" Prince Chen, do you humbly request my allegiance?"
Reilo knew that, besides obtaining the title of Eye of the Sun, the most important reason was his mentor Gubo.
Otherwise, even the most down-on-his-luck of the three princes, Prince Chen, wouldn't take him, a mere beginner, seriously at all.
Reilo got a general understanding of the three princes.
The eldest prince, also known as Prince Bo, is the current empress.
Her Majesty the Empress's father is one of the behind-the-scenes power holders of the Saint Grand Fort Arena. He is said to be deeply involved with a mysterious force in the Great Empire of Light. His Majesty the Emperor's ascension to the throne was inseparable from the support of this Empress.
This prince also seemed to be extremely competitive and belligerent. It is said that not only was he quite strong, but he also went to the front lines of the military many times and had close relationships with martial arts schools and military generals.
The second prince, also known as Prince Ping, was born to a mother from the Tulip Family.
The Tulip Family is a long-established and powerful family in the Duchy, with deep-rooted influence. They are giants in the Duchy's sugar, spice, and gem industries, and also staunch believers in the Church of Light.
This prince is approachable, indecisive, and a devout follower of the Church of Light. He has almost no significant conflicts with any faction, and his ascension to the throne is likely to be supported by almost all factions in the duchy except for His Majesty the Emperor.
The third prince, also known as Prince Chen, was born to a princess of the Xilan Country.
His mother was a victim of a political marriage. From the moment he was born, Prince Chen was the Original Sin of this world. He was protected by the duchy in every way and was trapped in the palace like a canary. This made him spend his childhood in unease and humility.
Compared to his two older brothers, this prince had negligible support from various factions. His strong sense of crisis made him more aggressive, but also more adept at patience.
"If His King supports Prince Ping, then this Second Prince will almost certainly be the popular choice. According to Instructor Gubo, even he belongs to Prince Ping's faction. However, His Majesty firmly supports Prince Bo. There may be some deep-seated conflicts involved, and perhaps this is Prince Chen's only real chance..."
He silently shook his head.
Reilo Luo asked Gubo about these things because of Lianyi's advice, and also because he himself was deeply involved with Prince Chen.
Almost every time a prince of the duchy aligns himself with a political faction, it is a time of major reshuffling of power among the duchy's nobility. It is also the only opportunity, besides war merits and Royal Academician Degree Certificate, for a prince to squeeze into the core of the duchy's power.
Of course, this is when you're on the right side.
If you choose the wrong side!
The purge that followed the prince's ascension to the throne was enough to cause some old families to decline and be replaced by new nobles.
" Prince Chen's invitation to pledge allegiance? If I join Prince Chen's faction now, and he actually ascends the throne... no, he knows he has almost no chance of winning in the end, which is why he invited me. Seize every opportunity; I see absolutely no hope in him."
Loyalty to Prince Chen?
This is almost a high-stakes gamble.
Victory was virtually impossible; losing the gamble was to be expected. Surviving the Great Purge was a miracle; it was their own fault for foolishly choosing the wrong side.
"Forget it, this is something I can't get involved in right now, and thinking about it too much is useless."
Coo coo coo.
A few owls hooted softly in the night.
Back in the upscale accommodations, in the Whitey, Reilo removed his X Mask and went straight to the astrology room on the third floor, beginning his daily astrological practice.
"Did they go to see Prince Chen?"
Gubo asked calmly.
"Um."
Reilo said in a low voice, "He invited me to join his side, but I didn't respond."
"Hmph, with your status and position, you are not qualified to participate in the struggle for princely power. The reason he invited you is to try and gain some support from the academy through me. Unfortunately, I am in an extremely awkward situation right now. The competition with that old woman has reached a fever pitch, and the academy is making its final decision on us."
Reilo knew what Gubo was referring to.
Two years from now, the graduation assessment for his class will be the final verdict in the more than ten-year-long competition between Gubo and An Liya!
After a brief exchange, Gubo left the astrology shop.
The Grand Natural Sciences Academy holds a very special position, being one of the branches under the Royal Academician Committee, and its status is comparable to that of the Grand Royal Institute of Natural Science, the Fladick Institute of War, and the Corleon Institute of Biology within the Academy.
The only responsibility is to focus on teaching basic academic talents in the principality.
Two hourglasses later.
It was already past midnight.
"I have to attend Bai Xing's birthday party tomorrow. Sigh, spending so much time on socializing and wasting so much study time, no wonder many students' grades aren't ideal."
Reilo muttered to himself as he left the astrology shop.
However, Reilo had wrongly accused the others.
After all, for most aristocratic scholars, the purpose of coming to the Academy of Natural Sciences for further study was merely to use their status as magicians to enhance their prestige.
