Even a novice can become a god

"Heroes' companions?" Helcos III was clearly quite puzzled by this title.

"Your Majesty, these three young men before you once met our founding hero and traveled with him for some time," explained the Grand High Priest Mados.

Then he turned to face Ryan and the others and asked, "I haven't made a mistake, have I?"

What else could Ryan and the other two do in response to this question apart from nodding continuously?

Everyone around was astonished when they heard this news.

However, they soon realized that for the three-headed demon wolf, whose lifespan could reach several thousand years, five hundred years was just a brief period in its long life. Moreover, for demons, human fame and status were meaningless. Therefore, it was understandable that Ryan and the others had the good fortune to travel with the hero of all humankind from five hundred years ago.

From the envious and yearning looks in the eyes of the bystanders, Ryan deeply felt how lofty a status the somewhat rascally old wolf held in everyone's hearts.

"Oh, Your Majesty, Victory Day is coming soon. Why don't we take this opportunity to ask these young men to perform how they met the founding hero Fandosi? What do you think of this suggestion, my Majesty?" The Great Archmage Kobe Leo suddenly put forward such an idea.

"Well, good, very good. I'm eager to see this wonderful performance as soon as possible. Dear guests, can you fulfill my little wish?" Helcos III asked.

Before Ryan and the others could react, Princess Franzine on the side had already agreed readily. She said, "It is our greatest honor to serve Your Majesty. We will do our best to meet your wish."

"Thank you." Helcos III bowed to express his gratitude and then turned back to order his attendants behind him, "You should satisfy these gentlemen's requests as much as possible and provide them with maximum assistance."

After giving these instructions, Helcos III continued to explain the legendary stories on the reliefs on both sides accompanied by the Grand High Priest Mados.

Although Helcos III's description was still excellent and the stories were indeed more and more wonderful one after another, obviously everyone's interest had shifted to the three young men.

If it weren't for politeness, probably no one would want to continue listening. At least Ryan himself didn't hear what Helcos III said later at all.

After walking around the entire great hall, everyone came out through the back door and saw a square in front of them. The square was circular, with twelve tall marble columns evenly standing around it. Each column was thirty meters high and two meters in diameter.

In the center of the square, there were four bronze statues over four meters high facing four directions. Among them, the majestic three-headed demon wolf facing east was exactly the same as the old wolf they had met in the Illusory Forest.

It seemed that when this statue was made, it was carved meticulously according to the old wolf. Just by looking at the delicate carving of even some fine hairs on the old wolf's body on this statue, one could be sure of this.

However, after looking at it for a long time, Ryan always felt that this statue was not completely similar to the real old wolf. If there was anything that differed the most between this statue and the real old wolf, it was the solemn and dignified expression of the old wolf on this statue.

In Ryan's memory, the old wolf had never been so proper.

Sometimes Ryan often thought that if the old wolf could become human, this guy would definitely become exactly like Victor, Kris, and Joel. Perhaps this was the most real side of that alien hero.

However, Ryan only dared to think about these words privately. He didn't even dare to say them out loud because he knew very well that if others knew his view of the hero, they would surely do everything possible to reverse Ryan's wrong idea (of course, the means would definitely be a bit violent).

Moreover, Ryan knew very well that even among the four companions who knew the old wolf's temperament well, there must now be a staunch defender of the old wolf's sacred image, and this person was undoubtedly the absolute hero worshiper, Oliver.

If Oliver didn't know the old wolf's true identity, he would surely agree with Ryan's view of the old wolf. But now, once he knew that Ryan had disrespectful thoughts about the old wolf, he would be the first to jump out and brainwash Ryan.

While looking at the sculpture of the old wolf, Ryan walked through the square with the others.

At the other end of the square was a single-story building, which was arranged in a crescent shape with its peculiar shape.

The crowd walked through a semi-circular gate in the middle and entered the building. Ryan had always been quite curious about these peculiar functional buildings in the Kingdom of Caoqi. For example, buildings with a completely arc-shaped structure like this could not be seen at all in the Kingdom of Sophie.

Since entering the Kingdom of Caoqi, Ryan had always been amazed at the Caoqi people's exquisite mastery of arc craftsmanship. The Caoqi people could often build buildings of various purposes with just simple arcs.

