Lin Gui roughly understood the cause and effect through Elvia's rapid and somewhat fawning narration.
“So, you just pushed me out as a shield like that?”
Elvia quickly explained, “Don't worry! I didn't mention your name to my Third Brother!”
“Oh really?” Lin Gui elongated his tone, his eyes full of unconcealed disdain.
“Then, does the name of this fiancé you fabricated ‘just happen’ to be Lin Gui?”
“Yes... uh, no!” Elvia nodded subconsciously.
She immediately realized her mistake, and her smile instantly froze.
She hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, displaying what she thought was a charming smile while pressing two crystal-clear fingers against her dimples. “Ehehe~”
“A woman's mouth is a pack of lies,” Lin Gui remarked coldly.
“Cough, cough!” Elvia gave two dry coughs, forcibly changing the subject.
“In any case, you need to help me sell this lie now! From now on, you are the fiancé I am marrying down to, as well as a devout believer of the Holy Church of Light!”
“So it's ‘marrying down’ instead of ‘taking in a husband’?” Lin Gui noticed her choice of words.
Elvia paused for a moment, her tone carrying a hint of complexity and relief.
“...Because I plan to give up my claim to the throne.”
She looked at Lin Gui with a resentful gaze.
“From the moment the Lyon Knights failed to bring back the Umbral Tree Flower and I failed to fulfill my promise to my father, I was already kicked out of this competition.”
“Lyon... Those scumbags were the knights you supported?” Lin Gui raised an eyebrow.
“That's right!” Elvia felt a pang of pain at the mention of it.
“I built Lyon up single-handedly. To cultivate him, I spent almost all my savings and resources, hoping he could break through to the Legendary rank just like Gorn...”
As for how Lin Gui had “pit-killed” the Lyon Knights.
Elvia had many questions at first.
However, after traveling with him all the way to the Royal Capital and witnessing his methods, all her doubts had vanished.
What a joke—this guy's concealment magic combined with Theia's god-like arrows.
Even the Legendary archer Gorn had fallen by their hands.
Let alone a guy like Lyon, who wasn't even Legendary.
“Oh~” Lin Gui gave her a meaningful look.
“So that scum was yours. It seems you aren't exactly a good person either.”
“Pfft!” Elvia's scalp went numb as she hurriedly explained.
“Listen, I can swear on my life! Although I'm not a purely good person, I have absolutely never harmed a single hair on the heads of the lower class! My reputation among commoners and adventurers is impeccable!”
Lin Gui stuffed the book back onto the shelf and gave a careless laugh.
“What are you afraid of? I just mentioned it in passing.”
The corner of Elvia's mouth twitched.
What was she afraid of? She was afraid he would silently clean out all her property!
She was afraid he would knock her out with a random brick and throw her to the demons!
“You said I'm a believer of the Holy Church of Light,” Lin Gui changed the subject.
“As the actual holders of power over the remote borderlands, would the Carter Royal Capital really fear a so-called ‘Holy Saint’ who only knows novice Light Magic?”
Elvia smiled and explained.
“In normal circumstances, of course not.”
“But things are different now. The Dark Tide is approaching, and many prophecies and signs indicate something.”
“The place where the next large-scale Dark Tide is most likely to break out is right here in our borderlands!”
“The Royal Capital spent half the national treasury's reserves just to secure this visit and potential support from the Holy Saintess of Light.”
“Never mind a ‘Holy Saint,’ even if it's just an ordinary commoner believer of the Holy Church of Light.”
“Our royal family must welcome them with smiles and treat them like high nobles!”
She paused and added.
“Fortunately, the Carter Royal Capital is located in a remote area, and true believers of Light are few and far between.”
“So, as long as you display Light Magic, no one will doubt your identity. On the contrary, they will try their best to recruit you.”
“In that case,” Lin Gui rubbed his chin, a hint of playfulness flashing in his eyes.
“I can... do whatever I want in the Royal Capital?”
Elvia's eyelids jumped wildly. “You... what do you want to do?!”
“Nothing,” Lin Gui said plainly.
“I just want to change the name of my post office. What do you think of... ‘Dogshit Noble Post Office’?”
Elvia facepalmed. “If you do that, the nobles of the entire Carter Royal Capital will go ballistic!”
“Haha, I'm just joking.”
Elvia complained silently in her heart.
Your expression doesn't look like you're joking at all!
During their idle talk, Elvia leaned close to Lin Gui's ear.
She quickly recounted all the details he needed to watch out for, the current power distribution in the Royal Capital, and the Third Prince's character and hobbies.
Lin Gui also briefly informed Elvia of his progress in finding the Queen's Tomb and the clues regarding Roger and Avalon he had obtained from Fal.
Before long, a slight commotion occurred within the library.
A man's figure appeared, causing no small stir.
The Third Prince walked in, surrounded by a group of High-tier High Rank knights.
As the current frontrunner for the throne.
He instantly attracted the gazes of all the noble daughters present.
The eyes of those young ladies were full of longing and admiration.
Some reservedly adjusted their skirts.
Others boldly cast flirtatious glances.
They were all trying to gain the favor of this future king.
The Third Prince ignored them.
He walked straight toward Elvia and Lin Gui.
His face no longer held its previous rage; instead, it wore a kind smile.
“Elvia, aren't you going to introduce your... ‘brother-in-law’ to your brother?”
His tone was gentle, but the corners of his eyes were like knives, constantly scanning and scrutinizing Lin Gui.
