Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 894 - 11 Candid Nicholas

Chapter 894: Chapter 11 Candid Nicholas

"Your Majesty, Queen Flare," Nicholas managed to restrain the excitement in his heart, maintaining the proper etiquette as he bowed deeply to Flare. "I apologize for the honor of standing together with you all. It’s a true privilege. All of you are powerful demigods and my seniors. It’s no exaggeration to say that I grew up listening to legends about you all, always dreaming of working alongside you. Today, my wish has finally been granted. Not only do I get to meet you in person, but I also have the opportunity to attend this meeting on behalf of my father, the King. I’m finding it difficult to control my excitement, and I hope you can forgive a young man’s impropriety."

"There is no need for such formality, Prince," Flare said with a gentle smile, nodding at Nicholas. "I heard that six days ago King Falar formally confirmed your right to succession, and I was wondering what kind of person the prince would be. Meeting you today, I see you indeed resemble King Falar greatly. I met the King once many years ago when he was even younger than you are now. But I must admit, you bear a strong resemblance to King Falar of those days, both in appearance and in demeanor. When I first saw you just now, I almost thought time had reversed, taking me back to the moment I first met King Falar. I hope to see the Falar Empire under your leadership shine even more impressively on this grand stage."

"Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty," Nicholas said, his expression lively. "I will indeed follow in my father’s footsteps and make every effort to improve our Empire in the future, so it can contribute even more to the future of the Yarran World."

Nicholas did not indulge in excessive pleasantries or reveal too much cunning in their conversation; in fact, one could say every word and gesture of his was sincere because he had not forgotten that less than ten minutes ago, while everyone’s attention was fixed on the approaching delegation, his vision had suddenly blurred, and he had found himself standing in a strange desert, half-covered with white bones, with Pannis standing in front of him, arms crossed, gazing at him with a peculiar look. At that moment, Nicholas finally understood something and remembered his behavior and thoughts from a few years back, as a cold sweat broke out uncontrollably on his forehead.

"I brought you here with no ulterior motive, you don’t need to be nervous," Pannis said, his demeanor no longer playful as it once was, but rather solemn as he addressed Nicholas. "This is probably your first time participating in such a meeting, representing different powers among demigods, which is different from your political councils. I guessed you wouldn’t know how to act, so I pulled you aside to give you a heads-up, to prevent you from standing out as a misfit during the meeting and possibly attracting everyone’s dislike."

"Ah, thank you for your kindness," having realized he was facing a demigod concealing their true strength, Nicholas set aside his princely status and took the initiative to use honorifics. "May I ask what I should do?"

"It’s simple, though it might be difficult for you," Pannis said. "During the meeting, say what you think and do as you think. Don’t use the diplomatic tactics or conversational habits typical of your nobility, and don’t make others guess the meaning behind your words. Although these demigods are leaders of their respective forces and are very familiar with the approach you are accustomed to and can easily act accordingly, they disdain to do so when interacting with each other. For them, a meeting full of arguments is far preferable to the kind of meetings filled with the falsehoods of masked faces and suspicions that you are accustomed to."

"I understand," Nicholas said, realizing that Pannis truly wanted to help. Although he was still somewhat puzzled, he took Pannis’s advice seriously and nodded earnestly. "So, I just need to be as straightforward and honest as possible, without deliberately trying to please or consciously conceal or avoid conflicts. I just need to directly express my own intentions and opinions, right?"

"It seems you do understand," Pannis lowered his gaze, looking at the ground as he spoke. "Then there’s nothing more to say. Prepare to go back. Although they may not know exactly what I said to you, they can probably guess. You don’t need to worry about hiding anything. Since they’ve guessed, they won’t ask for details."

"Thank you, Mr. Pannis, but..." Nicholas recalled Pannis’s words from seconds ago and immediately did as suggested, voicing the question he had previously only pondered internally, "I know that our relationship wasn’t pleasant in the past, and I am very curious to know why you would suddenly assist me?"

Pannis, with his back to Nicholas, spoke softly, "After all, she is a Falarian, and although she has left Falar, I suppose she wouldn’t want to see her former country become displeasing to the leaders and powerful figures of neighboring nations."

"She is..." Nicholas tentatively asked, "Are you referring to Catherine?"

"That’s an excellent question," Pannis replied with a bitter smile and a deep sigh, his voice as light as a barely perceptible breeze, "I wish I knew the answer to that question myself. Who does ’she’ refer to, indeed?"

When Nicholas snapped out of his reverie, he realized that Odin was ready to continue the introductions, while the Elf Queen in front of him gave him a glance that was not quite a smile, seemingly seeing through the memories in his mind. Nicholas suddenly realized that these eyes looked very familiar, as if he had seen them just a short time ago, right after he emerged from Pannis’s Inherent Psychic Domain. One of the two women in cloaks standing next to Pannis had turned and given him the same look. On reflection, both the gaze and the implied depth were exactly the same. After his realization, he looked back and indeed, only one cloaked figure remained beside Pannis.

"The Highnesses here are certainly more familiar with each other than we are, so I’ll spare you the detailed introductions," said Odin with a smile that hinted at friendly teasing, gesturing toward Pannis and the ladies behind him, "Only those present will participate in this small bilateral meeting. The Queen didn’t have any objections to the selection, did she? More extensive meetings will take place once we arrive at Neville City."

"Of course not, I am quite satisfied," Flare greeted everyone with a glance, "As for our side, only Rebecca and I will participate in the meeting. The rest can head to the inn to rest. They are mainly responsible for negotiating the details afterwards, so they will not join the meetings these next few days."

"Understood," Odin gestured to the officials behind him, and the officers from the Holy City conscientiously played the role of guides, leading the rest of the Elf delegation away, leaving only Flare and a female Elf who looked to be in her human thirties.

"Then, Your Highness, please come inside," Odin said as he led the way, "Let’s get started as soon as possible." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)