Chapter 529: Inside the Golden Palace
“Ah~”
“The annual Magic Association level assessment exam has begun! Today’s newspaper has published the time and location of the exam! One copy costs just 1 Nali inch!”
“Ugh~”
“A brand new mechanical design module; if capable, one can combine any level of magic to use it.”
“Hurry~”
“Come on! Get on the carriage already! It’s about to leave and you’re still lingering here!”
Crossing the vast ocean, the sea breeze, stirred by the unequal temperatures of noon, landed on the Western Continent, bringing into view the lively area, seemingly paved with gold.
The widening city was filled with the sounds of machinery operating, rhythmic signals, and the conversations of the crowd rushing about.
On the buildings, countless flags engraved with golden “Godlin Emblem” swayed in the passing sea breeze, unveiling their countenance, draping the architecture in a layer of golden brilliance.
Here is Saint Nali, the pearl of human civilization, perhaps it has been so for a long time.
Many years ago, even travelers toiling in the harsh wilderness would yearn for this wonderful place, but even so, after Empress Elizabeth ascended the throne, the radiance here can no longer be summed up with the term “pearl.”
Like the dazzling golden glow radiating from the vivid flags, this is the sun, the sun of the Western Continent, the sun of the entire world.
The sea breeze continued forward, passing through dense commercial areas and residential zones, entering the heart of Saint Nali along its central axis, and a golden palace soon came into view. This is the center of Saint Nali and also the power center of the entire Nali.
“Creak, creak, creak!”
The heavily guarded gates, beset with armored guards, did not prevent pilgrims from arriving from all corners of the world. They often appear outside the Golden Palace, attempting to observe the thoughts of the Empress from this somewhat distant building and admire her virtues and wisdom.
“…”
“Shivali believes that since the Southern Continent Allied Forces contributed back then, they should rightfully have a share in the development of the New Dragon Court, regardless of size.”
In the outer court, in a spacious room, an elderly gentleman dressed in black formal attire stroked his neatly groomed white “V” mustache, his gaze slightly shifting to his colleagues beside him and to the Empress above, who was sipping tea.
It has been over five years since she ascended, and that Empress’s demeanor has deepened, causing even this newly appointed Prime Minister to feel great pressure.
The Empress Elizabeth, with her neatly arranged golden hair styled into an elegant bun, glanced at the Prime Minister and said lightly,
“What do you think, Lord Aouni?”
At this moment, they were discussing daily matters, and the subject was exactly as the Prime Minister had stated, concerning the division of interests in the Southern Continent.
To understand the stakes, they needed to comprehend previous relations among Nali, the various countries of the Western Continent, and the Green Dragon Court.
In the past, the development of the Southern Continent had always been tacitly authorized by the Western Continent’s ruling powers to the merchants and nobility below. After all, the rulers of each nation could hardly manage the mess in their backyards, so who had the leisure to deal with the far-off Southern Continent?
As long as those merchants and nobility handed over enough money, they could gain the Western Continent’s tacit approval for their development of the Southern Continent, as long as they brought back valuable resources and subhuman slaves. Who cared what they did there? It could also alleviate conflicts at home, so why not?
This is also the source of the multitude of different forces and independently isolated cities and lords in the Southern Continent, which, in essence, was a form of colonial plunder.
However, on the surface, the official positions of the few countries that signed the “Southern Continent Protection Regulations” were against such plunder. Besides, since the Southern Continent was filled with scattered subhumans and indigenous humans, even if something were to happen and some died or became slaves, no one would come to the Western Continent to cry injustice.
Yet no one expected that things would take a turn.
Those city lords sent to develop were chased and beaten by the local dragonpeople of the Southern Continent, returning home with injuries and disgrace, which complicated matters.
Everyone’s reputation and morals were at stake, but only one thing was clear: they had to reclaim their lost faces.
However, to be honest, both Shivali and Cardu seemed somewhat helpless regarding this matter.
Coordinating land and naval forces across continents would consume a vast amount of domestic resources and energy, and both Shivali and Cardu were reluctant to spend this money. Moreover, from the mouths of those escapees, it was learned that the dragon queen responsible for their turmoil was no pushover; not only was she powerful, but she had also taken many of their valuables. If a conflict arose, the dragon queen could rely on her natural surroundings endlessly. Who knew how long the fight would last?
Thus, the situation remained deadlocked, summarizing the situation in the Western Continent at that time: public sentiment was outraged, troop reinforcements were urgent, funds were inadequate, but there was no progress.
While the two nations made noise, with thunderous words but little rain, far away in the west, Queen Elizabeth of Nali unexpectedly offered a way out. It turned out that a local dragonperson from the Southern Continent, sharing the same roots as the dragon queen, came to convey a message of peace.