For example, arc-shaped arch bridges could be seen everywhere in the Kingdom of Caoqi. These exquisitely made bridges could span the two banks of the river steadily without the need for additional piers. This craft was amazing to Ryan both in terms of practicality and aesthetics.

The wonderful building presented in front of Ryan was obviously a beautiful creation of the exquisite arc craftsmanship of the Kingdom of Caoqi.

The snow-white marble arc-shaped walls extended from both sides, and the entire roof was also inlaid with arc-shaped marble slabs. There was no trace of beams or columns at all, and the closely arranged rafters under the roof were obviously just for decoration. It was clear at a glance that they couldn't bear any force.

Along the arc-shaped wall, a silver mirror with a diameter of one foot was hung every two meters. Through the sunlight reflected by countless silver mirrors, the whole room was quite bright.

Ryan was quite interested in this design. In his homeland, the Kingdom of Sophie, to keep the room bright, special magic and special magical instruments had to be used, which ordinary people couldn't afford. Ryan had only seen such a device once in the palace hall of the Kingdom of Sophie.

However, soon Ryan's attention was completely attracted by something else.

It could be seen that there was an arc-shaped long table placed in the room, and various tableware was placed on the table. Two teams of young and beautiful maids walked out from both ends of the arc-shaped building. Each of them held an exquisite silver plate in her hand. Ryan could even smell the tempting fragrance from the plates.

At this moment, the only one who could still maintain a solemn demeanor, the Grand High Priest Mados, explained, "This place is called the Hall of Truth. It is a crystallization of ancient architecture. There is a rather strange characteristic in this hall. If one speaks in an ordinary tone, nothing abnormal will happen. However, once someone whispers in a very low voice, the special structure of the hall will amplify the sound and then it will spread back like an echo. Therefore, this hall has always been the place to entertain guests from various countries to show sincerity and honesty."

Hearing this and then listening to the dialogues echoing around the hall like valley echoes, looking at the ministers laughing heartily in the hall, and the members of the delegation from her own country behind her desperately holding back their smiles, the princess really hated this damned Ryan at this moment.

In the princess's heart, she had already subjected Ryan to various forms of capital punishment countless times.

In fact, just by glancing at the princess's flushed cheeks and her slightly pale hands clenched tightly, Ryan knew that his situation was quite precarious.

And that fierce glare from the princess made Ryan feel as if he had suddenly returned to another dining table, the one that was still fresh in his memory, which was placed in Kris's laboratory, the very dining table they had always used.

The fierce look the princess gave him just now was so similar to the look Kris, the magician, gave him when she learned that he was Victor's disciple.

And the cruel persecution Kris inflicted on him afterwards was an unforgettable painful experience. Now, just thinking about it made Ryan shiver.

In an instant, Ryan even considered applying to Helcos III for political asylum. Perhaps being a fugitive was far better than going back to face the enraged princess.

Since he had already made a fool of himself enough, Ryan was no longer too worried. With the burden off his heart, Ryan enjoyed this meal particularly happily. Anyway, he had to face an enraged princess no matter what. Enjoying the present was what Ryan cared most about now.

Ryan was talkative and cheerful at the dining table, with a natural, generous and polite demeanor, which greatly changed the impression of Ryan among the ministers of the Kingdom of Caoqi.

In front of them, Ryan looked like a seasoned professional diplomat, rather than the timid little princess's follower at first, and the comical court jester who had made a fool of himself.

Ryan's proficient diplomatic manners not only surprised the ministers of the Kingdom of Caoqi, but also greatly astonished the members of the delegation from the Kingdom of Sophie, including the princess.

Originally, in their eyes, Ryan was just a magician with strange magic, great potential, and even likely to hide extraordinary strength. But apart from that, Ryan was nothing, neither having a good education nor any other special skills.

Unexpectedly, this ordinary and common Ryan actually had quite good diplomatic potential.

The princess beside him had already made up her mind. After going back, she must straighten out this live wire who could go off at any time, and give him some comprehensive training to see how much he could absorb. Maybe this guy was really a treasure that no one had noticed.

