Chapter 1193: The Tricked Princess
"Anyway, thank you so much for your help this time, Director!"
Larfuria extended her hand with a friendly smile.
"It was nothing, really!"
Nina responded with an equally cheerful laugh and shook her hand.
Just don't come to me when something major happens.
"Oh? And who might this be?"
Larfuria chuckled lightly, though it was unclear whether she understood the underlying message, and cast an inquisitive glance toward Eiji.
"He's a companion of the Lion King Organization's Maihime. You'd better be cautious when dealing with him, Your Highness."
Kiriya Kiri giggled softly, subtly sowing discord beside Larfuria while throwing a provocative look at Eiji.
"Brother Eiji isn't a bad person! He's helped me in many ways!"
Hearing someone slander Brother Eiji, Kanon immediately became displeased.
Snapping out of her dazed state, she shot an unhappy glare at the troublemaking Kiriya Kiri.
For Kanon to show such an expression was truly a rare sight—something that might happen only once in a decade.
"Is that so? Then we must properly express our gratitude!"
Larfuria nodded understandingly and sincerely extended her hand toward Eiji.
"Kanon has always been in your care. If there's an opportunity, please allow me to thank you properly!"
Her words were neither humble nor arrogant, delivered with grace and poise.
As a princess of a kingdom and future queen, being able to speak and shake hands so approachably with ordinary people was a blessing few could ever hope to receive.
"You flatter me. I haven't done much."
Eiji glanced at her.
He merely smiled modestly and reached out his hand.
Just as Larfuria moved to grasp it—
Eiji suddenly raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, putting on an innocent act.
Larfuria ended up grabbing empty air.
Witnessing this, Kiriya Kiri was so shocked she nearly popped her eyes out.
The female knight was utterly dumbfounded, her anger immediately flaring up.
"Hehe, you're truly modest."
Larfuria paused slightly.
But she didn't mind, stopping the female knight while maintaining her composed and elegant demeanor.
"Well then, we'll take our leave."
She bid farewell to the two, then left the monastery with the female knight and Kanon in tow.
Kiriya Kiri gave Eiji a strange look, one mixed with a sense of admiration.
Then she followed the princess and departed.
"That princess has quite the depth to her!"
Eiji looked at his own hand and clicked his tongue in admiration.
"The royal family of Aldegia all possess top-class spiritual medium constitutions. If she had shaken hands with you, Master, she might have sensed something."
Nina chuckled mischievously.
"The reason Kanon can interact with you, Master, is because you allow it—because you actually want her to know your identity. Princess Larfuria doesn't get that kind of treatment!"
Kanon could discover Eiji's secret through physical contact because Eiji wanted her to know.
He hoped that after learning his identity, Kanon would change her previous mindset and seek his help to free herself from the suffering of being a Model Angel.
However, Kanon was too considerate and never asked him directly.
That was why Eiji, as the Fourth True Ancestor, personally intervened to warn Ken'ichi Yanase.
Along the way, he made sure to assert his presence and put on quite the show!
Larfuria certainly didn't receive that kind of treatment.
The bond was indeed significant, but Eiji disliked this kind of probing based on cunning schemes.
Of course, for Rafuria herself, this might not even count as probing—merely a quick method to understand her opponent.
Eiji simply didn't wish to expose himself.
"By the way, Nina, what about the 'Black Death Emperor Faction' you mentioned on the phone?"
"Yes, Master! I am keeping them under strict surveillance!"
Nina replied with full confidence.
...
Northern District of Itogami Island.
The damage caused by the Fourth True Ancestor a week ago was almost entirely gone. The entire underground area had been completely renewed, with asphalt roads and electronic equipment restored to their pre-attack condition.
Driving down to the second underground level, Rafuria met with Kensei Hazama deep inside the research institute.
"It's been a while, Kensei."
Rafuria wore a mocking expression.
"I never expected that after resigning from your position as a court mage of the Aldegia Kingdom, you'd secretly research artificial angels here on Itogami Island, even using your own niece as the experimental vessel!"
"...I don't deny it."
Kensei Hazama maintained his usual indifferent demeanor.
Whether faced with angry accusations or joyful praise, his perpetually icy expression remained unchanged.
"Since Kanon has forgiven you, I have nothing more to say."
Rafuria then sighed softly.
"I suggested she move to Aldegia, but she refused, insisting on staying here. It seems this place holds too many attachments for her, doesn't it?"
One of those attachments was him, her uncle.
Perhaps it also included that masked boy who appeared at the monastery.
Though Rafuria had never been in love herself, she was well-acquainted with the look of a girl in love. The blush on Kanon's face whenever she mentioned "Brother Eiji" was unmistakably genuine.
"I have a question for you: Who is this 'Brother Eiji' that Kanon keeps talking about?"
Rafuria asked Kensei Hazama seriously.
"Nanjo Eiji?"
Kensei immediately understood who she meant.
He himself often heard Kanon affectionately call that name in her sweet voice.
"I spend most of my time in the lab, so don't expect much information from me. The only thing I know is that he was also an orphan taken in by the monastery. Not long after he was adopted, a fire broke out there, and he was later taken in by Nanjo Natsuki."
The Witch of the Void?
Rafuria's expression turned serious at once.
This Nanjo Eiji sounded rather extraordinary.
At last night's banquet, he had appeared alongside the Maihime of the Lion King Organization. Was he well-connected?
Or was he, perhaps, the center of the vortex itself?
"Rafuria, there's something I must clarify with you."
Kensei Hazama lowered his head in thought for a moment before resolutely looking up again.
Rafuria raised an eyebrow slightly, adopting a listening posture.
"Up until now, for Kanon's safety, whenever any faction came asking, I told them the Fourth True Ancestor's goal was to disrupt the artificial angel ritual."
Kensei carefully chose his words.
Since the Fourth True Ancestor had only ever spoken to him, any faction investigating the True Ancestor's motives would inevitably come to him for answers.
He falsely claimed that the Fourth True Ancestor's goal was to disrupt the ritual of the Faux-Angel, successfully protecting Kanon.
Since the Fourth True Ancestor had only spoken to him, the various factions had no choice but to believe his testimony.
Moreover, his Faux-Angel ritual was indeed quite remarkable—anyone with a certain level of spiritual medium aptitude would immediately gain supersonic-level mobility once the ritual was inscribed.
Unfortunately, it was difficult to control and prone to rampage, making it far too unstable as a weapon.
Even so, upon learning of the existence of such a ritual, several factions immediately extended olive branches to him.
In a way, the Fourth True Ancestor had indirectly advertised for him.
"But the Faux-Angel was nothing to the Fourth True Ancestor. The elementary angel I created was knocked down with a single slap, without even forcing him to summon his Beast Vassals.Recalling Beatrice's testimony, Kensei himself found it utterly unbelievable.
This Fourth True Ancestor was likely far stronger than anyone had imagined!