A Tent-Side Secret Meeting That Changed History

It must be said that the extravagance of royalty is beyond the imagination of ordinary people; even the military tents are filled with dazzling designs.

Before Rein even stepped inside, he could see that all the supporting metal parts inside the tent were gleaming gold, and the decorations inside were also exquisitely crafted in a courtly style.

Upon entering the tent, you'll immediately feel a soft, bouncy texture under your feet—it's a thick, plush carpet.

The magic lamp cast a comfortable and soft light, making the entire tent look cozy, unlike the simple tents of ordinary hunters.

Most amazingly, the entire tent ceiling is covered in blue magical patterns, which not only serve various magical purposes but also add a touch of starlight, making it as beautiful as Starry Sky Ceiling. Lying inside the tent feels like lying under a starry summer night.

This is clearly Ymir's own tent.

Inside the tent, besides a clean large bed, there were also exquisitely carved mahogany tables and chairs.

Ymir sat down in a chair, pointed to another chair, and said to Rein, "Sit down."

She paused, then added, "The tent has a magical barrier; no one can hear our conversation. Can you tell me what you were trying to say?"

As she spoke, a hint of surprise flashed across the Her Highness the Eldest Princess's eyes.

If I remember correctly, this man didn't wear a gas mask at all. But the "poisonous fog" in this forest was so dense that even High-tier Extraordinary couldn't withstand it; how did he manage it?

However, the Her Highness the Eldest Princess's curiosity was fleeting; she had no interest in asking about something that wasn't particularly important.

That's right.

Without further ado, Rein took out the letter.

There were no maids here, nor anyone to deliver messages, so he could only step forward and hand it to Ymir himself. "This is a letter that a guy named 'Clemens F. Metternich' found me at the Plague Base three months ago and asked me to deliver for you."

After handing over the letter, he didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down in the chair without any hesitation.

"Delivery? Metternich?"

Ymir guessed that it must be something important for Rein to come to her door here.

But she was still quite surprised when she saw the letter in front of her.

Why would a political enemy who would never befriend you write to you?

And they even used this almost "bizarre" method to bring people here?

"That day, he came with Master Cavo from City of Radiance, seemingly for some kind of wager."

Rein felt it necessary to tell Ymir about the circumstances surrounding the receipt of the letter so that she could verify its authenticity, so he gave a detailed account.

Aside from the details of the card game, they basically recounted all the conversations between the group.

Ymir listened carefully, his mind filled with suspicion.

At first, she focused all her attention on Metternich, who gave her a very sinister impression, but when she heard that Master Cavo from City of Radiance had also come, she became even more curious.

There aren't many people in this world whom this Princess truly values.

But ironically, both of the people Rein mentioned were...

So when she heard Rein speak, she didn't rush to open the envelope.

Ymir instinctively wondered what could have caused these two completely unrelated people to meet.

She initially thought that the two people were the main characters in Rein's retelling, but as she listened, something felt off.

The two people she thought were the "central figures" in that card-playing conversation were actually just listeners for the entire time.

But the guy in front of you is the real protagonist of the "Great Orator"!

That is, the process of social development.

Democracy, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, and so on.

The series of conversations sent chills down the Princess's spine, her shock no less than that of Master Cavo and Meret who were present when they first heard it!

Those who stand at the top of society are more likely to understand the remarkable sociological theories contained in Rein's "speech".

This is true "great wisdom"!

She also saw the shadow of her own "New Deal" in Rein's theory of civilization development.

Moreover, what she thought was the "ideal New Deal" turned out to be just one aspect of the development of civilization.

So, under this "semi-feudal, semi-slave" social system, his and his brother's reforms were destined to fail?

One shock after another made the Her Highness the Eldest Princess Rein grow increasingly strange.

Her attention was unknowingly drawn to it, and her pretty face revealed an unprecedented seriousness and a strong desire for "knowledge" beyond her comprehension.

Wait, delivering the letter is the important thing, isn't it?

Ymir hadn't expected that before she even read the letter, Rein's words would strike her like a thunderbolt, leaving her completely bewildered.

For a long while, Rein's words echoed in my mind like a lingering melody, those novel words appearing repeatedly. It was as if they were engraved in my mind, impossible to shake off.

Ymir's worldview was once again forcibly refreshed, and her expression became very strange.

Is this guy a devil?

Why is it that every time we meet, it feels like a monster barged in and trampled on my worldview?

And it always catches people off guard.

She felt that, for a long time to come, the words he had said would echo in her mind repeatedly, even in her dreams.

At this point, Rein's narration was also nearing its end.

"I asked her, 'What if we can't find it?' She said, 'Then we can only blame that Her Highness the Eldest Princess for being unlucky. Life is a gamble with fate.'"

