Chapter 306

“Oh my.” Li Shu was the first to let out a gloating sound. Although he had also chosen “no,” that didn’t stop him from being happy about Wu Mingbai’s setback.

Wu Mingbai really wanted to sigh. He glanced helplessly at a bewildered Wu Jin, then looked back at Li Shu with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. “What are you laughing about? It’s not like you guessed right either.”

However, Li Shu didn’t care at all. “So what if I was wrong? At least I’m not the one who got asked the same question six or seven times in a row.”

Wu Mingbai: “…”

That hit the mark.

Meanwhile, Wu Jin had also picked up on the situation from their exchange. He came over to Su Bei and asked in a low voice, “What just happened?”

Su Bei whispered back, recounting the events, and then reassured him, “It’s fine. As the subject of the bet, you won’t face any punishment.”

It had to be said, though it felt a bit unkind, Wu Jin was genuinely relieved. How did these people even come up with a punishment like exploring a secret in a strange royal palace? It was such a test of one’s social skills!

Suddenly, he remembered something. “So who lost?”

“You should be asking who won.” Zhao Xiaoyu, who had been listening to their conversation, couldn’t help but say with a laugh. “Only Su Bei and Feng Lan guessed correctly.”

A social butterfly like her wasn’t worried about such punishments; otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to the bet in the first place. The punishment really only penalized the few who weren’t talkative. For the rest of them, it was a reward in a sense. They would have explored the castle even without the bet.

Hearing this, Wu Jin was surprised at first, but his expression soon turned to one of understanding. That made sense. If he and Ling You switched places, he wouldn’t expect her to tease Wu Mingbai either.

But this meant Ling You and Lan Subing were in for a rough time. Neither of them was skilled at talking to strangers; how were they supposed to complete the bet? As a fellow anti-social person, Wu Jin could deeply empathize with the two of them, although he knew their situations were fundamentally different.

Lan Subing was genuinely socially anxious, to an almost pathological degree. However, after training for so long at Endless Ability Academy, she was much better now—just your normal, severely socially anxious person.

Ling You was just cold-natured and didn’t like to talk. But if she really had to converse with someone, she wouldn’t face any real obstacles.

As for himself, Wu Jin knew he had his own psychological issues, but unlike Lan Subing, he just didn’t want others to notice him. And as long as he pushed his hair back, it would trigger a state of super-confidence.

Thinking about it this way, Ling You was actually the most normal of the three. And if the three of them were to actually complete the bet, it seemed only Lan Subing would be the one truly suffering.

Apparently, Lan Subing thought so too. She looked like her soul had left her body, muttering to herself, “I think I got the short end of the stick…”

On the plane, the cold air made everyone drowsy. Since it was a chartered flight, there were no worries, and everyone quickly fell asleep. When they woke up, they had arrived in the Afei Nation. After disembarking, they saw an Afei native who looked like a butler, dressed in a suit and standing at the airport.

Behind him was a row of bodyguards, looking quite imposing. However, the gaudy, handmade pickup sign he was holding, which looked like something a class would hold up at an elementary school sports day, completely broke the immersion.

Combined with the expressionless faces of the men in the row and the occasional curious glances from surrounding tourists, Wu Mingbai just wanted to turn around and go back, to just pretend he’d never been here. He had no desire to be stared at like a monkey in a zoo!

Fortunately, the butler was quite reliable. After recognizing Wu Mingbai, he handed the sign to a bodyguard beside him and walked over alone, saying in a low voice, “Prince Mingbai, I was sent by the King to pick you up. I am also the castle’s butler. You may call me Butler Wese. The King has already arranged rooms for you and your friends in the castle. Please come with me now.”

The royal transport was certainly not a single bus; several black sedans, clearly very expensive, were there to pick them up. Su Bei, Feng Lan, Zhao Xiaoyu, and Mu Tieren were assigned to one car.

As soon as the car started moving, Zhao Xiaoyu made a few quick observations before starting a casual chat with the driver. She could tell he wasn’t the overly serious type, which was why she initiated the conversation.

“Sir, does everyone here know Mingbai’s identity?” Zhao Xiaoyu asked with a curious look. “We thought a crowd of citizens would be here to watch as soon as he arrived.”

Not thinking it was a secret, the driver let his guard down and shook his head in response. “Only us royal staff know the inside story. The public doesn’t know yet. The official announcement ceremony will probably be held after Prince Mingbai returns and receives Godean Zhuo’s acknowledgment.”

Unexpectedly, her question yielded new information. Zhao Xiaoyu’s eyes widened in surprise. “Godean Zhuo’s acknowledgment? The Afei royal family needs the approval of a guardian deity?”