However, of course, all this was on the premise that Ryan had to pay a sufficient price for this blunder (which also embarrassed the princess) before it could be considered.

Seeing Ryan's performance, even Joel, who never spoke beside him, was greatly surprised. He had never expected Ryan to have such a set of skills.

Although Joel usually looked carefree, it didn't mean that he didn't care about state affairs. Joel liked to serve the country in another special way. For example, discovering talents was his greatest contribution. Many knights in the Kingdom of Sophie were discovered by Joel from among the common people. Therefore, when it came to Ryan's educational problems in the Kingdom of Sophie, the princess immediately thought of Joel. After all, Joel's expertise in this area was recognized by everyone.

Although Ryan hated all diplomatic etiquette and court life styles, there was only one ceremony he would never oppose, and that was the banquet.

Although there were countless cumbersome rules in the court banquet that made people feel quite uncomfortable, just thinking of those delicious dishes, Ryan felt that all hardships were worth enduring.

From this point of view, Ryan was still somewhat influenced by Victor.

However, Ryan was still quite concerned about the princess's prohibition on eating. After all, he had lost face for his arrogant princess again just now. He didn't know what punishment was waiting for him when he got back. If he made any mistakes on the dining table and let the princess pick them out again, he might have a hard time in the future, or even be in big trouble.

Thinking of this, Ryan quietly approached the princess and asked softly behind her, "Your Highness, what should we do next?"

The princess covered her face with a fan and said softly, "Be careful yourself. Don't make me embarrassed again. Otherwise, you'll be in for it when you get back!"

Hearing the princess's permission, Ryan was overjoyed. He could enjoy the delicious food soon. As long as he paid attention to his image, he could eat heartily.

But soon he couldn't be happy anymore. Two voices talking slowly drifted over from the arc-shaped ends. Listening carefully, it was exactly the two responses he had just had with the princess. The tone and voice were exactly the same. Looking at the princes, nobles, and ministers of the Kingdom of Caoqi laughing together, even Helcos III couldn't maintain a serious expression. All the members of the delegation from the Kingdom of Sophie were dumbfounded.

Now Joel was calculating how to keep Ryan's little life safe first when they got back. Joel had no objection to punishing Ryan a little and letting him suffer a bit. This could be seen from the fact that he, like Kris and the current Princess Royal, had a serious tendency towards violence.

However, Joel's principle was that life was precious, health was priceless, and freedom was the most basic. Therefore, he always opposed Kris's completely violent methods and felt sympathy for Ryan being forced to become Kris's private property.

However, despite feeling sympathy, Joel was still just watching the show with great interest. Just like those drama fans who cry their hearts out for the tragic fates of the characters on stage, Joel was absolutely not interested in interceding with Kris for Ryan or helping Ryan regain his freedom.

Just now, while thinking about how to keep Ryan's little life safe, Joel was also pondering that he couldn't let this kid off too easily. It didn't seem right to let him get through this easily. He had to think of a way to tease this kid and let him suffer more.

At the dining table, everyone was savoring the rich and delicious dishes while having their own thoughts. Ryan was now completely convinced of the culinary skills of the court of the Kingdom of Caoqi. Indeed, it was not without reason that the whole world called the capital Videsc of the Kingdom of Caoqi the City of Gastronomy. The Kingdom of Caoqi really had unique attainments in the field of food.

There were exactly one hundred and eight dishes of various colors neatly arranged on the table. Not only were they all exquisitely delicious, but what amazed Ryan most was that not a single ingredient used in all the dishes was repeated. From the first dish of oyster bisque to the last dish of roasted buttered wyvern wings, each dish was carefully made with different ingredients and different cooking techniques.

This banquet not only broadened Ryan's horizons but also whetted his appetite.

Among these dishes, Ryan was most interested in various kinds of dragon meat, including the delicious sea dragon meat, the tender and crispy wyvern meat, the moderately sweet and sour cloud dragon meat, and the sweet but not greasy wind dragon meat.

When he took a bite of the stir-fried spiny dragon meat, he deeply regretted it. If he had known that this animal tasted so good, there were so many spiny dragons in Kris's laboratory back then, and he had wasted such delicious food for nothing. If he had secretly slaughtered one or two at that time, Kris would definitely not have noticed.

