Fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood's wolf mentor

“Are you saying there's a complete city made of shadows, shrouded beneath this ruined capital?”

Crossing through the ruins, the details of the high tower gradually appeared before Polo's eyes, just as he had seen it in the Shadow Shard Kingdom at night. But Polo's brow gradually furrowed.

It wasn't because of anything peculiar, but because the tower, besides having no doors or windows, was no different from ordinary buildings.

“If there really is a secret, it must be inside this tower?”

Thinking this, Polo was about to walk closer to the tower.

But just then, he caught a whiff of human scent.

“Stop! Where did you come from?!”

A shout rang out from ahead. From beside the ruins under the tower, two soldiers in Shard Kingdom armor emerged, their shadows stretching long in the morning sun.

“Uh, you are—”

“This is the Shard Kingdom's forbidden zone. Outsiders are prohibited from approaching,” one of the soldiers said sternly.

“Are you people from the New Shard Kingdom?”

Leike quickly made a judgment. “Do you know what's inside this tower?”

“We are from the New Shard Kingdom, carrying out the Regent's orders to guard this place—but we don't know what's inside the tower,” the New Shard Kingdom soldier said.

Is that so?

Polo was somewhat puzzled. His gaze went to the soldier's armor. On the chest plate, a special material was crafted into a complex pattern.

But Polo could tell that those patterns were also a special kind of magic array, not actively triggered, but more like used to prevent something from happening.

“Have you had any strange dreams while you've been here?”

Leike listened to Polo's words in her heart and asked the two guards a question.

“Dreams?”

The two guards were taken aback. “No.”

……

New Shard Kingdom, the royal palace. Many officials and ministers of the New Shard Kingdom were seated on both sides. At the head was the current “Regent,” not Prince Peter of the Shard people.

“You are… the envoy sent by the Gothe Kingdom? Just you alone?”

Prince Peter sized up Leike, then placed his gaze on Polo beside Leike, frowning. “Why do you bring an animal to the royal palace? Didn't your king teach you manners?”

Leike frowned upon hearing this. In fact, most of the kingdoms she had passed through had no kings who would make such “rules.”

Moreover, for some reason, she felt a very uncomfortable feeling from this “prince.”

It was like a distinct arrogance.

“Sorry, Your Highness, but I am not under the Gothe King. Due to the urgency of time and manpower, I am acting as a messenger to discuss the matter of forming an alliance.”

But Leike still said, “Afterwards, the official delegation of the Gothe Kingdom will arrive.”

“Do you have any items? Or…”

“I brought a letter of credence written by the Gothe King.”

As Leike spoke, she handed over a letter written by Happy Prince, bearing the emblem of the Gothe Kingdom.

Prince Peter took the letter and casually looked at the contents, frowning:

“You mean, you are not giving us any benefits, and you want me to send out my already few soldiers to defend against the Swire Kingdom? Forming an alliance with a small country that has luckily survived, and treating the powerful Swire Kingdom as a hypothetical enemy?”

“The Gothe Kingdom, like your country, has always valued peace, but the Swire Kingdom is different. It has already used the excuse of so-called 'God' to initiate several wars, and many countries have fallen under their military might.

Now, it has annexed the once-powerful Blue Kingdom, and I have reason to believe that their next target is likely to be us.

The Shard Kingdom has just been liberated from the state of being invaded and dominated.

Surely you don't want to fall into bondage again, do you?”

But after hearing that, Prince Peter hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked again:

“Did your Gothe Kingdom… really defeat the Wythe Kingdom's sky airships?”

“Yes, we won that war.”

Leike nodded, confirming this question.

Hearing this, Prince Peter's expression changed for the first time. He thought for a moment, then asked the opinions of several ministers of the Shard Kingdom beside him.

Every minister agreed to accept the proposal of the Gothe Kingdom's alliance.

After that, Prince Peter nodded:

“Your Gothe Kingdom is indeed a powerful country. It is indeed very good for us to conclude a treaty with your country, so…”

Just then, a secret guard stepped forward and whispered a few words in the prince's ear, and handed over a letter.

