The hero's gender is yet to be determined after rebirth.

"What's so fun about this?" Kurara almost sighed. Instead of learning anything serious, they were learning this kind of nonsense.

"How exciting! Couples sometimes have a lot of fun when they have to dress up in disguise!" the Queen whispered to Kurara.

"...Mother, what are you saying?" Kurara blinked, not understanding.

"Oh dear, you're such a grown woman, didn't your mentor teach you this? Maybe they haven't even started the course yet?" the Queen whispered to Kurara. "Why don't you stay home for a few days, and I'll secretly tell you how to make life more interesting and how to keep your marriage as fresh as newlyweds?"

"What lesson?" Kurara didn't react for a moment. "Maintaining a Newlywed Status?"

"Hehe, your father and I have even played the roles of hero and slave girl, hero and succubus, hero and elven archer, hero and..."

Kurara was still confused, thinking the couple were playing a role-playing game: "Wait, why does Father always play the hero?"

"He uses a sword, so naturally the highest professional recognition is that of a swordsman who has reached the level of a hero." The queen chuckled and pulled her daughter's arm, talking about some gossip. "Sometimes when your father gets excited, he likes to shout that he's a swordsman and is going to stab someone!"

Kurara was stunned for a moment: "...I didn't expect my father to have an idol worship side."

“You really don’t understand? Your boyfriend’s already here, you need to know about these things…” The Queen, seeing her daughter’s reaction, knew that her daughter, who had never experienced anything between men and women, still didn’t understand what her mother was talking about, so she reminded her again: “Mother, when I play various female roles, your father is very happy! For example, when I play a female slave, he will let me do it like before. When I play an elf, he will shout that as a holy elf born of the forest, how can I bear such a sinful burden…”

Kurala finally realized what was happening, her face flushed red, and she flung her mother away, taking a few quick steps: "Oh dear, Mother, what nonsense are you talking about..."

"Slow down, don't let Lorenve see you!" The Queen quickly caught up.

The two dismissed the guards who had come over, while following Lorenwei from a distance, but not daring to get too close.

Soon, the Queen spotted Lorenve in the distance, surprised, and asked, "Wait, what is Lorenve doing?"

Kurala saw it from afar and was completely dumbfounded.

It has to be said that Lorenwei's smile when she turned around startled even Kurala.

The blue-haired girl under the moonlight certainly possessed a captivating and alluring charm.

Kula pouted. Why hadn't she ever flirted with her like that before?

The princess hadn't even considered that Lorenve, dressed as a woman, hadn't had a chance to use her powers on her yet...

"As expected of a Seville," the Queen chuckled. "She's quite the charmer!"

"This guy... he's always stirring things up!" Kurara stomped her foot.

I know you, Lorenwei, wouldn't be interested in a mere guard, but you're always stirring up trouble, actually coming to the Percy Palace to flirt with men? I'll deal with you when I get back!

Having flirted with the guards, Lorenwei, unaware that she had offended the princess, continued on her way to find the king without any remorse.

Once inside the council chamber, Lorenwei confirmed the method the intruders had used to break through the defensive magic. He could tell that the method they employed was one of the magic control techniques they had begun researching in recent years.

"My wife's family's defenses are a bit problematic; they're too outdated. No wonder someone tampered with them. Luckily, I discovered it; consider it a contribution to my wife's family's security system." As an infiltrator, Lorenwei felt no shame but rather pride, constantly observing the flaws in the magical barrier and pondering how to improve it.

Although Jansen and Aisser lived in seclusion, they remained keenly interested in various magical researches across the continent. In particular, they regularly visited the Magic Association to retrieve documents and collect compiled magical research findings. The Magic Research Association was also happy to have such experts help refine and review new techniques and methods of magical use.

The Black Robe Organization and the Fate Empire are indeed colluding. The Black Robe members were able to successfully infiltrate this time largely because they used magical defenses to break through, and their stealth techniques enabled them to infiltrate the Percy Palace.

The royal palace of the Posi Empire had been peaceful for too long, and its defenses had become somewhat lax. Although the situation with the Fate Empire was tense, there had been no war, and no precedent for infiltration had occurred for a long time. Its defensive measures were lagging behind royal standards, especially in terms of the advancements in magical elemental control techniques of recent years.

Objectively speaking, if the mysterious organization and the great empire are in cahoots, the advancements in many magical technologies far exceed the capabilities of a small country like the Grand Duchy to counter them. Currently, although the king has many guards, he is at a significant disadvantage due to being caught off guard by a calculated attack.

“There are too many flaws, I need to write them down.” Lorenwei occasionally took out a notebook from her spatial ring and noted down some problems with the setup of the mechanisms.

