Bright morning light shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sunlight cast long shadows across the room.
Faust was tidying his clothes. A charming young man was reflected in the mirror.
He had a handsome face that looked as if it were carved by the Creator. His deep red-brown eyes were captivating. He kept his lips pressed thin. A natural aura of majesty radiated from him.
His tall and straight figure was highlighted by the fit of his clean formal suit. It showed his muscle lines. He looked powerful but not overly bulky.
It might sound narcissistic, but Faust felt he looked like a prince from a fairy tale.
'Oh, I actually am a prince. Never mind then.'
Faust looked away. He walked to the window and looked down at the city below the castle.
He saw the city walls and train stations in the distance. He saw the exquisite palaces nearby. Between them were countless rows of houses, academies, and guilds. It was a prosperous city.
This was the capital of the Qingxi Kingdom. It used to be an old and dilapidated city. Faust had worked hard for ten years. Now, the entire city looked completely new.
He had spent a lot of effort on this. Every time he realized his actions decided the fate of myriads of people, he felt a deep sense of joy. It gave him endless motivation.
He did not have a gold finger or a System. As a transmigrator, Faust believed his start was already perfect.
Faust was enjoying his sense of accomplishment. Then, a maid spoke from behind him.
"Your Highness, it is time."
"Yes. Let us go."
He looked away from the window with some regret. He left the bedroom.
The castle corridors were covered in scarlet carpets. The soft texture made every step feel like a luxury.
Step. Step.
Faust stopped at the bottom of the stairs before the King's chambers.
A young woman in a beige trench coat was putting down a suitcase at the top of the stairs. Her figure beneath her gauze skirt was very provocative. Her cold temperament balanced this out.
Her silver-gray hair was tied in a sharp ponytail. The thick hair still flowed down like a waterfall to her waist.
She spoke in a clear and cold voice.
"Faust..."
Her voice was flat. It did not show any emotion. She stood there quietly. She looked like a beam of cold moonlight shining into a person's heart.
Her face beneath the veil had a pale beauty. Her emerald eyes were hidden under light eyelashes. They looked gloomy. Her nose had an elegant curve. Her lips were painted a soft cherry red.
She looked like the cover of a fairy tale book. It was covered in patterns of wild roses and thorns. A beautiful Princess lived in the castle. It made people want to read her mysterious story.
'Ah, she actually is a Princess. Never mind then.'
This mysterious young woman was the Princess of the Qingxi Kingdom. She was also the sister of Faust—Youshewude.
"Good day, Royal Sister."
Faust placed a hand over his chest. He greeted Youshewude.
"Put away your hypocritical smile. If you have no respect in your heart, you do not need to follow etiquette."
Youshewude spoke coldly. She looked at Faust. Faust kept his head bowed despite her sharp words. The silver-haired Princess finally looked away after a long time.
'Royal Sister is still as strict as ever.'
Faust sighed inside. He was used to her personality. She only said harsh things. She did not actually punish him.
"Is the condition of our father getting any better?"
Faust tried to change the subject. Youshewude had clearly just left the chambers of the King.
"It is the same. Go inside. our father is waiting for you. He wants to talk about the heir."
The Princess shook her head slightly. She looked away. She did not want to say more.
This was not surprising. They were rivals for the throne. Power was a wonderful thing. No one would give it up easily.
The struggle for succession was always like this. Faust would not back down.
Faust adjusted his mindset. He walked into the King's chambers. A wave of heat hit him as he pushed the door open. The heating was a bit much even for the autumn season.
Two rows of three-meter-high bookshelves stood against the walls. They were filled with many books. The long walnut desk was piled with documents.
A small iron pot was heating on the fireplace. A dark brown medicinal soup was boiling inside. The smell of herbs filled every corner of the room.
An old man with white hair sat in a velvet chair by the fire. He was curled up in the soft chair. A thick blanket covered his legs. He heard footsteps and put down his papers. He turned his head slowly.
Faust saw deep eye sockets that looked as if they were carved from flint. His wrinkled skin looked like a dry riverbed under the sun.
This old face had a pair of terrifying red eyes. He looked at Faust with a gaze as sharp as a hawk.
This was the founding King of the Qingxi Kingdom. He was a Hero famous for his great military achievements. He was suffering from chronic illness, but his aura was still powerful.
The prince took a deep breath. He bowed.
"father."
"Cough. You are here."
The old King coughed. His voice was very low. It still carried an unquestionable majesty.
Faust looked worried.
"You do not look well. Please take care of your health."
"Do not worry. It is the same old problem. The medicinal soup from Youshe is very effective. At least it will not get worse."
The King waved his hand. He began to talk about business.
"Today is your twentieth birthday. According to the tradition of the kingdom, we must choose the heir once all successors are adults. I called you here to tell you this."
'It is here!'
These direct words made Faust feel excited. He clenched his fists. He looked at the old King.
The old man placed his arms on his legs.
"You and Youshe are both excellent. I am proud of both of you. You both have the quality to be a King. But there is only one throne. I must choose the most suitable person."
Faust nodded.
"I understand. I will accept whatever choice you make, father."
He had worked very hard in the past. His achievements were great. Any wise mortal king would choose him as the heir.
Faust had many achievements, but he was not 100% sure he would get the throne.
The reason was simple. Faust did not have the true royal bloodline. He was the adopted son of the King.
This was a fatal weakness. Faust was worried. Anyone would want to pass the throne to their own flesh and blood.
The King watched the prince quietly. He spoke after a moment.
