200. A Princess’ favour

It took time to settle everything after the attack. Cleaning up the mess and calming the nobles’ nerves took hours in itself. They were rattled—more than Kai expected—and annoyingly oblivious to the fact that he’d just saved them. Instead of gratitude, they demanded better security measures, which, in fairness, he could get behind… if only they had been more civil about it. Still, the reality had finally sunk in for them. Their lives were in danger. Kai hadn’t been bluffing before, and now they understood that there were powers actively trying to eliminate them before the assembly. That realization left them far more shaken than he’d anticipated, likely because none of them were Mages. They were completely dependent on Kai to survive, and though he didn’t care much for them personally, he knew they’d be important in the future. So, he ensured additional Enforcers would be guarding them from now on, then moved on to a more pressing issue—finding out where the Mages had come from. There were several ways those Mages could have infiltrated the city, especially with a third-circle Shadow Mage among them. They might have traveled to the edge of the Sylvan Enclave and teleported inside, but with the number of Mages involved, Kai figured that would’ve required far more effort and preparation. He leaned instead toward the possibility of a large-scale teleportation circle, likely with its destination set to Veralt. But that type of spell wasn’t easy to pull off. Beyond the massive amount of mana it would take, the ritual circle would need to exist in both locations. That was why, first thing in the morning, Kai mobilized the Watchers, sending them out across the city to search for any sign of such a circle. A large-scale teleportation array was bound to attract some attention, and he was confident they’d find a clue soon enough. S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Having a circle like that hidden somewhere in the city made him uneasy. It felt like a knife hovering over his neck, and it left him restless. But his options were limited. Finding the circle was only the first step. Tracking down whoever had created it was far more critical, as they could have other spies hidden within the city. Fortunately, everyone who had entered through the gates had been carefully documented. Now, he could only hope that the Watchers would uncover some useful leads—and fast. By the time he had finished giving orders and handling the aftermath of the attack, the sun was already rising. He had lost an entire night’s sleep, but he didn’t head to bed. Instead, he decided to keep the commitment he’d made the night before—a breakfast with Princess Amara. It wasn’t just about the promise, though. He genuinely wanted to check on her after everything that had happened. The explosions, the threat to the castle—he knew she’d be shaken. And there was something else on his mind, something he had been meaning to discuss with her for a while. When he entered the dining hall, Amara was already seated at the table. The maids quickly finished placing the food and quietly excused themselves, leaving the two of them alone. That was when he noticed how she was staring at him, scanning his face and even trailing over his body as if seeing for some hidden injury. Her worry was plain to see. And she was being completely transparent about it. Kai shook his head, offering a small, reassuring smile. “I’m not injured, Princess. Last night wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t like I was fighting another blood drinker lord. I managed to deal with the Mages that attacked us.” “Still,” Amara said softly, her voice tight with concern, “I heard all the explosions. I actually thought… something might happen to you.” The small swallow in her throat explained everything on her worry that seemed to have persisted from last night. “And as you can see,” Kai replied with a faint smirk, gesturing at the food in front of him, “I’m fine. Sitting here, eating breakfast right in front of you.” He picked up a piece of meat and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully while watching her. He could still see the tension in her eyes, and he decided it was time to shift the conversation away from the attack. “So,” he said, after swallowing, “you wanted to talk to me before, right? Sorry I’ve been so busy lately.” Amara waved a hand dismissively. “It’s okay. I understand. You’re a Count and you have so many duties to handle. I would offer to help, but… I have no experience managing a large territory—or any territory, for that matter.” Kai leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table. “That’s true. But you could still help me in other ways.” Amara tilted her head, curious. “How?” “Have you heard about the assembly?” Kai asked. She nodded. “Anya makes sure I’m updated on everything that’s happening. After all, I can’t exactly leave the castle, especially after the attack. What about it?” Kai leaned back in his chair, letting out a quiet sigh before speaking. “As you know, to