The autumn wind in the area south of the Anfre Mountains, which was called Ankara by the locals, was blowing gently across the vast white plains. Waves of varying depths swept across the vast sea, and the undulating hills seemed to be the waves on the sea. A young lion-man riding a golden lion was standing on the peak of the waves, overlooking the shining horizon in the north of the plains.
The lion he was riding was clad in magnificent armor, with beautiful ornaments hanging from its mane. It stood in the white withered grass, shaking its huge head from time to time and sneezing slightly. The white plains were the symbol of Toquinin and the origin of the name of the White Plains. The plains stretched from the Silver Sand Coast to the west, to the border of the human kingdoms in the east. In the north, under the endless mountains, lay the powerful empire called Cruz.
The young lion-man stared in that direction.
"Nair, we should go back. That's the limit of today's patrol area. If you go any further, I won't be able to bear the responsibility." Behind the hill, another lion-man stood beside his mount and shouted to the young man on top of the hill.
The young lion-man replied without turning his head, "It's okay. We'll cross that place tomorrow." Its emerald-like eyes flashed with a certain light. Even by human standards, it could be considered a rather handsome lion-man. Its golden mane was like a tassel, and its body was well-proportioned. Although it was stronger than most humans, the lines of its muscles were very smooth. Its upper body was bare, and only its right shoulder and arm were covered in heavy armor. On its chest was a necklace made of beast teeth.
The young lion-man below could not see the scenery behind the mound, but he knew that there used to be a magnificent fortress there, built with pure white stones transported from the plains. Now, only the scattered debris in the grassland proved that it had once existed.
"Nair, the humans will pay for this," he said.
"Yes, Amon," the young lion-man replied.
… …
With the help of her maids, Scarlet spent a lot of effort to walk through the long corridor and finally saw the 'person' that Sidney spoke of in a courtyard filled with birds and flowers. Unlike what she had imagined, the person in front of her was not a cold and stern noble, nor was it a graceful and luxurious lady. Instead, it was a young girl who was a little younger than herself. Aside from the coldness on her face that did not match her age, her body and face were similar to a human girl of fourteen or fifteen years old. Her blonde hair reached her waist, and her face was as delicate as a doll's. She wore an extremely masculine silk robe with a circle of ferret fur around the edges. The robe was extremely wide and almost dragged to the ground.
The young girl looked in their direction with eyes as blue as the sea, and just a dignified gaze was enough to silence the maids. They took half a step back and let go of Scarlet, bowing respectfully, leaving Scarlet standing in place uneasily, not knowing whether she should do as she was told.
"Are you the person they brought back from the south?" Constance, the Silver Queen, asked. Her voice was like a string of silver bells falling on the marble floor of the corridor, ethereal and crisp. She looked at Scarlet with a strange light in her eyes. "What a beauty."
"My name is Scarlet. May I ask … where is this place?" Scarlet asked in a low voice. She saw that the girl was a few years younger than herself, and the uneasiness in her heart subsided a little. She didn't think that her words would scare the maids behind her half to death. Although Her Majesty the Empress was a woman, she was colder and more emotionless than a man. They had never seen anyone who dared to speak so impudently to Her Majesty. They were afraid that this Countess would accidentally anger this temperamental supreme being.
But Constance did not mind. She smiled and said, "This is my palace."
"What … did you say?" Scarlet looked at her blankly.
The maidservants, who were chattering before, turned pale. Her Majesty's words were so obvious, but the Countess, who did not seem to care about worldly affairs, still asked "What did you say?". What was the difference between this and calling Her Majesty's name in front of her? They could almost imagine Her Majesty's angry face, followed by the accusation and anger that would follow. They could not help but tremble like leaves in the wind.
