"Your Highness, the Grand Princess!"

  The maids and attendants inside the palace stopped in their tracks upon seeing Darlene, bowing respectfully with clear reverence in their voices.

  "So you are actually the Grand Princess?" Derrick leaned closer to Darlene, speaking with open amazement.

  Hearing this, Darlene slowly raised her head, her chin lifting slightly as she put on an expression of pride. "It is nothing special, and besides, I am the only princess in the entire empire."

  Although her words sounded modest, the pride hidden in her tone could not be concealed. Even her posture straightened naturally as she walked.

  But Derrick failed to pick up on the subtleties and instead asked curiously, "Then does your mother have a lot of male servants?"

  "I read in books before that kings usually have many women. So I wondered if queens might also have many men?"

  Ryan raised his hand and flicked Derrick sharply on the back of the head. The force was not too heavy, not too light, just enough to make him feel the sting.

  "Hiss…" Derrick clutched his head, baring his teeth as he looked at Ryan in confusion. "Mentor, why did you hit me? I was just asking!"

  "Do you ever think before you speak?" Ryan glared at him impatiently.

  "Who asks someone's daughter, in front of her, whether her mother has a bunch of men? How is that any different from asking if her mother has a bunch of husbands?"

  Ryan silently sighed. This apprentice was fine in every way except that his brain was missing a wire. He spoke whatever came to mind without any filter.

  Darlene responded stiffly, "Of course not. My mother is not like those kings who indulge in beauty all day. Her heart is entirely devoted to governing the empire."

  "I am sorry!" Derrick quickly apologized, finally realizing he had said something inappropriate.

  The four continued walking forward. Derrick managed to stay silent for a short while before he could no longer hold back his curiosity.

  "Darlene, what about your father?"

  He was purely curious, but Darlene rarely mentioned him.

  "Dead."

  Darlene's voice turned ice cold in an instant. The smile on her face vanished completely, replaced by a flicker of barely noticeable fury. It was clear she was extremely sensitive about this topic.

  Seeing her reaction, Derrick immediately shut his mouth and dared not ask another question.

  Ryan glanced at Derrick and shook his head helplessly. This apprentice had many good qualities, but his straightforwardness could easily offend others.

  Fortunately, Darlene was not a sensitive person by nature. Within minutes, she had already returned to her lively self and began introducing the palace buildings to them.

  "Mother!"

  Walking at the front, Darlene suddenly brightened, waving excitedly toward the distance.

  Ryan, Evelyn and Derrick lifted their heads at the call, and their eyes were instantly drawn to the approaching woman.

  Her appearance was impeccably maintained, making it impossible to tell her exact age. She possessed the delicate beauty of a young woman and the elegance of a mature one. A natural authority exuded from her, every gesture carrying undeniable nobility.

  Ryan examined her closely, and waves of shock surged in his heart.

  He activated Grimoire's detection magic, and the information that appeared before him made his pupils contract sharply:

  【Name: Eryndor Crystalheart】

  【Identity: Former Saintess of the Holy Arcane Tribunal /Queen of Eryndor Empire】

  【Magic Rank: Ninth-tier Archmage】

  【Weapon: Legendary Frostsong Spear】

  Ryan screamed internally, barely managing to keep his expression under control.

  The former Saintess of the Holy Arcane Tribunal had actually abandoned her exalted position and chosen to become the queen of an empire?

  No. It could not possibly be that simple. Ryan immediately dismissed the thought.

  If she had truly retired, the Holy Arcane Tribunal would never allow a former Saintess to slip out of their control.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Not to mention the enemies she had made during her years presiding over the tribunal. There was no way they would let her sit safely on the throne. There had to be secrets hidden behind all of this.

  He finally understood why the throne of Eryndor's queen was so unshakably secure. Her strength alone was enough to intimidate anyone.

  With the power of a Ninth-tier Archmage and the legendary Frostsong Spear, there were only a handful of individuals on the entire continent capable of standing against her.

  Evelyn looked at Eryndor, her eyes flickering with a subtle, strange light. She could not fully see through the woman's strength.

  This meant the woman was either far stronger than herself, or her constitution was special, similar to Ryan's mysterious physique.

  Yet the kind of physique Ryan possessed, one capable of obstructing magical detection, was something she had seen in only two people.

  One was Ryan.

  The other was the Grand Magus who had already passed away.

  Judging from this, Eryndor's power was unquestionably unfathomable.

  "Darlene, are these your friends?"

  Eryndor's voice was clear and pleasant, carrying just the right touch of polite curiosity.

  Although she already knew who Ryan and the others were, proper etiquette was necessary for the queen of an empire.

  "Mother, these are the friends I told you about!"

  Darlene immediately ran forward, clinging to Eryndor's arm coquettishly.

  "Especially this sister Evelyn. She is really incredible, and she is super beautiful too!"

  As she spoke, Darlene turned toward Evelyn, her eyes filled with expectation.

  "Sister Evelyn, can you take off your veil and let my mother see what you look like?"

  Following Darlene's gaze, Eryndor looked at Evelyn. A gentle smile curved her lips, but she quietly released a faint trace of detection magic in secret.

