NOVPUB
Chapter 220: Ren Meets Althea
Veneian Kingdom, Throne Room.
"I suddenly can’t wait to meet him." Althea’s lips curled up into a smile.
Althea was currently alone in the throne room because Diana had returned to Nightshire City while General Dylan had left to carry out a new mission.
Even though her mind was preoccupied with the conflict against the Tuiziya Kingdom, she strangely felt refreshed and at ease, as if something exciting was about to happen.
’Hmm?’
She shifted her gaze when Zaria and Ariana stepped into the throne room in a hurry.
"What’s wrong, Zaria? It’s unusual for you to be worried like that," Althea asked curiously.
"Mother, can you save Nightshire City?" Zaria went straight to the point.
"Nightshire City? Why?" Althea hadn’t told her daughter that she had already agreed to help the city because she wanted to hear Zaria’s own reason for wanting to save it.
"When I was traveling to the Moon Temple, I was saved by a young man and his group. These people were Ren, Miss Scarlett, Mrs Lexie and Mrs Lexie’s niece, Luna." Zaria didn’t tell her mother that Scarlett and Lexie were Ren’s women.
She then continued, "You could say I gained a lot of benefits in the Moon Temple thanks to him because we would not have even entered the temple without his help."
"Your Majesty, Ren is not an ordinary awakener. He is an Aeris with Grade S talent," Ariana added.
"So, they are your saviors?" Althea hadn’t known this until now because Zaria had never told her before.
"Yes." Zaria nodded.
Althea rested her cheek on her right fist.
’It seems like he was destined to be connected to my kingdom from the beginning.’
First, General Dylan suggested they cooperate with Nightshire City.
Then, Diana used her wish to ask her to save Nightshire City.
And now, her daughter revealed that Ren and the others were her saviors.
Everything unfolded one after another as if the world itself was telling her that Nightshire City was destined to be tied to her kingdom.
’But he has Grande S talent? Where did she find that out?’
She had never heard of anyone possessing grade S talent in her life, so a deep curiosity stirred in her heart.
"Does he really have grade S talent?" Althea could not suppress the curiosity in her heart, so she threw this question at them.
"One of the trials in the Moon Temple measures talent. That’s how we found out." Zaria gave an honest answer.
"Not only that, Your Majesty, but he was able to master a Divine Class skill in just a matter of minutes," Ariana added, "Well, I think it’s because he has grade S talent."
"I see." Althea said, "To tell you the truth, I’ve agreed to help Nightshire City."
She told them about General Dylan’s suggestion and Diana’s arrival, including her wish.
"I’ve asked Diana to arrange a meeting with them. Do you want to come with me?" Althea decided to bring them along since they knew Ren and the others.
"Yes." Zaria answered instantly.
"Alright. You can leave now. I will inform you once Diana contacts me." Althea uttered.
Zaria and Ariana bowed their heads slightly before finally leaving the throne room.
"Ren, huh? I suddenly can’t wait to meet him." Althea’s lips curled up into a tiny smile.
----
Three days later.
Lexie’s Restaurant.
Lexie, Scarlett, and Luna were currently having lunch together. Lexie had fully recovered, so she could do normal activities and leave her house.
"Sister Scarlett, what is the current situation?" Lexie asked curiously.
"I’ve solved the food issue, but I still can’t find anyone who wants to buy the Mana Crystals." Scarlett had offered a low price, but no one wanted to buy them because they were afraid of King Aldric.
"The Tuiziya Kingdom is a bully!" Lexie stated.
As they were chatting seriously, a voice suddenly rang out.
"So, you guys are here? No wonder I could not find you in your house." Diana approached them and sat next to Lexie.
"I haven’t seen you in a week. Where have you been?" Lexie asked with curiosity.
"I left to meet someone who can help us in the fight against the Tuiziya Kingdom." Diana responded.
"Someone who can help us?" Lexie was a little surprised because she previously thought Diana had gone home.
"Who is that person?" Scarlett asked curiously.
"Althea, the queen of the Veneian Kingdom." Diana answered.
"The queen of the Veneian Kingdom?!" Scarlett and Lexie said in surprise.
Of course, they knew the Veneian Kingdom because the Luvrela region only had two kingdoms.
