The spacious living room fell into a brief silence after Prince Blour lowered the document onto the polished wooden table. His sharp honey-colored eyes remained fixed on Layla, studying her with the same calm intensity he would use to assess a battlefield. Although he had yet to say another word, the solemn atmosphere alone was enough to tell her that this conversation was far more important than an ordinary family discussion.
Layla stood with perfect posture, neither nervous nor impatient. Having grown up under her father's strict guidance, she understood that Prince Blour disliked unnecessary chatter. Every question he asked carried a purpose, and every answer was expected to be thoughtful.
After a few moments, Prince Blour finally broke the silence.
"How is the preparation for the expedition to the Uncharted Zone progressing?"
His voice was steady and emotionless, but Layla immediately recognized the seriousness behind the question.
She answered honestly.
"The preparations are progressing steadily, Father. However..." She paused briefly before continuing. "Finding qualified members has proven more difficult than I anticipated."
Prince Blour remained expressionless.
"How many have you secured?"
"Including myself, there are currently six confirmed members."
The room fell silent once more.
Prince Blour neither frowned nor displayed disappointment, but Layla could feel the invisible pressure that naturally accompanied his silence.
His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of the couch before he spoke again.
"You only have one month remaining before the expedition."
"Yes, Father."
"You have assembled only six members."
"Yes."
His sharp gaze became even more penetrating.
"So tell me..."
"How exactly do you intend to guarantee the success of an expedition into an Uncharted Zone when you haven't even managed to gather a complete team?"
Layla remained quiet.
There was no excuse she could offer.
The facts spoke for themselves.
Prince Blour slowly leaned back into the couch.
"I have told you this countless times, Layla."
"No matter how talented you are..."
"No matter how gifted people call you..."
"You cannot accomplish everything alone."
His voice remained calm, but every word carried undeniable weight.
"A leader is not measured solely by personal strength."
"They are measured by the people willing to stand beside them."
He looked directly into his daughter's eyes.
"You possess extraordinary talent."
"You possess exceptional judgment."
"You possess remarkable discipline."
"But all of those qualities become meaningless if you fail to gather capable companions."
Layla listened quietly.
She knew her father wasn't criticizing her talent.
He was teaching her.
Just as he always had.
Prince Blour continued.
"You have spent your entire life surpassing your peers."
"You've become accustomed to carrying responsibilities on your own."
"Unfortunately..."
"The world doesn't work that way."
He folded his hands together.
"There are battles that cannot be won by a single person."
"There are situations where even the strongest individual will require trustworthy companions."
"The sooner you understand that..."
"The better."
Layla lowered her gaze slightly.
"I understand your concerns, Father."
Prince Blour shook his head.
"No."
"You heard my words."
"Whether you truly understand their meaning remains to be seen."
His reply caused Layla to fall silent once again.
Prince Blour had always been like this.
He rarely lectured.
Instead, he preferred allowing reality itself to teach the lesson.
He continued in the same composed tone.
"If you simply wait for people to approach you..."
"Then you'll only attract ordinary individuals."
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"The exceptional people you seek..."
"The ones worthy of becoming your comrades..."
"They possess pride."
"They possess confidence."
"And many possess achievements comparable to your own."
"Why should they abandon their own ambitions simply to follow you?"
Layla remained thoughtful.
Her father wasn't wrong.
The truly talented individuals of every Base and regions all possessed their own aspirations.
Each of them had carved their own reputation through countless trials.
Expecting them to voluntarily seek her out simply because she was Princess Layla would indeed be unrealistic.
Prince Blour continued.
"If you desire capable companions..."
"Then make the effort to find them."
"Earn their respect."
"Earn their trust."
"Only then will they willingly fight alongside you."
He paused before adding one final sentence.
"Pride exists on both sides."
Layla slowly nodded.
"I've already considered that."
Prince Blour raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Layla finally spoke with greater confidence.
"My current plan is to enter the Spirit Realm."
"I intend to search through the Adventurer Association."
"There are always promising individuals completing commissions there."
"If I can find suitable candidates, I'll personally invite them."