  She wished to see for herself what kind of woman could earn such admiration from Darlene.

  At Evelyn's current level, a Second-tier Journeyman Mage, she should have been completely unable to sense this carefully enhanced detection spell.

  However, Eryndor underestimated Evelyn's foundation.

  Even though her magic rank had fallen after reincarnation, Evelyn had once been a Grand Magus.

  Even the faintest remnant of that power was enough for her to detect foreign scrutiny.

  She could have retaliated, distorting Eryndor's spell, but doing so would not only expose her true identity, it might also trigger unnecessary conflict.

  After weighing the situation, Evelyn chose not to resist. Instead, she raised her hand and untied the ribbon of her veil.

  Eryndor did not expect her to be so straightforward and instinctively withdrew the detection magic.

  But the moment the veil was fully removed and Eryndor's gaze fell on her face, even she was momentarily stunned by the sheer beauty before her.

  Evelyn's appearance carried a breathtaking quality.

  It was no exaggeration to say that this woman's beauty surpassed that of any woman Eryndor had seen in her youth, and was even greater than her own.

  No wonder Darlene was so fascinated by Evelyn. With just one glance, Eryndor's favor toward Evelyn rose sharply.

  It was not only because of Evelyn's stunning appearance, but also because of the cool and steady aura surrounding her, a quiet nobility that seemed innate.

  Ryan had also vaguely sensed an unusual ripple of energy passing by. His perception, accumulated through nine lifetimes of reincarnation, far surpassed that of ordinary people.

  After a brief thought, he understood that Eryndor had secretly used a detection spell to observe Evelyn's face.

  What surprised him was that Evelyn did not resist at all. Instead, she removed her veil directly, her calmness far beyond his expectations.

  "Let us talk inside the front hall first." Eryndor gave the group a gentle smile.

  She walked ahead toward a palace not far away. Inside, seats had already been arranged, and the faint scent of coffee lingered in the air.

  After they sat down, a maid brought over a warm coffee pot. Its surface was inlaid with tiny flame runes that kept the coffee at its perfect temperature.

  It was brewed with rare beans that grew only deep within the molten layers of lava, the Flameheart Lava Beans.

  The resulting Lavafire Coffee was said to warm one's magical meridians and dispel mental fatigue. The maid poured the fragrant coffee for everyone.

  "Darlene has a lively temperament. Sometimes she speaks without thinking. During your time together, has she said anything that offended you?"

  "Mom!" Darlene immediately protested, shaking Eryndor's arm. "Why are you taking their side? They are the ones who pick on me sometimes!"

  "No, Darlene is very polite." Ryan quickly waved his hands.

  "She has!" Derrick said.

  "Do you want a beating?" Darlene exploded at once and reached out to twist Derrick's arm.

  "No! Absolutely not!" Derrick changed his tune instantly. Dodging frantically, he gave Eryndor a forced smile. "I remembered wrong! Darlene is always gentle and has never argued with anyone!"

  Eryndor watched their bickering and couldn't help letting out a soft laugh. "You children are amusing."

  Her gaze then drifted to the binding rope still wrapped around Ryan and Evelyn's wrists.

  A trace of curiosity flashed in her eyes, and she finally could not resist asking, "Why are the two of you bound together with a rope? Is it for some special ritual purpose?"

  "To keep him from running away." Evelyn answered faster than Ryan this time, clearly afraid he might say something outrageous again, such as calling it a lovers' pastime or some other nonsense.

  Eryndor raised an eyebrow, even more intrigued. "So you are enemies? Bound together because of some grudge?"

  "No." Evelyn denied immediately.

  "Then are you lovers? Using this method to show your bond?" Eryndor offered another guess.

  On the Magic Continent, some couples did use enchanted items to bind themselves together, though using a binding rope directly was quite rare.

  "No." Evelyn denied again.

  Eryndor nodded slightly and was about to ask further when Evelyn spoke calmly, "I am his Mentor."

  The moment her words fell, the hall fell into a brief silence, followed by three completely different exclamations:

  "What?" (Ryan)

  "What?" (Derrick)

  "What?" (Darlene)

  Ryan's voice was full of disbelief. Since when had Evelyn become his Mentor?

  They had clearly been scheming against each other and keeping each other in check. How did that turn into a Mentor and disciple relationship?

  Derrick was utterly confused. The Mentor's Lady had suddenly become the Grand Mentor? What was he supposed to call Evelyn now? Grand Mentor or Mentor's Lady?

  Darlene stared with wide eyes. She had clearly heard Derrick call Evelyn Mentor's Lady earlier. How did she suddenly become Ryan's Mentor?

  Eryndor looked at their exaggerated reactions, confusion flickering in her eyes.

  Evelyn frowned slightly, puzzled in her heart. Was there anything wrong with becoming his Mentor?

  While everyone was still stunned by the sudden shift in identity, a voice with a hint of sobbing came from nearby. "Mother! Please let me return to the palace!"

  They turned toward the sound and saw a young boy with tear-streaked cheeks.

  The gentle smile on Eryndor's face vanished instantly, her eyes turning cold and sharp.