The Herb King

Suddenly, Aenwyn walked towards Aethelwolf and whispered something to him.

The first prince jolted in surprise when he laid his eyes on the elf. 'A late stage Level 4 elf. So this is the elven woman he got from Brian's auction house.' He muttered in his heart while observing the elven princess. Her beauty was unparalleled and he could say that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Even the young ladies of the noble households looked nothing compared to her.

"They're here?" Aethelwolf smiled upon hearing Aenwyn's words.

Aenwyn nodded her head.

"It looks like they have something urgent to tell us." Aethelwolf muttered softly. He heard from Aenwyn that Zachary (Fast Sword) and Albert were on their way here. Last time, he commanded those two to monitor the Dustin Empire and the Ford Empire. It would have taken them a few more days to gather more information, but they came back earlier than he had anticipated so he surmised that they have a pressing matter to tell him.

"Is she an elf?" A curious voice interrupted his train of thought.

Aethelwolf turned his head and saw the first prince looking at Aenwyn with an intrigued look. Seeing this, Aethelwolf nodded his head. "That's right. This is Aenwyn. She is now working for me." He said.

"You are lucky, Sir Aethelwolf." The first prince took his eyes off the elven princess. He was afraid that he would be mesmerized by her beauty if he stare at her longer.

"Maybe." Aethelwolf shrugged his shoulders.

Soon, Ramiel came with two more people. They were Zachary and Albert. Both men had grave looks on their faces.

"Sir Aethelwolf." The two bowed lightly at him.

Sensing the urgency in their expressions, Aethelwolf furrowed his eyebrows. "What happened?"

Zachary and Albert hesitated to speak when they saw that there was someone sitting beside him.

"This is Highness Prince Renz. Go ahead and speak freely." Aethelwolf urged them.

The two were a bit surprised when they learned that it was actually the first prince, but their faces soon turned solemn after recalling what they came here for.

"Sir Aethelwolf, I went to the direction of the Ford Empire with twenty subordinates, and on our way there, we spotted a large number of soldiers, approximately two hundred thousand. From the direction where they are going, I believe that they are headed to Vale City. With the size of their army, they will arrive within seven days." Albert muttered in a grave tone.

After Albert's report, Zachary cleared his throat and spoke. "I led a separate group headed to the Dustin Empire and we encountered two hundred thousand soldiers moving in this direction. From their speed, they will arrive here in six to seven days."

Aethelwolf became silent after hearing their reports. The two empires were indeed collaborating.

Prince Renz who was wearing a lazy look earlier suddenly became serious when he heard everything.

"So this is their plan..." Aethelwolf muttered.

The first prince lowered his wine bottle and glanced at him. "Sir Aethelwolf, please tell us your thoughts." He muttered in a strangely calm voice which was unbefitting his uncaring and indolent image.

Aethelwolf turned his head at the prince and said in a grave tone. "I think the Ford Empire will be the first one to take action. What do you think will our Leone Empire do if Vale City will be under attack?"

Prince Renz pondered for a moment before giving an answer. "Our Leone Empire will send reinforcements to help Vale City."

Aethelwolf nodded his head. "That's right. That means a large part of Lion City's soldiers will be sent to assist Vale City."

There was a flash of understanding in Prince Renz' eyes. "If that happens, Lion City will be more vulnerable since a huge portion of our soldiers will be sent to Vale City! The Dustin Empire will take this opportunity to attack the weakened capital city!"

Because of his agitation, the first prince's aura leaked out, but he hurriedly retracted it. However, it was enough time for Aethelwolf to sense the true extent of his power.

"You've hidden yourself well, Your Highness." A playful voice echoed and the first prince could not help but give Aethelwolf a wry smile. He has been hiding for a long time and someone finally saw through his power.

Seeing the contorted look of the first prince, Aethelwolf chuckled. "Your Highness, with our current situation, you can no longer continue to hide your strength from everyone. Why not take this opportunity to let the citizens of the Leone Empire know how strong you really are?"

Hearing this, Prince Renz raised his hands with a defeated look. "No wonder His Majesty told me not to provoke you." He muttered.

Aethelwolf ignored the prince's rumblings. "You two go back and observe the two armies. Send me a detailed report every twelve hours." He said to Albert and Zachary.

"Yes, Sir Aethelwolf!" Albert and Zachary acknowledge his command and left right away.

Aethelwolf turned his head to Ramiel and said. "Ramiel, tell Duke Baron about this."

Ramiel nodded his head. "Yes, Sir Aethelwolf!"

"You have capable subordinates, Sir Aethelwolf." Prince Renz said to him.

Aethelwolf smiled as he stood up from his seat. "Your Highness, I think you should go back to the palace and inform His Majesty about this news."

Prince Renz released a heavy sigh before rising to his feet. "Do you plan to participate in this war?" He asked.

Aethelwolf stared back at him and replied. "I hope it doesn't come to that." He then waved his hand at the prince and left with Olivia and Aenwyn.

Prince Renz Conrad stared at his back with narrowed eyes. Aethelwolf managed to uncover his true power, but he couldn't even discern the other party's strength. "What a mysterious man you are, Aethelwolf..." He mumbled to himself.

After some time, Prince Renz summoned his subordinates and said. "Let's go back to the palace. I have something to report to His Majesty."

"Yes, Your Highness!"