Oh, so the Southern Continent didn’t really want to fight us to the bitter end!
Life still has to go on (face needs to be maintained), let bygones be bygones (let’s turn the page on the development era), as long as you don’t bully us anymore (as long as you follow Nali in the future), we can cooperate well (just develop the Southern Continent well).
Although Shivali and Cardu still craved the resources of the Southern Continent, for now, they could not afford the military expenses. Only Nali could afford it, meaning they might as well ride on Elizabeth’s coattails to get a bit of soup.
Moreover, according to their calculations, they might take this opportunity to drag Nali into an infinite investment quagmire to curb Elizabeth’s expansion. Why not?
Thus, whether it was Shivali or Cardu, the decision at the time was to watch from the sidelines, hoping to see Nali suffer greatly. The so-called “human and New Dragon Court allied forces of the Southern Continent,” in essence, was just a new army trained by Nali, with some armies from other nations and subhumans as mere decoration.
This blatant military action and the unpredictable war outcome met with widespread opposition from the parliament and various societal levels within Nali regarding Elizabeth’s decision.
However, Elizabeth made it happen. The Nali army fought bravely in the Southern Continent, decimating the so-called “dragon queen,” driving her back into the southern mountains where she lay in hiding, all because—
Hearing the distance, the voice of the Empress, the Prime Minister Aouni stroked his beard and then said,
“At that time, Your Majesty’s unexpected maneuver bribed and pacified the legendary pirate Blackbeard from the Eastern Ocean, obtaining the ancient relics and technology of the Storm Sea; during the military decision-making, you advocated forcefully, selected competent commanders, reformed the military’s longstanding issues, and monitored the situation in real-time; the Nali soldiers and citizens contributed their wealth in devotion to the nation. All these were from us in Nali. Even if Shivali and Cardu intended to seek cooperation, they should wait, let them stew a bit.”
“I believe the official reply should be: ‘Nali has reached a consensus with the New Dragon Court and will no longer interfere in Southern Continent affairs. All cooperation matters should be discussed in detail with the New Dragon Court, and Nali will not participate.'”
The ministers around remained speechless at this newly appointed Prime Minister.
The previous Prime Minister was a member of the New Party, and though many matters still needed to be dealt with, a number of issues conflicted with the decisions of Empress Elizabeth. Hence her Majesty replaced him with a Prime Minister from the Griffin Party, hoping the new appointee would be more compliant.
But as the saying goes, things often go against expectations.
This one was unusually eager to flatter; indeed, he only needed to say the final sentence, while all the preceding praise was just wasteful chatter.
And this was already a refined version after Elizabeth had warned him; the initial version could go on for several minutes with such “implicit praise.”
Above, with tea in hand, Elizabeth slowly put down her cup, then stood up, revealing her elegant long dress interspersed with white and gold.
Seeing Her Majesty stand, the ministers below were about to rise as well, but Elizabeth walked only to the side, waiting beside a maid holding a warm towel, wiping her hands to signify the end of lunch.
Then, she waved her hand to have them sit down again.
“Let’s do it this way. Also, what about that female pirate from the Sardinia Kingdom? Princess Isabel is still with her; do you want my sister to be eaten by sharks?”
All the ministers went silent and looked towards Maricks, who was responsible for covert affairs.
He, expressionless, glanced at his colleague beside him and said,
“Two years ago when we bribed the Black Chieftain, he initially wanted to take Princess Isabel back as a token of goodwill or as a bargaining chip. So without our permission, he startled that Sardinia pirate and backstabbed her. Although that pirate suffered significant losses and was severely injured, she still escaped. But the Black Chieftain said it was because Princess Isabel protected that pirate captain. He didn’t dare to open fire, fearing to misfire and harm Princess Isabel, so that’s why the princess.”
Maricks’s seniority perhaps made him the least intimidated by Elizabeth among them.
The meaning of this statement was clear, translated, it means,
“Don’t blame us; it’s not our fault; your sister doesn’t want to come back at all!!”
Elizabeth resumed her seat, her face not revealing any extra expressions, simply asking,
“Lord Maricks, I remember you have a granddaughter who has not yet reached adulthood. I’d like to ask, if your granddaughter were to rebellious and run away from home, would you as a grandfather bring her back or let her wander outside?”
Maricks did not respond but merely said,
“According to our intelligence, that pirate captain has been drifting at sea. She has previously stopped at some shores but was intercepted by us, resulting in certain losses. She might still be wandering in the northern ocean or may have landed in the Northern Region; if she has landed there, she will certainly vanish without a grave. The Turan Family will help keep an eye on her. However, it seems that there are some troubles facing the Turan Family as well; they didn’t elaborate, but it may be related to Sema Snow Mountain.”
