CHAPTER 342: A THREAT AND THE USE OF MORAL PRESSURE (2)

"So, you really don’t want to accept this mission?" Ragan asked casually.

"Definitely not!" Nolan shook his head. "You can ask someone else... maybe..."

His gaze shifted to Seira, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "Sister Seira is more suited for this mission. She’s excellent at communicating with others, especially with kings from other kingdoms. I’m sure she would make a good delegate."

Seira hadn’t expected Nolan to mention her name. Yet what he said was true—this task would be easy for her, and she could handle it.

But she still had to wait for her father’s decision. If he ordered her to go, she would obey.

Everyone looked at Ragan, waiting for his response to Nolan’s suggestion.

Then, suddenly...

"No, Seira will not go. You will be the one to go," Ragan said firmly. "Don’t resist, kid. Refusing is pointless. Otherwise, I’ll report this to your mother. Let’s see who wins in the end."

A meaningful smile crossed his face, freezing Nolan in place.

"You..." He gritted his teeth.

He hadn’t expected the old man to play so dirty. Usually, in their debates, Ragan used other tactics—all of which Nolan could counter.

But when his mother was involved, he was completely defeated. There was no way he could defy that order, was there?

Looking at Nolan, who seemed to have given up, Ragan could hardly hold back his laughter.

If it weren’t for Roswell beside him and the other children under the throne stairs, he would have already burst out laughing.

It was rare for him to defeat that damn kid. Only now did he realize how foolish he had been not to use his wife, Isabella, as a shield from the start.

If he had done so earlier, the kid wouldn’t have dared to fight back.

"So, it has been decided that Nolan will be one of the delegates sent to the Kingdom of Kaldarion," Ragan stated calmly. "And as I said, we need two people. That means one more. So, I will choose..."

His gaze swept over the princesses—Seira, Novaria, and Sharon. Elina was clearly out of the question, being a candidate for the throne.

Eliza was still too young; it was impossible to send her on such an important mission.

Novaria felt nervous. She wasn’t sure if her father would choose her. But if he did... what should she do? Accept or refuse?

As Novaria wrestled with her thoughts, her father’s gaze fell on Sharon.

"Sharon, you will accompany your brother. Are you willing to accept?"

Novaria felt a mix of relief and irritation. If she had been chosen, it would have meant her father trusted her abilities—but she wasn’t, which made her annoyed.

"I’m ready, Father!" Sharon replied quickly, nodding. "Don’t worry, I will protect my brother."

She shot Nolan a flirtatious wink. Nolan simply rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Of course, his annoyance wasn’t because of Sharon but because of Ragan, who was truly a pain in the neck.

"Since it has been decided, this meeting is adjourned. You may all return," Ragan announced.

The princes and princesses nodded, but Ragan’s voice rang out again.

"Nolan and Sharon, you two stay. I want to talk to you privately."

Nolan, who had been imagining lying down on his bed, froze instantly. He glared at his father but eventually held back and nodded resignedly.

Once the princes, princesses, and Roswell had left the throne room, only Ragan, Nolan, and Sharon remained.

Ragan looked at Sharon with a hint of displeasure.

"You came home without seeing me first. Is this how you treat your father?"

Sharon felt a flush of shame and hurriedly climbed the throne stairs, standing beside Ragan.

She gently massaged his arm and said softly, "I’m sorry, Father. I didn’t mean to come back without telling you. I just wanted to surprise Nolan and forgot to inform you."

Her awkward smile slowly eased the annoyance from Ragan’s face.

"It’s okay. I’m not angry," he said with a gentle smile. "How are you doing at the academy? Is everything going well?"

It had been more than ten years since he last saw his daughter, and it would be a lie to say he hadn’t missed her.

Unfortunately, the Fallen Star Magic Academy forbade all students from returning home during their first ten years so they could focus on strengthening their foundations.

"Everything is going well, Father. Your daughter has reached the level of Great Mage," Sharon declared proudly.

"What?" Ragan froze. "You’ve reached the level of a Great Mage? You’re not joking, are you?"

A Great Mage wasn’t the highest rank, but it was still an extraordinary achievement for his daughter, who was only in her early twenties.

As far as he knew, those who reached the level of Great Mage were usually in their mid-twenties or older. Even the most talented rarely achieved it before the age of twenty-four.

"Of course, Father. You can ask Orion about that," Sharon said casually.

"Princess Sharon is correct, Your Majesty. The aura she radiates is unmistakably that of a Great Mage," Orion’s voice echoed in his mind. "It’s extremely rare to reach that level at such a young age. I didn’t achieve it until I was twenty-five."

Ragan remained silent for a moment, absorbing the news. Then he took a deep breath and nodded appreciatively.

"Good... very good! You really are my pride and joy, my dear! Hahaha!" Ragan rubbed Sharon’s head as he laughed heartily.

Sharon was the daughter of his eldest sister. Ragan had two biological sisters from the same mother.

Unlike his other sisters from different mothers, he had always shared a close bond with these two.

However, after they married, their relationship gradually drifted apart.

Then one day, sad news arrived: both of his sisters had passed away, leaving behind three daughters.

Since their husbands’ families refused to care for the children, Ragan took on the responsibility and made them his own daughters.

From the beginning, he had known Sharon was talented—but her abilities far exceeded even his expectations.

Nolan, who watched the two of them as if he didn’t exist, could only shake his head in resignation.

"All right, let’s move on to the main topic," Ragan said, turning to his son. "As I mentioned before, the problem in the Kingdom of Kaldarion involves the mysterious white dragon attacks. According to the letter I received, this creature has likely existed for thousands of years and has been awakened by the recent increase in trade activity there. Your task isn’t to fight it but to negotiate with the royal palace. Do you understand so far?"

Nolan and Sharon both nodded. "We understand."

"Good!" Ragan smiled thinly, a sly glint in his eyes. "Next, I want you to take full advantage of the situation. I hope you can win the negotiations and bring back great results for the Great Velmora Empire."