win the judgment in the assembly, truth doesn’t matter as much as support. I’ve already started building some of it—messengers have been sent to Duke Blackwood to rally him to my cause.” He paused. “But… I don’t think that alone will be enough.” Amara stilled, her fork suspended midair as she processed his words. Her eyes sharpened slightly, catching the subtle hint of what he was implying. Slowly, she set her fork down and tilted her head. “You want me to gather support for you.” Kai gave a slow nod. “Yes. Every faction in the kingdom revolves around a prince—your brothers. None of them are going to support me, not unless I agree to become one of their… dogs.” His voice hardened on the last word, the disdain evident. “So, I need to create my own faction. I need enough backing in the Assembly to hold my ground. And aside from Duke Blackwood, who I believe will support me, you’re the only person with enough influence to truly help.” Amara let out a soft sigh and resumed eating, though there was a pensive look on her face. After a moment she shook her head. “I wasn’t expecting such serious talk over breakfast today.” Kai frowned. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—” “No, it’s okay,” she interrupted, raising a hand to stop him. “I get it. Things are dire, and there’s no time to relax. I’m aware enough to understand the severity of the situation. But… I’m not sure how much I can help you.” She leaned back, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass absentmindedly. “You probably already know this, but I don’t have much pull. I always lived under my mother’s thumb, and she never allowed me to break away. Most nobles still assume I’m allied with my brother. And after being absent from the capital for the past few months… I don’t even know how people see me anymore.” Kai regarded her carefully, then leaned forward slightly. “If you’re willing, maybe it’s time to break away from your mother.” Amara blinked, probably surprised by his bluntness. But there was no other way to phrase it. If he was going to ask for her help, he needed to be straightforward. “You’re not the same anymore,” he continued. “You’re not a princess who needs chemicals just to function. You’re a Mage now. And like I’ve seen with my own eyes, your condition has recovered.” Amara’s lips pressed together, and she gave a small nod. “That’s true…” Her Mana heart—the shattered core that had left her fragile and dependent on alchemical potions—was already a thing of the past. Ever since Kai had healed her, she had grown stronger, healthier, with each passing day. And she had started to change. She was more than surviving. She was learning. She had begun actively studying magic again, and though she hadn’t spoken about it much, Kai could sense her progress. By his estimation, she was already approaching the second circle. She had been quietly applying the methods he had given her, and the results were starting to show. “Your absence from the capital won’t mean anything if you return completely healed. I had planned to keep my mana surgery methods hidden for now, but maybe it’s better to let at least some rumors spread. Nobles are curious, and rumors tend to grow on their own. There’s no harm in that.” Amara’s lips pressed together as she mulled it over, her brows furrowing in thought. After a few moments, she sighed softly. “But I don’t have any experience with nobles. I’ve seen them, met them. They’re opportunistic, never satisfied. Even the good ones. I don’t know how to deal with people like that.” She hesitated, her gaze dropping slightly. “I was never anything more than a showpiece at the balls I attended. Just a princess on display. That’s what my mother told me.” Her voice wavered at the end. “I have no real power.” Kai’s eyes narrowed as he observed her, wondering just how deep her trauma ran. He had known it was bad—her astral realm had made that painfully clear. Regina had been the largest and most menacing wraith in Amara’s subconscious, towering over everything else. But just how far had that abuse gone? Verbal? Physical? Or perhaps… something even worse. His jaw tightened as a quiet surge of anger burned in his chest. He hated Regina already, but the more he uncovered, the deeper that hatred grew. Not solely because of Amara, but for who Regina was. There were plenty of evil people in the world—some who were cruel to others but still cared for their families. And then there were people like Regina, who only worked for themselves, treating everyone, even their own children, as pawns in their endless game. He restrained a sigh at the disappointment that crept up to him and looked at her gently. “You’re stronger than you think. And honestly, handling nobles isn’t as difficult as it seems. They’re simple-minded in their own way. Opportunistic people are easy to predict.” “Like?” “Take Malden, for example,” Kai explained. “He’s opportunistic. But he knows that staying in my favor is in his best interest, so he’s always been on my side. That’s the kind of mindset you’ll be dealing with.” She