As the carriage slowly advanced on the road, there was a sudden clap of thunder in the sky. Dark clouds gathered and the sky darkened. The next moment, rain began to fall.
Torrential rain in summer came and went quickly. One moment it was drizzling, and the next moment it was a torrential downpour. The raindrops clattered against the roof of the carriage, and everything outside the carriage was a blur. The dark clouds and torrential rain made the day seem like night.
"Even though it's only summer, it's already been raining for three consecutive days this week. It's been raining quite frequently recently. Ha, it seems that Dasos's luck is truly terrible. "
Judging from the dark clouds hanging low in the sky, it seemed that the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon. Obviously, it would directly affect the enthronement ceremony. Such a heavy rain was extremely unsuitable for large-scale ceremonies.
"Did they not make any preparations beforehand? The court mages aren't useless either."
In this world with magic, although there were many shortcomings, certain aspects were far superior to a technological world.
For example, when it came to predicting and controlling the weather, experienced hunters and rangers could predict the nearest weather from the shape of the clouds. Druil, who was close to nature, could sniff out impending natural disasters from the wind. Mages could use large-scale magic to control and choose the weather they wanted.
Today, before I left, I asked Kolos about the weather. I still remembered her hesitant expression when she answered me.
"… It should be sunny, but recently my predictions have been wrong. Even though I feel like it should be sunny for the next week, it's always raining. And I don't feel anyone else interfering. It's either my predictions are wrong, or the person interfering is far stronger than me. "
It would be understandable if it was someone else who made a wrong prediction, but Kolos was a Druil who specialized in summoning storms. For her to make a wrong prediction would be as inconceivable as burning herself with a fire spell. On a normal day, it wouldn't matter if the weather was wrong, but since there was a group of Seafolk living by the riverside, it would be a huge problem.
The consecutive days of torrential rain had caused many flooded areas of the river to rise again, giving the Seafolk more space to move around. On rainy days, when it was inconvenient for humans, the Seafolk actually returned to their home turf, greatly increasing their combat strength.
Thus, every time it rained, the guards along the coast would be on high alert. Fortunately, the Sea Race didn't seem to have any plans to attack during the rain.
"The mages of the Ottoman Empire aren't useless either. They wouldn't allow the rain to disrupt the scheduled ceremony. There's only one explanation for this — the recent rain isn't just a natural phenomenon, but the culprit behind it is far stronger than the mages of the Ottoman Empire. Such a powerful existence naturally wouldn't do something unimportant. He must have a reason for spending so much effort to change the weather. "
The carriage's sudden stop and change direction surprised me. Could it be that Dasos would change his plans just because it was raining?
"Why did it change direction? Where do we go now? Are we going back? "
Hearing my doubts, the White Wolf Knight leading the team hurriedly explained.
"Changing the route during the rain is a set procedure for the ceremony. In order to deal with the possibility of heavy rain, we have prepared two venues. One of them is an open-air plaza at the Ottoman Grand Square while the other is at the Royal Arena. That place has already been sealed off, making it an indoor venue."
If it was anyone else who heard the reply, they would probably be impressed by the Ottoman royal family's thorough preparations. However, I could hear the helplessness and weakness of a certain Emperor. Without a doubt, ascending to the throne under the eyes and blessings of the citizens, followed by a celebration and performance together with the citizens was the best choice to win the hearts of the people. Now that it was changed to an indoor venue, it could only mean that the situation had gone out of control.
The road leading to the Royal Arena wasn't easy to travel on. Other than the dissatisfied faces of the citizens along the way, the horses that were rushing in from all directions were creating a constant jam. When two carriages met, the one who walked in front to give way wasn't determined by the location of the carriage, but by the rank of the guests.
Obviously, the "Princess" of a small country wasn't that high up in the hierarchy. Since I was attending the ceremony as an individual, I wasn't the ambassador of the Alliance who had to arrive in advance. In the end, due to the jam and giving way, the 20-minute journey took almost an hour.
By the time we finally arrived, the place was already jammed to the point where not even a drop of water could trickle through. There were no more places for carriages to park around the arena. Left with no other choice, we could only lift our skirts and walk on the muddy ground. Every time we stepped on the mud, it made me even angrier.
