Extraordinary Voyage-Chapter 694 - 597: Driving the Trend! World’s Favor!
Phaletis Royal Capital Bekele, St. James’s Palace.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the Queen’s exclusive training ground, two beautiful figures dressed in shirts and trousers transformed into afterimages, fervently engaged in combat. The Swift Swords in their hands pierced the air like snakes, emitting terrifying hisses akin to a viper’s tongue flick.
Miraculously, they never actually made contact with each other.
On the surface, it resembled an elegant court dance, yet beneath the power of a Great Knight and the clash of Rose Swordsmanship, every move concealed danger, both beautiful and deadly.
Especially the court ladies serving nearby watched with trepidation, each one was on edge, gripping their skirts tightly.
However, the combatants evidently still had reserves of strength. With the Tier 3 Great Knights’ hundred percent control over their bodies, the two of them moved as if they were performing an elegant duet dance, with no accidents occurring throughout. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
"Alright, Weina, let’s stop here for today."
The hissing sword light retracted, and both sides stepped back, the whirling wind around them only then gradually dissipating.
Liweina, who still had a considerable gap compared to her mother, sheathed her sword and sighed softly as she caught her breath:
"What a pity... No matter how strong our swordsmanship is, we can never set foot on the battlefield."
Isabella took the towel handed over by a court lady and wiped the thin sweat from her forehead, ignoring her daughter’s childish thoughts. As a monarch, "forgetting war invites danger" was undeniable, but if a king ever had to personally engage in battle, it spelled the end for the kingdom.
After becoming a Great Knight and obtaining a long life, the main reason to keep practicing swordsmanship wasn’t to continue ascending the Tier 4 Title pyramid, but to keep the martial spirit alive.
Throughout history, this continent has been rife with conflicts, and the rulers of all nations had a consensus: A nation that fears war, shuts itself off, and indulges in pleasure and peace is bound to succumb under the attack of other warlike and adventurous nations!
At this moment.
A tall, well-dressed middle-aged man, adorned with a noble crest on his collar, approached, solemnly saluting them before respectfully announcing:
"Your Majesty, the latest intelligence has arrived.
The drought within the Ilya Kingdom continues to worsen, yet the taxes have not been reduced. Farmers who lost their livelihoods have begun to flood into the cities on a massive scale. However, all levels of governmental officers have long been infiltrated by commercial nobles, and the conflicts, as expected, have started intensifying...
Even the civilian district of the capital Viana has completely fallen. These commercial nobles, who emerged from the Level 3 populace, have a deep understanding of human nature, and a massive force has been organized. Even the religious privileges of the holy professionals have started being questioned, as the people begin indirectly questioning the Royal Family’s legitimacy in ruling the country.
But, in recent years, the Ilya Royal Family went somewhat overboard with domestic exploitation to gather resources for the advancement of a core batch of Great Knights, especially when control over overseas colonies faltered..."
The middle-aged man’s noble crest prominently displayed: blue representing loyalty and truth, red symbolizing military perseverance and bravery, and a white horse prepared for the monarch, alongside the unique sunflower on the right side.
This is the staunch Royal Faction Great Knight, Marquis Hansa, also the highest leader of the Kingdom Intelligence Department.
"Up until now, that lazy old fox Henry II hasn’t even considered asking the alliance for help?"
After hearing the Intelligence Chief’s report, Her Majesty the Queen’s focus was evidently different, as she took a seat in the prepared chair and asked while sipping on the fresh fruit juice set by the ladies-in-waiting.
"Your Majesty, the Royal Palace is currently in complete lockdown, and no news can get out, not even the status of ’Tempest Tide’ is clear.
But by piecing together various intelligence, we broadly judge that the timing might just be in August. However, I believe the Ilya Royal Family and that king will not simply wait for doom.
He hasn’t asked for help possibly because he has some backing, or even if he plans to request help, it shouldn’t be when all conflicts haven’t fully erupted yet."
"Hmm, start mobilizing elites from the various fleets now. We can’t afford to be caught off guard like the Battle of Benin by Hilus again. Remember, keep it concealed."
Isabella took a sip of juice, issuing a mobilization order.
"As you command, my Majesty!"
Marquis Hansa bowed deeply.
The last war that annihilated Dahomey allowed Phaletis and Tyrone to almost monopolize the slave trade in the Southern Continent. Under such circumstances, even the newly ascended Hilus Empire had to begrudgingly pay Tulip.
While enriching the kingdom’s treasury, the upper echelon, including himself, also earned handsomely.
The fifty-eight, now fifty-nine seats in the Upper Council surrounding Her Majesty the Queen are the true rulers of this nation.
War is never the goal, profit is!
...
Eternal White Land.
Amidst the howling wind, Anita, dressed in a women’s hunting outfit, and Olivia stood together, watching Aiven, who was looking up at the sky.
Reaching the deepest part of the Eternal White Land was easy for them, but the problem now was how to find the North Pole in this frozen world, the point where the planet’s rotation axis meets this ice cap?
The star closest to the pole, known as "Cynosure" in this world, meaning: the focal point, attracting center. In practical terms, it’s the North Star as understood by ordinary people.
