Today, they too are going to their deaths.

Cui Xun felt that this man named Charlemagne might really consider him one of his own, as he dared to say almost anything.

"The biggest dilemma facing the royal family right now is the issue of extinction. We can still mate and have children, but we cannot give birth to children who are born with the talent of the Oath. Even if other children can master a rudimentary power of the Oath through training, no one can replace Her Majesty the Queen and at most inherit the title of monarch of the Kingdom of Albion."

"The attempt to dismantle the ten crowns failed, the attempt to extract the blood of the oath failed, and the attempt to construct a national defense array with railways failed."

"The prince and the royal guards failed to find a way out in other dimensions and instead became lost in unknown lands; the invincible fleet, in its attempt to seize the Fountain of Youth, fought against sea monsters but suffered heavy losses, and the Fountain of Youth could only temporarily prolong Her Majesty's life; the former great alchemist, loyal to the royal family, suffered a backlash and died while forging the Philosopher's Stone..."

"Now, in order to explore the method of molting, the royal family has even allowed the Serpent Worshipers to test the limits and permitted the Royal Academy of Sciences to conduct various researches that can be described as taboo. However, so far, no one has been able to slow down the Queen's descent into death."

"The remaining invincible fleet has ventured into the depths of the ocean, searching for a land of no light and no death, but they have not returned for a long time; the Sky Expedition has confirmed the boundary between the stars and the sky, and found a path to a higher world, but cannot open the door; the plans for an artificial sun and an artificial steel god are nowhere in sight, and people who have never seen gods cannot create something beyond human imagination; the power of the Serpent God can change Her Majesty the Queen's mortal side, but cannot shake the crown bestowed upon her by the sun..."

"As Her Majesty's health declines, her control over the monarchy and the country weakens considerably, and the nation's strength is rapidly declining in the process."

"The new nobility and the Serpent Cult are jumping into the limelight, wanting to get a share of the pie as emerging powers; those in the royal family who want to seize the throne are also accumulating their own power, plotting to become king after the queen's death; some in the Royal Academy of Sciences want to create a ruling machine to realize their ideal of philosopher-rule, hoping that such a situation will bring them more research funding..."

"These fools have no idea what the Queen's death means!"

Charlemagne paused, glanced at Alice, seemingly wanting to kick her out of the conversation, but because she was maintaining the communication, he could only reluctantly tolerate her staying and continuing to tell secrets that ordinary people shouldn't know.

"The Kingdom of Albion once swore an oath to the sun, borrowing its light to warm the world. Once the Queen dies, the oath binding the blood of the Albion royal family will be broken, and the sun will vanish!"

"Once the sun disappears, the temperature will plummet by 200 degrees Celsius, all plants and animals will die, and even minerals will freeze. Humanity will only face extinction."

"Those fools still fighting for power at this time simply don't understand that it was the royal family that gave them sunlight, allowing them to survive!"

Even as they witness the sun's power waning and temperatures dropping daily, they cannot comprehend that this is due to the decline of the royal family.

"Underground city-state, snow-breaking train, energy tower... Ha, those fools, they're just being clever, thinking they can withstand the coming winter on their own."

"But I understand that those foolish actions are pointless; what we really should be doing is protecting the sun!"

Alice felt a little embarrassed. She wanted to remind her boss not to apply mythological stories to reality.

According to research by the Royal Society, the temperature drop is caused by the planet entering a farthest orbit from the sun. Over the next five years, the temperature will continue to drop until it is 20 degrees Celsius lower than usual, and then remain in this state for about 500 years.

This phenomenon, known as an ice age, is not uncommon; it occurs on average once every six thousand years.

The planet's flora and fauna have long been familiar with this anomaly and have evolved special adaptability. As the ice age approaches, their cold resistance will greatly increase, although some areas may cool to a lethal level, requiring certain measures to be taken.

Linking the Queen's aging to a drop in temperature, and even exaggerating by claiming that the sun would disappear when the Queen died, is simply too superstitious.

But clearly, a superstitious boss cannot be roused; she could only hope that Cui Xun would not be misled.

Such absurd and nonsensical statements, which do not involve any interests, should not be able to fool such a powerful person.

Charlemagne took a breath, then said to Cui Xun with enthusiasm, "And now, I see hope."

