Chapter 178 Meeting The Princesses

Ryan was moved from the stage and escorted down a long corridor by several heavily armed guards.

Ryan knew he could take the guards, but since his plan all along had been to win the contest and get into the good graces of one of the princesses, he didn't act against them.

"You're rather lucky," one guard escorted him spoke. "It's been a few competitions since one of the princesses has chosen the winner to sleep with."

Ryan raised his eyebrows at the words. 'I guess Stacy was right.'

Stacy had told him that the princesses would decide amongst themselves who would bed the winner if any wanted to.

If more than one wanted the winner, they would ask the winner to decide.

After about ten minutes of walking and waiting, Ryan's group arrived at a room in which were three of the most beautiful and similar girls Ryan had ever seen.

'Well, maybe, except for Lizzy and Izzy,' Ryan thought.

The combination of their pink, orange, and gray hair and feather colors made them seem like an odd rainbow standing before Ryan.

"Greetings, participant number #22," Piki, the pink-haired phoenix, said. "My sisters and I have all been impressed by your display of talent."

"We've all concluded that you'd be a fine bedmate and have thus decided that you will get to decide your partner," Kiki, the orange-haired phoenix, added.

Ryan started to open his mouth, but Piki held up a hand. "However, we should warn you that one of our sisters has put a stipulation on your access to her den."

Ryan wouldn't have minded being interrupted, but the way Piki put up her hand gave him the feeling that the girl was a real bitch and wouldn't be one to work with him.

"Our sister, Zizi," Kiki began, pointing to the gray-haired phoenix. "Put up the stipulation that you had to be in the Military Summit and rank higher than her to bed her."

Zizi rolled her eyes at her sister's antics and said, "Thank you, dear sisters, for your kind introduction."

Ryan instantly picked up on the dynamic in the room. 'Seems like I found my target.'

If the two sisters liked to gang up on this Zizi, then she would be the most willing to betray her family if she felt wronged by them.

'Although I'm unsure if the Holy Phoenix Empire is as bad as the Kheaweth Empire regarding nobility treatment. They are allied with them, so it wouldn't be too far a stretch to think that a noble could betray their empire,' Ryan thought, thinking of Duchess Vanroth, the Frost General, and even the Empress herself, who agreed to go against the Grand Empress.

Seeing it was his turn to speak, Ryan put on a charming smile and said, "Ladies, I have to say, you're all gorgeous."

"But I couldn't help but be instantly captivated by Zizi the moment I laid my eyes on her," he said, looking at Zizi.

Ryan bit his lower lip. "I would love to fluff those feathers, then lather them in my essence while we spend the night pressed against one another."

Kiki and Piki frowned while Zizi furiously blushed, catching up in Ryan's words.

Ryan took it a step further, advancing toward Zizi.

The guards on either side of the princesses started to step forward to intercept Ryan but were told off begrudgingly by Kiki.

"You may have some extra requirements, but that doesn't discourage me in the least."

Zizi put her hand over her mouth and nodded, not daring to meet the man's gaze.

Ryan looked at Kiki and Piki but immediately turned away after seeing their scathing looks.

'It seems they're trying to be impartial for now.' He thought. 'So long as they don't interfere with my goal, then there's no harm.'

"Ladies," Ryan began again as he walked towards the exit.

Ryan reached into his fake spatial bag and produced his token of participation for the Military Summit. "I'll see you after the Summit."

Watching Ryan leave, Kiki and Piki turned to Zizi.

Kiki was the first to speak. "Although he did select you, don't think you can throw the contest and finally have a mate. He'll have to get top 20 in the contest."

Piki frowned. "Sister, I know we hate Zizi but isn't top 20 for a male... almost impossible?"

"It's been done before," Kiki huffed. "Besides, if he wants to free our sister, he'll have to be someone worthy."

Kiki continued, "I can't believe we're even this generous to allow her to have the chance at freedom after what she did to us."

Piki mulled it over, then nodded. "I do see your point, sister. Her act was terrible. Betraying the family is a crime worthy of death."

Kiki chuckled. "And we didn't even tell mother about it. She would have gone ballistic. So instead, we kept her as a toy for our amusement."

"I think that decision was rather wise. Zizi has been very cooperative," Piki replied as they turned to Zizi, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but before them.

"But at any rate," Kiki began again after another moment. "If he does manage to get into the top 20, it will be the heavens that want her released."

Piki only nodded in agreement.

Zizi only slightly grinned as she heard her sisters speak of her as though she wasn't there.

She had a unique talent that allowed her to see the fate of specific people, and although it barely ever worked, it had shown that Ryan would win their little contest here and choose her.

Zizi didn't know how Ryan would do at the Military Summit, but she believed that the heavens wouldn't show his fate for no reason.

Zizi couldn't have known that although there was a reason she was shown Ryan's fate, it wasn't by the heavens doing.

But by someone so strong even the heaven's considered them a threat to its very existence.

'I believe in you, mysterious raven-haired man.'

'Maybe you are the one I've been searching for.'