I Was The Hero, But I Woke Up as a Phoenix Princess! – Chapter 992

Chapter 39 Nobles (Part 2)
“That’s not true!”
Ophi said indignantly. She could tell that this human noble was just quibbling, cloaked in grand words, but all to satisfy their ambition of manipulating the emperor.
“Perhaps you cannot understand.”
The Elector Count chuckled lightly. He did not care about the objections of this dragon princess.
Perhaps this dragon maiden possessed great power, outstanding even in the entire empire, but he represented more than just himself and a duchess territory. Behind him stood not only several legends but also an army of one hundred thousand, representing half the empire.
Even if their interests were not the same, at least for several influential great nobles, after Lancaster refused the throne a hundred years ago, taking advantage of the current vacancy, truly implementing the “Elective Monarchy” and “Nobles’ Council” was a consensus that suited all their interests.
With the greatsword planted before him, the Elector Count’s face showed a smile. Turning his head, he saw Andis beside the dragon maiden: “Then, ‘Sword of the Dawn,’ Holy Silver Knight Andis—”
“You need not address me by my former title. While His Holiness the Pope and the Empire have stripped me of my titles, my sword is now dedicated to the Goddess.” Andis said suddenly.
“As a knight of the Empire, dedicating your sword to the Elf Goddess… You know, I’ve always thought highly of you. You could have inherited my territory.”
The Elector Count looked at the knight, shook his head with regret, and then looked at the elves beside the knight: “This is your deal with her, isn’t it?”
The Elector Count’s sudden words caused Andis, Ophi, and Misera beside him to all start. Misera turned her head, “Brother Andis, is Duke Munster your—”
“That was in the past.”
Andis smiled calmly and interrupted. He raised his deep blue pupils and bowed his head to the Elector Count. “Lord Munster, it is not so. How could the veneration of the Great Goddess, even at the cost of my life, be something I could attain? This is the Goddess Princess’s mercy upon me and the world.”
Elf Queen Launous said, “Lord Munster. Andis is the Goddess’s knight, and Princess Siya is also a friend of the Goddess Princess. I have informed you from the beginning, regardless of the terms with the Empire, the elves will support their choice.”
The Elector Count’s eyebrows furrowed. The knight raised his face, and the “Dawn” emblazoned on his back shimmered: “Lord Elector Count, as for your proposal, I merely wish to ensure Princess Siya’s safety.”
“Yes. If you truly have demands for Princess Siya, why didn’t you wait until we defeated the Holy Light Church and rescued Princess Siya before bringing them up?”
Misera looked at her slender hands clasped before her exquisite evening gown, her beautiful, silk-smooth silver-haired waterfall flowing down. Her sapphire-like pupils shimmered as she looked at the Elector Count and the imperial nobles across from them.
Hearing the maiden’s words, the Elector Count suddenly chuckled. He raised his face, his deep blue pupils meeting those of the silver-haired princess from Peka: “Your Highness Misera, recently, I have also heard of the changes in Peka. Lancaster is dead, and your mother has regained the throne, but the shadow behind her is a witch from the Abyss.”
“Are you saying…?” Misera was taken aback.
She knew that the true name of the Abyssal Witch behind Queen Filirya was Illyris. Verafia had also told her that Illyris was once a saintess of the Church of Light, who fell due to betrayal after defeating the Demon King.
But Misera did not understand why this grand duke of the Empire would suddenly mention her homeland to her.
“Because of the witch, Peka has also fallen into the darkness of the Abyss, Princess. It is for this reason that you fled Peka and sought the help of the Elf Goddess, isn’t it?”
The Elector Count stood up, his expression suddenly changing. His crimson cape slid off his armor, and his greatsword was as hard as pupils: “You wish to expel the shadow from Peka, and I am equally grateful that the Elf Goddess is willing to lend a hand. However, behind us are tens of millions of people of the Empire—the Empress of the Empire should belong to the Empire, and at least, the power she wields should belong to our country.”
Hearing these words, the elven guests’ faces showed anger, and even Queen Launous frowned.
The Elector Count did not fully express his words, but the elves clearly understood the true meaning: their actions were to prevent the new empress from becoming a puppet of the elves.
Celalis stood up directly, the chill in her eyes unhidden: “Lord Munster, I do not know if this is a cover for your ambitions. However, your words can be considered a provocation to the Goddess Princess.”
“The Church of Light murdering your country’s monarch and imprisoning the imperial princess did not happen recently. If you could have defeated them a year ago, we would not have needed to trouble ourselves to come to your country’s land.”
Queen Launous slowly rose as well, her emerald green long hair falling. Her seemingly gentle, yet implicitly decisive voice came out. “Your Grace the Duke, please understand, the elven citizens are willing to come to this unfamiliar land, risking their lives, simply because the Goddess Princess cannot bear to see the entire world suffer calamity.”
The Elector Count’s eyebrows furrowed. Just as he was about to respond, suddenly, a deep voice sounded. The palace gates slowly opened, and the night’s radiance spilled in, casting shadows on the ground.
Duke Rob, seated at the head of the table, revealed a smile upon seeing the newcomer’s face and rose to greet him: “Lord Ig, you have arrived.”
Upon hearing this name, many of the imperial nobles’ faces rippled, and they all looked at each other, clearly not unfamiliar with the name “Ig.”
The Elector Count of Munster turned his head and saw the black-haired young man walking into the hall: “Is that Lord Ig? Even from the other side of the Stormy Inner Sea, I have heard of your great deeds: as a human, becoming the commander of the Elf Empire, pacifying the Holy Spirit Mountain Range in just one year. It was also you who guarded the gateway to the Holy City for us.”
He knew the identity of this black-haired youth, knew he was the son of Marquis Mays, the Prime Minister of Peka, but such a background was insignificant compared to his current status.
Ig’s steps paused. He saw the Elector Count’s face: “Lord Elector Count, you know my past, so you should also know that I am now a knight of the Goddess. These are merely her blessings.”
“Then, is Lord Ig prepared to convey the will of the Elf Goddess to us?” the Elector Count said.
“Not so.”
Ig smiled. He turned aside, and suddenly, outside the palace gates, the reflection of the night sky pouring from the dome erupted with brilliant radiance, pure divine light illuminating every shadow and flooding everyone’s eyes.
In an instant, the impurity vanished, and the breath of life surged. A slender maiden figure slowly emerged from the light.