"Yes, of course. In fact, there have been many famous queens who have ruled over the Shura Race in
the past. For example, Princess Layla's mother, the former queen, is one," Valeria replied with hints of
pride in her tone.
"I see. I just thought that the royal family was strictly patriarchal in nature," Rocky said.
"As a matter of fact, Leader Gilbert is actually known to have a good relationship with Princess Layla.
He could even be considered as her supporter. Thus, in my opinion, the true reason behind his
assassination attempt is because he is supporting Princess Layla." Instead of Gilbert being a candidate
for the throne, Valeria thought that this was the more logical reason.
"All right. For now, we can just agree that it has something to do with the selection of the successor."
Rocky and Valeria finally came up with the conclusion.
"Anyway, I just think that we can look at this incident from a different perspective. Maybe, this might be
a good chance for you." Valeria vaguely expressed her idea.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Rocky asked with furrowed brows, sensing that she might be onto
something.
"Well, isn't it a part of your plan to go against the current royal family? Frankly speaking, if you only
utilize the power of the fiefs, it will be impossible for you to succeed. In fact, you will be digging your
own grave. However, if you can take advantage of this selection for the next king or queen, your
chances of reaching your goal will increase," Valeria hinted as she glanced at Rocky meaningfully.
"You're saying that I should cooperate with one of these three candidates? Then, who do you think
should I support?" Rocky asked, understanding what Valeria's vague words meant.
"In my personal opinion, Princess Layla is the best candidate right now. This might also be why her
rivals are already making a move against her supporters. The current king of the Shura Race is known
to be merciless. Hence, disputes and complaints are actually overflowing among the people. It means
that many are actually dissatisfied with the way he governs. In comparison to Layla's mother, the
former queen, she was known to be a wise and merciful monarch. She once brought the Shura Race to
a very long period of prosperity. Most likely, someone like Princess Layla will gain the trust of the
people."
"I see. However, she cannot win just by being a good candidate, right? I might have to find an
opportunity to meet her in person..."
"Anyway, I don't really care what you want to do. In the end, all I want is for you to keep your promise."
"Of course. I always keep my word. Besides, I am going to be your husband soon, making you my
family. It's just natural that I fulfill my wife's wishes," Rocky replied, obviously teasing Valeria.
"I really hate it when you spout that kind of nonsense to me!" With a cold snort, Valeria immediately
turned around and left.
After that, Rocky also went back to the Ghost Palace.
Upon returning to the Ghost Palace, Rocky saw that Esteban and Eunice were still chatting happily as
if they were really family. Although he didn't know the true reason why Esteban easily grew fond of
Eunice, he still thought that this was better. After all, he was relieved to think that Esteban would be
willing to protect her while she stayed here in the Ghost Fief. Hence, even if he had to leave and do his
business, he wouldn't need to worry about her.
"Oh? Why are you back so soon? I thought those kinds of parties take longer?" Eunice asked the
moment Rocky appeared.
"Leader Gilbert became a target of an assassination attempt during the party. He is fine, but of course,
the party needed to be cut short."
Hearing what Rocky said, Esteban looked at him but just seemed to take the news lightly. "Someone is
bold enough to assassinate the leader of a fief?"
"Well, based on what I've heard, it might have something to do with the selection of the king's
successor," Rocky replied indifferently.
Then, Esteban let out a frown and said, "They are already starting to move, huh? Anyway, don't get
involved in this matter. Even though you are a Godly Genius, you should not stick your nose in it. After
all, even if you join hands with the Godly Geniuses of the other fiefs, I highly doubt that you will win
against the Godly Geniuses of the royal family."
"What? The royal family has their own Godly Geniuses?" Rocky was taken aback since it was his first
time hearing about it.
"Yes, of course. Didn't anyone tell you that? However, the Godly Geniuses of the royal family are all
selected in secret. Hence, they only participate in the battle among the Godly Geniuses when
necessary."
"What does that make of us? And when do they show up?" Rocky narrowed his eyes, a bit confused
about Esteban's remarks.