The only thing that made me happy was the performance of the accompanying female official, Rosemary.
She was indeed a rare masterpiece of mine in recent times. Other than the Royal Knight who kept sneaking glances at her, the young men who bumped into the wall along the way used their actions to prove Rosemary's charm.
Her exquisite face was charming and gorgeous. She had an oval face and a willow waist. Her alluring curves constantly exuded the charm of a mature woman. However, those clear eyes under her phoenix eyes didn't lose any of her purity. Her short blonde hair was combed into a cute little braid. The occasional manly movements made her seem even more youthful and lively, making her look even cuter.
Her contradictory beauty brought about a complicated temperament. In the eyes of the men, her temperament constantly changed as she moved and spoke. Sometimes, she was a young married woman, sometimes, she was an 18-year-old girl, sometimes, she was young and pure, and sometimes, she was seductive and luxurious. Every man could find the appearance of their dream lover.
"Artenaya." The true name of the Goddess of Beauty was constantly repeated. In the eyes of the crowd, this extraordinary beauty wasn't on a level that ordinary people could reach.
Compared to a real flower, a fake flower made of plastic was even more exquisite and perfect. As the work of my meticulous carving, Rosemary, who had the advantages of countless beauties, was definitely the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
Nature's creations were the accumulation of coincidences. While coincidences could give people pleasant surprises, they would also often bring about flaws. Rosemary's perfect beauty wasn't something that ordinary people could possess. She was a combination of the best parts of countless beauties, finally achieving a harmonious and perfect creation.
She was indeed a fake flower, but she was a perfect flower that could suppress all other flowers. She was the ultimate creation that natural selection couldn't produce.
Aiyo, speaking of this, why did I suddenly recall the plastic surgery industry of a certain country that they were so proud of? It was said that their mass-produced celebrities wouldn't debut without plastic surgery. Many celebrities didn't look like their children at all, causing many disputes.
Getting back to the main topic, originally, I only wanted to make a woman that could charm Dasos to take revenge on him. However, as a Necromancer who was responsible for his own creations, when I wholeheartedly threw myself into creation, my world-destroying talent in creation came into play once again. The result of pursuing too much perfection was that I accidentally overdid it once again.
"Artenaya? I think it should be Pandora. No man would be able to reject the request of such a woman. That would be really troublesome. However, that bunch of gentlemen seemed to have completely ignored Rosemary's beauty. As expected, gentlemen's sense of beauty was different from others. "
In my eyes, beauties had always been trouble, and this kind of super beauty was a huge trouble. Countless myths, legends, and historical stories proved this point of view. However, I realized that I had overdone it once again, forcefully creating a perfect woman that could bring disaster to a country. Thus, I decided to leave him in the Ottoman Empire without any hesitation.
"Since his phylactery is in my hands, I don't have to be afraid of him playing any tricks. I'll just send him out to bring disaster to others. Hehe, Dasos, accept your unavoidable fate. "
I cursed viciously with resentment. Then, with tears in my eyes, I looked at the new achievement that I received before I left.
【Mommy, why is this brother wearing a skirt? Ah! Don't look! Hurry up and leave!】
When the System notification popped up this time, that simulated child's voice almost scared me to the point that my heart nearly stopped. I thought that I had really been exposed.
【Ding! Congratulations on appearing in public while wearing female clothing for the third time. You have received the hidden achievement — Man in a Skirt. You have been given the honorary title: Head of the Men's Club. After equipping this title, all creatures that look like females, un, including traps, tomboys, transvestites, and other creatures of unknown gender, will have their friendliness towards you greatly increase. Their wariness towards you will also be lowered, and the possibility of love will be greatly reduced. This title is automatically bound to the King of Gentlemen title, and it will be activated at the same time — — "He isn't bad. I feel that I can tell him anything, and he is really suitable as a sister and a close friend. However, as a love partner, it feels a little weird. Un, I probably don't see him as a man. "】
【System Notice: I didn't expect you to discover such a hidden achievement. As expected of the great King of Gentlemen. Repeat after me, it isn't wrong to wear female clothing, but it is wrong to not be beautiful enough when wearing female clothing! I am the great King of Female Clothing, Lord Saint Roland! Oh yeah!】
Actually, I'm already numb to gentlemanly things to the point that I'm a little indifferent to them. However, that 'the possibility of love being born is greatly reduced' is an actual curse of misfortune. It makes this former veteran member who has died, a super long-distance relationship where having a girlfriend is equivalent to not having a girlfriend, feel the urge to squat in a corner and draw circles.