"I originally wanted to keep it from you so as not to affect you, but after thinking about it carefully, I decided to just tell you directly."

"I don't know who your parents are, but royal blood flows in your veins, and an unpolished yet incredibly powerful oath lies dormant within you."

"I can sense that you are the red dragon that symbolizes war, born to be the commander of armies, the great conqueror who makes nations bleed. You will surely wield your scepter, crush the knees of all who defy you, and force them to kneel and submit to you!"

"Ah, I was just thinking, maybe I should use brain transplant surgery to take over your body, maybe I should implant a molted egg into your body, maybe I should perform a soul-swapping ritual... This healthy, young, strong body, naturally possessing dominance, is so fascinating."

"But can I truly replace you? No! How can a mere mortal overstep the emperor's bounds!"

"My weak will cannot withstand the majesty of the sun, and my shameful deeds will surely burn me to ashes."

"I can only pray that you come to Dunling soon, inherit the throne, and prevent the disappearance of the sun from becoming an irreversible disaster."

"As soon as the true king returns, all offenders will be silenced before the king's power."

Alice, a battle-hardened knight and royal agent trained since childhood, feels as if she has fallen into an illusion created by the enemy, to the point that she hears her superior suddenly uttering outrageous remarks.

Is this reasonable?

Prince Charlemagne was so superstitious that he was terrified of the sun going out. So whenever he saw a stranger of unknown origin, he would think that the person met the criteria and wanted to welcome the stranger from who-knows-where to the throne.

Cui Xun didn't quite understand the extraordinary situation in this world. His understanding of extraordinary power mainly came from various works in his original world. His knowledge of extraordinary power in this world was only slightly influenced by the knowledge of the Serpent Cult.

Both traditional mysticism and contemporary literary works are replete with conceptual, mechanistic, and source-borrowing techniques.

It's quite common for hairless, naked apes on planets to ask the creator god for help in repairing the universe, based on their connections. Now, it's simply a matter of the sun's birth and death being related to the continuation of bloodlines.

Cui Xun didn't understand how he, as someone from another world, could be related to the local royal family by blood, but he could understand Charlemagne's thoughts.

Compared to conflicts between people, ensuring the continuation of humanity is indeed more important.

If he could truly seize the throne, it would be beneficial to him personally. Whether it was acquiring more resources, finding a way to cross the world, or eradicating the Serpent Cult and improving the lives of ordinary people, none of these would be difficult tasks.

Although moderate reforms may diminish the populars' desire to resist, and even prevent them from understanding the spirit of resistance for thousands of years to come, given enough time, he could completely reorganize the political system, or even simply become an eternal king.

His blood can make people young again, so his lifespan must be unimaginably long.

Of course, Cui Xun was also aware that this path would inevitably be fraught with difficulties, and that letting people know that he wanted and actually had the ability to inherit the throne would be worse than letting people know that he wanted to overthrow the royal family.

Once exposed, a fierce competition will inevitably follow around him.

Cui Xun deliberately feigned difficulty, and Charlemagne realized this the moment he saw Cui Xun's expression. He apologized, "I'm sorry, I was too excited just now and almost forgot that the current situation is not suitable for your ascension to the throne."

"Here's what we'll do. In my private capacity, I'll appoint you as a royal agent. On the surface, you'll be directly under my command, but in reality, you'll have complete freedom. Next, we'll arrange some work and attribute the credit to you, so that I can return some things that rightfully belong to you under the guise of rewards."

Alice had always thought Prince Charlemagne was a man of fair rewards and punishments, but now, hearing him so directly abuse his power for personal gain, she was momentarily stunned. However, Charlemagne's words had not yet ended; instead, he turned to her.

"Alice Clarence, I command you to pay homage to our King and swear to him that you will die before him and guarantee his safety with your life."

Royal agents will accept any mission from the Royal Family, and even if it is unreasonable, they must carry it out as long as it does not harm the interests of the Kingdom.

Alice immediately adopted a highly professional attitude, turned around, knelt down facing Cui Xun, summoned the silver-forged sword, grasped the tip herself, and handed the hilt to Cui Xun: "I swear in the name of Alice Clarence, the third daughter of the Clarence family, and the knight with the title 'Thistle', that I will protect you for life and give my life for you."

