The Military Princess Won’t Fall in Love with a Magic Scientist

Chapter 164 : Chapter 164

Chapter 164. A Fruitful Partnership

Leonard turned his gaze toward the doorway.

Alectos had been standing there the whole time, one hand resting on his sword hilt, his back ramrod straight. Even when facing a legendary seventh-tier powerhouse, this fallen prince did not show the slightest trace of fear.

"Come here." Leonard beckoned, sounding as though he were calling one of his own children.

Alectos drew in a deep breath and stepped up to the table.

"Uncle Leonard."

"Uncle? Do I look that young to you?" Leonard rolled his eyes. "By seniority, even your father would've had to call me elder brother."

Before the words had fully fallen, the old lion rose without warning.

The moment he stood, his massive shadow swallowed Alectos whole, and even the air inside the tent seemed to thin under the pressure.

That broad hand, wide as a fan, came down heavily on Alectos's shoulder.

Bzzzt—

An invisible ripple swept through the entire tent in an instant.

Alectos felt as though the blood inside him had been set ablaze. His heart pounded violently, and an ancient, desolate aura burst from him beyond his control.

It was the purest draconic might. Though still immature, its aura was so pure it made others want to drop to their knees in worship.

Leonard's hand trembled slightly, then snapped back. He stared at Alectos for a full three seconds before suddenly throwing back his head and roaring with laughter.

"Hahahaha! Good! Good!"

The laughter made even the cups on the table jump.

"That idiot Remington actually called you a kingslayer? Said you were worthless? Then those dog eyes of his might as well have never been born!" Leonard slapped Alectos on the back so hard the young man nearly coughed up blood. "Ancient Dragon Legacy! This is an atavistic bloodline sign our demi-human royal family hasn't seen in centuries! If your old man knew this from his grave, he'd be laughing himself awake!"

Logaris, standing to one side, looked thoroughly baffled.

Good heavens, that reversal had happened fast. So this old man was a die-hard royalist? And judging by that tone, his dissatisfaction with Regent Prince Remington went far beyond mere dislike—he wanted the usurper dead.

"You... you know I was framed?" Alectos's voice shook slightly.

"Obviously." Leonard dropped back into his seat and crossed one leg over the other. "Your father may have been old, but he wasn't so weak that you could've stabbed him to death. Remington moved too fast that night and sealed off the royal palace. By the time I realized what had happened, it was already too late."

The old lion sighed, a flash of desolation passing across his face.

"To keep the empire from falling into a civil war over that throne, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and swallow it. But that doesn't mean I'll sell my life to that sneaking rat. I've watched him sit on that throne and purge his rivals one by one. It turns my stomach."

At that, Leonard's tone changed abruptly, and his gaze cut toward Logaris like a blade.

"But I never expected our little prince to end up on human soil—and with such a formidable bodyguard at his side."

Every hair on Logaris's body seemed to stand on end at once, but nothing showed on his face. Calmly, he picked up the forged battle report.

With a faint hum that made the teeth ache, the entire report seemed to be sliced apart by countless invisible blades at once. It disintegrated in midair into innumerable motes too fine for the eye to catch, then drifted down in a soft scatter over the ground.

"Bodyguard is too strong a word. Business partner would be more accurate." Logaris dusted the paper fragments from his hands and met Leonard's gaze without humility or arrogance.

Leonard stared at the cloud of dust for a while, then suddenly smiled. "Interesting. A human who can play with space this skillfully without a single incantation—at my age, this is the first time I've seen one. Is this also part of your so-called 'Northern Territory technology'?"

"You could call it a trade secret." Logaris shrugged. Then, catching the implication in Leonard's words with practiced sharpness, he cast out the bait in turn. "But if we're friends, then even secrets can become commodities. There is nothing in this world that cannot be sold—as long as the price is right."

"Commodities?" Leonard leaned forward slightly, his rough fingers tapping the tabletop. "Then what about your equipment? I saw Ulzok praising that magitech cannon of yours to the heavens in his letter. Is that for sale too?"

Logaris put on a thoughtful expression, folding his hands atop the table as he gave Leonard a meaningful look.

"For sale? Of course. But its power is too great to be measured in ordinary gold coins." He paused, and his tone turned grave. "The Northern Territory is so poor right now that all we have left is money and technology. Lord Leonard, if you possessed enough firepower to sweep the border clean, what would you lack most?"

"That's quite a boast." Leonard narrowed his eyes. "Enough riddles. What do you want?"

"I want a road."

"A road?"

"That's right—a road leading to the Demi-Human Royal Court. A road that allows the rightful bloodline to return." Logaris pointed at Alectos, who had been sitting in silence the whole while.

"No matter how fine the weapon, it still has to be held by the right hands. Surely you do not want to watch Remington drive the Demi-Human Empire into a ditch. Since you acknowledge Ale's bloodline and want our weapons, then sooner or later, that throne will have to change occupants. That isn't merely the price of this deal. It's the foundation of our cooperation."

Logaris's thinking was very simple. If he had the option, then of course he wanted to raise Alectos—the prince close to the kingdom's interests—to the throne.

Leonard fell silent. He rubbed the rough surface of the earthenware cup, as though weighing the gains and losses.

Leonard was no fool. Naturally, he understood the intention behind Logaris's condition. He was weighing whether or not to allow this human to become too deeply involved in the internal politics of the Demi-Human Empire.

But then, on second thought, Logaris had already made contact with Alectos and had long since sunk deep into the matter. Since that was the case...

"Very well. I can have those two legions continue putting on a show at the front. I can even leave you an opening so your people can move in and out as they please. When the time is right, I will personally lead troops to escort Ale back to the royal capital."

"Done." Logaris snapped his fingers. Then, with utterly natural ease, he drew a map from his pocket and spread it across the table, as though he had anticipated all of this from the start. "Since our strategic objectives are aligned, I have one small tactical addition here as well—something that benefits both sides."

"You human brat have a belly full of schemes." Leonard sounded as though he were complaining, yet he did not refuse. Instead, he leaned in.

Logaris's finger crossed the border and came to rest on the capital of the Astrelia Kingdom—Silverglow City.

"If one day Princess Sylvia needs to go to this place and reclaim what belongs to her, I hope the Demi-Human Empire can stir up a bit of commotion along the Valeria border. No need for a real war. Just enough to frighten those Valerians so they won't dare interfere freely in our kingdom's internal affairs."

Leonard stared at the map, then at Logaris. At last, a flicker of genuine surprise appeared in his eyes. Only now did he realize that the game this human was playing was larger than he had imagined.

"You clever little devil." Leonard smacked his lips. "Using our hand to pin down Valeria so that girl can take the throne? You're trying to bind the futures of two nations to the same war chariot."

"Mutual benefit, nothing more." Logaris smiled like a fox. "Only if Astrelia gets a king willing to listen to reason will the demi-human border truly know peace. Princess Sylvia is nothing like those old nobles. She is a businesswoman, and businesspeople care most about one thing—mutual profit. On that point, I believe you understand better than most."

Leonard stared at Logaris for a long while. Then, all at once, he burst into laughter again, so thunderous that even the bottles on the table trembled.

"Hahahaha! Good! Bold enough! I like it!"

He seized the bottle, no longer bothering with a cup, and drank deeply straight from it. Then he slammed what remained onto the table, spilling liquor like the seal on a pact.

"Fine. I accept this deal! To the future!"

Logaris smiled as well. He lifted his own cup toward Leonard.

"A pleasure doing business with you."