Chapter 555: Chapter 408: The Secret: The Dark Clouds of the Sun Empire’s Throne Succession_2

Moreover, so many people are watching...

If Atahualpa knew what Byron was thinking, he would probably summon the Bloodhound on the spot and claw out all of Byron’s... Y chromosomes.

But right now, Byron was only concerned about the source of rubber.

"His Royal Highness the Prince, may I inquire if there’s more of the raw material used to make this object? And where does it come from?" Byron asked. "I just happen to need a batch of such materials. If you could lend a hand, that would be wonderful."

Atahualpa also breathed a sigh of relief subconsciously and hurriedly said, "It’s the sap of a ’Weeping Tree’ that naturally grows in the vast rainforest in the central part of the continent. There’s quite an abundance of it. Originally, a shaman stumbled upon it while searching for poison and brought it back. They discovered its other uses after adding sulfur and heating it. It’s just that this tree cannot survive in the Ring of Fire Mountain Range, and I have no mature Weeping Trees in my territory. However, I have subordinates responsible for collecting the sap annually to make contraceptives, rubber balls, and cushions. July and August are the harvest season. If you’d like, I can send someone to guide you into the rainforest."

Byron was overjoyed upon hearing this. Knowing the location made the rest easy. He quickly replied, "There’s actually no need to send anyone with me. Just point me in the general direction, and I’ll instruct my subordinates to handle it."

At the Prince’s command, someone soon brought Byron a very detailed gold plate map. In line with the Taya Empire’s excellence in astronomy and mathematics, this map was meticulously drawn, even marking the tidal flows of the Source Material nodes of the corresponding ley lines.

Byron only glanced at it briefly, and the [Nautical Logbook] added it to its database.

"Hugin! Munin!" Byron called out two names softly.

Two large Ravens with ink-black feathers and golden eyes flew out of his shadow, answering his call. They circled overhead like ferocious Falcons before darting off towards the palace.

A god’s-eye view from high above emerged in his mind, then submerged once more, already set to autopilot mode.

No one knows better than I how to find things. It just so happens that all those scoundrels from the Bloodthirsty Cult have come to the New Continent. I was somewhat worried that after three months, when they finished toying with Red Beard, they might stir up more trouble. Once we find those rubber trees, we’ll have them study how to integrate them with weeds. This will eliminate the decadal growth cycle and greatly enhance the rubber’s yield and quality. Then, we industrialize rubber extraction. Combined with steel from Torrent Fortress, Whale Oil from Chasm Trench, and Violet—the Witch and Artisan who unifies it all—the preliminary industrial puzzle pieces are in place. Massive deployment of Whale Oil Steam Engines is imminent. Strictly speaking, we’re still in the ’accumulate grain’ stage. The Sacred Golden Empire, yet to publicly emerge, might very well achieve supremacy by starting later.

When the banquet was declared over, the rain had stopped.

Byron and Violet walked out of the grand hall hand in hand, led by a lady-in-waiting to rest in the guest chambers.

Atahualpa, whose "lower regions" were still feeling distinctly cool, didn’t dare mention anything about providing company for the night, saving Byron the trouble of refusal. Yet, for reasons unknown, as Byron was about to leave, Atahualpa gave him a small box.

Inside was a gold-colored, illusory contraceptive—a Third-Level Relic, "Joy Without Worry":

A conceptual Sacred Relic.

Effect: Great Contraception.

Designate for use on oneself, another person, or a specific object. As long as the object is worn, it becomes effective immediately.

Ultra-thin and imperceptible. No matter how high the Class or how acute the senses, one cannot feel its presence.

Yet one can enjoy one-click deactivation, achieving contraception at the conceptual level, while also protecting against diseases and bacteria—carefree and unrestrained enjoyment.

Mandate of Heaven: Safety first, no opportunities for ’mistakes’!

This Sacred Relic, which sounded quite indecent, resembled "The Emperor’s New Clothes." But while "The Emperor’s New Clothes" is about feeling clothed when naked, this relic is about feeling bare when it’s actually worn.

