As they arrived at the Royal Palace gates, the mysterious carriage had already entered the inner courtyard.
All around, the guards and servants knelt on the ground, none daring to raise their heads to look directly at the carriage emitting an eerie energy fluctuation.
The runes on the carriage body shimmered subtly in the sunlight, each symbol meticulously designed, forming a complex and harmonious whole.
The creature pulling the carriage was even more terrifying, its emerald compound eyes scanning the kneeling crowd, as if assessing the value of these fragile lives.
The carriage stopped, and the door slowly opened.
A figure in a black robe emerged, his face indifferent and eyes profound.
With his appearance, the air seemed to grow heavier, many servants even found it difficult to breathe, their complexion pale.
August could distinctly feel the powerful magic power emanating from this young man.
That feeling was both familiar and strange—familiar was the oppressive aura characteristic of an Official Wizard;
Strange was the purity and intensity of this oppression, far surpassing any master in his memory.
He could even see the air around the young man distorting due to the high concentration of magic power, forming a peculiar visual effect like a mirage rising in heat waves.
"Ron Wizard."
Andre bowed slightly, a sense of awe and joy in his eyes: "Welcome to the Kingdom."
The black-robed figure stopped in front of Andre, nodding without expression: "Andre."
His voice was not loud, yet carried a haunting power, directly engraving itself onto the listener’s soul.
Then, the black-robed wizard turned his gaze toward August, only glancing briefly before moving his eyes away.
Just that glance sent a bone-chilling cold through the old prince, spreading from his spine to the top of his head.
The feeling of being completely seen through, like an ant placed under a microscope for careful observation, both exposed and helpless.
Yet faced with Ron’s almost dismissive reaction, August felt a rather peculiar sense of relief.
...At least he didn’t have to worry about how to deal with this terrifying presence.
"Let’s go inside and talk." Andre said to Ron, then turned to the carriage: "Do you need accommodations arranged for your... assistant?"
Ron shook his head slightly, his gaze indifferent as water: "Ailan will remain in the carriage; she has her own matters to attend to."
He turned to the creature pulling the carriage, whispering a few words in a strange language.
The creature seemed to understand Ron’s instructions, emitting a low hum, then respectfully bowing its head, indicating understanding and compliance.
Andre nodded to August, leading Ron through the ornate corridors of the Royal Palace, all around the servants and guards bowed their heads in salute, not daring to breathe.
The two arrived at the palace’s most secretive chamber.
This was a space protected by multiple arrays, the walls engraved with complex soundproof runes.
The heavy oak door closed slowly, isolating all external sounds and sights.
As the door shut completely, Ron’s cold mask underwent a subtle change.
His lips slightly curled upward, the ice in his eyes melting somewhat.
The whole atmosphere of his person underwent a strange transformation—from an unapproachable stern dignity to a more affable state.
"It seems you’ve been doing well in the Royal Capital, Andre."
Ron’s tone became relaxed, the suffocating oppression diminished significantly:
"You played a good game of using a borrowed knife, let me guess, you knew about Alek’s escape plan long ago?"
A trace of cunning flashed in Andre’s eyes, also relaxing:
"To not hide from you, indeed so. That fool thought I didn’t know his maneuvers, even leaving a back-up plan."
He chuckled, golden pupils sparkling with wisdom:
"I originally intended to handle it personally, but since you’re here, why not take this opportunity to show everyone our alliance? Let them know, challenging me is equal to challenging an Official Wizard, that’s more effective than any threat."
Ron nodded, a hint of approval in his tone:
"Your growth indeed exceeded my expectations, the political experience in the Kingdom has matured you considerably compared to the time in the Black Mist Jungle."
His gaze swept across the secret chamber, finally landing on Andre:
"However, treating your family like this, aren’t you afraid of leaving some psychological shadow?"
Andre chuckled lightly, a cold glint in his eyes:
"Family? In the royal family, there’s no such thing as family, only allies and enemies. Alek tried to assassinate me three times, if not for the protection of the Red Blood Flying Dragon Bloodline, I would’ve died long ago."
His tone carried a chilling calmness as if discussing something utterly ordinary:
"In this survival-of-the-fittest royal game, mercy only leads to death. I believe you understand this better than anyone, Ron."
Ron nodded slightly, no longer probing the topic further.
He indeed understood Andre’s plight and choices.
In this world, power is everything, and the best way to protect oneself is to nip threats in the bud.
"Back to business." His gaze sharpened again:
"Is the ultimate inheritance of the Crown Breathing Technique ready?"
Andre nodded solemnly:
"People have been arranged to open the Royal Treasure Vault, all the manuals and inheritance items concerning the Crown Breathing Technique will be presented before you."