Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2001: Not hiding it at all

While pondering the next step for the egg I'd just acquired, I was startled to discover it starting to fade right before my eyes.

It looked like the egg was converting into pure energy, on the brink of vanishing entirely from this world.

But that didn't happen—instead, it transformed into a thin strand of energy that seeped straight into my palm.

Glancing downward, I noticed a soft luminescence emerging from the Mark of God located there.

Shutting my eyes and extending my perception inward, I realized the egg had been absorbed into the Mark of God, now safely kept inside. Just one thought would be enough to summon it forth.

Still, I refrained from doing so, opting to leave the egg tucked away in the Mark of God.

I had no idea how the egg pulled off this trick, yet pulling it out at this moment would be a terrible choice. After all, folks outside were eager to claim this egg as their own.

The wisest course was ensuring they remained completely in the dark about it.

With that issue handled, I swung the door open and stepped outside, spotting King Lune standing there in wait for me.

The instant I appeared, he rushed up and questioned, "Your majesty, how was the ancestor?"

His voice carried a pretense of concern for the phoenix, though I could sense deep down that wasn't his true worry. From the subtle undertone in his words, it was obvious something far more important gripped his attention.

Humans changed once knowledge came their way—they unleashed their greed without restraint, pushing until it backfired on them.

Here, though, the fear stemmed from losing a long-held benefit, like a prized possession suddenly ripped away.

This unease partly arose because they had squandered the gift despite its potential.

Thanks to the phoenix's blessing, countless opportunities existed for them to advance their own standing.

Yet it was evident they had ignored every single one.

"Your ancestor is fine." I replied in a straightforward tone.

This caught King Lune off guard, prompting him to squint as if searching for any deception in my expression. But I simply met his gaze steadily without flinching.

Ultimately, King Lune could only force a grin and remark, "That’s good then."

I offered no response, knowing it served me nothing to engage further.

Simply put, I hadn't anticipated him diving in so boldly.

"Your majesty, did the ancestor request you to relay any message to us?"

The stare he fixed on me suggested he anticipated receiving an item from me.

His gaze implied he viewed this as an entitlement to claim.

Of course, I had zero intention of handing over a thing.

Since the egg had been passed to my care, King Lune had no business even considering it.

"No, there’s nothing." I answered evenly.

On this occasion, King Lune showed no signs of accepting that reply without pushback.

"Your majesty, please grasp that our ancestor has safeguarded the Solar Kingdom across countless generations. Thus, the reverence we hold for them surpasses all else."

He trailed off there, but his meaning hung crystal clear in the air.

A bit more prodding from him, and it would shift from hints to outright demands.

Still, such tactics wouldn't intimidate me in the slightest.

After listening to his words, I locked eyes with King Lune calmly and stated, "I’ve already said that I haven’t received anything from your ancestor."

A flicker of astonishment crossed King Lune’s features, as if my response had thrown him for a loop.

Without adding another word, I turned and began striding away from the area.

Soon enough, King Lune fell in step behind me in silence. Even so, I felt the intensity of his stare boring into my back as we moved.

The phoenix had foreseen every bit of this.

It came as no shock, given how the phoenix had dispersed its essence throughout the realm initially. That very essence formed the core of the phoenix, binding it tightly to the land.

The phoenix monitoring the inhabitants via that connection seemed entirely logical.

With essence scattered across the entire Solar Kingdom, it wouldn't surprise anyone if the phoenix could oversee every corner of the domain.

Such an idea painted the Solar Kingdom as a surveillance-heavy regime, though nothing could be further from the truth.

I brushed that notion aside and shifted focus back to King Lune.

Without turning around, I easily picked up on his motives from the weight of his gaze. It felt like he harbored some scheme, though he wasn't prepared to act on it just yet.

Upon our return, the royal guards' suspicious glances toward me confirmed as much.

They had clearly plotted this beforehand, devising strategies in advance.

I gave a subtle shake of my head to Klein and the guards, signaling them to hold back.

The moment hadn't arrived to abandon all pretense of decorum.