Evening.
Daphne carefully sealed the last portion of faintly glowing emerald green powder into a crystal bottle and let out a long sigh of relief.
She didn't care to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead; her eyes flickered with a certain determined gleam.
"Muscle soreness after combat training is a major taboo for energy replenishment.
For the long-term development of Mason, I must provide the most professional post-maintenance!"
Daphne muttered to herself as she swiftly changed into the sportswear that Irene had specially set aside for her. Even though she didn't need to go learn martial arts from Delilah right now, this sense of "ritual" was absolutely necessary.
In the bathroom behind the Palace's Bedchamber, the massive cedar bathtub was already filled with steaming clear spring water.
Sophia untied her hair ribbon, and that head of silver hair like moonlight cascaded down along her fair back.
As soon as she stepped into the tub, the warm water slowly drew away the fatigue from her exercise thread by thread.
"Delilah really strikes heavily."
For her first time exercising, Sophia's body, which lacked vitality and exercise, only felt soreness all over.
Sophia leaned against the edge of the tub, closing her eyes to rest.
Just then, a brisk and rhythmic knocking sound echoed, and immediately after, Daphne's flushed little face poked out from the dense mist.
"Your Majesty, I have brought the specially made herbal bath liquid.
This Potion must be paired with the frequency fluctuations of the Holy Light to exert its maximum efficacy. It can make Your Majesty's body become extremely relaxed and comfortable; no matter how tired or sore you are, it will feel much better!
However, this requires me to assist continuously, so... this minister requests to stay behind and conduct magic power constant temperature monitoring."
Sophia slightly opened one eye, looking at the Saint at the door holding a large bottle, her eyes shining a bit too brightly.
Sophia was currently indeed so tired that she didn't even want to move her fingertips.
"Granted, come in."
Sophia replied lazily, closing her eyes once again.
Daphne approached quietly, every step feeling as if she were stepping on clouds.
Mist permeated the bathroom, making the view hazy, yet it coated the scene before her with a dreamy filter.
She poured the crystal-clear medicinal liquid into the water, and the originally clear water surface instantly dyed a dreamy light green, carrying a fresh fragrance like a forest after the rain.
Daphne crouched by the edge of the tub. Due to the extremely close distance, she could clearly see Sophia's wet silver hair clinging to her slender neck. Water droplets slid down those elegant lines like a swan, disappearing into the deep and exquisite shadows of her collarbone.
Wow... Your Majesty's body proportions are truly too perfect.
Even without the wrapping of the sportswear, those slightly tightened muscle lines from practicing martial arts still revealed a sense of holiness.
Especially from this angle... Your Majesty's shoulders are so narrow and white.
No, I must steady myself, I am here to work!
Magic power monitoring... right, monitoring!
Because magic was greatly weakened in this world, Daphne was unable to conduct precise magic power guidance over a large area.
"Your Majesty, the medicinal efficacy requires guidance.
Please allow this minister... to briefly touch your shoulders to sense the flow of the fatigue factors."
Daphne had a serious face, her tone so pious it was as if she were swearing an oath before a divine statue.
Sophia let out a muffled nasal sound, which counted as tacit consent.
Daphne extended her trembling hands. The moment her fingertips touched Sophia's warm and wet shoulders, she felt as if her entire person was instantly struck by high-voltage electricity.
It's here! It's this overflowing sense of energy replenishment!
So exhilarating! It feels so exhilarating from head to toe!
Even amidst the dense steam, the golden flowing light at the bottom of Daphne's eyes was about to spill over.
Her small hands gently pressed Sophia's shoulder and neck acupoints. Under the guise of magic power oscillation, she was actually greedily absorbing that cold and detached aura that made her very soul tremble.
"Mmh."
Sophia comfortably stretched her body. This herbal bath paired with Daphne's faint yet perfectly measured magic power kneading was indeed a hundred times better than a simple bath.
"Your magic is indeed quite good when it comes to relieving fatigue."
"That is only natural!"
