last," I muttered, striking the youth in the face, knocking him out instantly. At that moment, a firm hand gripped my shoulder, and when I turned, I saw it was the guard protecting the princes.

"Come with me. It's a serious crime to publicly insult the king's children," he said sternly.

I ignored his words and locked eyes with the princes, not blinking as I smiled at them. "If you don't want any trouble, you'd better tell your dog to let me go."

My words prompted the swift arrival of two guards at my side, their spears aimed at the guard who was holding my shoulder. He quickly backed off, positioning himself in front of the princes once again.

The commotion drew the attention of the crowd, which began to gather around us.

"Prince Alex, are you alright?" asked one of the guards, looking at me with concern. Murmurs spread among the onlookers, and the kneeling youths began to visibly tremble, realizing the situation had become much more serious due to their actions. Even Prince Curtis clicked his tongue in frustration as he noticed this.

"Don't worry, leave it to me," I said, waving a hand to calm the crowd as I slowly approached the guard. "Step aside. Or do I, as a prince of the elves, not have enough status to speak directly to your prince? Or should I kneel as well?" I remarked calmly, though my words carried a serious and threatening edge.

The guard, after hesitating for a moment, stepped aside, though he remained on high alert in case I made any sudden movements towards his prince. Ignoring him, I continued walking toward Curtis, whose scowl revealed his growing frustration.

"Now, do you think I have the right to call you an idiot?" I asked with a smile, locking eyes with him.

"You!…" he exclaimed angrily, pointing a finger at me.

"You based your accusation on just one side of the story. You didn't even bother to hear the other side," I said firmly, gesturing toward the injured dwarf, whose bruises were obvious. I continued, my tone mocking and sarcastic, "If you take a good look, he's about to pass out and has clear marks from a metal rod. How could you overlook something so obvious? How could I not call you an idiot?"

"Oh, don't tell me the kid I knocked out is from the Tridant family," I went on, pressing a hand to my forehead as if I'd just realized something important, shaking my head with an air of mock regret. "Even if you figure out that he used potentially lethal magic against this poor dwarf, I doubt you'd do anything about it since he's such a generous donor to the royal family."

I then appeared beside the injured dwarf and used [Restoration] to heal him completely, a process that only took a few minutes.

"Thank you so much," the young dwarf whispered, kneeling in gratitude.

"Don't thank me. After all, we'll be academy mates soon enough," I responded.

"The Xyrus Academy's acceptance process was meant to encourage youth from different races to live and socialize together, facilitating integration," I said, casting a glance toward the kneeling noble youths before refocusing on Curtis.

"So tell me," I continued with a sarcastic smile, "Knowing how easily you're fooled by others, and even when the truth is clear, you hesitate to do what's right. How could I not call you an idiot?"

With determination, I pulled a small two-sided scroll from my storage space and unrolled it, whispering, "Cynthia Goodsky," as her image appeared on the paper.

"Oh, young Alex! To what do I owe this unexpected communication?" she asked, her voice tinged with mild surprise.

Her voice coming from the scroll shocked everyone present, causing the kneeling group to panic.

"My apologies for disturbing you, Headmistress Goodsky," I replied, keeping a calm smile. "An issue has arisen that requires your urgent intervention." I then began recounting the events.

"What happened is that a boy named Tridant and his group were using potentially lethal magic to assault a poor young dwarf," I explained, detailing the situation step by step. "My younger brother Arthur and his companion intervened to stop the violence, delivering a minor reprimand. However, Prince Curtis was deceived by these individuals. As you know, I'm quite protective of my younger siblings, so I acted quickly to clear things up. Now that the true culprits have been identified, I respectfully request that they be expelled from the academy for racial intimidation and reckless use of magic in a public space."

Headmistress Goodsky paused for a moment, considering my words before responding. "It's a bit sudden, but if that's how things stand…"

"If you agree, both my brother and I would owe you a favor," I proposed, aware that dealings with the Xyrus Academy's headmistress rarely came without some form of exchange.

"Oh, in that case, we have a deal," she replied without hesitation after hearing my offer.

"Thank you very much, Headmistress Goodsky," I expressed my gratitude before giving my younger brother a reassuring look. "It's all taken care of. People like that truly don't deserve to attend the academy."

"Prince Curtis, I hope you won't be so easily manipulated next time," I said, making sure my words carried a firm weight. "Let me remind you of something your father said just a few days ago: 'Discrimination no longer has a place on this continent.' I hope you'll teach that lesson to the other families."

After delivering those words, I turned my attention to Princess Kathlyn, who had been watching me with curiosity for some time. Softening my tone, I addressed her. "Princess Kathlyn, thank you so much for using your ice magic to stop their actions."

The sudden shift in my attitude surprised everyone present, even Curtis, who stood next to her.

"Have we met before?" she asked, her gaze steady on me.

"Of course, we met about two years ago, or perhaps a little more, during the 10th anniversary celebration of the Helstea Auction House," I replied gently.

"But aside from that day?" she pressed.

Her question caught me off guard, but then I realized my silver hair didn't exactly blend in, especially among the royal elves. Plus, I had recently saved her from mana beasts, making it all too obvious why she recognized me.

"Maybe... possibly," I replied with a smile before turning back and walking over to Arthur.

"Would you like to have tea with me sometime?" the princess suddenly asked, catching everyone by surprise. It was rare for the princess to invite a young man for tea, especially someone like me.

Whispers immediately started spreading among the crowd, but I chose to ignore them and turned to smile at her.

"Of course! Whenever you'd like," I responded, which only caused more murmuring around us.

I glanced at my brother with a proud expression, as if to say, "See? That's how it's done," before turning my gaze toward Elijah, who still couldn't believe what had just happened. "Looks like I beat you," I muttered softly, making sure only the two of us could hear.

Elijah's face tensed as he clenched his teeth, while Arthur just shook his head, clearly thinking my words were childish. Just then, I felt a sharp pain in my hand and realized that Sylvie had bitten me before leaping from my arms into Arthur's.

"Little Sylvie," I whispered gently, only to be completely ignored.

"Men. You can't trust them," Arthur teased, looking at me like I was some kind of playboy, all while stroking Sylvie's fur.

"And you're the last person who can say that to me," I muttered under my breath before stepping away. "Goodbye. It seems everything's been settled. And Prince Curtis, if you have any complaints with me, we can settle them like young men. I believe you're smart and brave enough for that. I'll be joining the academy this year with my brother, so we'll see each other there."

With those words, I disappeared from the scene, reappearing a few blocks away near the inn where I was staying. I sensed the presence of guards around me, silently watching over me, and couldn't help but sigh at the situation.

"Little brother... This might be the last time I can help you so directly." As I walked slowly back home, deep in thought, I realized, "I don't want to keep interfering in your life. Unless something really serious happens, I won't step in again. It's time for you to forge your own path... and for me to follow mine."

----------------------------------------------------------

Note: I hope that this change in the signs for the dialogs will be more comfortable for you. I stopped using hyphens '-' and started using quotation marks.