I! Cleaner!-Chapter 1170 - 1073: The Badge Unleashed

"Alright."

With a wave of her hand, she called over another attendant. After conveying Queen Mornia's order, the attendant retrieved the potion from a corner of the Silver Goblet Hall and mixed it with warm honey water for Queen Mornia to drink. The attendant couldn't help but bite her lip, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.

"Is there something you want to ask?"

"Um..."

It seemed the attendant had a very close relationship with Queen Mornia. Hearing the queen's words, she did not deny her doubts but directly asked:

"Didn't you previously reject that invitation and even plan to ally by marriage with the brother of the Leon prince? Why did you suddenly change your mind after speaking briefly with Her Majesty Veronica?"

"Because the situation has changed."

Holding a warm cup in her slightly knobby fingers, Queen Mornia leaned back in her armchair, her expression complicated, and said:

"I originally thought that my dear niece and her father were only trying to help Lutung shake off the label of a weak nation and become a strong power in the Western Continent again, which is why I strongly supported her.

But after meeting her today, I realized she might want more than that, and that Leon prince... he doesn't give off the same vibe as the intelligence suggests, not resembling an ambitious person at all."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Not good at all."

Queen Mornia shook her head and said:

"The part of our two countries that directly borders is not much, and most of it has mountains as a natural barrier, making territorial disputes almost impossible, not even maritime disputes. This is the basis for our relatively friendly relationship.

Our strengths lie in mining and commerce, while Lutung currently excels in industrial goods and manpower. They import large quantities of minerals every year, buying many auxiliary items from us and selling them through our channels; both sides complement each other perfectly.

So, if their goal is to make Lutung a strong nation again, we are the best strategic partners. Supporting them in the past wasn't just about family ties, but rather because it was beneficial and could even bring unimaginable huge orders.

As long as our role remains irreplaceable, the stronger the Kingdom of Lutung becomes, the more benefits we can gain, with the most being a slight price cut in transactions, which pales in comparison to the advantages they bring.

But now it seems... they both want more!"

Recalling the Leon prince, known for his reputation, whose eyes showed no ambition — peaceful and strangely uninterested in power, Queen Mornia's brow couldn't help but furrow deeper.

The scariest situation when choosing business partners is not their greed, but not being able to figure out what they want.

After all, no matter how greedy a collaborator might be, as long as they understand that the benefits of "crossing the line" are much less than following the rules, you can keep the situation under control.

But a partner who isn't fighting or greedy, holds an ambiguous attitude toward the benefits of collaboration, and is even willing to let you profit unconditionally... do you think they are naturally uninterested in making money, or do they consider you part of the "profit"?

"In any case, the feeling they give me is unsettling. Aligning with them might be more stable and yield greater short-term profits, but in the long run, the risk of being completely exploited is significant. It's probably a good thing the marriage alliance didn't work out."

After giving a rather negative summary, Queen Mornia shook her head and said:

"And even if we don't look from a long-term security perspective, but purely from a commercial one, we should tilt to the other side.

We are a commercial kingdom, after all. Whether it is pharmaceutical products from the Kingdom of Pertti, grain from the Kingdom of Orleson, or energy from Thunderstorm and Mirage, these constitute the bulk of our annual income. A merchant who wants to earn significantly should not be too biased, being able to profit from both sides."

"Then why did you refuse the cooperation request from that side before?"

"Because the Kingdom of Saio sided with them."

Lightly tapping her fingers on the table, Queen Mornia sighed and said:

"In the past, we leaned towards Lutung because the Kingdom of Lutung absorbed the essence of Crolock, showing high future commercial potential, and its national strength was rising, making supporting them a bet on Lutung's future development.

But the most important reason for refusing the other side was that if the Kingdom of Orleson and others formed a partnership, they could bypass us and engage in more in-depth cooperation with the Kingdom of Saio, which was already into trade.

If that situation occurred, our commerce would face fierce competition from the Kingdom of Saio, forcing us to either grant large discounts to several major kingdoms or lose a massive number of orders.

Moreover, our naval strength is not on the same level as the Kingdom of Saio. If a conflict arose, at least the orders from the three Eastern Continent countries would result in huge losses, and even our coastal and river trade routes could be swallowed up."

"I think I understand now..."

After listening to Queen Mornia, the attendant nodded with a sense of realization and said:

"We are in direct competition with the Kingdom of Saio, and now that they have fully sided with Lutung, Lutung's demand for us has decreased, and they need our support more? Can aligning with them bring more benefits?"

"You... well, just understand it that way for now!"

Faced with the simple and blunt summary from the attendant who had served her for nearly thirty years, Queen Mornia couldn't help but massage her forehead in frustration, then changed the topic:

"How are the preparations for the assembly the day after tomorrow... cough, cough... going? We are the hosts this time, make sure nothing goes wrong!"

"Rest assured, although time is tight, everything has been arranged."

Knowing that Her Majesty was implying she found him slow-witted, the attendant gave a genuine smile and replied:

"Including the alcoholic beverages purchased today from Miss Melanie, all necessary supplies for the assembly of the Twelve Kingdoms have been prepared, and the personnel have completed their rehearsals, ensuring everything will go smoothly!"

"Very good!"

Nodding in satisfaction, Queen Mornia smiled and said:

"Although you might not be the sharpest, you are always thorough and meticulous in your work, which reassures me... By the way, where did the Leon prince and my dear niece go after leaving here?"

"They didn't linger ashore; they returned directly to the sea vessel docked at the port... though shortly after, they disembarked again."

After inquiring with others, the attendant returned with a somewhat puzzled expression to report:

"Shortly after they boarded the ship, another large cargo ship entered the port. Their ship, while trying to give way, made a maneuvering error, and the already cracked watertight compartment bumped into the other ship's bow, then..."

"Then what happened?"

"Then it sank directly in the port."

"???