T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 673, Section 672: Don't Mess with the Jailer
Brendan is a politically astute man. Despite openly revealing his status as a confidant of Kurion, he has managed to integrate himself with the traditional aristocratic forces, which speaks volumes about his abilities.

Yet, this very person seemed somewhat troubled upon hearing that he needed to negotiate with the various races in the forest.

The tetragonal structure is unsolvable, so what is there to hesitate about?
Hasn't the "legacy" he left behind after his arrival already prompted the parties along the border to put aside their past grievances and begin to cooperate?

“That’s true, but it depends on the power structure,” Brendan said. “I believe the Fallen Star Sea and the Leaf Elves won’t hesitate. After all, the Empire’s Great Expansion didn’t involve excessive invasions of the south, nor could they grow gills to go to sea and occupy land. But we have indeed expanded our territory to the northwest.”

Although the four primordial entities often remain silent within the boundary between the real and the virtual, this does not mean that they are slow-witted.

He often understands things very quickly.

At that moment, he immediately understood Brendan's subtext.

It's obvious to anyone with eyes to see that Emperor Kurien is sparing no effort in paving the way for the next ruler of Anna.

Even if His Majesty remains in good health, he can only hold power for a maximum of ten more years? Or at most twenty years.

He must have hoped to complete a smooth transfer of power before his death in order to ensure the stability of various factions within the country and avoid turmoil.

Throughout Anna's history, dramatic changes triggered by sudden shifts in the ruling style of monarchs have been commonplace.

Kurien's father conceived the idea of ​​pausing the long era of pioneering and initiated a basic public mobilization.

Upon taking over, Kurien officially halted the expansion.

So, what will happen after Prince Sloan ascends to the throne? What will his policies be?

Deep within the forest, the various races that resolutely oppose the empire are almost all long-lived, with an average lifespan exceeding 300 years.

They witnessed or even personally experienced at least six Anna kings after they came of age.

Kurien's father and he himself were just a few ripples in the long river of memories of these immortal beings that they could call "relatively wise".

Those tribal elders who had witnessed or even personally experienced the conquests and policy sweeps of the old imperial era always maintained the highest level of vigilance and the most cautious wait-and-see attitude towards any new Anar monarch.

The people who have tasted the bitterness of political demise and the loss of their people are not the people of Anna, but those whom Anna refers to as "foreigners".

“They are now willing to communicate and trade with Fort Kekri because I am here, and also because you were here,” Brendan said. “The immortals only recognize people.”

This is the unique trust system of the immortal species.

They tend to recognize specific individuals rather than empty promises or fickle systems.

The vast sea of ​​past events could not stir up any waves.

In the long course of their lives, only another life can become the anchor point in their memories.

The Primarch instantly understood the behavior of the various forest races because he had seen Elerave with his own eyes.

If we take the "affinity" system in the game as an example, Tina single-handedly raised the initial affinity of the Hagi Dragons towards the human race from a cold "0" to a friendly "60".

This directly influenced Arela's initial attitude towards them after the arrival of the boundary between the real and the virtual.

For immortal beings, vibrant lives with extraordinary personal charisma are the "food" they need to slow down spiritual decay and maintain their connection with the world.

As for the rules and regulations established for short-lived species?
Most of them don't even live a fraction of their lifespan; they're just fleeting, inanimate objects. What's there to care about?
Brendan patted the Primarch on the shoulder and said frankly, "I personally have not had much contact with Prince Sloan, but I know that he is generally regarded as a kind and honest man."

"But the problem is... none of the tribes in the forest even know that Prince Sloan is a 'kind man,' let alone trust him."

After a moment's thought, the Tetra-Primordial said, "Make arrangements for me. I want to talk to them all tomorrow."

This is not difficult. Ever since the various tribes in the forest realized that Brendan had no bad deeds other than singing and dancing, they have established a trading post similar to a diplomatic residence in Kekri Fortress.

This was the first time in centuries of conflict that such a conflict had occurred, marking a significant milestone.

Brendan never considered this an achievement.

Previously, he only wanted to complete Kurien's mission as soon as possible, receive the reward, and revive his family.

He now realizes that he can no longer leave the Kekri Fortress.

His fate was not only closely linked to this land, but also to the neighboring ethnic groups.

