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On the 6th day of being confined to the guest room in the Imperial Villa, Revan’s health had largely improved. He sat on the bed with his legs crossed, focusing on a recovery technique that utilized breathing to enhance his self-healing abilities.

“The movement of blood vessels is slow… Could it be the effect of poison?” Revan pondered as he examined his body. The healer brought by Princess Oliana had closed the wound on his chest, leaving only a faint scar. However, there was an unnatural stiffness lingering, indicating that his recovery was not complete.

As Revan continued his training, a small amount if sweat began to form on his body after an hour. At that moment, Princess Oliana entered the room, accompanied by her trusted maid.

“Oh? Your complexion has improved quite a bit today.”

“Yes, it’s due to your grace that I believe I have regained enough strength to stand and move,” Revan replied, acknowledging the princess’s role in his recovery. However, he couldn’t help but notice a peculiar expression forming on her countenance. It was a fleeting glimpse of hesitation, as if she carried a message within her that she struggled to convey, “…Did something happen?”

Perhaps it was up to him to break the silence, so Revan mustered the courage to inquire further. As he began to address her, Princess Oliana averted her gaze, momentarily revealing her inner turmoil. With a subtle exhale of breath, she cast aside her hesitation, assuming her customary demeanor once again.

“You may indeed state that. I bear tidings of both good and strange nature, as well as dire news that may distress you greatly. Pray, do inform me of your preference regarding the order in which you wish to receive them.”

Bad news is better saved for later.

“Then please tell me the strange news first,” he said to Princess Oliana, inquiring about the news that seemed of lesser importance.

A cheerful smile blossomed on her face when he made his request, adding an intriguing twist to the atmosphere.

“This is rather akin to the gossip I stumbled upon. It appears that quite the commotion unfolded at the grand gate along the main street as evening approached. A middle-aged man, in a truly woeful state, found himself suspended upside down, serving as an unfortunate spectacle of public disgrace.”

“Was there a brutal murder?” Revan inquired, his mind pondering the possible connection to himself.

“I must clarify that no one has lost their life. The individual in question did not suffer from any visible injuries, but was in a state of unconsciousness, as evidenced by the whites of their eyes. However, the state in which they were discovered was quite distressing. The victim was found completely unclothed, which is a grave violation of their dignity as a male. In short, there were numerous unspeakable atrocities committed against him. If it pleases you, would you like me to recount the details?”

“…No, I don’t think I want to hear the details for my peace of mind. However, I am curious to know how this news is related to me?”

“It is not directly related. However, there were peculiar inscriptions on the victim’s body, such as ‘Warren has the world’s smallest’ and an arrow pointing towards his abdomen. Curiously, the very next day after the victim was discovered – which would be this morning, to be precise – a message arrived at the parliament stating that Warren is taking a leave from official duties to recover from an illness.”

Oliana continued, skillfully evading the real question she was already well aware of.

“Umm, that person, it couldn’t be…?”

“Well, who knows? Although the Prime Minister’s side is completely dismissing it as a hoax, there are rumors circulating that the Prime Minister was actually assaulted in his villa while he was engaged in official work. His faction is scrambling to contain the situation, but as we know, it’s never easy to silence the public when it comes to scandals involving influential figures. Whether true or not, such news tends to spread like wildfire among those who take an interest in such matters, often with exaggerated twists and turns.”

A mischievous, suggestive grin adorned Oliana’s lips, hinting at the intriguing nature of the situation.

Revan held a firm conviction that the esteemed Princess standing before him had intentionally propagated false rumors to tarnish the reputation of the Prime Minister, seizing this opportune moment.

“Thanks to this, we have not only bought ourselves some time, but we have also unexpectedly been granted an opportunity to weaken the Prime Minister’s faction. It’s the chance we’ve been waiting for, and I don’t know who orchestrated it, but I must express my gratitude to that individual.”

As Princess Oliana offered her thanks, she looked at Revan with a mysterious smile, leaving him perplexed.

“I see… So, what is the good news?” he inquired, curious to know the other piece of information she had mentioned earlier.

“The person you’ve been anticipating has finally appeared. There have been sightings of two individuals near the scene of the incident. One of them is a beastkin girl adorned in a costume that bears a striking resemblance to the one you were wearing. The other is a captivatingly beautiful girl dressed in a rose-themed attire, captivating the attention of all those around her.”

Revan’s reaction was immediate, springing up from the bed upon hearing the news and simultaneously realizing the identity of the possible assailants.

“My sincerest apologies! I am fully aware that no words can adequately express the gravity of the audacious actions committed by my younger sister and Her Highness!”

“Well, I wonder what you’re talking about… Anyway, I made an attempt to locate them, but I must confess that I was unable to trace their whereabouts and there is still no news,” Oliana revealed, her gaze shifting towards the ‹Teeny-Weeny Hiyuki› doll positioned beside Revan’s pillow, her expression showing a hint of vexation.

“No, it’s alright. I believe those two should be in close proximity and are currently making their way here… Yes, I am absolutely certain,” Revan asserted with unwavering confidence.

There was no way the Imperial Palace of the world’s largest nation, or whatever it claimed to be, could ever halt the tracks of those two… In fact, Revan even imagined he could hear the echo of their footsteps approaching this very place.

“一?”

“That is indeed good news, but what is the ‘extremely bad news’?” Revan inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Oliana’s gaze grew somber in response to Revan’s question.

“It is not confirmed yet, but it appears that the teleportation device stationed at the outskirts of Wirde in the Cres Freedom United Nation has been destroyed by an unidentified assailant,” she revealed, leaning closer with furrowed brows as she studied Revan’s expression.

“But if the reports of the teleportation equipment being destroyed turn out to be true… The sequence of events itself indicates a clear pattern if we take a moment to analyze it. At first glance, it may appear as if the attack on you and the destruction of the equipment were arbitrary acts orchestrated by the Prime Minister. However, his execution is far too precise. The question arises: is someone capable of inflicting such a grave injury upon the future Beast King successor and effortlessly bypassing the Imperial Crimson blockade merely a pawn in the Prime Minister’s scheme? Could it be the Holy Kingdom? Even the Church’s knights would struggle to accomplish such feats. I have a growing suspicion that there is external interference at play. Perhaps this matter extends beyond the boundaries of a mere dispute between two nations. All these uncertainties only solidify my belief that a mutual defense treaty with the Cres is an absolute necessity.” Oliana spoke with conviction, her voice tinged with a sense of urgency.