After a full meal, the host cordially invited everyone to rest in the side hall. Ryan knew that according to diplomatic practice, this was an opportunity for the main representatives of the two countries to have informal contact. So only Princess Franzine followed Helcos III into the small living room on the left side of the hall, and the rest wandered and chatted freely in the hall and the square.

Ryan, Oliver, and Jiesitan, who had no particular destination, were invited by the Grand High Priest Mados to follow him to his private laboratory located on the south side of the temple.

As soon as they entered the laboratory, Ryan had the same feeling of being in a different world. The Grand High Priest Mados clearly noticed Ryan's reaction and explained, "The place where you are now has been the place where humans and gods communicate since ancient times."

Hearing this, Ryan immediately realized that this place, like Kris's laboratory, connected two different spaces. The only difference was that Kris's Illusory Forest connected to the demon realm, while this place obviously connected to the heavenly realm where the gods were.

Since he had stayed in the demon realm for a while, he was quite sensitive to such spatial anomalies. Ordinary people would not be able to detect these slight differences in space, which might be thanks to Kris the magician having thrown Ryan into the demon realm before.

The great High Priest of Caoqi invited the three young people to sit on the brocade cushions.

To be honest, Ryan really liked this special custom of the Kingdom of Caoqi. Caoqi people didn't like to sit on sofas or chairs. During normal leisure time, Caoqi people would sit in thick brocade cushions stuffed with cotton or down, which were quite comfortable.

So Ryan bought two such brocade cushions as soon as he arrived in Karadan.

The four of them were resting while talking about the topic of the old wolf. As the Grand High Priest of the Kingdom of Caoqi, Mados was indeed very attentive to everything about Fandosi, one of the founding heroes and a demon beast.

Facing this great magician renowned for his wisdom all over the world, the three trainees felt that only he could communicate with them thoroughly. Regarding their experience with the old wolf, Ryan really didn't know how to explain.

After listening to their statements, the old magician leaned back gently, burying his whole body in the brocade cushion, relaxing his muscles as if he had fallen asleep.

After a long time, the old magician asked, "You should know the current situation, right?"

"Yes, we know that your country is preparing for war," Oliver said concisely.

"Yes, ever since my old friend Ross died, the whole country is sliding towards war."

"You, with your high prestige, should be able to make a very powerful contribution to peace," Oliver added after thinking for a while, "if you are willing to."

"I understand what you mean. Everyone hopes their own country will be prosperous and powerful, and I am no exception. But having strong military power to conquer others does not necessarily mean true prosperity and power. I am much clearer about this than you," said the old magician.

Oliver felt quite embarrassed for a moment. He stood up and apologized, "Respected High Priest, please forgive my previous presumptuous remarks."

The old magician waved his hand and said, "It's okay. Many people misunderstand each other. It will be all right once the misunderstanding is cleared up."

After thinking for a while, the old magician said, "I suppose you know that Mr. Kobe Leo does not approve of starting a war, but he cannot influence the will of the court. Due to Ross's death, those hardline forces in the original government are gradually rising. If you want to reverse the current situation, perhaps the hope lies with you."

"With us?" Oliver asked in doubt.

"What can we do?" Jiesitan was also confused.

Ryan pondered for a moment. He seemed to sense something vaguely and asked, "Great mentor, are you referring to our encounter with Fandosi, one of the twelve heroes?"

The old magician nodded and said, "Legends are not just legends. They also represent people's hearts. It is very difficult for anyone to harm the founding heroes. So, if you want to promote peace, you can appear in front of the people of the Kingdom of Caoqi as disciples of the founding heroes. Sometimes what the people need is a symbol, whether it is a god or a hero. A correct symbol can guide in the right direction. And the right direction can avoid many mistakes."

Hearing the old magician's words, the three trainees fell silent. Each had their own unique understanding of the old magician's teachings.

Oliver was thinking about how to use the image of the hero Fandosi to create a foundation for peace between the two countries.

Jiesitan only noticed what the old magician said about appearing as disciples of the founding heroes. If he could achieve this, he would surely be safe on the land of the Kingdom of Caoqi.

At this moment, Ryan was thinking about something completely different from the other two trainees.

