Overlord: I’ve Been Recruiting Followers in Another World

"Your Excellency, what is this?"

Although Quaiesse could have used [Item Identification] magic to understand what he held, he didn't. Instead, he chose to ask Kael directly about the mysterious object, a sign of respect and perhaps a touch of fear.

Kael offered no explanation. He raised his palm and directed it towards Quaiesse, then said, "Do not resist."

As soon as he finished speaking, golden light emanated from Kael's hand and swiftly formed a magic circle beneath Quaiesse's feet. The light was not merely visual; there was a sensation of strange energy entering his body. Quaiesse had some guesses in his mind about what was happening—this must be it, so he complied with Kael's request and allowed the power to envelop his entire body.

This situation did not last long before the golden magic circle vanished without a trace.

Quaiesse clenched his hand. Although he felt no physical change, he knew clearly that he was different. There was something new, a subtle yet definite improvement. He bowed respectfully to Kael who stood before him. "Thank you for your gift, Your Excellency. Forgive me for asking, why did you do this?"

"Haha, don't worry, I'll tell you."

Kael chuckled, a mysterious smile on his face. He gestured for Quaiesse to remember his next words. "I still need the Sunshine Scripture, so I won't let you take them for a while. I will have Enri bring you back to the Church of Destiny later. You will convey four things to the leaders of the Slane Theocracy."

"First of all, I wish to conquer the Katze Plains and build a holy city there as my home. If you, the Slane Theocracy, are willing to provide assistance, you will gain my friendship." Kael's tone was firm, an offer that could not be easily refused.

"Secondly, my followers can become stronger through combat, but currently we lack suitable sparring partners. If your country is willing to help, I can grant a number of your people the same abilities as you. The items in your hand are part of our cooperation, and I can provide more of the same items to your country when the time comes." Kael referred to the thick book he had just given, an offer that would surely entice the Theocracy's high-ranking officials.

"Thirdly, I hear you have contact with the Dragon Kingdom. I wish to ask for your help in delivering a message to the Dragon Queen of the Dragon Kingdom. Tell her that our Church of Destiny is willing to assist them in resisting the invasion of the Orc Empire. If she is interested, she can come to me to discuss relevant matters." This was Kael's strategic move to expand his influence.

"Fourthly, I hear there are certain existences called 'God-Kin' in your country. I am very interested in them. Let them come to me. If they perform well, I will grant them certain rewards."

"Have you memorized everything?" Kael asked, his eyes sharply fixed on Quaiesse.

"Ah? Yes!" Quaiesse answered quickly, jolted from his reverie.

But at this moment, his heart was not calm, it could even be said to be in a violent turmoil. The bad premonition he felt earlier had now swelled into fear.

Of the four things Kael mentioned, although the first three were noteworthy—a beneficial offer of cooperation for the Theocracy—they were still ordinary exchanges and collaborations, a deal between powers. However, the fourth point... God-Kin were the Slane Theocracy's most closely guarded secret. How could Kael know of their existence!?

"Yes!" Quaiesse suddenly remembered the last time he came to meet Kael. If the mind-controlling magic used on that child from the Re-Estize Kingdom—referring to Gazef Stronoff—was used by this Kael on the members of the Sunshine Scripture, especially on their captain, Nigun, it would be hard to say how many of the Theocracy's secrets had been leaked.

When he thought of this, Quaiesse suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine. A bone-chilling cold. He had to report this situation to the High Priest immediately! This was not just a negotiation, it was a veiled threat to the Theocracy's informational sovereignty.

Kael had no idea that Quaiesse had so many brilliant ideas, so much anxiety swirling in his mind. After explaining what he wanted to say, he waved to Quaiesse and said, "Alright, you may go. Return to our headquarters and wait obediently."

"Alright, then I shall take my leave."

Quaiesse, of course, dared not disobey. After saluting Kael, he and the guards who had brought them here were teleported back to the city headquarters. A mixed feeling of relief and worry enveloped him.

After the three of them left, Kael told Enri a few more things about the Church of Destiny, instructions regarding training and future plans. He then said to Leinas, "You all train well here. I have something to take care of, and I might return in the evening."

Having said that, he also used [Teleportation] magic to depart, disappearing in a flash of light.

After Kael left, Leinas and the other two—Enri and Fluder—continued their training as usual. Although the battles between the legendary knights and the demon forces were the primary way to enhance their abilities, the three of them also didn't remain idle. Leinas and Enri fought individually, honing their personal skills, while Fluder used translation items to study the magic book given by Kael and enthusiastically developed new magic, his old eyes gleaming with excitement.

Thousands of miles away in the capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom, the Royal Capital Re-Estize.

After passing the strict inspection of the Royal Capital guards, Lakyus, Tia, and Tina entered Re-Estize Palace and easily arrived at the door of Princess Renner's bedroom.

The guards who had been waiting there rushed forward and greeted Lakyus and the other two enthusiastically, "Lady Lakyus, Lady Tia, Lady Tina, good to see you again!"

"Climb, how are you?"

Lakyus smiled and greeted the person who came up to her, and the person she met was none other than Princess Renner's guard, Climb. He was a loyal and sincere figure.

Climb's face was filled with joy. He nodded heavily and said, "Yes! Thanks to your protection, I was able to return to Her Highness Princess Renner safely. Allow me to express my sincere gratitude to you!"

Lakyus knew why Climb was thanking her—she had saved Climb's life before—so she smiled helplessly and said, "I promised Renner I would bring you back safely, so I was just fulfilling my promise. You don't need to remember it."

At that moment, someone in the bedroom seemed to hear their conversation and rushed out of the room.

"Lakyus!"

The surprised call caught Lakyus's attention, then she saw Renner walking towards her with both arms open, a wide smile on her face. Lakyus immediately greeted her with a warm smile.

The two friends embraced tightly, but it seemed Renner was stronger in the hug, and it was Lakyus who responded, slightly surprised by the strength of her friend's embrace.

After a while, Renner loosened her arms and examined Lakyus from head to toe, her blue eyes scrutinizing every detail, making sure her friend was alright. After confirming nothing was amiss, she let out a sigh of relief and said, "I was truly scared when I heard you were detained. Fortunately, you've returned safely." Her tone was filled with genuine relief.

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

Lakyus smiled slightly, a faint blush on her cheeks. She didn't want Renner to continue discussing her embarrassing detention. She held Renner's hand and changed the subject: "Let's sit and talk. I miss your homemade flower tea."

Renner was so intelligent that she immediately understood what Lakyus meant. Her smile widened. "Then wait a moment. I'll make you some tea."

The five people then entered the bedroom one by one, closed the bedroom door, and sat beside the round conference table that had been prepared.

Renner brewed black tea for the five people in turn, her movements graceful and meticulous. After everyone had a taste, the atmosphere became more relaxed, and the actual topic began.

"Lakyus, this is the information I told you about earlier, which I obtained from the drug dealer." Renner handed over a sealed scroll of documents.

"Eh."

Lakyus took the document from Renner, broke the seal, and examined the location listed there. "It's not too far from the capital. If we leave now, we should be able to get there tonight." She quickly calculated in her mind.

"So, what do you want us to do for you?" Lakyus asked, her expression serious, switching to professional mode.

Renner's expression suddenly became serious as well, and she said to Lakyus in the tone of a client, no longer a friend: "The losses caused by drug trafficking are too great for the Re-Estize Kingdom, so I wish to ask you, Blue Rose, to infiltrate that base and burn down Eight Fingers' drug raw material plantation." Renner's voice, though soft, was filled with cold determination.