Work Prophet
Chapter 489 - 107: What is your favorite flower?

Chapter 489: Chapter 107: What is your favorite flower?

"Do you like flowers, Sir Ireya?" the person by the flower stand asked.

"Well, they’re okay, I guess."

"Which flower do you like the most?"

"Spicy Chicken Popcorn."

"Hmm, what kind of flower is that?" the person frowned slightly and continued, "I have been collecting various flowers over the years, but I have never heard of this one."

"Spicy Chicken Popcorn is something Prophet Merlin brought from the Divine Country. It’s not found on the Bratis Continent, but it’s really delicious," Miss Rabbit sincerely praised.

She involuntarily swallowed as she recalled the first time she tasted the Spicy Chicken Popcorn.

"A man who takes flowers as food, Prophet Merlin indeed is a man of elegance."

Claudio finally turned around, and his eyes revealed a hint of surprise upon seeing Ireya, but it lasted only a moment before he regained his composure, "You know who I am."

"Geoff told me, you are Second Prince Claudio, but..." Lady Ireya hesitated.

"Aren’t my hair and ears proof enough of my identity?" Claudio asked calmly.

"Geoff also has red hair."

"Don’t compare me to that sort of person, the blood of the Vespasian Family runs very thin in him," the Second Prince said, "If it weren’t for his sister, he would have been driven out of the Royal Capital long ago because of his previous deeds."

"Ha, so you know what kind of person he is."

"If I only sought out good people to assist me, I would soon find myself without aid," Claudio said, "This is the Royal Capital, everyone has their secrets."

Miss Rabbit shrugged her shoulders, "Well, I’m not staying here long anyway, so I won’t pry into other people’s secrets."

"A wise decision," Claudio paused, then added, "If you still have doubts about my identity, you can wait until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, when the tournament begins, you’ll see me in the central stand, right behind His Majesty the Emperor, at your diagonal back."

"Wait, I will be in the stand too?"

"Yes, you’ll be sitting next to the Empress, my father... he really admires you."

"So, I don’t need to compete in the tournament?" the Lady exclaimed excitedly.

However, Claudio’s expression turned slightly odd, "What, you didn’t know? By tradition, nobles competing don’t fight on the first day. Actually, the first day is mainly a melee. The competitors are commoners and slaves. They fight in groups of twenty or thirty, slaughtering each other, and the top three of each group advance to the next round.

"Otherwise, with so many registrants, one-on-one bouts would take forever," Claudio explained patiently.

"Ah, is that so?" Miss Rabbit was needlessly excited.

"Sir Ireya, you seem not very enthusiastic about the duel tournament," Claudio observed, noticing the lady’s unusual demeanor.

"I..." Ireya opened her mouth, but finally decided to first ask Claudio why he had summoned her.

The Second Prince didn’t beat around the bush, "How much do you know about the Earth Bear?"

"I’ve never heard that name before. What does he do?"

"The Earth Bear is a contestant in this tournament. If nothing unexpected happens, you will see him tomorrow."

"Alright, is there anything special about him?"

"The Earth Bear was born into the Boleslaw Family; he was originally a noble but left his family due to certain issues."

"Wait a minute, I know that family. The commander of the sixth division of the Empire’s First Knight Order, Steve, is from there. We met recently outside Lion Heart Castle," the lady stated. "Their family crest is a brown bear, isn’t it?"

"Yes, the Boleslaw Family may not belong to the twelve major noble families, but their strength is not weak either. Every generation has family members serving in the Royal Knight Order, making them one of the royal family’s most loyal supporters."

"Many in the Boleslaw Family are hot-tempered, with rather poor temperaments, but throughout their family history, none have been as temperamental as the Earth Bear. He is ruthless, bloodthirsty, and takes pleasure in tormenting his opponents, completely devoid of any knightly spirit."

"I had a friend who was killed by him. In a duel between them, the Earth Bear shattered his legs and arms and then slit open his belly with a dagger, pulling out his intestines and hanging them on a tree. Moreover, he urinated inside the poor man’s belly, watching him struggle on the ground for a long time, yet delaying ending his pain."

"Wow, that’s too much..." Ireya listened, horrified, feeling a churning in her stomach.

"I think so too," Claudio said, clenching his fist, his pale skin slightly reddening with anger. "Unfortunately, since a notary was present during the duel, I couldn’t pursue the crimes committed by the Earth Bear, at least not openly."

"Later, that guy left the Royal Capital and disappeared, I sent people to track him down but to no avail. We thought he had died, yet five years later, he returned and had become a follower of the Life Goddess, a disciple of the Priest of Cornelia."

"Can you understand how angry I am? The murderer of my dear friend is right in front of me, but because of my father’s fervent belief in the Life Goddess, I cannot take my revenge, that is, until I heard the Earth Bear joined this tournament."

"You want to use this duel tournament as an opportunity to kill the Earth Bear?" The lady raised her eyebrows.

"Exactly, that way neither my father nor the Priest of Cornelia can object."

After speaking, Claudio plucked a Purple Jasmine and handed it to a young girl nearby, his expression serious.

"Sir Ireya, would you help me eliminate this enemy? As a reward, I will fulfill any request you have to the best of my ability."

Miss Rabbit did not take the flower, but instead gave a bitter smile, "The request I have, you probably can’t fulfill. I had hoped you could help me... Nevertheless, I deeply regret your friend’s fate, but I can’t assist you in seeking revenge."

"Why?" Claudio asked, perplexed. "You and that Merlin are followers of Saturday, aren’t you? I’ve heard that your relations with the Life Church are not very amicable. Even if you disregard my request, from your own standpoint, eliminating the Earth Bear would be beneficial, effectively crippling Cornelia."

"It’s not that I don’t want to help you, it’s just that I already have enough troubles of my own and really can’t extend my support. Moreover, why did you think of asking for my help? This is our first meeting, isn’t it?"

"Because the Earth Bear is very strong, possibly the strongest of all the contestants; I couldn’t think of anyone else but you who could kill him."