For most aristocratic scholars, life was rich and colorful, meant to be enjoyed. Greater strength and higher Degree Certificate were not their pursuits. Not everyone could, like Reilo, dedicate their entire lives to academic knowledge.
Open Prince Chen's letter of introduction.
The address is: Morsi Duchy, Cell City, Guyue Family.
" The Guyue Family, a mysterious family specializing in exploring the ruins of the ancient Lan, ultimately aims to establish their own Academy of Natural Sciences in the Ximoer Duchy, thereby making Ximoer Duchy the seventh largest principality?"
Reilo shook his head.
"The cost of building and maintaining Academy of Natural Sciences is beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Even if the Morsi Duchy were to build the academy, it would probably take decades or even centuries for it to see any returns from the investments of successive generations of students. This requires considerable determination and perseverance. Otherwise, many small countries in history have invested in academies, but only six principalities have succeeded in the end."
but.
Aside from being found in very few veins, Moon Crystal Stone are indeed frequently unearthed in the mysterious ancient ruins of the Quran, which have been lost to history.
That's correct.
This ancient civilization, dating back ten thousand years, was a mysterious civilization that communicated with the moon before it was destroyed by the ancient people of the Emperor of Aurora.
Therefore, it makes sense that the ruins contained a large number of Moon Crystal Stone, which are likely fragments of the moon.
Time flew by, and it was already the night of the second day.
With a little while until the banquet was scheduled to begin, Reilo walked to the mirror and looked at himself in a gentleman's suit.
"Hmm, it fits perfectly."
As one of Reilo's few friends at the academy, Bai Xing naturally had to dress formally and appropriately for his birthday party.
"Let's take this Serene Rain Listening Magic Earring as a birthday present."
This is a magical earring that Reilo used for practice. It's of medium quality, not bad, and can provide passive protection for Mental Power.
Of course, the most important thing is that it has a beautiful appearance, with a pink crescent shape.
After placing the necklace in an elegant gift box, Reilo left the house.
Bai Xing's birthday party was held in the detached house she bought in the mid-range residential area.
The agreed time hasn't arrived yet.
At this moment, Bai Xing, dressed in a white dress, is diligently preparing a birthday cake and red wine for the dinner party.
Since the main purpose of this birthday party was for Megana to test Reilo's attitude towards Prince Chen, Bai Xing didn't invite many people; most of them were students from Class 11.
Several people, after hearing the news, had different purposes and actively hoped to participate. Unable to refuse their requests, Bai Xing had no choice but to agree.
For example, the girl next to her, Stia.
Wearing a light pink, low-cut, fitted dress, Stia did her best to make herself look as beautiful as possible, showing off her graceful and alluring figure. She had flaxen blonde hair and wore some perfume.
" Bai Xing, what kind of person is Reilo? What are his hobbies?"
Stia asked tentatively.
"Um?"
Bai Xing thought for a moment and said, " Reilo is probably a person who likes to study hard. I've hardly ever seen him have any special hobbies."
Bai Xing glanced at Stia with surprise and asked in astonishment, "You're not interested in Reilo, are you?"
"Why."
Stia looked helpless.
"My father is, after all, only a baron. My family is almost struggling to make ends meet with my expenses at the academy this past year. My mother wrote that the son of a wealthy gentleman wants to arrange a marriage between our families. I met him once, but he's not my type. How should I put it? He seems like the kind of person with no future. I prefer to invest in the future."
"So you've taken a fancy to Reilo?"
Bai Xing frowned and said, "But he doesn't go to class much. He has his own tutor. Since he's being used as a secret weapon, this tutor should be taking him very seriously, right?"
"I only wanted a simple marriage alliance."
Stia said proudly, "Although Reilo is an academy member with a promising future, he is, after all, of commoner origin and has no title. I, on the other hand, am the daughter of a baron, and I should be more than a match for him."
Bai Xing frowned slightly.
" Reilo Luo... he probably doesn't like you. You don't know him. You should know about me and Xiao Kang. He and Xiao Kang are two completely different kinds of people. For example, I know Reilo doesn't like the smell of this kind of strong perfume."
Stia was taken aback, assuming that Bai Xing had also taken a liking to Reilo and was unwilling to help her.
The Nightingale Perfume she wore, which cost a full 15 gold coins, was several levels above the grassy perfume that could be bought for at most a few dozen silver coins, yet she was being called worthless?
What kind of person in the world likes cheap and inexpensive things?
"Okay, I was just asking."
A gentle smile appeared on her face, concealing Stia's disgust.
So what if they have a higher title and a wealthier family?
Why pretend to be aloof!
Everything I have will be earned little by little through my own hard work!
Thank you so much, Alliance Leader Mo Nidong, for the generous donation! We're old friends, so here's an extra chapter. Please subscribe, vote with your monthly tickets, and recommend this chapter! ~~~O(∩_∩)O~~