Prince Blour listened quietly without interrupting.
She continued.
"Besides..."
"It isn't absolutely necessary for us to enter with twenty members."
Her expression became determined.
"I believe quality is far more important than quantity."
"If our overall strength is sufficient, then even a smaller team should be capable of completing the expedition."
For the first time since the conversation began, Prince Blour sighed.
It wasn't an angry sigh.
Nor was it one of disappointment.
Instead...
It sounded like the sigh of an experienced veteran watching an exceptionally talented soldier overlook an obvious danger.
"I truly don't know whether I should laugh..."
"...or cry."
Layla blinked.
Prince Blour slowly stood from the couch.
His tall frame immediately seemed to fill the room with an invisible pressure.
"You call it courage."
"I call it recklessness."
His voice remained calm, yet every word struck like a hammer.
"Do you know why the minimum requirement for entering an Uncharted Zone was originally one hundred people?"
Layla remained silent.
Prince Blour answered his own question.
"Because countless lives have already been sacrificed discovering just how dangerous those places truly are."
"The requirement wasn't created by politicians."
"It wasn't created by nobles."
"It was written in blood."
He slowly walked toward one of the large windows overlooking the beautifully maintained gardens outside.
"After years of accumulated experience..."
"After countless expeditions..."
"After innumerable sacrifices..."
"The requirement was finally reduced."
He turned around.
"One hundred became twenty."
"And even then..."
"That reduction came only because the quality of Spirit Warriors entering those regions improved significantly over the years."
His sharp eyes settled on Layla once more.
"Yet here you are..."
"Thinking of reducing the number even further."
He shook his head.
"Tell me honestly."
"Is that bravery..."
"...or foolishness?"
Layla unconsciously clenched her hands.
She wanted to argue.
She wanted to defend her reasoning.
But when faced with her father's decades of military experience...
She couldn't.
Prince Blour had survived countless battlefields.
He had witnessed things she could only imagine.
His caution wasn't born from fear.
It was born from experience.
Seeing his daughter remain quiet, Prince Blour softened his tone slightly.
"I'm not questioning your confidence."
"I'm questioning your judgment."
"There is a difference."
"A commander who overestimates himself..."
"Doesn't merely lose his own life."
"He buries everyone who trusted him."
Those words struck Layla harder than any criticism before them.
For the first time since planning the expedition, she realized she had unconsciously begun viewing the mission through the perspective of her own strength.
She had confidence in herself.
Confidence in the companions she had already recruited.
But she had neglected one important reality.
The expedition wasn't solely about what she could accomplish.
It was about ensuring everyone returned alive.
Prince Blour returned to his seat before delivering his decision.
"So listen carefully."
His voice left no room for negotiation.
"I'm giving you two weeks."
Layla instinctively looked up.
"You have exactly two weeks to assemble a complete team of twenty members."
"Bring every one of them before me."
"I'll personally evaluate whether they're qualified."
He paused briefly.
"If you fail..."
"The expedition will be canceled."
The words echoed heavily throughout the living room.
Layla's pupils contracted.
"Canceled...?"
She had expected another lecture.
Perhaps additional advice.
But never this.
For the first time during their conversation, genuine urgency appeared on her usually composed face.
Only now did she fully understand how seriously her father viewed this expedition.
This wasn't merely another training exercise.
Nor was it a simple adventure.
This was an expedition into one of the Human World's most dangerous unexplored regions.
Prince Blour had allowed her to lead it because he trusted her.
But trust...
Did not mean blind approval.
It came with responsibility.
And responsibility demanded results.
Layla slowly inhaled before lowering her head respectfully.
"I understand, Father."
"I won't disappoint you."
Prince Blour studied her expression carefully.
This time...
He could see that his words had truly reached her.
The confidence she carried remained.
But now...
It was tempered with caution.
Exactly as it should be.
A faint nod escaped Prince Blour.
He did not praise her.
Neither did he offer words of encouragement.