Only death can end all of this.

From the perspective of the Empire's long-term interests, Brendan felt it was necessary for him to take care of his health and strengthen his body.

Living one more day is a responsibility to the Ana people in the northwest of the empire.

Through the trade fair's connections, the following afternoon, the six most influential tribes in the forests bordering northwestern Anna sent their elders.

As a figure with considerable influence, the Four Primal Bodies naturally received unanimous approval from the elders.

However, when they heard the invitation to "hold formal multilateral talks," unsurprisingly, their faces all showed their usual scrutinizing, distant expressions.

Rather than relying on a paper consensus that might be reached through negotiations and could be overturned by future generations, these elders prefer to trust their own judgment based on their long experience and continue their tradition of "recognizing people."

Ultimately, what influenced their decision was a timely remark made by the Tetra Prime.

"This might be... your last chance to see King Kurion in person. Even if it's just with the thought that 'seeing is believing,' it's worth it to witness the emperor who has influenced the landscape of Anna and even the entire continent, isn't it?"

This is essentially equivalent to saying, "Kurion is dying of old age, so seeing him one last time is worth the price of admission."

Anyway, Brendan wouldn't dare say it; only a Primarch could bring it up.

"Alright, where should we choose for the consultations?"

"The Sea of ​​Fallen Stars".

As soon as the words were spoken, the elders from all the tribes widened their eyes in surprise.

As forest dwellers, many of them have never seen the sea in their lives.

Interestingly, whether it was the Leaf Elves in the south, the various forest races in the northwest, or even the Anna Empire itself, which nearly broke out into a war with the Fallen Star Sea half a year ago, none of them had any objection to holding such an important meeting place within the territory of the Fallen Star Sea.

Simply put, looking across the entire Ana Continent, the royal court of the Fallen Star Siren, due to its superior geographical location and the outstanding reputation of Queen Mirrorheart, has become a neutral location acceptable to all parties.

Jingxin's combat strength is unparalleled in Anna, and both long-lived and short-lived races hold a simple sense of awe towards her.

The Ana Empire, which made her willing to start a continental war to seek justice, and the nobles who caused such a huge disaster, are worthy of being written about in great detail by historians and nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

"The Four Primal Bodies, there are some things we need to say upfront," an elder said earnestly. "Our participation has little to do with Anna, the Decaying Leaf, or the Fallen Star Sea; it's simply because you are the ones who extended the invitation."

"Please understand if the talks ultimately fail to achieve any substantial progress."

Another elder added, his words carrying the calmness and straightforwardness characteristic of the immortal race.

The four primates embraced the elders one by one—a gesture often used by forest species to express intimacy and goodwill.

He never imagined that the courage to hold a knife to his own neck after landing would actually earn him a huge amount of face.

Just by using facial recognition, the alliance of tribes in the Northwest Forest, which had been a headache for the Empire for hundreds of years, was able to set off.

"If Nong Ya could come down here, bringing her to stay for a while might be a good idea?"

…… ……

Although he had been mentally prepared for the talks to come to fruition, when news of the swift and positive responses from all parties reached the capital, Kurien, while pleased, couldn't help but feel a little wistful and emotional.

The group at the boundary between the virtual and the real world has gone from mysteriously appearing to being famous throughout Anna. They can quickly open up key links in various regions simply by "scanning their faces," all in just three and a half years.

Even taking into account the presence of the powerful dragon Elerave, their very existence and mobility are nothing short of miraculous.

What he had longed to promote his entire life, yet faced numerous obstacles and seemed impossible to achieve, was actually facilitated by a group of young people in an almost effortless manner...

"Ugh……"

Wick comforted him, "Look on the bright side, at least you can finally sit down and talk with everyone in Anna."

"Hopefully... this meeting will ultimately yield some tangible results."

Kurien's tone was filled with anticipation, but also with a hint of barely perceptible worry.

The boundary between the real and virtual elements only covers facilitating the talks, not the outcome.

The construction progress of the mansion that Jiang Heyi mentioned is already close to 80%.

The only thing missing before we move in is the interior decoration.

The high value of having Elaine personally supervise the construction.

