Inori's Thoughts

The Holy Alliance is Human Race settlement.

One after another, the ancient and exquisite buildings are arranged in an orderly manner.

In one of the buildings, Inori was practicing.

Just now, she saw Teresa leap into the air from the window, and she knew that Teresa had broken through.

Back then, the three of them came to the Holy Alliance together and chose their accommodations together; their houses were very close to each other.

After Andres became Saint Domain, she moved to a small building in the garden. Now, Teresa has surpassed her and become Saint Domain first.

This made her somewhat resentful.

For the past eight years, although she has been working hard to cultivate, there is no shortcut to accumulating Battle Qi. She has no Sacred Tree Fruit to consume, so she can only slowly waste time.

More than her strength, what Inori regretted was her relationship with Andres.

Although she had been trying to get closer to Andres all these years, Andres had always kept a certain distance from her, which made her realize that it was no longer possible for her to manipulate him by relying on his affection for Andres, as she had done before.

"If I had given myself to him when he was just an ordinary Level Seven Warrior, perhaps I would have had a share of those three Sacred Tree Fruits, and he would have become my greatest reliance."

Inori often fantasized that if she were given another chance, she would definitely choose Andres without hesitation.

The companionship during times of hardship is far more precious than the flattery during times of success.

However, Inori was no ordinary woman; she wouldn't let herself be trapped in fantasies all the time.

She knew that the past could not be changed, so she cultivated herself even more diligently.

"Knock knock knock"

There was a knock on the door.

Inori awoke from her meditation.

"Who?"

"It's me, Andres."

Hearing the voice outside the door, Inori was surprised. Over the years, Andres had never taken the initiative to contact her, but she didn't have time to think about it.

"They're here!"

Inori hurried toward the door, straightening her appearance and clothes as she went.

When the door opened, Inori froze on the spot.

Standing outside the door were not only Andres, but also Yasen, Abad, and a group of other Saint Realm expert.

"My lords, what's going on—"

Inori had no idea what was happening.

Andres cut to the chase. "Inori, King Oga has died."

Inori's eyes widened instantly, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

She had long coveted the throne, but she also knew that her current strength and resources were insufficient to snatch it from Patur.

Therefore, she immediately suppressed her desire for the throne and appeared sorrowful.

"Is that so? His Majesty the King..." He choked up at the end of his sentence.

Andres didn't wait for her to calm down, but asked directly, "Inori, do you want to become Queen Oga?"

In fact, Andres already knew the answer in his heart. The system's Binding Quest in his mind clearly showed Inori's current desire.

However, this question still needs to be asked in front of Yasen and the others.

Upon hearing Andres's question, Inori's expression immediately changed. She realized that Yasen and the other Human Saint Realm were all watching her, waiting for her answer.

Unsure of Andres and the others' intentions, she didn't answer directly but instead asked, "My lords, why do you ask that? His Majesty the King has passed away; shouldn't Patur be the one to inherit the throne?"

Patur laughed upon hearing this, and looked at Andres: "Well? What else do you have to say?"

Andres ignored Patur. Seeing Inori's expression, he immediately understood that Inori was having concerns. So he explained, "Inori, the new King Oga has not yet been decided. It's mainly a choice between you and Gallo. I support you, and Gallo also has the support of Saint Realm expert. Now it depends on your own wishes. If you are not willing, then the new King Oga will be Gallo."

"Andres supports me? Why?" Inori was shocked.

Over the years, she had assumed that Andres had no feelings for her anymore, but now, hearing Andres say that he supported her becoming King Oga, she was puzzled.

Countless thoughts raced through her mind.

"With so many Saint Realm expert present, Andres has no reason to lie. He wouldn't gain anything by lying to someone who isn't even a Saint Domain expert like me."

"In other words, he genuinely wants to support me! Regardless of what he's really thinking, this is in my best interest!"

"He said that Gallo also has Saint Realm expert supporting him, it must be Patur and Abad."

"They came to ask for my opinion, which must be because there is a disagreement among the Human Saint Realm. If I have no interest in the throne, then Gallo is the only candidate."

"What should I choose? To want it or not to want it? To tell the truth or to lie?"

Inori quickly weighed the pros and cons of the two options.

"If I tell the truth, I will have Andres' support, but at the same time, Patur will definitely see me as an enemy. Moreover, once my true thoughts are exposed, if we fail this time, it will be extremely difficult to carry out any secret plans in the future."

"If I lie, I can continue to accumulate power and then slowly plot against you once I become Saint Domain. But Andres probably won't support me anymore."

Inori was torn; she began to compare the odds of success for the two options.

"Who will become the next King Oga will ultimately be decided by these Human Saint Realm. Whichever Saint Domain is stronger will win."

"Andres supports me, while Patur supports Gallo, and Abad is definitely on Patur's side as well. I wonder who Lord Yasen and the other Saint Realm expert support."

"However, Gallo is much higher in the line of succession than I am, so it is only natural for him to inherit the throne. Even if the other Human Saint Realm have not expressed their opinions, deep down they are probably still more inclined to support Gallo."

"On one side is Andres, and on the other side are Patur, Abad, and even other Saint Domain."

"Andres has only been Saint Domain for a few years, I'm afraid..."

From Inori's perspective, Andres' side seemed somewhat isolated and outnumbered.

"Inori, what do you think?" Andres asked.

He looked at Inori and realized he had overlooked something: whether Inori would actually participate in the competition for the throne at this moment.

He knew that Inori had designs on the throne, but having designs and putting them into practice were two different things.

Andres is confident in his abilities, but Inori is unaware of them Inori may not have the same confidence in him.

If Inori chooses to back down, then he will have to find another way to complete her Binding Quest.

"Call."

Upon hearing Andres's question, Inori took a breath and made a decision.

She still didn't want to gamble; at this moment, Gallo's supporters clearly had the upper hand, and she wanted to save it for later to figure out how to seize the throne.

She was about to speak when, looking at Andres in front of her, she suddenly, as if by some strange impulse, remembered her past self.

The fantasy that had appeared countless times before surged into her mind once again.

"If only I had chosen Andres back then..."

Inori gritted her teeth and changed her mind.

"I want to inherit the throne!"