“I understand. I’ll leave this matter entirely to you. I want to see my Isabel back within three months. Does anyone else have anything they wish to say to me?”
“None, Your Majesty.”
Elizabeth nodded, then expressionlessly stood up and left the meeting place, heading towards the inner court where she lived.
In the inner court, only she, from the Godlin royal family, resided. Originally, she had two half-siblings, but Elizabeth sent them all out of the palace to other places.
It remains unclear whether it was due to power’s rejection of any possible challenges or whether Elizabeth had become indifferent to the bloodline of this family. In any case, she did not kill them but offered them no opportunities.
Just like the outer palace, the inner court of the Golden Palace had many court ladies and maids serving her. Yet, she still felt empty, as if she were the only person in the entire Golden Palace. Those ministers, inner court officials, and maids were merely cold tools and puppets in her icy exterior.
Especially in front of her eyes that could see through all desires, all relationships for her had been reduced to mere cold interests and desires.
It was precisely because of this that she was becoming increasingly reticent.
Even though the Golden Palace currently housed an increasing number of exquisite pets from all over the world that she raised, it had strangely turned quieter and more serene.
This sort of life had lasted for five years.
The maid following behind her returned with her from the outer court to the inner court. Many cleaning maids lowered their heads, and the maid trailing behind seemed to have been stripped of her voice, silently dragging her body behind Elizabeth until she returned alone to her chamber.
“Go rest; there are more matters to attend to tonight.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The maid behind retreated, leaving only Elizabeth alone in that vast palace. She glanced at the desk piled high with paperwork, originally intending to move in that direction to handle affairs as she had planned.
But halfway through, she paused in place.
For some reason, she did not feel like doing anything today. It was unclear if she was feeling irritable; it was just a feeling of not wanting to do anything.
She might need a break, but she was not a tense empress every moment. She understood the importance of balancing work and rest, thus arranging some short breaks amidst high-intensity work.
Yet, even so, it seemed that no matter what, it was never enough, to the point where only constant busyness could fill that unrelenting void.
After hesitating, she walked straight to her dressing table. Once seated, the mirror reflected her expressionless face, unchanged from five years ago. No, she even appeared younger.
She looked at her imposing self in the mirror and paused for a long time without making unnecessary moves, only tapping her artificial eye in the eye socket, waiting for a crisp response.
“Artificial eye.”
During this period, her strength had increased, and there was no sign of weakness in her body.
Since ascending the throne, she had remained youthful, shining like gold, even her only illness was four and a half years ago when Fisher had called her and then vanished without a word.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz.”
The eye sent back a vague, ambiguous response, seemingly asking “What?” but Elizabeth did not follow up with inquiries.
She simply tapped the bell on her dressing table, seemingly waiting for something.
“Squeak.”
A moment later, the door to her chamber swung open, revealing a smiling middle-aged woman outside.
This middle-aged woman had a gentle appearance, dressed in a light golden form-fitting long dress, and her long golden hair was styled into an elegant bun. This was Diane, Elizabeth’s chief court lady and a trusted ally of the Empress.
“Your Majesty, I’ve arrived; what commands do you have?”
“. Diane, please help me with my hair.”
“Ah, this is quite unusual; there shouldn’t be any dinner arrangements for tonight’s schedule.”
Despite saying so, Diane walked over, skillfully reaching up to touch the golden hairpiece that Elizabeth had already styled, methodically removing the intricate decorations from her head one by one.
Elizabeth glanced at Diane, who was serving her from behind, and she showed little change in expression regarding Diane’s question.
“I just thought of it suddenly.”
“Because of something, Your Majesty?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Ah, so that’s it. It’s because of some reason you can’t quite articulate.”
“Must there always be a reason?”
“That’s only natural, Your Majesty; everyone does everything for a reason; you are no exception.”
Elizabeth looked in the mirror at the gentle Diane behind her but did not refute her words.
Possessing the Pandora artificial eye, which could see through everyone’s desires, she certainly knew that anyone doing anything had their motives, which were essentially desires.
Even Diane behind her was the same; she served in the Golden Palace hoping her unworthy siblings would find shelter. Although Diane had never mentioned it to her, Elizabeth had read her intentions through her artificial eye.
But since she had never spoken out loud, perhaps she felt it inappropriate, merely subsidizing her family with her salary from her service in the palace.
Elizabeth had long known that many desires lay hidden in the heart, many had yet to turn into actions. Conversely, those that did become actions must have been driven by some desire.
“Do you want me to guess the reason behind your actions, Your Majesty?”
“Ha, I didn’t know you had such insight beyond just being diligent?”
“Thank you for the praise, but I have never lost when guessing riddles with my brothers and sisters before.”