Then, feeling her words could be misconstrued, she quickly added, “I don’t mean to belittle your guardian deity. It’s just that our country doesn’t have one, so I’m not very familiar with the concept.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Every year, tourists who come here ask a lot of questions about Godean Zhuo. What you asked is not offensive at all.” The driver chuckled and shook his head. “After the royal family receives Godean Zhuo’s acknowledgment, they gain an extra layer of protection within the Afei Nation’s borders. Our king once survived an assassination attempt thanks to Godean Zhuo’s protection.”

So that was it. Zhao Xiaoyu had initially thought, based on the driver’s words, that the guardian deity ranked higher than the royal family in the Afei Nation. But now it seemed that wasn’t the case. Especially judging by the driver’s attitude, their relationship seemed to be one of equals.

Su Bei thought so too, but because he was intentionally probing, he thought a level deeper than Zhao Xiaoyu. The guardian deity provides protection for the royal family and the Afei Nation, but what does the Afei Nation provide for the guardian deity?

If only the guardian deity provided benefits, while the Afei Nation offered nothing in return, their attitude should be much more reverent. They wouldn’t be using the deity as a tourist selling point, and a driver wouldn’t be able to discuss matters between the royal family and the guardian deity with such a casual attitude.

With this in mind, he also spoke up. “Does every household here worship a statue of Godean Zhuo? In ancient times in my country, almost every family would worship statues of deities.”

“If they do, I’d like to buy one as a souvenir,” Mu Tieren added, providing perfect support. Though he had no idea what Su Bei was thinking, he genuinely wanted to bring a souvenir back.

Evidently, this was another common question from tourists. The driver answered skillfully, “Of course. Every household here worships a statue of Godean Zhuo. In the commercial district, they not only sell statues but also keychains, phone cases, and more with the guardian deity’s image. you can go buy them anytime.”

Every household worships it, which means they are indeed very respectful of the guardian deity. But they also have no qualms about making money off the deity, which could only be due to the royal family leading by example.

Because they were more than willing to use the guardian deity’s name to boost the country’s GDP, the people followed suit.

So, as it stands, the Afei royal family gets national protection, royal protection, and can even use the deity to make money. If the royal family couldn’t provide something for the guardian deity in return, that would be truly absurd. Even the Virgin Mary wasn’t that selfless, right?

There were two possibilities now. First, the royal family did provide something to the guardian deity, but ordinary people might not know about it. Second, they provided nothing, but the guardian deity also needed nothing. In other words, the guardian deity was either not a living being or had no desires.

As far as Su Bei knew, the guardian deity was a variation of a Nightmare Beast. Judging by its ability to influence the ley lines of a foreign country, it was definitely at least an Advanced Nightmare Beast. Advanced Nightmare Beasts possessed intelligence. So, compared to the idea that it had no desires, Su Bei was more inclined to believe that the Afei royal family could provide some other value to the guardian deity, which is why it continued to protect this place.

To get some answers from the guardian deity, Su Bei felt he needed to know what it truly wanted. After all, some questions couldn’t be asked by Wu Mingbai, and he didn’t possess the same royal bloodline. Even if he managed to see the guardian deity by tagging along with Wu Mingbai, it might not answer his questions. Opportunity favors the prepared, so it was best to cater to its preferences in advance.

Thinking of this, Su Bei suddenly glanced at Feng Lan. After so many lessons, Feng Lan must have made a prophecy before coming to the Afei Nation this time. But he hadn’t said anything and had just obediently come along with everyone. Could it be because nothing unexpected was going to happen in the Afei Nation?

How was that possible? Su Bei was confident his judgment wouldn’t be wrong. There was a 200% chance of plot development here.

However, with outsiders present throughout the journey, it wasn’t convenient for Su Bei to ask much. He didn’t dare to assume he could speak his own language in a foreign country and bet that they wouldn’t understand Chinese. Having just found a long-lost prince, the royal family would surely hire professional translators.

If their conversation was recorded and translated, Su Bei feared they might be arrested on the spot.

As the motorcade moved forward, a tall castle came into view. At first glance, the Afei Nation’s castle was very gaudy. It didn’t have the simple, solemn appearance of castles in other countries; instead, it was decorated in a riot of colors. Each floor was a different color and painted with novel patterns.

In terms of gaudiness, the plane they had sent was of a similar vein. But perhaps because the castle was professionally designed, it didn’t seem abstract, but rather had a vibrant and pleasant look.

It had to be said, the Afei Nation’s castle was truly refreshing. Su Bei had visited many countries before and after high school and had seen many kinds of castles, but this was the first time he had seen one with such brilliant colors.

Speaking of which, most of the houses along the way also shared this color palette, giving the entire city a multicolored atmosphere. The Afei Nation’s reputation as the world’s most famous tourist country wasn’t unearned. Merely having a guardian deity that could manifest itself wasn’t enough to reach such heights. After all, Godean Zhuo didn’t protect foreigners; you couldn’t get on its good side just by visiting a few more times.

