Chapter 625: Kastina's Terms

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Yaeger turned to Yunuen and Little Fairy, asking for their assistance. Yunuen and Little Fairy’s eyes sparkled with excitement, their faces lighting up with eager anticipation. To them, helping Princess was an unparalleled honor.

“It’s just a small task,” Yaeger said with a gentle smile, noticing their expectant expressions. Reaching into her spatial ring, Yaeger retrieved three Rare Random Equipment Crates. “Each of you can open one for me,” she said, holding the crates out to them.

She had earned these crates as a reward for defeating the [Giant Scorching Ape].

“Of course!” Yunuen exclaimed, eagerly grabbing a crate.

Little Fairy silently picked up another crate, her excitement evident in her expression.

“Let’s open them together,” Yaeger suggested, her tone calm but encouraging.

As soon as she finished speaking, they opened the crates in perfect unison. Yaeger’s crate revealed a Level 30 Rare bow, its stats so incredible they bordered on absurd.

“As expected,” she muttered with a hint of resignation, barely glancing at the bow’s stats.

Sometimes, excessive luck could be as troublesome as bad luck. This was one such instance—she had hoped for a simple Rare item but ended up with something extraordinary.

Meanwhile, Yunuen’s crate yielded a sword. The Level 25 sword’s stats were nowhere near as impressive as Yaeger’s bow, but it was still vastly superior to what most players could hope to find.

“Why can’t I ever get a magic staff…” Yunuen lamented, her voice filled with frustration. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had chosen the wrong Occupation entirely.

Little Fairy’s crate, on the other hand, revealed a fairly ordinary short sword. It was obvious that she felt the most disappointed among the three. To some degree, Yunuen shared in her disappointment.

“Little Fairy, take this bow. I’ll sell your old one at the auction,” Yaeger said without hesitation, handing her an overpowered bow.

“Is this… really for me?” Little Fairy asked, her voice filled with disbelief. With this bow, her combat power would increase significantly.

“Of course,” Yaeger replied with a calm smile.

“Thank you!” Little Fairy exclaimed. A thousand thoughts swirled in her mind, but all condensed into those two heartfelt words.

After equipping the new bow, she handed her old, modestly-statted bow to Yaeger.

“Good. Now, go grind your levels and stay safe,” Yaeger said, storing the three Rare items back in her ring.

“Yes!” Little Fairy and Yunuen nodded together, their determination evident.

Moments later, they vanished from Yaeger’s sight.

“Time to head back to the city,” Yaeger murmured, retracting her gaze as she turned and strode toward the gates.

The city’s atmosphere was thick with tension. The guards stood with bloodshot eyes and fierce expressions, their auras radiating a menacing energy. They resembled predators poised to strike.

Yet, the instant they spotted Yaeger’s familiar figure, their intimidating demeanor vanished, replaced by submissive obedience.

“I’m going in,” Yaeger said calmly as she approached the entrance. Before she even finished speaking, the gate guards scrambled to clear a path for her.

‘If the tension here is this bad, it’s bound to be even worse inside the city,’ Yaeger thought. With that in mind, Yaeger stepped into Jade City without hesitation.

The gate guards exhaled deeply in relief as soon as she passed through. Almost immediately, they snapped back to attention, resuming their fierce postures as they guarded the gates.

The city, typically bustling with life, now wore a grim and foreboding atmosphere. The streets were nearly deserted, save for the numerous soldiers patrolling and searching every corner with relentless determination.

Following the strict curfew imposed the previous night, the city’s residents suspected that something had gone terribly wrong. As a result, most of them chose to remain indoors.

Despite this, soldiers continued to knock on doors and ransack homes, spreading chaos among the populace. Yet, no one dared to voice their grievances.

“The players don’t seem to be affected much… but this can’t go on,” Yaeger murmured to herself as she strolled through the tense streets.

Every guard who crossed her path swiftly retreated, their fear palpable. Though both she and the Seventh Princess, Kastina, were regarded as scourges of the Empire, it was evident that Yaeger inspired far greater fear among the city’s inhabitants.

Paying no mind to the soldiers’ reactions, Yaeger slipped into a narrow alley and vanished in an instant.

Meanwhile, on the third floor of the auction house… Kastina sat in an office chair, her hands clasped together as she rested her smooth chin on them, her gaze fixed solemnly on the entrance.

The door creaked open, revealing a striking figure stepping inside.

“Lil’ Hime, you’re here!” Kastina exclaimed with joy the moment she recognized her visitor.

“How many times have I told you to stop calling me Lil’ Hime?” Yaeger said with a sigh as she closed the door behind her.

“Yes, Lil’ Hime,” Kastina replied cheekily, rising from her seat with a mischievous grin.

Yaeger rolled her eyes and made her way to the sofa, sitting down gracefully.

“Lil’ Hime, I have two pieces of news for you—one good, one bad. Which would you like to hear first?” Kastina asked, quickly sitting beside her, her expression growing serious.

“The good news,” Yaeger replied, already suspecting what the bad news might be.

“The good news is that I’ve almost gathered all the materials you need. But… some of them are ridiculously expensive, and our funds are…”

Yaeger cut her off before she could finish. “Don’t worry about the money. I’ve got it covered,” Yaeger said confidently.

“As expected of Lil’ Hime—you always have a quick solution,” Kastina said with a relieved smile.

‘Looks like I’ll be able to repair the essential parts soon enough,’ Yaeger thought, nodding in satisfaction.

For Yaeger, Kastina’s good news was undoubtedly the highlight of the day.

“And the bad news?” she asked, bracing herself.

“The bad news is that I’ve received credible intel—my Lord Father is likely returning to Jade City this afternoon,” Kastina said gravely.

