However, Davis hadn't done that but instead gave it to her without being stingy. Other than creating a good impression on him while motivating Princesss Isabella to help him, his actions told her three things about him.
First, it seemed like Davis had an important matter to deal with and needed her help to solve it.
Second, that important matter needed immediate concern so he couldn't choose to be stingy with his loot.
Third, that he was losing it out now to gain more treasures in the future with her help.
If it were the third point, she inwardly made a note to negotiate the terms if they went on an expedition or something but if it were the other two points, she decided that she will try to help him with the best of her ability.
"Alright!" Davis then proceeded to explain the details of the matter to her.
A short moment later.
"... In summary, I owe them a debt and want to repay them back before they actually die."
Princess Isabella looked as if she was pondering but inwardly she was shocked.
This man in front of her was saved from a Fifth Stage Magical Beast but he wanted to repay them by facing foes who were at the Seventh Stage?
She began to wonder if this man was purely mad or a man with dignity and gratitude. After a brief consideration, she couldn't help but lean towards the latter.
After all, if the gratitude they had shown could be considered large, then the way he was reciprocating could be said to be huge unless there was an ulterior motive in his mind to help them.
She inclined her chin as she sat straight, "I'm happy to help..."
Davis smiled and just when he was about to wave his hands to give her the remaining loot, he was interrupted.
"However, in addition to the loot you promised, I want an additional treasure that is at King Grade. Furthermore, I want half the share of the loot if we manage to kill any Seventh Stage Cultivators in this endeavor."
'So greedy?'
Davis's eyes twitched, "Don't you think this is too much?"
"Oh, not at all. I'm risking my life by challenging Seventh Stage Cultivators. Well, actually, forget the Seventh Stage Cultivators because I have already offended the Tripartite Alliance by killing three of their Seventh Stage Cultivators. If they sent even more powerful against me after helping you, wouldn't they try to send Eighth Stage Experts against me?"
"By that time, I would stand no chance. Furthermore, I'm a woman. Death is the greatest mercy they can show if I got captured." Princess Isabella spoke as if her future was bleak, her face turning into a wry smile as if she were lamenting and worried about her fate.
Davis went speechless. She placed so many cards on the table to gain advantage in the negotiation, even using a woman card while having the upper hand in the negotiation.
Even though there was a ban placed on experts who were above the Seventh Stage in the Tripartite Alliance Territory, he felt that he really couldn't believe such a convenient rule, much less rely on it when he didn't know the true reason for the ban.
If she stated this much, he really couldn't find a good argument to counter her and even if he did, he felt that it would just be disgraceful at this point.
Furthermore, he felt that this wasn't an attitude one should hold while asking for a favor.
He inwardly sighed and then opened his mouth, "Alright, I agree."
Princess Isabella's wry smile disappeared and her lips imperceptibly curved into one of victory. It was as if she was proud that she won against a tough battle.
Davis extended his hand and passed the last piece of loot, the remaining spatial ring to the table and pushed it towards Princess Isabella, "Never thought that you would be the greedy-type..."
Princess Isabella took the spatial ring and kept it inside her own and giggled, "Excuse me? You have a backer, your mysterious master, while I don't. I have my royal family and an entire Empire with centuries of history to take care of..."
Davis blinked as he heard her tone which sounded quite offended but he then replied, "So do I..."
"You will eventually inherit the throne while I won't..." Princess Isabella stared at him.
Davis turned confused. He turned to look at Evelynn and also saw her mulling with a confused look.
Didn't Princess Isabella already inherit the throne of the Ruth Empire and become the Empress once?
Could it be that it was just their imagination or was there a loose screw in Princess Isabella's mind?
Davis blinked a few more times before his eyes glinted in realization, "Your marriage?"
Princess Isabella nodded her head in appreciation for the other party to be able to realize her meaning, "I obviously won't marry a man who is weaker than me, so there is no way I can be the Empress of the Ruth Empire in the Grand Sea Continent because all the men there are so weak that they don't even enter my interest zone."
"Other than that, and although entirely distasteful, even my brothers from other mothers have started to court me with renewed vigor, even convincing the family that the Earth Dragon Immortal Bloodline should be kept in the Ruth Family for benefits."
Davis turned stunned as whatever that was left of his smile froze stiff. Meanwhile, Evelynn reacted as if she heard a nightmare.
Being courted by blood-related step-brothers? Disgusting!
When Evelynn was in the Cauldon Family Manor as its young miss, she had sometimes heard that marrying within the family happened in some families and was even quite common.
In the cultivation world, blood relations weren't that much of a barrier but a boon since the babies born from inbreeding wouldn't have abnormal traits but possess talent and bloodline equalling their parents.
There were no recessive traits in a normal and average cultivator's genes due to the presence of heaven and earth energy shrouding their bodies. Hence, there were no anomalies in the children caused by inbreeding.
However, there were moral principles restricting the cultivators from inbreeding but the same can be said about the temptation of experiencing the forbidden in their boundlessly long lives.
Davis knew this point too!
"Although I can understand the importance of keeping the bloodline within the family, I don't want to marry a weak man, so my brothers came forward instead, betting on the fact that I would not decline them on the basis of closeness but they're simply wrong. The fact that I don't like weak men simply applied to them as well."
"So you decisively choose to not stay in the Ruth Empire but travel here to look for a suitable and powerful man to marry?"
Princess Isabella suddenly went silent. Her eyes darted around but she then suddenly spoke, "Not quite right..."
Davis turned confused.
"I'm pretty confident that I can clear the Earth Dragon Immortal Grade Trial if things proceed as planned in the future, so my future husband should be someone who can break into the..." With a slight pause, she continued in a proud yet concealed tone, "... Immortal Stage."
Evelynn instantly turned dumbfounded at the words she heard from Princess Isabella. Although she respected the person, wasn't her ambitions and expectations too high for the current situation they were in!?
Davis was also momentarily taken back but he nodded his head to her statement as if it wasn't much to be shocked about.