He shrugged and, mimicking Metternich's cynical tone, finished recounting the conversation.

He added, "That's pretty much the whole story. I think, Your Ymir, you might need to know what happened back then."

"You"

Ymir felt her thoughts were in complete disarray!

At this moment, she felt she should sit down and think carefully about the theory that had just shocked her.

But reality forcibly pulled her thoughts back to reality.

Because the guy in front of her was staring at her face and asked in a serious tone, "Your Her Highness the Eldest Princess, are you alright?"

Perhaps I've been daydreaming for a long time?

Ymir gently rubbed her forehead, calming her thoughts.

After hearing that theory, she felt she needed to rethink her proposed "New Deal."

Turning to Rein with a complicated expression, she asked, "Where did you learn those theories from?"

Rein was taken aback. "What theory?"

Ymir: "Those social institutions and the theories of democracy, freedom, and equality."

This wasn't something that could be made up casually; she was quite certain that none of her advisors had that level of insight.

Even looking at both empires, absolutely no one could deduce such a perfect process of civilization development!

Even the ideas of the self-proclaimed erudite Master Cavo are less than half-baked, otherwise the City of Radiance would not be in its current state.

"Ha?"

When Rein heard Ymir's words, he felt his thoughts were jumping around quite wildly.

Hmm. Is this the main point of what I told you?

It's a letter, okay!

Without thinking, he casually replied, "Oh, I don't have many hobbies. I just like reading. When I read a lot, I tend to daydream. Don't take those words to heart."

Rein had no interest in bragging anymore.

He paused, then abruptly steered the conversation back to the main topic, asking, "Your Ymir, aren't you going to read what's in the letter?"

"."

Upon hearing this, Ymir's eye twitched involuntarily, and her gaze suddenly became very complicated.

Only then did she look at the "letter" in her hand, which wasn't even sealed with wax.

Although the Her Highness the Eldest Princess appeared calm on the surface, her heart was surging with passion. She felt that even if the letter contained something else, she shouldn't be shocked.

But as soon as she took out the letter and looked at it, her bright blue pupils contracted sharply, and she exclaimed softly, "How could this be!"

"???"

Rein had no idea what the letter contained that would elicit such a shocked expression from the usually aloof Prince Ymir.

Seeing her eyes darting left and right, she seemed to be quickly reading the contents of the letter, so I didn't disturb her.

After a few breaths,

Ymir finished reading the entire letter, his brow furrowed.

She didn't speak, but instead rested her chin on her hand, as if weighing some very important decision.

Rein stood there quietly without saying a word.

After a long while,

Ymir's brows slowly relaxed, as if she had made a decision, and she sighed softly.

That's enough.

Then, she turned to look at Rein and asked, "So, it wasn't Metternich who used divination to tell you I was here?"

"No."

Rein nodded and said, "Delivering the letter is just one of the reasons I came to see you."

He paused for a moment before moving on to the second topic.

"The second thing is that I want to tell you that the temple you're looking for is a 'dead place,' not worth the risk. Therefore, I would advise Your Her Highness the Eldest Princess not to go."

To Rein's surprise, Ymir didn't ask him how he knew so much. Instead, she asked a strange question, "Huh? You didn't read the contents of the letter?"

"???"

Rein: "No."

On cue, he casually asked, "Was this intelligence already written in the letter?"

Ymir suddenly felt that her conversation with the guy opposite her was a little strange.

She felt there was no point in hiding anything from her "allies," and stated directly. "The letter states that the Five Great Families of City of Radiance and the Oma Empire have reached a secret alliance. City of Radiance will soon declare itself a nation. The First Prince and the Five Great Families are plotting against me. If I don't respond, it could bring devastating disaster to my territory."

"Ah?!"

Rein's face stiffened upon hearing this.

Is this Infernal Affairs?

He instantly felt the script was familiar and asked, "Is that Metternich someone Her Highness placed by the First Prince?"

"No."

Ymir shook her head decisively in denial, her expression also showing great confusion.

If it really was a spy she had planted herself, she wouldn't be surprised at all to see this letter.

But that's not it!

Based on the intelligence she's gathered so far, Metternich is definitely "an enemy, not a friend." She's even seen him orchestrating conspiracies behind the scenes on several occasions when she was in danger!

"???"

Upon hearing this, Rein suddenly felt that his brain wasn't working properly.

A political enemy sends you intelligence, leaking their top secrets?

What kind of operation is this?

He instinctively wondered, "Could the intelligence be fake?"

"No, it can't be fake."

Ymir shook his head again. "The letter clearly describes some arrangements that only the Five Great Families and the higher-ups of Omar know about. Moreover, I had already obtained some clues about much of the content, and the letter confirms that the information is true."

