"?" Ilona asked in confusion.
Aldrian nodded. "Yes, you. Now I want to ask, why did the patriarch send you, the one he knows is from the side that hates you, here as envoy?"
Ilona was stunned, but then she answered. "To be honest, that was also my question at first. But after I thought it through, I think I can guess what is in that bastard’s mind."
"I suppose he sent soone he could discard if sothing went wrong with this trip. He already seed to sense that sothing was wrong with Elder Vars, so he sent to test the waters. If sothing went wrong and sothing happened to , he would not lose anything, and he could even use this event as proof that their actions all this ti were already known to Your Majesty, which would then allow them to look for a way to solve it."
"They might even use that as a reason to make Your Majesty look bad in front of the other powers in the future. Basically, they are trying to sar your image. This also will incite my father’s animosity toward Your Majesty, which in the end will only benefit the current patriarch."
"However, if nothing happens to , then they will take advantage of the connection and look for any hole they could exploit for their future plans."
Aldrian admired her analysis. She was smart, and what she said was quite the sa as what he had in mind. After thinking it over, the most likely reason the patriarch sent her to lead the envoy was to test the waters. Munez Barevisk must have already sensed sothing strange with Vars’s group and sent Ilona to see if there truly was sothing wrong.
Munez must have thought that if their past actions had already been discovered, then he, as the emperor of this continent, would do sothing to her. She was basically a pawn that could be sacrificed.
"You are truly smart, and yes, that is what I have in mind as well. Your patriarch must have already sensed that sothing is wrong, and that is why he sent you. Are the mbers of your group all from your side? Is there anyone who could be an eye or ear for the patriarch?" Aldrian asked.
Ilona shook her head. "I don’t think there is a spy for the patriarch in my group. I chose the mbers myself, and from what I know, none of them are affiliated with the patriarch or his faction. All of them belong to the opposition faction."
"Is that so? But in my opinion, Munez must still have soone to observe what you do here, even if it is only one person. There is no way he would let you act without soone watching."
Hearing that, Ilona frowned. What he said made sense. Was there really a spy within her group?
"Anyway, that problem can be taken care of later. Just don’t think about it too much, or your movents might look suspicious to the spy. Act as normal, and I will handle the spy problem later. With my ability, it will be faster that way," Aldrian said.
He then stood up from his seat. "In any case, we can discuss this matter more thoroughly another ti. You may visit my palace in the future after the tournant ends. It is already quite late, and it is not proper for a man and woman to be in the sa room at this hour."
Hearing that, Ilona couldn’t help but show a slight smile. How could he say that when he was the one who had co to her first? But then she suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, why do you think you can trust with everything we have discussed just now? What if what I said is truth mixed with lies? What if what we have talked about instead reaches the patriarch?" She paused slightly before continuing.
"You did not place a seal or anything on to ensure our discussion will not leak to others. You seem quite confident in or believe in enough to speak of such things with . You seem certain that I would accept your help."
Aldrian showed a smile that made him even more charming. "With you asking that question, it is already proof that there is no lie in the information you have given . I can also feel your hatred—hatred so strong that I want to give you a word of advice. Do not be too consud by revenge, Miss Ilona. You might end up hurting yourself, and even the people you love."
"With hatred that deep, you will take any help that brings you closer to your goal, which is revenge. You would not be so stupid as to tell the person you hated most about our discussion. At the sa ti, it is in my interest to build a good relationship with the future Barevisk family. A good relationship is based on trust, and I trust that you and your family will choose wisely regarding everything we have discussed. And in return, you will trust in what I have told you."
Ilona was stunned, and before she could say anything, Aldrian spoke one last ti.
"See you next ti, Miss Ilona. Have a good night."
He then disappeared, leaving the lone beauty in the room. The wind from the open window swept through her long hair, only adding to her charm. Her face remained turned toward the spot where Aldrian had just stood, and after a few seconds, she released a long sigh.
"Father, Mother, I think I’ve found soone who could help all of us," she mumbled. Although she still did not know what kind of person Aldrian the Great truly was, her intuition told her that this was her greatest chance to achieve her goals and hopes.
That man with so many abilities would likely be able to cure her parents, and with his trendous power, he could help her take revenge. She couldn’t help but recall his handso face, which brought a slight flush to her cheeks before she quickly sipped the wine in front of her.
He was truly a danger to any woman. His face and charm could draw won in without him doing anything at all.
’No wonder he is so popular among the won of this continent. Still so young, handso, and—’ She cut off her own thought and shook her head.
’What am I thinking?’ She took another sip of wine and looked out at the night sky. Her heart felt more serene and relaxed than before, as if she could already see the light on the path ahead.
-------------------------------
The next day, the last day of the tournant, the day that many had been waiting for, finally arrived. The stadium was already packed with people even before the tournant began. The battle format was what everyone always looked forward to, for it was the most entertaining part for them.
As the ti drew nearer, the participants gathered beneath the arena, waiting for Orlav to call them. Zander glanced around at the other participants in his category.
In his opinion, there was no one who could be a tough opponent for him other than Kang Yongjin. However, he would not lower his guard. This was the final stage, and the other participants would give their all to win. He too would give his best, for he was so close to the winner’s title. He only needed to be careful not to lose.
Zander then looked toward the balcony where Aldrian observed the tournant. Aldrian and his family had just arrived, and not long after, Orlav’s voice echoed across the arena.
"Alright, all participants, you may enter the arena!"
After he said that, the participants stepped onto the arena. Zander took a deep breath, and his face beneath the mask grew solemn.
’I will win.’
The mont the participants set foot on the arena, the voices of the spectators grew louder with excitent. In fact, the number of spectators, both inside the stadium and gathered around it, had increased compared to yesterday. It was not surprising, since the final phase of the tournant was what people most wanted to see.
The atmosphere was already festive, and the ti had finally co. Standing at the side of the arena, Orlav looked at Aldrian, who gave a small nod in response. Orlav then rose into the air above the arena and shouted for all to hear:
"Welco to the day you have been waiting for, ladies and gentlen! This is the day we will finally discover who is worthy to claim all the rewards, whose nas will be written in the history of the tournant as the winners of the first Grand Barisan Tournant!"
"UWOO!" The spectators grew even more lively, and after a few monts, Orlav continued.
"Alright, alright! I know you can’t wait for the third phase of the tournant and neither can I. So let’s get started. I will now explain the rules for the third phase, which will be in a one-on-one battle format."
"Participants are forbidden from using talismans. As for artifacts, only those registered by the participants may be used, with a maximum of Heaven grade. Only offensive and defensive artifacts may be used and you are strictly forbidden from using sealing or curse artifacts."
"It is FORBIDDEN to kill other participants. Of course, injuries may happen, since no protective talismans are allowed. The winner of each round will be decided if the opponent surrenders, is incapacitated, or loses consciousness."
"I also reserve the right to stop the battle if I judge that there is excessive action against an opponent. Any participant who fails to follow these rules will be instantly eliminated."
"As for the drawing to determine each participant’s opponent, it will be held shortly. So be ready for anyone you might face!"
As Orlav said this, several projectors appeared on the stadium’s ceiling, showing the still-empty slots for the upcoming draw. Each projector displayed the categories separately.
"Alright, without further ado, let us begin the third phase!" Orlav shouted.
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