But unlike what they imagined, Constance found it very interesting. She had never seen such a simple girl in her decades of life in the palace. She looked at Scarlet, who seemed to be stunned, and a sense of pride rose in her heart. She smiled a little mischievously and said, "You didn't hear wrong. This is the White Rose Garden of Saint Contifer Palace. I think you should have heard of this place. As for me, if I were to say that this entire palace, and even the vast land outside of it, belongs to me, I'm afraid that no one would raise any objections. "
Constance thought that those words should have scared the poor girl out of her wits, but what she did not expect was that those words did not have as much effect on Scarlet as the previous one. That was because the mountain maiden knew what 'this is my palace' meant, but she did not know the deeper meaning behind the Garden of White Roses in Saint Contifer Palace. Under the rule of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, anyone with a little knowledge would have heard of the center of power of the Cruz Empire — the White Rose Garden of Saint Contifer Palace. But unfortunately, Scarlet, who grew up in the Chablis Forest since she was young, was the rare exception. This place with a strong political connotation was no different from Front Gate 35 of Valhalla or the gatehouse of the Baron's Castle on the Main Street of Abies Castle.
Constance looked at the Highlander girl with a little disappointment. She blinked and asked her a little uneasily, "But why am I here?"
"I was the one who asked someone to invite you here." The Silver Queen was, after all, a queen. This momentary and failed prank was like a whirlpool on the surface of water in her heart, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
This sentence made Scarlet fall silent.
Constance's words seemed to have injected countless chaotic memory fragments into her mind, connecting the missing pieces and forming a complete chain. She finally remembered what happened after Ovina sealed her in the Invincible Barrier to protect her, as well as everything that truly existed in that dream. She was transported from Lantonilan to the sea, and then passed through Grey Harbor and Yanbao. She passed through half of the Empire and arrived at the political center of the Empire. Finally, she was released from the crystal in the Holy Cathedral.
Although she still didn't quite understand how she became a countess for no reason, she wasn't an idiot. At this moment, she realized who the 'young lady' standing in front of her was.
"Your Majesty." She answered with obvious unease.
Constance nodded with satisfaction.
The maids behind Scarlet finally breathed a sigh of relief. They almost patted their chests in relief. It seemed that the Count was not too stupid after all. However, Scarlet was obviously going to go against them until the end, because her next words immediately caused their mood, which had just climbed out of the abyss, to plummet to the bottom of the abyss.
Constance watched as Scarlet fell silent in front of her. She frowned and clenched her fists. She raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "I invited you here and made you a Count of the Empire. You don't seem to want to?"
"I don't want to be a Count, Your Majesty. I just want to go back to Erouine."
The maids almost fainted when they heard their Count's words — if they were allowed to — but they were still facing Her Majesty the Empress. They could only tremble in fear, grit their teeth, and hope from the bottom of their hearts that their Count would not say anything outrageous.
Constance also seemed to be a little unhappy. She asked, "Why do you want to go back to Erouine? Is it because you want to go back to that Count of yours? I heard that the Count is still a young man. A young man, a romantic and unrestrained person. It's only natural for a young lady like you to have feelings for him. " She shook her head, "But you have to understand that you and him are destined to have no future. He has a bright future ahead of him. How could he possibly fall for you? In the future, the one who will be in his bed will either be the daughter of a duke or your princess. You, on the other hand, are destined to be a mistress who can't see the light of day. Ask yourself, is that what you want?"
Scarlet widened her eyes and stared at the girl who looked a few years younger than her. She wanted to refute, but she could not open her mouth. No, in her mind, the Count was definitely not that kind of person. But what difference did it make to her? The Count already had a fiancée. The only thing she could do was to watch it all happen in silence. The Silver Queen's words pierced her heart like a sharp thorn. To be the Count's mistress, she suddenly realized that she seemed to have such delusions. "No, no, Scarlet, you can't think like that." She hurriedly shook her head and said to herself in her heart.
The highlander girl looked up, her cheeks were already boiling hot.
Constance looked on coldly, and then asked, "Do you still want to go back?"
Scarlet nodded.
Constance's face turned cold, "Do you think I'll let the Azure Lance leave the Empire, little girl? I'd rather destroy it than let such a thing happen." Her voice was so cold that it was penetrating. The majesty of a supreme being that had accumulated over the years almost made the highlander girls behind Scarlet tremble. They were like sifting chaff, as if they would collapse at any time.
But Scarlet stubbornly looked at Her Majesty, her gaze seemed to have answered the question — even if she died, she would die by Brando's side.