After listening, Prince Peter's expression changed rapidly, as if he was thinking intensely.

After that, he looked at Leike and said in a somewhat apologetic tone:

“Sorry, Miss, we have some important matters to deal with. The matter of alliance concerns the two countries and cannot be decided overnight. I hope you can wait a little longer, or wait until your country's official delegation arrives to deal with it.”

As he spoke, Prince Peter waved his hand, and several attendants stepped forward, preparing to lead Leike to the place to live in the palace.

Leike frowned. She wanted to say something, but Prince Peter's reason was indeed not a problem.

So, Leike could only give up.

After all, this was a national decision, and it was reasonable for even the current Shard Kingdom to come to a conclusion after a long discussion.

And watching Leike walk out of the palace, Prince Peter was silent for a while, then got up and left.

He walked to another room in the palace and opened the door. It was also a small hall.

In the hall, there were already three people dressed in gold and white, looking more like priests.

The one at the front handed Prince Peter a letter, with the same emblem on the envelope, the main body being three twisted lines—the emblem of the Swire Kingdom.

“Prince Peter, you are a smart man, and God has always favored you.”

The leading Swire priest said, and a trace of imperceptible light flashed in his eyes. “The position you are sitting in now was also given to you by us, because you know better than those Shard royals how to follow God's will.”

“But those Gothe people did defeat those—invincible airship fleets you mentioned!”

Prince Peter's expression was a little gloomy.

“That's easy, our Swire Kingdom can do the same, and soon, the Swire Empire, the Holy New Church, will completely rule here.”

But the Swire priest didn't care. “Prince Peter, take a long-term view. We will not go back on the conditions we promised you, whether it is status, wealth… You will not lose anything, right?”

In front of these Swire priests, Prince Peter didn't have the arrogance he had before. His body trembled, as if with some undisguised fear.

Perhaps compared to the Gothe Kingdom that suddenly appeared, he knew more about the Swire Kingdom.

“But those Shard people all want to agree to form an alliance with the Gothe people…”

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Prince Peter's face, but then, a trace of viciousness flashed in his eyes. “I understand, then I will send someone to—”

He raised his arm and made a beheading motion at his neck. “I will send death warriors to assassinate the envoy of the Gothe Kingdom.”

“Your idea is good.”

Hearing Prince Peter's words, several Swire priests showed an approving smile. “God will be very pleased with your decision.”

“Okay, let's do it this way. After all, she is just a girl.”

Prince Peter nodded and began to plan in a low voice, “As long as the envoy is dead, Shard will completely break with Gothe, and then…”

“Wait a minute, what did you say the envoy of the Gothe Kingdom looks like?”

Who knew, after hearing Prince Peter's words, the Swire priests suddenly frowned and asked.

“She is a girl, wearing a strange red cloak, knows court etiquette, and is young, but nothing special, probably a Gothe noble or something… Is there a problem?”

“Red cloak?”

After hearing this, the Swire priests looked at each other and all showed a somewhat complicated look. Then, they looked at Prince Peter again and shook their heads:

“After thinking about it, your assassination plan may be inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate? My death warriors are very strong, there won't be…”

Prince Peter frowned.

“Our Swire Kingdom doesn't need too many unstable plans, understand?”

The Swire priests said, their cold gazes making Prince Peter look a little cramped. “You first delay that envoy, don't give her a definite answer and the truth, wait for the people of our Swire Kingdom to arrive—understand?

Even if the Gothe Kingdom's delegation visits later, deal with it the same way, understand?”

Prince Peter was a little puzzled, but he understood that he had no room to refuse:

“Understood.”

……

“We want to see Prince Peter, about the alliance, the Gothe Kingdom has no intention of controlling sovereignty, this is just a proposal to prevent invasion, which is beneficial and harmless.

Even if His Highness the Prince disagrees, he should send troops to defend against the Swire Kingdom, so…”

In the embassy, Leike asked a Shard guard anxiously.

“Sorry, Miss, this is His Majesty's order, and I can't make the decision.”