"You know that the battle among Godly Geniuses can last for a long time, right? It could be just a few
years, a dozen years, or even decades. Everything is possible, depending on the progress of the Godly
Geniuses. However, this time around, I heard that two Godly Geniuses were already lost during the
Spiritual Emperor Contest. That is a bit too soon, so I think that the Godly Geniuses of the royal family
might appear sooner than expected," Esteban surmised as he stroked his chin.
"But why didn't I hear anything about it from Leader Gilbert?" Rocky asked with furrowed brows. He
thought that it was an important matter that should have been informed to him right away.
"Well, he must have thought that you already know about it," Esteban speculated while shrugging his
shoulders.
Rocky thought that it wasn't important to dwell on it right now, so he just left it at that. Then, he asked
Esteban again, "By the way, how much do you know about Princess Layla?"
"Didn't I just tell you to stay out of it?" As soon as Esteban heard him mention Layla, he already knew
what was on Rocky's mind.
"I don't know anything much about the royal family. Come on! Maybe it will come in handy just in case."
Knowing that Rocky was a stubborn person, Esteban sighed and started talking. "I have already seen
Princess Layla several times. It could be said that she is the most beautiful woman in the entire Shura
Race," he revealed. Upon hearing this, both Rocky and Eunice noticed the fascinated expression on
Esteban's face.
"Sir, I don't think that's what he wanted to know," Eunice butted in and reminded the old man.
"Yes, sorry. Well, Princess Layla has a good reputation in the royal family. Since she is the daughter of
the former queen, she still has many supporters and is favored by a part of the royal forces. And yes, I
heard that she intends to compete for the selection of the throne's successor. You are right when you
suggested that tonight's assassination attempt must have something to do with it. After all, the good
relationship between Leader Gilbert and the princess is well-known to others," Esteban admitted.
"Right now, what are Princess Layla's chances of winning?" Rocky asked straightforwardly.
"Honestly, I am not sure. In order for one to become the successor, he or she should first get the
support of about more than three fiefs. Although the fiefs should be under the control of the royal family,
their power development is not limited. Therefore, with the support of the fiefs, it could determine who
will be the next one to sit on the throne. If I am not mistaken, Prince Zain is the most popular among
the candidates. Right now, he should have the support of at least three fiefs. It means that he currently
has the highest chances of winning," Esteban inferred.
"How about Princess Layla? How many fiefs are supporting her?"
"I should guess that only the Ghost Fief does. Since Prince Zain is a direct lineage of the current king, it
is easy for him to get many supporters. That means that Princess Layla is at a bit of a disadvantage.
She doesn't have that much influence now because she's just the daughter of the former queen."
After learning many things from Esteban, Rocky had gotten a general idea of the present situation. Just
as Valeria told him, he might be able to use this opportunity to make his plans work faster. However,
the only problem was how he could meet Princess Layla.
"I already warned you not to get involved in this matter. But since you are a stubborn brat, I will just
advise that you should at least be fully prepared. Here! Take this notebook with you. It contains my
lifetime research. You can see there all of my discoveries about the bodies of the members of the
Shura Race. It should be helpful to you." Then, Esteban handed the notebook over to Rocky.
After getting it, Rocky decided to put it away for now.
"That reminds me. I still have something else to do. See you later." As Esteban stood up, he left the two
behind.
"So, what are you going to do next?" Eunice asked.
"If my hunch is right, the sudden order to invade the human race and the spiritual race must have been
Prince Zain's ploy. After conquering them, it would be considered a major achievement. He wanted to
play that card in order to solidify his position as the successor," Rocky concluded.
"Then, what's the plan?" Hearing what Rocky said, Eunice knew that he wouldn't just do nothing. Of
course, she also wanted to do something because the human race was involved in this.
"It seems that I would have to act as Basil again. But first, I need to make more preparations," Rocky
said after thinking for a while.
"Do you want me to inform Chief Colton about this immediately?" Eunice asked. Her role in
accompanying Rocky back to the Shura Race was clear to her. Hence, she would do her best to be of
help.
"Yes, please. Tell him to prepare as soon as possible. The royal family of the Shura Race might send
powerful troops at any time. We don't want them to be caught off guard."
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