"Does Qin want to be a princess?"
The wolf-girl hmm-ed, laughing: "A very interesting roleplay, isn't it? I have not played the role of a princess before."
Faust said: "You do not need to play a role. If you want to be one, you can naturally become a princess by establishing meritorious deeds sufficient to found a nation. It might not even take too long; you could achieve it in the trials ahead."
I said that 【princess】 is also a top-tier trait. Does anyone here understand? I really need to recruit one.
Irithea nodded: "That is interesting. I will keep that in mind."
Faust and the young women returned to the banquet and found that the servants had rearranged the courtyard. The previously loose layout had been set up with various private booths and conference halls with chaise longues, and guests were being guided to their seats by attendants.
The seat for the prince of Qingxi was arranged in a very prominent position near the front.
Not long after Faust and his companions sat down, Helen walked over with light, graceful steps.
"What does that imperial princess intend to do?"
The prince asked directly.
The nun furrowed her brows and shook her head: "I am not quite sure. Her Imperial Highness Artedinis seems to intend to announce the matter of the trials here and now."
"If that is the case, there is no need for such fanfare. Have you not already been promoting it?"
Helen pondered for a moment and said:
"She is not a monarch who follows conventions. Situations where she acts on impulse are more common."
Faust did not have to wait long. Soon, the imperial princess returned to the scene.
Above the steps, Artedinis sat before the crimson chair, legs crossed, one hand supporting her cheek, smiling gently.
Such a casual and frivolous posture did not bring about a sense of contempt; everyone who gazed upon the princess's smile could not help but feel solemn and reverent.
Even though that smile was not warm, it gave people a sense of peace of mind.
Only Faust was so envious that his eyes were turning red. Damn it, this is the aura of a true 【Overlord】; no matter what she does, she makes people convinced and inspires them to admire and follow her.
"Everyone!"
Artedinis said in a loud voice:
"I believe most of those present know why the Sanctuary has gathered heroes from all over the world."
"To accomplish the great work of dragon-slaying, we need to complete the trials as much as possible before the decisive battle to enrich ourselves. The Sanctuary has prepared a trial to eliminate the remnants of the ancient era."
The princess's clear, cold voice, laced with a hint of laziness, was quite distinctive. As she spoke, the crowd nodded one after another, yet she suddenly changed the subject.
"But what I want to say is that this trial is merely a prelude. I have found truly powerful allies for the 【Sacred Alliance】, as well as a truly sufficient challenge."
Artedinis clapped her hands and turned her head, saying:
"Let me introduce you to some special guests."
Faust followed her gaze and only then noticed that not far behind the princess, several figures had been standing quietly, unnoticed until now.
As if coalescing from moonlight and night mist, several graceful silhouettes stepped forward, removed their hoods, and revealed slightly pointed ears.
They were unexpectedly several tall elves.
The leader had silver-white hair that fell like a waterfall, with the tips almost touching her waist, and tiny, star-dust-like light flickered faintly between the strands.
Her face was narrow and cold, and a pair of pale purple eyes were like glaciers that had not melted for eons, gleaming with a chilling light under the moonlight.
Her attire was very rare in human kingdoms; it was a purple robe composed of layers upon layers of what seemed like countless pieces of light gauze and thin silk. The fabrics were so thin they were nearly transparent, yet they made it impossible to clearly see the contours within.
This was because every layer of gauze was embroidered with runes invisible to the naked eye, and those runes flowed slowly with her breathing, as if miniature galaxies were streaming around her body.
Behind her stood four elf women in similar attire.
Their clothing was similar to the leader's, but with fewer layers, and the brightness of the runes was slightly dimmer. Each person had a teardrop-shaped moonstone hanging on their forehead and wore a veil concealing their features from the bridge of the nose down.
Artedinis introduced them:
"These individuals are the Purple Chamber Observers from the Zhexuan Kingdom."
Once these words were spoken, the crowd immediately began whispering to one another. Everyone knew the name of the Zhexuan Kingdom, but a small number of those who were ill-informed did not understand what the Purple Chamber Observers were and could only seek help from others.
"Purple Chamber Observers..."
Faust's gaze sharpened. He certainly knew what this was. After all, the training that the prince had received was handled by the elf martial saint Mystoria, which was of the absolute 【White Court】 style.
The 【White Court】 and the 【Purple Chamber】 were the two major sects of the elf kingdom. Although both were paths of the ascetic, the difference was that one climbed the warrior path to the extreme, while the other reached the pinnacle on the path of the spellcaster.
But whether it was a 【White Court martial saint】 or a 【Purple Chamber Observer】, they were both ancient and powerful forces that the human kingdoms could not comprehend. Countless humans wanted to be accepted into the sects to learn the techniques and knowledge passed down from the ancient era.
But regardless of whether they could be accepted as disciples by the elves, very few actually completed their training. Even the prince of Qingxi could not be considered a graduate yet.
The elf observer who stood at the head, who in Faust's view was not much worse than Teacher Mi, stepped forward, bowed in greeting with a calm tone, and introduced herself:
"Danilla Starfall."
"Everyone, we have come on this journey to request assistance from the many kingdoms of the continent."
"The Zhexuan Kingdom... is currently trapped in the calamity of a great fiend and is in dire need of outside help. If the Zhexuan Kingdom can be saved from this disaster, the Elf King's Court will be deeply grateful and will certainly join the cause of dragon-slaying."
Danilla explained their intentions concisely, sparking a new round of discussion.
"The Zhexuan Kingdom... if my intelligence is correct, I heard it suffered a fiend disaster twenty years ago and is now in a state of complete isolation."
"All the elves who have come out of the Zhexuan Kingdom seem to be silent about what is happening inside. What exactly happened?"
"After all this time, have the elves not finished clearing the fiend disaster? To think it has reached the point of requesting help, is this really that group of elves?"
"..............."
Artedinis watched the scene with a smile, her gaze scanning repeatedly, especially lingering on Faust for a long time.
Only then did she stand up, open her arms, and smooth out the murmurs:
"Just as you have heard, if the Zhexuan Kingdom can be drawn into the 【Sacred Alliance】, our encirclement network against the Second Empire will be formally established. By then, the great work of dragon-slaying will gain a reliable ally and reinforcement."
No one would doubt the strength of the Zhexuan Kingdom. If the experienced elves were to take action, the strength of the 【Sacred Alliance】 would inevitably surge! Skyrocket! Increase significantly!
But precisely because of this, many people could not help but feel suspicious:
"Your Highness! Please forgive me, but if the fiends of the Zhexuan Kingdom are so powerful that even the elves are helpless, how much of a role can we play? Is it worth paying a huge sacrifice to win over the Zhexuan Kingdom?"
This question was a bit too sharp, but Artedinis was not angry; she only looked toward the Purple Chamber Observers.
Danilla met the princess's gaze, nodded, and continued in a calm and restrained tone:
"This has nothing to do with how strong the Zhexuan Kingdom is, because we are powerless."
"According to prophecy, the only people who can save the Zhexuan Kingdom and rescue our princess, the Dawn Maiden, are humans from the outside world."
"Our princess will fall in love with the human who rescues her, and they will be joined in marriage to become the co-rulers of Zhexuan."
Rate on N.U.
