Varian's trio was startled when the dangerous aura enveloped them. It felt like they were being choked by the air around them.
Thankfully, none of them were weak to the point of actually dying or getting seriously injured from the aura lock.
However, the sheer weight they felt on their chests when the aura pressed down on them, made it clear to them that their opponent was someone they couldn't beat.
They had just encountered an ambush by the 'natives'— that looked almost human except for a weird nose and ears—and slaughtered them.
When they're about to check their bodies for any clues regarding the civilization, this Diamond-skinned popped up.
"Answer me! Who the hell are you guys?" The Diamond Duchy's Sovereign glared at the three but didn't attack.
Even though they were all weaker than him, he was wary.
If these guys belonged to a neighboring kingdom, then even touching them would warrant his death.
If it's to pacify the angry kingdom, his Duchy wouldn't even bat an eyelid to sacrifice a Sovereign.
Even though there weren't too many Sovereigns, there were plenty around to not feel the pain of a sacrifice.
So, if they're from a powerful background, he'd have to let them go.
If he could, however, verify that they're not from a powerful background, then…
Killing intent slowly leaked from the Sovereign and filled the air, turning the wind into sharp strings.
Varian, Sarah, and Sia were very uncomfortable with this killing intent. They understood they had to answer this guy.
But the problem was they had no clue about the language.
Sia felt like she 'heard' the language, but it was somewhere too deep in her memory that even her Psychic power would take hours to retrieve.
Sarah was hearing this strange language for the first time and so was Varian.
As the three remained silent, the Sovereign's killing intent deepened and he got more inclined to believe they were not from a powerful background.
When such a thought appeared in his mind, he focused more on the things that supported his claim.
For instance, the clothes that they're wearing—they're not made of stuff that could withstand even a Sovereign blow. Their storage rings were too low quality.
B-But he couldn't ignore the sense of…royalty that exuded from the young man. It felt weird but it was as if he was seeing a ruler. A king perhaps.
'Who the hell is he?' The Sovereign gulped as the silence increased his nervousness.
Several Kingdoms had the habit of sending their important princes on off-hand training. They'd start from zero in the mortal realm and reach the Celestial Rank on their own before they're taken back into the Kingdom.
Even the three Empires trained several geniuses in this manner. But that's too rare. Out of tens of trillions of creatures in this galaxy, what are the odds of meeting such geniuses?
Moreover, why the hell did these three even enter this place? They're too weak to survive here!
Especially this Synthetic World, that's weird from the rest and much more dangerous.
The Sovereign's doubts deepened and he was more and more inclined to believe he could kill them and get away with it.
'I can first restrain them, feed them a psychedelic herb, and let them confess their identities.' The Sovereign raised his hand and three sparks occurred above the three.
But right then, the silence was broken.
"Who do you think we are?" Varian asked back in a calm tone with underlying contempt.
"Huh?" The Sovereign raised a brow and his mind began to imagine the worst possibilities.
On the other hand, Varian was racking his brain on the next step.
Of course, he had no clue about the language that was being spoken. Apparently, it's the lingua Franca of the intergalactic civilizations.
But the System—which ignored him in all the major hardships—helped him out. Varian wanted to slap the damn thing for the timing, but the situation was getting out of control and he had to focus on the trouble at hand.
This was a Sovereign and one mistake was enough to warrant their death. So, Varian had to do something, anything to get them out alive.
Varian glanced at Sarah and Sia from the corner of his eyes and felt his heartbeat drop.
They had nearly died just a few hours ago. After what they went through, Varian wanted nothing more than the safety and returning home.
But this Sovereign's arrival threw everything into jeopardy.
'Is he really from a powerful background? He speaks like that but if it's really so, shouldn't he take out some powerful treasure and act against me?' The Sovereign slowly clenched his fist.
He decided to take a single shot against the young man. Just a probing attack. It'd unveil the truth.
Seeing his opponent clenching his fist, and preparing for offense, Varian pushed himself to think of a solution.
'What should I do?'
Bravado wouldn't work. Even if he sacrificed his life and try to hold him back, he'd be killed in seconds and the girls would be in danger.
Escape wouldn't work either. They're just too slow for a Sovereign. Boo wasn't with them. So, he could forget escaping intact.
Then what other way?
'Fool him into thinking we're someone important…but he'll learn about us sooner or later. The only answer is to kill him. But I can't attack him instantly, I need time…'
Varian suddenly laughed, causing the Sovereign to stop his attack.
"What's so funny?" The Sovereign asked in an aggressive tone.
Varian continued to chuckle as he replied. "I…I never thought there'd be a day when someone like you…would think of attacking this Esteemed Prince. If this got out, you, your ruler, and your entire region would be blood-bathed overnight."
The Sovereign's face turned ashen as fear crept inside his heart. But he wasn't so naive to believe whatever a stranger said.
"If you're the Prince, then show your insignia." It's the litmus test.
If this young man didn't show, then the Sovereign decided to attack and restrain him. If he did show, then he'd apologize. And if he tried to escape or do something out of the line, he'd kill him immediately.
"Insignia? You aren't qualified but I'm in a good mood today. So, why not?" Varian said and grabbed Sia's hand. "Dear, where is my insignia? I remember I threw it somewhere in your ring?"
"Huh?" Sia was thinking of a way out the whole time. Varian's words were confusing but she knew he was brewing a plan.
Moreover, when he held her hand, his voice sounded inside her mind. 'Let me hold your hand for a few more seconds. Hold his attention.'
Varian's skin tore apart the moment he held Sia's hand.
Ignoring the pain, Varian focused inside his body and started pulling the slivers of energy inside him.
The repulsion towards Sia was dropping and it was getting harder to extract this energy, but for now, he could still do it.
The Sovereign noticed the injury and frowned.
He was about to attack the three when Sia rolled her eyes at Varian. "Take your hand off. My father's restriction won't be lifted until our marriage. You touch me, you bleed."
"I hate your father. Even if we're so far away from him, I still can't touch you without getting backlash. What a nasty curse." Varian slicked his tongue and wrapped his arm around Sia's shoulder.
The Sovereign opened his mouth in shock as he saw Varian's arm bleed without any aura fluctuation from Sia.
'What the hell…Curse? Who can place such a restriction?'
The Sovereign started to believe this guy might really be from a powerful background.
"Please show your insignia. We might even be from allied regions." The Sovereign showed his restraint and said.
"Sure," Varian said and signaled to Sia.
Nodding lightly, Sia tapped her storage ring and a bright, shining treasure emerged out of it.
The Sovereign's attention was drawn by the item.
He scanned it with his fire sense, only to realize it was just a weird shining stone—nothing else. There were no inscriptions. No formations. No runes. Nothing.
'It's not an insignia!' The Sovereign realized he was deceived and instinctively channeled his fire mana, wanting to attack Varian.
But he was still a second late.
"NO!"
An invisible ripple spread from Varian and reached the Sovereign in a blink. It was a formless energy that was far beyond anything the Sovereign ever experienced.
The moment it touched his skin, he started to dissolve. His mind screamed but his body turned into countless tiny specks and dispersed into the wind.
"W-Wow!" Sarah and Sia froze in shock.