Rein was speechless.

Was it really as Metternich said, that he kindly wanted to deliver a life-or-death intelligence message to Ymir?

He suddenly felt that the circles of the nobility were so complicated, and all the scheming and intrigue was completely incomprehensible to him.

However, since it didn't concern him much, he didn't think about it any further.

Having received this information, Ymir could no longer ignore it; she had to take charge personally no matter what.

She said, "Without this information, I might have continued searching for the temple. But now, I must leave the forest and make some arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Rein understood why she had asked him "whether I've read the letter" when he had advised her not to go to the temple.

If he had known the contents of the letter earlier, he would have been able to guess that Ymir had no intention of going to any temple at all.

For this Princess, developing her territory was far more important than improving her own strength.

At this moment, Ymir also became curious. "Since it wasn't Metternich who divined my location, how did you find me so precisely?"

Rein stated truthfully, "You are now surrounded by the Kolman Tribe warriors. If you don't retreat, a major battle is inevitable."

Both Ymir and the Kolman Tribe warriors were "allies" to him.

He didn't want to see his two powerful allies kill each other.

Moreover, besides "persuading him to quit" and "delivering a message," he had an even more important purpose in coming!

Ymir: "The Kolman Tribe?"

Rein: "They're what the hunters call 'savages'."

"So... we're actually surrounded by barbarians now?"

Upon hearing this, Ymir frowned slightly, but she wasn't too surprised.

Upon entering the forest, they were prepared for a possible attack by barbarians. However, they reasoned that even if they did encounter them, their squad was strong enough to break through.

Instead, she asked curiously, "How do you know all this so clearly?"

Rein felt it necessary to reveal some essential intelligence to his ally for deeper cooperation in the future, so he said, "Because the Kolman Tribe are my friends. The warriors in the tribe discovered your presence two days ago, and I guessed that you were here, so I came to deliver a message and, at the same time, advise you to leave."

Ymir was greatly surprised. "Those barbarians didn't kill you, but instead treated you as a friend?"

This was completely different from her impression: weren't these barbarians always fighting to the death when they met?

"This is complicated to explain."

After organizing his thoughts, Rein continued, "Simply put, I once saved a priest from the Kolman Tribe and became their friend. Of course, that's not important."

He felt the process wasn't important, and then emphasized, "What's important is that I consider you my 'ally.' I don't want you to take risks, nor do I want you to clash with the tribe's warriors. Moreover, besides delivering the message, I've come today to tell you something even more important."

Ymir felt she was running out of shock, and looking at Rein, she asked incredulously, "Is there something more important?"

Both her previous "remarks" and that "letter" made the Her Highness the Eldest Princess feel that they were important matters that had to be taken very seriously.

Unexpectedly, this guy then said, "There's something 'more important'?"

Instead of answering immediately, Rein asked proactively, "Your Ymir, do you have any blank Magic Contract scrolls in your tent?"

"Have."

Ymir had a feeling that Rein was about to reveal something that would really surprise her. "What do you want to do?"

"I think."

At this point, Rein slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and said with a serious expression, "I want to talk to you about a plan that could break the current 'City of Radiance monopoly'!"

At this point, he didn't continue the story, but instead changed the subject.

"But before that, we must sign some necessary contracts. Because this is not only about my interests, but also involves the lives of many people."

"Good!"

Ymir didn't hesitate and immediately took out a high-level Magic Contract scroll.

Then he took out a quill pen and a magic potion.

If it weren't for the previous conversation, she would definitely have considered it more carefully. But now, upon hearing the plan to "break City of Radiance's monopoly," she immediately realized that this matter was not so simple.

Without any hesitation, Rein quickly wrote down several clauses about confidentiality and distribution on the scroll, and then signed his name.

Ymir saw no problem with it and signed it without hesitation.

Without further ado, Rein got straight to the point. "I've thoroughly examined the Kolman Tribe's maps and discovered another top-secret route, besides the 'Howling Wind Pass,' that can traverse the Alkolon Mountain Range!"

Sure enough, he dropped a bombshell right off the bat.

Even though Ymir's mind was usually calm and composed, upon hearing this news, she was stunned as if struck by lightning.

"What!"

Her eyes widened in shock, and after a moment she came to her senses, asking in an expectant yet incredulous tone, "You mean another pass?"

The reason she is in such a difficult situation, being restrained at every turn, is that the people of City of Radiance have taken control of the "Howling Wind Pass"!

If there really is another "pass", then not only her situation, but even the balance of power between the two great empires will be changed!

"Yes!"

Before the shock on her pretty face had faded, Rein dropped another bombshell, saying, "Moreover, I've obtained a precise map confirming that the wreckage of the Flying Mechanical City we're looking for is near that pass!"