The knights behind him wore expressions of blatant arrogance, looking at Lin Gui with contempt.
In their eyes, this mage was only at the Mid-tier High Rank, with strength inferior even to the elite soldiers guarding the city gates.
They really didn't know what Princess Elvia saw in him.
Elvia was famously beautiful and was the dream girl for many knights.
Seeing her intimate posture as she tightly held Lin Gui's arm.
A nameless fire rose in the hearts of these knights.
How could they know that Elvia's excessively “intimate” action had absolutely nothing to do with romance.
It was purely so that if any accident occurred.
She could immediately be whisked away by Lin Gui using his Shroud of the Gloomy Night...
Before Elvia could speak, Lin Gui took a step forward and calmly introduced himself.
“Lin Gui, a member of the North Wind Transport Team.”
He flashed the badge on his shoulder.
Immediately, a small, stable, and warm white flame ignited at the tip of his right index finger.
It was the novice Light Magic spell, Warmth.
“Incidentally, I am also a believer of the God of Light.”
This scene caused the pupils of the Third Prince, as well as his advisors and knights, to contract sharply.
They had expected the identity of a Holy Saint, but the identity of a member of the North Wind Transport Team...
North Wind Transport Team.
That top-tier merchant group led by the Mid-tier Legendary ice mage Freya that traveled dangerous routes.
The weight of its members' status in the Royal Capital was no less than that of an influential high noble.
Especially for the Carter Royal Capital, which relied heavily on the transport of supplies.
These transport teams were entities they needed to go to great lengths to befriend.
Plus... the identity of a believer of the Holy Church of Light!
When these two identities were stacked together, the effect far exceeded one plus one equals two!
Even Elvia was stunned, but she soon felt relieved.
With Lin Gui's divine mastery of Levitation.
It was only natural for him to be recruited by a top-tier transport team like North Wind.
She also instantly understood how Lin Gui had made those high nobles compromise on the post office matter.
Elvia's heart completely settled.
She even let go of the hand tightly holding Lin Gui, and the smile on her face became bright and genuine.
A “Holy Saint” alone might still carry the risk of being secretly captured.
But with the added status of a member of the North Wind Chamber of Commerce.
Even the King of Carter would have to weigh the consequences.
Moreover, the Third Prince had just lost the Lyon Knights, his greatest source of support!
Sure enough, the Third Prince's eyes narrowed slightly.
He quickly signaled to the advisors behind him to verify the claim.
After receiving a slight nod of confirmation from the advisors.
The smile on his face instantly became much warmer and more earnest.
His attitude did a full hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.
He began to chat enthusiastically with Lin Gui, expressing a strong desire to further their acquaintance.
He also formally invited Lin Gui to attend the Imperial Ball to be held in two days, as well as the Royal Auction following immediately after.
At the same time, he stated that he would immediately report the “joyous news” that Princess Elvia's fiancé was a member of the North Wind Transport Team to his father.
He proposed holding an unprecedentedly grand wedding for Elvia and Lin Gui.
He intended to formally announce their marriage at the Imperial Ball.
Lin Gui wanted to refuse.
However, Elvia immediately leaned into his ear and whispered urgently in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Agree to it first! I must have my ‘marriage’ to you solidified! Consider it a massive favor I owe you!”
Lin Gui raised an eyebrow and looked at her.
In the end, he did not oppose the Third Prince's proposal on the spot, only responding in a flat tone:
“His Highness the Third Prince is too kind.”
“As a believer of the God of Light, I advocate for a life of frugality and cultivation. The wedding need not be overly flamboyant or wasteful; a simple registration will suffice.”
“As for the banquet... I will attend on time.”
Having obtained Lin Gui's promise, the Third Prince left contentedly with his people.
Only his meaningful gaze before leaving still swept between Elvia and Lin Gui once.
After the Third Prince left, Lin Gui looked at Elvia with a strange expression.
“The Umbral Tree Flower that the Lyon Knights were looking for is in your hands right now, isn't it?”
“Are you really giving up the struggle for the throne just like that? Aren't you afraid that after the new king ascends, they'll start purging you?”
Elvia smiled, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
“I'm definitely giving up the right to inherit the throne. But if they want to push me around at will... I'll make them pay a heavy price.”
“Alright then.” Lin Gui asked no further.
“It's about time. I need to take Theia out for a walk.”
Remembering how stunning that half-demon elf looked after dressing up deliberately, Elvia asked in confusion.
“Speaking of which, why don't you keep Theia by your side? Aren't you two usually inseparable?”
Lin Gui explained.
“Her demon energy awakened too suddenly.”
“And the Shroud of the Gloomy Night can only cover battle force, mana fluctuations, and physical characteristics.”
“It cannot completely cover the other three high-tier energies: demon energy, soul force, and divine power.”
“It's fine at a distance, but up close, even with the Shroud of the Gloomy Night active, a sensitive expert is likely to notice something.”
“Until she has completely mastered restraining her demon energy, it's best not to take that risk.”
“And you're still going on a date with her?” Elvia complained.
“The commercial district is very large,” Lin Gui said calmly.
“As long as we avoid the main roads frequented by experts and go to those remote streets set up by refugees where few experts pay attention, it'll be fine.”
He looked at the color of the sky outside the window and waved his hand.
“Alright, enough talking. Theia is probably getting impatient.”
After saying that, Lin Gui didn't stay any longer.
His figure blended into the bookshelves of the library and quickly disappeared.
Rate on N.U.