“Earlier than I anticipated,” Yaeger said, pursing her lips but betraying no surprise.

“Looks like our auction house will only stay open until this afternoon,” Kastina remarked with a sigh.

“We won’t be making any money for the next few days,” Yaeger said, her tone tinged with mild regret. To Yaeger, this was no small loss.

“Yes, it’s incredibly frustrating,” Kastina said, lowering her head with a sigh.

“But until then, let’s earn as much as we can,” Yaeger said determinedly.

As she spoke, Yaeger retrieved three pieces of Rare Equipment from her spatial ring. Kastina’s previously dull eyes lit up at the sight of the glittering Equipment.

“I’ll organize an auction immediately!” Kastina exclaimed with renewed energy. Equipment was always in high demand among outsiders, and these pieces were sure to fetch a high price.

Since this was their last chance to make money, they planned to go out with a bang.

“There’s no need to rush; we still have time,” Yaeger said as she gently pressed Kastina back into her seat when the latter attempted to stand.

“That’s true,” Kastina agreed, nodding as she settled back into her chair.

“Once Richard returns, he’ll definitely come after me. We used to be close, and even though we staged that breakup to sever ties, he might still drag you into this mess. Freezing your financial assets is one example,” Yaeger explained.

Kastina’s face paled at the thought. “Wouldn’t that mean all the money I’ve saved in the bank would be gone?” she stammered anxiously.

“Yes, you’ll need to transfer it out before he gets back,” Yaeger replied calmly.

Kastina hesitated for a moment before grabbing Yaeger’s hand. “Lil’ Hime, I’m entrusting my entire treasury to you,” she said earnestly.

“Sure, no problem,” Yaeger responded, noting the absolute trust reflected in Kastina’s eyes.

“I’ll head to the Imperial Bank and withdraw everything immediately,” Kastina said decisively. Releasing Yaeger’s hand, Kastina wasted no time and sprang into action.

Twenty minutes later, Kastina returned, lugging a chest overflowing with banknotes.

“Lil’ Hime, here you go.” Kastina handed over her life savings to Yaeger without a moment’s hesitation.

Yaeger accepted the chest graciously.

“I still need to sell some assets to liquidate the rest,” Kastina added.

“Don’t worry about that for now; we can deal with it later,” Yaeger reassured her.

Yaeger accessed her game interface, converting her savings into one hundred million worth of fresh banknotes before handing them to Kastina.

“Here’s the money for the materials,” Yaeger said.

As Kastina gazed at the crisp new banknotes, a laugh bubbled up within her.

“Why does it feel like you just pulled this straight from my treasury?” she joked.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I didn’t touch your little treasury,” Yaeger replied, rolling her eyes.

“Hehe, isn’t my money yours anyway?” Kastina teased with a smile. “And naturally, your money is mine too.”

“Heheh,” Yaeger chuckled softly in response.

On further thought, it was true—they practically shared all their finances. From their early partnership to co-owning an auction house, the topic of profit distribution had never come up.

It was a level of trust that bordered on unbelievable.

“By the way, Lil’ Hime, I have more good news for you! Want to hear it? I bet you really want to know!” Kastina said, laughing gleefully.

At that moment, Kastina’s laughter filled the room. It was as if she had been reminded of something delightful.

“What’s the good news?” Yaeger asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Hehe, remember the material you told me you really needed last time?” Kastina asked, placing her hands behind her back and flashing a radiant smile.

“Which material…?” Yaeger trailed off as inspiration struck. “Could it be [Night Lily]?”

[Night Lily] was the key ingredient she needed to craft the [Berserk Drug]. She had originally earned it as a reward for conquering the [Tower of Heroes]. Unfortunately, Richard had seized it from her. Yaeger had never been able to forget that incident.

“That’s right!” Kastina beamed, retrieving a small box from beneath the coffee table and holding it up. “Do you want it?”

“I definitely want it. But first, tell me—where did you get it?” Yaeger squinted slightly, suspicion creeping into her tone.

Night Lilies only grew in the perilous Darkwood Cliffs, an area teeming with Minotaurs. Acquiring them was no easy task. For a princess like Kastina, who lacked significant influence, obtaining such a rare material seemed almost impossible.

Could it be that…

“I took it from the Imperial treasury,” Kastina admitted casually.

‘As expected—she stole it!’ Yaeger facepalmed, sighing silently. ‘Thankfully, this material isn’t overly valuable. Richard likely wouldn’t bother investigating its disappearance.’

Her only concern was that Kastina might face punishment for her actions.

After some thought, however, Yaeger realized that the chances of this happening were slim. This was because the [Night Lily] was simply a reward for completing a floor. Rewards like this were likely among the least valuable items in the Imperial treasury.

Richard probably wouldn’t even remember its existence.

“I see. In that case, I’ll take it,” Yaeger said after a moment of consideration, extending her hand toward Kastina. However, Kastina didn’t hand over the box right away.

“Huh?” Yaeger raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“On one condition,” Kastina said, her gaze locking onto Yaeger.

“What’s the condition?” Yaeger asked, blinking in mild surprise.

“Well… that is… um… if you want the [Night Lily], you’ll have to duel me!” Kastina stammered, her face flushing red.

The closeness of their bond only made it harder for Kastina to voice her request.

“That’s it?” Yaeger asked, momentarily dazed.

“That’s it,” Kastina affirmed with a nod.

Before Kastina could say another word, Yaeger’s shadow extended, forming dozens of tendrils that ensnared her, delivering swift retribution. The room was soon filled with Kastina’s muffled, exaggerated yelps of protest as the punishment unfolded.

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