It felt so good to be close to the witch!

Roy had a vague idea of ​​what Fuma meant by the deal: "Of course."

The moment the voice fell, the air behind Roy distorted and swirled, and a slender, translucent, azure-blue body appeared, quickly transforming into Ais's true form.

Her white hair, silver eyes, and deep purple dress appeared even more aloof amidst the radiant, icy blue magical light emanating from her.

Ais didn't speak, she just looked at Fuma quietly.

Under the watchful eyes of Roy and Ais, Fuma took a light breath and said, "After the Lost Ice Coffin is activated, I already have a dedicated expert to deal with the user of the Scales of Replacement. However, just to be on the safe side, we still need an expert to guard the Lost Ice Coffin. Therefore, I would like to ask the Ice Witch to guard the Lost Ice Coffin to protect me before the user of the Scales of Replacement is killed. To be precise, I want to ensure that the Lost Ice Coffin is not forcibly opened by external forces."

After hearing Fuma's words, Ais didn't say anything, but simply turned her gaze to Roy.

The meaning is clear: Roy is in charge of everything.

Seeing this, Fuma felt certain. During their last meeting, through careful observation of many details, she discovered that between Roy, who possessed Silver rank, and the Ice Witch, who possessed Grand rank, Roy, the weaker one, was actually the one in control.

Although it's unclear why, this is a good thing for Fuma. Because the "bargaining chips" she prepared are more important to Roy.

Looking at the silent Roy, Fuma said softly, "Lord Roy, why don't you hear my terms first?"

"Please speak." Roy's furrowed brows relaxed.

“A top-grade magic crystal, and a piece of intelligence.” Fuma held up two fingers.

"Top-grade magic crystals are natural magic polymers of higher quality than high-purity magic crystals. They can only be formed by magic vein points at the main vein level after a long period of deposition, making them extremely rare. This particular top-grade magic crystal was found for me by my father at great expense."

"The natural magic power within high-purity magic crystals has a very poor effect on Grand Witches after absorption. In the later stages, it can't even bring any increase in the upper limit of magic power. Only the natural magic power within top-tier magic crystals can continue to bring about an improvement. As for knights, top-tier magic crystals are also very effective, greatly improving the body's aura adaptability and significantly increasing the speed of breathing technique training."

"And the intelligence concerns the whereabouts of your father, Jess Turenbell."

Roy wasn't particularly concerned about the top-tier magic crystals Fuma had mentioned earlier. The entire Dark Purple Crystal Tree was composed of high-purity magic crystals, and Roy was quite confident that the core contained top-tier magic crystals.

He doesn't lack this type of magic crystal resource.

On the contrary, the intelligence made his pupils shrink.

"Jace...where is his father?!"

Roy didn't know much about the original owner's father, Jess Tulumbell.

Since his transmigration, the direct interactions between the two sides have been at most three: what he heard from Rami, the knight of divine punishment from the temple, the letter left by Jess Turenbell for the original owner, and the few words mentioned in the letter from the border duke to him.

To Roy, Jess Tulumber was more like a pale "background figure" who only existed in the introduction.

However, it is undeniable that Jess Tulumber is the biological father of this body, and he has been exceptionally kind to the original owner, leaving him with all his land, title, breathing techniques, equipment, and more.

Under such circumstances, having received the favor from the original owner's father, Roy would certainly repay it as much as possible within his capabilities.

“Yes, information about Jess Tulumbell.” Fuma nodded slightly. “He is special. In the revelation of the stars, he seems to be a very important node, so I paid special attention to him. Unfortunately, my talent development level and magic power are too low to see the specifics. However, I did see the approximate location he went to when he left the border.”

"..."

Roy was silent.

According to his initial plan, he did not intend to get involved in outside affairs in the short term.

He and the witches are currently in a period of rapid growth in strength, with noticeable progress every day.

But now, Fuma has offered a top-tier magic crystal and information about her "original father" as payment...

After thinking for a long time, Roy looked at Fuma and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness Fuma, there are some things I need to ask about beforehand."

“Please speak,” Fuma said, a slight relief spreading through her. Roy hadn't directly refused; instead, he inquired about the matter, indicating that a deal was possible.

"How strong is the enemy?"

"What exactly is the level of strength of the 'specialized experts' you just mentioned?"

"When does it begin?"