Blushing, Daphne felt the magic power returning within her body like a tide, her voice rising a few pitches.
"All of this minister's efforts are so that I can better serve Your Majesty!"
Inside the steam-filled bathroom, the water gently rippled, emitting a rhythmic slapping sound.
Daphne's slightly cool fingers, carrying a bit of light green herbal dew, slowly roamed over Sophia's rounded shoulders.
Along with the pressing of her fingertips, faint golden light intermittently appeared where their skin made contact.
"Your Majesty, the muscles here are so tense..."
Daphne murmured softly with some heartache as she worked hard to circulate her magic.
"Lord Delilah really is something. She clearly knows that Your Majesty is usually the most noble, yet she isn't willing to go easy on you in the slightest."
Sophia rested her head on the edge of the tub, allowing that numbing magic power to spread downward along her spine, alleviating the waves of soreness on her inner thighs.
"She is a professional. Being strict is exactly how she shows responsibility towards This Queen."
Sophia kept her eyes closed, her voice carrying a lazy huskiness.
Daphne pursed her lips, her fingers involuntarily sliding from the neck and shoulders toward Sophia's beautifully lined collarbone. Under the pretext of spreading the medicinal liquid evenly, her fingertips lingered there for a few extra seconds.
"But... this minister has never been able to figure it out."
Daphne's voice sounded soft and squishy due to her shyness and the mist's influence.
"Your Majesty is already the master of Mason. With just a single command from you, Lord Delilah can sever all your enemies' throats for you, and Chancellor Valery can exhaust all the world's schemes for you.
Even this minister... this minister is also willing to exhaust the last sliver of Holy Light for you.
Why must you personally endure this hardship?
Practicing martial arts... is truly very tiring, and very bitter."
Seeing the appearance of those soldiers training on the Drill Ground every day, she knew how hard it was. Those who were used to enduring hardships couldn't bear it, let alone Her Majesty?
Sophia slowly opened her eyes, her pale golden pupils reflecting Daphne's little face that was written full of incomprehension.
"Daphne, in this world, the most unpredictable thing is the human heart."
Sophia looked at the mugwort leaves floating on the water's surface, her tone as calm as if she were discussing tomorrow's weather.
"Although This Queen trusts you all, the God of Death and conspiracies will not bypass This Queen just because of your loyalty."
She raised her hand, allowing Daphne to hold her wrist.
"That letter sent to Orr will definitely make that old geezer go mad.
This Queen does not want to wake up in the middle of a dream one night to find that due to Delilah's negligence or a mishap with Vasha, I am merely like an unresisting doll, completely powerless to resist as I wait for someone to sever my head."
Sophia gently squeezed Daphne's somewhat hot palm back, a faint arc curling at the corners of her mouth:
"Furthermore, the feeling of holding power in one's own hands is much more reassuring than having it in the hands of others.
In your original world, if the Saint didn't know how to fight, what would she do when encountering a demon at close range?"
Daphne listened in a daze. The warm touch transmitted from Sophia's palm made her magic power reach its absolute peak in that instant.
Daphne lowered her eyelids, crystal-clear water droplets hanging on her eyelashes.
"That Magical Girl mentor who guided us said that the Holy Light can only purify evil, but sometimes, a magic-covered fist or a clean kick can make demons sober up much better."
She increased the strength in her hands once more, her fingertips drawing small circles on Sophia's back muscles.
Daphne could no longer utter any words asking Her Majesty to rest.
She believed Your Majesty was right.
Although Your Majesty's words were icy, the moment she held my hand, I felt not only filled with magic power, but even my soul was soothed.
Since Your Majesty desires a sense of control, then I must work even harder to help Your Majesty condition her body!
I must fill every inch of Your Majesty's skin and every meridian with the mark of my Holy Light...
This way, even if danger descends, this residual warmth of magic power I leave for Your Majesty can also transform into the sturdiest armor!
"Since Your Majesty has such thoughts, this minister shall fully support you."