【Ding! Let me add one more thing. Abnormal people, un, gentlemen, will ignore this side effect. So, enjoy the sincere feelings between gentlemen to your heart's content. Right, if you don't want to be dismembered, and for the sake of world peace, please be careful not to be caught in the act of adultery by the Demon Queen who is getting sicker and sicker. Unrelated to world peace? Who knows, she might descend in her true form in a fit of rage. If that happens, there will definitely be a God War, and a world war will break out. You still dare to say that your love life has nothing to do with world peace?】
"Lord? Lord Yongye? "
Rosemary's soft question jolts me out of my reverie. Even though the royal attendant beside me is staring at me in a daze for a long time, he still maintains his smile and etiquette.
"Lord, His Majesty invites you to the VIP lounge for a discussion."
What was meant to come still came. I don't think that Dasos invited me here just to observe the ceremony.
Under the attendant's guidance, I soon arrived at the VIP lounge. Today's main character, who is adorned with countless decorations and looks like a Christmas tree — His Majesty, Emperor Dasos the First of the Ottoman Empire.
"This is Rosemary, my maid."
My malicious introduction, Rosemary's flirtatious gesture of lifting her skirt and her perfect smile, didn't receive the response he deserved. After perfunctorily nodding his head, that bastard still glared at me.
"You are still as beautiful as ever. I trust that you have been well since we last met. I miss you so much."
Alright then, that one sentence caused me to have the urge to draw my sword and kill him. From a certain standpoint, this is another type of ability.
To be honest, my current appearance is exactly the same as Renée's. The young Renée is obviously late in puberty, which is why there is room for me, who has reverted back to my boyish stage, to impersonate her. With such an appearance and an aircraft-like body that doesn't have any curves to speak of, it would be a stretch to say that she is cute. But to say that she is beautiful is either a lie to make people happy, or the person who said it is truly blind.
"This … this bastard can't be a gay lolicon, right?"
"Pfft!"
Behind me, Rosemary immediately bursts into laughter upon hearing my nephew's praise. Although she hurriedly covers her mouth, it's probably too late.
A maid being so rude is the equivalent of His Majesty the Emperor being laughed at. Dasos, who has been quite angry recently, instinctively reaches for his sword. But when he sees me blocking in front of the maid and frowning in dissatisfaction, he hurriedly adds.
"I'm talking about this aura, this aura of a conqueror, not your figure … Actually, your figure is quite good, considering your age!"
Dasos' voice gets softer and softer as he uses his actions to hide what he meant by death. However, since I am not a female, I am actually slightly happy that he says that I don't have a figure, but …
"What kind of figure does a man have! Did something go wrong somewhere? Was it wrong from the very start! "
I can only keep my angry roar in my heart. After a while, I suppressed my anger and asked.
"Why are you looking for me? You should be very busy right now, so just say it."
"Un, Your Highness Roland, are you willing to become the Empress of the Ottoman Empire? I won't interfere with your private life after marriage. If you are willing to merge the two countries, I will give the Donglan Principality the highest level of autonomy, allowing it to become the wealthiest and most peaceful region in the Ottoman Empire. "
"I refuse." I squeeze these words out from the gaps of my teeth. I am filled with anger, but I can't do anything about it. It really makes me feel sullen.
I am seriously considering if I should find a priest of the God of Fate to change my luck, even if there is an 80% chance that they are using the name of the God of Fate to scam money.
"I know that you are worried that the Ottoman Empire will take this opportunity to swallow up the Donglan Principality. How about this, you can temporarily entrust the royal power to someone trustworthy, and wait for our second child to be born …"
"Enough! There is a limit to my patience, so stop insulting me! "
My angry roar caused Dasos to swallow back the rest of his words. Looking at my angry face, he finally shakes his head and asks for help.
"Hermit, it is as you said, I can't convince her at all. Then, you go."
