Royce's eyes were empty, like a dead fish. Meanwhile, the shrewd Alford, while still embracing her, simultaneously lifted Serene and the child onto the black eagle's back. Suddenly, a familiar voice calling him halted him.

"Your Highness! Please wait a moment!"

The other search teams that had been contacted in advance finally arrived.

Alford's eyes widened in surprise.

"Morgan! Niberai! So you're still alive!?"

The two of them reached a distance from Alford and knelt before him. Oscar, Bandu, and Lutris stood side by side behind them. With a clap, Natsu ordered Meredith and the others to move out of the barrier.

Alford's expression turned anxious, and cold sweat ran down his cheeks.

"Your Highness, we are back! We are much later than planned, please forgive us. However, we have completed your secret mission. Please allow us to report to you."

"It's done? In other words, she is..."

Alford's eyes changed when he looked at Mel.

"Your appearance certainly meets the requirements... What's your mother's name?"

"Liju."

"I see... I hope it's not too late. Should I change my address to calling you Sister Wang?"

"Just call me Sister Mei."

Mel said this, and at the same time, she gave Alford a wink, but Alford completely ignored her. A vein popped up on Mel's forehead.

"Lord Yar... you call her the princess. Could it be that she is the one you mentioned..."

The child seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere and began to sob. Serene hurried to comfort her while asking this question.

She looked to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, and while her appearance was pleasant, she had the air of a simple country girl. She didn't look like she had trained in either magic or physical strength.

"Yes, Serene, that person I mentioned before. It seems she really exists. In fact, when I first saw her, I felt that she looked very familiar. But when I saw the leader of the White Light Knights, I couldn't calm down."

Alford said with a wry smile.

Serenie quickly jumped off the black eagle's back and bowed her head to greet Mei'er.

"Hello, sister. My name is Serene, and I am Alford's wife."

Mei'er couldn't help but say "Hey".

Because even though the girl in front of him was born in a village in the Ghost Country, she was open and generous. She didn't show any fear when she claimed to be the wife of a royal family.

And her generosity wasn't due to the arrogance of being chosen by the royal family. The way her deep reddish-brown eyes looked directly at Mei'er made that clear.

As Alford's wife, she had full honor and awareness, and she also felt the courage of a mother who was worthy of her children.

It seemed she was no ordinary village girl. Her charm was, if I were to describe it, like a wildflower blooming majestically in the wilderness.

"Nice to meet you, little sister Serene. I'm Mel Melkinne, the captain of the pirate group."

"That's true. After all, you are a seaman."

I don't know why Miss Serene came to this conclusion and looked at Mei'er with respect.

"Is this girl a little bit crazy?" Mireidi and others thought so and tilted their heads.

"Who is this child?"

"This is Albano, a one-year-old boy."

"Albano...what a nice name."

"Thank you for the compliment, sister. This is the ancient language meaning of 'Dawn Moon'."

"Wow, I like this name even more now. And with your naturally black and gold hair color, it seems like you're quite the trendsetter at such a young age."

Before they knew it, Albano had stopped crying and was staring at Mel with intense interest. Morgan and Nibbler's expressions were filled with surprise and delight. Meredith and the others were also amused by the adorable child.

The atmosphere became much more relaxed, and Alford's vigilance was also eased a lot.

He took a deep breath, calming himself. He then looked carefully at Morgan and Niberai, frowning. However, his reaction wasn't out of disdain. Instead, his expression revealed a deep sense of regret and guilt.

"What happened to you two?"

"Your Highness, it's a long story. As you can see, our bodies have changed. However, please believe that our loyalty and friendship to you remain unaffected."

"Your Highness, please speak to them. The world is facing a great change, and we have witnessed it with our own eyes. We need your help now, please!"

"Then stop kneeling on the ground and kowtow. Lift your head and look me in the eye."

Morgan and Nibel raised their heads and looked directly at Alford.

Alford's sharp eyes fixed on them both. Then, his shoulders relaxed...

"Welcome back, Morgan, Niberai. I'm truly sorry for causing you so much injustice because of my willful request. I'm truly glad you made it back alive..."

Alford knelt and embraced the two men. The trembling of his shoulders betrayed his genuine worry. Morgan and Nibbler finally felt the certainty of returning home, tears welling in their eyes.

Then, Alford stood up and looked around at Meredith and his group.

Among this group of people are the leader of the White Light Knights, the surviving son of his father, a person with the ability to interfere with gravity, a person who looks like both a demon and a dragon man, a person fully equipped with divine weapons, a man who can move freely regardless of the barriers, and the elegant forest people.

"Anyway, I have nowhere to escape now. And it seems the situation is indeed serious... Fine, I'll trust Morgan and the others and hear what you have to say."

Alford said this with a wry smile. Only then did Meredith and the others finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The group entered the cabin and about an hour passed.

"I see. I never thought the world would become like this in just one year."

After listening to the group's explanation of the situation and the reasons behind it, Alford tilted his head back and sorted out the information in his mind.

Serene snuggled up to him, caressing Albano who was sleeping in her arms, and looked at Alford with concern.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to possibly defeat a god. This is definitely not the time to be fussing over the succession to a nation's throne. Okay, I promise to fully cooperate."

"Is it really possible?"

Seeing that Alford agreed too easily, Meredith became embarrassed. Oscar and others were also surprised.

"Hmm. If this is just the wishful thinking of a crackhead idealist, that's one thing. But if there's a real possibility of overthrowing God, wouldn't not helping be tantamount to becoming an enemy of humanity? At least that's what I think."

After saying this, Alford looked at Serenity beside him and the child in her arms with love.

