Chapter 100: The Beautiful Queen

The convoy arrived at the capital a week later.

After Greenfield Town, Naimi Xisi passed through four villages in total; in each he thoroughly searched for vampire traces and was surprised to discover a fact.

Among the four villages, three bore evidence of vampire progeny surviving.

One must admit, these vampires indeed show signs of becoming a rampant disaster.

Nevertheless, people have grown accustomed, since the Yinbu Tu Kingdom's circumstances place it next to Sai Er, the continent's most infestation‑prone nation of Undead; these things crawling out of graves are already familiar to every household in Yinbu Tu Kingdom.

Even ordinary people with good eyesight along the border can see the zombies summoned by Sai Er mages within Saisike diligently farming.

After the convoy entered the capital, the mercenaries were dismissed by Luo Si Li En; in fact, their greatest purpose on the road was deterrence, preventing desperate bandits from causing trouble.

Ke Litte drove the carriage, holding a royal missive, and traveled unimpeded straight to the heart of the capital—the Saint Casetta Palace.

This millennial, ancient and exquisite structure was erected by the second‑generation king of ancient Yinbu Tu, Sheng Ka Sai Ta Yinbu Tu; initially, many of its design concepts were borrowed from travelers who had drifted from the distant Eastern continent.

It is said that their emperor dwells in the Li Palace, the residence of the ZhuZhuZhe of the Dragon Empire—a divine‑human joint cultivation, splendid palace.

Unfortunately, centuries ago, the king who became the Baro Flame Demon—Dashan Di·Yinbu Tu—set the entire palace ablaze, destroying two‑thirds of Saint Casetta Palace.

Later successors did not continue the exquisite Eastern style, merely rebuilding a new Saint Casetta Palace on the original site according to tradition.

Thus that ancient edifice vanished from the river of history.

Naimi Xisi stepped out of the carriage and stood before the palace; soon, a middle‑aged man in elegant attire and proper manners hurried over—he was the court Steward.

The Steward bowed gracefully to the silver‑haired youth and his companion, speaking with measured cadence: "Honored guest, the royal family welcomes your arrival; please follow me—Prince Lai Aorui'er has been waiting for you for a long time."

Naimi Xisi nodded, followed the Steward into the inner court, passed through a broad vaulted arcade, then ascended a spiraling staircase to a spacious hall.

On both sides of the hall stood towering stained‑glass panels; the warm afternoon sun filtered through the large panes divided by black iron frames, bathing the hall in a kaleidoscopic glow.

Naimi Xisi walked to a second‑floor window and looked out at a garden where vast swaths of bright red roses were planted, proudly thriving in the sunlight.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

A deep male voice came from behind; Naimi Xisi turned and saw a middle‑aged man in a loose black waist‑fitted robe, a black‑red cloak draped over his back, standing before him.

He appeared gaunt, his skin pallid, brown irises framing a razor‑sharp hooked nose that projected a seriousness not to be taken lightly, tinged with a faint gloom.

"What did you say?" the silver‑haired youth asked expressionlessly.

"Roses," the man smiled faintly.

"Bright as blood, such vigorous life—don't you think it's beautiful?"

Naimi Xisi shook his head; the Juan Ce Long clan never favored overly vivid hues—solid black and white best matched their aesthetic.

The man fell silent, seemingly regretting the other's taste, then extended a hand with distinct, slender bones.

"Lai Aorui'er, Regent Grand Judge of the Yinbu Tu Kingdom."

Naimi Xisi raised an eyebrow, surprised; the man's attire was plain, revealing nothing of his high rank as a ruler above all but one.

No trace of magical aura emanated from him, nor any sign he was a level‑17 Enchanter Master.

"Naimi Xisi." He responded, a highly skilled Mage worthy of his respect.

Lai Aorui'er walked to a sofa, sat, and gazed at the youth before him, asking with interest, "What are you pursuing, Excellency Naimi Xisi?"

"What?" Naimi Xisi frowned. "Didn't you summon me? What I pursue is, of course, the reward the royal family promised me."

"The mysterious giant dragon that saved Degeng City, a priest favored by the God of Knowledge, possessing a magical talent 'terrifying even to Juan Ce Long.'"

"Why did you involve yourself in this war, and all that follows?"

Naimi Xisi remained expressionless; his dim amber pupils had somehow become vertical slits, a sign of the dragon's growing impatience.

"You asked the most useless question; knowledge and treasure are the dragon's eternal pursuits."

"No, perhaps for other dragons." Lai Aorui'er's expression did not change, and he stared unflinchingly at the pressure‑laden vertical pupils.

"Yet I always sense you are different—your scent, your actions, the energy radiating from your body—all tell me you are unlike the rest."

"Ambition—you are not like those aimless, foolish kin; you possess an insatiable ambition, like that of a human."