"Do not be anxious, child. You are smart. You should know that the position of heir to the Qingxi Kingdom can only be yours. There is no other possibility."
The calm words of the King made Faust feel at ease. He could not hide his joy. Guessing was one thing, but confirmation was another.
Faust did not dare to have absolute hope until the King said it himself.
The old King stared at the prince for a long time. He spoke suddenly.
"Are you surprised?"
Faust said, "I am not surprised. But... why did you not consider passing the throne to my Royal Sister?"
It was more natural to pass the throne to a biological daughter. Faust knew his father did not favor men over women.
The King laughed coldly.
"Heh. Youshe? She does not have the personality to be a King. More importantly, she does not have your talent."
'I see. He is choosing talent over bloodline. That is fair.'
Faust quickly lowered his head.
"I have only done a small amount of work. I am not as excellent as my Royal Sister."
He said this, but he had a proud smile on his face.
He had introduced advanced technology. He reformed the government. He rebuilt foreign trade. These achievements were not a total revolution, but they were major reforms.
He did not have a System to give him industrialization. He only relied on his own hard work, knowledge, and discipline.
He was very proud of this.
"Those small matters do not matter. They are not important!"
The old King shook his head. He poured cold water on the pride of the prince. He sat up straight.
"Your reforms and construction in the kingdom are not the reason I chose you. Cough. Faust, do you remember when you were a child? The night we first met."
Faust pressed his hand to his chest. He looked serious.
"Of course! I would have died that night if not for your mercy. I will never forget this kindness!"
Anyone would remember the moment they almost froze to death in the snow right after transmigrating.
Faust thought he was going to die. Then the royal hunting party passed by. The King saved him and adopted him. He became the prince of the Qingxi Kingdom.
Faust truly respected and thanked the old man. He was a very valuable foster father.
The old King rubbed his Ring of Monitoring. He smiled.
"Mercy? This has nothing to do with mercy."
"What?"
"I did it on purpose because of an omen. Why else would I pass by at that exact time and save you?"
Faust was confused.
"An omen?"
The King nodded.
"I fought for the independence of the people of Qingxi when I was young. I founded this kingdom. Because of those achievements, I received the blessing of a Fairy."
"A blessing from a Fairy?!"
Faust opened his eyes wide. He was amazed.
"father, you had such an encounter. You truly are a legendary Hero."
The prince was excited because the word Fairy was very important.
They were the oldest and most transcendent beings in this world. They were not gods, but they were similar to gods. Some countries worshipped Fairies as gods.
In legends, people loved to talk about the gifts Fairies gave to a Hero.
Faust did not know his father had a gift from a Fairy. He had never mentioned it before.
It made sense. The old King was a famous warrior. He had great achievements in the war of independence decades ago. It was natural for a founder to be blessed by a Fairy.
"Heh. That is all in the past."
The old King laughed with pride. He remembered the old days even though he was sick now.
He stopped smiling. He pulled up his sleeve. A bright red contract mark appeared.
"This is the blessing from the Fairy. The owner can use this contract to talk to the Fairy. You can seek omens and hear prophecies."
"!!!"
Faust said, "That is an invincible Skill."
Meeting a Fairy was lucky for any mortal. Signing a contract was incredible.
Every country that had a contract with a Fairy was a powerful hegemon. Embracing a Fairy meant success.
The King touched his arm. He looked at Faust.
"It is not that simple. This contract does not have any specific rules. I can only talk to them if the Fairy is in a good mood. I have only received their favor a few times in decades. The Fairy does not like me very much."
"Someone loved by the Fairy would have more opportunities."
'So it is just a contact method where you have to beg for attention?'
Faust calmed down. The contract was not that great if that was the case. Many people prayed to Fairies. A contract without rules was just better than nothing.
"But even a common man like me received an omen. I made a request to the Fairy because of my past achievements."
The old King coughed. He looked at Faust with sharp eyes.
"I asked to find a child loved by the Fairy to be my heir. Then this contract might be useful."
'You can do that?!'
Faust looked at his father in surprise. The King seemed to hear his Heart Voice.
"Yes. It is exactly as you think. I plan to Evacuate the contract with the Fairy to you now."
The King told Faust to hold his arm.
Faust usually would have pretended to refuse. But it would be fake to act that way in front of his foster father. He could not refuse this gift.
He grabbed the arm without hesitation.
The mark faded from the thin arm of the King. It appeared on Faust.
"father... you seem to be in a hurry."
Faust felt the heat of the mark. He looked into the eyes of his foster father.
"The civil war in the Empire is ending. They will punish the rebels and traitors. My old allies have also left me. The Qingxi Kingdom has only existed for a few decades. It is too weak. How can it survive the future conflicts?"
The King looked down. He sighed.
"It does not matter who the King is. It only matters that the Qingxi Kingdom is great. This kingdom... the one I built with my own hands must not fall!"
The Evacuate of the contract was finished. Faust bowed with his hand on his chest.
"That is my ideal as well."
The old King looked kind. He smiled.
"I know. I have seen how much you love this kingdom."
"I have organized a ball for you to choose a consort. I did not ask for your opinion before arranging the marriage. That was my mistake. This ball will follow your wishes. Now, do what you must. I need to rest."
The old King sat back in the chair. He closed his eyes.
Faust did not disturb him. He left the room.
Faust took a deep breath outside the chambers. He smiled happily.
He had been nervous, but he achieved his goal. He was the heir. He had the contract with the Fairy.
'I have never had such a wonderful start!'