Because she was so engrossed in studying how magic had been broken, and even pondering how to improve it to prevent it from being broken in the same way again, Lorenwei didn't notice that she was being followed. Of course, this also included the fact that the Queen and Kurara were both cautious and quite capable.

From a distance, Kurara and Her Majesty the Queen watched as she took notes, feeling utterly bewildered.

The Queen wondered, "What is she recording?"

Kurara frowned and guessed, "A map?"

The Queen chuckled: "That makes sense, it seems like she's going in circles."

Kula vaguely remembered that Lorenve seemed to get lost in places without road signs, but awkwardly covered it up for her: "Uh... it seems like she has that habit."

"But can't you just go straight to the Council Hall?"

Kurara thought for a moment: "To avoid magic alarms and barrier traps, she sometimes deviates from the direction, which might cause her to get lost, right? But luckily, she's heading in the right direction."

Lorenwei is indeed terrible with directions. Even though she had pinpointed the location of the Council Hall from a high vantage point, she still wandered around in circles before finally finding her way there. This was also the reason why the Queen and Kurara almost lost her.

Just then, the midnight bells rang.

The Queen watched Lorenve's actions and said, "It's past midnight, your father should rest. If she doesn't go in soon, your father will come out."

Kurara frowned slightly: "I hope she's not mistaken for an assassin. Mother, have you given any instructions to the guards?"

"How can she possibly manage so many people?" The Queen rolled her eyes, but quickly laughed again. "Oh? This is no problem for her. Look, she has a solution."

From afar, Kurara saw Lorenve walk into the tea room as a maid and, in front of several maids, legitimately take away a plate of tea and snacks.

As a princess, this was a scene she never saw before, but the security was not good. Kurara took a breath: "...I think the security measures of our palace are inadequate."

The Queen covered her face: "From now on, we need to remind the maids—no, we need to strengthen their discipline! They can't let strangers take their plates; what if they poison them…"

Lorenwei also found it easy. Humming a little tune, she walked through the inner hall of the council chamber but did not see the king, so she went to the rear office hall.

Meanwhile, inside the council chamber, the strange dwarf appeared before the king and the chief guard.

This is the king's territory. The appearance of an unidentified person here, and their rude remarks, must mean they are an enemy, not a friend.

The captain of the guards' shouts went unanswered; there was no sound of guards rushing around. Clearly, the office was under a spell, preventing any sound from carrying outside.

"Who are you?" a servant who was with the king and had not left shouted.

The old King Percy remained silent, quite composed, one hand resting on the royal sword at his waist, the other stroking his gray beard.

The head guard answered first: "Your Majesty, he is the puppet protector of the Black Robe Organization! He is a figure of equal rank to the Mist Protector and the Shadow Protector, and holds a pivotal position within the Black Robe! His strength is estimated to be close to that of a Magister, but because he possesses a secret technique to control people and turn them into puppets, his threat should not be underestimated!"

He maintained a solemn sword-wielding posture, his entire body radiating energy, ready to face his enemy at his strongest.

"Hehe, how rare, you actually recognize me? It seems the Grand Duchy of Percy values ​​us Black Robes quite a bit." The puppet protector's thin, withered body trembled slightly, as if in a spasm, and his voice was strange and distorted.

"..." The head guard did not respond.

Since news broke that Princess Kurara had nearly been abducted by the Black Robes, the Grand Duchy of Posey has placed great importance on the Black Robes organization, secretly gathering considerable intelligence. As the head of the guard, I naturally take this matter to heart, treating it as a significant security incident in recent years.

He collected information on some of the Black Robe Organization's top members, sending it not only to the princess's guards at the academy but also to the palace guards and mages. This is a key reason why the old archmage, who knew the Shadow Guardian long ago, could still recognize him immediately after so many years.

However, the three bodyguards on duty today all fell under the puppet protector's spell. Judging from their behavior, they were being controlled by him like puppets. The abnormality in their footsteps was a sign of a slight flaw in the puppet's movements.

At this moment, the three puppet guards silently drew their swords from their waists.

The three guards were all top-level sword masters, and their killing intent immediately filled the room.

In the next instant, they moved swiftly, and the head guard brandished his sword, repelling the attack of three guards with a few clangs.

However, the official near the king cried out as one of the guards slashed his neck from the side with his sword.

The chief guard was focused entirely on protecting His Majesty the King and couldn't attend to so many other matters. However, he also noticed that due to the puppet control, his subordinates' strength had been greatly reduced, to only about 60-70% of their original strength. Otherwise, he would have faced an even greater threat from the simultaneous attack of three people.

The officer clutched his neck, but couldn't stop the deep cut. As blood spurted out, he collapsed helplessly to the ground, his robe quickly becoming stained crimson.

