Chapter 158: A Gift "It’s a gift," Noah replied simply, as if gifting items that could be stored as kingdom treasures was normal. The king stared at Noah for several long moments. Even as a royal himself, he had a bit of trouble comprehending that he was receiving a gift worth six hundred golden coins. Then King Aldric laughed. A genuine laugh of delight filled the shop with warmth. "You are a very interesting person." Naturally, the king couldn’t reject such a valuable and thoughtfully given gift. The gesture clearly demonstrated Noah’s desire to boost the king’s personal capabilities by providing all three types of enhancement rather than just the two he’d purchased. "Then I shall thank you graciously," King Aldric replied with dignity appropriate to receiving such significant generosity. "If you ever need anything, the crown will assist you. Don’t hesitate to ask." Noah nodded. "I won’t." Elara looked at Noah with obvious happiness on her face. ... After the transaction was completed, King Aldric’s demeanour shifted abruptly from satisfied customer to alert sovereign. His magical senses had detected something that immediately grabbed his attention, causing him to turn his gaze toward the shop door with a sharp glare. "There is a master-level demon outside. Is that your friend?" the king stated calmly, his voice carrying no alarm but unmistakable awareness. The king’s question suggested Elara had already briefed him about Noah’s unusual associations, which explained his measured tone rather than an immediate defensive response. Still, his posture indicated someone prepared for potential threats while hoping for a peaceful resolution. Good preparation from Elara. This could’ve gone badly. Noah thought, giving her a mental thumbs up. Noah immediately nodded with confirming certainty. "Yes, it’s my friend. Her name is Lola, and I’ve sent her on something important that I would also like you to know about." Noah moved toward the shop door. He had locked it to avoid any disturbance. Lola’s timing is perfect. She must have gotten enough information. Opening the door, Noah gestured for his returning employee to enter. Lola stepped through the threshold, her eyes immediately landing on the new figure. Her ruby eyes locked onto King Aldric with instant recognition of his power level. The aura that had made common merchants nervous was more visible to her perception; this was no mere human noble, but an archmage. Lola’s expression changed to wary as she assessed the potential threat level represented by an unknown archmage in Noah’s shop. Her posture indicated someone prepared for immediate combat if the situation demanded it. Sensing the tension building between two supremely powerful individuals, Noah quickly provided introductory context to defuse any misunderstanding. "Lola, this is King Aldric of the human kingdom, Elara’s father. Your Majesty, this is Lola, my trusted friend and colleague in this shop." Lola glanced at Noah. He had not only introduced her as a trusted friend but as a colleague instead of an employee. King Aldric nodded in greeting with royal courtesy that acknowledged Lola’s obvious power while maintaining appropriate dignity. His gesture carried respect rather than suspicion, suggesting Elara’s briefing had prepared him well for this encounter. Lola returned the gesture with corresponding politeness, her initial wariness fading as she recognised the lack of hostile intent from the archmage king. With introductions complete and crisis averted, Noah immediately shifted focus to the critical intelligence Lola had gathered during her surveillance mission. "What did you discover about the guard?" he asked, his voice carrying urgency that indicated significant stakes involved in her reconnaissance. Lola’s expression grew serious as she prepared to deliver information that would likely have a significant effect on those present. "Our guess was right, the guard is definitely working with the extremists," she stated, certain, as someone who had witnessed events firsthand. The guard working with the extremist confirmed that Richard was definitely working with them too, and that was direct evidence. Richard’s death for treason was basically set in stone. Her ruby eyes flicked between Noah and the royal family as she continued with details that made the implications clear. "I followed him to a meeting point outside the city walls. Several demons were waiting; they are most definitely extremists, they were hiding and trying to keep their presence unnoticed," Lola explained. "I also heard the demons tell the guard to bring Richard," she added, her hearing having captured conversations from a considerable distance. "They were discussing something that sounded like coordination for a larger operation." The intelligence painted a clear picture of an organised conspiracy involving both human nobles and demon extremists, exactly the kind of internal threat that could destabilise the entire kingdom. Noah nodded with grim satisfaction at having his suspicions confirmed through direct observation rather than speculation. "Your Majesty," he said, turning to address King Aldric with appropriate formality, "this confirms what Princess Elara and I discussed regarding Baron Richard’s suspicious activities." Noah began to brief the king on the full scope of what had happened before his appearance. Noah’s explanation was comprehensive and carefully structured to provide maximum clarity for the king to make a decision. "Baron Richard has been extorting citizens and collaborating with demon extremists," he began. "The evidence suggests he’s been trading human kingdom resources. Possibly including military intelligence, in exchange for extremist support for his illegal activities." "The extremists aren’t representative of the demon kingdom’s government," Noah continued, drawing crucial distinctions that could prevent a broader diplomatic crisis. "They’re rogue elements that both kingdoms should consider mutual enemies." "Lola’s surveillance of one of the close guards that was working under Baron Richard’s commands has provided direct evidence of coordination between Baron Richard’s agents and extremist operatives," he concluded. "This represents clear treason against the crown that demands immediate intervention." "I’ve sacrificed tens of my products to bring him to light and gain the evidence. Based on Lola’s words, the baron should have a meeting with the extremists shortly. We can use this information to catch him in the act, immediately!" King Aldric’s expression grew increasingly grave as the full scope of the conspiracy became clear. As the king of a kingdom, he knew how to recognize threats to kingdom stability, and this represented exactly the kind of internal corruption that could destroy legitimate government from within.