"Did Elyse agree?" Leo asked, a little hopeful.
If they got a thousand Flamestones, they could make gunpowder, and also speed up the hatching of the dragon egg.
Anna was still angry. "Of course she did. She wouldn't even let me play with the crown, and she tried to buy me off. She's so cheap."
Leo was a bit surprised. "You knew Elyse was trying to buy you?"
Anna rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid. Leo, these Flamestones were for you. How are you going to thank me?"
She then wrapped her arms around Leo.
Leo knew exactly what she was thinking. He said, "Forget about the gunpowder. You'd just sink our big ship and do whatever you want. Who knows what mess you'd make next."
"Hmph, you're just like that Elyse!" Anna said, annoyed.
Marina smiled and said, "Mr. Leo, I also took something. I'm giving it to you."
She took out a pearl the size of a pigeon egg, bright and white.
Anna was instantly interested. This thing had to be super valuable.
Leo, however, was confused. "Marina, you're a Fishman. This pearl probably isn't even special to you, right?"
He knew that pearls were just regular decorations for Fishmen.
"Of course," Marina said, with a sly smile. "I also took another item."
She then pulled out a scroll, like pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
"What is this?" Anna grabbed it and opened it with curiosity. "A treasure map!"
It was really a treasure map.
Leo looked at it too, frowning. "This looks like Flame Island."
The two girls leaned in together and studied it closely.
"Really!" Marina was surprised. The island on the map looked very similar to Flame Island.
"Is there a treasure on Flame Island?" Anna's eyes lit up as she looked closely.
At the bottom of the scroll, there was a small line: "The Wrath of the Fire God comes once every hundred years. During that time, a treasure will appear."
The Wrath of the Fire God meant a volcano eruption.
"Once every hundred years?" Anna looked at the time written on the scroll, counted on her fingers, and said in surprise, "Leo, it's happening in the next few months."
Leo nodded. The treasure on Flame Island probably came from the volcano eruption.
But he was worried about something else.
Marina obviously thought of the same thing. She said, "Mr. Leo, what if the people on the island are in danger? Should we tell Ava sister?"
"Let's not tell her for now. It looks like we need to leave here as soon as possible," Leo said with a sigh. He could feel someone watching them from the shadows.
"Oh, right," Marina said. "Elyse said she's inviting you to a dinner tonight. You should get ready."
"Tonight?" Leo laughed coldly. That woman was finally giving up on waiting.
What was she going to try to buy me with this time?
Leo put the treasure map away and said, "You two stay quiet for now. Watch the city and find a way to escape."
"Okay," the two girls nodded and left the room.
Evening came, and Leo received an order. Elyse was summoning him, and it was Cynthia herself who came to escort him.
He didn't know if it was a sign of respect or if they were afraid he'd run away.
Soon, the group entered the palace.
This was Leo's first time here.
The buildings were grand, luxurious, ancient, and full of power, showing the style of a ruler.
Leo couldn't help but admire the wisdom of the humans in this world.
"Wasn't this a royal summons?" He noticed the group wasn't heading toward the grand palace in the distance, so he asked in confusion.
Cynthia glanced at him and said coldly, "I already told you, it's the princess who is summoning you."
Elyse? Not the king?
Leo was more confused now, but he didn't ask further.
Soon, he arrived at Elyse's palace.
Light silk filled the air, and the place was fresh and elegant, with a pleasant fragrance.
Several beautiful maids carefully arranged everything. A table in the center was already filled with delicious food and wine.
As Leo was led to sit by the maids, he hadn't even had a chance to look around when soft footsteps came.
From the inner hall, a tall woman appeared. She wore a flowing silk dress, with long hair like a waterfall falling over her shoulders. She had no jewelry, no makeup, but she looked even more noble and elegant, like a fairy who had come down to the world.
Leo couldn't help but swallow hard. He stood up, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Princess."
"Leo, there's no one else here. You don't need to be so formal," Elyse smiled, and waved her hand. The maids bowed and left, leaving only Cynthia.
"Sit down," she said, and sat first in the main seat. "Mr. Leo, are you getting used to living in Carno City?"
Leo nodded and said without hesitation, "It's good. Carno City is so busy, it really makes you want to stay."
"Well."
Elyse smiled lightly. She heard the hidden meaning in Leo's words. She said, "What you saw is just the tip of the iceberg of the Kano Kingdom. You'll definitely like it more in the future."
"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it." Leo said without showing anything.
Elyse smiled slightly and continued, "Mr. Leo, you're a smart man. You know what I'm thinking. I won't beat around the bush. I want you to help me build warships, smoothbore cannons, and other weapons. You can ask for whatever you want as a deal."
Leo didn't expect this woman to be so straightforward. He was a little surprised at first.
He asked, "May I ask what the princess needs these things for?"
Elyse said calmly, "The world is too chaotic. Many people live in suffering, being oppressed by foreigners and even their own people. I want to unite all humans."
