Chapter 1 Facing the Invitation

Facing the invitation suddenly thrown out by Hao Ren, Charlemagne and Ivena were clearly hesitant.

It wasn't that they lacked courage or decisiveness, but the recent pirate attack had put the siblings in a state of high alert. The unequal information and their current helpless situation meant they had to carefully consider anything they agreed to.

Hao Ren understood this, so he didn't press them. "You can go to the lounge next door to consider it, but I hope you can give me an answer as soon as possible."

Vivian chimed in, "I know you've just been attacked and are therefore more cautious, but I also believe in your judgment. We obviously have nothing to do with those pirates. The World Tree Temple has been isolated from the world for too long, and we need a way to reconnect. You urgently need protection and help. This can be seen as a mutually beneficial transaction, good for both of us."

Charlemagne took a deep look at the people in the room and nodded slightly. "We'll consider it and give you an answer as soon as possible. But this time..."

Hao Ren waved his hand before he could finish. "Don't worry, there's no eavesdropping this time."

"I hope you can understand that it was the eavesdropping that made my sister and I wary of you," Charlemagne said politely, then took Ivena and left the room.

Once the siblings were gone, Vivian sighed. "Phew... Hao Ren, what do you think of this?"

Hao Ren stretched languidly as soon as the gate closed, his serious demeanor instantly vanishing. He leaned back in his chair, unable to hide the smile on his face. "What else can I think? It's like falling asleep and having a soft pillow handed to you. We were just wondering how to contact the Dragonguard Empire, and now a pair of princes and princesses pop up, who just happen to be secret envoys preparing to go to the Dragonguard Empire. Now their ship is gone, and their whereabouts have been exposed, so they need someone to protect them. Is there anything more suitable? The only thing we need to consider now is whether the siblings will agree to us, but I think the chances are high—after all, they have no choice."

Lily continued to blow bubbles with her straw, saying unclearly, "But the Dragonguard Empire may not have prehistoric data. Immortal dragon souls... sounds kind of fake."

"Ew—if you want to drink, just drink properly. Isn't that disgusting?" Hao Ren glanced at the husky girl, then shook his head. "I'm not relying entirely on the Dragonguard Empire. I've already asked Nolan to launch precision probes to focus on the depths beneath this planet. Lahrien was split in two back then, not smashed to pieces, so maybe we can find some clues inside the planet. That's another way, too."

He rubbed his face, relaxing his stiff facial muscles, then looked at Leah curiously. "Why haven't you been saying anything? Aren't you also curious about how the people on this planet are living after you reshaped it? Why didn't you pay attention to Charlemagne and Ivena when they were here?"

Leah seemed to be absent-minded, reacting sluggishly for a couple of seconds before suddenly realizing. Her hand trembled slightly, and she puffed out her cheeks, annoyed. "I'm doing a big problem—don't think that just because my quality projection is here, my main body hasn't been neglecting my studies, okay?"

Looking at the small goddess troubled by homework and assignments, Hao Ren couldn't help but want to laugh. He shook his head and said sympathetically, "I actually understand you quite well. Every time I complete a major mission, I have to write a ton of reports. Sometimes when the situation is complicated, I feel like I'm about to be worked to death..."

Lily finished playing with her straw and juice, then pulled out a bag of snacks and crunched on them. Hearing Hao Ren's words, she lazily raised her head, her face blank. "But... dogs aren't as tired as you guys..."

Hao Ren and Leah looked at the husky's leisurely and degenerate lifestyle and said in unison, "Shut up!"

At the same time, Charlemagne and Ivena had arrived in the lounge. Ivena spoke first. "Brother, do you think these people are trustworthy?"

"We do need their help," Charlemagne admitted. "Our ship is gone, and this attack shows that we've already fallen into a trap. Our original itinerary and even the people around us are no longer reliable. But entrusting our fate to a group of strangers we've just met... isn't much more reliable."

Ivena looked at her brother. She knew that Charlemagne had always been a suspicious person, even a little indecisive. She shook her head. "The choice isn't ours, brother. Those people who claim to be from the World Tree Temple don't need our consent. They have this ship, and they can fly to the Dragonguard Empire themselves. They're only asking us to come along... If that's all, I think it's acceptable."