Daphne leaned in with a pious face, her nose almost touching Sophia's ear.
"So... before practicing martial arts tomorrow, please be sure to let this minister perform another deep full-body energy replenishment for you.
This minister has researched it; preventative infusion has a better effect than post-repair."
Feeling the somewhat burning breath by her ear, Sophia helplessly closed her eyes once again.
Standing guard in the outer room of the bathroom, Willow, listening to the continuous sounds of water and Daphne's slightly excited whispers coming from the inner room, unconsciously raised the corners of her mouth.
Recently, Your Majesty had been too gentle, so much so that the few lords had forgotten Your Majesty's title of Girl Tyrant.
She hoped the few lords wouldn't play with fire and burn themselves.
An hour later, Sophia walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a thick bathrobe. Her pale complexion had already recovered its rosiness, and her eyes once again exuded that thoroughly cold gleam.
Meanwhile, Daphne, who followed behind her, was currently radiating with health. Even her hair strands seemed to be glowing, and her previous fatigue had been completely swept away. One could even vaguely see the pair of transparent wings behind her flapping excitedly.
"Your Majesty, I feel like I could punch a wild bull to death right now!"
Daphne waved her fists, staring at Sophia with burning eyes.
"This minister must participate in tomorrow morning's combat class!
This minister wants to have a deep sparring session with Your Majesty!"
Sophia tied her belt, turned her head to look at this overly energetic Saint, and spoke in a flat tone.
"It is not yet time for sparring. You need to train for a while before reaching the level of sparring.
However, since you are so spirited, go take a look at the ore samples that were sent back from Qubi earlier.
Since we have coal now, Irene said she wants to set up a temperature-controlled laboratory; you can just happen to go help provide some magic power support."
"Complying with the decree!"
Daphne ran off brimming with confidence.
Sophia watched her cheerful retreating figure, and then looked at her own shoulders which had been kneaded until they were slightly red.
They were indeed much more relaxed.
She originally thought that the first few days of exercising like this would make her so sore all over that she wouldn't be able to sleep, but surprisingly, she had recovered.
The wind and snow outside the window seemed to have lessened a bit. The deep night of the Mason Palace appeared exceptionally tranquil amidst the crackling sounds of the fireplace.
Sophia sat by the bed, her long hair still wet, her body still carrying the residual warmth from the herbal bath.
She originally intended to enjoy this rare tranquility, but this peace did not last long.
The next morning, the sky was still slightly hazy.
A burst of hurried horse hooves shattered the thin ice on the square. Before the city guards had time to finish the hot soup in their hands, they saw that flag embroidered with the Black Rose crash into their line of sight like lightning.
"It's Lord Vasha! The merchant caravan is back!"
When the news flew into the Council Hall, Sophia was frowning at the coal ratio chart sent over by Irene.
When Vasha pushed the door open and entered, the air in the entire Council Hall seemed to freeze instantly.
She was no longer as neat and tidy as when she left. Her black and gray sportswear was stained with varying shades of blood; it was dark red and gave off a scent of rust in the cold air.
Her hair was messy, and the corners of her eyes still carried a trace of unfaded killing intent. But the moment she saw Sophia, that sharpness instantly dissolved into extreme humility.
"Thud."
Vasha heavily knelt on one knee, presenting the contract that had been carefully protected in her inner lining with both hands. Her voice was hoarse from the long-distance raid, yet exceptionally firm:
"Your Majesty, this minister... fortunately did not fail the mission.
Leighton's mining rights, supplies, and the lives of all Mason's merchants, this minister has brought them all back."
Sophia put down the report, her gaze sweeping past an arrow wound scratch on Vasha's shoulder, her pale golden pupils sinking slightly.
Before she could even speak, the two old ministers attending by the side, Karl and Minister Morit, exchanged a gloomy look.
These two were the conservatives of the Kingdom of Mason. Although they feared Sophia's iron fist, they had always harbored immense hostility towards Vasha, an outsider and the former Princess of Orr.
