Dragon-Affiliated Kingdom of Lugnica

Slums, Thieves' Den.

At the bar, Fang Li was playing with the Dragon Crest- shaped badge, but his gaze wasn't fixed on it; instead, he was looking to the side.

There, Felt and Old Man Rom were sitting together on the ground.

Of course, it's not just about sitting properly.

Both Felt and Old Man Rom were tightly bound, so tightly that even a strongman like Old Man Rom couldn't break free unless some kind of loosening was done.

He himself was captured.

Fang Li has taken over the bar again.

At this moment, Fang Li is the one who truly controls this place.

Therefore, both Felt and Old Man Rom looked displeased.

"Hey!" Felt finally couldn't help but speak up, asking impatiently, "What exactly are you planning to do?"

"Your goal is that badge, isn't it?" Old Man Rom said, equally displeased. "In that case, shouldn't you release us?"

Upon hearing Felt and Old Man Rom's words, Fang Li stopped playing with the badge and said, "When did I ever say that my goal was this badge?"

"Huh?" Felt asked in confusion, "If it's not for that badge, then why are you here?"

"I told you, you owe me a debt that hasn't been settled." Fang Li held up the badge in his hand and said to Felt, "As for this badge, it's just something I picked up along the way."

"Who are you trying to fool?" Felt said dismissively. "You're clearly only after that badge. It's inlaid with gemstones, and top-quality ones at that. It must be very valuable."

Upon hearing this, Fang Li raised an eyebrow slightly and suddenly smiled.

"You really don't know your place," Fang Li said with a sigh. "You didn't even know what kind of badge it was before you stole it. I have to admire your courage."

"What? That pretentious statement." Felt wrinkled her little nose.

Only Old Man Rom seemed to realize something, and asked in a deep voice, "What is the origin of that badge?"

Fang Li glanced at Old Man Rom, then looked at Felt, and began his explanation in an indifferent tone.

"This item is related to the succession to the throne for the next generation of the Dragon-Affiliated Kingdom of Lugnica."

—Dragon-Affiliated Kingdom of Lugnica.

This is the name of the country.

Why is it called the Kingdom of the Dragon?

The reason is that this country has a pact with the dragon.

That's right.

dragon.

In this world, there is a dragon known as Bolkeni.

Lugnica had made a pact with this dragon in the past, and was therefore protected by the dragon. Under the dragon's protection, this prosperous country was built.

Under such circumstances, whether it be war, plague or famine, all the crises that befall the Kingdom of Lugnica can be avoided under the protection of the dragon, making the word "dragon" almost a synonym for "god" in this country.

However, it is precisely because of this power that the people of this country have become overly reliant on the power of dragons.

When faced with a situation that threatens the nation, people do nothing but seek the protection of the dragon, resulting in the nation neglecting its own development, having an extremely fragile foundation, and being unable to survive independently.

As a result, even the emperor of this country had to be influenced by the dragon's will.

This situation has continued to this day.

"And if my memory serves me right, the previous king of this country died for unknown reasons, and only the five Dragon Priestess recognized by the dragons were qualified to participate in the election for the throne."

Fang Li glanced at Felt and Old Man Rom, and said this with a smile.

"It is said that the symbol of becoming Dragon Priestess is to possess a badge with a dragon pattern."

Upon hearing this, Felt and Old Man Rom's faces turned deathly pale.

"You... you mean..." Old Man Rom's gaze shifted to the badge, and he said in a trembling voice, "That badge is the Royal Selection Badge held by the Dragon Priestess?"

"And the person who possesses this badge is very likely to be the next king." Fang Li said with amusement, "What do you think would happen to the thief if he were to steal the personal belongings of the Royal Selection and even the next king, especially since this personal belongings are the symbol of Miko recognized by the dragons?"

Old Man Rom could no longer speak.

As for Felt, she was completely terrified.

Seeing this, Fang Li shrugged and said, "Now you know what you stole, right?"

"I... I had no idea it was something like that!" Felt finally realized what was happening and quickly said, "Besides, it wasn't something I wanted to steal myself. Someone commissioned me to steal it, saying they were willing to exchange it for ten Saint Gold Coin!"

The so-called Saint Gold Coin refer to gold coins made from rare metals.

These gold coins are typically worth the equivalent of two gold coins, and that's at least.

If you take ten Saint Gold Coin outside, you can exchange them for at least twenty gold coins.

This fortune is enough for anyone to squander for a considerable period of time.

It's no wonder that Felt was so determined to steal it, even going so far as to steal Bō Xié in the previous playthrough and have Fang Li come here to exchange it with him.

"Who would commission someone else to steal something so troublesome?" Old Man Rom couldn't help but curse, "They're practically courting death."

"That's true for ordinary people, but it's different for those with ulterior motives," Fang Li said nonchalantly. "For example, the methods that other Royal Selection ones use to eliminate powerful competitors."

Immediately, Felt said, somewhat taken aback, "You mean..."

"What I mean is that the person who deliberately commissioned you to steal this badge had ulterior motives." Fang Li curled his lip and said, "You've been drawn into the conspiracy and struggle between the Royal Selection Ones, and you're the kind of person who will become a victim."

"...I see." Old Man Rom finally calmed down, but he also smiled bitterly, "Using such methods to eliminate advantageous competitors is certainly something that cannot be done in public, but as long as you just casually entrust the task to thieves in the slums, even if something goes wrong in the end, you can still pin all the blame on the thieves, right?"

"Of course, if anything goes wrong in the process, you will be the victims." Fang Li said jokingly, "Perhaps, the so-called client is already planning how to silence them after achieving their goal."

Old Man Rom fell silent.

Felt seemed to finally understand the reason, lowered her head, and fell silent.

The air became oppressive.

Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door.