"Thank you for your recognition."
Anastasia stepped back gracefully, though her noble demeanor was more wild than elegant, and her posture radiated confidence.
At this time, the kingdom's Royal Selection was still in the early stages of development. Ren felt little interest.
Although the candidate had great potential in the future, why should he risk current resources on someone else's possibilities?
As Anastasia left, a demi-human entered the room.
He introduced himself as a ninja and claimed to be the strongest in the country—Halibel.
"Seeker, why have you come to this country?" Halibel's expression grew serious, as if facing a great enemy. He gripped his weapon tightly.
"I suppose, since I once controlled this country, I can come here." Ren looked at Halibel, slightly puzzled.
"That was stolen by you, the Witch Cult." Halibel's voice rose, clearly angry.
Ram was shocked. It turned out that not only the Priestella was under Ren's control, but this country as well.
However, the attitude here was completely different, indicating that Ren had done something significant in this place.
"That old man refused to acknowledge it, so I had no choice but to take it. How is that stealing?" Ren spoke as if he were simply reclaiming what was rightfully his.
"Witch Cult, don't be too arrogant." Halibel struggled to contain his anger.
"Stay calm. Have you forgotten? Can you even kill me?" Ren looked at him with complete composure, as if daring him to try.
Over the past hundred years, Ren had certainly not done nothing.
He had pushed his power to its limits, demonstrating it fully in Kararagi.
He was a usurper, controlling half of this country's territory.
Halibel noticed something unusual. He investigated for three years and discovered Ren's true identity as the Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult.
This revelation made him furious and shocked. The Witch Cult had become the hidden ruler behind the throne—something he could hardly accept.
"We have signed a contract. You cannot lay a hand on this country anymore." Halibel took a deep breath and said.
"I haven't broken any contracts, have I? I'm just here to travel in this country. Oh, and this is my new maid, Ram. She's very strong." Ren began introducing Ram.
Ram nodded to the other person but said nothing. Halibel also stayed silent.
Ren's words jumped around, avoiding direct answers, but cleverly hid his true intentions, making it impossible for Halibel to guess anything from what he said.
Back then, he had been misled by the other's words and fell prey to his Authority. He was one of the few who saw through Ren's power, but because of the contract, he couldn't reveal this information.
"The Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica is about to start the royal selection. That's my main reason for being here." Ren straightened up. Meeting the candidates was simple—he just wanted to choose someone suitable to support.
"Oh? You mean their candidate includes Anastasia?" Halibel immediately realized Ren's true reason for meeting the girl.
"She is indeed among them, but it's not just her, right?" Ren asked with a smile.
"Does Kararagi still have other companies not under your control?" Halibel took a drag of his smoke.
Ren's influence had already controlled all the companies in this country, and a good portion of the taxes the merchants paid went straight into his pocket.
This was also why Halibel was so angry—it felt like Ren was sucking the life out of his own country.
"How could there not be? The Hoshin Company is still there. I didn't choose to suppress it at first."
"Do as you wish. From now on, I'll secretly follow you until you leave this country." Halibel disappeared into the shadows, leaving these words behind.
Ram could sense his presence nearby. It seemed intentional. As long as Ren stayed, he wouldn't be allowed to act freely.
Ren shook his head. This country had already been picked clean. He left with Ram, and only after leaving did Halibel retreat.
"Lord Ren, were you ever a king?" Ram finally asked. She was curious about Ren and wanted to know more.
"That was years ago. I wandered into Kararagi, found it boring, and decided to trick a country for fun." Ren began to recount that journey.
He, who had the ability to speak and influence others, took the alias Shuke. With words, he could sway hearts.
At first, the nobles and the king didn't believe him, but this triggered his power. When the king and nobles saw everything Ren predicted come true, they were filled with respect for him.
In reality, this was Ren's experiment—to test whether his power affected individuals or entire armies. After the experiment, he discovered it only worked on individuals.
Since the experiment was already done, Ren decided to deceive a few nobles and the king, effectively gaining control of the country.
Once Ren took charge, he consolidated all the scattered merchant companies into a monopoly.
He also received a portion of the taxes. It was as if he was harvesting this country directly, yet the king and nobles still trusted him completely, convinced he was a benefactor in their lives.
After hearing Ren's explanation, Ram understood why Halibel was so wary of Ren. If it were her, she would be equally cautious.
"Lord Ren, is your next plan to seize the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica?"
"The kingdom itself doesn't matter. They're all more or less the same," Ren shook his head.
"Then what do you intend to do? Revive the Witch of Envy?" Ram had been obsessively thinking about the Witch Cult during this time.
"Why would I revive that person? I just want to see how far my power can reach. That's all," Ren stated.
He had already lived over a hundred years. Ambitions were long gone. Now, his thoughts revolved around passing the time or finding amusement for himself.
"What a dark sense of humor. I just want to finish my twenty-year contract quickly," Ram said, her expression full of disdain.
"How about this candidate for the royal selection?" Ren asked.
"She's calm, calculating, and profit-driven. If she becomes queen, the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica might turn into a merchant empire," Ram considered before replying.
"That's typical for merchants. I'm just curious. She managed to carve a path through an almost monopolized market. Seems some of those companies aren't worth much," Ren said.
"Will Lord Ren suppress her?"
"Suppress her, didn't you promise the other party?" Ren didn't pay much attention to it.
"Next, are we going to meet the next candidate for the royal selection?" Ram remembered what Ren had said before. Now the goods had to be compared among the other candidates.
"Yeah, let's meet them all. First, go back. As an elder sister, you need to comfort your younger sister. I see Rem now living like your stand-in." Ren ruffled Ram's hair.
"If I don't grow taller in the future, it's your fault, Ren-sama." Ram complained verbally.
Ren thought about Ram's future height. "Give up."
After returning home, Rem came out to greet them.
"Elder sister, Ren-sama, welcome back."
"Ram's back, but there's no souvenir." Ram looked at Rem.
Ren said nothing and went to the yard to rest, leaving the space for the two sisters.
The next goal was simple: find a candidate for the royal selection, push them to become king, and then use the legendary Dragon King's power.