Being stared at by Duke Charles and Leslie, Owen was bewildered. He had almost no interactions with Princess Marry.
If King Aldric hadn't mentioned a marriage alliance, he wouldn't have any connection with Princess Marry at all.
Seeing Owen's confused expression, Duke Charles wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and then prepared to stand up to greet the guest, accompanied by Leslie and Owen.
"Your Grace, I came uninvited, please forgive me," Princess Marry said as she walked in, dressed in a luxurious pure white palace dress, like a proud and graceful swan.
As she entered the dining hall, it seemed to brighten up a bit.
Duke Charles quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Princess Marry, it is an honor for my ducal residence to welcome you!"
Leslie and Owen also bowed. Princess Marry helped the duke up, "Your Grace, you labor tirelessly for the nation and are a vital minister, there's no need for such formality."
Duke Charles exchanged a few polite words with Princess Marry, knowing that she, being a proud person, must have come to the ducal residence for something important.
But since she didn't bring it up, he decided to feign ignorance.
As expected, seeing Duke Charles only engaging in pleasantries, Princess Marry decided to speak up.
She glanced at Owen, standing beside Leslie, and said slowly, "Your Grace, currently all the young talents are staying in the royal palace. I intend to host a Magic Competition to foster friendly exchanges among the younger generation of the continent. I would like to invite Owen and Miss Madelyn to participate, as they are among the most renowned talents in the imperial capital and even the continent."
When she mentioned "most renowned talents," Princess Marry deliberately emphasized her words and glanced at Leslie, who was focused on eating.
Duke Charles had been observing Princess Marry's actions.
Noticing her gaze soften from noble and cold to somewhat gentle when looking at Owen, he realized something was amiss.
Particularly after hearing about the Magic Competition, he was certain that Princess Marry had her eyes on his future son-in-law!
Given Owen's strength, he would undoubtedly shine brightly in this Magic Competition.
Madelyn and Leslie might not perform as well, but if Princess Marry can shine in the Magic Competition and with some people fanning the flames...
Duke Charles felt a bit displeased at this thought. Just as he was considering how to politely decline, Leslie, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up and said, "Sure, Owen will definitely go!"
Duke Charles twitched, staring at Leslie in astonishment. Despite Leslie being a troublemaker, her behavior today showed that she had a good impression of Owen. Why was she now handing over the man she had her eye on to someone else?
Princess Marry was initially stunned, not expecting things to go so smoothly, especially with Leslie, Owen's fiancée, personally agreeing. She was overjoyed. She believed that with her charm, winning over Owen would be a piece of cake.
Smiling slightly, she looked at the elegantly cold Leslie, "Miss Leslie, you are becoming more and more beautiful. Soon, the title of the most beautiful woman in the capital will be yours."
Leslie smiled faintly, "Your Highness flatters me. Your beauty is unrivaled across the continent, far beyond my reach. I am merely a kind-hearted, naive vase."
Duke Charles: ...
Owen: ...
Madelyn: ...
Princess Marry's mouth twitched as well.
Kind-hearted? Naive? This woman was too shameless!
Princess Marry resolved that such an outstanding talent as Owen must not marry her. Determined to dig out Leslie's foundation, she extended another invitation, "Miss Leslie, since this Magic Competition is about making friends through combat, why don't you join us too?"
Leslie shook her head and refused, "I don't have much combat power, so there's no point in me going. Owen can go in my place."
At the end, Leslie gave Owen a meaningful look.
Owen had been puzzled by Leslie's immediate agreement for him to go, wondering if she was being sarcastic.
Now, seeing her meaningful look, he nodded firmly. "Princess Marry, I will definitely go."
Princess Marry smiled charmingly at Owen, exuding an indescribable allure. "Good, then I look forward to your performance. I'm sure you will bring glory to our Azure Kingdom and make a name for yourself on the continent!"
She praised him and then handed Owen a gold-embossed invitation, preparing to give another one to Madelyn.
Madelyn shook her head and said, "Thank you for the invitation, Your Highness, but I'm currently tied up with Eagle Guard training, so I won't be able to attend."
As Owen reached out to accept the invitation, he suddenly noticed a dark blue ring on Princess Marry's hand. Owen recognized it instantly.
It was a matching pair with the ring of John's mentor, Ymir, from the original story.
This ring was extraordinary!
Owen felt a bit restless. Should he copy this ring?
According to the original story, Princess Marry's current level wasn't particularly high, only Silver-tier level 6.
However, due to the secret methods of Luna Academy, her perception was exceptionally keen.
If he used the copy skill on her, she might notice.
But the opportunity to get so close to Princess Marry was rare!
After a brief hesitation, Owen decided to give it a try.
Absolute Copy!
Owen's eyes emitted faint, barely noticeable glimmers of light, focusing on her ring. In just a moment, the copy failed!
Owen's heart tensed.
Fortunately, Princess Marry didn't react and simply retracted her hand slowly.
