"Yes!"

After listening to the Shaman Society's leader talk about the "Evil Prince's" past actions, the guard captain couldn't help but tense up. He responded with a worried expression and said:

"As the captain of the Grand Court's guard, I am obviously obliged to protect Princess Catherine, but if that Lionhearted Prince is truly the one behind the Yarn Ball Society, and he finds out I'm investigating him, should he choose to resort to force and directly come to seize Prince Joshua, or even..."

"Even if he chooses to resort to force, it doesn't mean we have no power to resist!"

The Shaman Society's leader snorted coldly and said:

"Although the Crolock Kingdom has advanced technology, their population is too small, and without combat power, the Northern Kingdom's legion is strong, but it's still just a state controlled by ordinary people without any extraordinary power.

However, each of the seventeen major societies of our Mythala has secret techniques passed down for over a thousand years, and the remaining small and medium societies also have their methods, many of which can be used on people, making various ritual curses absolutely unforeseeable.

No matter how vile and ruthless his methods, in the end, Lionhearted Prince is just flesh and blood human. Even if one secret technique can't deal with him, wouldn't a hundred or a thousand different ones manage?"

"This..."

"In any case, we must not sit and wait for death. Check thoroughly for me these two days! Even if the Lionhearted Prince himself comes for the prince, I'll certainly do my best to stall him, giving you time to interrogate Prince Joshua..."

"Knock knock knock!"

A rather urgent knock on the door interrupted the Shaman Society leader's words. After receiving permission, a young man with face paint walked in, slightly nervous as he reported:

"Sir, that Lionhearted Prince has come, saying we've captured his maid and guard, and demanding we release them immediately!"

Maid and guard?

After hearing the report, the two in the room exchanged a glance, then the guard captain asked somewhat bewildered:

"He only mentioned the maid and guard? Didn't he mention a prince?"

"Uh..."

The young man reporting twitched the corner of his mouth before truthfully conveying,

"That gentleman's meaning is that there's no rush for Prince Joshua. We can keep him for a few more days if we like, but the maid and guard must be returned immediately, otherwise, there'll be no one to make his bed tonight."

"..."

So you only bother about the maid, not the prince? Then what were we worrying about just now for? Also... can someone so nonchalant really plot such conspiracies behind the scenes?

"I'm not suitable to appear now, you go handle it for a bit first..."

After a silent ten seconds, the Shaman Society leader, looking difficult to figure out, said to the guard captain:

"Additionally, since he's not in a hurry to take the prince back but instead asked for the maid and guard, then maybe... uh... maybe that maid and guard are the real key. Stretch it out as long as you can, try to interrogate more."

"But my people said they didn't catch any guard, only a woman in a maid outfit."

"Then interrogate his maid first. Anyway, go stall a bit, try to steady the situation."

"Yes..."

The guard captain, also looking strained, took his leave, while the self-doubting Shaman Society leader couldn't help but walk to the window and gaze out distractedly at the scenery.

Could I have been wrong? Is that Lionhearted Prince not an ambitious schemer, just unbelievably unlucky, causing disaster wherever he goes? But that would be too coincidental... Hmm... by the way, where did that cat go just now?

...

The Cat Princess felt a bit panicked.

Relying on her "species" advantage to slip past the guards, she squatted outside the window, listening to the Shaman Society leader's analysis, and having a preliminary understanding of a certain prince's peculiar fetish, she was momentarily shocked.

No wonder in the stories of the "Narration of Nonexistence," the role the Food God obtained wasn't "Cleaner from a Neighboring Country" or "Curious Explorer," but an "Ambitious and Lustful Evil Prince." He was just being himself!

Although both the trouble in the Crolock Kingdom and Northern Kingdom originate from the Slaughter King Association, and the Food God seems to be merely in the right place at the right time, but... the Shaman Society leader's judgment isn't entirely impossible!

And there's also that suspicious princess-collecting fetish...

Recalling being turned into a cat, and the Evil Prince holding and stroking her, as she leaped between rooftops, the Cat Princess shivered uncontrollably, almost losing her footing and falling.

Though I was a cat at the time... my human form was still a princess!

Though his touch felt quite nice... but he might very well be a pervert!

Even if he's an ally... that doesn't stop him from making a move on me!

Feeling that the Shaman Society leader's speculation isn't baseless, the whole person... the whole cat didn't feel well. After running from the rooftop back outside the parlor window, she looked at Leon's back on the sofa, unsure for a moment whether she should enter or not.

However, Leon, who was sitting with his back to the window, seemed to vaguely sense something, suddenly turned his head, and gave her a gentle smile, his eyes kindly "asking":

'How's it going? Have you found Joshua's whereabouts? What intelligence have you gathered?'

'...'

The intelligence has been gathered, it's just that most of it is teammate-related intelligence—and it's rather deadly kind of intelligence...

"Meow..."

Stepping through the window, the Cat Princess cautiously circled one side of the sofa, preparing to share what she could while keeping the "Princess-collection fetish" to herself.

Alas, before she could start unnerving, the Evil Prince bent down, directly supporting the Cat Princess full of secrets, pulling the flailing cat into his arms, and even rubbed her belly twice.

'What's the matter? Why aren't you speaking?'

'...'

Forget it, let him touch if he wants. Consider it an early favor returned...

Feeling the warmth from the hand on her belly, her body instinctively relaxed, feeling blissfully comfortable. The Cat Princess acknowledged her fate with a meow, then, skipping the "Princess-collection fetish" and "Evil Prince's ambition," she briefly narrated her recent findings.

That fake "Princess Catherine" personally ordered the immediate capture of all Yarn Ball Society members?

Listening to the Cat Princess' selective retelling, Leon's eyebrow slightly raised, as if he had grasped something.

The intent behind targeting the Yarn Ball Society she formed was obviously to weaken her resistance, but from the Slaughter King Association's perspective, Leon was seen as an ordinary person with no ability to manipulate abnormal objects any longer.

Then, if the Slaughter King Association was certain of victory, only needing the Bedtime Story to slowly proceed to simultaneously capture him and the Cat Princess, why specifically target the Yarn Ball Society?