Upon hearing these three questions, Fuma answered them seriously:

"According to my estimation, the user of the Balance of Power is probably at the level of a weak legend."

"And on my side, it's Mr. Andrew, the 'Legendary Knight of the Flame Sword.' He's a Legendary One-Star with a wealth of combat experience, and he'll definitely be able to kill the user of the Scales of Replacement in the end."

"But he's only one person, and he can't guarantee that he can cover everything during the battle. So, I need a strong person to guard the Lost Ice Coffin to prevent other enemies from forcibly opening it from the outside."

"By the way, I also have a longsword that contains the power of three attacks at full strength from a legendary one-star level. If you agree to the trade, you can have this longsword with you."

"I'm not sure about the exact start time either. The Lost Ice Coffin is currently charging in the magic pulse space beneath Star Lake. When it will start depends on when it finishes charging. My initial estimate is that it will be two days later."

"By the way, Mr. Andrew has signed a blood pact with me and will never reveal any information about you to anyone. You can rest assured about that."

“Weak Legendary, Flame Sword Legendary One-Star Andrew, two days later…” Roy said with slight doubt, “So, just to guard against potential threats, you’re willing to pay the price of top-tier magic crystals and intelligence in exchange for our help?”

"Miss Ice Witch is extremely strong, far exceeding the peak of the Gold rank. In my opinion, she is not much weaker than a weak Legendary. With her taking action, she can handle most of the risks."

"My time is running out, and I only have one chance to try. To ensure success, I must do my best within my capabilities. Top-tier magic crystals are precious, but once I survive this destined calamity, what do they matter?"

Fuma spoke her last sentence with great confidence.

Even Roy wouldn't find Fuma's words arrogant, because for a super genius girl who was exposed to breathing techniques at the age of six and reached the peak of the Gold level at the age of ten, once the constraints of the "Displacement Scales" were removed, legend would be far from her end.

Legendary one-star, two-star, three-star, peak, and even the supreme realm beyond legend that only exists in legends...

Roy believed that if it weren't for the "balance shift," Fuma, who was now nearly fifteen years old, would definitely be a legendary knight!

“Okay, we agree to the deal.” After a moment’s thought, Roy nodded and said, “But there’s one thing I need to make clear to you beforehand.”

"Our mission in this transaction is simply to protect the Lost Ice Coffin and deal with other enemies below the Legendary level. If any Legendary enemy attacks, we have the right to abandon our mission and leave."

Roy was very clear-headed.

Although Ais's strength has increased, she is unlikely to be a match for a true legendary knight.

While Roy might regret losing things like Fuma and the Lost Ice Coffin, nothing is as important as the witch by his side.

“I understand.” Fuma’s expression remained unchanged. If she were Roy, she would have made the same choice. After all, in the end, the relationship between the two parties was just a transaction of interests. “To show your sincerity, please accept this top-grade magic crystal first. If it can help Miss Ice Witch improve her strength, that would be even better.”

A flash of light appeared in Fuma's spatial ring, and a round, gem-shaped crystal, entirely purple in color, appeared in her hand. She then handed it to Roy.

Compared to high-purity magic crystals, top-grade magic crystals have a deeper and more restrained color, giving one a sense of gazing directly at the vast starry sky.

Roy reached out and took the top-grade magic crystal. The moment he touched it, he felt his fighting spirit become more active, and the magical particles in the surrounding environment automatically gathered towards him.

Is this why top-tier magic crystals can improve a knight's aura adaptability and greatly increase the speed of breathing technique training...? Roy thought to himself.

Of course, this applies to ordinary knights.

For Roy, the effect of top-tier magic crystals in accelerating the cultivation of breathing techniques is far less than that of silver-grade energy. As for improving his battle aura adaptability... well, he doesn't even know where the limit of his battle aura adaptability lies yet.

Roy didn't immediately ask about the original owner's father, Jess Turenbell. Fuma's intention in giving up the top-tier magic crystal was clear: she planned to reveal this information only after the transaction was truly completed.

After all, in terms of the transaction itself, Roy hasn't given anything in return; the other party offered top-tier magic crystals first. That's already quite generous.

"Princess Fuma, please wait here for a moment. Ais, could you please stay here with Princess Fuma for a moment? I'll be right back." Roy bowed slightly to Fuma and turned to leave.

Fuma didn't react much to Roy's departure.

