The space was about five cubic meters, but it held no real valuables. Inside were just a few sets of clothing made from decent material, but they were hardly top-tier or luxurious.

There were also some personal toiletries and a few dozen miscellaneous books that seemed to be on history, literature, and art appreciation.

As for Gold Coins, there were only a few hundred.

Lynch did a quick calculation. Aside from the ring itself, which was worth something, the total value of everything inside was, at most, a little over a thousand Gold Coins. That might be a decent sum for the child of a common noble, but for a Prince of the Empire...

"Is that it?" Lynch shot him a suspicious glance. "You’re the Seventh Prince, and you’re this broke?"

The Seventh Prince’s face flushed red. He stammered, unable to speak, his eyes filled with embarrassment and a hint of indignation.

It was true that his position as a Prince came with no real power and not many perks. Even the duchy his mother hailed from wasn’t particularly wealthy.

"Sigh..."

Lynch sighed. With a flick of his wrist, the ring vanished into the wide sleeve of his black robe.

The Seventh Prince watched this happen, his lips parting slightly, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to say a word.

Watching from the side, Sea Song Xiyin found the scene particularly familiar.

’It seemed her own Space Ring and the Tide’s Tear had vanished in much the same way.’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Anything else of value? Or something worth your life?" Lynch asked, shifting into a more comfortable position. His tone was as casual as if they were just chatting.

The Seventh Prince stared blankly for a long moment, his mind racing. Finally, he said tentatively, "If... Lord Mage, you could escort me safely to the main base of the North Wind Legion and I could meet Commander Jais, I can explain the situation and ask him... to lend me money to reward you! The Commander is an upright man, I’m sure he..."

"The Commander?" Lynch scoffed, cutting him off. "And how can you be so sure the order to eliminate you didn’t come from this Commander Jais of yours?"

’This Seventh Prince was adorably naive.’

The Seventh Prince’s body trembled at his words, and his face turned deathly pale once again.

’That’s right... the elite squad claimed to be from the North Wind Legion. Even if Commander Jais wasn’t the mastermind, he couldn’t be completely innocent. At the very least, troops under his command were involved in the attack.’

’If I go there rashly...’

"Then, what if you escort me back to the Imperial Capital!" the Seventh Prince said urgently. "I have other assets I can sell, or... or I could ask my teacher, Grand Scholar of the Court Lord Keynes, for help! He’ll definitely help me. I’ll be sure to reward you handsomely then!"

"Heh," the smile on Lynch’s face faded. "Return to the Imperial Capital? That’s a long and perilous journey. Why don’t you just ask me to fight your way back to the Capital, eliminate all your rivals, and put you on the throne? Then you can make me a king with status equal to your own, right?"

The Seventh Prince was speechless, his face paling.

A wave of despair and helplessness washed over him.

Seeing the Seventh Prince stammering, unable to offer any real reward and looking completely lost, Lynch lost interest and waved his hand dismissively.

"Forget it," he said, his tone laced with a hint of disdain. "Let’s just say... I’ve already received your thanks. You can go."

’Go?’

Hearing this, the Seventh Prince didn’t look relieved in the slightest. Instead, his face grew even paler.

He glanced frantically into the boundless darkness outside the camp, convinced that assassins were about to leap from the woods at any moment to claim his life.

’Making him leave the only safe place he had, all alone... how was that any different from sending him to his death?’

"L-Lord Mage!" the Seventh Prince stammered, swallowing hard. "I beg you, please protect me for a while! Just until things die down, or until I can contact someone I can truly trust. I will repay you twofold, I swear it."

Lynch looked down at him, his fingers tapping softly on his knee. The shadow of his hood obscured his face, making his expression unreadable.

The few seconds of silence that followed felt like an eternity to the Seventh Prince.

"Protect you?" Lynch finally said. "I suppose that’s not out of the question."

A flicker of hope instantly ignited in the Seventh Prince’s eyes.

"However," Lynch’s tone shifted, "you’ll have to follow my orders without question. And I don’t do business at a loss, nor do I take in freeloaders."

With a flick of his wrist, he produced a sheet of parchment, a quill, and a small bottle of Magic Ink from his Space Ring.

"Let’s sign a contract."

Lynch quickly drafted the contract, saying, "Both parties voluntarily agree to the terms of protection. The duration... let’s say three months for now. During this period, I will be responsible for your personal safety and provide basic food and lodging. As for you—"

"—you will pay a monthly protection fee of two thousand Gold Coins. If you lack the cash, assets registered in your name, such as antiques or jewelry, can be used to cover the cost. Of course, should you meet with an unfortunate fate during this period, the contract will be automatically terminated, and any fees already paid are non-refundable."

’Two thousand Gold Coins! Per month!?’

The Seventh Prince was so stunned he almost couldn’t breathe.

’This... this was highway robbery! No, it was worse than robbery! A month at the finest hotel in the Imperial Capital, complete with bodyguard services, probably wouldn’t even cost a tenth of that amount.’

"L-Lord Mage, isn’t this price a little..." he stammered, attempting to bargain.

"Too expensive?" Lynch raised an eyebrow. "Then feel free to leave."

"No, no, no! I’ll sign! I’ll sign!" the Seventh Prince hastily backtracked, his heart filled with bitterness.

’The price of two thousand Gold Coins a month was steep, but it was better than death. As for the money itself... perhaps he could find a solution after contacting his teacher.’

He took the quill, his hand trembling slightly as he signed his full name on the contract: Augustus von Grimsby.