"How do you know the queen the Veneian Kingdom?" Not everyone had the status to associate with or meet the queen, so Lexie was curious about Diana’s relationship with her.
"I saved her life thirty years ago, and before she returned to her Kingdom, she granted me one wish," Diana replied. "I used that wish to make her agree to help Nightshire City in the fight against the Tuiziya Kingdom."
"So, you saved her life, huh?" Lexie finally knew why Diana could meet Althea whenever she wanted because Diana was her savior.
"You used the wish for my city?" Scarlett was both surprised and delighted because a wish from a queen was incredibly valuable and not something just anyone could receive.
"Yes." Diana nodded, "She granted my wish and agreed to help us."
"Thank you, Diana." Scarlett expressed her gratitude because Diana had sacrificed something valuable to help her city and her people.
"There is no need to thank me," Diana said with a smile. "Oh, right! Althea wants to meet you and Handsome as well."
"Alright." Scarlett agreed instantly because it was normal for Althea to want to meet them since they would fight the Tuiziya Kingdom together.
"When we meet her later, you can try to sell the Mana Crystal to her. Maybe, she will agree to buy it later." With no one willing to do business with Nightshire City anymore, Diana suggested Scarlett try her luck with the Veneian Kingdom.
"Great idea, Diana!" Scarlett nodded.
"If everything goes well, we can teach the bully a lesson," Diana said. "And once we defeat the Tuiziya Kingdom, let’s keep beating the king until he begs for mercy."
"Agree." Scarlett and Lexie responded in unison.
Then, the trio giggled happily.
----
Ren, Scarlett, Lexie, and Diana were currently heading to a private room with Althea. Althea was accompanied by Lieutenant General Lara Turner, Zaria and Ariana.
Lieutenant General Lara was a stunning lady with shoulder-length pink hair that perfectly complemented her blue eyes.
Althea had brought General Lara with her because she was one of her most trusted and powerful subordinates.
As soon as they stepped into the private room of the restaurant, they began introducing themselves.
Zaria and Ariana didn’t introduce themselves formally and only offered brief greetings since Ren and his group had already met them before.
"We meet under the same circumstances as before, princess. The difference is that we are the ones in trouble now." Actually, Ren didn’t expect her to help him because he thought they would not meet again so soon.
"You don’t need to call me princess. Just call me Zaria." He was her savior, so Zaria allowed him to call her by her name.
"You have my heartfelt gratitude for protecting my daughter during her journey to the Moon Temple." Althea spoke with the sincerity of a mother, not the authority of a queen.
"You don’t need to thank me. It was fate that I encountered her, and we gained a lot at the Moon Temple thanks to her as well," Ren wasn’t being polite when he said this because he wouldn’t have obtained the Moon Rising Over the Sea skill if he hadn’t met Zaria.
The group continued their conversation.
With each passing moment, Althea found herself liking Ren more.
Even though Ren was powerful and attractive, he was not arrogant or acting as if he were above everyone.
He spoke and acted like any ordinary person, not someone with extraordinary abilities.
’No wonder Diana is falling for him. His personality is just as impressive as his appearance.’
Althea finally understood why Diana was willing to use her wish because she also thought Ren that using the wish for him was worth it.
During their conversation, Scarlett asked if Althea would be interested in buying Mana Crystals.
Althea agreed to buy them at the standard price because Mana Crystals were valuable items for awakeners, including her kingdom.
After talking for more than an hour, the official meeting was over.
However, they didn’t leave the restaurant right away; instead, they remained in the private room.
Scarlett and Lexie were talking with Zaria and Ariana, while Althea was chatting with Diana. As for Ren, he stood on the balcony, thinking about their situation.
Now that the Veneian Kingdom had agreed to help them, they could take the initiative to attack since they no longer needed to worry about the 5-star mages and Unity rank warriors of the Tuiziya Kingdom.
’Should we attack from both the inside and the outside?’
He wanted the war to end immediately because he didn’t want the citizens to suffer any longer.
As Ren was lost in thought, Althea approached him and stood next to him.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked curiously. "Is it the Tuiziya Kingdom?"
Ren turned to her right after he came to his senses. "Yeah. The citizens have suffered a lot, so I want this war to end as quickly as possible."
"It seems like you really care about the citizens." Althea’s lips curled up into a smile. "Then, how about you fight alongside my soldiers at the border?"
