On the way to the capital, Nora repeatedly reviewed the treaties signed with the Northern Border, each copy of the treaty was in tatters from her handling, and even at night while resting, she lit an oil lamp to go over them again.
Most of the treaties had been altered beyond recognition, but all changes headed towards the capital, shifting from a unilateral exploitation of the Royal Capital by the Northern Border to a collaborative effort and mutual benefit between the two.
However, how the Royal Capital would win, and who would win, was all determined by His Majesty.
If one were to speak of the traps hidden within these treaties, they were not nonexistent; the vast population migrations stipulated by the treaties and the relaxation of population movement restrictions could easily lead to significant population loss in territories close to the Northern Border.
Compared to the benefits brought by these treaties, such losses could be entirely overlooked; after all, one could not expect the Northern Border Governor to be engaged in charity, truly giving without taking.
Nora couldn’t understand why the Northern Border Governor’s attitude had suddenly changed dramatically. In the end, she gave up pondering. At least for now, the Northern Border Governor was also supporting Her Majesty the Queen.
At this moment, Lilith’s guards had already changed their weaponry, and after the negotiations had concluded, they stayed at the checkpoint to receive basic training. They were now proficient in using cutting swords and ray guns.
The guards with new weapons appeared somewhat different in spirit, especially those noble knights, whose eyes sparkled along the way, eagerly anticipating any foolhardy individuals who might attempt to attack Her Majesty the Queen.
Unfortunately, the convoy reached the Royal Capital smoothly, where the gates were wide open with no signs of any coup.
Lilith’s carriage slowly entered the city gates, and the spacious streets were already packed with enthusiastic crowds. People waved flags and erupted into cheers. Women and children stood in the front rows, holding flowers and tossing them at the convoy. Men raised their fists excitedly, shouting for Her Majesty the Queen.
Even the knights beside Lilith seemed to be swept up in the enthusiasm; while they still maintained their formation, many bold knights began waving their hands in greeting.
However, Lilith inside the carriage looked strangely at the bustling scene outside.
The news of what had been discussed in the negotiations should not have reached the Royal Capital yet.
After all, the Royal Capital was now a trap waiting for certain individuals to step in; to lure out the hidden figures, Lilith had even moved her primary forces away from the Royal Capital, hoping for some situation to occur, thereby giving her a reason to carry out a purge.
So regardless of how well the negotiations with the Northern Border went, the outcome would not be conveyed to the Royal Capital. Lilith even controlled those around her, causing some officials with ties to the Royal Capital to report only bad news and not good. Overall, the current sentiment in the Royal Capital should be very pessimistic.
Realizing something was off, Lilith calmed down and listened carefully to the voices of the people, discovering that most were praising Her Majesty the Queen for negotiating very favorable terms and policies with the Northern Border, claiming they could soon restore the glory of the Royal Capital!
At first, Lilith was taken aback, wondering who had leaked this information.
Upon taking a closer look at the streets, Lilith noticed that even the garbage that used to litter every household’s doorstep in the Outer District had been cleaned up. It was apparent that someone had organized this welcoming ceremony.
Listening further to the beautiful policies mentioned by the public revealed they were quite unrealistic—such as the Northern Border providing free weapons and being completely subservient to the Queen, and that trade would open up. Clearly, someone was stirring the pot.
In simpler terms, this was about building Lilith up so high that if she couldn’t deliver policies that met the people’s expectations, it would be a significant blow to her popularity.
From a certain perspective, the misinformation Lilith projected to the Royal Capital wasn’t entirely unhelpful; it seemed that although the hidden enemies were cautious, some were starting to lose their composure.
Having come to a realization, Lilith decided to play along. After a brief communication with Judith, she prepared her defenses and stepped out of the carriage, continuously waving to the crowd from a small platform in front of it.
The individuals wanting to undermine Lilith by building her up probably would never have imagined she had actually negotiated similar treaties with the Northern Border.
As Lilith responded, the already engaged crowd became even more fervent, for, based on some unfounded rumors, the Northern Border had entirely surrendered to Her Majesty and would collaborate with the Royal Capital, promising a bright future ahead.
Even some middle and small nobles were misled, eagerly taking to the streets to welcome their victorious queen back.
For those in the crowd, seeing the noble lords present made it all seem credible; after all, they couldn’t distinguish between the different ranks of nobility but felt that if the noble lords believed it, then it must be true. Who would dare to deceive a noble lord?
As for the church, the Old Pope had actually already caught on, repeatedly instructing the church’s priests and sisters to emphasize to the faithful that the Northern Border was no longer what it used to be and to lower their expectations.
But unfortunately, this had little effect on public opinion in the Royal Capital; even though the church continued to stress this, many still hoped that what they wished for was true.
At this point, Lilith’s carriage finally drove into the Inner City District. Compared to the Outer District, the reception here was much more solemn. Claire represented the Augustine family in welcoming Lilith back to her loyal Royal Capital.
Glancing at the wildly enthusiastic crowds in the Outer District, popping champagne, Claire couldn’t help but admire the Demon King’s skill in manipulating public opinion, effortlessly elevating Her Majesty.
Lilith even found it impossible to trace the source of the rumors; after all, no matter how one looked at it, these rumors were filled with hope for the Royal Capital and the Kingdom. It was merely that someone had “accidentally” taken these beautiful visions as reality; who could be blamed?
It was truly malicious. Claire grew even warier of this Demon King and resolved that once she ascended to the throne, she would have to impose controls on public discourse.
As for whether the Northern Border would truly have a friendly attitude towards cooperating with Lilith? Unless that Northern Border Governor had his mind kicked by a donkey.
One could see from the actions of the previous governor that pursuing stability while maximizing benefits pointed towards a dying Royal Capital as being advantageous for them.
The nobles accompanying Claire in the Inner City to welcome Lilith remained much calmer, some even showing a touch of pessimism, especially the new party nobles, for they had received news released by Lilith.
After all, no matter how one looked at it, the Northern Border Governor could not genuinely engage in such deep cooperation with the Royal Capital unless his head had truly been kicked by a donkey.