For a man like him, acknowledgment came through trust rather than compliments. The fact that he was still willing to entrust the expedition to Layla after voicing his concerns was proof enough that he believed she was capable of leading it—provided she corrected the flaws in her approach.
After a brief silence, he spoke again.
"There is another matter."
Layla lifted her head.
"Someone has been trying to contact you."
A hint of confusion flashed across her face.
"Me?"
Prince Blour nodded.
"You've been so immersed in your training that you've practically isolated yourself from the outside world."
His tone remained calm, though there was a trace of helplessness hidden beneath it.
"You haven't answered your Skylink for quite some time."
Only then did Layla realize how long it had been since she last paid attention to anything outside her training.
Ever since the expedition had been approved, she had devoted nearly all of her time to improving herself, hoping to increase the expedition's chances of success. Between meditation, combat practice, strategic planning, and reviewing information about the Uncharted Zone, she had unconsciously shut herself away from almost everyone.
Seeing the realization dawn on her face, Prince Blour continued.
"The person wishes to join your expedition."
As he spoke, he tapped lightly on his Skylink.
A stream of information was immediately transmitted.
"I've already forwarded his file to you."
"And..."
He paused briefly.
"I also received a message from Tamika."
That name immediately caught Layla's attention.
"Tamika?"
Prince Blour nodded.
"He claims he has three people who can assist with your expedition."
Layla listened quietly.
"He said those three owe him a favor."
"And he's decided to collect that favor by having them join your team."
Prince Blour folded his arms.
"If everything proceeds as he claims, your current team will increase from six members to ten."
His expression remained unchanged.
"That still leaves ten positions to fill."
"But it's a considerable improvement."
Layla nodded slowly.
Although she had never met Tamika personally, his reputation extended far beyond the Spirit Realm.
He was a merchant through and through.
Everything he did seemed to involve calculated gains.
For someone like him to voluntarily recommend capable individuals...
Those people were unlikely to be ordinary.
Layla retrieved her Skylink from her pocket.
The sleek metallic device had remained untouched for weeks.
The moment she activated it, the screen erupted with countless notifications.
Missed calls.
Unread messages.
Pending reports.
Mission invitations.
The numbers continued increasing until they eventually stopped.
Layla stared blankly for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
"I've neglected it longer than I thought."
Without wasting time, she began clearing the accumulated notifications one after another until only the newly received file from her father remained.
She opened it.
A detailed profile immediately appeared before her.
Name.
Age.
Current level.
Recorded achievements.
Background information.
Family records.
Recent events.
Her beautiful eyes scanned the information with practiced efficiency.
A moment later...
She stopped.
A hint of surprise appeared on her usually calm face.
"...Gameliel Raine?"
She looked back toward her father.
"Isn't this the troublesome son of the Raine Family from the Mesopotamia Base?"
Prince Blour nodded.
"That's correct."
"The latest intelligence confirms that he's currently a Tier 2 Late Stage Spirit Warrior."
"He exposed his true strength during his duel against Zarrell Mac Corell."
Layla remembered hearing about that incident.
The duel had spread throughout several major powers in only a matter of days.
Initially, most people believed it was simply another conflict between young geniuses.
However...
The outcome had surprised everyone.
Gameliel had not only defeated Zarrell but had also revealed that he had quietly advanced to Tier 2 Late Stage without attracting attention beforehand.
For someone his age...
That level of talent was extraordinary.
Prince Blour continued.
"The investigation also confirms something else."
"He has officially severed his ties with the Raine Family."
Layla remained silent.
"It happened shortly after the duel."
"He left following a disagreement with his father."
"According to the reports..."
"The argument centered around the events that occurred three years ago."
Layla lowered her gaze slightly.
"I see..."
Her voice carried an emotion that was difficult to describe.
"So..."
"He still hasn't let it go."
Prince Blour carefully observed his daughter's expression.
Unlike most people of her generation, Layla had undergone rigorous education as both royalty and a future leader.
Her maturity far exceeded her age.
She understood that some wounds did not disappear simply because time had passed.
Some convictions remained with a person forever.
Prince Blour slowly leaned back.
"People like him are becoming increasingly rare."
