At this time, the elves living in the forest are about to usher in the conclusion of the five tests. The two factions in the forest are preoccupied with the dispute over the future direction and have paid little attention to the decline of the outside world.
The situation in the empire changed several times. After the two princesses ascended the throne respectively, it was officially split into two parts, the Eastern and Western Empire. In order to avoid the solidification of this concept, both sides fought a fierce war during this year, striving to defeat the other side quickly.
One after another, promising geniuses have entered the battlefield, and modern wars like meat grinders are far from as gentle as in the past. The development of firearms and cannons has greatly improved the efficiency of killing, and at the same time, it has also saved more power, making
The results can be multiplied.
In the past, marching in thick armor, wielding weapons, using bows and crossbows, etc., all required a lot of physical strength. This restricted the speed of the attack and prevented the intensity from rapidly increasing. It was common for the two countries to fight for more than ten years.
But now, more people have died on the battlefield in just one month than in the past year. A kind of fear is also spreading among the top leaders of both sides, because they find that they are losing the power to withdraw, that is, the opportunity to leave safely.
Today, after the emperor's authority has been shattered, the nobility established under the imperial power is no longer safe. In the past, they had to be wary of the influence of reputation, the emperor's authority, etc. Now these restrictions have been removed one by one, and they are gaining expansion.
When gaining power, the nobles on both sides suddenly discovered that it was like riding on a chariot that was getting faster and faster. Any behavior that jumped off the chariot midway would cause them to be shattered to pieces.
The nobles on the opposite side will not let them go. They no longer have scruples, and no one will blame or judge them. The common people at the bottom no longer fear themselves, because the theories spread in Crancia, the southern border of the empire and other places, the past nobles have
This sacred aura is gradually fading. Once they lose the power in their hands and are knocked down, they will be torn to pieces by the people below.
In this way, the two sides were like red-eyed gamblers, raising their bets crazily, and the war between the Eastern and Western empires intensified.
Heretics are more terrifying than heretics, and the same is true for the Eastern and Western Empires. For the Southern Territory, they can still choose to give up wealth and power and respectfully welcome the new system to save their lives, but for each other, they are nobles and familiar with the style.
For the empire, failure means absolute death. The reason for this is clear to them. They would do the same thing if they won, because a noble family has been entrenched in the local area for hundreds of years. If they want to rule this land for a long time,
, it is necessary to clean up the previous forces on the land and remove all possibilities of rebellion.
Being overthrown by the new forces liberating the southern territory is a slow death, and being defeated by the opponents of the Eastern and Western Empires means dying on the spot. There is no need to say which one is more important.
June, New Rose Castle.
This castle, located in the middle of the empire near the east, was renovated and built in recent years, and Queen Evelyn now lives here.
Knights wearing silver armor and red capes can be seen everywhere on the city walls and towers. The front of their armor has the emblem of the unicorn, but unlike the Landsworth family, these unicorns have some red added to them.
of roses as decoration.
On the mountain road leading to the castle, there is an endless stream of carriages, many of which are messengers, gathering news from all over the empire. At the same time, they also issue various orders and remotely command some lords in the east and central part of the empire.
Among the many carriages, a carriage made of ebony drove slowly through the market and streets, and entered the checkpoint in front of the castle. After being questioned and inspected, it slowly moved forward again, passing through gates one after another, and finally stopped.
Under that tall city wall.
"Earl Shane, long time no see." When the people in the carriage just stepped out, a slightly familiar voice sounded beside him.
"Who are you?"
He looked at the bald knight and asked hesitantly. Too many things had happened in the past few years, and the acquaintances in the past may have become strangers to him.
"I am Okahe. I met you at the banquet in the imperial capital, but I was just a little person at that time. You may have forgotten." Although he is bald, this knight Okahe is very strong and has a lot of hair on his body.
Wearing red burqa and plate armor.
After reminiscing about old times, the two quickly got down to business.
"Earl Shane came here this time to ask for an audience with Her Majesty the Queen, right?" Okahe said bluntly.
"Yes, is there something you want to tell me in advance?" Earl Shane couldn't guess what the other party was thinking.
"There are indeed some, but I don't mean to embarrass you. Let's talk as we walk. Her Majesty the Queen's palace is deep in the castle." He stretched out his hand to lead the way, and two knights in full armor followed him.
The two walked on the high city wall, occasionally overlooking the hills and fields below, and talked about the current situation in the empire.
"Her Majesty the Queen has ascended the throne, and now many lost central nobles have come to pay their respects, and you are one of them. I know that many adults doubt whether Her Majesty the Queen's independent power is being controlled by the Landsworth family..." He
Speak slowly.
"I know you are very concerned about these issues, but I don't want to cause conflicts because of mutual suspicion, so I always have to talk about it in advance."