Diane smoothed Elizabeth’s hair, using a comb to untangle the strands that had come loose moments ago, and Elizabeth did not refuse, simply stating softly.
“Ha, then guess away.”
“Hmm, I guess… it’s because of that Lord Fisher Benavides.”
“Slap!!”
Elizabeth’s expression slowly faded, then abruptly reached out and knocked Diane’s hand off her hair.
Although the sound was not loud, Diane stepped back, looking down at her hand, which had turned blue from the impact.
Looking up again, she saw Elizabeth’s face in the mirror had turned extremely cold, and she coldly scoffed, not looking back, and said.
“What, did you hear from the streets about my past with Fisher, and felt you had a chance to take advantage? But saying it now, isn’t it too late? You’ve been working here for four years, do you not know what to say and what not to say?”
“Dare not, Your Majesty.”
Diane forced a bitter smile as she held her abruptly hurt, bruising hand to her chest. Having worked by Elizabeth’s side for so long, she certainly knew that many opportunists had attempted to benefit from the story between Her Majesty and the long-vanished Fisher.
But Diane also knew that when Her Majesty made the demand of “only wanting Princess Isabel returned, and that could be exchanged for gold or titles” to the captain of the Sardinia pirate, she had ceased pursuing any lady who might have had an association with Fisher.
She perhaps was not indifferent at heart but simply felt that the gentleman who had vanished without a trace once assured her that he would return.
And once again, this empress chose to believe him.
Thus, all these years, aside from matters relating to Princess Isabel, she had undertaken no personal feelings in anything else, merely weighing against the interests of Nali.
“Then what you’re saying today, Diane, is seeking death?”
After Diane’s hand had been struck from behind, Elizabeth did not stop her actions. She looked at the mirror, extending her own hand, beginning to comb her hair as she coldly asked.
“Of course not, Your Majesty; it’s just that when you previously tasked us with inquiring about the progress of the Southern Continent’s Dragon Court Mechanism Factory, General Barbatos, stationed there, brought back a piece of news. I… I just wanted to confirm it with Your Majesty, only to not expect…”
“News?”
Elizabeth’s gaze shifted slightly, but her action of combing her hair had paused.
Through the mirror, her golden eyes reflected Diane’s figure behind her, and the desire hidden within her was swiftly unveiled.
She… did not have the desire to seek any advantage.
Then, the news must be—
“Your Majesty, the news brought by General Barbatos may concern Lord Fisher Benavides.”
“May concern?”
Elizabeth resumed combing her hair, her gaze returning to the mirror’s face.
“Yes, the general stated he discovered a Nali gentleman skilled in magic defense who entered our Production Mechanism Factory. He was unfamiliar with Mr. Fisher’s appearance but only heard that the lady companion beside that Nali gentleman referred to him as ‘Fisher’. General Barbatos was also unable to confirm and could only let me report it to you.”
Elizabeth continued combing her hair, but her actions slowed further,
“Is it to say, everything remains uncertain, and all is mere speculation? I have not personally dispatched General Barbatos to the Southern Continent; I know he is valiant; how can you assure me he isn’t merely an opportunist?”
“Regrettably, Your Majesty, I cannot assure either. That’s why I conveyed General Barbatos’s words verbatim, hoping Your Majesty would make a decision. Of course, I reported with a bit of hope that perhaps it might brighten Your Majesty’s mood?”
Diane held back the pain coursing through her hand, reaching back to continue gathering Elizabeth’s uncombed golden hair, slowly tying it up, and softly added,
“Your Majesty, the information concludes that gentleman, accompanied by a stranger, traveled south towards the Southern Continent.”
Behind, after reporting, Diane kept her head lowered, carefully stepping back, maintaining distance, waiting for her command.
In the mirror, Elizabeth’s hairstyle transformed, she still remained beautiful, the rising sun of Nali.
Her presence was one of authority, her hollow golden eyes revealing undeniable indifference and ruthlessness.
In past years, wielding power, she had always been this way, and anyone, including herself, had grown accustomed to it.
But beneath the dressing mirror, an old, slightly yellow photograph remained framed.
In the image, Elizabeth and Fisher stood closely together at the entrance of the Royal Academy, both in academy attire. At that time, the camera was still a rare item that only the eldest princess like Elizabeth could obtain, preserving such a memory.
In the picture, Elizabeth’s smile was brilliant, her eyes radiant, her long scholar’s robe draping over a pair of tightly interlocked hands.
Elizabeth stared expressionlessly at that photograph, her hand tightening to the point where it seemed about to break the hand of the court lady behind her.
“Please vote, lavish tips, and support; it’s vital for me!
Thank you immensely for your support!
(End of this chapter)
