"Shall I begin?" asked Xiao Ping.
"Please do!" The person with the black mask relaxed his body while the woman beside him began to exude a chilling aura that slowly crept around the table.
"Very well, I will speak of his merits and his flaws. Let's start with the merits. The most important one is that Prince Eduardo is the most frequently mentioned person throughout all of Verdentreme City,if not the entire great Kingdom of Lusayanna. He has gained immense and widespread popularity, said to have reached the borders of some kingdoms.
due to the uproar he caused several years ago with his inventions and his boosting of the kingdom's economy,from creating railways, trains, ships, etc..." Xiao Ping said this and continued, shifting his tone to an illogically sad and halting one: "But... he has some flaws too!"
"Like what?" asked the man with the iron mask, looking at Xiao Ping. It seemed hearing all these words from someone acting so mysteriously was the best thing that had happened to him all day.
"Like presenting himself as a role model for his people!" replied Xiao Ping.
"What's wrong with that? Don't all princes want to appear as disciplined and refined figures before the people so they can be taken as role models? So that the people love them?" said the man with the black mask, taking a sip of the fine wine before him.
"You are right, but what if that prince stumbles or makes a mistake... in one of his inventions? Will the people still trust and love him as before? And I believe there are also those who hate him, especially the people in the poor districts.
I think they curse him day and night because of his actions, like building new palaces for the nobles just because he wants to celebrate his birthday, while they starve and sleep in the cold on the streets!" said Xiao Ping, taking a short sigh and continuing: "But these are not the only flaws of this prince! There are more. Do you want to hear them?"
"Of course, if they're from you!" said the man with the black mask... feeling bitterness welling up inside him from Xiao Ping's words, but he showed nothing openly.
It seems Ping is still thinking about the vagrants we saw! But why does Ping keep bringing up this incident whenever we talk about the prince? There's something strange, but let's calm down now, listen, and enjoy this wine! James thought to himself.
The words coming from this person's mouth are never simple; he chooses his words with great skill. I must watch him carefully from now on.
This person doesn't seem easy! How many people can speak so casually in the presence of both me and Prince Eduardo? Even if we're wearing masks, it's no small matter when talking about the prince's skill in speech.
He always speaks calmly and coldly, but now he seems to be engaging with this person! Fiona admired inwardly as she looked at Xiao Ping.
"Alright, if you want to hear, I'll tell you this matter, which from my philosophical perspective must be paid great attention to! It is that he should dim his brilliance a little!" said Xiao Ping.
Dim my brilliance? Does he mean... Impossible! Prince Eduardo was inwardly surprised while tilting his head and speaking as if he didn't understand: "What do you mean by dim his brilliance? Shouldn't he appear as a bright star in a dark sky? Shouldn't he illuminate this dark world?"
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha" Upon hearing that, Xiao Ping let out a prolonged laugh that caused everyone in the cafeteria to turn towards their table... but he didn't care and continued: "A star? Illuminate this dark world? If that prince takes such sayings as motivation in this world, he is merely a person pretending to be smart and a genius only by inventing some things that a child could invent.
You don't understand, survival in this world depends on the strongest, not on those who take light as motivation... Let me tell you something: how many geniuses have emerged in this world, in your opinion? But have you seen any of them live for a long time? The answer will depend on rational thinking and reckless thinking! So in your opinion, with which kind of thinking is the prince currently thinking?"
At that moment, all eyes fell on the person with the black mask, waiting for his answer to the question of the person wearing the wooden mask who had touched the sensitive nerve of Prince Eduardo's public actions.
"Reckless thinking!" At that moment, a voice came from the man with the black mask, but it was cold when answering.
Who is this person! To make His Highness the Prince admit that he is thinking recklessly? I must investigate his identity. Perhaps... I can recruit him to my side! Fiona thought to herself, her eyes never leaving that person with the wooden mask who was talking to the prince and made him admit he was thinking recklessly.
Even if he didn't know the prince was personally before him, this was an achievement in itself.
Hehe, I see many shocked faces from the situation and those words from Ping, but believe me, you haven't seen anything yet of Ping's skills,or should I say Lykos's skills,in talking about such matters, James thought to himself, having finished his glass of wine, placed it on the table, and looked at the person with the black mask with indifferent expressions.
"Haha, so you've realized it, haven't you? That your promised prince harbors reckless thinking in his actions.
Due to his wide and astonishing fame for inventions, he caused a slight catastrophe for the kingdom, and I mean the treaty with the hostile kingdom! If you've heard of it, they demanded half of our common and poor women to be maids, and let's not forget our beloved princess who will soon become mere—" Xiao Ping was about to finish his words when a sharp ice dagger flew past his wooden-masked face, leaving a scratch on his right cheek.
"Show some taste and respect in your words!" Fiona suddenly shouted while emitting an aura of killing coldness in the room. She continued: "I wanted to take you under my wing, but I think killing you would be the best thing I do in my life!"
She increased the pressure around James and Xiao Ping at the table.
Xiao Ping felt a cold heaviness on his back but didn't budge from the seat and remained sitting. He looked coldly at the woman with the phoenix mask and said with a cold laugh: "I don't care if I have no taste at all, and you also shouldn't embarrass yourself by revealing some of your naive dreams to people here. No one will choose to work under a woman who tells someone they have no taste... while attacking them over a dinner table!" said Xiao Ping while wanting to activate the Abyss Ring, but he suddenly stopped because he looked at that person and found him still looking at him with his cold red eyes from behind the mask.
"You! You scoundrel!" said Fiona angrily, continuing: "I will definitely kill you!"
Xiao Ping is provoking her more and isn't trying to calm the problem as I expected! James thought to himself and added a few words, but they carried a high killing intent as he said: "I don't mean to offend, but you were the ones who said you wanted a chat without any ill intent.
Yet what I see before me is a complete failure to keep your word, as your friend attacked my partner who didn't know, in front of all present here! And not only that... she also threatened him with death. So what is your response to this? Before I turn her into scattered pieces of meat?"
"Show me if you dare!" said Fiona as she summoned several ice daggers in the cafeteria room, causing all present to prepare themselves to take cover from any attack.
...
End of Chapter ~ To be continued