"World Tree Temple..." Charlemagne repeated the name, frowning. "You haven't heard of this organization in your elven or wizarding knowledge?"

"Never heard of it," Ivena shook her head. "To be named 'Temple,' it shouldn't be something random, but in Lahrien, I've never heard of such a temple existing. Perhaps it's some kind of religion inherited from ancient times that has been lost by now, but those people don't look much like believers..."

"Whether they're believers isn't important. What's important is what they want to do. A secluded organization wants to contact the Dragonguard Empire. What can they get from that empire? Is it to spread their faith? Or do they want to use that empire as a stepping stone to re-enter the secular world? If that's their goal, to be honest, Dragonguard isn't a very good target. The proud Imperials aren't very willing to accept such groups..."

Ivena felt they were getting off-topic, so she brought up the original question again. "So, should we agree to them?"

Charlemagne stroked his chin, thought for a few seconds, and finally nodded slightly. "Just like you said, the choice isn't really ours..."

Hao Ren didn't expect the siblings to reply so quickly.

He had thought that the royal siblings, who seemed to have paranoia, would need a long time to discuss it properly, at least half a day to give him an answer, but he didn't expect them to reappear before him in just over ten minutes.

Leah hadn't even finished that big problem yet...

"We accept your invitation," Charlemagne said straightforwardly. "It is indeed a mutually beneficial solution."

This answer was actually what Hao Ren expected. He nodded with a smile. "That makes things easier. We..."

Ivena interrupted. "Please wait, we have a few small requests."

"Small requests?" Vivian looked curiously at the girl with the greyish-white hair (who looked about the same age as Hesperides, so in Vivian's eyes, she was just a slightly older child). "What requests?"

"Do you have... maps or something?" Charlemagne asked.

Hao Ren waved his hand, and a holographic map immediately appeared in mid-air.

The image floating in the air stunned Charlemagne for a moment. He felt that this "magic illusion" was a little different from what he remembered, and he couldn't feel any magic fluctuations either. More importantly, although the mountains and rivers on the map were clear, there were almost no markings or text, which made it very inconvenient to use. However, he suppressed these questions and discomforts, and after roughly judging the locations on the map, he pointed to a certain place within the Dragonguard Empire. "We want to land here, then follow this route... from here, to here, and finally to the imperial capital."

Looking at the route pointed out by the prince, Hao Ren couldn't help but frown. "That's going in a circle, which will waste a lot of time and travel. Can't you just find a landing field near the imperial capital? If you're worried that this ship is too big to land, we also have smaller aircraft, or we can just teleport you over..."

"That's not the reason," Charlemagne waved his hand. "It's for safety."

Then he explained, "We were attacked by pirates. There must be a conspiracy. Those desperadoes had military-grade weapons and equipment, and they accurately locked onto the White Pearl's itinerary, which had only been temporarily adjusted before departure, so..."

"You were betrayed by an insider?" Hao Ren blurted out.

"The original itinerary is no longer safe," Charlemagne didn't deny it. "And... we're worried that there are people within the Dragonguard Empire who want to take our lives. That powerful empire has many shadows."

Hao Ren immediately understood what he meant. Although he didn't know how the siblings had come to this conclusion, they must have had a good idea in their hearts. The person who planned this attack wasn't just an insider from the Isu Kingdom, but the vast empire across the World Rift was also likely involved. However, they couldn't be sure who was plotting within the Dragonguard Empire, or even if it was related to the Dragon Soul Emperor, so they chose to make this secret mission even more secret.

Following the original plan and heading directly to the imperial capital might lead them into a deeper trap, so they planned to land somewhere within the empire first, then observe the situation. If possible, they would find out who else within the empire could be trusted, and only after regaining control of the situation could they continue this mission.

Troublesome conspiracies and politics.

"That's our request," Ivena looked at Hao Ren without blinking. "And it's the only request. I hope you can agree."

To the princess's surprise, Hao Ren agreed very readily. "No problem. A secret mission, huh? We're happy to help."

He couldn't wait to have a local take him around to learn more about the customs and culture of this world.

"Um..." Charlemagne was momentarily speechless, but he quickly recovered. "Then when can we depart?"

"Anytime is fine, and the sooner the better," Hao Ren said. "Also, if you need any props or equipment to disguise your identities, just say so. This ship has everything."