He would die from excessive blood loss in just a dozen breaths.

The king frowned, immediately took out a healing scroll, and bent down to apply it to the official's neck.

The official looked at His Majesty with gratitude, but he quickly fainted due to excessive blood loss.

Fortunately, a faint healing light appeared, and the injury was temporarily brought under control.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect the King of the Grand Duchy of Posey to be so considerate of his subordinates?" the puppet protector chuckled. "But facing a powerful enemy, wasting a scroll to save an official—should I call that considerate or just stupid?"

The chief guard, sword held horizontally, stepped back two paces to block the king's path, his gaze fixed on the enemy. "Your Majesty," he said, "please do not waste resources! Every scroll increases our chances of holding out until victory. Every one of us is willing to die for Your Majesty; the king's safety is our top priority!"

The head guard considered: It was past midnight. If His Majesty the King hadn't gone back to rest, not only would the patrols be on alert, but even Her Majesty the Queen would come to persuade him to rest. If they couldn't break out, they could simply wait for reinforcements. The King and he themselves carried plenty of treasures; they could hold out for a while!

"Oh my, such loyalty is truly admirable!" The puppet protector chuckled wickedly, clapping his long, thin hands. "The unity of ruler and subject, what a moving spectacle! But... why don't you escape?"

The king and the chief guard did not answer, but quietly observed the condition of the three puppet guards.

They were all composed individuals and did not attempt to venture into the deeper corridors. The fact that the other party appeared with such confidence suggested they were fully prepared, and they might even have secretly laid some magical traps along the way.

"Huh???" Just then, the puppet protector suddenly widened his eyes and stared straight at the corridor not far behind the head guard: "Who, who are you? Where did you come from?!"

He was astonished, staring at the shadowy corner of the magic crystal lampstand at the end of the corridor, as if he had seen something unexpected.

"Don't try to fool me!" The captain of the guard refused to turn around.

The king also thought this was a trick to coax them back.

Lorenwei's weak voice came from behind her, from a corner of the corridor in the distance: "I... I'm just a tea server..."

Chapter 176 Lorenwei: You guys keep fighting. I'll just drink tea, eat snacks, and watch the show...

Meilan, half asleep, got up in the middle of the night and vaguely saw someone at the window.

"Who is it? Hey? Siruf, the washroom isn't over there." Melanie muttered to herself and went ahead.

When she returned, she saw that Sylph was still leaning on the windowsill, gazing into the distance, seemingly doing something.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Meilan asked curiously.

"I can't sleep," Silph said softly, resting her chin on her arm and leaning against the windowpane, her voice trembling.

"Huh? What's wrong? Who bullied you? I'll go beat them up!" Meilan immediately came over, standing up for you with great loyalty.

Sylph's gaze remained fixed on the night outside the window: "Melan, have you ever loved someone?"

"Oh? Of course! I like a lot of people: you, Kurara, Lorenwei, my grandma and grandpa, the candy seller at the village entrance, the auntie at school who gives me extra food..."

Sylph chuckled softly twice: "No, I mean the kind I like the most, the kind I'd be happy to spend my whole life with."

Meilan readily agreed, "Lorenwei! She can cook incredibly delicious food, she's beautiful, knows how to take care of people, and she's good at making money. I'd like to spend my whole life with her!"

“…” Sylph turned her face to look at Melanie, whose expression was completely undisguised and who wasn’t even blushing, and couldn’t help but sigh, “You’re making it even harder for me to sleep…”

Meilan looked puzzled: "What's wrong?"

"..." Sylph looked at Melanie with her emerald eyes, feeling that this girl was even more... than she was when she lost her memory.

Is she naive, or heartless? Or perhaps she's from a rural area in the north and doesn't mind that her boyfriend likes other girls?

Sylph even began to doubt herself. Could it be that the elves' views on love were really lagging behind those of humans? Although she knew that humans had a tradition of polygamy, she still felt uncomfortable! Especially now that Lorenve had gone to Lakula to go home, even though she had a good relationship with Lakula, she still felt very unhappy. The thought of the person she liked going to see another girl made her unable to sleep.

Huh? It seems like I used to often have trouble sleeping at night? Sylph patted her head, still unable to remember, but she vaguely felt that the impression was real.

She didn't know if it was because she missed Lorenvie's past life, or because she was also unable to sleep like tonight due to her infidelity in her previous life. If it was the latter, this guy really deserved a beating! Sylph sulked.

"Oh dear, it's really hard to keep things bottled up." Melan comforted Sylph by putting her arm around her shoulder and saying with a smile, "My grandma always thought I had a secret and advised me that it was hard to keep it to myself. I feel much better after I told her."