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Join the ServerGern noticed Xiao Ying’s unusual reaction. She gently shook her head.
“Little one, you shouldn’t be looking at these things.”
“No… no, Big Sister, Xi… Xiao Ying is already… an adult. I can look at these.”
Xiao Ying’s voice trembled slightly. She was clearly terrified by the scene unfolding before them.
Gern sighed helplessly. A radiant light burst from her, and she slowly transformed from her dragon form back into her human guise.
She used her magic to keep Xiao Ying from falling from mid-air. Then, Gern flew behind Xiao Ying, gently covering her eyes with a hand.
She spoke in a soothing whisper.
“Don’t be scared, Xiao Ying. Big Sister is here.”
“Mm-hmm.”
After calming Xiao Ying, Gern’s gaze swept over the battlefield below once more. Suddenly, she noticed a well-organized squad still operating.
Such a conspicuous group naturally drew Gern’s attention. Upon closer inspection, she recognized several familiar faces among them.
They were the core members of the army she had encountered when they were recruiting soldiers. Naturally, the woman protected at the center of this group was Evelyn, who harbored special feelings for Quade.
‘This woman cannot be allowed to live,’ Gern thought. ‘Given her personality, if she ever learned I killed Quade, she would undoubtedly hunt me to the ends of the earth.’
‘Yet, her strength is far too great,’ Gern mused. ‘With my current power, I am no match for her.’
With that thought, Gern sighed in resignation. She could only wait in the sky, hoping that someone might manage to stop Evelyn in this vast desert.
****
Gern’s hopes were dashed. Even though the Fox race had many Fifth-Tier Knights leading their forces, capturing Evelyn, who was sprinting at full speed amidst the retreating army, proved to be an incredibly difficult task.
Gern watched helplessly as Evelyn escaped the battlefield. She let out a frustrated sigh, realizing this matter would have to be addressed another time.
“Your Highness, we have a situation.”
Miss Mina, who was organizing the cleanup of the battlefield, was suddenly stopped by a hastily approaching soldier. She cast a glance of slight displeasure at the Fox soldier, yet her tone remained gentle as she inquired.
“Have the enemies attacked again?”
“No.”
The soldier shook their head, which puzzled Mina. In this context, she couldn’t imagine another reason for someone to seek her out, unless it involved the remaining enemy forces.
“Then what exactly is going on?”
“Your Highness, two individuals wish to see you. One is a human, and the other is a Serpentman. They claim to be your classmates.”
“Hmm?”
Mina’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Bring them up. Let me see them.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Before long, the soldier led the human and the Serpentman to Mina’s location.
When Mina saw Gern, a look of surprise crossed her face.
“Gern, how did you end up here? And with a Serpentman, no less?”
She eyed Gern with a peculiar expression. If she remembered correctly, Gern seemed to be quite close with Miss Lilia.
‘Is Gern… having a change of heart now?’
As if sensing the confusion in Mina’s eyes, Gern coughed awkwardly a couple of times. She then began to explain.
“Miss Mina, I came here under the academy’s orders to investigate the secret realm.”
“This is a friend I met by chance. Her background is quite tragic, and she has no one to rely on, so I brought her along. She’s also a helper I found.”
“Oh? So it’s about the secret realm.”
“As it happens, I know a few things about the secret realm.”
Mina gazed at Gern with curiosity.
“Then, Miss Mina, I implore you to share any information you have about the secret realm,” Gern requested. “It would allow me to act sooner.”
Seeing Gern’s somewhat reserved demeanor, Mina found her rather endearing. She couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly.
“Hm? Miss Mina, what are you laughing about?”
“Cough~”
Mina cleared her throat, attempting to conceal her embarrassment.
“It’s nothing, Gern. I merely recalled something amusing.”
“Considering we are classmates, I can provide you with some information. However, I would also like to ask for a favor in return.”
“Once the task is complete, our Fox race will certainly offer you a generous reward.”
“Hm?”
Without warning, an uneasy feeling arose in Gern’s heart. She wanted to refuse, but Mina had already stated her terms.
“I need your help to gather intelligence on the Serpentman race, specifically information about their various defense lines.”
‘That doesn’t sound like an easy task at all,’ Gern thought.
“Miss Mina, I truly wish to help you, but I am pressed for time.”
Mina’s eyebrow arched slightly as she gracefully approached Gern. Every subtle movement and smile exuded a captivating allure.
“Gern, there’s no use rushing now. The secret realm has specific opening times. Based on our observations these past few days, this particular secret realm opens only once every seven days, and only one day has passed since its last opening.”
“Therefore, Gern, if you wish to enter the secret realm, you’ll have to wait at least another six days. Furthermore, this secret realm is currently under the control of both our Fox and Serpent armies.”
“For an outsider like yourself, entry into the secret realm requires the consent of either our Fox race or the Serpent race.”
Gern finally understood. If she wanted to enter the secret realm and obtain the next Kindling, she would have to cooperate with either the Serpent race or the Fox race.
Cooperating with the Serpent race was out of the question, especially with a Fifth-Tier Knight still glaring at her. Thus, she could only work with Mina to gain entry into the secret realm.
Gern let out a helpless sigh, offering Mina a less-than-pleased expression.
Mina, of course, understood Gern’s mood, and she felt a touch of apology herself.
“I apologize, Gern, but our Fox race’s front lines are currently in a precarious state.”
“As a human, the Serpentmen won’t be overly wary of you. The Fox race has reached a moment of life and death, and I… I truly have no other option.”
As she spoke, Mina made to kneel before Gern, which startled Gern immensely.
She couldn’t fathom that such a ruthless figure from her previous life would now be humbly begging her.
Gern recalled a similar rumor about the Fox race in her past life, but at that time, she hadn’t been privy to such details.
Even so, what she did remember was vivid. For the noble Fox Princess to act this way, it was clear the Fox race’s crisis had reached an unprecedented level.
“Mina, please allow me some time to consider.”
Gern couldn’t simply allow herself to be drawn into such a maelstrom merely for the sake of a classmate, information, or money.
Moreover, she didn’t believe she possessed the power to turn the tide. Perhaps she could accomplish it under Quade Turner’s identity, but she was unwilling to do so.
‘And let’s not forget, there’s still someone from the Serpent race hunting me,’ she reminded herself. ‘If I expose myself, I won’t even leave a corpse behind.’
Seeing that Gern had no intention of agreeing, Mina gritted her teeth. From her storage ring, she produced a snow-white gem.
“This gem is called Perlite, a specialty of our Beast race, worth a fortune,” Mina explained. “If you accept my request, this Perlite will be yours.”
“What?!”
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Read : I Just Wanted An Ordinary Life This Time