Was he going to let such a golden opportunity slip by?
Owen was unwilling, so he gritted his teeth and decided to try copying a second time!
This time, to divert Princess Marry's attention, Owen took a step forward and gently held Princess Marry's hand.
Princess Marry's hand was soft, like white jade, smooth and warm. Just a simple touch sent a tingling sensation through Owen. Princess Marry blushed, surprised by Owen's sudden gesture, and didn't dare look him in the eyes.
Taking advantage of this moment, Owen used the copy skill again. This time, it was successful! Perhaps because Princess Marry's mind was flustered, the skill worked immediately. Owen felt a surge of joy.
Princess Marry feigned anger, retracting her hand, and asked, "What... what are you doing?"
Owen thought for a moment and said, "I just wanted to ask, during my duel with Tony, the explosion was quite loud. Did it affect the citizens?"
Princess Marry recalled for a moment and said, "Thank you for your concern for the people. The explosion happened high in the sky, so it didn't have much impact on the citizens."
After saying this, she gave a slight bow to Duke Charles, then covered her blushing face and hurriedly left.
As Princess Marry departed, a teasing laugh suddenly echoed through the hall.
Owen followed the sound and saw Leslie staring at him, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
She had seen everything Owen had done.
Owen's heart skipped a beat.
Did Leslie see him using the skill on Princess Marry?
Otherwise, why was she looking at him like that? If she had noticed, had she also pretended not to see when he tried to copy her necklace earlier?
While Owen's mind was racing with these thoughts, Leslie lightly patted his shoulder and added, "You truly live up to being the Duke's son-in-law!"
Seeing Leslie's demeanor, Duke Charles thought she was jealous!
After all, her fiancé being so intimate with another woman in front of her was something no one could tolerate!
The key point was that Princess Marry didn't seem to blame Owen; instead, she was blushing shyly.
This was completely unlike the proud Princess Marry's usual reaction.
This only solidified Duke Charles's belief that Princess Marry had fallen for Owen and was planning to poach him from the duke's residence!
So, Duke Charles cleared his throat twice and said, "Owen, you are Leslie's fiancé. How could you agree to such a thing so easily and even surprise her like that?"
He subtly hinted, hoping Owen would recognize his role as Leslie's fiancé.
Owen naturally understood Duke Charles's point and realized he had misunderstood.
However, Owen didn't explain anything; he just nodded, showing he had taken the advice to heart.
Seeing this, Duke Charles was satisfied and said, "Alright, alright. As long as you understand. I need to discuss the Eagle Guard with Madelyn. You two can talk among yourselves."
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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As Duke Charles led the other maids away, only Owen and Leslie remained in the dining hall, facing each other.
Owen looked at Leslie in confusion. "Why must I participate in this so-called Magic Competition?"
Leslie's eyes gleamed with profound light. "Don't you want to unlock the Godslayer Staff? This is the crucial first step."
"What does this have to do with the Godslayer Staff?" Owen was puzzled.
The Magic Competition was merely an exchange among geniuses from various countries. To him, participating seemed like a waste of time.
"Do you know why I burned down the third prince's palace?"
Seeing Owen's lack of understanding, Leslie revealed a mysterious smile and continued, "I discovered a fragment of the Godslayer Staff in the third prince's palace!"
"Oh?!"
Owen's expression instantly turned serious. He knew that with Leslie's information network, she must have some news about the Godslayer Staff.
"To be precise, it was the hilt of the Godslayer Staff. The third prince found it in an ancient ruin in the mountains bordering Kyrik, where three gold-tier masters had fallen."
"After obtaining the hilt, they sent it back to the royal treasury immediately. At that time, I set a fire to distract them and secretly infiltrated the treasury."
"Due to the urgency, I could only get a rough understanding of the treasury's structure and didn't have time to find the hilt. However, I did come across an unexpected delight."
"The Azure Kingdom's royal treasure map!"
At this point, Leslie narrowed her eyes.
Starting a war required money, a lot of money!
And the Azure Kingdom's royal family had accumulated wealth over thousands of years, enough to ensure no worries for the future.
"This treasure is crucial for my subsequent plans. However, after the fire and the breach of the treasury, the royal family strengthened the treasury's defenses. Now, the royal treasury is guarded by 12 gold-tier level 9 masters, and there is a powerful array outside, said to be capable of instantly killing platinum-tier masters!"
"Able to instantly kill platinum-tier masters... So..." Owen blinked, "after all that, what does it have to do with participating in the competition?"
Leslie looked at Owen, smiling, "Can't you duplicate objects from people's bodies? Just use that method to copy the princess's emblem."
"Currently, only direct adult royal family members have the privilege to pass through the array into the treasury, and the princess is one of them. The passage token is their royal emblem."
Owen's expression grew more serious upon hearing this. "Royal family members usually keep their emblems well-preserved and only wear them during important occasions.