At this time, he wasn't thinking about the security of the Kingdom of Sophie or the aggressive tendencies of the Kingdom of Caoqi. Instead, deep in his heart, he was repeatedly thinking about the issue of direction. As for why he thought of this question, Ryan himself couldn't answer. He just faintly felt that neither the Kingdom of Sophie nor the Kingdom of Caoqi completely had the right direction.

The three young people were sitting there silently lost in thought. In another room, another young person was also lost in thought. However, unlike the philosophical questions the three trainees were thinking about, this young person was facing completely real and practical problems.

This young person was Princess Franzine of the Kingdom of Sophie.

Since the banquet ended, the princess had followed His Majesty the Emperor to the small living room next door.

After settling down on two sofas in the living room, the princess was about to speak when Helcos III preempted her and said, "Respected Princess, you are truly beautiful. Moreover, you have specifically chosen clothes in the color and style I like, which touches me deeply. However, before you arrived in Caoqi, I already knew all your arrangements. I am very sorry to tell you that I already have a long-time sweetheart."

After listening to Helcos III's words, the princess was quite surprised because, according to the intelligence gathered so far, Helcos III did not seem to be a very capable king with tight and decisive thinking.

Moreover, judging from today's performance, Helcos III was indeed as the intelligence analysis described: an honest and easy-going young emperor without much majesty. However, unexpectedly, once alone with him, this ordinary and unimposing king immediately revealed his sharpness.

Seeing the princess momentarily stunned, Helcos III continued, "I don't want to base the interests of the two countries on marriage. Perhaps I can tell you honestly, Princess, that I also don't want to start a war between the two countries. The ones who really want to stir up war are those local powerful nobles. They hope to use war to further expand their spheres of influence and increase their wealth, which is exactly what I don't want to see.

At present, except for Kobe Leo and the Holy Knights, almost everyone in the court supports starting a war. These people are mainly led by the current Prime Minister Someret and Duke Haigelo. The Someret family is one of the most powerful noble families in the Kingdom of Caoqi, and Duke Haigelo has the support of all the vassal nobles. My position is quite difficult. If it weren't for the strong support of Kobe Leo and the Holy Knights, I might not even be able to hold my position."

"So, would you yield to pressure and let them start a war?" the princess asked eagerly.

"If war could solve my fundamental problems, I would agree to start it. But if war breaks out and those nobles' power further expands, what countries will I have left for them to conquer?"

The princess could clearly sense the mockery in the emperor's words.

Indeed, from Helcos III's perspective, he did not want to start this war that brought him no benefits. Therefore, considering interests, Helcos III should be on the same side as them.

Of course, all this was predicated on the assumption that everything Helcos III said was true.

Should they believe Helcos III's words? If his words were true, how should they complete this diplomatic mission?

If they helped Helcos III seize power, would this hidden king become a new threat to the Kingdom of Sophie?

If they were to help Helcos III, where should they start? Would it be better to make the Kingdom of Caoqi a unified country centered around Helcos III, or to split this powerful country as much as possible?

What was the real balance of power in the Kingdom of Caoqi? How many friends and enemies did they have in front of them, and who were these friends and enemies? Which interest group did the bandit gang that chased them in the wilderness belong to?

Countless questions surged in the princess's mind.

Facing all these difficulties, the princess felt the limits of her abilities for the first time.

She had always considered herself a wise leader and a natural diplomat, hence she was hands-on with everything, which indeed earned her countless praises. However, this time, compared to the hidden depths of Helcos III, the princess deeply felt that in terms of leadership talent, she was far inferior to His Majesty the Emperor.

The trials along the way also made the princess realize her naivety. Without Joe, without Mados and other predecessors' assistance, she might have already perished in the wilderness.

Now facing so many difficulties, the princess wished that either Joe or Mados could be by her side. Perhaps for the first time in her life, the princess doubted whether the decision to lead this diplomatic mission was a wrong one.

The first informal contact ended quite quickly. Emperor Helcos III simply listed the difficulties he faced to the princess, leaving her troubled.

Before discussing with Joe and the others, the princess had no clue at all. After a polite diplomatic exchange, the princess took her leave from His Majesty the Emperor and thanked him for his warm hospitality.