Recently, her duties have also become purchasing, spending her days selecting suitable furniture in various city-states of the empire and transporting it to the jailer's residence in Fragrant Breeze City.

Loaded onto the truck on the spot, it transforms into a giant dragon and is transported to its new home.

As absolute outsiders and almost neutral entities in Anna, they were determined to leave without a trace.

They were like a group of messengers who appeared with a special mission, and after completing all their work, they chose to retire to the mountains.

Kurien specifically sought out the location of the new jailer's manor.

In the southwest of the empire, deep in a primeval forest.

The best way to get there is by taking a private car from Elaevi.

A mighty dragon transforming into a dragon chariot has only happened twice in history.

One was the legendary potion master Tina.

The second is the boundary between the real and virtual.

"Sloan has been inseparable from that spirit named Alna lately... well, practically inseparable?" Kurien carefully chose his words, a subtle, indescribable expression on his face. "They seem unusually close?"

“It’s more than just intimacy,” Wick said with the knowing tone of someone who’s been there. “It’s just like when you first met her when you were young—awkward, naive, wanting to get close but not daring to be too obvious, yet your eyes don’t lie.”

Tsk.

Kurien didn't bother to look at the expression on Wick's face.

"You peeked?"

Wick retorted confidently, "Isn't it wrong to care about children?"

Kurien knew very little about Alna.

From the fragmented descriptions of the boundary between reality and illusion, he learned that the mage was highly skilled in necromancy, capable of temporarily separating the spirit from the body to move freely. His research seemed to focus on some kind of "spirit-body swapping" technique.

Upon hearing the term "body swap," Kurion and Wick simultaneously showed expressions of relief.

At the Mage Tower, this is not a groundbreaking topic.

Many masters, in their later years, begin to fund research by talented young scholars.

Many up-and-coming puppeteers have long set their sights on this path that may lead to "immortality".

Young people play around quite a bit, their spiritual forms are all slick and cuddly, while their physical bodies hide away and sleep soundly.

It blends in with the boundaries between reality and virtuality, and has undergone rigorous selection by Jingxin, so its composition is beyond doubt.

Sloan has the ability to negotiate with them, which would be beneficial to the Empire.

"Speaking of ability, I'm reminded of something that happened last night."

"Oh?" Kurien's interest was piqued. "About whom?"

"Glian family."

Kurien suddenly raised his head, his eyes sharpening.

“Rene,” Wick reported succinctly, “has been confirmed missing. She hasn’t returned to the Star Speakers Academy, nor has she made any contact with the Grelian family. She’s simply vanished without a trace.”

Kurien was silent for a moment, then a hearty, even somewhat unrestrained, laugh echoed in the study.

He was well aware, of course, that Renee was probably traveling around with Mint, whom the boundary between the virtual and real worlds jokingly called "Mom," and was essentially part of the boundary's circle.

However, the Grelian family was completely unaware of this.

Even now, Renee is approaching the boundary between reality and illusion, merely to "ravage" or "subdue" each of them magically, in order to prove the superiority of the Grelian family.

They had no idea that Renee had already embarked on a completely different path right under their noses and had actively severed all ties with her family.

The oblivious Gregorian family naturally went to question the jailer.

The jailer was quite outspoken.

The answer is no. There are tons of erotic pictures, but he has never drawn any erotic pictures of Renee.

If the Grion family really wanted to find Renee here, he could only draw a portrait on the spot and let them take it back.

Don't provoke the jailer; you can never predict what outrageous things he might say.

Grian almost started a fight at the jailer's mansion, and Jiang Heyi and the others didn't even need to intervene.

He looked at the male magicians present at the event and calmly stated that whoever made the move would have their obscene images circulating on the streets tomorrow.

Taboo: Do ​​not provoke artists from the underworld.

They can bear the disgust and paint you all over the streets.

For the first time, the Grion family felt the malice from the other side of the world. Their eyes were filled with nothing but awe as they looked at the jailer. They left with a swagger, afraid that if they were a second too slow, the jailer would imprint their image on the canvas and make them famous overnight.

Jiang Heyi sighed.

“I admire you. In Anna, you are freer than all of us.”

"Want to learn? I'll teach you!" the jailer exclaimed excitedly, licking his lips. "Let's all have a good time!"

(End of this chapter)