Harem Overlord: I ALWAYS Finish Quick!



"Is that not what a brainwashed person would say?" Aurora asked, raising her eyebrows. "And how do you know you're not being tricked into thinking that?"

Ryan raised his hands in mock surrender. "I guess so. But what if I'm not?"

"What do you mean?" Aurora asked, frowning.

"What if the Grand Empress thinks I'm brainwashed, but I'm not?" Ryan grinned. "What if she thinks she has full control over me yet doesn't have any?"

"And what if men could cultivate and dogs could fly?" Aurora retorted. "You speak of what-ifs as though they were reality. Speak plainly."

"What if I could trick her into thinking she controls us, the Emerald Family, through me?" Ryan finally got to the point.

Although Aurora didn't know it, Ryan was also her son, and when she learned of it, Ryan would be transferred to the Dawn Pavilion and its assets.

With the Dawn Pavilion's assets in Ryan's hands, they could set up a heavenly blessed kingdom and eventually fight the Kheaweth Empire.

"Then, after the wedding, she'll coincidently hear about your boy being alive and joining the Emerald Family. When you transfer him to the Dawn Pavilion…"

Aurora's face went white. 'How do they know!'

Aurora was sure no one else knew about the contract's loophole unless…

Turning to Becca, she said, "Does your mother know?"

"Yes," Becca nodded. "My mother knows of the contract's loophole."

During Becca's recent investigations, she discovered the contract's loophole, and Ryan let her into the loop.

After discovering that Ryan was Aurora's son, Becca was initially shocked, but it explained everything.

Why had her mother been so secretive from everyone, including her?

She wanted the Dawn Pavilion.

After finding that out, she first wanted to check if the rest of the Holy Alliance was in on this, but after finding out that they weren't, she immediately knew the terrifying truth.

That's when she went to talk with Ryan…

===

One week earlier (14 days until the wedding)...

"My mother isn't interested in only the Dawn Pavilion," Becca said, standing before Ryan. "She wants all of Ravier."

Training in Sienna's courtyard, Ryan put away his sword and looked at his visitor. "Good to see you too, Becca."

"Now's not the time for games. This is serious. I think I've figured everything out!" Becca shouted fervently.

Ryan put on a mischievous smile but said, "Please, explain," while bringing out a set of chairs for them to sit on.

Ryan wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and sat in his seat while waiting for Becca to do the same.

After a hmph, Becca sat and began.

"Haven't you wondered why the wedding is happening in the first place?" Becca asked. "According to you, the Grand Empress still thinks you don't have any memories and are totally brainwashed."

"Yes, but if the Empress simply dropped me off at a Dawn Pavilion without any memories, Aurora would be suspicious and start to investigate," Ryan said, smiling. "To make Aurora less suspicious, she has to let Aurora find out about me on her own."

Becca huffed at Ryan's smile and retorted, "But that still begged the question, how would the Kheaweth Empire deal with the Holy Phoenix Empire? How would they explain away the fact that they suddenly were going to war with the Dawn Pavilion? Because one can only transfer a force of the Dawn Pavilion's size every few thousand years, the only way to claim it would be via battle."

Ryan arched his eyebrows, not knowing the last part.

"Couldn't she just wait?" Ryan asked, starting to sit up in his chair.

"My mother isn't the type to wait," Becca said, rolling her eyes.

"Haven't you wondered why the Kheaweth Empire attacked the Holy Phoenix Empire in the name of the Dawn Pavilion?" Becca asked.

Ryan nodded.

Becca gave a confident smile, not that Ryan was adequately paying attention. "My mother wanted the Holy Alliance, Ravier's biggest alliance, to join in against their war vs. the Dawn Pavilion. That would explain why the Kheaweth Empire attacked the Holy Phoenix Empire in the name of the Dawn Pavilion."

Ryan's face grew dim, "That would also explain why the Kheaweth Empire has been continuously attacking the Zol'Gan Empire for months on end. The Grand Empress wanted the only force willing to oppose her to join in a war and stand alongside the Dawn Pavilion."

"We have to tell Aurora," Becca said. "She probably doesn't even know she's about to be in the middle of a war!"

Ryan shook his head. "We can't."

"Why?" Becca asked.

When Ryan explained two reasons for not telling Aurora, she frowned. "What plan?"

Ryan grinned. "Well, I guess it's about time I let everyone in on the plan."

Ryan then called Lizzy, Izzy, Emily, Grace, Zoey, Sienna, and Ester to join him at Sienna's residence, and in less than ten minutes, they were present.

Ryan then had a meeting much like the one he would be having a week from now, discussing his plan for the wedding. And their plan for the meeting a week from now.

"Wow, Ryan, I have to say this plan is awesome," Izzy said, giving Ryan a thumbs up in approval.

Lizzy, however, frowned. "This is dangerous. What if the Grand Empress realized you're not brainwashed and decided to kill you?"

"As long as she doesn't do it before I join the Dawn Pavilion, I'll be fine," Ryan said. "And besides, I'm confident she doesn't know."

Becca felt like her brain had been fried as she sat, looking at Sienna. "When you told me he was insane, I didn't think you meant it literally."

Sienna laughed. "He's not insane. I have confidence in my hubby's plan," she said, wrapping her arms around Ryan's left bicep.

"What do you think, Ester?"

Ryan hoped Ester, the Grand Empress's previous student, could shed a new light on the plan as she probably knew the Grand Empress the best.

"I think it's possible… if everything goes according to plan at the meeting in a week."