What truly attracted tourists to come back again and again were the unique local customs and culture, which always made people feel happy. At least, seeing the colorful town, Su Bei did feel a sense of ease in his heart.

“As expected of a tourist hotspot, it’s so beautiful,” Zhao Xiaoyu couldn’t help but exclaim after getting out of the car. “This style is quite rare in the world, isn’t it?”

Mu Tieren nodded in agreement, adding sincerely, “Indeed. We really made the right choice coming here. The environment is exactly like the photos online.”

Hearing them praise their country so much, the driver in the car said cheerfully, “When you travel to our Afei Nation, you can rest assured. We absolutely won’t disappoint you! And since you’re friends of Prince Mingbai, you’ll definitely receive the highest standard of treatment.”

As he spoke, the last car arrived. All the students from S-Class gathered, and Butler Wese led them to the castle entrance. The main doors swung open, and the lights flashed on, illuminating the entire interior of the castle.

A red carpet suddenly unrolled down the middle like a tumbleweed. Maids, standing neatly in rows on either side of the carpet, bowed in unison and said with one voice, “Welcome back to the Afei Nation, Prince Mingbai!”

“What a Mary Sue plot…” Even with so many people around, Teacher, Lan Subing couldn’t suppress her strong urge to roast the situation. She never thought a scene she had fantasized about as a child would play out in real life, and on one of her own friends, no less.

Compared to her, Zhao Xiaoyu was the type who enjoyed fantasizing about such themes more. She immediately blurted out a show title: “It’s like something out of ‘The Princess Returns’…”

The others: “…”

Even if they hadn’t seen the show, the name alone perfectly matched the current situation. Wu Mingbai’s mouth twitched as he looked at the grand procession of seven people at the end of the red carpet.

At the forefront was a couple around 50 years old, dressed magnificently. They were undoubtedly the King and Queen, Wu Mingbai’s biological parents. The Queen bore a striking resemblance to Wu Mingbai, her eyes filled with tears and her hands covering her mouth, barely holding back her sobs. The King also looked deeply gratified, with an arm around the Queen, leading the group behind them toward Wu Mingbai.

The remaining five people were three men and two women. Aside from Andrew, whom they had seen during the competition, the rest were several years younger. As expected, they were the other princes and princesses of the Afei Nation.

Their expressions were varied and worth scrutinizing.

The entire family had come to welcome Wu Mingbai, showing the King and Queen’s sincerity. As for how his other siblings felt about his return, that was another matter.

The siblings quickly composed their expressions. As the King led them forward, their faces changed with lightning speed to a uniform look of joy and excitement, as if they were genuinely looking forward to Wu Mingbai’s arrival. If Su Bei hadn’t been watching them from the start, he might not have noticed the change in their expressions.

Next came the expected emotional reunion. The Queen hugged her long-lost son and cried her heart out. After she had calmed down a bit, the King began to introduce Wu Mingbai to his brothers and sisters.

Andrew, needless to say, was the rather brainless first prince. His expression upon seeing Wu Mingbai enter had held a trace of vigilance, but it was mostly the arrogance of someone who didn’t take Wu Mingbai seriously.

The second princess was named Meli. Her expression when looking at Wu Mingbai was also one of vigilance. For this particular…

It was worth mentioning that the choice of monarch in the Afei Nation was not limited to men; women were equally eligible. They could simply marry into the family when necessary.

With just a glance, Su Bei confirmed that she also had ambitions for the throne. But that was normal. Who wouldn’t want to sit on the throne?

The next two boys were a pair of twins. The one on the left was named Modai’er, and the one on the right was Moqi. The older brother, Modai’er, had an expression identical to the second princess—a gaze of vigilance and scrutiny.

As for Moqi, he, like the little princess Sofia, had a face full of curiosity. It was clear these two held no hostility toward Wu Mingbai and likely had no ambitions for the throne either.

Since it was inconvenient to talk deeply with outsiders present, the King planned to arrange for Su Bei and the others to be taken elsewhere first. He gave a look to Butler Wese, who immediately understood and stepped forward, gesturing slightly to Su Bei and his group. “Our guests must be tired from the long journey. Let me show you to your rooms to rest.”

Everyone glanced at Wu Mingbai, and seeing him nod, they followed Wese with peace of mind.

The Afei royal family was by no means poor. The rooms they were given were all single rooms with large beds. There was even a call bell on the nightstand; one press would summon a maid.

Their rooms were all on the same floor, making it convenient to visit each other.

After arranging the rooms and helping them settle their luggage, Wese continued, “Regarding tomorrow’s itinerary, would our guests prefer to tour on their own, or should I find a guide to show you around?”

Except for Su Bei, no one there had any ulterior motives; they were simply here for a vacation. So, they unhesitatingly chose the second option: “A guide!”

