Under the night sky, the banquet continued in the open plaza.

Regardless of whether it was the hosts from Nicos or the guests from the Gread, time was swiftly flowing under the almost unending music and performances.

However, as the banquet gradually progressed.

Most of the people immersed in the joyful atmosphere did not notice that a few had already left at this moment.

Not far from the banquet venue, a small room had been strictly guarded, with spells preventing eavesdropping and spying to ensure absolute security.

It was here that an extremely private meeting had just begun.

Countess Leticia and her Prince husband, Ronald and Claudia, along with the church's Saint Priest, totaling five, sat around the table in the small room.

Among them, Claudia was the first to speak, her eyes directly on Prince Mursoni of Nicos:

"Prince Mursoni, you specially invited us guests here for a conversation, so there must be something quite important you wish to discuss, correct?"

Mursoni was a man who appeared to be around thirty years old, with a strong build and good spirits. As a prince, he always wore a cheerful smile on his face, exuding a natural charisma.

But as the initiator of the gathering, Mursoni faced Claudia's question and instead posed one of his own:

"Princess Claudia, before we start the discussion, I want to ask—do you have any knowledge of the former maritime city Lachmont?"

"Oh?" Claudia nodded slightly before responding, "I know it was a city established during the Dark Age, but unfortunately, it seems to have been destroyed by a disaster hundreds of years ago, and is now almost forgotten."

As Claudia finished speaking, she suddenly realized the purpose behind the mention of Lachmont.

"Wait, I remember that city should be not far from Nicos."

"Could it be that you've discovered traces of it?"

"Hahaha! As expected from Gread's Princess, truly sharp-minded and well-informed." Mursoni immediately applauded, "The reason I wanted this private discussion is precisely because of this."

"..."

Meanwhile, Ronald, also present, had a glint of understanding in his eyes.

He had previously heard many legends about this city in Carpen, and even the books he carried recorded related aspects. Adding to that, Luna had disclosed some information to him a day before…

Now Mursoni was conveying the news to everyone.

To him, it seemed only natural to occur and was not surprising at all.

But Mursoni's current attitude of secrecy towards the news made Ronald's feelings more complicated. Luna's decision to disclose the information yesterday was emotionally challenging…

Ronald was tangled in his own thoughts and did not join the conversation, but the others did not hesitate. As Claudia and Mursoni unveiled the purpose of the discussion, Martha, now a Saint Priest, entered the dialogue: 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"But Mr. Mursoni, since you've discovered the ruins of Lachmont, under the current world circumstances, shouldn't the news be firmly locked away?"

"Unless you've encountered a special situation, you probably wouldn't disclose such things to us fellow travelers, right?"

"..."

"The priest is correct."

After Martha spoke, Mursoni fell silent briefly, showing a bitter smile.

It was at this point that his wife Leticia spoke for him:

"Under normal circumstances, such news would naturally need to be tightly sealed."

"But Nicos is different from Gread as we fear no country in the world, nor any war, and no one around dares challenge this colossal entity."

"For us, the changes in the world have not only severed many vital connections but have also dealt a considerable blow to our strength, especially relying on the canal."

"If we do not find a way to rapidly strengthen our power now."

"Then what awaits Nicos might not be the bright future of the banquet outside."

Though Martha had only recently become a Saint Priest, her knowledge of the surrounding geography was quite thorough. After Leticia spoke, she understood the other's helplessness and bitterness with just a simple thought.

Nicos was located at the juncture of two continents.

Going up, there were more advanced civilizations; going down, there were martial and warlike neighbors. Nicos itself happened to occupy the canal that could bring huge profits.

In the past, relying on its connections worldwide, Nicos could, of course, use its strength to safeguard everything.

But in this new world…

As Leticia mentioned, they lost much and perhaps began to feel inadequacy, having to be constantly vigilant.

Instantly, the room's atmosphere fell because of the bitterness in Leticia's tone. But the Countess's husband did not remain despondent and instead puffed up his chest:

"So the emergence of Lachmont becomes the quickest option for Nicos to enhance its power. Due to our insufficient strength, we've encountered obstacles while entering the ruins."

At this point, Mursoni suddenly stood up.

The tall man moved in front of Claudia, then knelt on one knee, making a request gesture to the princess that was absolutely unbecoming of his status:

"Princess Claudia, we are aware of the strength of Gread's esteemed guests, and we've heard of your victory over the rogue Wizards. Compared to our small nation, the disparity is vast."

Facing the prince's extremely humble move, Claudia suddenly put away her smile, her expression becoming serious, and asked in an icy tone unseen before:

"Prince Mursoni, are you seeking aid from us?"

Mursoni bowed his head even lower to Claudia, speaking without hesitation:

"Princess Claudia, Nicos has always maintained good relations with Gread, and hopes to keep such a relationship in the future!"

Leticia also lowered her head to Claudia:

"Your Highness, please."

"..."

After the couple finished speaking, Claudia's expression remained cold.

But as time passed little by little, the Princess's gaze eventually softened:

"Alright, I understand the situation, but tonight's discussion ends here."

"Tomorrow morning, send someone to the ship at the port, and we'll continue the talk then."

As she finished speaking, Claudia rose from her seat.

Then, with Martha and Ronald, she left the room directly:

"Ronald, Martha, let's go. Everyone at the banquet is still waiting for us."