It’s truly a divine artifact for those who don’t want to make a baby but still pursue a certain quality of life. However, Lancaster has its own family traditions. If I were to use this thing, Dad would probably skin me alive with a fruit knife. It’s not bad for setting someone up, though.

Byron carefully stored it away, already having someone in mind to give it to.

Their party moved through the palace complex. As they neared the hall intended for receiving guests, Byron’s ears suddenly twitched—[Divine Sight] was triggered.

Immediately, "seeing" through his ears, he noticed a door to a secluded chamber not far off being quietly pushed open. Two figures tiptoed out.

One of them was, in fact, the Captain of the Guard, Xinji Roca, whom he had just met today. The other was a noblewoman with black hair, her figure graceful, garbed in jewels and gold-threaded attire like a Queen Consort, with an additional black shawl draped over her.

Without needing them to speak, Byron also "heard" the explosive scent of hormones emanating from the pair. The two embraced briefly before departing in separate ways, clearly a pair of secret lovers who had just enjoyed their pleasure, sneaking around, not wanting to be discovered.

HISS! In this palace belonging to the Prince, all the women should be Atahualpa’s, right? Did we stumble upon such explosive news on our very first day? Is the Prince being cuckolded? That shouldn’t be possible. A group of Black Witches who have mastered the [Bloodline Codex] getting cuckolded? They might as well just kill themselves.

As Byron was lost in his thoughts, the noblewoman, after a few turns within the palace complex, happened to walk past them in a corridor, their eyes naturally meeting. The noblewoman, however, appeared perfectly composed, showing no sign of guilt. She even politely nodded to greet them, her eyes flickering. She paused imperceptibly on Byron for a moment, then turned her head and left.

After she had gone, Byron asked the female official leading the way, "Who is that lady to the Prince?"

The official, without the slightest hesitation, respectfully answered, "She is one of the 217 children of the former King, His Royal Highness the Prince’s half-sister, Princess Perta Kapak. Her Royal Highness the Princess was married to a general of the Empire, renowned for his military achievements. However, the general unfortunately died in a campaign against the Totem Gods. Princess Perta Kapak has been a widow for several years now and has no children. Ever since His Majesty the King passed away, many important figures started to seek supporters among the Princes. Our Prince Atahualpa is the son of Principal Queen Mother Kouya and was greatly favored by His Majesty. Though young, he has the purest bloodline and has gained the support of many Princes and Princesses. Princess Perta Kapak is one of them. Although supposedly only Third Order, she was the first among the Royal Family to move her household to Hot Spring City and offers the greatest support to His Highness."

Hearing from the official that the woman was not Atahualpa’s wife, Byron did not feel relieved for his "good brother." Instead, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Because the name that appeared for her in the [Nautical Logbook] was not Perta Kapak at all! It was another, entirely different name: Theresis Achebeir.

The information about her could not be fully read, indicating that her Class was certainly not as low as Third Order.

But Byron had another discovery. He had finally identified the familiar scent he had smelled on the Captain of the Guard earlier. The origin was this princess, who had an intimate relationship with him.

It was the exclusive scent of... the [Night Demon]!

It’s not unusual for a high-status widow to look for an excellent new partner, and to indulge in some "park," "abandoned house," or "grove" type of romance is also understandable. But a disguised [Night Demon] actively seeking out the Captain of the Guard, who is highly relied upon by the Prince, is definitely not normal!

As he thought this, ink on the [Nautical Logbook] began to spread, revealing new words.

[Hidden: The dark clouds over the succession of the Sun Empire’s throne, historical influence 30, Decryption Rate 13%]

A glint of keen insight flashed in Byron’s eyes. He immediately realized that the stirrings of turmoil were already beginning to show.

The Ancient God’s Chosen Races of the East Coast, the Colonizers from the far north, and certain restless Native Totem Gods were all involved. The Sun Empire’s impending royal succession, shaping up to be a storm of converging forces, was gradually becoming the eye of the storm for power plays across the entire Southern Continent.