To copy it, I need to get very close to Princess Marry, which is only possible during the competition. Otherwise, there won't be another opportunity."
"Exactly. During the competition, you need to charm her. I can see she has quite a liking for you." Leslie's initially serious expression turned playful towards the end.
Owen's mouth twitched.
After a moment, he continued, "What do I do after getting the emblem?"
Leslie tossed him a stone. "This is an echo stone. Once you have the emblem, crush it. I will take action immediately. You then go directly to the treasury, retrieve the hilt of the Godslayer Staff, and bring out the royal treasure map."
Owen looked at the white echo stone in his hand, feeling a bit bewildered.
He had never heard that the hilt of the Godslayer Staff was hidden in the Azure Kingdom's treasury.
This was never mentioned in the original story, nor was it ever stated that the Godslayer Staff had seven seals.
In the original anime, the protagonist John obtained the Godslayer Staff much later, and it was already in its complete form by then.
The time Owen had traveled to was still some distance from the main storyline.
Moreover, perhaps due to the butterfly effect, his presence caused some deviations in the original story.
This thought made Owen feel less secure.
As the plot progressed, the more it deviated, the harder it would be for him to navigate smoothly, and there would be no further guidance.
Everything would gradually rely on his own strength.
Taking a deep breath, Owen's eyes grew more resolute. Given the increasing uncertainty of the future, the Godslayer Staff would be his great reliance. Unsealing it was urgent.
"Let's settle this matter then," Owen nodded and left the dining hall.
As the sky darkened, it was an excellent time for night activities. He could take advantage of the quiet night to scout around the palace.
With his current skills, sneaking and scouting should still be quite safe.
So, finding a secluded corner in the duke's mansion, Owen made a large black robe out of some black cloth he found.
Using it to cover his body and face, he blended into the night. He then suppressed his aura and slipped out of the duke's mansion. As he walked through a corridor with an open window, he suddenly felt a breeze.
A sense of unease arose in Owen's heart.
Turning his head, he saw a mysterious figure in a hooded black robe approaching like a specter.
Before Owen could react, he felt his body lighten as the figure grabbed him by the back of his clothes and lifted him out of the duke's mansion.
Owen tried to use mana to break free, but in the hands of this mysterious figure, all his mana and mind power were confined within his body, as if his magical circuits had been choked.
No matter how he struggled, it was futile!
It was as if the other person was a cat, and he was merely a mouse being toyed with. Owen felt a bit panicked and nervous, but he quickly forced himself to calm down.
This person had managed to infiltrate the duke's mansion, easily taking him out without alerting anyone else, not even Leslie, whose strength was still unknown.
This indicated that the person's tier was extremely high, likely platinum-level advanced, no, diamond-tier! Perhaps even master-tier!
Under the guidance of the mysterious person, Owen was carried through the air to a small hill ten miles away from the duke's mansion.
Upon reaching there, the mysterious person landed with Owen on the hilltop.
Once on solid ground, Owen immediately looked at the mysterious person in front of him.
At this moment, her wide black robe was billowing in the breeze, and the cool moonlight shone on her face, giving her an ethereal, ghost-like appearance.
Owen's eyelid twitched; he didn't remember doing anything so heinous to deserve this.
In the next moment, as the moonlight fully illuminated the mysterious person's face, Owen's expression changed slightly.
He recognized this person!
John's mentor — Ymir!
Ymir was a legendary figure. It was with her assistance and support that John was able to rise so swiftly!
Owen hadn't expected her to secretly bring him here.
"If you want to live, answer my questions properly!" Ymir's face was cold, with an aloofness and sternness that seemed otherworldly.
This Owen had too much talent and was too mysterious.
Even she was immensely curious about him.
Such a person, if not understood and used for her purposes, would need to be eliminated quickly!
"Why do you know about the Order of Thunder beneath Pharaoh's Tower? Which faction are you from?"
Faced with Ymir's interrogation, Owen, who had recognized her, calmed down completely and shook his head, saying, "I'm just a wandering mage."
A hint of killing intent flashed in Ymir's eyes but then slowly dissipated. "If you don't want to tell, that's fine. I'm here to propose a deal."
Owen looked at her and said, "I know you are interested in the Order of Thunder and the Order of Fire. Since it's a deal, what can you offer me?"
Ymir, with an air of arrogance, said, "I can give you a map of all the Godslayer Staff fragments!"
In her view, Owen's rise was likely due to the assistance of the Godslayer Staff. However, the staff was incomplete, and its power had not reached its peak.
Her initial intention was to seize the Godslayer Staff and give it to John. However, the fragments of the Godslayer Staff were scattered in extremely dangerous places. Rather than having John and herself take the risks to collect them, she decided to take advantage of this opportunity and let Owen collect them instead.
Once most of the fragments were gathered, she would then eliminate Owen, the tool, and let John wield the complete Godslayer Staff, significantly boosting his power!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Like it ? Add to library!
Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
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