Swear Fealty To Me, My Subjects!

The Fight Against… Pornography…?

The Phantom Dragon Demon nearly burst into tears at the mere thought.

Damn it! For crying out loud!

Does this idiot not know that his family legally operates a brothel?

But… how could Prince Rhine even know about this matter?

The Phantom Dragon Demon had to start thinking: What does this prince want, exactly?

Or what is he trying to investigate?

And considering how well-versed Prince Rhine already seemed with the special ingredients of the Phantoms' establishment...

This immediately planted a thought in the Phantom Dragon Demon's mind, as well as the minds of all the other Phantoms.

This prince had come prepared.

He'd investigated the Land of Lost Dreams!

It was likely he already knew the truth about the Land of Lost Dreams being an outpost secretly built by Olivia the Dragon within the Hain Empire.

Has the day finally come…?

Despair washed over the Dragon Chimera as she arrived at the only reasonable conclusion.

Thirty years.

The reckoning against the Land of Lost Dreams was about to begin.

The Phantoms had long known that this day would come.

The fact that they were creatures from the Ghost Realm couldn't be hidden from the watchful eyes of the Demigod Forbidden Army. The only reason they had been tolerated up until now was that they were still profitable.

But...

Today, that tacit understanding seemed ready to collapse.

Prince Rhine, on behalf of the Hain Empire, was about to bring judgment upon them.

But...

Hmm… maybe...

This might not be as serious as it sounds, right?

The Phantom Dragon Demon suddenly realized something: she didn't feel as nervous as she should.

What if this prince was just waiting for her to beg for mercy, sobbing and pleading, only to strike him out of panic? She could stab the imperial heir and lead her chimeras through the Ghost Realm Gate with their tails between their legs. But wouldn't that be humiliating?

Regaining her composure, the Phantom Dragon Demon forced a smile and decided to test this Imperial Prince.

Meanwhile, Rhine, as though he'd seen the future unfolding, casually remarked:

"Don't put on any vulgar performances at such a serious occasion. I'm being sincere."

"!!!"

That sentence made the Phantom Dragon Demon's heart skip a beat.

This… this man…

Could he possibly read my thoughts?

No, that wasn't possible.

Still…

This prince was proving exceptionally difficult to handle. The idea of running to the palace for help from those haughty bastards—the Forbidden Army, who had been collecting protection money from them for decades—seemed increasingly appealing. Surely they could at least do something useful for once?

As the Phantom Dragon Demon mulled over her options,

Rhine suddenly glanced her way. "What's on your mind, miss?"

Phantom Dragon: "Huh? I… uh…"

Rhine: "You do realize the nature of those Forbidden Soldiers, don't you? They don't understand words like 'honesty' or 'morality.' Asking them for help feels a little naive, don't you think?"

What was with this man?!

At this point, the Phantom Dragon Demon truly began to wonder if Rhine could actually read minds!

She was confused, unsure of what bizarre situation she was dealing with. One thing she did know: she needed to run.

Her gaze darted nervously around the room, not daring to meet Rhine's eyes.

Rhine, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying watching the Dragon Chimera's mental defenses crumble.

He was pleased.

Of course, Rhine couldn't read minds—or at least, not yet.

However, he had lived through this exact scenario countless times in his past lives. He'd played this game with these chimeras over and over.

Rhine knew exactly what was going through their minds and what they were planning to do next.

Your lair is practically next door to my house. Want to guess how many times I've infiltrated your operation in the 1,000 lives I've lived?

At that moment, the Phantom Dragon Demon was in shambles but clung to one remaining hope:

They still had a way out!

If it came down to fleeing, the Phantoms had long been prepared.

Want to guess what the first structure completed in the Land of Lost Dreams was during its construction?

That would be the Ghost Realm Gate, located in the basement of the Land of Lost Dreams.

As long as they could stall the Imperial Prince for even a few seconds, the chimeras could activate the gate and escape safely into the Ghost Realm!

"Your Imperial Highness…"

With a stiff smile, the Phantom Dragon Demon said, "Since you wish to investigate, let me personally accompany you..."

I'll pretend to help him investigate. Once we reach the back courtyard, I'll knock him out with a stick, and then we can escape through the gate with my sisters!

The Phantom Dragon Demon began calculating her plan in her head.

However.

Sensing it was time to end the charade, Rhine mercilessly shattered the chimeras' last hope.

With just one sentence, His Royal Highness left the Phantoms utterly despondent.

"Don't bother."

Finally, Rhine revealed his trump card:

"I brought the Forbidden Army with me."

In that instant,

The Phantom Dragon Demon regained her clarity.

Oh…

They really had no chance.

"The Forbidden Army?!"

The Phantoms' voices trembled uncontrollably. So, the Imperial Prince arrived this time… with the Forbidden Army?!

This was the end!

Rhine nodded calmly:

"Yes, a Forbidden Soldier. A soldier who, ever since the Sanctuary forced her as a child to vow not to fall in love with her childhood best friend, has locked her heart away behind glasses and sealed her emotions. Yet she's still nosy, obsessing over her best friend's personal life. Currently, she's sitting in a bar three blocks away, keeping a close eye on me buying ovens."

Meanwhile.

In a certain bar three blocks away from the Land of Lost Dreams, a cloaked young woman suddenly spat out a mouthful of coffee, choking and coughing uncontrollably.

The desperate chimeras, on the other hand, weren't paying attention to this gossip about the Royal Highness and the Forbidden Army.

Weakly, they finally asked:

"Then… Your Highness Rhine… what exactly do you want?"

"I don't know."

Rhine replied lightly, "Maybe I'll kill all of you. Or perhaps you'll work for me from now on."

Rhine wasn't bluffing; he truly didn't know yet. What he was about to do next was something he hadn't done in a thousand lifetimes.

"Take me to the escape tunnel you built."

"I want to meet your god, Olivia."