She wasn't afraid that Roy would swallow the top-tier magic crystal and run away. For some reason, she always felt that the top-tier magic crystal, which was a rare treasure in the eyes of the world, seemed to be nothing in this man's eyes. If it weren't for the information from his father, Jess Tulumbel, the other party wouldn't even have agreed to this deal.

Despite being merely a lord of Silver rank, Roy appeared exceptionally mysterious to her, making her want to investigate him.

Shaking her head slightly to suppress the inexplicable thoughts in her mind, Fuma turned her gaze to the Ice Witch, who resembled an ice sprite: "Is your name Ais? Ice Witch feels too formal. May I call you Miss Ais?"

Ais nodded without saying anything.

Although Roy and Fuma had signed a blood pact, Ais always harbored some wariness towards the daughter of the border duke.

Although she was protected by her father and elder brother and had basically never been exposed to the dark side of the world, as a noblewoman, Fuma had developed a considerable ability to read people's expressions and demeanor. From Ais's behavior, she sensed that Ais was being slightly distant from her.

Fuma wasn't surprised by this, since the two had only met twice, which was quite normal.

However, in this situation, it is not appropriate to continue the conversation.

If the favorability doesn't improve but instead decreases, it would be a loss.

Is she a witch from the Witch Guild?

In the silence, a ripple of emotion stirred within Ais.

Previously, she had "lied" to Mr. Andrew, saying that she had made a deal with the Witches.

The reason she said this was because, in her understanding, the A-level forbidden item - the Lost Ice Coffin - was taken away by Cecilia, the Moonlight Great Witch of the Witch Guild. At present, the Moonlight Great Witch's whereabouts are unknown, but the Lost Ice Coffin was taken from Roy's hands, which proves that Roy has a very deep connection with the Witch Guild.

As for the Ice Witch Ais, although she was just an unorganized wandering witch in the recent intelligence, the Witches' Guild is mysterious, so it is normal that the Duke's intelligence organization has not collected relevant information. Her Grand rank strength must have been achieved after she joined the Witches' Guild and learned the methods of witch training.

At this thought, a faint sense of envy welled up in Fuma's heart.

If possible, she would also like to cultivate magic.

Although witches are hated by the world, it is undeniable that knights are far from being a match for witches of the same level. This is a natural and unbreakable gap in power between martial arts and magic, unless one is a freak who has mastered all three qualities, such as the Flame Breathing Technique.

Unfortunately, even her father, the Border Duke, could not achieve this, and it is virtually impossible for anyone in the Radiant Empire to do so.

Due to special circumstances, Fuma also possessed a first-tier rune portion of the "Basic Meditation Method," but unfortunately, her situation did not allow her to cultivate magic.

The stronger the magic, the more pollution it generates, and the more life force is needed to resist it. As a result, it is impossible for her to cultivate knightly battle aura.

It just goes to show that you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Fuma thought to herself with a touch of melancholy.

For some reason, Fuma felt very comfortable with the magical aura emanating from the Ice Witch Ais.

Over the years, she has come into contact with many witches, but the aura emanating from each of them makes her subconsciously unwilling to get close.

But Ais was different; she gave people a feeling as gentle as a spring breeze, so pleasant that Fuma even wanted to close her eyes and take a nap.

"Tap..."

Footsteps approached from afar, quickly bringing Fuma back to her senses.

She shook her head.

What's wrong with me? Is it because the day that will decide my fate is getting closer, that I'm becoming so sentimental?

Looking up at the entrance to the courtyard, Fuma saw that Roy, who had left earlier, had returned. Of course, that wasn't the main point. What surprised Fuma was that a completely black crow with a single tuft of hair on its head was perched on Roy's shoulder. Its bright red eyes gave it a silly, cute, yet inexplicably fierce look.

Meeting Fuma's slightly questioning gaze, Roy smiled and said, "Your Highness Fuma, this is the summon of another witch by my side, Shadow Raven Ada. You can take it with you. It can transmit the scenes it sees back to you. Once the Lost Ice Coffin is fully charged, we will appear as soon as possible to protect you."

"It will be a bridge for rapid communication between us."

"Before you officially activate the Lost Ice Coffin, we need to make some preparations and improve our strength as much as possible."

The aura emanating from Shadow Raven Ada was only at the initial Silver level and posed no danger, so Fuma allowed it to fly to her shoulder and land.

She looked curiously at the Shadow Raven on her shoulder: "This is... a shadow creature?"