"Miss Vasha truly has good methods,"
Karl spoke in a weird, sarcastic tone, stroking his beard as he sneered coldly.
"Logically speaking, there are quite a few garrison troops at the Leighton border, and Orr's shadow assassins are even more elusive.
Not only did Miss Vasha bring back the supplies, but she surprisingly managed to retreat completely unscathed from this interception?"
Minister Morit closely followed, raising his tone a few pitches:
"Your Majesty, this minister must remind you.
There is a type of play in this world called the 'ruse of inflicting injury on oneself'.
If the King of Orr has thought it through and decided to have his biological daughter put on a play to trick you out of your absolute trust, thereby infiltrating the core of our Mason... then this injury was probably very much worth suffering."
Vasha straightened her back. Faced with this naked slander, she didn't even turn her head to glance at the two old men. She merely stared fixedly at the tips of Sophia's toes, her tone neither haughty nor humble:
"This minister's body and mind have already belonged to Mason, belonged to Your Majesty, since that moonlit night.
If the King of Orr wants this minister's head, he can very well come and take it himself.
But before that, whoever dares to touch Your Majesty's goods is a dead man."
"Are you finished?"
Sophia's voice was extremely light, yet it was like an ice pick, instantly piercing the noisy air within the Council Hall.
She slightly turned her head. Her pale golden pupils held not a trace of warmth as she stared directly at Minister Karl.
The pressure in the air suddenly climbed; that was the completely unmasked oppressiveness belonging to a superior.
"Karl, are you teaching This Queen how to employ people?"
Sophia's slender fingers rhythmically tapped on the tabletop, every single tap feeling like it was striking the hearts of the two men.
"Or perhaps, you feel that This Queen's eyes have already gone so blind as to reach the point where I cannot distinguish between who is a wolf and who is a dog?"
"This minister... this minister does not dare!"
Lord Karl's face instantly went deathly pale. His calves went soft, and he directly knelt down.
"Do not dare?"
Sophia sneered coldly. She leaned her body forward slightly, her silver hair falling down as the chilling aura of the Girl Tyrant fully unleashed.
"When Vasha was risking her life for Mason on the front lines, harvesting the indentures of neighboring countries for This Queen, what were you doing?
Discussing This Queen's judgment in the warmth of the Palace?
Or scheming how to push a meritorious minister into the abyss?"
"To question the person This Queen has chosen is to question This Queen's rule."
Sophia abruptly stood up, her fox fur brushing across the table. The rustling sound startled the two ministers so much that they broke into a cold sweat like rain.
"If This Queen hears this kind of nonsense again, you will personally go to the mines in the Kingdom of Qubi and dig coal for This Queen.
Is that understood?"
"This minister knows his crime! Please quell your anger, Your Majesty!"
The two ministers buried their heads into the ground in terror, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
The air in the Council Hall was as cold as if it had frozen. Only the muffled thuds of Karl and Minister Morit's foreheads striking the ground echoed in the spacious hall.
Lord Karl tremblingly straightened his body, wiping a handful of sweat from his face.
In his view, although this Girl Tyrant had lost her temper, since he had admitted his guilt, according to past rules, it would just end with docking some of his salary or a few days of confinement.
He was even already calculating in his mind how he would write a floridly worded letter of repentance after going back later.
However, Sophia sat back down on the throne, her slender legs crossed. Her fingertips casually smoothed out the fluff of her black fox fur, her voice still as flat as water.
"It is good that you know your crimes.
Since that is the case, starting from tomorrow, there is no need to prepare seats for you in this Council Hall.
Relay This Queen's decree: strip Karl and Morit of their noble titles, confiscate their fiefs, expel them from the Palace, and demote them to commoners."
The smiles on the faces of the two men, who had originally still been straightening their official robes, instantly froze.
"Your Majesty?! Your Majesty, please show mercy!"
Lord Karl was like mud whose bones had been extracted. He began to kowtow madly once again, the force so great that fresh blood instantly dyed the bluestone bricks red.
