I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

The atmosphere in the auditorium became subtle.

Ji Tian could sense that the three gazes behind him each carried a different meaning:

Elena's gaze was gentle yet scrutinizing, but in the end she didn't pay much attention.

Ophelia's gaze was deep and unfathomable, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Lilith huffed angrily, but before she could say anything, Elena gently tugged at her sleeve, and she swallowed back the words she was about to say.

[The Demon Swordsman] Ian had clearly observed these details, and then he remembered that the Flower Sea Mountains were a famous dating spot in the North. He had even made a point of operating at night to avoid accidentally harming civilians.

But no matter how much I planned, I never expected that someone would come here late at night, and there were actually quite a few people.

It's so good to be young.

Of course, other possibilities cannot be ruled out.

As for the "friends" that the dragon knight Mia mentioned, Ian didn't think too much about it. In his opinion, even acquaintances could be called friends.

Just as Ji Tian was about to say something, Ian, who had already filled in the blanks in his mind, came to his rescue.

"Are these ladies all your beloved relatives and friends?"

Lilith, who was still muttering to herself, "Sigh, I can't beat her," "I have no official status," and "I don't even have the confidence to be angry," was stunned when she heard this, and looked at Ji Tian with anticipation.

Being naturally optimistic, she only heard the word "beloved" and ignored the rest.

Ji Tian nodded in agreement: "Yes, they all are."

"This guy is actually quite altruistic."

Ian thought to himself, but his face remained impassive:

"Since you have come from afar, why don't you settle in first? There are a few empty guest rooms in the inner courtyard of the palace—"

As he said this, he suddenly remembered something and turned to Mia: "By the way, Mia, did your golden dragon come with you?"

"Wait outside the city."

"I see... Then the palace might not be very convenient. That golden dragon is too big. If it comes to the palace as a guest, my two good brothers won't be able to sleep well. There is a manor outside the city that was given to you by a wealthy merchant, which would be perfect for you to stay."

Mia hesitated and said:

"Um, are you really the great prince of this world?"

Ian chuckled upon hearing this, "Absolutely. I still have some official business to attend to. How about I visit you all tomorrow afternoon and we can discuss the details then?"

Ji Tian nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."

Ian smiled and waved, then turned and walked deeper into the curtained hall, his cloak swaying lightly at the threshold before disappearing behind the curtain.

Not long after, the messenger who had previously invited them to meet the eldest prince reappeared, saying that the carriage was ready and that he should first inform the fairy before setting off for the manor in the suburbs.

Clearly, the fairy the messenger was referring to was Golden Dragon Flower.

As soon as she sat down in the carriage, Lilith squeezed in next to Ji Tian, ​​tightly hugging his arm. Her chin was slightly raised, and her long silver hair swept across Ji Tian's sleeve as she moved, exuding smugness, as if silently declaring something.

"Let go, Lilith."

"No~"

"It's uncomfortable."

Huh? Why does it feel so uncomfortable?

Lilith thought for a moment before realizing what was happening, then flew into a rage and hugged him even tighter.

Ji Tian felt his arm being pressed down by two soft objects, clearly indicating that the other party was exerting force.

Elena leaned back on the cushion opposite her, her posture relaxed, her gaze sweeping over Ji Tian as if she didn't care at all.

Ophelia was flipping through the books on display in the carriage, studying the language of this world, her gaze occasionally glancing at Ji Tian and Lilith.

Mia sat on the far side. Whether she sensed the atmosphere or felt that her introduction had been too casual and impolite, she clasped her hands on her knees, lowered her head, and remained silent for a long while.

The carriage rolled over a stretch of gravel road, its body swaying slightly. She finally made up her mind, raised her head, and began in a long, difficult sentence:

"I'm sorry, my behavior just now seems to have caused you trouble. It's mainly because I've always been introverted and afraid to talk to people. When someone greets me, I get so nervous I can't speak. Later, I met Little Flower, who said that my personality makes me easily deceived, so she told me not to trust people too easily. The person who can pull out the Holy Sword must be a good person, which is why I said he was my friend..."

Lilith shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, no, it doesn't bother me at all."

"I should thank you, but speaking of which, isn't this S-rank adventurer a bit too naive? It's a shame he didn't try to pull out the Holy Sword."

……

In a secret chamber within the royal palace, Ian was already seated at a square table inlaid with bronze runes.

On the table lay a crystal ball the size of a palm, its surface shimmering with a dark gray light.

He placed his palm on the crystal ball, infusing it with a little magic. After a moment, the light mist condensed, revealing Evan's face, which showed a mixture of excitement and fatigue.

Ian asked, "How's it going on your end?"

"I've located the World Tree remains. It's much deeper than you and I imagined, so we'll have to dig for a while longer. But progress is going well. I've analyzed the structure of several tree roots, and the concentration of residual magic essence inside is extremely high, even giving me the illusion that the World Tree is the origin of magic essence."

"I've also encountered some unexpected people. Dragon Knight Mia came in, accompanied by several young people."

Evan adjusted his glasses, unsurprised:

"As expected. If she was also swallowed by that door, she would have found her way here sooner or later. Has she been a hindrance to you?"

"Not yet, but I always feel something's off about those young people around her."

"How so?"

"They learn languages ​​much faster than we do."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Ian shrugged and said, "How long did it take us to learn the local language when we first came here? Even for me, a native who had been missing for 20 years, it took a long time to relearn my own way of speaking, but they can communicate fluently now."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the crystal ball. Evan seemed to be processing the information. Then, he put down his tools, making a soft metallic clinking sound.

"You mean, they either already exist in this world, or they possess more efficient analytical methods than we do?"

"the latter."

Evan's response, after a moment's thought, came from the crystal ball:

"Interesting, but I don't think that's important. The World Tree is the core. Once we have the World Tree, everything can be analyzed. If they're just here to explore, we can deal with them after we've mastered the World Tree."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"Time, and more samples. If you can find any fairies, bring over as many as possible, live ones, I need them intact. Just try not to provoke Mia."

Ian nodded, and the light from the crystal ball gradually dimmed, eventually fading into silence.