The discussion in Lana’s room ultimately took about an entire hour.
An hour later, Lakyus and the others stood up from their seats one after another to bid farewell to Lana.
"Then we’ll head back to prepare and let you know when the operation begins."
Lakyus said this to Lana.
"All right." Lana nodded seriously, "I entrust this matter to you."
"Don’t worry." Lakyus said with a slight smile, "This is also for the sake of our country, right?"
"Yes." Lana said with a hint of apology, "It really troubles you, despite knowing that adventurers shouldn’t get involved in national struggles, to still entrust such a commission to you."
"Don’t mind it, we are Adamantite adventurers. Even if we do some things against the rules, the guild will turn a blind eye." Lakyus chuckled lightly, "I heard that Reiger Brillhaut was daring enough to accept the commission from the warrior leader when he was still Bronze-ranked. Even if we are not as strong as him, we shouldn’t let him outdo us in this respect."
"I’m glad you think so." Lana replied with a beautiful smile, "Then I’ll look forward to your good news."
"Alright." Lakyus agreed openly.
Soon, Lakyus left Lana’s room with the members of [Blue Rose].
In Lana’s room, only she and Clem remained.
"Then I will also take my leave, Lady Lana."
Clem bowed and asked permission from Lana.
Clearly, the young man felt that with everyone gone, leaving only himself and the princess alone in the room, it would be problematic in various ways.
"Won’t you stay for a cup of tea?"
Lana made a gesture to detain him, looking at Clem with moist eyes, causing his heart to race and his face to flush.
However, Clem forced himself to look away with great willpower and made a difficult refusal.
"I... I would like to go down and train a little, see if I can improve my strength."
This was not an excuse.
Clem indeed had an urge to work hard and train.
After all, he had encountered Reiger, Gejiev, Brian, and the many Adamantite adventurers of [Blue Rose] today.
These were indeed powerful individuals Clem usually had little chance to come into contact with. Coupled with the many events that occurred and the heroic stories he heard, Clem couldn’t contain the yearning in his heart any longer.
Clem wanted to become stronger, and he thought about it every moment.
Because he was Lana’s personal guard, holding a controversial position.
He was merely an orphan from the slums who might have died at any moment, picked up by Lana when she passed by chance, and, disregarding objections from others, taken in as her personal guard to protect her closely.
And as one would expect, the princess, known as [Gold], the third princess of the kingdom with beauty that could amaze anyone, taking an orphan from the slums, moreover of the opposite sex and of nearly the same age, as her personal guard to be by her side all day, granting him the freedom to come and go around her, this caused much dissatisfaction.
Not to mention the discontent among members of the royal family, the nobles who aimed to take action against Lana, coveting her beauty or royal bloodline, were extremely displeased with Clem, a man who stayed by the princess’s side all the time, viewing him as a thorn in their side.
Moreover, Clem didn’t have much talent; although it couldn’t be said his abilities were lacking, he had no exceptional qualities to warrant special treatment from the princess of the kingdom.
As a consequence, Clem’s situation in Lorenti City was not exactly good, and even Lana’s reputation had been lowered somewhat, leading to quite a bit of criticism.
Experiencing such circumstances firsthand, Clem wanted to become stronger, no matter what, to become a man who deserved his current position and treatment, to solve problems for his master.
Holding this mindset, Clem worked exceptionally hard, so much so that even Gejiev saw him in a different light, praising him in front of Reiger as a very hardworking and enduring warrior.
For Clem, today’s experience intensified his desire to become stronger.
Whether it was Reiger’s appearance, who at a comparable age could already make the numerous Adamantite adventurers of [Blue Rose] admit their inferiority, or his battle with Brian, both greatly stirred the longing in Clem’s heart to gain strength.
Especially when Clem remembered Reiger’s outstanding sword strike, that dazzling lightning, his heart burned with passion, wishing he could also become that strong, strong enough to execute such a strike.
If he were that strong, wouldn’t he be able to help Lady Lana to the utmost?
With such loyal feelings, Clem could resist the temptation to stay and share a cup of tea and laughter alone with the kingdom’s most popular princess.
"Alright then." Lana seemed slightly disappointed, yet she didn’t force Clem to stay, only expressing her concern, "You need to know your limits, don’t rush and harm your body, okay?"
Lana’s care warmed Clem’s heart, further solidifying his resolve to grow stronger.
"I will be careful, Lady Lana."