"This minister... this minister is a meritorious minister of three generations who has served the Old King!
You cannot just because of a few words of blunt advice..."
"Blunt advice?"
Sophia raised an eyebrow, that pale golden gaze looking down as if looking at ants.
"This Queen just said that to question the person This Queen has chosen is to question This Queen's rule.
Mason does not need this kind of meritorious minister who only knows how to act tough within the nest."
Seeing that Sophia was completely impervious to reason, Minister Morit acted as if a drowning man had grasped the last piece of rotten wood, scrambling and crawling as he lunged toward Vasha on the side.
"Miss Vasha! Miss Vasha, please help us!"
They kowtowed to Vasha again, tears streaming down their old faces.
"We were just... just worried about state affairs earlier!
Look, you brought back so many supplies, we are also happy for you!
We beg you to put in a few good words in Her Majesty's ear; we are at least, at least old acquaintances!"
Vasha kept her head down, her line of sight constantly fixed on the patch of ground illuminated by the firelight beneath her feet.
Faced with these two old foxes who had once mocked her to the extreme in the Orr Palace and were now trying every means to slander her in Mason, she didn't even twitch an eyelash.
Her hands, which were slightly numb from opening fire, remained tightly glued to her sides. Her entire person was like an exquisite stone sculpture devoid of a soul.
To outsiders, Vasha was cold to the extreme, even to the point of tacitly agreeing to the death sentences of the two men.
But only Vasha herself knew how violently her chest was pounding at this moment.
Your Majesty... what did she just say?
She said, I am the person she chose.
No matter how those old things beg me, or how they insult me, I simply do not care.
What I care about is that in that moment, this young girl who controls the black muskets and controls the Holy Light surprisingly crushed the crowns of two important ministers with her own hands, all for me, a former vase.
This feeling of being favored... suffocates me even more than that kiss beneath the moonlight.
She forcibly suppressed the tears at the corners of her eyes, turning them into that trace of almost morbid fanaticism at the bottom of her eyes.
"Have they not been dragged away yet?"
Sophia didn't even look at Vasha, merely making a hand gesture to the black guards outside the door.
As a burst of despairing wails gradually faded away, the Council Hall finally regained that tranquility that made Sophia feel comfortable.
She looked at Vasha, who was still kneeling in place, and casually picked up a piece of candy from the plate on the table and tossed it over.
"Alright, stop acting like a piece of wood over there.
Go back to the West Tower first; Daphne has a freshly brewed herbal bath there. Wash up clean before coming to see This Queen. This stench of blood is giving This Queen a headache."
"Complying with the decree."
Vasha's voice trembled slightly. She gripped that candy tightly, as if she had grabbed hold of the entire world.
Sophia retracted her gaze. Her originally icy expression softened a trace when she turned to Vasha, but it was merely an imperceptible arc.
"Get up."
Sophia looked at Vasha.
"Tell This Queen everything in detail about what you exchanged for in Leighton, as well as the details of that interception.
Since you brought back spoils of war, This Queen will naturally have rewards."
Vasha raised her head. Although her face was full of fatigue, her eyes were astonishingly bright.
She knew that the words from just now were the death-exemption medal Sophia had given her.
Victor wished he could immediately call Valery back so they could watch Your Majesty's latest highlight moment together.
A divine miracle-like art of managing subordinates! Your Majesty was not only defending Vasha here, but she was also conducting a public baptism of loyalty!
Look, Your Majesty first allowed the old ministers to jump out and question her, and then personally suppressed them. This not only completely severed any possibility of Vasha turning back, but it also caused Vasha to develop an extreme mentality where the whole world was her enemy, and only the Queen was intimately kind to her!
This precise manipulation of human nature was simply tens of millions of times more terrifying than Potions!
In the future... Vasha would probably truly go and tear down the City wall of the Kingdom of Orr just for a single sentence from Your Majesty!
After dispatching people to settle the other soldiers and merchants, and learning that the Mason merchants in Leighton were all doing fine, Sophia also felt somewhat relieved.
