บท 44: It Is About To Go Down
The last run-in between Rasoul, his crew, and the Princess duo happened a month back when they slipped into the Ring to throw off the Great Families, making them believe they were goners. Rasoul had reassured the princess, promising to handle the assassin and urging her not to fret. Despite his assurances, the princess stayed doubtful, choosing to lay low with her maid in the mansion for the entire month. They instructed the guards to notify them once Rasoul and his crew returned.
Now, Rasoul and his pals are back in their room after coming out of the Ring, eager to settle things quickly and get back to the capital. They plan to kick off the expedition in a week but want to sort out some matters at the capital first.
"Let's drop by the princess before making our way back to the capital. We've got some friends waiting for us there," Rasoul suggested, his tone laced with a touch of sarcasm.
They quickly headed toward the princess's residence, a grand mansion with multiple apartments. Rasoul and his friends occupied one mansion, while the princess duo lived in another. As they approached, the guards noticed them; some rushed to inform the princess, while others simply gawked. The change in Rasoul and his companions' appearance since their last meeting was remarkable.
Now, Rasoul and his comrades looked like heavenly beings walking among mortals. Their otherworldly presence, especially Lara's, could easily enchant hearts. Rasoul and the others locked eyes with the guards, waiting for the go-ahead to enter the apartment. After a moment, the guard returned, giving them the green light as the princess anticipated their arrival.
They hurriedly entered.
"Is it just me, or does it seem like you two haven't had a good night's sleep in a very long time?" Rasoul remarked as soon as they stepped into the apartment. The weary look on the faces of the princess and her maid wasn't very comforting. It was clear they hadn't had a chance to unwind for quite a while.
"When did you get back?" the princess inquired, attempting to shift the conversation, but Rasoul didn't let her.
"Have you two been on edge all this time? I already told you to relax, that I'll handle the assassins," Rasoul reiterated.
"Well, it's not like we know you guys. For all we know, they might have killed you all. Rumor has it that their leader is a Saint. Even the Royal family wouldn't mess with them," Princess Vina replied.
"Come on, Princess, cut us some slack. Those fools don't even know how to hold a dagger properly," Sabrat chimed in, rolling his eyes. His hatred for the Dark Minions knows no bounds.
"Well, they used to have a saint leading them, but not anymore," Rasoul said, a touch of pride in his voice. It's not every day you witness a Master stage cultivator taking down a bona fide Saint.
"What do you mean, not anymore?" Vira asked.
"We killed that idiot, duh," Lara replied with a proud look on her face.
"Point of correction, we didn't kill him; Cole did. We just stood and watched," Sabrat corrected Lara.
"His kill is also our kill, isn't that right, Rasoul?" Lara asked a gleam of triumph in her eyes.
"I have no problem with that," Rasoul responded. While this banter unfolded, the Princess and Vira could only look at them with jaws dropped. These three white-haired youths casually mentioned killing a saint – a formidable figure even the entire kingdom wouldn't dare to confront. Yet, these three children killed him and treated it like it was no big deal.
"Did you just say you killed the leader of The Dark Minions?" Vira asked.
"Yeah, that guy was quite strong. He nearly killed me. Long story short, the assassins won't be coming after you again. You can rest well now; you two deserve some quality time to yourselves," Rasoul assured them.
As soon as those words left his mouth, tears started to flow down the princess's eyes. Just a few weeks ago, she had discovered that her brother wanted her dead. She also learned that he had hired one of the strongest and most dangerous assassin groups in the entire empire to eliminate her. As a result, she had been hiding for the past month, afraid to come out.
The most emotional part for the princess was the realization of the individuals sitting in front of her. A month ago, she had been prepared to sacrifice her life for her city, but in her final moments, these three individuals had emerged seemingly out of nowhere, saving not only her but everyone in the city.
They had gone on to thwart assassins sent after her and even faced a saint. She didn't know them, and they didn't know her, yet they had risked their lives multiple times for her. She didn't know how to repay this favor. She knew there was no way she could pay them back.
But before she could express her gratitude, Lara spoke up.
"Don't cry, princess. We saved you and your people because we wanted to; you don't owe us anything."
"Just a basket of oranges will do," Sabrat added, attempting to lighten the mood, and it worked. The princess's face brightened a little, and she managed to ask another question.
"Who are you people? Where do you come from, and who is backing you?"