"To create a future where important people can grow up healthily, it's better to have no God."

"Lord Yar..."

"Selene..."

The atmosphere became strangely sweet. Although the black tea the host had offered was slightly bitter, Natsu silently placed it back on the table. Now, it would definitely taste only of sugar.

"So, Your Highness, you are finally going to inherit the throne?"

Morgan asked hopefully.

"No, I won't inherit it."

This made everyone stunned.

"Why should I be the king of a country that doesn't recognize Serene's existence?"

Alfred said it as if it was a matter of course, as if it were common sense.

That self-evident attitude makes people wonder if their own thoughts are wrong.

"But, but, Your Highness! Our homeland is in turmoil and in great danger!"

"I don't care."

"What do you mean by 'I don't care'? You're saying that again!"

"Now is not the time for such impulsive words, Your Highness!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Just listen to me first!"

Morgan and Nibelius argued vehemently, as if reverting to their youth. Alford, on the other hand, firmly raised his finger and loudly advocated for the principles of this world (?).

"Selene and Albano's lives are more important than all the vampires! Do I even need to explain this!?"

"That's the last thing a royal should say!"

"You crazy prince! You always say something incomprehensible!"

"What? Any objections?!" The three childhood playmates stood up and glared at each other like hooligans.

Miredy and the others were at a loss and could only look at Serene for help.

"How disgusting, Lord Al." But she was intoxicated by Alford's affection and had no intention of taking any action.

No, this person is really a little off the mark...Miriam had no choice but to give up asking her for help and intervene to mediate between the three of them.

"The princess said that only by completing the succession ceremony can we obtain the 'Treasure of Knowledge'. Since you are going to help us defeat Esid, doesn't it also mean that you must inherit the throne?"

"Yes, that's right. I will inherit. And then, I will immediately nominate the next king."

"What?"

"You can also nominate Mei'er as the successor. This way, I can save myself the trouble of verbally explaining it. Not only will Mei'er get the 'Treasure House of Knowledge', but she will also get the royal power, and my family will be safe from danger. Yeah, it's a win-win situation."

"Are you an idiot!?"

Morgan and Niberai shouted.

In an instant, Albano cried "Ah Wu Ah Wu" twice, but immediately leaned his face on Serenie's chest and continued to sleep sweetly.

It seems this kid has a pretty strong nerve. However, Serene seemed unable to tolerate Morgan and Niberai's clamor, glaring at them with a smile. The silent pressure was overwhelming, very much like a princess's. So, the two of them immediately kowtowed and apologized.

Mei'er lowered her voice and continued talking about business.

"By the way, can I really inherit it? Even my younger brother Swider can't inherit it."

"That's because 'the former king's nomination' is a necessary condition, and he lacks it."

In other words, if Alford succeeded first and then immediately designated Swede as his successor, the succession ceremony might be able to proceed. However, there was no precedent for such an approach, so its success was uncertain.

"The magic circle will examine the king's qualifications. However, there aren't any special requirements. There's only one king, but one person can't protect the country. As long as there are people around who are willing to help, it will be enough."

The magic circle examines the possibility of a "dictator." This includes factors like whether the heir has malicious intent, and whether the "nomination by the previous king" was based on coercion or brainwashing.

"To get to the bottom of it, I originally planned to hide out for about a year, then deliberately get found and give up the throne to my brother."

“Is that so?”

Morgan and the others were surprised. Alford nodded and continued.

"She disappeared because Serene was pregnant. She couldn't give birth peacefully in an environment where she could be assassinated at any moment."

“That’s true…”

"Besides, after a year, my brother should have come to his senses in many aspects. Although he is stubborn, he is talented and hardworking."

Furthermore, Alford estimated that if they couldn't find the person after searching the entire territory, they would naturally begin searching the wetlands. Therefore, he estimated that they would be found within a year. "Why did it take you two years to find this place?" Alford asked helplessly.

"I've thought about it. Maybe the royal family just doesn't want to bother with a fool like me who abandoned my royal duties, and they've really cut ties with me. I thought they'd managed to smoothly skip the succession ceremony, allowing the new king to be supported by the people."

"No, Your Highness, generally speaking, no one would think of taking their loved one and hiding in the most dangerous place in the dangerous zone."

"Who do you think I am?"

"Hmm... that seems to make sense. Why haven't we thought of this before?"

But that was no wonder. With the King and the Crown Prince away, he was exhausted just dealing with the daily affairs of state.

Thinking of the tired looks of Swede and Princess Aniya, an awkward expression crossed Meredith's face. Alford looked at them and shrugged.

"Let's get back to the point. Anyway, even if the magic circle disagrees, it's fine as long as everyone accepts Mei as the heir. As long as we're not caught, the lie will become the truth. We're all in this together, living and dying together."

It seemed he was planning to drag everyone down with him, making them all accomplices in concealing this terrible secret. His idea sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.

"His Highness has had another sudden whim! He's like this every time!" "But he always succeeds in the end, so we can never complain!" Morgan and Niberai both looked troubled.

It seems that although His Royal Highness the Prince's style of doing things is absurd, the amazing thing is that he can always deal with it and get through it smoothly in the end.

"Besides, the reason I sent you out to find Mei'er was to gain access to my father's secrets so I could threaten him—well, I mean, to convince him."

"You just mentioned threats!? This guy is trying to threaten his own father! Miss Serene, tell me about him too!"

"Once you decide to do something, you won't compromise. This kind of Yaru-sama is truly charming!"

"No, Miss Serene is practically certain of everything Your Highness says! This couple is terrible!"

Just as Milady and the others were holding their heads in distress, Mei'er looked puzzled and murmured "Hmm--" softly.

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