Leo looked at this crazy woman and was shocked inside.
He had thought Elyse wanted to turn the Kano Kingdom into an empire. Now he realized he was wrong.
This woman's ambition was not just to rule one country. She wanted to unite the entire Remnant Continent.
Leo looked at her closely and said, "I'm not interested in that. But I feel like the princess can achieve her goals without my help."
Elyse smiled, her eyes showed no emotion. She said, "Why are you being so hard on yourself, Mr. Leo? I'm not in a hurry. You can think about it however you want. I called you here today to thank you for saving my life."
She then signaled to Cynthia, who understood and poured a glass of wine for Leo.
"Please," Elyse raised her glass.
Leo was cautious.
Was this woman going to poison him?
But no warning message appeared, so there was no danger. He didn't think too much and drank it down.
Elyse's smile got wider. She stopped talking about weapons and started to talk about the culture and customs of the Kano Kingdom.
Without realizing it, Leo felt a little dizzy. His head was hot, his mouth was dry, and as he looked at Elyse's beautiful face, a strong desire suddenly came up from his heart.
Cynthia, who was nearby, was on high alert. Her hand was already on her sword.
Elyse saw the moment was right. She put down her glass and said, "Mr. Leo, I also have one more gift for you."
"What is it?" Leo wanted to leave, but then he saw Cynthia bring out a scroll and carefully hand it to him.
He looked at it curiously. His anger flared up immediately. It was a servant contract. A contract to enslave him.
Even if Leo was slow to react, he now understood. He slammed the contract on the table and coldly said, "You poisoned me. That's really low."
Elyse laughed lightly and said, "That's not poison. It's Love Wine."
Love Wine?
Leo now understood. That's why there was no danger message.
Elyse continued, "But if you don't take the antidote in time, you'll be in real danger."
"Lowlife! Give me the antidote!" Leo was angry and tried to run toward her, but Cynthia stopped him.
Elyse stood up and said, "The contract is here. You sign it when you want, and I'll give you the antidote."
She said that and quickly left with Cynthia.
The big palace was now empty, only Leo remained.
Crash!
He angrily knocked over the table. His inner desire kept rising. His blood felt like it was boiling. He wanted to scream.
"Damn, I really underestimated that bitch!" He bit his teeth and cursed, trying his best to control the desire in his heart.
The room was quiet. Elyse and Cynthia stood by the door.
All the servants had been sent away. A woman, heavily made up and dressed in revealing clothes, was kneeling on the floor, trembling slightly.
"Princess, there's no movement. Did something happen?" Cynthia was a little worried.
Leo might be annoying, but he wasn't worth killing. Plus, he really had saved her and the princess.
Elyse also felt uneasy. She gritted her teeth and said, "Is this guy really so stubborn he won't break?"
She looked at the woman on the floor and, after a long hesitation, said, "You can go in."
"Yes." The woman quickly answered, got up in a panic, and opened the door to enter the hall.
Cynthia asked, "Princess, if Leo refuses to sign the contract, what then?"
"Hmph. Even if he doesn't sign it, this is still a stain on him. He's still under my control," Elyse said coldly.
A short while later, the room filled with moaning and heavy breathing.
"Men are all the same," Elyse blushed slightly, knowing what was happening inside.
But just a few minutes later, the room fell silent again. It was done so fast. What a waste!
Both women felt a bit disgusted.
At this moment, the door opened, and the woman ran out, her clothes in disarray, her face flushed. She fell to her knees in front of Elyse, her voice trembling as she said, "Princess, he said you can come in. He will sign the contract, but only if it's just you."
"Guess I was too kind to him," Elyse sneered, but her expression was full of confidence.
"Princess, that's too dangerous. I'll go with you," Cynthia said, still worried.
Elyse shook her head. "It's fine. He can't do anything to me. Take her away. This can't get out."
"Yes." Cynthia bowed, looked at the closed door of the hall, and pulled out a dozen coins from her pocket before leading the woman away.
Elyse's lips curled into a smile. She could already imagine Leo's angry and helpless face. She felt a little satisfied.
She opened the door and stepped into the hall. A dark figure rushed toward her.
Elyse was stunned. She had no time to react. Her mouth was grabbed, and wine was forced into her. She coughed violently.
She looked up and saw Leo, his eyes blood-red, glaring at her like a wild beast.
No!
Elyse's face turned pale. She was no longer calm like before. Leo hadn't taken the antidote at all.
She turned to run.
Bang!
The hall door slammed shut. Leo was standing in front of it, his voice shaking, his teeth clenched.
"You're also poisoned. Give me the antidote, or we both die."
"What?" Elyse was shocked. She finally realized what Leo had just forced into her — Love Wine.
"Damn you, I'll kill you!"
Elyse was furious. Love Wine wasn't poison. There was no antidote except for making love.