Galaxy's First Ruler

Aldrich let Boudicca take a good view of his face.

She stared at her for a few seconds, scrutinizing the discrepancies on his face that differed from the circulated photos. But even after searching thoroughly, she couldn't find a single one. This face was exactly that of the white-haired assassin.

Aldrich, seeing her not caring for his face anymore, placed the mask back upon his face.

Sigh!

Boudicca gave out a long sigh and returned to her chair.

"I don't care how you managed to piss off a King of all Dreamers. But, as Tyra must have mentioned, I need your help."

Aldrich nodded, but not before giving out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Haha! Of Course! But your highness, a matter that is related to you and needs my help, will surely get me killed."

There was no doubt in Aldrich's tone. No matter if he was a white-haired assassin or not, he was just a Viscount. Where even a Duke failed to accomplish a task, Aldrich was sure to perish and perish badly.

Boudicca, with a grave tone, leaned forward and replied.

"If you were to accept my offer, I swear upon the Mana within me that no harm will come upon you."

As Boudicca kept speaking, the Mana in the surrounding became visible. Aldrich narrowed his eyes as he saw the blue-green-white streams of Mana approaching Boudicca's lips as if they were kissing her.

'This…'

Aldrich's heart palpated as he realized what he was seeing. This was the thing he had been trying to do since his imprisonment as a Boss of a Dungeon. This was the manipulation of the Concept of Mana. And this was the presence within Mana actively responding with no foreign stimulant, like his Skill Banish.

Aldrich pretended to pace around as if in deep thought, but he had already made up his mind while still dancing with Tyra. Suddenly, he halted, losing any honorifics, seriously asked.

"Ok, but in return, I want two things."

Boudicca put one leg over the other and leaned back in her chair as if what Aldrich had just said was the most relaxing thing in the world. Her shoulders visibly lightened and there was a stiff but sweet smile on her face, showing her piled-up lethargy.

"Good! If you hadn't asked for something in return, now that would have been a bad sign."

Aldrich approached her and occupied the chair next to Boudicca. Seeing her not saying anything, he at least confirmed an outline of her personality. There was a big difference between Boudicca and the Marquesses he had met so far. Though they weren't as strong as this Sealed Duchess, they lacked her pointless and excessive pride. Even the Marchioness, who was just a step away from being a Duke, didn't have Boudicca's subtlety.

"First…"

Aldrich pretended to give it a deep thought as if this was the only thing that mattered to him.

"… I want my House to return to its previous glory. If you can't do it in this Kingdom, then you must transfer the planet to the Kingdom of Life-Authority and help the House Venomous Rose become a Duke House. Time is irrelevant here."

Aldrich couldn't find a better way to dump this responsibility on Boudicca's shoulders. He cared little about House Venomous Rose, but Aldrich believed in Karma. Even if manipulated, they had revived him and had given him a chance to learn. The Ancient Scholar was indeed a manipulative old woman, but her emotions were at least sincere. If by any means he could fulfill his promise, then Aldrich won't shy away from that.

Boudicca's mouth slightly opened, but then it closed even sooner. She said nothing but gave Aldrich a silent nod. Aldrich had taken excessive measures to figure Boudicca out to know by now that this nod was enough.

"What's the second thing?"

Aldrich took little time to think for the second, showing it was fine even if he didn't get it.

"I want to know everything that is in your mind related to this task. Why are you doing it? What is our destination? And what are the expected outcomes?"

Aldrich fired three questions back to back. He only expected a brief answer to all questions, but Boudicca didn't shy away from speaking out openly.

"For you to recognize me immediately, you must have also heard the rumor about me."

Hahaha!

Aldrich let out a laugh and commented.

"Rumors can be the farthest from the truth. Even if there is a rumor about you, it certainly can't be compared to the one I am infamous for."

Aldrich was right. The rumors about anyone that didn't involve a King or Queen couldn't approach the proximity of him being the white-haired assassin. Boudicca gaped at Aldrich's making jokes about such a grievous thing. But soon she returned to her previous state and continued.

"The rumor about me… isn't farthest from the truth."

Aldrich raised his eyebrows, hearing Boudicca openly agreeing to the veracity of the rumor. There were many parts of this rumor. From her being an illegitimate child to her being the user of a summoning that shouldn't exist anymore. But Aldrich didn't care for either of them. What he cared for was the other persons involved in this rumor.

Boudicca, after a slight pause, continued.

"I don't know if my birthright is true or false. I have the least amount of concern about this matter. But yes, I used a summoning that differs from the other Rhiannon. The answer to your first question lies in the fact why I used that summoning, to begin with."

Aldrich added in response.

"I heard you did it to save your superior."

"Superior… superior…"

Boudicca absentmindedly repeated the word two times, making Aldrich narrow his eyes. But, in the next moment, a ruthless expression surfaced on her face.

"Yes… it was to save my superior. General Eydis, the eldest daughter of King Alvis Hildingr - The Red Dragon. We got betrayed by the Colonel from our unit, resulting in an ambush by three Dukes."

Aldrich added, based on the rumor.

"The Dukes from Hallowed Phantoms…"

HAHAHA!!!

But the laugh that came out of Boudicca was truly mocking. She harrumphed and scoffingly said.

"Humph! They weren't the Dukes from Hallowed Phantoms. Even if they had their signature Items, I know for a fact that they were the Dukes under the rule of King Hagen Bergman–The Impenetrable Shield."