Rhys and Laura spoke at exactly the same time causing the entire room to instantly fall silent. Everyone looked from Laura to Rhys with surprised expressions. None of them had expected Rhys to recognize the name. Grace was the first to recover. “Rhys…” She frowned. “You know them?” Rhys didn’t answer immediately. He closed his eyes, and his thoughts drifted back. ⸻ Two days earlier… “Is there a noble involved?” Rhys asked. Nayla shook her head. “Not that we’ve found.” “So far, none of the names point directly to any noble family.” She tapped a few documents spread across the table. “That said, we did find several suspicious clients.” She pointed at one particular record. “For example…” “Covenant.” Rhys and Raya both looked over. Nayla continued. “They’ve been purchasing a large number of Beast Tamers from Chaotic Cat.” “The strange thing is the payment.” “The number of people purchased doesn’t match the amount of money exchanged.” She f

“As for the rest…” Laura paused for a moment before continuing. “Covenant.” She tapped the final location marked on the map. “They’re one of the most notorious organizations in the Eldoria Kingdom.” “On the surface, they’re no different from a large bandit group.” “The only reason they’ve survived this long is because they’re under the bishop’s protection.” “That protection has made them bold.” “They’ve become increasingly lawless because they know very few people dare touch them.” She looked toward Rhys and Grace. “But don’t underestimate them.” “The organization is about the size of a large mercenary corps.” “The captain and vice-captain reportedly advanced to the Grandmaster rank not long ago.” “There are also close to a thousand ordinary members under them.” “Among those, around twenty are Beast Tamers.” Laura let out a quiet breath. “They’re going to be difficult opponents.” She looked directly at Rhys. “Do you think the two of you can handle th

While Rhys spent the afternoon making his preparations around town, Laura had already returned to the Eldoria Kingdom.She made her way into the Pope’s private study and knelt respectfully before him.The old man looked at her with a faint smile.“So…”“The Chaotic Cat Organization has truly been destroyed.”Laura nodded.“Yes.”She hesitated for a moment.“Teacher… did you already know about it?”The Pope folded his hands together.“I received a report six days ago that the Chaotic Cat Organization had been wiped out.”A thoughtful expression crossed his face.“I simply never imagined the people responsible would be connected to Rhys.”He leaned back in his chair.“Most people know Chaotic Cat as a terrorist organization that kidnaps innocent people.”“But in the underground world…”“They’re infamous for much more than that.”“They controlled one of the largest human trafficking networks.”“They specialized in brainwashing.”“They manufactured drugs capable of controlling Beast Tamer

One week earlier.“What are you talking about?”Maeve frowned at Grace in confusion.“And why are you lowering your head, Your Highness?”Grace let out a quiet laugh.“Your Highness…”She smiled bitterly.“So that’s how you still see me.”“As expected, you don’t really think of me as just Grace, do you?”Maeve hesitated.“That’s not…”She struggled to find the right words.Calling Grace by her name was one thing.Watching the first princess lower her head to someone else was something entirely different.No matter how close they had become, Grace was still royalty.Someone in her position wasn’t supposed to bow so easily.That was why Maeve couldn’t stop herself from reminding her.Grace seemed to have anticipated the reaction.She looked straight at Maeve.“Is this because of Rhys?”Maeve’s expression immediately darkened.The silence alone was enough to answer the question.Grace smiled gently before raising a finger.“You’re a noble.”“So you understand my position better than most

Before discussing something as sensitive as the royal succession, Rhys and Grace decided to find somewhere private. They entered one of the better inns in Ellenwood City and rented its finest room. Business had nearly collapsed after the disaster. Very few travelers still came through the city, so the innkeeper greeted them with unusual enthusiasm. Every request was handled immediately, and privacy was guaranteed without them even asking. Once the door was closed, the outside world seemed to disappear. Rhys and Grace sat across from each other with a small table between them. Grace took a deep breath before raising one finger. “Let’s start from the beginning.” “There are thirteen royal children in total.” “Eight princes.” “And five princesses.” She smiled. “But you don’t have to remember all of them.” “Only four are actual candidates for the throne.” “They’re the only ones with enough influence and support to realistically become the next sovereign.” Rhys no