Chapter 556: I Want to Be the Empress

"Tell her," Muria nodded slightly. He never underestimated anyone, not even the obsequious merchant before him. Andrew's servility was due only to the power backing Muria. In the grand scheme of things, Andrew was undeniably a top-tier expert in human interactions.

Andrew had dealt with Synapse for a long time, and Muria had not gone out of his way to hide his identity. It was hard to believe the plump merchant didn't already know who he was. Muria might not be a member of the royal family, but his status was even higher. Andrew undoubtedly knew this, and Princess Gladys had guessed as much, which explained her shock.

"Princess Gladys, this is Prince Muria," Andrew said humbly, bowing deeply. "I am serving Prince Muria under His Majesty's orders. My apologies for any earlier neglect. I'm not skilled in the art of being in two places at once."

"So, when he comes to you, you immediately abandon me. A wise choice," Gladys chuckled, her smile more genuine than before. She was truly pleased.

"Prince Muria," Gladys bowed slightly with a smile. "May I ask what brings you to seek Andrew's help? I overheard you discussing contacting the royal family. It seems I fit his suggestion perfectly."

"I want to find Princess Felicia of the Dragon Clan and reclaim my dragon. Can you help me contact her?" Muria asked. Andrew had been unhelpful, so he turned to the royal before him.

"Contacting Princess Felicia?" Gladys was taken aback and glanced at Andrew. "That's quite easy. Although I haven't interacted much with her, my status allows me to invite her without much trouble."

"In that case, if you can keep our meeting confidential, please have a seat, and let's discuss this further."

"I'd be delighted," Gladys replied, her face blooming into a radiant smile. From the moment she realized Muria's identity, she had intended to keep it secret, which aligned perfectly with his request.

"Andrew, find another room. I need to have a good talk with the princess."

"No problem." Relieved to see a potential deal between Muria and Gladys, Andrew patted his chest, reassured that he no longer had to worry about the princess's wrath.

…

"Can you ensure those guards outside won't speak of this?" Muria asked as they settled into a new room. His gaze fixed on the twenty-four black-armored guards outside. There was something peculiar about them. "Within the Blue Sky Trading Company, only Andrew and a legendary mage know of my presence."

"Don't worry. I'll ensure they forget everything about today. Besides Katharina and me, no one will know you were here," Gladys replied, sipping her tea gracefully.

"What do you mean by 'forget'?" Muria raised an eyebrow, suspecting it wasn't a simple matter of physical erasure.

"I mean, I'll erase their memories of today," Gladys clarified. Behind her, Katharina, with her forehead still red and swollen, glared at Muria. It seemed her earlier suffering had been for nothing.

"They aren't ordinary beings, are they?" Muria's interest piqued. Erasing memories wasn't a trivial task—it required soul-level manipulation, a feat usually performed by soul-level experts.

"Apocalypse Black Knights, a type of semi-biological, semi-metallic construct," Princess Gladys explained, briefly describing her guards.

"Semi-biological, semi-metallic constructs?" Muria's curiosity grew. "How powerful are they?"

"A squad of Black Knights can slay dragons of the same rank," Gladys replied, smiling with restrained pride as she noticed Muria's attention on her knights. "If you like them, I can give them all to you."

"Thank you," Muria accepted the princess's offer without hesitation. He saw no need for humility or refusal, especially given his status as a golden dragon.

"Prince Muria, you're looking to reclaim your dragon from Princess Felicia, correct?" Gladys asked, her eyes twinkling with interest.

"That's right," Muria nodded. He then outlined his plan—starting with a diplomatic approach and resorting to force if necessary. "Given what I know about Princess Felicia, there's a high likelihood that force will be needed."

As the youngest and most cherished daughter of the empire's ruler, it was easy to imagine Felicia being a proud and headstrong individual. Her hobby of collecting rare dragons and forming contracts with them spoke volumes about her character. Such an imposing attitude was unlikely to be swayed by mere words.