They were in an unfamiliar place, and having a reliable guide would make things much more efficient.

Wese wasn’t surprised by their choice. After getting their answer, he prepared to leave to arrange for a guide. Before leaving, he thoughtfully suggested today’s entertainment: “For today, our guests can tour the castle first. Please do not enter any locked rooms; they may contain miscellaneous items or be servants’ quarters. Do not go to the top two floors, as those are areas only accessible to the King’s immediate family. You are free to explore anywhere else. If you encounter any problems during your tour, you can ask any passing servant for help at any time. There is no internet in the castle—”

“Mr. Butler!” Seeing him about to leave, Zhao Xiaoyu quickly called out to him. “Can we ask something about the guardian deity? We are all very curious about it.”

This question was extremely common among tourists, so Wese was not at all surprised that one of the friends the prince brought back would be curious. He smiled politely and said, “Of course. It is my honor to answer your questions.”

Everyone was interested in this topic and gathered in the living room area by the staircase on the same floor.

Zhao Xiaoyu was truly just curious. Once seated, she eagerly asked, “Mr. Butler, have you seen the guardian deity with your own eyes? What does it look like?”

Although all sorts of information indicated that the Afei Nation truly had a guardian deity, as an atheist, Zhao Xiaoyu still found it hard not to be skeptical. This was also why she was so curious.

“I have seen Godean Zhuo once while accompanying the King. It is actually omnipresent in the Afei Nation, but the time I saw it, it appeared as a human face protruding from a stone wall.” Wese spoke of this without any reservation, his eyes even holding a hint of pride.

In their country, the existence of the guardian deity was no secret. Being able to see its form with one’s own eyes was indeed an honor.

“What did the King take you to see the guardian deity for?” Zhao Xiaoyu was a smart girl, very good at building upon the information she received.

Unexpectedly, she had asked such a question based on his previous answer. Wese gave an awkward smile before quickly composing himself. “It was for a routine inquiry about any potential geological disasters within the Afei Nation.”

The reason was plausible, but unfortunately, Su Bei didn’t miss the fleeting awkwardness on his face. The awkwardness was likely because he had let something slip, which indirectly proved that the King’s purpose for visiting the guardian deity couldn’t be revealed.

Sigh, I really want to know where the guardian deity is. It would be even better if I could quietly plant a listening device there. Su Bei thought this, but he wasn’t worried at all. With the main protagonist group around, there would be no shortage of opportunities to meet it.

For now, he just needed to enjoy his vacation. If he stumbled upon a clue, he would pay attention; if not, he would just relax. When the comic updated, the clues would be fed right to him.

After Zhao Xiaoyu finished asking, Li Shu followed up with considerable interest, “Do we have a chance to see the guardian deity?”

He had little interest in tourism, but he was very interested in finding this guardian deity. Among the many legends about the Afei Nation’s guardian deity, some said that seeing it would grant a wish, while others claimed seeing it would grant you the god’s protection once…

Of course, Li Shu wasn’t foolish enough to blindly believe these baseless rumors, but they had certainly piqued his interest in the guardian deity. Even if none of the rumors were true, getting a glimpse of a “god” would be interesting enough.

Wese said apologetically, “It is said that some people with great fortune can encounter Godean Zhuo. Otherwise, only members of the royal family can be arranged to see it.”

No one was surprised by this. It would be strange if just anyone could see it.

After the butler left, Lan Subing finally spoke up, “This guardian deity is a bit different from what I imagined.”

“How is it different?” Ai Baozhu asked curiously.

Before Lan Subing could answer, Jiang Tianming had already guessed her thoughts. “You think it’s not mysterious enough, right?”

Hearing this, Lan Subing immediately nodded with a “you get me” expression. “It feels like it can be seen so casually. I mean, even if it’s only the royal family, they’re still just people.”

Perhaps because her friend Wu Mingbai was a genuine member of the Afei royal family, Lan Subing found it hard to feel any awe toward royalty. In her heart, she felt they were just the same as her, nothing special.

Su Bei thought for a moment and came up with a particularly apt analogy: “Less like a god, and more like the Afei royal family’s old ancestor.”

Because it’s the royal family’s old ancestor, it would naturally protect them and could be seen frequently. And it would make perfect sense for them to have the people of the Afei Nation worship the guardian deity. What’s wrong with worshiping your own ancestor?

However, he was just joking. Perhaps the guardian deity and the royal family did have some unspeakable secret, but it was definitely not about any blood relationship. After all, Godean Zhuo was a Nightmare Beast variant; what kind of blood relation could it have with humans?

“Ahem, we are still in their royal castle, you know,” Si Zhaohua coughed lightly into his fist.

Everyone had forgotten about that. Reminded by him, they immediately fell silent as church mice. Spreading rumors about your hosts on their own turf was really asking for trouble.