People are at the border, but they become the incarnation of the sun

"what are you doing?"

"...look up at the stars."

“Are you a salted fish?”

Reinhardt wanted to complain like this, but he didn't say it out loud. Instead, he sat next to Lani very naturally and looked towards the distant sky along her line of sight.

But there was nothing to be seen there except the rolling dark clouds, and there was no starry sky.

But since Lani said so, he couldn't say anything, after all, she was the princess and the second wife.

However, looking at the rolling dark clouds, he couldn't help but think of a poem -

"There is faint thunder and a gloomy sky, but I hope the wind and rain will come and keep you here."

"There's faint thunder and a gloomy sky. Even if there's no rain, I'll stay here."

"...Um?"

Reinhardt's sudden recitation of poetry caught Lani's attention. She glanced at him and said, "... Beautiful words. Did you write that?"

"No," Reinhardt said, shaking his head. "This is a poem from my hometown. I was inspired by this scene."

"...Is that so." Lani smiled gracefully, thinking about the poem Reinhardt had just recited, and once again cast her gaze towards the shrouded gray sky.

"Since such beautiful poems can be passed down, your hometown must be beautiful and free...it must be outside the border."

Her voice seemed a little lonely, especially when she mentioned the word freedom.

"That's right." Reinhardt admitted this, slowly lowered his head and fixed his gaze on the Yatan Plateau.

The bustling bazaar in the royal city, the patrolling army outside, the soul jellyfish floating in the darkness of the distant canyon like fluorescent light, and the fleeting illusory magic tower...

At this moment, seeing this harmonious scene, Reinhardt couldn't help but sigh, "But Lani, you're wrong about one thing. My hometown is indeed beautiful, but the word 'freedom' is so unfamiliar to us."

"Just like the vast royal city, the Yatan Plateau, and the entire border area, my hometown is like the early days of the Golden Dynasty, divided and ruled by countless powerful forces. It's like the golden law maintains a false peace while restricting everyone."

"The king and the gods rule the nobility, and the nobility oppress the people below... In order to maintain this rule, they even come up with many tricks..."

"...That's truly cruel. I never thought the world outside the border is also like this."

"Yes, it is indeed cruel..."

Ordinary people have to struggle for survival every day, while those profit-oriented adults wear expensive clothes and live a life of luxury all day long, but they shout cheap slogans and feed the people below them endless amounts of pie.

It was like this in the past and it is still like this now.

"So, there's no freedom for the weak. It's nothing more than being moved from one cage to another. The so-called freedom is nothing more than feeling the difference between the cages."

As she spoke, Lani's eyelids gradually drooped, as if she was thinking. After a moment, she spoke:

"So, Rhine, how do you think we can gain freedom, just like in this vast borderland?"

"Why do you ask that suddenly? Your Highness, Lani, you should be quite free, right? As the high and mighty Princess of the Moon..."

Hearing Reinhardt say this, a flicker of disbelief flashed across Lani's eyes. She had clearly thought that Reinhardt was someone who understood her thoughts very well, even considered him a confidant, but now he said such words...

When she subconsciously turned her head to scold him, she saw a face full of mockery on Reinhardt's face. She couldn't help but say angrily, "...Reinhardt, are you trying to embarrass me?!"

"Haha, just kidding..."

Reinhardt laughed heartlessly, but was once again met with Lani's angry glare.

Seeing this, he quickly stopped laughing, raised his hands decisively and surrendered, "...I know I was wrong, Lady Lani!"

This is not cowardice. How can apologizing to the second wife and your own master be considered cowardice?

This is called following your heart.

"But since you've asked, I do have some ideas."

"...Tell me about it."

Seeing that Reinhardt had returned to his normal state, Lani also chose to listen attentively.

"Well, actually, gaining freedom in the borderland is simple. The first requirement is to possess power that surpasses all existence, and the second is to break free from the constraints of the Golden Law... But in this situation, even the second is impossible, not to mention the first."

"Even a hero as powerful as Lady Lenara was ultimately outmaneuvered by the Golden Hero Radagon, wasn't she?"

"...Have you seen my mother?" Lani asked.

"Yes, I have." Reinhardt confessed everything without hiding anything. "I spoke with Mugram when I went to the Magic Academy to help Teacher Seren defect. Afterwards, I met with Lady Reinara in the Great Library."

"Queen Lenarra is now completely lost in her fantasies and dreams. She constantly holds the amber egg, muttering things like 'a good child has been born'. She rarely wakes up."

"...Or perhaps Lady Lenara herself is unwilling to wake up and face reality, but I have a feeling this matter must be related to Radagon."

Even though Radagon has become the second generation King of Elden, there is no respect in Reinhardt's tone, and he even decisively puts the blame on Radagon.

To him, Radagon was not the King of Elden, but simply a traitor, a spy who came to Kalia from the Golden Dynasty to work undercover.

"...Yeah, I understand, but there's nothing I can do."

Lani also agreed with Reinhardt's statement, but what else could she do? Could she go and question her biological father, Radagon?

But even if he questioned him, it was impossible to get anything out of Radagan's mouth.

Ever since she met Radagon this time, she could no longer feel any warmth from those golden eyes. All she could feel was indifference and ruthlessness.

Reinhardt understood this and gently said, "It's okay. I believe we can find a way to wake Lady Lenara up."

After all, this is reality, not a game, and he believes there is definitely a way to wake up Lenara.

If it really doesn't work, then use physical awakening therapy. He doesn't believe that Lenara really can't wake up.

After all, pain is the best way for humans to communicate, and Fan Ma Confucius, a great Confucian scholar, has proven this.

"Hmm..." Lani nodded, took off the witch hat and held it in her arms, letting the evening breeze blow through her hair, lifting her fluttering red hair, but her delicate profile looked a little lonely.