The silver‑haired youth adjusted his gold‑rimmed glasses, a smile tugging his lips. "Humans are fascinating; even though your mind‑control spell has no effect on you, you possess a beast‑like intuition. Since you entered the city, I've been watching you—Countess Ke Litte, that half‑elf mage, and the four Drow—surely you've controlled them? A mere divine oath cannot achieve such loyalty; it's a work of art, truly exquisite."

"Such ignorant, unconscious submission to you—if I weren't certain you're not a Legendary Enchanter, I might already be seeking you as a master now."

"A figure so powerful staying in one corner naturally piques my curiosity about your purpose."

"My purpose is simply to claim the reward the royal family promised me," Naimi Xisi said with a smile.

Lai Aorui'er shook his head, slightly disappointed by Naimi Xisi's evasiveness; he was about to speak further when a lofty voice rang in from outside the door.

"Her Majesty the Queen has arrived!"

Lai Aorui'er rose, smiling faintly: "Ah, she's here."

A woman in a lavish red court gown entered, and even Naimi Xisi was taken aback at the sight.

Because the woman's appearance was exceedingly beautiful.

Her black curls fell like a waterfall, dense lashes framing dark‑brown eyes that shimmered like deep lakes, seemingly ready to drain a viewer's soul; her milky skin was like solidified cream, lips vivid as roses.

She curved her lips in a charming smile toward the youth, the feather fan in her hand poised before the surging waves, "You must be the hero who saved Degeng City; truly as handsome as the rumors claim."

With a "snap," the woman opened the fan, shielding the lower half of her face, leaving only the alluring eyes and smooth, straight nose exposed.

Lai Aorui'er looked at the woman, his gaze darkening, then smiled and said, "Elizabeth."

The woman's gaze sharpened, and the Grand Judge, realizing his mistake, immediately changed his address.

"Your Majesty the Queen, this is Excellency Naimi Xisi."

The Queen slowly paced to the youth, extending her soft, fair left hand, a wave of rose fragrance washing over him.

Naimi Xisi frowned; he detested the pungent scent, which seemed sweet yet tinged with a faint oddness.

"Will you be a gentleman, Mr. Juan Ce Long?" the woman teased with a smile.

Juan Ce Long was reluctant, but seeing Lai Aorui'er's anxious gaze, he helplessly raised his hand and performed a kiss salute.

The Queen's lips blossomed with a captivating smile as she whispered, "Until next time, Naimi Xisi."

Then she slowly walked away.

Lai Ao Rui Er's eyes kept following the queen until she stepped out of the doorway, then stopped; Naimi Xisi, seeing this, twitched his mouth, recalling the demon's words, and was another sycophant like Ke Long.

Juan Ce Long, who had no woman in his heart, was not at all attracted by the queen's captivating beauty; instead, he was baffled by his devotion to the 17‑level enchanter Lai Ao Rui Er.

"Queen Elizabeth's bearing is, without doubt, countless times better than the former queen's; don't you think?" Lai Ao Rui Er remarked.

Sheng·Delisi had married two queens in his life; his first queen died of illness twenty‑five years ago, and five years later, the over‑150‑year‑old Sheng·Delisi met the current queen—Elizabeth. The aged, frail man, having taken some unknown medicine, insisted

"It's acceptable," Naimi Xisi replied coolly.

Lai Ao Rui Er returned to the main topic and discussed other matters with Naimi Xisi.

"The king is already very old," Lai Ao Rui Er sighed.

"He is so old that he hasn't appeared before people for a long time."

"Those princes and high nobles are all restless, because the king still has no heir."

"Her Majesty the Queen cannot hold the throne alone; all this time, I have devoted myself to assisting the king and queen, stabilizing the situation."

"The deal with Sai Er was truly reluctant, yet they now use it as capital to attack me."

"But do you know," Lai Ao Rui Er said, pointing to the ground.

"If we didn't have Sa Zhasitan helping us, we wouldn't be able to stop Nie Rong's Summoning of that tyrant; no, we wouldn't even know when he would summon, and the entire Yinbu Tu Kingdom would be doomed! As for those churches—hehe—they might seek revenge against that demon for a ruined land, even sanction Sai Er, but would that help?"

Naimi Xisi offered no rebuttal; in fact, he also considered this the optimal solution. Even though it is overly cruel to the residents of Ge Ben Lan and De Gen Cheng, the Yinbu Tu Kingdom, as a small nation, still harbors an ancient demon as a ticking‑time‑bomb weakness, so making concessions for survival is not hard to understand.

Sacrificing a few to save many is a gray moral issue; throughout history no one has been able to definitively deem it right or wrong, and Naimi Xisi has no interest in solving such a problem, after all he is merely a selfish utilitarian.

I have no time to type tomorrow because I'm attending a wedding. So tomorrow I can only update four thousand words.

(End of chapter)