Cui Xun declined the offer, calmly reminding him, "Your oath of allegiance won't leave a trace on me, will it?"

Alice explained, "Besides those who directly accept the oath, only those who break free will sense it. The power of the royal oath is extremely well concealed."

Cui Xun decisively said, "Then there's no need to say anything more! No matter how well hidden it is, as long as it exists, it may leave traces. I don't want to add any unnecessary risks."

Even though Charlemagne believed he was a worthy successor to the throne, and offered him such respect and numerous benefits, Cui Xun remained wary of him.

Through the projection, Cui Xun could not monitor the other party's subtle reactions, nor could he determine whether he was lying. Moreover, in a world where extraordinary powers exist, a powerful figure who has reached a high position may not be unable to deceive his senses. Perhaps all of this was just part of Charlemagne's deception, designed to make him lower his guard.

If necessary, he would definitely abandon this identity and leave directly, so he must never let others know about his multiple identities.

Alice was somewhat embarrassed, but Charlemagne immediately praised her, saying, "Well said! A king should be this cautious! Never risk his life!"

"So, what's next for you...?"

Cui Xun replied, "I plan to finish my new task first."

Charlemagne remained unmoved and continued to praise, "Well said. A king should be like this, personally tilling the land, practicing dominance with his own bravery, using these hands to cut off the roots of corruption, restore royal power, and rebuild this country that belongs to you."

He spoke with such conviction that it was as if he firmly believed these things were true, even though he had just praised Cui Xun's prudence.

Cui Xun reminded him, "You just praised me for being cautious, but what if I make a mistake..."

Charlemagne smiled smugly and said generously, "I ordered the killing, and the agents involved have already been secretly punished."

Cui Xun corrected, "What I meant was, what if I were to be killed instead?"

Charlemagne nodded, smiled, and gave Cui Xun a look that said, "Whatever you say, I'll just assume the Red Dragon of War will accidentally make a mistake and die in this remote place."

"I will continue to investigate other ways to save the country, and if I ultimately fail to find any other way, I will die for my country and follow my king in death."

Alice thought she had gotten used to Prince Charlemagne's unusual behavior, but Grey was clearly not.

As he carried the tray back to the living room, he blinked blankly and asked, puzzled, "What?"

Charlemagne was somewhat unfriendly to this unqualified peripheral agent and initially wanted to kick him out. However, after noticing that Cui Xun did not show any annoyance, he changed his approach and said kindly, "We are discussing the question of when the other followers will die for their country after the monarch's death."

"Oh no, am I going to die too?"

Gray stared blankly at the three people in front of him, thought for a moment, put his plate on the table, and then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Can I not die?"

Cui Xun casually replied, "Absolutely. I don't really accept the idea of ​​funerary sacrifice."

"Oh." Gray nodded, his expression as blank as when he arrived, and left again to continue preparing the other dishes.

His role here is similar to the help he provided in Cui Xun's mission, existing in a somewhat insignificant state.

As Cui Xun watched him leave, a sudden surge of curiosity arose within him, and he asked, "By the way, what's Gray's real name?"

Charlemagne answered before Alice could, "Grey Clarence, the second son of Duke Clarence. His father was an admiral and also the greatest supporter of the Imperial Navy. He died in the great battle leading the Invincible Armada against the sea monsters, and his brother is now leading the Invincible Armada to explore the deep sea."

"He was supposed to become a senior naval officer, but he later proved his incompetence and, after several twists and turns, became a peripheral agent."

"The Duke of Clarence's second daughter succeeded him in his original position, while the eldest daughter took over the power of the Clarence family and served as the patriarch until the eldest son returned."

Cui Xun never expected that Gray would have some "slacking off" blood and such a connection with the sea.

It's unclear whether the Clarence family remains staunch royalists after two rounds of devastating losses, or what the eldest daughter's situation is. However, this is irrelevant to the current situation.

Cui Xun asked Charlemagne, "Let's not talk about those things anymore, about the matter of contacting the bishop..."

At this point, Alice's expression had turned somewhat grim. She still retained at least half of her spirituality, but Charlemagne's projection had become unstable.

Seeing this, Charlemagne quickened his pace and said his final words: "This matter is entirely your responsibility. You decide for yourselves. As long as the final result isn't too unusual, I will take full responsibility for you."