(West Fortress, Bog Forest)

(Artur’s 3rd POV)

"Something’s different!"

That was Artur’s immediate impression.

The atmosphere at West Fortress had shifted. The usually kind and friendly arion seemed to have changed. Not in a hostile way, but they had become even more kind and friendly towards humans.

While this should have been a positive development, Artur couldn’t shake off his suspicion.

He had to admit, part of his suspicion stemmed from his jealousy of Moku. Despite his constant denial, the term "Siscon" seemed to fit him well.

However, for the sake of family harmony, he kept his mouth shut.

Despite his efforts, Artur’s suspicion lingered. He still believed that Anna had been brainwashed by Moku.

In his heart, he refused to call her Nevare, even though it was a title of honor for a prince’s wife. To him, she was still his sister, Anna.

But... something was off with Anna.

She was different from the sister he remembered. Her refusal to return home and visit their parents only deepened Artur’s concern.

Robert had repeatedly advised him to let go of his doubts. The Anna that Artur remembered was long gone. Now, there was only Nevare, wife of the arion prince.

The cooperation between Robert and Anna had grown stronger.

As more slaver bases were attacked and dismantled, Robert’s reputation among adventurers and non-noble mages soared.

Support for Robert to become a council member of the Human Alliance was growing. With the rising prominence of the Gaht family, it was only a matter of time before Robert became one of the most influential voices in the Human Alliance.

Artur was genuinely happy and proud of his friend’s success. Yet, his unease about the alliance with the arion species persisted.

Particularly troubling was the arion’s refusal to hand over the female slaves they had rescued. Anna’s reason was that the women were still severely traumatized by humans.

While this explanation contradicted their initial agreement, Robert couldn’t do much. He had seen the condition of the women and agreed with Anna’s assessment.

Artur could imagine the horrors the female slaves had endured in the slaver’s camps, and this made it hard for him to reject Nevare’s reasoning.

Nevertheless, his distrust remained.

After all, the arion species were not humans.

Despite their current cooperation, they were not yet close enough to fully understand each other.

Artur feared that these women might end up as mere concubines or wives to the arion males, just like what had happened to Anna and some other women.

If that happened then arions could openly brainwash these former slave girls. As a result, they would favour arions and forget their human identities.

Artur had previously raised this issue with Robert. But his good friend ignored his concerns and thought that Artur was too excessive in his jealousy.

But Artur was very sure that Robert also knew this. He was more cautious and clever than Artur.

With his noble education Robert must have been taught about trickery and influencing people’s minds. But unfortunately, Robert ignored the fate of the slave girls because they were not very useful to him.

Robert didn’t need to save all the slaves in the slave traders’ base.

He only needed a few as proof that he was on the side of the oppressed. These female slaves were too many and their condition was miserable.

It would take a lot of medicine and therapy from Soul spell faction users to restore them to their natural state.

That would of course cost a lot of money and Robert did not have enough funds in his pocket. As a result, rather than simply returning these slave girls to their families it would be better to let the arions have them.

The most important thing was for the people to see Robert fighting against the slavery of the nobles. That way the non-noble mages and the adventurers would soon side with him.

For Robert, non-noble mages and adventurers were not trash as the noble mages viewed them. He could still remember that his father, Stent Gaht, used to be a farmer before being forced to become a soldier.

These non-noble mages and adventurers had their own hidden talents due to the lack of resources. If they were properly educated and cultivated, there could be a new Stent Gaht born from them.

Robert knew that and that was why he wanted to get their votes and support.

Although Artur recognised that Robert’s method was the best, he could not agree with Robert to continue working with the arions.

With the support and strength that Robert had now, there was no need for them to co-operate with the arions to attack the slave trader base.

They could do it on their own and that way they would no longer need to share everything they got.

But once again Robert rejected Artur’s opinion. Robert’s reason was that he was currently still unable to oppose the Mana Ruling Family directly.

Although they were preoccupied with the war against demons, the true power of the Mana Ruling Family was still hidden deep in the surface.

Therefore, if Robert showed his hostility openly then even his father would not be able to save his career.

"Sigh~"

Arthur could only sigh at the complexity of noble politics.

Despite bearing the Silva surname now, Arthur wasn’t born into nobility. He had never been schooled in politics or its nuances.

This was a new field for Arthur, and unfortunately, he found it incredibly difficult to adapt.

Luckily, his wife was a noble-born lady who had received political education. With the advice Riri provided, Arthur managed to navigate the political landscape without missteps or entanglements.

Take, for instance, when a lady invited him to dine together. Initially, Arthur wanted to decline, thinking it inappropriate for a married man to dine alone with another woman.

However, Riri promptly instructed him to accept the invitation.

Only after Riri explained did Arthur understand that the lady was merely making small talk and didn’t genuinely intend to dine alone with him.

If Arthur had outright refused, it would have been perceived as an insult to the lady. Therefore, Arthur only needed to express his willingness to dine with the lady and bring Riri along if it were to happen.

Arthur scratched his head, causing a few strands of hair to fall, pondering the intricacies of noble social life.

Why could a banana be called an apple, and an apple be called a watermelon? Arthur could only lament and attempt to adapt to the complexity of his new social circle.

"Arthur, an arion has come to see you!" called out one of the mages outside Arthur’s room.

It was Dony, along with their classmates from the Military Academy, now working for Robert.

They were all closest to Robert and held high positions in the Human Alliance. Additionally, with most of them reaching Level 4 Constellation Mage, they commanded respect among mages.

Of course, this was all thanks to Robert’s contributions, providing resources to enhance their strength. As one of Robert’s closest friends, Arthur also benefited from these magical resources.

Currently, he had reached Level 4 Constellation Mage, needing only a little more to unlock his domain. Arthur just had to delve deeper into the Mana Sea and beseech Mana to grant him domain rights.

"What’s his name?" Arthur asked, his brow furrowed.

He wasn’t expecting a meeting with an Arion today.

According to Riri, a noble must always appear busy to avoid being underestimated by their peers. Meetings with a noble had to be scheduled in advance through letters sent by their servants.

Fortunately, the Arions were unfamiliar with such complex noble customs.

They were straightforward warriors who preferred to get straight to the point without unnecessary formalities.

Human nobles visiting the West Fortress often considered them barbaric, but the Arions simply had different values.

While humans regarded status, wealth, and lineage as the primary indicators of greatness, the Arions valued strength above all.

A weaker Arion wouldn’t interrupt a stronger one, and the strongest Arion always received top priority. Arthur couldn’t decide which system was better, so he refrained from making judgments.

Over time, both Arions and humans began learning each other’s ways.

One Arion described this process as "acculturation," where two different cultures meet, influence each other, and eventually form a new, blended culture. Arthur appreciated this explanation until he learned it came from Moku, which instantly made him dislike it.

"His name is Nash," said Dony.

"Nash?" Arthur’s brow furrowed even more in displeasure.

Arthur knew Nash well.

Despite his larger physique, Nash was still a teenager. He was polite and shy, unlike the more rambunctious Arions.

However, Arthur harbored a deep, hidden dislike for Nash because he was the eldest son of Moku and Anna.

"Let him in," Arthur said, trying to conceal his resentment.

Before long, Nash entered Artur’s room. Artur immediately stood up, arms wide open. "Nephew!" he exclaimed, embracing Nash tightly.

"Uncle, I hope you’re well," Nash said with a smile.

"Of course, I’m fine. What brings you to see your uncle?" Artur got straight to the point.

"Ah, Mother is calling for you in her room," Nash said casually.

"Anna?" Artur blurted out.