"Her Majesty the Queen has her own independent will, and her words and deeds are not oppressed by the Landsworth family."
"However, the Landsworth family also has the right to choose whether to continue to support it, so it is currently a joint and equal state."
"I hope you won't be too disappointed and sad, and that you can understand Her Majesty the Queen's difficulties."
"This, I understand."
After hearing this, Earl Shane breathed a sigh of relief for the time being. Now this result is considered good. At least the Landsworth family did not force Queen Evelyn to marry, and there is still a chance to save everything. Their family was once
One of the blood-sworn nobles is the confidant nobles surrounding the royal family. If the royal family no longer exists, their existence will be of little significance, and they will no longer be able to unite with each other. In the end, they can only be silently swallowed up by the forces of the east and west.
"Okay, I'll send it here. I've already informed the maid about your visit. Further ahead is Her Majesty the Queen's reception room." Okahe stopped and stood aside with his sword in hand.
"clear."
Earl Shane nodded, and then looked at the four knights standing in front of the gate. These knights were all wearing armor with the unicorn crest, but there were rose symbols on the shoulders and left chest, which made him guess.
Not sure which side he is from.
Forget it, let's go see Her Majesty the Queen first. He has met this former Princess Everly many times in the past. She is a capable princess.
The thick door was pushed open by the knights. In the small living room, a queen wearing a black and red dress sat on a dark throne, with two maids beside her. There were also two rows of knights and knights standing upright in the living room.
several record keeping officials.
With his head lowered, Earl Shane walked through the empty hall, stopped not far from the queen, and knelt down on one knee to salute.
"It must be Count Shane."
"Yes, Her Majesty the Queen." He stood up and slowly raised his head to see the Queen's face clearly.
It has to be said that the appearance of Princess Evelyn, or Queen Evelyn, has not changed much from the past. She still looks young in her twenties. Extraordinary people always have extraordinarily long youth and will not age easily.
With her golden hair coiled behind her head, outlined with gold wire, a crown embellished with gems, and topaz-like eyes, this queen in a black and red dress has a natural majesty and temperament.
Regarding the arrival of Earl Shane, the queen did not show much emotional fluctuation. It seemed that she had seen enough such loyal ministers and was extremely skilled in dealing with and comforting him.
After chatting for a while, Xia En obtained his future mission and arrangements, and also received the Queen's note and protection. Then he slowly retreated and left the quiet and solemn living room.
Afterwards, Evelin and the two maids also left here and returned to their usual place of residence.
"Just stay outside the door, there's no need to come in."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The two trusted maids bowed their heads in response.
‘Dang.’ With the slight sound of the door closing, the room became quiet.
The large bed in the bedroom is covered with dark red sheets with golden patterns. There are gauze hanging from the four corners of the bed to block mosquitoes and breeze. The other decorations in the room are also very exquisite, revealing the royal model and etiquette.
.
It's just that Evelin is not very interested in these.
After closing the door, she breathed a sigh of relief, then sat in front of the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror.
The already beautiful face is painted with light makeup to better reveal her contours and appearance. The difference between the queen and the emperor is that the emperor has to do his best to maintain his majesty, while the queen has to maintain more
beauty.
"How is it, that Earl of Shane?" Suddenly, another voice sounded in the room.
Although her heart skipped a beat, Evelin quickly reacted and slowed down again. She looked at the man sitting on the window sill.
"You always do it so suddenly."
"Sorry, I'm used to being secretive." Rock, dressed in black, replied.
"There is nothing unusual about Earl Shane. He can be said to be a loyal minister of the royal family. As long as I sit in the queen's seat, he will be loyal to me." Evelin straightened her clothes and then turned around.
"It's really convenient, the name of the royal family." Rock shook his head lightly and looked at the vast scenery outside the window.
"Just sit there and don't move, and countless people will come to you with money, families, soldiers, and wealth." He said with a slightly complaining tone.
After hearing this, Evelin frowned slightly: "What do you mean by sitting there and not moving? Do you think that just grabbing any princess or prince can do what I do?"
"It seems like this." Roque recalled that when he got along with Edron before, he seemed to have done many things easily. When he was in school, he was just the president who managed dozens of people. Later, he did many things all the way.
There was nothing uncomfortable about being in the position of regent.
"What are you thinking about?" Looking at Roark's appearance, Evelin felt that her restraint as a princess could no longer be suppressed.
"Are you comparing me to Edlen again?"
"Well, that's true." Someone who seemed to be a straight man replied.
"The two Edron brothers rebelled and took away my brother's throne. If they hadn't done something that greatly damaged the empire's strength and were unable to suppress internal problems, they actually allowed their nephew to take back the throne. Where would it be?"
The empire will be in the miserable state it is today."