"I already said, your way of coaxing a little girl is fine, but it is meaningless to a true ruler. Your Highness, since you can't convince me, let's get straight to the point and talk about a deal. "
Hermit understands my temperament very well, so he didn't waste any words and directly brought up the deal and conditions.
It turns out that due to the changes in the situation and the signing of the secret contract, the Ottoman royal family has changed their original goal. That marriage proposal wasn't as simple as it seemed. In their eyes, this wasn't a method to swallow up the Donglan Principality, but a kind of bribe, a bribe aimed at the princess.
"As long as you are willing to become the Ottoman Empress, you will become the second most powerful person after His Majesty the Emperor. You can touch the women in the harem as you please, as long as you have two children of the Ottoman royal bloodline. Dasos himself isn't a person who likes women, so you don't have to worry about him using force. Rather than saying that you are husband and wife, you are more like collaborators. "
"Children?" I was so angry that I started laughing, but the other party took it as a sign of loosening up and increased his persuasion.
"Military power, wealth, beauties, land, as long as you want it, we will be able to satisfy you. Why do you need to focus on some small border country? Agree to this condition, and the entire Ottoman Principality will be yours. Our future is the entire world. As long as you help us, we will conquer everything! "
"Why me? What ability does a princess from the countryside have? "At this point, I was so angry that I started laughing.
This time, the one who replied was Dasos himself.
"Don't belittle yourself. Who would dare to look down on the Twin Stars of the Mist Bloodline? Besides, just the talent of the Tyrant and the bloodline of the Angel that can unlock the Scarlet Conqueror to the final stage is worth us betting on. What does a Donglan amount to? This continent is so vast, waiting for us to discover and conquer it! "
"Furthermore … Don't say that I am a little unreliable, but my instincts tell me that if we want to conquer this continent, you are absolutely indispensable. Your true potential and abilities are definitely not as much as what you have shown. Alright, these are all excuses, reasons to convince myself. I have taken a liking to you, and I feel that you are the most suitable Empress for me. Marry me. Together, with the entire Ottoman Empire as our foundation, we will conquer the entire world and bring an order that belongs to us to Aichy. "
Without a doubt, this is a kind of bribe. If the one staying here was really the princess of a small country, rather than returning to her impoverished country and fighting for the fate of her country in the Land of Ice, becoming the Empress of a large country is undoubtedly a much better choice. Furthermore, if the one he is trying to convince is a fourteen-year-old girl, the chances of success are even higher. However, he was wrong from the start. This is definitely not on my list of choices.
"Lord, can I laugh? I really can't take it anymore. "
Rosemary, who is disguised as a maid, has a calm expression on her face, but from my phylactery, she is trying to stifle her laughter.
"Hold it in!"
Should I say that as expected of the legendary King of Winter Wolves? This bizarre intuition of his really saw through part of my disguise. However, the problem is that he was ridiculously wrong from the start!
"I still refuse. If I want something, I will take it myself. I don't even want to consider this foolish marriage alliance. Furthermore, your marriage proposal today is a mistake. In the future, you might regret it. "
"I, Dasos, will never regret it."
Alright, this time, it is my turn to try my best to stifle my laughter. The last time, the one who said 'never regret it' was the old Lion King. However, his ending wasn't good. I reckon that he probably regretted it in the end.
As for Dasos, no matter how I look at it, it is a tragedy. Thinking about this, my mood suddenly becomes better and I smile playfully.
"Hmph, I look forward to that day. Who knows, 10 years after the secret agreement expires, there might be a day where we fight. "
Darsos finally knew that his bribe plan and proposal had completely failed. After letting out a sigh, he pretended to be relaxed and shrugged. Just as he was about to say something, the door of the VIP room was opened.
"Who is it? Didn't I say that no one is allowed to enter?"
The angry roar of the Emperor causes the person who enters to tremble. However, recalling the intelligence that he just received, the royal attendant hurries to the Emperor's ear and whispers something to him.
Even though he is whispering, my ears have always been sharp since I am not too far away from him.
"The flood suddenly rose again. The Seafolk have come ashore and the defensive line along the river has been breached!"
"Lord Basra and the Nine-headed Dragon have suddenly started fighting!"
Before the ceremony even started, the situation in Kagesi City, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, has gone out of control. The war has already broken out.
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