The Place He Most Wanted to Go

The door to the reception room was finally pushed open.

Kang De walked out nonchalantly, his eyes quickly glancing to the left and then to the right.

He wore a reserved yet upright expression.

Then, a fragrant breeze wafted over, and Tina jumped out from behind, naturally taking his arm. Her indescribable parts pressed against him with overwhelming force, almost enveloping his arm.

Kang De felt both comfortable and conflicted, and turned to glance at Tina.

The princess returned a bright smile, her blush still fresh. She blinked, looking at Kang De with a silent, playful question.

--Is that not allowed?

Fine, fine, you're the boss, you call the shots.

Looking at that smile and feeling the warmth so close to him, Kang De's heart stirred.

He subconsciously rubbed his fingers together; the previous feeling seemed to linger, yet also seemed to have been forgotten, but one thing was certain: he couldn't utter any words of refusal... At the age of twenty-one, the man named Kang De finally realized how weak he was.

Bowing down to the power of Shenzhen University.

Seeing Kang De's helpless expression, Tina chuckled a few times and then released Kang De.

Kang De was taken aback, and even felt a little disappointed.

The girl smiled and said, "What, you're reluctant to part with it?"

Kang De said sternly, "Nonsense!"

The princess seemed to see through everything, and a mischievous smile appeared on her face.

"If you can't bear to part with it..." she said softly with a smile, "Then let's find another time?"

Kang De took a deep breath and turned his head to the other side as a silent protest.

It's infuriating! This feeling of being completely manipulated is so satisfying.

Tina laughed and hugged him from behind, whispering in Kang De's ear like a little devil, "Just kidding... anytime is fine, okay?"

Just then, a loud shout came from the other end of the corridor.

"What are you doing!"

Kang De and Tina turned their heads at the same time, A Xing's head peeked out from the end of the corridor.

Princess casually released Kang De and took two steps back. A Xing leaped over like a whirlwind, grabbed Kang De like a protective morsel, and then glared fiercely at Tina.

Tina gave her a calm and friendly smile.

The calmer A Xing laughed, the angrier he became.

She glared at him and said, "What were you just doing to Kang De?"

Tina chuckled, "Give him a hug to show your gratitude and affection. You can do that too."

"I... of course I'll do it!"

So the A Xing immediately circled around halfway, came behind Kang De, jumped onto Kang De's back with a "hey," wrapped its arms around his neck, rested its chin on the top of Kang De's head, wrapped its two long legs around Kang De's waist, and looked at Tina defiantly, as if to say, "Can you do that, you Big Goldie?"

Tina chuckled and couldn't help but laugh.

Well, how should I put it?

Although A Xing is now a tall and beautiful woman with short red hair like a blazing flame, highlighting a passionate and domineering unrestrained charm, the nickname "Scarlet Queen" is truly fitting.

Can...

But her current expression, posture, the way she hugged Kang De, and the way she glared at him fiercely...

It was as if a silverback gorilla was riding on Kang De's back, staring at him with a defiant gaze.

So Tina's initial jealousy vanished instantly.

That's it?

How could I lose?

She felt that A Xing looked familiar from the beginning, as if she had seen him somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where. In their face-to-face conversation, she received an unbelievable answer.

She then sought confirmation from Kang De and received an affirmative answer, at which point she accepted the fact—this incredibly powerful woman was indeed the gorilla beside Kang De, who had secretly traveled to the mainland with the Penguin and, for some unknown reason, transformed into human form... into this.

The fact that the highly spiritual and enigmatic animals of the Holy Seal Archipelago could transform into humans with extremely powerful combat abilities truly sparked Tina's imagination.

After all, she was well-read and knew the secrets of the Holy Seal Archipelago. She had also witnessed how the bag and its companions had swiftly and decisively killed the elven army that was capable of wiping out the entire crew of the Penguin —and they were only in beast form, on the Holy Seal Archipelago where all supernatural powers were sealed off.

Of course, that's not the point.

The key point is that A Xing and Kang De are very close, and by all accounts, it seems that she and Kang De knew each other first. This aroused Tina's jealousy and wariness, as A Xing was clearly a formidable rival.

