[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage":3,"chapter-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-322":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},148185,246,"Chapter 321: Bringing Home the Princess II","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-322",322,"\u003Cp>CH321 Bringing Home the Princess II\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex took another sip from his cup, then placed it down carefully on the saucer resting atop the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can see what you’re worried about,\" he said calmly. \"I can even understand it. But still—my question stands. What makes you think that just because I maintain a good reputation with people—and sometimes call upon their help—that I’m not a genuinely reputable person?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know,\" Eleanor admitted after a pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex nodded slowly. \"I won’t claim to be a good person. To be honest, even I’m not sure at times. But I do believe humans are social creatures. As such, we’ll always need one another—whether for a small favour or something life-changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, for that day... for that need... I try, as much as possible, to maintain a good reputation with everyone I meet, regardless of who they are. Does that make me a good person? I wouldn’t go that far. Does it stop me from being a bad person? Most likely not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However,\" he continued, his tone firm but even, \"whether good or bad, it’s still me. I don’t pretend to like people I dislike. I might tolerate them, but I won’t lie about my feelings. That’s where I draw the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The person sitting before you right now—this is the real me. I may have many shades to myself, but every one of them is still me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, meeting Eleanor’s gaze directly. His expression was open, steady—inviting her to look and find no falsehood in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That said,\" he went on, \"though I understand your reservations, I think you’re overthinking this. Asking around for opinions about me won’t help you resolve your doubts. The only way to know is to take the risk yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What you should be asking now isn’t whether I’m a good or bad person based on rumours... but whether you’re willing to take the risk to find out if I’m the right person for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eleanor sighed softly, lowering her gaze. \"He was right after all,\" she muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry?\" Alex tilted his head. \"Who was right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone once told me you’re either going to become a dangerous person... or the safest person to be around,\" Eleanor said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex blinked in surprise. Then, after a moment, he chuckled and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s... actually a very apt way to describe me,\" he admitted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That wasn’t—\" Eleanor started, then stopped herself midway. She shook her head wryly. \"Never mind. I suppose what you said about being too honest for your own good is true.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex grinned. \"See? You’re already starting to get to know me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eleanor suddenly dropped her princessly demeanour. She rested her left elbow on the table and propped her chin against the back of her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The change made her seem less like a saintly princess and more like a roguish merchant weighing a deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I’m overthinking this,\" she said with a teasing glint, \"then tell me, in your sagacious wisdom, how do you think I should approach it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex mirrored her posture, leaning slightly over the table. \"Well, you just have to answer a few questions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First,\" Alex began, \"do I pique your interest?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you stand my personality?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tolerable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can you see yourself spending long hours in my company?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In what capacity?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Any.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I suppose so.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you feel any sense of hope, benefit, or security from me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe so.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lastly,\" Alex said with a faint smile, \"do you find my appearance tolerable for a partner?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Eleanor hesitated. Her eyes swept over his face and figure, lingering for a heartbeat longer than necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Passable,\" she said at last, lips curling into a small, amused smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only passable?\" Alex raised a brow. Then he chuckled. \"Well, it’s a good thing I don’t make a living off my looks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That caught her off guard—Eleanor let out an involuntary laugh before covering her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"With these questions answered,\" Alex said, still smiling, \"I think you already know whether it’s worth the risk—to find out if I’m the right partner for you or not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eleanor met his eyes thoughtfully, then nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think... for a start, we should work together on something. Maybe that’ll show you what kind of partner I’d be.\" Alex suggested\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That sounds reasonable.\" Eleanor agreed easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, do you have anything in mind we could work on?\" He asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shouldn’t you be the one making the suggestion?\" she asked with a faint smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know yet.\" Alex shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eleanor’s smirk turned into a glare. \"Then why did you make it sound like you already had something planned.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know. Maybe it’s my confidence.\" Alex grinned. \"It makes people assume I always have a plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or maybe it’s your track record of schemes,\" Eleanor retorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I take offence to that, Lady Eleanor. I am an upstanding citizen of the Empire. I don’t scheme—I simply plan meticulously toward a goal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s the same thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, no—it’s completely different. Calling it a scheme gives it a bad connotation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll take your word for it,\" she said, rolling her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her surprise, Eleanor realised she was actually enjoying herself. She felt strangely at ease with him—smiling, laughing, and letting her guard slip far more than she’d intended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then something crossed her mind—something that darkened her expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex, ever observant, caught the change instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lady Eleanor,\" he asked gently, \"is something the matter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eleanor’s gaze flicked to him, uncertainty shadowing her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can I trust you?\" she asked quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex was stunned by the solemnness behind her question. He immediately set aside his playful tone and grew equally solemn—if not more so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" He replied simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before Eleanor could speak, he added, \"But don’t take my word for it. You can stay guarded around me. It’ll be up to me to convince you otherwise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eleanor blinked, taken slightly aback by his response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me honestly,\" she said. \"Is it my bloodline you’re after? I can sense that you also carry a Light-Fire hybrid bloodline. However, yours isn’t the same as the Imperial bloodline. Yours has a Solar attribute—much like my Fey Monarch Bloodline. In truth, it might even be a better genetic match for the Eugenics Programme than the Royal Gryphon line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She exhaled slowly, her voice tightening. \"I want to know... no, I need to know if my bloodline is what you’re after.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And if it is?\" Alex asked quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll cooperate with you,\" she said flatly, \"and I’ll bear your child. But anything beyond that is off the table.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see... I understand now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief, sad smile flickered across Alex’s face. He met her gaze with a rare, quiet sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What I said at our last meeting still stands,\" he said. \"I care little for your lineage or your bloodline. What I want is you—Eleanor the Alchemist, the Healer, the Businesswoman... but most importantly, simply you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eleanor held his gaze, as though trying to discern whether his words were truth or calculated charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, a soft smile curved her lips once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll do as you said. I’ll keep my guard up and wait for you to prove that I can trust you.\" Her tone steadied. \"But trust goes both ways. I expect you to do the same.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She extended her hand across the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Deal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex smiled back. \"Deal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They shook on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, they talked a little longer before Eleanor finally rose to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pressed her bracelet, and her appearance shimmered back into that of Navia Almion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll be waiting for you to come up with a plan for our first collaboration,\" she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me know if you have any ideas too,\" Alex replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will do.\" She nodded before heading out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the door closed behind her, a wide grin broke across Alex’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He activated his Beta Bracer and sent a message to Zora:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Milady Queen, as ordered, your humble servant has brought home the Princess.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1336,"2026-05-29T03:49:10.137Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","414344861e699abc067ba5934cfa78e1aa9ffced8fada442e798961d92afbe52","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-323","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-321",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]