Layla looked at him curiously.
Prince Blour's eyes seemed to drift toward memories of distant battlefields.
"If circumstances had been different..."
"I would've recruited him into the Shelter Army myself."
That statement genuinely surprised Layla.
Her father rarely praised anyone.
Especially young people.
For him to make such an evaluation...
It carried tremendous weight.
Prince Blour continued.
"He possesses the qualities of a future commander."
"Not because of his talent."
"Not because of his cultivation."
"But because of his character."
His voice grew noticeably firmer.
"I've fought enough wars to know what truly matters on a battlefield."
His sharp eyes met Layla's.
"Strength wins battles."
"But trust..."
"Trust wins wars."
The room became completely silent.
"The type of soldier every commander fears the most isn't the weak one."
"It isn't the inexperienced one."
"It's the one who abandons his comrades the moment the battle turns unfavorable."
His expression hardened.
"I don't care how talented such a person is."
"I don't care how many enemies they've defeated."
"If I can't trust them to protect the soldier beside them..."
"They have no place in my ranks."
Layla listened attentively.
Prince Blour's words carried the weight of decades spent commanding soldiers.
He had seen countless lives lost because someone chose self-preservation over brotherhood.
"I've also met ordinary soldiers..."
He continued quietly.
"...who possessed average talent."
"Average strength."
"Average abilities."
"But when the battlefield became desperate..."
"They were willing to place their own lives on the line to save the person fighting beside them."
A faint smile appeared on his otherwise stern face.
"Those are the people every commander treasures."
"They're the ones who keep an army standing."
He looked once more at Gameliel's profile displayed on Layla's Skylink.
"The incident involving Nicos happened three years ago."
"Three years have passed."
"Yet he was still willing to confront someone stronger than himself because of a friend."
Prince Blour slowly shook his head.
"That kind of loyalty cannot be taught."
"It comes from one's character."
"And character..."
"...is worth more than talent."
Layla silently reread the report before her.
The information aligned perfectly with what her father had said.
Gameliel's actions had undoubtedly brought trouble upon himself.
He had even lost his place within one of the Mesopotamia Base noble families.
Yet...
He had never regretted standing up for his friend.
The more she thought about it...
The more she understood why Prince Blour held him in such high regard.
A dependable comrade.
A trustworthy brother-in-arms.
Someone who would never abandon his companions.
Those qualities were indeed priceless.
Closing the file, Layla looked back at her father.
"I'll contact him."
Prince Blour nodded.
"Arrange a rendezvous in the Spirit Realm."
"If he's willing to join..."
"Evaluate him personally."
Layla gave a respectful nod.
"I also intend to meet the other candidates Tamika recommended."
"If they're truly as capable as he claims..."
"Our chances of assembling a worthy expedition team will improve considerably."
"Good."
Prince Blour's reply was brief.
He picked up the document he had been reading before Layla entered the room.
"I hope you'll complete the remaining positions before the deadline."
His eyes returned to the report in his hands.
"But remember what I said."
"If you fail to assemble twenty qualified members within the next two weeks..."
"The expedition ends."
"I won't allow unnecessary lives to be thrown away."
Layla understood there would be no exceptions.
"Understood, Father."
She bowed respectfully.
"I'll begin making preparations immediately."
Prince Blour merely gave a small nod, already immersed in the military documents spread across the table.
The conversation was over.
Layla quietly turned and walked toward the entrance.
As she stepped outside, the warm afternoon breeze brushed gently against her face.
The peaceful gardens of the royal residence contrasted sharply with the thoughts racing through her mind.
Two weeks.
Only two weeks remained to assemble one of the strongest expedition teams of her generation.
She looked down at the Skylink resting in her hand.
The name displayed on the screen remained unchanged.
Gameliel Raine.
A young genius who had abandoned everything for a promise he refused to forget.
For the first time since the expedition had been approved...
Layla found herself genuinely looking forward to meeting one of her prospective teammates.
Without another moment of hesitation, she quickened her pace toward her room.
There was much to prepare.
And time...
Was no longer on her side.