Thinking of the once glorious and powerful imperial royal family, Evelin, the princess and queen, also felt a sense of heartache and regret.
"Originally, according to my father's arrangement, one of the two brothers married a young lady from the Landsworth family, and the other married a legitimate daughter from the Salius family. This way, the transition could be smooth, and with the ability of Prince Ans Ayr, the transition would be peaceful.
The restructuring may not be impossible, and the situation will be the same as it is now, with everything in a mess and no hope of solution."
Thinking that she and her sister were found out after escaping from the dispute over the throne and pushed into this dangerous vortex of power, Evelin also felt angry.
Although she has a strong character and is passionate about power, her sister Teslin is an innocent and kind-hearted existence. If she is coerced into ascending to the throne, she will have to face a lot of worries and fears.
"Yes, if there is no problem within the imperial royal family." Rock responded, lamenting the power the emperor's royal family has accumulated over the past millennium. Even if he wanted to do something, he would have to use the royal family's name.
There was silence between the two for a while.
"What are you pursuing, Rock? I never heard of your name when I was in school, and I didn't know until not long ago that we entered school only a few years apart. You should have seen me in school." Evelin.
Look at the assassin.
"I was just an ordinary and inconspicuous student at that time. The only big shot I knew was Edlund."
"Her Majesty Evelyn was the student council president of the school at the time, and she was an equally distinguished figure as the gryphon heir, Geran, so it was normal for her not to know about me."
"Then why are you appearing in front of me now? Are you separating me from my sister and bringing me to the Landsworth family just to watch the empire split in your hands?"
"Although I understand your curiosity, I won't tell you. Years of work have taught me that it's best not to let anyone know your ultimate purpose." Rock refused again.
"But one thing I can tell you is that I really don't like the old Duke Griffin, so I designed this to take you away so that he can no longer legitimately control the royal family of the empire."
"But why do you want to keep Tesline? Do you know how she will be bullied there?"
"This is beyond my consideration. Not everyone has the obligation to take care of your feelings, Queen Evelyn."
Seeing that Evelin's pupils seemed to be burning like flames, Rock had to shake his head and explain a little more.
"You don't have to worry too much about Teslin's safety. Although she is not as sensible and smart as you, as a princess and queen, you are actually not as good as her."
"Have you ever been curious? Although Teslin, as a sister, is a little naive and even stupid, she is always very lucky and popular. Even you are a little envious of her."
"That's true." Evelin fell into thought.
"You always think about many things calmly and with reason and interests. This is good, but it also brings a lot of pressure to others."
"They will think about what to do if they don't do well enough one day or what to do if they make a mistake. This kind of panic as a minister is not easy for you to understand."
"The power struggle within the empire has been around for a long time. Everyone is looking for a ballast that can reassure them, such as being absolutely loyal to the royal family and making themselves look silly and non-threatening. In this way, even if the new emperor ascends the throne,
They will also be used because they are loyal to the royal family and there is no need to worry about rebellion as long as the emperor is in that position."
"When you consider others based on their interests, others will also consider the results of doing things for you based on their interests. If there is danger, they will be uneasy."
"But Tesline is not like that. She is not as smart as you. She can even be said to be a straightforward and simple princess. But one thing is that her kindness will make others feel at ease and they will not worry about suddenly falling out. Even if she makes mistakes occasionally,
You can also be forgiven.”
"Such behavior is weak in your eyes, but it is stable in others' eyes, because no one wants to worry about whether they will make you angry tomorrow while sleeping and be punished."
"But if she is so easy to talk to and forgives in everything, then who will do things seriously? This is how corruption arises." Evelin said her own opinion.
"That's true, so together you are the perfect queen of the empire. This is the purpose of the dual king system."
"But you separated us."
"If you are together, you will be completely controlled by Duke Griffin, and you will never have access to real power. It is precisely because of your separation that the two parties will compromise on you in order to compete for the title of the royal family.
You are in contact with real power." Rock stated his reasons.
"So I would also like to thank you because you have preserved the last dignity of the royal family." Evelin asked in return.
"That's not true. This is just for my purpose."
"Really..." Evelin's words suddenly softened.
"I mean, if you achieve your goal in the end, will you let me go and reunite with Teslin to live a stable life?"
"Maybe, there are some things I can only hope for." Rock shook his head. After going through many changes, he could no longer make promises as easily as he did when he was a child.
"Is it really not possible?" Evelin stepped closer until her hands were on Roque's shoulders, and the other person's eyes seemed to reflect her own appearance.
"If you can do it, it's okay for me to marry you."
Looking at this assassin who looked stunned for the first time, Evelin showed a rare smile on her face.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
The time point was when Loren was in the forest. Speaking of which, this pair was decided in the outline very early, but I never had time to write about them.
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