Constance did not find it difficult to feel her determination. She snorted coldly, "It's not hard for you to die, but aren't you afraid of dragging your Count down with you? He has a bright future ahead of him."
The highlander girl trembled, clenching her fists and looking at her angrily.
Constance looked at Scarlet and could not help but shake her head. She looked up and said to the frightened maids, "You can leave now."
The maids hurriedly bowed and retreated, but they could not help but sneak glances at Scarlet before they left, as if they were afraid that the Countess, who did not care about worldly affairs, would offend Her Majesty too much and accidentally lose her head. The round-faced maid even risked her life to grab Scarlet's hand and gave it a squeeze. This little gesture naturally fell into Constance's eyes, but the young queen completely ignored it. After the maids had all left, she said, "Although it's the first time we met, I can see that they care about you. Do you know the situation of the highlanders in the Empire?"
Scarlet was not a puppet, and naturally could feel the concern from the girls of her tribe. She was slightly touched, but still did not say a word.
"What a stubborn little girl." Constance replied, "But there is no benefit for you to insist on this. You are a Count of the Empire today, and you will always be a Count of the Empire. Whether you accept this identity or not, you will have to pledge your loyalty to my sword." She then warned, "I can tell you clearly, Scarlet, from today onwards, if you dare to take half a step out of the White Rose Garden of Saint Contifer Palace, I will send troops to attack Erouine and hang your beloved Count."
Scarlet's face was pale as she stared at her in disbelief. However, the Empire's Queen did not seem to mind and continued, "Of course, when you swear your loyalty to me, I will give you the land of the Wilderness of the Four Realms as your fief. But remember, you don't have much time left. You don't want to gamble the future of your Lord Brando, do you? "
When the highlander girl heard that name, her whole body became wobbly. For a moment, she felt like the world was spinning, and her heart was at a loss. But she did not know where the courage came from, but she suddenly gritted her teeth and raised her hand. The emerald holy spear suddenly appeared in her hand. She let out a beastly growl and raised the spear to stab Constance's abdomen. The azure spear almost pierced through the Silver Queen, and at that moment, Scarlet seemed to have lost all her strength. She gasped for breath, but when she looked up, she saw that Constance's face showed no signs of pain. Instead, she looked at her coldly and said, "… My Countess, is this your answer?"
"You …" Scarlet looked at the spear in her hand in a daze.
Constance raised a hand and placed it on the azure spear, and then pulled the blade out of her body inch by inch. She looked at her blood-stained abdomen, and then looked at the highlander girl, and shook her head in disappointment. "You are recognized by the Azure Knight. You and your azure spear can't hurt me. Go, you need to wake up. But remember my words, if you dare to act rashly again, I'll be the first to kill Erouine. "
Scarlet was almost scared out of her wits, and she looked like she was at a loss.
"Guards!" Constance covered her abdomen with one hand and shouted coldly, "Take Count Mitra away."
In just a moment, the Silver Queen watched the guards take Scarlet away, and finally there was a look of unwillingness in her eyes. She gently bared her teeth, and only then did she release the hand on her abdomen. Her palm was already blood-red. However, she did not summon a priest or a doctor. Instead, she looked behind a bush in the garden and said coldly, "Come out, what are you sneaking around for?" In just a moment, the bush there rustled, and a person in the attire of a chamberlain came out. The person looked at Her Majesty with some fear, and asked respectfully, "Your Majesty, are you alright? Do you want …"
"Who told you that you can talk glibly in front of me?" Constance interrupted him. "What are you doing hiding there? Are all the people outside who sent the message dead?"
"Your Majesty, of course not, because it's a secret message from the Wilderness of the Four Realms." The person was shocked, and quickly answered submissively.
"A secret message from the Wilderness of the Four Realms." Constance frowned. "What's the matter with the elves again?"
The person quickly came closer and whispered a few words into her ear.
Constance listened, and her face darkened slightly. "Is this letter absolutely authentic?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
…
In the north of Yanilasu and the Grey Mountains, the Lion Men's attacks were decreasing day by day. This situation was very unusual as the situation in the north was getting more and more tense by the day. The human scouts headed north, and soon found an unprecedented army on the grasslands. This army was gathering from all directions and was now heading north, approaching the Anfbar Pass. This news quickly crossed the Glittering Sea, crossed Ampere Seale in the south, and went deep into the interior, and spread to those who needed it.