considered it while tapping the rim of her glass. “And… what exactly do you want me to do?” “I don’t want you to go after the nobles with power,” Kai clarified. “I want you to focus on the ones who are looking  power. These are the people who won’t dare scheme against someone from the royal family. They’ll just want to extract as much benefit as they can. And that’s where we have the advantage.” Amara tilted her head. “What kind of benefits could I possibly offer them?” Kai smiled slightly. “You have royal blood. That alone is a huge draw. Just by talking to them and inviting them into our faction, you’d be raising their standing. And for more practical benefits… well, you’re at the very center of all the major events in the kingdom. I’m sure you can think of ways to leverage that. And don’t forget—it’s  faction. I’ll make sure we can throw in a little wealth here and there to sweeten the deal.” Amara nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful as she started to grasp the idea. She wasn’t entirely convinced yet, but Kai could tell she was beginning to come around. He also knew that this wouldn’t be an easy path for her. People didn’t just break out of their shells and transform overnight, no matter how many pep talks they got. But if anyone could do it… It would be Amara. Even if Amara had been little more than a showcase in the palace, he knew that she’d still gained valuable experience simply by living there. She’d observed and interacted with nobles, absorbed palace politics, and endured the shadow games that had shaped her life. Those experiences could be leveraged to help him. As he was lost in thought, Amara broke the silence. Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant. “My mother… what about her?” “You don’t need to worry about her,” he said firmly. “I’ll send Enforcers with you for protection. And as long as you’re inside the palace, I don’t think she’ll be able to do much. Not with you being a Mage now. She has influence, yes, but she prefers to work from the shadows. She won’t risk exposing herself by doing something overt, especially if we stay cautious.” He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers. Her lips parted for the briefest moment, but she composed herself quickly. Kai simply looked at her eyes. “I’m not going to let any harm befall you, Princess. Whatever you do in the capital, it’ll be discreet, and I’ll make sure you’re protected. Besides, right now, her attention is focused on me… and maybe Duke Blackwood. If again we’re careful, she won’t even realize what’s happened until it’s too late. By the time the assembly comes around, you’ll already be in position.” Amara blinked, and for some reason, her face flushed slightly as he finished speaking. Kai had no idea which part of his speech had caused it, but it didn’t seem to be a negative reaction—which was definitely a good sign. She glanced down at her plate, picked at her food for a moment, and then said, “You’ve really been thinking about this, haven’t you? You already had all the points ready.” “I had to. If it were up to me, I’d ignore the assembly and all the politics entirely. But what I’m doing… it needs people. A lot more than the ones I have in my territory right now. And to get them, I need to stay in the kingdom’s good graces. Either way, the kingdom’s heading toward turmoil soon. The succession’s bound to cause chaos, and I’d rather be prepared.” He paused, biting into the meat and chewing it. Once he swallowed, he looked up, noticing how she was already looking at him. “So… what do you think?” “I wasn’t planning to leave Veralt for a while. It felt like… home. For the first time in a long time. But I understand that I’ll be able to accomplish much more in the capital.” She leaned back slightly, a small, sly smile curving her lips. “But… you’ll have to give me something in return.” Kai blinked, caught off guard. His mind immediately raced, wondering what she could possibly want. Whatever it was, he figured he’d just agree and deal with it later. But the words that came out of Amara’s mouth left him completely speechless. “I’ll leave next week,” she said, raising both her eyebrows. “Until then… let’s have breakfast together. Every day.” Kai opened his mouth to respond—and nothing came out. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected her to ask for, but  hadn’t been it. For once, he had no witty remark, no strategic comeback. *** A/N - You can read 30 chapters (15 Magus Reborn and 15 Dao of money) on my patreon. Annual subscription is now on too. Read 15 chapters ahead HERE. Join the discord server HERE. PS: Book 1 is officially launched! If you’re on Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free—and even if you’re not buying, a quick rating helps more than you think. Also, it's free to rate and please download the book if you have Kindle unlimited. It helps with algorithm. We reached 100 ratings in five days! Bonus chapter is here! Read HERE. PSS - If any of you want to watch the book trailer Aethon made for me, please enter my discord server.