They don't want me to try anymore.

"immediately!"

Urged on by the girls, Richard and his party resumed their journey.

He had thought he could return to Saint Goethe safely.

However, at the airship's station, he encountered two more unexpected... yet somewhat expected people.

"So, Miss Luvia, what is this...?"

"On the way."

Luvia, now dressed in her nun's habit and wearing a mask again, replied, "I've taken leave and plan to go back to St. Goethe for a visit."

Ah, this unfolds exactly like the third simulation...

But it really looks deliberate!

And even with you around, why...

"Junior Richard, is this nun your friend?"

"Well, yes..."

Richard looked at Alice, who was also waiting at the station and smiling with her eyes narrowed, and was momentarily speechless.

Jingle Bell--!

Just then, the airship's start-up bell rang, and passengers got on and off in a noisy rush, making the group of young men and women seem unusually quiet in comparison.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: A Battlefield of Bloodshed, A Grand Serialized Novel! (Two Chapters Combined)

On the airship.

Inside the luxurious first-class cabin, which was as large as a living room, Richard, his two little girls, Alice, and Luvia sat around the table.

“It’s been a long time, Your Highness Alice. I’m Luvia. I’m dressed like this just to avoid attracting too much attention.”

Luvia gave a slight bow and took the initiative to reveal her identity.

"So it was you!"

As a princess of Vedan, Alice had met the Sword of the Empire at social events, so she returned the greeting warmly and asked, "Why are you going to Idaril?"

"I want to take a vacation and go back to St. Goethe to visit..."

Only ghosts believe you!

Despite her outward politeness, Alice's heart was in turmoil at this moment.

Richard's near-death experience in Nion during the last simulation terrified her, so as soon as the simulation ended, she immediately made plans to return to the Empire and secretly tried to inform the Empire that something bad was going to happen in Nion.

To her surprise, three days later, she saw in the newspaper that Richard and Luvia had worked together to save Nion.

So she asked the same question as Richard:

This unfolds differently from the simulation!

When she came all the way to intercept him and saw the renowned Imperial Sword standing beside her, her previous doubts were instantly replaced by intense vigilance!

She suddenly realized that this woman might have had ulterior motives towards Richard in the simulation.

No, even without considering the simulation, the fact that they deliberately followed up after the Nyon incident is already something that cannot be ignored!

That's right...

This guy's here to steal my man!

Seriously, aren't you ashamed at your age?

Thinking of this, Alice's smile became even gentler and friendlier.

Meanwhile, Luvia, on the other side, was not as calm as she appeared.

Compared to Alice's impression of her, she had a much deeper impression of Alice!

She had pursued Richard countless times, failing each time, but this Princess Vanderbilt managed to lure Richard into her trap twice!

This is an absolute formidable rival!

But I won't give up...

I have already taken my first solid step!

Luvia moved silently a little closer to Richard.

Seeing this, Alice was not to be outdone and tilted her body slightly.

The two women looked at each other.

Immediately, an invisible aura spread throughout the entire airship cabin, causing many passengers to subconsciously feel a chill down their spines.

Zoe and Katyusha, who were in the room, also felt uneasy.

Zoe wanted to say something, but both her warrior's instinct for danger and the stark contrast in their physiques told her a cruel truth: this was a battlefield she didn't yet have the confidence to step into!

But, damn it!

Is it because I'm too young and weak? I... I will definitely become stronger, you old women, just you wait...

Of course, the most painful thing is...

It has to be Richard, one of the two.

The humble prince trembled in fear...

But he dared not shake too much, otherwise his shoulders would crash into the organic shock absorbers on both sides, which were of different models but equally soft, causing even more trouble.

He sighed inwardly: Alas, I am truly a sinful man...

As for Luvia, needless to say, she was still bound by the heavy iron chains. Richard was afraid that she might get excited and think that what she learned from books was not enough, and wanted to put the knowledge in those two books into practice herself.

With such a huge piece of gold displayed here, no one can stop it!

But on the other hand, Richard also felt a little apprehensive about Alice.

This timidity stems primarily from guilt.

After all, in the simulation, he didn't treat the latter as a real person at all. Although the outcome was all for the other person's good, many of the questionable actions he took during the process were questionable...

Hard to do!

Fortunately, Veronica didn't come any closer, otherwise, given her pirate captain personality, they probably would have started fighting right now.

Richard was unaware that, at the very moment he was thinking this...

On an island thousands of miles away, a female captain sneezed.

Across from her, the slave market manager, seeing the knife at her neck tremble slightly with a sneeze, grew even more frightened and hurriedly asked, "Um, Captain Veronica, are you sick? I have some medicine here..."

"Stop talking nonsense. Either find that slave, or you'll have to take his head."

"He...he really doesn't! We have that giant right here, and a few sailors who are in debt..."

"Ok?"

Just as Veronica raised an eyebrow, about to demonstrate her knife skills, another subordinate rushed in, handing her an outdated newspaper from across the ocean. The headline on the front page was about the Nyon crisis…

Back on the airship on the old highway.

After a brief exchange of glances, Alice was slightly outmaneuvered.

It's not that she lacks charm or has a weak will; it's just that the emotions of a Gold-tier professional can truly influence the surrounding environment to a certain extent. They can turn cold or hot in an instant, or create static electricity as they please. In terms of sheer presence, they can't possibly lose to a Silver-tier professional.

In a way, this is the charm that comes with strength.

The princess pursed her cherry lips, changed her strategy, and took the initiative to strike up a conversation with a smile:

"I almost forgot, I also have to thank you for helping my junior in Nyon... Ah, if you don't mind, may I call you Senior Luvia?"

"Please make yourself at home, Your Highness."

"Hehe, then I'll call you that~ But speaking of which, you've been out of school for four or five years, but you still look almost exactly the same as when you were twenty. You've really taken good care of yourself~"

"..."

At first, Luvia's nerves, which had been with swords for so long, didn't react. It wasn't until she caught a glimpse of the young Richard out of the corner of her eye that she realized what was going on.

What does it mean to say "my junior"? Is it a declaration of sovereignty?

And the second half of that sentence, "four or five years ago, or twenty years ago," is he saying he's old?

Good, good, despicable Vatican people!

Although being in your twenties is indeed considered old in the empire's tradition of couples getting engaged in their teens, how could you...

Richard immediately understood the hidden meaning in Alice's words, but he didn't think much of it. In his mind, twenty-four or twenty-five was still young. In his previous life, he knew plenty of women in their thirties who were still unmarried.

But this didn't stop him from observing that Luvia's face was cold with a hint of red, and she seemed to be having some difficulty maintaining her composure...

That's right, the Sword of the Empire isn't good at arguing!

"Ah, I'm sorry, senior, that's not what I meant."

Unexpectedly, after Alice finished her attack, she also covered her mouth and exclaimed in surprise, changing her tune: "Senior, you don't need to worry. As long as a girl is charming enough and gentle and considerate enough, she will definitely meet a good match..."

Is she gentle and considerate?