She was currently sunk into a soft long sofa. On the small round table in front of her was a pot of freshly brewed black tea, as well as several plates of tantalizingly colored pastries.
This was her morning tea time, and also the only legitimate slacking-off period for this Girl Tyrant amidst her busy state affairs.
While enjoying the leisurely time, Sophia suddenly felt like she had somewhat deviated from the main storyline.
Wasn't her initial idea to slack off?
She merely wanted to earn more money and then slack off better, but as a result, she now surprisingly even had to guard against sneak attacks from that old geezer, the King of Orr.
The door was knocked lightly, and Vasha walked in.
At this time, she had already washed away the gunpowder smoke and stench of blood covering her body, and changed into a dark green high-waisted long dress, draped with a pure white cashmere cape on the outside.
Her wet long hair had been managed to be soft and smooth, sticking to her somewhat pale face from fatigue. It lost a bit of the decisive killing hostility and gained a trace of fragile lovability.
"Your Majesty,"
Vasha called out softly. She was about to kneel when she was gently interrupted by Willow from the side.
"Lord Vasha, you have worked hard. Please rest for a bit first."
Willow stepped forward holding an exquisite white porcelain plate, upon which sat a slightly jiggling caramel Pudding.
"This is a new recipe researched by Lord Irene earlier. Your Majesty said that you rushed all the way here, and specially had this servant save a portion for you."
Vasha looked at that sweet, soft Pudding, freezing in place, her hands crossing awkwardly under her cloak.
Vasha's heart trembled.
"Pudding... a luxury item that only core personnel can enjoy. Your Majesty actually casually bestowed it upon me, a rebellious minister covered in blood?
This kind of gentleness is simply even harder to parry than Orr's poisoned arrows."
"Sit."
Sophia took a sip of tea without raising her head, pointing to the rattan chair opposite her.
"This Queen does not like craning her neck to listen to reports, especially towards someone who is so much taller than This Queen."
Overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, Vasha sat down. Her fingertips touched the warm porcelain plate, the fanaticism at the bottom of her eyes almost melting into tears.
"Speak, what was the deal with those shadow assassins."
Sophia set down her teacup, her pale golden pupils looking directly at Vasha.
Vasha immediately set down her spoon. Her expression turned solemn as she recounted the ambush at Broken Soul Valley in complete detail.
From the direction of the poisoned arrows, to the scale of the deathsworn, to how she utilized the black muskets to carry out long-range harvesting, and finally the process of personally delivering the finishing blows.
"...That Commander even vainly attempted to use Royal Father's majesty to suppress me before his death,"
Vasha sneered coldly, a flash of determination in her eyes.
"But I told him that Vasha of Orr is already dead. The current me only answers to the bells of Mason."
Sophia listened very carefully, her fingertips gently tapping the tabletop.
She didn't care about the lives of those deathsworn. What she cared about was that kind of awakening that transcended the era which Vasha displayed when facing the pursuit of her biological father.
"Vasha," Sophia suddenly spoke, her tone carrying a trace of probing.
"He is your biological father after all, and the Kingdom of Orr that gave birth to you and raised you. Do you truly have no lingering attachment to them at all?"
Vasha fell silent for a moment. The shadows of the snow outside the window reflected in her icy eyes.
"Lingering attachment?"
Vasha laughed self-deprecatingly.
"Your Majesty, to me, Orr was never a home, but rather a gorgeous ice cellar.
My royal mother died early. In a place like the inner palace, my life as a child was worse than a servant's.
It wasn't until I gradually grew up and they realized I possessed a face that could be used for marriage alliances, to curry favor with Leighton or Qubi, that Royal Father began giving me the best dresses and teaching me the most tedious etiquette.
To him, I was not a daughter, but a vase marked with a price tag, ready to be sent to the sacrificial altar at any time."
She raised her head, staring at Sophia with burning eyes:
"It was you who shattered that vase and gave me the hands to hold a gun.
