I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 630

Chapter 11: Tremors of the Tiger’s Figure

To Douglas, those in power shouldn’t speak too plainly.

As a prince, he should have the majesty of royalty, and Roy, as a go-between for various factions, had his own exceptional depth.

Just hinting would be enough.

That’s called style.

That’s how he and Jason communicated.

But Roy was confused.

Purpose?

Nah, I just came here to eat, drink, and have fun! What purpose could I possibly have? Should I draw up a travel itinerary and write a trip report?

Though he grumbled internally, since the guy liked this kind of exchange, Roy had no choice but to begrudgingly play along.

That’s called thoughtfulness.

As Douglas began to feel uneasy about the silence, Roy finally spoke.

The young man looked away, his gaze becoming ethereal, maintaining the composure he had during dates with Charlotte, and smiled gently, “I’ve heard that the Golden Abyss of the Kingdom of Golden Sands is unfathomably deep, and the beauty of the desert scenery is beyond compare. The resilient people of Golden Sands have established their great nation upon the cliffs of the western region, which has long captivated my heart.”

“Although I visited once before, it was a time filled with pressing duties, and the memories weren’t pleasant. Now, however, I have the chance to explore the capital of Golden Sands during this study trip, and I suppose I can accompany Charlotte and the others to appreciate the western charm of your nation.”

To cater to Douglas’s preferences, it took Roy some time to come up with that flowery nonsense.

Talking to the nobles from Golden Sands was exhausting.

The gentle breeze wafted by.

However, the young man’s words had already stirred up immense waves in the prince’s heart!

The first part seemed to praise the history of Golden Sands but was, in fact, acknowledging the status of Golden Sands. This followed the customary flattery practices among nobles.

What shocked Douglas was the second part.

Pressing duties and unpleasantness—because he was attacked by cultists at the border last time, Roy obviously held some discontent toward the Kingdom of Golden Sands!

Accompanying Charlotte and the others—specifically mentioning them, Roy was likely hinting at their close relationship and that they had begun an alliance in private.

Put together, this meant that while the Kingdom of Golden Sands was good, their previous performance was lacking. The various factions’ visit this time was to determine if Golden Sands was worth cooperating with.

And at the banquet earlier, the attitudes of Charlotte and the others were practically a reflection of whether these factions were willing to partner with Golden Sands!

It was clear they weren’t into Golden Sands at all!

Douglas found it hard to breathe, “Then… what do you think of our country?”

“It’s only been a day; it’s too early to draw conclusions, don’t you think?” Roy chuckled a bit.

Didn’t expect the senior to care so much about his country’s image!

“Actually, Charlotte and the others weren’t very keen on coming at first, but I’m quite interested in the Kingdom of Golden Sands.”

Hearing this, Douglas perked up, his gaze toward Roy brightening a bit.

The forces led by the Lionheart Kingdom weren’t keen on Golden Sands, but Roy hinted he could sway their attitudes?!

Roy was clearly extending an olive branch to invite Golden Sands to join his alliance!

As he pondered, Douglas even forgot to maintain his composure.

The communication among the factions in Veszyra was quite limited; they weren’t enemies, but they weren’t united either.

Since the Third Era’s war with the Demon Race, due to the lack of common enemies and interests, and the inability to establish clear hierarchies, cooperation among forces in the western continent had gradually declined, mostly relying on mage academies as intermediaries.

Douglas never thought this was a good thing.

A stagnant nation would only miss out on development opportunities.

However, if the factions were willing to ally and further cooperate, each member could reap more benefits.

For example, the Druid spells from the Verdant Council would be an invaluable treasure for the Kingdom of Golden Sands, which had scarce arable land.

And the advanced forging industry of Golden Sands would surely attract the Lionheart and Winter military powers.

In this moment, Douglas finally caught a glimpse of Roy’s iceberg tip!

No wonder he wanted to unite multiple factions, even going so far as to meddle in internal disputes of the empire; Roy Ainbrad’s vision was immense, aiming to establish an alliance where all factions could advance and retreat together?!

Just thinking about that scene made Douglas tremble with excitement and fear, a mix of competitiveness and anxiety.

The plan was grand, and at present, Roy had only taken the first step.

But now, he had to consider whether the Kingdom of Golden Sands should follow in his footsteps.

If the alliance could be established, the earlier they joined, the more benefits they could secure.

Douglas had no doubt that the Lionheart Kingdom could hope to rise alongside the Academy City, becoming the second center of the western continent.

What was worrying was that all the factions weren’t showing any interest in Golden Sands.

Everyone else was having a feast; why wouldn’t they let us people of Golden Sands have a sip of the soup?!

And now, only Roy could change the minds of the factions!

Understanding when to advance and retreat was always Douglas’s winning secret.

In that moment, he dropped the pride of a prince, slightly bowed his head, and humbly said, “Mr. Roy, please indicate what I should do to change their attitudes.”

Roy’s gaze flickered.

It was highly unusual for a prince to be this humble.

Didn’t see it coming, the senior was so attached to his homeland, he truly didn’t want it to be looked down upon by foreigners!

Moved by this patriotic sentiment, Roy consoled him, “Actually, there’s no need to do anything special. You just need to recommend a few culinary specialties, local products, and tourist attractions from your Kingdom of Golden Sands, and I can take them for a tour.”

“A study trip mainly involves eating, drinking, and enjoying, so I believe they will surely appreciate the charm of your homeland!”

“Thank you, Mr. Roy!”

“Come on, you’re making it sound so formal; there’s no need for that!”

I remember in the original work, Douglas was quite a tough guy, but it turns out he’s this vulnerable when it comes to his hometown; perhaps that’s just a sign of a chivalrous heart.

Thinking of this, Roy couldn’t help but chuckle.

Recommendations for fun spots? Oh, so he was asking about the unique advantages of the Kingdom of Golden Sands?

Though it was called a study trip, it was really a way to see the big picture through the small and judge the strengths and weaknesses of his homeland, in order to decide on cooperation.

This was indeed a chance to change their attitudes toward the Kingdom of Golden Sands!

Within just a few seconds of contemplation, Douglas calmly selected numerous advantageous industries, striving to showcase the splendor of the Kingdom of Golden Sands to the maximum!

“When it comes to the specialties of our Kingdom of Golden Sands, one must mention the exquisite gold jewelry from the Platinum Workshop and the charming dancers of the western region…”

Who knew that as soon as he said that, the previously silent little maid suddenly reacted as if her tail had been stepped on, exclaiming, her eyes even filled with fear: “Master! The western dancers are too dangerous, absolutely not!”

“Alright, alright, we won’t watch the dancers.” After calming her down, Roy turned to Douglas, “Do you have any other recommendations?”

Even without the maid’s reminder, Roy knew taking his girlfriend to watch beautiful women dance was asking for trouble.

Seeing Roy didn’t get angry at her abrupt outburst and was even willing to listen to her opinion, Douglas grew even more convinced that Alice wasn’t just a simple servant, but someone who could greatly influence Roy’s decisions at a high level of the church.