But now she realizes she was wrong.

Don't laugh, don't laugh, hold it in. That way, you'll have no rivals, and you'll seem easy to appease.

A Xing frowned, but Tina ignored her actions, showing no anger and instead offering a doting and tolerant smile, which greatly displeased her.

She then asked Kang De, "What were you doing just now?"

Kang De said seriously, "I didn't do anything, just ordinary..."

A Xing didn't speak, but suddenly lowered her head, stuck out her pink tongue, and licked Kang De's face with a long, wet lick.

--It smells like a lie!

Of course, A Xing wouldn't say that.

She asked, "Why do you smell like her on your face?"

"..."

"..."

Because I'm sexy.

After explaining for a while, I finally got the explanation that "Tina was under a lot of pressure and wanted to cry, so I lent her my body to hold and cry for a while, which is why I smelled a bit of that."

Just this once!

A Xing seemed convinced, his tone softening somewhat, but he still flicked Tina's nose and mocked, "Crying, crying, crying, you have no shame!"

Tina smiled and looked at A Xing, not angry at all, but nodding in agreement.

It's like looking at a bronze-level child.

Next, it was time for the three of them to travel together.

After breakfast, the three walked through Goth's court. The great battle had just ended, and everything was in ruins. There were many things to arrange and handle. From the Grand Duke to the servants, no one was not busy. Along the way, they had already encountered several groups of people: those carrying things, those seeking an audience with the Grand Duke, and those requesting supplies.

Kang De asked, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Tina thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "It's alright. The elven invading army has been very well-behaved. The Phoenix King has been using the strictest orders to restrain the entire army to prevent any further unrest. Our people are gradually recovering our territory, and so far there has been no news of new battles, nor has there been any movement on the border with the Empire..."

... It's all about the war effort.

How did I, a transmigrator who's a double transmigrator and a scalper, end up working on nuclear weapons?

Kang De asked in a subtle tone, "I mean, food, medicine, weapons, money... is there anything I can do to help with these things? Are there any shortages?"

Tina smiled at him, "Not for now. After all, Danfeng Lucerne is the capital of Goth. We made many preparations for this war. The siege only lasted a day, and you arrived. The losses were actually not significant. Besides, according to the preliminary terms drafted by the Privy Council, we are to receive all the supplies of the Elf Expeditionary Force, and we will also demand a considerable amount of war reparations..."

At this point, the princess sighed, as if she had mentioned something difficult to talk about.

Kang De noticed the subtle change in her tone. "What's wrong?"

"... This is a question that Father originally intended to discuss with you personally, but I think it would be easier for me to bring it up myself, since it's a rather awkward matter."

Tina said softly, "That's right. The reparations from the elves, including all the weapons, equipment, supplies, and baggage surrendered by the invading army, would allow Goth to minimize the damage of the war if sufficient war reparations could be obtained from the elves. But the key issue is..."

She looked at Kang De, sighed softly, and remained silent.

Kang De pondered for a moment and then understood.

The winner takes all; this is a war creed that works even on Earth.

Moreover, this is in another world where the law of the jungle is even more blatant.

It was Kang De who defeated the invincible Elf Expeditionary Force; it was Kang De who saved Goth from certain doom. According to the universally accepted rules of war, even though the Dusk Moon Dynasty paid an exorbitant war indemnity and left behind a vast amount of supplies and provisions capable of arming hundreds of thousands of troops...

--That has nothing to do with you, Goth.

It's all Kang De's work.

If you want it, you can have it. If you can snatch it, everything is yours.

Can you beat them? No way.

But Goth clearly needed it and wanted it very much.

"I see."

Kang De thought for a moment and said, "Many Goth officials and nobles, represented by the Privy Council, want to get their hands on this huge pie, but they're too proud to do so, and they don't know my stance. So they're trying to play the emotional card, trying to get the Grand Duke and you to do some work. After all, in their eyes, we're family, and the spoils are mine, which is also Teldrassil's, which is also Goth's... Is that right?"

It turns out that Tina's pressure didn't just stem from herself and her country, but also from other people adding to it.