From that moment on, bloodlines became a curse to me.
As long as you need it, I will personally send that person to hell."
Victor, who had been standing guard in the shadows by the door all along, felt his entire person practically combust upon hearing these words.
This was Your Majesty's greatest Divine Miracle—Soul Reshaping!
Why did Your Majesty ask about Vasha's feelings?
She was confirming whether Vasha had completely peeled off the shackles of feudal bloodlines, and whether she had truly understood the greatness of individual will!
Look at Vasha's eyes now; that is a fanaticism of completely abandoning the past and wholeheartedly sacrificing herself to Your Majesty!
With a portion of Pudding and a few sentences of inquiry, Your Majesty refined an enemy country's princess into Mason's most loyal Goddess of War.
This method of destroying the old era and establishing a new order from a spiritual level was the true tyranny that made the various nations tremble in fear!
Delilah, who was also standing guard in the shadows, looked speechlessly at this old thing who had started writing endlessly in his notebook again.
However, if he truly wrote Your Majesty's great achievements into a book to sell, she would buy a copy to keep as a collectible.
No, ten copies.
Seeing Vasha's appearance of wishing she could commit suicide on the spot to prove her loyalty, Sophia sighed slightly in her heart.
She initially just wanted to confirm if she would suddenly turn coat due to emotional ties.
But it sounded like the King of Orr truly was a textbook-level terrible father.
Since there were no feelings involved, she wouldn't need to carry any psychological burden regarding the subsequent harvesting of Orr.
"Since that is the case, then stop thinking about those messy past events."
Sophia stood up and casually straightened Vasha's slightly skewed cape. Her fingertips brushed across the side of her neck, bringing about a slight shiver.
Vasha's eyes were sparkling as she looked at Sophia, as if looking at some sort of rare treasure.
"Currently, the progress on Daphne's side is even smoother than expected."
Sophia sat back down on the sofa, her fingers rubbing the slightly warm edge of her teacup.
Due to the day-and-night output from this Saint-brand mobile reactor known as Daphne, more than half of the subjects within Mason's borders had escaped danger. Cooking smoke had also begun to rise from the previously lifeless villages.
"The envoys of Leighton and Qubi are already on their way. When the time comes, This Queen plans to allocate a portion of the Potion to sell to them,"
Sophia said faintly.
Vasha froze slightly, speaking with some hesitation:
"Your Majesty, Miss Daphne brewing those Potions consumes an extreme amount of mental energy; that is practically the foundation of Mason.
Selling them to those two neighbors with differing agendas, won't it..."
"This Queen never talks about mercy."
Sophia interrupted her, her eyes thoroughly cold.
"But this disease does not recognize national borders.
If we don't thoroughly clean up the surrounding hotbeds, when the wind changes direction, the disease will sooner or later pour back into Mason.
Selling it to them is to establish a hygienic buffer zone, and conveniently... empty their National Treasury once again."
Sophia paused and set down her teacup. Her gaze grew profound and sharp, as if it had pierced through the wind and snow to see that decaying kingdom in the north.
"But the Potion can cure the disease; it cannot cure a madman.
Since that old geezer in Orr has already deployed the shadow assassins, it proves he has completely torn off his mask.
This Queen does not like the feeling of constantly having people staring at my spine. Compared to passive defense, This Queen is more inclined to take the initiative and make him disappear completely."
Upon hearing the words "take the initiative and conquer Orr," Vasha's body subconsciously straightened. Her eyes held not a bit of worry for her motherland; instead, a kind of near-destructive fanaticism ignited within them.
"Your Majesty's judgment is sagacious."
Vasha lowered her head, her tone so decisive that it lacked even a sliver of a tremor.
"Orr's current royal authority is already rotten to the core.
The epidemic is running rampant, and after the Old King's stroke, he has become extremely suspicious. Everyone in the royal court feels insecure.
If you wish to use military force, this minister can organize Orr's internal deployment maps, secret passages, and the list of those wavering lords within three days and present them to Your Majesty."
