In the Greenwood Kingdom's royal palace, an old man bowed his head while saying, "Your Majesty. We've got the news from Raincart. Noel Ardagan has agreed to take Her Highness Livia as his student. Just like his other student, he will impart all kinds of knowledge about runes."
Upon hearing it, the king couldn't help but clench his fist while smiling. "Finally."
"Still, are you sure about this, Your Majesty? Her Highness Livia is a bright child and her talent is extraordinary."
"What are you saying? Are you thinking that sending her to him would only bury her talents?" The king frowned.
"No… that's not what I mean…" The old man could only scratch the back of his head, not knowing what to say. He believed that Livia was still too big for Noel to handle. In addition, staying with Noel would be extremely dangerous to the point there was a chance that her status as a princess alone wouldn't be enough to protect her.
The king asked, "Do you know that a princess and a prince, a thousand years ago, left their homeland and encountered a legend in the making? Back then, they simply didn't want to get involved with the throne war. That was the greatest loss of the Greenwood Kingdom. Do you know why?"
"…" The old man obviously didn't have a record of such a thing. Only the royal family would be able to read that record.
That was why the king said, "The princess married the strongest man alive in history. At the same time, her achievement wouldn't be lost to the likes of our Royal Guard Captain. Had she returned to the kingdom, no one would dare to say if she suddenly sat on the throne."
"…" The old man looked down, but he soon remembered that the king mentioned one more person.
"And the prince… who was known to be useless at that time… he ended up becoming the Sword Saint."
"The Sword Saint?" The old man dropped his jaw to the ground. Unlike the princess, the name of the Sword Saint had spread in all kingdoms.
It was said the Sword Saint was so strong that not a single city could withstand his slash. Even if they erected a hundred-meter tall wall, he would simply split it like cutting a hill. In terms of his achievement in the way of the sword, if he said he was the second, no one dared to claim they were first.
The name of the Sword Saint had become the inspiration of many sword users. And to think that such a person was connected to the Greenwood Kingdom's royal family was simply unbelievable.
But there was one detail that he managed to pick up. With such a strong brother and sister, why would they not return and create a golden age in the Greenwood Kingdom?
The answer was as simple as marriage. Why would the princess return to her country when she could just stay peacefully with the strongest man alive? The Sword Saint would follow the suit.
The king explained, "I know that you're worried. But sometimes, if we don't take the risk, we won't be able to achieve a greater height. Just like those researchers, people think they are foolish for studying an impossible thing. But when they succeed, they call them pioneers."
The old man lowered his head. "I apologize for being rude earlier, Your Majesty. It seems that I'm still lacking as your minister."
"People make mistakes. Anyway, Did Raincart say other things?"
"Yes. He stated a few conditions."
"Hoh? Tell me."
"First, he wants a tuition fee. It appears that he is requesting a massive amount of Demon Crystals and an Ice Element Item. I can understand about the Demon Crystals since it has a higher worth compared to gold, but the ice element item…" The minister thought that Raincart planned to use this to satisfy the people in his family.
However, the king recalled the information that was sent by the border general. And with the information about Noel being Iadre, it was clear that Noel was the one who requested it.
"I don't mind. The second princess is studying a new power system that can revolutionize the entire world, so we will pay the tuition fee no matter how high it is."
"Understood. As for the second condition… he requests the Princess to follow her teacher to the Muivell Kingdom. She has to abide by his instruction for the sake of studying."
"It's not a problem. In fact, I don't mind if she brings home a kid or two." The king nonchalantly said before adding, "There should be a lot of requests, right? Just say the important ones and send the rest to me later for me to review."
"Yes, Your Majesty. The third request is that she will receive the same treatment as his first student." The minister thought it was absurd to treat the princess the same as a commoner, but only the king knew that the boy was actually a slave.
If what Damian said about Noel was correct, this was the most important condition. That was also the reason why he sent Livia under the name of Maria. He nodded in approval. "I don't mind. As long as he doesn't forbid her from sending the letters home."
"Then, I think this is the most important one. She will learn from him for five years before she can return home. Of course, his teacher will provide some level of security, but he also needs us to protect her in one way or another. But it doesn't mention that she can't send a letter."
"I see. I don't mind that condition." The king nodded but was a bit hesitant. Five years were quite long after all.
"There are a few more conditions, but I think they are minor. And last but not least, in exchange for all those conditions, her teacher will teach her everything about runes, including numerous new runes as well as a few rune systems like Rune Engineering, Rune Spell, and Rune Body."
"Rune Engineering… If I'm not wrong, it's that moving runes. As for Rune Spell… it's embedding a rune onto something that can be used by normal people, right?" The king frowned, forgetting about all the details.
"Yes, Your Majesty. And the Rune Body is the new system that Damian brought, albeit incomplete. Normal people could activate these runes like a part of their bodies."
"From the current information alone, the Rune Engineering can be used to automate a few workshops or even help with moving parts. There is a chance that we can finally fly in the sky… As for the Rune Spell, there would be an entirely new legion where these people use runes instead of their elements. It is like having another legion of Spirit Magicians, but without the needs of spirits. And lastly, the Rune Body will be useful for the fighters out there."
The king fell into deep thought. Those three systems alone were already worth the wait. If they managed to gain all that knowledge, the Greenwood Kingdom would become the leading kingdom in rune development.
"That's right, Your Majesty. He stated that his new place would be in a location where the cooperation between them could progress smoothly."
"The new location? Where is it?" The king asked.
"It's located in a new region near the border. Its location is only a hundred kilometers from our border, so about 3-5 days if we go slowly."
"The location… is near the border…" The king furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding Noel's intention.
However, the minister had learned from his mistake and considered the risk. He said with an unsure tone, "Your Majesty… I am assuming that he is talking about the border. It would be troublesome if we crossed the border, but with his location, shouldn't it be easy for him to leave the Muivell Kingdom and enter the demon territory?"
"!!!" The king gasped. "Then, we can simply stay around that area and do the transaction there. This will give another layer of protection for the second princess as well as ensuring more cooperation in the future."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Good, good. It seems that I'm still underestimating this brat." The king took a deep breath, having a hard time to calm down his excitement.
"But… Can he actually get that territory? I mean, in the tradition of the Muivell Kingdom, I don't think he can choose his territory."
"While it's true that he can't choose his territory, have you forgotten that his family was once the wealthiest family in the kingdom?"
"!!!" The minister understood what he meant. It seemed that the Ardagan Family's influence was still quite strong, that they could influence the royal court.
The king rose from his seat and waved his hand, ordering, "We'll accept his request unconditionally. Also, form a new legion that will handle this new route."
"Who is the leader of this new legion, Your Majesty?"
The king thought for a moment and answered without hesitation, "Damian."