"But having said that, although what I just said was difficult, I have a feeling that in the near future, none of this will be difficult anymore." Seeing this, Reinhardt changed the subject again: "If Your Highness, Rani, truly desires freedom, then you could consider agreeing to join Queen Marika's plan."

"...You actually knew about that plan?" Lani narrowed her eyes slightly, a hint of surprise, but then she realized what was happening and chuckled, "...Well, since [Eternal Queen] Marika has been coming to you lately, it's understandable that she would tell you about this plan."

"You...know everything?" Reinhardt scratched his face guiltily, feeling extremely embarrassed.

It's like secretly checking into a hotel with his mistress, and his wife saw it all, but he never said anything until now.

"..."

Lani glanced at him without saying anything, but that look said it all.

Not only do I know it, I can hear it very clearly, and every night!

Although Marika always uses the golden power similar to the barrier to cover the room, Lani is not an ordinary person but a demigod. How can she completely hide it from her?

At first, she was indeed very angry, but when she was about to find Marika to talk to her alone about the knight who had snatched her away, Marika took the initiative to find her and told her about the so-called plan.

Only then did she fully understand everything.

I am also amazed at the thoughts of this god.

"So... what do you think, Lani?"

"...What do you think? What do you think about the scandal between you and Queen Malika?"

Lani's tone was no longer as calm as before, but sour and angry.

In the border area, ethics and the like are not that important, even for her as the [Princess of the Moon].

What made her angry was that her knight, arguably the knight she trusted most besides Blaze, had kept this matter from her and not said a word!

Did he even take her, the princess and his confidant, seriously?!

"Um...Rani, don't get me wrong, the relationship between Marika and I is entirely based on a deal..."

"...Oh, you don't have to say anything, I understand..." Lani suddenly interrupted him with a sigh, as if she saw through the world.

She did know the reason, Marika had told her before, and she also understood Reinhardt's loyalty to her, even though he had not submitted to Marika until now.

But, what's going on with this inexplicable unwillingness?

94. Malika: I want to get something for free today (4.5K)

"...This is the plan Marika told me about. Reinhardt, what do you think I should choose?"

"Don't you already have the answer?" Reinhardt glanced at Lani.

"But I want to know what you will choose."

Lani's voice was serious and her eyes were earnest.

Just a while ago, Lani told Reinhardt the plan that Marika had told her.

Although it was somewhat different from what he had heard, the purpose was roughly the same, and it even added many different details.

Just as he guessed, Marika was hiding something and not telling everything.

By the way, he also knew what Marika and Lani had been talking about privately these past few days -

All about the inevitable death.

"...Well, if I were you, I would make the same choice as you." Reinhardt shrugged, put his hands on the ground, and looked up at the huge tree canopy above his head.

"You long for freedom and don't want to be bound by anything, but nowadays there is only one way to be completely free."

"Because even if Queen Marika's plan succeeds, it will only be the Golden Rule that will collapse. Those messengers won't disappear, and they'll still be a considerable threat."

"So, if you want to completely get rid of everything, you can only let go of everything in the present."

"After all, if you want freedom, you must pay a price."

These were his sincere words, without any sarcasm or flattery.

He has always approved of Lani's choice.

Although Lani could survive, as long as she survived, she would definitely be attacked by the Faded Ones when they returned. This was the destined fate of demigods and gods under the Golden Law.

It was not caused by Marika, but the choice of the Golden Tree or the Supreme Will.

Moreover, compared to the closed-off Sacred Tree, the impenetrable Volcano Mansion, the Blood Dynasty hidden deep underground, and the impenetrable Royal City of Rodel, the sparsely populated Kalia is much easier to deal with.

If we really wait until the Faded Ones launch a crusade against Kalia, the death that will come will be irreversible.

After all, the Faded Ones are called Plunderers, and their blades can completely kill everything in the borderland except for the protected Two Fingers.

However, the most important thing is that although the four-armed Lani in the doll form is not as graceful and elegant as it is now, she is still very cute.

The only drawback is that I can’t have children, which is really a pity.

"...Do you think so?" Lani was silent for a moment, subconsciously hugging the witch hat tightly in her arms, and nodded gently, "I understand. Thank you, Reinhardt."

Since when, she felt that she seemed to rely on Reinhardt more than on Blaze.

Just like now, she could obviously make the decision on her own without anyone's help, but she still wanted to ask Reinhardt's opinion.

After receiving the affirmation, an inexplicable joy and excitement emerged in my heart...

"You're welcome. This is my due. After all, I'm the knight chosen by Princess Ranie."

Ever since arriving at the border, Reinhardt felt as if he were living in a dream.

She met teacher Se Lian, who helped her rewrite her destiny.

He gained merit in the war between the stars and the moon, became a knight of Kalia, and even gained the appreciation of Princess Ranie and became her knight.

Now he follows Lani to the royal city, meets Lance Shanks and Fia, and even has a brief romance with Marika. The most important thing is that he successfully joins Marika's plan.

All of this is really like a dream and makes people feel a little unreal.

If this was a dream, he hoped to continue doing it, preferably never waking up.

"...In that case, I have another question I hope you can answer."

I don't know if it was an illusion, but after saying this, Lani seemed to become more serious. She even sat up straight, turned her head and asked him, "Knight Reinhardt, what do you think of me?"

"What a strange question! You are, of course, the princess I serve. Do you have any other opinions?"

"You know, that's not what I'm asking."

Lani responded to his joke with a serious tone.

Reinhardt also realized that this matter could not be glossed over with a joke, so he relaxed and said casually, "Well, I don't have any special opinion. You are the princess of Kalia, and my princess as well."