"Are you going to kill her?" she asked, looking at Sara.

"At least I'll leave her useless for the rest of her life. We'll see how things turn out," he replied.

"Are you planning to hand her over to score points in your fight for the throne?" she asked.

"Sacrifices I have to make," he said, joking.

Although in reality, it wasn't a joke. If he could kill her and devour her spirituality, it would be much better for himself. After all, she was a Level 4 Walker. The difference in the amount of spirits given by a Level 4 beast and those given by a Walker was considerable.

If he killed her, he could shorten the distance halfway to reaching Level 2 on his own path, but unfortunately, he couldn't deviate from his plans and needed a scapegoat. So he had to settle for that.

Martin approached Samuel after seeing that Cecily was okay.

"Did you underestimate them?" he asked with a smile as he patted him on the shoulder and saw that his left leg was badly injured in several places, with one of his bones even visible.

Samuel smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, leader. I didn't think they would be so good. The last time I faced an evolved Kazak, it wasn't as strong or cunning as this one."

"Hahaha, you must remember the teachings of the masters," Martin said as he helped him treat his wounds. "Kazaks are just like you, me, and all humans and other races. There are geniuses among them who, despite being younger, stand out above others who are older."

"I'll keep that in mind from now on," Samuel said.

"It's good to learn new things, so it's fine as long as you don't die." He patted his leg after bandaging it and looked at Ryan, who had approached.

"As I promised before, I will recover the treasure and give the reward to the organization. So it's time for you to help me with something." Ryan said.

"What do you need help with?"

Ryan motioned for him to come closer and whispered a few things.

He frowned. "Will it work?" he asked.

"Yes. Luckily, Mr. Samuel didn't kill the Kazaks, so everything will be fine."

Although Martin had doubts about his plan, he nodded. "Okay," he said, grabbed Professor Sara by the neck to immobilize her with his spirituality, and then dropped her to the floor.

Having gotten rid of the burden and left her in good hands, Ryan looked at Cecily. "Come on, it's time to go treasure hunting."

After they both left, Samuel spoke.

"Did you see that?" he asked.

"What?" Martin asked back.

"Don't play dumb, Leader. That devouring reminds me a little of the history books about that ruin," said Samuel, glancing sideways at Martin. "I was just a kid then, but I still remember it, and I'm sure old Roy and Lord Magnus have it etched in their memories. I don't think you've forgotten it."

Martin stared at him for several seconds, then sighed.

"Well, the devouring is certainly amazing. Maybe it has something to do with that hidden path. But saying that doesn't do us any good; so far, we should be the only ones who know about it, and you know the price we pay for knowing. Until Magnus returns, it's better not to even talk about it."

Samuel frowned and clenched his hands slightly. "I suppose you're right, leader," he said and relaxed.

"Do you think Lord Magnus can do it?" he asked.

"Haha, if he can't do it, I guess no one can. Let's not worry about things that are beyond our control." Martin grabbed the unconscious woman on the floor and nodded to her. "Let's go. We have things to do."

--

Although Ryan and Cecily were prepared to pursue this thief, it was difficult to track down the guy's whereabouts even with his knowledge.

That's why he needed power first.

Not personal power: real power.

So Ryan returned to the castle.

Since no one knew he was out, he contacted Garner to swap positions once again, and soon he was in his room, while Cecily waited outside.

"That was really risky, Prince. What were you doing out there? Where were you?" As soon as Garner had the chance, he began to question him.

"Captain Garner, don't worry about this. I'm fine and I wasn't in any danger," he said, with the toughest skin he had ever had in his life. "I just can't fight my brothers without status or backing, can I?"

To make sure he heard correctly, he took several potions. Although they didn't completely heal him, at least they would help hide the wound on his right shoulder and the wound on his ears a little.

"You mean you were looking for an alliance?" Garner asked, surprised.

"I just went to sign up for an organization. Maybe it will come to light soon," he replied, patting him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, since no one knows yet, it's not dangerous for me," he replied.

Garner stared at him. "You're looking for the treasure, aren't you?" he asked suddenly.

Ryan froze briefly, a reaction that was enough to tell Garner that he had hit the nail on the head.

"That's dangerous, you know? Even Prince Brandon hasn't been able to get any information."

"I know, but I have no choice," he replied.

"No, you do. This week I've been your personal guard, and I've seen that you're not like everyone else says; you have a great talent," he said. "You can simply..."

"I won't hide away to grow up, Captain Garner." Ryan was clear. "Do you think that way I could beat Brandon? Do you think that by hiding away, I could one day get my hands on that throne? No, they'll kill me here. I'll die in my own bed, dreaming of a great future."

"But..."

"The first brother recently told me something: A king is not made inside the castle. So you won't see me training here."

Garner fell silent and lowered his head slightly. He didn't know when he started to care about the most despised princes, but he was sure that he would reach great heights as long as he was alive.

Even so, he didn't know that it wasn't because of his talent that Ryan could do it. Instead, it was because he had already walked this path.

'If I relied solely on my talent, even though I might reach great heights, I would end up dead at Brandon's hands. After all, if he reaches Level 4 and I'm still Level 1... I'll be screwed, possibly dead.' Ryan thought.

Because he didn't know Brandon's current level of strength and how far he was from Level 4, he needed the next mission to go well to ensure his own survival.

That's why he moved on to the main topic.

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