Her Highness looked uneasy. "Kang De, don't be angry..."

"I'm not angry. It's their job, and I wouldn't get angry over something like that."

Kang De was not lying.

He wasn't angry at all.

If this had happened yesterday, I might have been angry.

But today...

I, Kang, am the most refined, easy-going, understanding, and kind-hearted person in the world!

After all, when people have happy events, they not only feel good in spirit and body, but their temper also improves!

His smile reassured Tina: "What does your father think?"

"Father said that Teldrassil must repay kindness and debts. You can hardly repay the kindness of rescuing Goth. To think that you can use emotions to seize benefits that do not belong to you is not only foolish, but also shameful."

"But Goth really needs a huge amount of money to revitalize the economy and heal the wounds of war, so he wants to discuss with you the possibility of borrowing that money from you through a lease, using Teldrassil's properties, collections, and land as collateral... That's what he said..."

At this point, the princess's tone became somber.

This is the tragedy of a weak nation; even a dignified monarch must bow and scrape.

"It doesn't really matter," Kang De said. "I'm not interested in money anymore. If you want to use it, just take it. There's no need for any collateral."

"Yes, we must," Tina insisted. "This is Father's wish, and it's mine too. We can't owe you any more, otherwise I really don't know how we'll ever be able to repay you."

Kang De shook his head and said, "There's no need for us to calculate things so clearly; it's impossible to calculate it all."

If we really want to calculate it...

How much is Tina worth, through the Armor-Donning Ritual, bestowing upon Kang De the Power of the Fire Thief?

Bringing Kang De to the continent, a series of coincidences led to Kang De being pierced by a divine dagger, unintentionally opening a portal between the two worlds, allowing him to finally Homecoming. How much is that worth?

What is the price of a knight's life?

Tina wanted to say more, but Kang De waved his hand. "These are minor matters, details. Goth wants to rebuild after the war, to revitalize the economy, and to heal the wounds. I don't object to using war reparations for this; in fact, I welcome it. But I have some thoughts on the details of the operation and the way the reconstruction is carried out."

He pondered for a moment, then smiled at the princess and said, "When Hong San arrives, I'll discuss it with him first."

"Hong San..."

This is an old friend of Glittering Sand.

Tina lowered her eyes and sighed softly.

"I really can't imagine that a person could change so much in such a short time... Although I want to say that, I don't really have the right to say it."

She became a completely different person in a short period of time, and the same was true for Hong San.

After a bloody night, with people around her dying and leaving one by one, the hothouse flower finally realized the cruelty of the harsh winds and frosts, and forced herself to grow with a resolute attitude. Looking back on what Tina had experienced and what Tina had changed, she was filled with mixed feelings.

Even now, even though she has regained her bright and sunny side in front of Kang De, and is showing Kang De her best self, Tina knows that the black flower that once bloomed is still growing vigorously in her Tanaka, and can bloom again as soon as it is bathed in Shadow and darkness.

--In response to her was Kang De's warm hand.

"It's alright. You're still you, and I'm still me. Neither of us has changed."

The princess looked up, touched and surprised, and saw Kang De's calm and warm smile.

And standing on the other side of Kang De, A Xing rolled his eyes in displeasure.

Ah, although she's not a threat, is there any way to get her away temporarily...?

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." She chuckled and exhaled. "Let Father, the Privy Council, and Hong San worry about these things. It's a rare victory, a rare rest, and a rare opportunity to walk with Kang De so carefree... Let's relax."

She quickened her pace, stood in front of Kang De, and circled him. "Where would Kang De like to go? My room? Or my library, or perhaps...?"

Kang De laughed and said, "Anywhere is fine."

"Anywhere is fine" means "Nowhere is fine."

Tina stepped closer and asked, "Isn't there anywhere Kang De really wants to go?"

A place I really want to go.

Kang De's smile froze for a moment.

Fear, anxiety, and sadness instantly took over my mind.

Some.

"I..." he said softly, "I want to meet his family... Can I go now?"

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PS1: I think I've caught a cold; this chapter was written very slowly today... Damn, goodnight.