As he spoke, he took out a route map he had drawn, which was almost as accurate as a satellite map, and pointed out the route he had described.

At this moment, Ymir disregarded her princess composure and excitedly approached Rein, looking at the map he had spread out on the table.

"This is the Alkolon Mountain Range? You..."

Her slender fingers pointed to the long mountain range on the map, her delicate body trembling slightly in shock. "Your map is so detailed?"

A strategist can immediately tell the difference between this map and a regular map.

It's even more accurate than the maps provided by the Omar military!

Rein knew she would be surprised and suspicious, and didn't want her future "ally" to stray into danger because of errors on the map.

Instead of explaining where the map came from, he said, "This is the 'Karatva Basin,' which is the coordinate of the Airship Wreckage I mentioned."

"Karatva Basin?"

A completely unfamiliar place name.

Ymir had already studied the map in detail among Baron Morin's Relic, and now that Rein had produced such a precise map, she naturally found it easy to match the coordinates on the two maps.

Unconsciously, her red lips parted slightly, and her breathing became slightly heavy due to the excitement of her blood.

She saw the strategic significance of the map at a glance!

If there really is such a "gap", the most unfavorable condition restricting her from building the city will instantly disappear!

Moreover, according to her previous thinking, no matter how hard she tried, she could only build a small territory that was far inferior to City of Radiance.

But now, she can create a "brand new city" that is completely unrestrained, according to her own ideas!

In that instant.

Ymir's heart was in turmoil, and she didn't know how to calm it down, nor did she want to.

When she looked at Rein again, she suddenly felt as if the clouds had dispersed and the future had suddenly become bright. Her mood was like the sunshine after a storm, giving her endless hope.

And that's not all!

Rein also developed a detailed plan for in-depth cooperation.

"Furthermore, I have a development plan. If it succeeds, it will definitely allow the new city to be established quickly. However, the contents of the alliance will have to be modified, since it involves more than just my personal interests."

"Good"

"We'll do it this way."

"Can."

"If you keep doing this..."

"Um."

"."

Before long, the two finished their private conversation and walked out of the tent.

Both of them wore relaxed expressions on their faces, indicating that they were having a pleasant conversation.

"Your Ymir, I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

"Yes, it's a pleasure to work with you."

"Be careful on the road. The tribe will likely send warriors to accompany you out of the forest, but they mean no harm."

"Um."

"."

Ymir prepared to pack up the camp and head home, and Rein didn't plan to stay any longer either, as the Kolman Warrior outside were still waiting for him to bring back news.

"Oh, right, Doctor Rein, there's one more thing."

Before parting, Ymir suddenly remembered something and said to Rein, "Your teacher, Dr. Ilubeck, has been rescued by my men and is safe now."

"Real?!"

Rein was overjoyed to hear this, and the worry that had been hanging in his heart for so long finally subsided.

He looked at Ymir and sincerely thanked her, "Thank you."

"Need not."

Ymir's expression was somewhat complicated. "Compared to the help you've given me, I should be the one thanking you."

Rein remained noncommittal and smiled.

"Oh, there's one more thing."

At this moment, Ymir pulled out a long box and said, "Regarding the mechanical code you asked me about last time, I got the key from the Blackwater Platform people. This thing is useless to me; I hope it will be helpful to you."

"Um."

Rein took the key, said nothing, and turned to leave.

At that moment, Ymir hesitated for a moment, then unusually spoke up, "I've received word that the Five Great Families, Omar, and Sid all have top experts coming. It seems they're planning a large-scale invasion of the forest soon. The war will definitely spread further and further. Be careful."

After today's conversation, she was certain that Rein was "highly talented" and an ally. Both morally and logically, she should give him more attention.

Upon hearing this, Rein replied, "Okay, I understand."

After saying that, he followed Bazel and left the camp.

It was originally just a simple greeting between the two before they parted ways.

But it sounds different to other people.

Princess Oma Royal Her Highness the Eldest Princess, actually took the initiative to care about a man? When? And who has the right to do so?

Although she didn't ask, she felt very strange inside.

How acute are the perceptions of those of High-tier Extraordinary?

Although Her Highness the Eldest Princess's expression remained calm, how could the crowd not notice the subtle changes in her face, such as an unusual flush and slightly rapid breathing?

The aftertaste lingers?

This.

That's probably unlikely.

They couldn't help but wonder what had happened inside the tent that would cause the usually aloof Her Highness the Eldest Princess so out of character.

The fire of gossip blazed fiercely.

A huge thank you to 'Nilan Xuanzhen' for the generous donation of 100,000 coins! I'm truly flattered. I'll be adding 20,000 words as a bonus.

There are approximately 8 chapters missing.