She raised her head, her eyes revealing a morbid clarity:
"Since that ruin can no longer accommodate civilization, then let the flag of the Black Rose completely cover it.
This minister is willing to serve as the vanguard and personally tear down the city gates of Orr for Your Majesty."
Sophia looked at her, secretly clicking her tongue in her heart.
"Although you have some self-defense skills, you do not have any combat experience.
When it comes to fighting a war, it still requires Valery and Delilah."
"Chancellor Valery? But he is already elderly, and he even uses a cane to walk on normal days..."
Vasha's tone was somewhat worried.
"A cane? It's merely a symbol of power and status." Sophia took a sip of tea and said with some amusement, "If he throws that cane to the side, he might not necessarily walk slower than Delilah."
Upon hearing these words, Vasha was shocked.
That silver-haired General Valery who held a cane every day was actually pretending to be lame?
Victor, guarding behind the folding screen, felt his hand gripping the quill pen trembling upon hearing their conversation.
He was laughing.
Beside him, Delilah's expression became somewhat colorful after hearing Vasha's impassioned declaration of destroying the nation.
However, she also couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing about Valery pretending to be lame.
She calmly took a step forward, pressing her hand on her sword hilt, her voice resounding and powerful:
"Your Majesty! Since we are going to proactively attack, this minister requests to immediately reinforce the training of the black musket squads!
Although Vasha is familiar with the terrain, conquering cities, plucking strongholds, and protecting the Saint Body ultimately still requires orthodox military force to execute.
Please permit this minister to present the latest Orr blitzkrieg deduction report to you after tomorrow's combat class!"
Delilah's fiery red hair was like burning flames as she abruptly stepped out from the shadows.
Due to her overwhelming height of 1.75 meters and that chilling aura she had just brought back from the Drill Ground, Vasha was startled into subconsciously shrinking back, her right hand almost instinctively reaching for the short blade at her waist.
"Lord... Lord Delilah? And Lord Victor?!"
Vasha drew in a sharp breath. Her cheeks, which were originally slightly red from shyness, instantly turned deathly pale due to extreme shock, and then flushed bright red due to some indescribable sense of shame.
She stiffly turned her head, catching sight of Victor in the corner of the folding screen, burying his head as he crazily wielded his pen in his notebook, his reading glasses nearly falling off the tip of his nose.
This old minister hadn't even raised his head; only the "rustle, rustle" sound of that quill pen rubbing against the paper appeared exceptionally piercing in the silent Bedchamber.
Vasha's brain instantly fell into a crashed state.
It's over, it's all over.
My declarations of destroying Orr earlier, those dissections of my own miserable background, and even that scene just now where Your Majesty personally straightened my cape and traced her fingertips across my neck.
Were they all seen and heard entirely by these two people?!
Especially upon seeing Delilah's eyes filled with the hostility of an orthodox defender, Vasha suddenly felt that the Pudding in her hands was no longer appetizing, and even somewhat burning hot.
Delilah puffed up her chest, her heroic and imposing eyes staring fixedly at Vasha, as if carrying out some kind of silent demonstration.
Don't think you can monopolize Your Majesty's rewards just because you rendered some merit.
This kind of late-night secret talk... I, Delilah, am standing guard at all times!
This represents Your Majesty's unique trust in me; it's not a position someone like you can easily replace.
Sophia looked at these few core subordinates who were competing with each other to the extreme, helplessly rubbing her temples.
"Alright, Vasha just got back, stop competing to see who is more ruthless here.
Vasha, you go finish eating your Pudding first, then go to Irene to pick up a copy of the latest Mason Geography.
As for the matter regarding Orr..."
Sophia stood up, her silver hair shimmering with a cold luster beneath the sunlight.
"What This Queen wants is a complete Orr that can create value for This Queen, not a piece of scorched earth.
Understood?"
"This minister accepts the decree!"
The girls replied in unison, their voices echoing within the Bedchamber, carrying a chilling loyalty.
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