The clothes he found on the chair were ones he never thought he would wear. After Niki stared silently at the clothes which made his stomach turn, he shifted his eyes toward the forearm, which had a hidden tracking mark.


    ''My darkness is the bane of elements,'' Niki thought to himself as possible ways out filled his mind. ''However, I can''t seem to erase the mark. I''m not sure if Edward Ver Rosia could tell if I removed the mark, too.''


    Nikimented how cruel his fate could be: to be the retainer of Saint Maria himself, the one person known as the Beloved Saint of Celestia. However, Niki knew that the fate of the royal family was intertwined with hardships and sufferings, so he didn''t want to get mixed up with them.


    Her powers have yet to be awakened, which exins why Niki didn''t turn to dust next to her. However, there will be a day when that happens, and the loathsome powers of Celestia will flow through her veins.


    They were in a mansion specially arranged for the envoy of the royal family, and they were here regarding a new peace treaty. The princess was one of the strongest advocates for a truce between the two kingdoms to avoid the iing war.


    Even though Niki was being forced into the world of nobility and rulers by Edward, Niki could also tell that this allowed him to see things better.


    When he was with Unit 34, he knew that they expected an attack on their border. However, they were so sure about it that it made Niki a bit suspicious.


    If the Rosia Kingdom nned onunching an attack, they wouldn''t do it while their princess was in the Bestial Kingdom as an envoy. So, the only exnation is that they would wait for the princess to return, or the attack would happen to retrieve the princess.


    Niki pondered the matter, and he realized that the second reason sounded more realistic. After all, they wouldn''t send an envoy of peace just to attack afterward.


    However, if the Bestial Kingdom somehow knew of Maria''s potential or how much Celestia loves her, they were sure tobel her as a threat. There was one way to handle threats: to eliminate them.


    ''The princess''s life is in danger,'' Niki realized without feeling any sense of urgency. That''s because he knew that the princess was going to survive. However, there was an anomaly now. It was Niki''s existence in this ce.


    As the fabric slid over his back and arms, Niki started buttoning the white shirt. Whether his existence would result in the princess''s death or not is not something he could decide.


    ''Maybe this is a blessing in disguise,'' Niki thought as he remembered the rise of the undead that would follow the battle. He can get another fragment before that timees, leaving only four pieces out of the seven.


    This was the best way to ensure that he got an advantage over the other contenders, who would undoubtedly be stronger than he was. Maybe he could exploit this to gain another fragment, and it brought a smile to Niki''s face.


    After he finished wearing his clothes, he disappeared from his spot and changed his headband into another color that suited the ck suit he wore. Then, he left his stealth and wore ck gloves.


    "I look like a butler," Niki looked in the mirror at his all-ck clothes, except for the white shirt, making a stark contrast with his crimson irises. The headband looked out of ce, but it wasn''t anything unusual, and they worked well to hide his horns and ears.


    A knock came on the door, and when Niki opened it, a servant was bowing to him. "Her highness is summoning you, sir," the maid said and kept her head low.


    "Can you guide me?" Niki asked, and the maidservant nodded before leading the way through the maze-like hallways of the mansion.


    They reached a study where Saint Maria was quietly reading a letter, her blue eyes arching slightly to reveal a worried expression. When Niki entered the room, Princess Maria shifted her attention to him.


    "Wee, Lyle," the princess called him by the fake name he gave them. It was a name of no insignificance, justmon enough to deter them from doing a background check on him.


    "You wanted to see me, mydy?" Niki saluted and bowed as he asked. When he lifted his head, he found the princess looking at him weirdly.


    "You fell into your role faster than a snake can change its skin," the princess said with a hint of awe and jealousy. "If I can only do the same," she sighed.


    "Not all roles are there to follow," Niki reassured. "Some roles needed to be broken, to be fulfilled."


    "What do you mean by that?" the princess gestured for him to sit. Niki obliged and sat with his back straight and his hands turned into fists on his jacket.


    "You aren''t going to be a ruler if you are the same as your father," Niki spread his hands in front of her. "A change in a ruler is what brings advancement for the kingdom. Your father gave out his wellbeing to stop the Bestial King seven years ago, but you don''t need to do the same."


    "Why are you so wise?" the princess sighed with a relieved smile. "But thank you, your words reassured me of my ways."


    "I believe that''s what Master Edward wanted me to do," Niki tried to glean some information from her. "I didn''t see him after we arrived at the mansion. Is he gone?"


    "My uncle is an entric man, and maybe that''s his best trait. He likes to wander around ces and look for useful things. Discarded items, hidden dungeons, or simply promising people like you."


    "I''m far from being promising, My Lady," Niki shook his head, seeing opportunity in the monster''s absence. "May I enquire about why..." he allowed his sentence to go unfinished.


    "We have already told you that we are here as an envoy of peace, but we aren''t the only nobles in this city. I''m proud to say that we arranged for a group of nobles to attend the Ritual of Vyxas, celebrating one of the gods worshiped in the Bestial Kingdom."


    As Niki listened to the princess announcing proudly, he realized this might be the reason for the assassination. The princess''s efforts to establish peace between the two kingdoms can reduce the nobles'' profits.


    ''The Bestial Kingdom might not even orchestrate the assassination,'' Niki thought to himself as the princess mentioned the details of glorifying Vyxas. ''It might be a ploy by the nobility of Rosia to keep the war going.''


    The more he knew about the world, the more he was convinced that humans would bring their doom upon them. The war against the Bestial Kingdom and the danger from the iing dungeons would give a perfect chance for the invaders.


    Of course, there were other nations in the continent that survived the war. Not even Lilith''s pets could bring them down, and Niki knew that best. After all, he was one of those who betrayed the human race to work for Lilith.


    "Before the ritual, I want to establish proper connections with the nobles. I want you to apany me to a party tomorrow, and it will be a good opportunity to introduce you as my retainer."


    "As you wish, mydy. However, I''m not sure that everyone is willing to establish those connections," Niki said with hesitation. "It is best to exert caution since we can''t trust people easily."


    "Master Edward didn''t pick you for bridging the gap between the two kingdoms," Maria sighed with regret. "I understand, but I''ll need you to visit the ritual site and find out more about it. Take this," Princess Maria offered a badge with the royal family''s seal on it.


    "Are you sure about giving it to me?" Niki was confused as he reached out to take it. This badge held a tremendous amount of authority.


    "I can destroy it whenever I want, so it''s fine," the princess smiled. "If you ever use it to harm innocents, you will be executed."


    The words were said so lightly that she made it like an everyday thing. Nevertheless, it was reassuring to Niki that she cared this much about civilians, so he took it with a smile.


    "I''ll visit the Vyxas Ritual and learn more about it," Niki stood up. "I''ll give you a report to aid you in the party tomorrow."


    "Thank you, Lyle," she said with gratitude. "I''m d that I found someone as capable as you are."


    ''You barely know me, foolish princess,'' Niki gratefully bowed as he thought before leaving the room.


    As he walked through the hallways, he looked at the badge.. Niki knew enough to make a report himself, but he wanted to visit the site of the holy ritual and see for himself.