"Using force against a princess could lead to significant political repercussions," Gladys mused, her expression thoughtful. "In the worst-case scenario, the Orlando Empire might declare war on my country, sparking conflict."

"No matter what happens, or the cost, I will reclaim my dragon from her," Muria's resolve was unwavering.

If he backed down out of fear of potential consequences and failed to protect his followers, how could he expect anyone to be willing to follow him? A leader who couldn't safeguard his own had no right to rule.

"If you find helping me unbearable due to the consequences, you can opt-out. Just don't reveal our encounter," Muria added.

"You seem unaware of what the title of Seventh Princess entails," Gladys said, lifting her chin with composed dignity. "If the Orlando Empire declares war, I can represent the Uranos Empire with my own forces for two or three battles."

"So, using force to subdue Princess Felicia is within my capacity to handle," she continued, exuding the strongest side of her royal authority.

"If you bear those consequences, your hard-built forces would be lost, and you'd likely lose your title as the Seventh Princess," Muria said, swirling his teacup and watching the steam rise from the red tea. "What do you want in return?"

Muria didn't believe his charm was so great that it could captivate a princess at first sight, leading her to sacrifice everything for him. Such an air-headed infatuation was incompatible with a strong contender for the throne.

"I want a favor from you," Gladys proposed with a bright smile. "When I need it, you must help me to the best of your ability, without damaging your relationships or interests."

"Agreed," Muria replied after a moment's thought. The request seemed simple enough, though he sensed there might be more to it. Still, he couldn't find a reason to refuse.

…

"Your Highness, are you really planning to help that mysterious man against Princess Felicia?" Katharina asked, unable to hold back her questions as they boarded the royal carriage drawn by eight celestial unicorns. "He admitted he's not royalty."

"Indeed, he's not royalty. His status is even more distinguished," Gladys replied, her hands deftly arranging the tea set inside the carriage, preparing tea with practiced elegance.

"What's his background, then?"

"The bloodline within me and his come from the same source. What do you think his origin is?" Gladys posed the question calmly.

"A Titan!" Katharina's eyes widened in shock. As she gulped down the tea Gladys handed her, she finally understood the significance of Muria's brilliant golden eyes.

"Yes." Gladys nodded, satisfied with her tea.

"But why would a Titan sneak into the capital and hide his aura?" Katharina wondered aloud, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Who knows? Perhaps he's here in secret to deal with Princess Felicia," Gladys replied, dismissing the concern. "All that matters is that he's a Titan."

"He could be an impostor," Katharina suggested boldly, her grudge from Muria's earlier flick still fresh in her mind.

"Nonsense," Gladys chided, flicking her friend's brow with lightning speed. "Do you think I can't recognize a fake? Do you think I'm that easily deceived?"

"Ouch!" Katharina yelped ungracefully, clutching her forehead. "That hurt, Gladys. You might have been wrong."

Ignoring her friend's complaint, Katharina swiftly shed her armor and tackled Gladys to the plush carpet of the carriage, abandoning all pretense of decorum. The two girls tussled playfully, their laughter filling the carriage.

"Enough, Katharina. My clothes are all messed up," Gladys finally said, gently patting her friend's backside.

"Gladys, even if he's really a Titan, isn't the cost too high to help him? You're giving up so much," Katharina questioned, her worry evident as she lay on top of Gladys.

"Katharina, do you know who the sixty-eighth emperor of the empire was?" Gladys asked an unrelated question.

"You know I was terrible at history. I never passed those exams," Katharina admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Empress Elizabeth Criss. Her only son, Caesar Criss, became the sixty-ninth emperor," Gladys explained.

"That's impressive. To have only one child and still become emperor. She must have been formidable," Katharina remarked in awe.

"The impressive one wasn't her, but her husband," Gladys corrected, pushing her hair back from her face.

"And who was her husband?"

"A Titan!" Gladys's revelation stunned Katharina into silence.

"So, you're helping this Muria guy because…" Katharina trailed off.

"I want to be the next Empress," Gladys declared, meeting her friend's gaze with determination. "No matter what it takes."

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