But the Shard guard still shook his head mechanically, just like the previous times, “I have already reported your demands to His Majesty the Regent Prince, you just need to wait a while. Recently, His Majesty has a lot of affairs to deal with, please be patient…”

Wait?

If we wait any longer, the Swire Kingdom's army will be approaching the city.

Leike frowned, watching the guard leave, but there was nothing she could do.

The Gothe Kingdom's delegation has also arrived, but this time, Prince Peter even refused to meet them on the grounds of being busy with official duties.

“There is a problem here?”

Polo's heart was also a little confused.

Even with more official duties, what could be more important than this matter that affects the safety of the Shard Kingdom?

“Go ask the other Shard Dukes?”

However, the situation in the New Shard Kingdom was completely different from what Princess Marlene had guessed in the Shadow Capital. The force field of Shard Regent Prince Peter became somewhat ambiguous and difficult to distinguish.

“Sorry, I really agree with the Gothe Kingdom's proposal. As a Shard person, I really hate those invaders.”

A minister looked at Leike and said, but a trace of embarrassment appeared on his face, “However, this kind of thing still has to be decided by His Majesty the Regent Prince… I promise to speak for you.”

Leaving the minister's residence, both Leike and Polo felt a little heavy in their hearts.

The minister they had just seen was the most powerful person in the New Shard Kingdom, besides Regent Prince Peter.

From his statement, he did agree to the alliance.

It's just… he doesn't seem like a person with political talent, or rather, his position is completely on the side of Regent Prince Peter.

“Why is this happening?”

Leike and Polo walked down the road somewhat dejectedly.

But just then, a man in Shard clothing walked up the street ahead. He had curly hair, a small mustache, and a friendly smile on his face:

“May I ask, Miss, are you the envoy of the Gothe Kingdom?”

Leike was taken aback and nodded:

“Yes.”

“On behalf of all the Shard people, thank you for defeating the Wythe Kingdom and avenging our compatriots who died in the war!”

The curly-haired man said, bowing respectfully to Leike.

“Uh, no need to be like this…”

“All the Shard people yearn to form an alliance with you to protect the hard-won peace.”

The man said again, “Miss, I see that you are frowning just now, is there any difficulty?”

“I came here this time to form an alliance, but…”

Leike thought for a while and opened her mouth, telling the curly-haired Shard person in front of her about the difficulties she had encountered.

“Is the Regent Prince not handling it?”

The curly-haired man frowned, thought for a moment, and said to Leike, “In fact, many Shard people are a little dissatisfied with that Prince Peter's rule, but I don't know why, he can sit in that position just by virtue of his status as the 'late princess's fiancé'.”

“Hmm?”

Leike paused and asked in surprise, “That is to say, he was not actually elected by the people?”

“Yes, and after taking office, he squeezed several Shard veterans out of the core circle, and then promoted some… ministers who listen to him.”

The curly-haired man said, “He also married many wives, but every wife died of serious illness in a short period of time—

We other Shard people all rumored that he was cursed.”

“Cursed?”

“Yes, most Shard people want a Shard royal to become king, not a foreigner.

It's a pity that our king, the royal family, they were all killed by the damn Wythe people!”

The curly-haired man said with some indignation, “Otherwise, even that one, the Regent Prince's fiancée, the late Princess Marlene, would be better than now!”

“Wait, you said the late princess? Her name is… Marlene?”

Lake's eyes widened as she listened to the man's words.

"Oh, haven't you heard of her? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, you're not from Shadi."

The curly-haired man explained apologetically, "Princess Marin is the only descendant of our last Shadi king, but she disappeared seven years ago.

If she were still alive... no one would let the current prince become the ruler, not even King Nie Zheng.

Moreover, if it were the Shadi royal family, all the lords would definitely obey."

Watching the curly-haired man's back disappear, Lake and Polo exchanged glances.

Princess Marin.

Prince Peter's fiancée?

They remembered the girl sitting on the bed in the Shadow Royal Capital.

If it's her...

"The last princess of the Shadi Kingdom, perhaps, we can go ask her? Whether it's to get Prince Peter to agree to the alliance, or other methods, it might be better than asking around in the royal capital?"