"Believe it or not, Princess, we are just orphans. We have no background, backing, or alliances with anyone. We're just a group of individuals traveling across the world of Venera," Lara replied. Rasoul has already shared his background with her, so she knew he was an orphan. As for Sabrat, he was simply an experiment that turned out great.
"Of course, we would be happy to ally with you. Who wouldn't want to be friends with the future Queen of the strongest kingdom in the human empire?" Lara added.
"Queen? I don't know about that. My brother won't stop until I am dead. Becoming a queen should be the last of my concerns now," the princess commented.
"About that, your brother won't be coming after you again," Rasoul declared in a solemn but prideful tone.
"What do you mean by that? Wait, did you kill him?" Princess Vina quickly asked, displaying clear concern.
"No, he's still alive. We just had a chat with him, and let's just say he'll be supporting you from now onwards," replied Rasoul.
The princess and Vira just stared at the three with a questioning gaze, wanting to know exactly what happened. Before they could ask, Rasoul spoke again.
"Don't think too much about it. He won't disturb you anymore. Just continue with your work. Your orphanages are helping a lot of children; keep going. We'll do our best to support you however we can. We'll be going to the capital soon; the tomb will be opening, and we'll be going in. But before we leave, I have some things to complete first.
"I'll be placing a top-tier defense array around the entire city that can withstand attacks from even a Saint Beast. With that, you won't have to worry about monsters attacking the city again. Unless, of course, it's a sage beast, but I doubt a sage beast will attack a city.
"I'll also give you my communication crystal; use it to contact me in case the unlikely does happen," Rasoul said as he handed a top-tier communication crystal, bought from the system to the princess.
"Also, take these spirit fruits. Keep one of each for yourself and your Vira over there, then sell the rest. I hope that will be more than enough to build other orphanages and feed them for a while." The princess took the fruits, and when she discovered their ranks, she nearly dropped off her seat.
"This... this... this is Purple and Golden Rank Spiritual fruits. Do you know the value of what you just handed me?" the princess exclaimed, unable to believe what she was holding.
"Why the long face, Princess? This is just a small gift from us," Sabrat replied nonchalantly.
"You call this a small gift? One of these purple fruits could cause an auction war, and you just gave ten of each to me like it's an orange you plucked from a tree," the princess exclaimed.
"Well, that's great then. You can sell it to create a good life for yourself and the orphans," Lara spoke with the same proud look on her face, proud of Rasoul for gifting something so valuable to people he had just met a month ago. She knew Rasoul was doing this because the princess was helping the orphans.
"Princess," Rasoul finally spoke, "Take it as an investment. In the future, when we visit your kingdom, be sure to give us good treatment.
"Also, continue with the good work you are doing. Those kids are really lucky to have you," Lara added.
The value of the fruits Rasoul just handed to the princess could build kingdoms. Should the princess one day ascend to become the queen, this gift would prove invaluable. She had used her own funds for all the orphanages she had built.
If she accepted and sold these spirit fruits, she could potentially construct even more orphanages that could cater to all the orphans in the entire empire. As she held the fruits, attempting to express her gratitude to Rasoul and his friends, words eluded her. Observing this, Vira decided to step in.
"Thank you, Rasoul, Lara, and Sabrat," Princess Vina finally managed to thank them.
"No need to thank us. We'll be coming back in one month. I hope you'll still be here when we get back," Rasoul asked as they prepared to leave.
"Of course, you can count on it. And don't worry about the assassins," Lara assured them.
Rasoul had already instructed the assassins to protect the princess and her maid from the shadows. They would be well-protected wherever they went. Rasoul aimed to leave a lasting impression; in case a powerful enemy came after him and his loved ones, he needed a reliable refuge, and the princess's kingdom seemed like the ideal choice.
Despite having the Ring, he knew he would need someone he could trust outside his immediate circle. This investment was a strategic move that would bear fruit in the future. Rasoul and his friends promptly started making their way back to the capital.
They were aware that from now onwards, things would change. They intended to confront the so-called families and their heirs head-on. Rasoul aimed to draw more attention to himself and exploit his advantage to gather more allies (slaves).
If his plans succeeded, he would have numerous allies in every kingdom. Before leaving the human empire, he wanted to impart a lesson to those who had wronged him, those who thought they could do whatever they wanted just because they had some power. What Rasoul didn't anticipate was how this trip would reshape his understanding of true strength. The Tomb held invaluable lessons that would profoundly impact him.
It is about to go down.
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