Reborn as the Third Prince: To Build and Conquer my way to Royalty.-Chapter 63: The star Gamma.

Figuring that the soldiers were probably scared after what happened, Sylus decided to speak to Alfred somewhere different from the training ground. There was also the fact that he didn’t want people seeing what would happen next, so it was all proximate to the cause.

He and Alfred moved back to the castle, all the way to the library, where Sylus was seated, reading a bunch of books.

Alfred was right behind him, confused as to the situation at hand.

Ever since they entered the library, Sylus had not said a word to him.

Then again, he, himself, had not given the prince the response he was seeking.

While serving Sylus would be a great honor, as hinted before, Alfred no longer had any confidence in himself whatsoever.

He viewed himself as a waste and a burden.

The young prince deserved someone better by his side, and not an old man who probably had a few years to live.

After flipping one more page, Sylus turned his attention to Alfred.

"You still haven’t made up your mind, have you?"

Alfred averted his gaze. "Are you giving me an order to become your servant? If that is—"

"That wasn’t an order. I meant what I said as a request. I need your support on my path to making this kingdom an empire."

"An empire? Are you planning to claim another kingdom, Your Highness?" asked Alfred.

"No, it’s a long story. What I’m driving at is, I don’t want you to be just an instructor; I want you to be my commander—my first commander. You already have the skills needed to back it up; I assume you’re aware of this."

In that moment, Sylus could see Alfred completely dazed, his eyes bubbling as though he was about to cry.

"W-wait! Did I say something bad? You don’t have to be a commoner or anything; you can take another role. I totally don’t mind at all, man." Sylus leaned forward a bit.

Alfred shook his head.

"No, Your Highness, that is not it. I am grateful you think so highly of me as to make me a commander in your army; words can’t describe my gratitude, for an old man like me to receive such an honor."

Nervously glancing around, Sylus simply rubbed his hair a bit.

"You don’t have to think about that. Trust me, this will turn out good. So, do I take that as a yes, oh Alfred, the Ripper?"

"I no longer have the skills to bear that name. It will be an honor to serve you."

That’s what you think.

As expected, the notifications began flooding in.

[Congratulations, you have acquired a new subject.]

[The character Alfred will now undergo a star acquisition.]

[The Star Gamma.]

Description: The user is blessed with the ability to switch and manipulate the Chess Legion army.

’Chess Legion? I think I’ve read about this in the books somewhere.’

The Chess Legion was a game invented by the king of the South, where each piece on a chessboard was subjected to a specific task that the player could only use per turn.

One could think of it as a higher level of chess in general.

The pawns could summon puppets to do basic tasks, the knights were blessed with enhanced physical abilities, and so on.

Unless Sylus was misunderstanding the description, Alfred could use every single attribute given to these pieces.

That was pretty overpowered, although nothing close to Zani’s star blessing, which allowed her to grow and evolve without limit.

Although there was one thing Sylus noticed about those who get their lesser star from his direct influence:

It never followed a pattern.

The Catalyst Star was supposed to be a unique star with no description to understand what its main ability was, but still, it didn’t have a single pattern.

Sylus looked up at Alfred.

"Tell me, what was your last star blessing?"

"The Star of Obedience Pulse. I could radiate a wave that momentarily stuns low-will enemies and forcibly compels them to fear."

’That must be what he did against me in the throne room.

Sigh...’

"Well, as you can sense, you now have a new star blessing; this should be far better than whatever my father had to offer." Sylus crossed his legs, arms folded.

Which was true. Alfred already knew he’d gained a new lesser star after accepting to be Sylus’s subordinate.

Normally, it wasn’t supposed to be possible. Gaining another star after losing one was damn near nonexistent.

Then again, Sylus has never been ordinary.

Gracefully, Alfred fell to one knee, his head bowed.

"I am truly grateful for your kindness. I will cherish this ability I have been blessed with and use it to its true potential."

Sylus was proud; anyone would be in his shoes.

He then turned back to the table, his gaze falling on the books.

"That reminds me, I need you to do something for me, Alfred."

"What do you need?"

"I need the documents on Liyue, as many as you can gather. Oh, and also, the kingdom’s budget as well. I want everything, including the Count in charge of the country."

"How soon do you need it?"

"Before nightfall. I’ll be heading to Liyue first thing tomorrow morning. I would like to study up before I do." Sylus kept his gaze on the pages.

"I shall do my best to gather it all from the Queen and the financial department."

And with that, Alfred was gone.

As soon as the door to the library closed, Sophia showed herself.

Her arms hugged Sylus from the back, her long white hair getting shrouded by the dark mist that danced around her.

"Now that he’s gone, are you going to give me attention like you promised, Master?"

Sylus sighed.

His theory was right; no one except him could see Sophia.

She had been beside him ever since they stepped into the room, and it was obvious Alfred could not see her.

And if she were truly to show herself, she would not be in her human form; rather, she would take the form of the monster, her alternate self.

Somehow, Sylus was being haunted by death.

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