A man is innocent unless he is in possession of a treasure.
Kenneth is certainly not an ordinary man, and possessing a precious jade is certainly not a crime, but what if it is not an ordinary jade, but the unique Heshi Bi? I am afraid that his fate will not be much better than that of an ordinary man.
This "Bi" refers to the core of "Son of Fuhailin", and "He's Bi" is the legendary "True Crimson Fruit". It's just the core, which is still within Kenneth's tolerance. If it is the "True Crimson Fruit", then even Barthamero can't resist the madness of the covetous, let alone El Melloi, who is less powerful than Barthamero.
If you want to own a treasure, you must have the strength to protect it. This is an eternal law, whether in the mysterious world or the secular world.
Kenneth is very clear-headed. He will not make the same mistake twice. The True Crimson Fruit is just like the Holy Grail. Even if it is just a legend, it is deadly enough. There are only about twenty magicians who have lost their lives in pursuit of the Holy Grail, while the number of magicians who have lost their lives in pursuit of the True Crimson Fruit has exceeded four digits. Kenneth does not want to be one of them, nor does he want Shinji to be one of them.
"I think you can hear the meaning behind my words."
Shinji nodded, indicating that he understood: "I am just talking, I may not put it into action. A 'son of Fu Hailin' has forced most of my cards out. I don't know how powerful the real 'Fu Hailin' is. I am still young and I haven't lived enough."
"It's great that you think so." Kenneth breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were arguing, he really didn't want Shinji to die. "By the way, you came to see me specially, not just to show off your record of killing the 'Son of Fukailin', right?"
"Of course not. I just want you to find out about Lorelaia's situation. I haven't heard from her in almost ten days, and I'm a little worried."
As soon as these words came out, before Kenneth could react, Sora's eyes narrowed.
"Shinji, are you attracted to Miss Lorelay? That's why you gave her such a precious treasure. Hmm~hmm~the more I think about it, the more possible it is."
"Mrs. Sora, can you stop joking?"
Shinji has always been the one who teases others, but he didn't expect to be teased by others today. Could it be that Black Sole blocked too many people in the past and this is his retribution
"I'm not kidding. The age difference between you two is not that big, and she seems to take you seriously, but her status—"
"Identity is not a problem." Kenneth continued, "In the eyes of the Bartmero, it doesn't matter whether you are born into a noble family or not. They themselves are the oldest noble family, and no one can compare to them in terms of status. What they value most is personal ability, and Shinji fully meets the requirements in this regard. If you are really interested in Miss Lorelaya, I can help you arrange it."
"First, officially become a citizen of the Clock Tower. After studying for two or three years, find an opportunity to publish some papers or make some achievements. Once you become famous, you can formally propose to Barthomello. With your strength and ability, it shouldn't be a problem. As for the Matou family, if you plan to merge the Matou family into Barthomello, you can inherit it yourself. If you don't want to, you can let your sister inherit it."
"Uh... have you been planning this for a long time? Just say it now?" Shinji's mouth twitched.
"There are basically only a few routines for marriages between nobles. If the girl you like is not from the Barthelmero family, then it will be a bit troublesome. Based on the other party's family background—"
"Stop—" Shinji stopped him quickly, "I can see that you must have put a lot of thought into marrying Lady Sora."
Kenneth smiled slightly, did not deny it, and just said:
"In fact, if you really marry Miss Lorelaia, there are still many benefits, such as-"
"—The relationship between Barthelmero and El-Melloi is getting closer?" Shinji rolled his eyes.
"That's one of the benefits, besides—"
"Stop." Shinji interrupted again, "Brother and sister, before you consider my marriage, please think about the fact that I am only eleven years old. Isn't it too early?"
"It's a little early, but it's not impossible to consider."
"That's right. You can do what Kenneth and I did. We can get engaged first and then get married when you both come of age."
The two people who were called big brother and big sister spoke one by one.
"Can we still have a good chat? I'm leaving now." Shinji swung his arms and prepared to leave.
"I'll say one last thing and then I'll contact Bartomero." Kenneth stood up.
"I'm all ears."
"In my personal opinion, no girl is more suitable for you than Miss Lorelaia." Kenneth said seriously.
"Are you done?"
"That's all."
"Then go and help me find out the information." Shinji fell back on the sofa.
Just as Kenneth held the microphone and was about to contact Barthemelo through the special line, the phone rang first.
Kenneth was stunned and quickly picked up the microphone.
"I am El-Melloi."
"It's Miss Lorelay." While speaking, Kenneth took a special look at Shinji.
"Do you want me to tell him something?"
"Don't bother. He's here with me right now. He asked me to inquire about you. I'll ask him to come and listen."
After saying that, Kenneth covered the microphone with his hand and looked at Shinji with a half-smile: "It's for you, come and listen."
Shinji scratched his head awkwardly, then walked to the phone under Sora's teasing gaze and took the receiver.
"It's me, are you okay? Is everything going well?"
"All is well, thanks for the gift."
The female voice coming from the receiver was no different from usual.
"I wonder if you regretted this after meeting Lord El-Melloi."
"Yes, yes, I really regret it now. Why was I so stupid?" Although he said this, there was a smile on Shinji's face.
"Yes, you are really stupid." Lorelaia's voice became a little more cheerful. "It's too late to regret. I have already handed the things over."
"Ah, then I'll have to ask for some other compensation."
"How to compensate?"
"Well... let's talk about it when we meet. First, play with me and vent the depressed emotions in your heart."
"..." There was a brief silence on the other side. "Sorry."
"What's wrong?"
"I will soon begin to receive the inheritance of the origin seal, so I won't be able to leave home for a while."
"This is good news, congratulations, the future Lord Barthelmero." Shinji's voice was filled with joy.
"This is also thanks to your gift."
"How long will the transplant take?"
"It will take at least a few months for me to fully adapt to the Source Marking. It may take a year or even longer." At the end of the words, Shinji could clearly hear the trembling in Lorelaia's voice.
Shinji immediately grasped Lorelaia's intention, "Tell me - what do you need me to do?"
"Help me manage Squadron E. The adjutant can handle the daily personnel training and management, but there are some things that the adjutant cannot handle. I would like to ask you to help me. Are you willing to help me?" There was a hint of sincere pleading in Lorelaia's voice.
"Oh, you just put all the trouble on me."
"I'm sorry... I..."
"Your Majesty does not need to apologize, just give the order."
"you mean!"
"In compliance with Her Majesty's orders, I accept this commission - but my commission fee is very high."
"I can afford any price... Well, thank you."
"You're welcome."