"Brando." When the princess called out to Brando in the courtyard, he was preparing a saddle for the horse. Brando saw Princess Gryphine coming out of the house and could not help but be slightly startled. "Your Highness, I was just about to go to your place."
"Are you here to say goodbye to me?"
Brando scratched his head in a very ungentlemanly manner. Although he did intend to do so, it was quite awkward to be pointed out by the princess. Speaking of which, this was his home, and the princess was his guest. It was a little rude to leave her alone while he was in a hurry to return to his territory. But now was not the time for him to care about his manners.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. My subordinate has been missing for quite some time, and I have to hurry." He could only answer in this way.
Princess Gryphine was slightly dissatisfied. "That evening when you slammed the door in my study, you were not so polite."
"I slammed the door?" Brando was shocked. If he dared to slam the door in front of the princess, he would not be able to escape the title of a powerful official. That night, he was just too lazy to talk nonsense with Makarov and left first. How did it turn into slamming the door?
Princess Gryphine looked at him quietly. "Brando, you and the Royal Faction have different views. This is not a big deal, and I understand your ideals. But the old nobles are deeply rooted in the kingdom, and the Royal Faction is also a part of them. You have offended them time and time again, and they may not let you go."
Brendel was a little disdainful. He knew too well about the old nobles that the princess was talking about in his previous life. They were a bunch of useless people. The Royal Faction was considered to have some achievements among them, but that was all there was to it. He shrugged. "I'm just expressing my opinion. As for the courage of Mr. Makarov and the others, I admire it very much, but I don't dare to compliment them. Today, Cruz can take away one person from the kingdom, and tomorrow, they can take away even more. If Erouine can't even protect its people, then what dignity does this ancient kingdom have? "
"I understand," Gryphine replied. "But Brando, what do you plan to do? Do you really want to declare war on the Empire?"
"Are you here to dissuade me, Your Highness?"
Gryphine shook her head lightly. "I can't dissuade you, but I believe you know what to do, right, Brando?"
Brendel could hear the helplessness in Her Highness's tone, and his momentum could not help but weaken a little. Showing off in front of a lady did not seem to be something to be proud of. He was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "I'm not that blind yet. Whether the war or not depends on the attitude of the Empire, but I have to bring my subordinates back from the hands of the Kirrlutz. After that, it's hard to say if Her Majesty the Queen will be furious. But no matter what, Erouine needs to be prepared for war. "
The princess let out a sigh of relief.
"I knew you would know what to do."
She paused for a moment. "Then, I'll appoint you as the leader of Erouine's diplomatic group. What do you think, Count?"
Brando saw the princess looking up at him, and there seemed to be a cunning glint in her silver eyes. He couldn't help but be a little surprised. "Diplomatic group? What diplomatic group?" He couldn't wrap his head around it for a moment. Could it be that in order to get back the hostages, the princess even formed a diplomatic group to denounce the Empire? Wait, isn't this a little too ridiculous? He originally wanted to bring a small group of people to sneak into the Empire and secretly rescue Scarlet, but the princess' idea was much better than his.
This was a slap to the Empire's face.
"Your Highness, this … … is a little inappropriate." Brendel was taken aback and carefully chose his words before replying.
"Why?"
"Well … …" Brendel thought about it and felt that this princess might be a little too idealistic. He had to explain, "The Kirrlutzians are still quite prideful, and the Silver Queen is even more so. If we do this, won't we put them in a difficult position?"
"What are you thinking, Brando?" The princess looked at him in surprise. "I'm asking you to be the envoy of the participating countries of the Holy Cathedral of Fire to go to Erouine in the Holy War."
"Holy War?" Brando couldn't help but cry out. "The Holy War has begun?"
… …
(PS: Today's chapter is 6000 words again, so I'm a little late. Everyone, please vote, it's the end of the month again. Also, tomorrow is the Sword Spirit open beta. If you want to play, you can come to the Bamboo Forest Coast. I'm the unapproachable Fergie, the 36th assassin. Let's play together.)
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