Before long, the meal finally came to an end.
Before saying her goodbyes after dinner, Xia Jin took some time to wander around the Red Rose Chamber of Commerce. She was particularly curious about the massive estate, which even came with its own garden.
In fact, by observing the guards there, she could roughly gauge their level of strength.
The weakest among them were at Tier 3, and there were even a few warriors who had reached Tier 5 and Tier 6, which came as a great surprise to Xia Jin.
“Humanity’s foundation is truly terrifying. It is a good thing my Zerg swarm is developing in the forest; that is the only reason I have been able to reach my current level. If I had appeared in the human heartland, I probably would have been strangled in the cradle at the very start.”
While the Zerg were powerful, the development of any species required time.
The humans of this world possessed tens of thousands of years of history, advanced magical technology, and numerous powerhouses. Aside from kingdoms, there was also the even more powerful Dawn Empire, whose influence could reach across the entire continent.
Fortunately, scientific technology had been slow to develop precisely because magic was too advanced.
Scholars explained many laws of nature through magical elements, leading them into a dead end.
After walking around the garden, Xia Jin prepared to return to the main hall.
Just then, a young man appeared before her.
“Is something the matter, esteemed young master?” Xia Jin asked politely, looking at the city lord’s son.
Facing Xia Jin, the young man’s breathing became somewhat rapid.
“Hello, may I ask if we could get to know each other?”
“Hmm? Haven’t we already met? Speaking of which, I am just about to leave. After all, I still have to prepare goods for my merchant guild.”
“Are you working for your own merchant guild? That is far too exhausting. Why not come to my side instead? I can offer you much better terms.”
“I appreciate the young master’s kindness, but I am not a citizen of this country.”
Xia Jin smiled with a deliberate sense of helplessness.
She really did not want to deal with this kind of person.
She was about to walk around him, but the young master unexpectedly reached out, intending to touch her.
Xia Jin agilely flashed to the side, shot him a cold look, and walked straight away.
Once inside, she bid farewell to the others and left through the main gates.
As she was leaving, she faintly overheard the conversation between the young master and the city lord.
“I hope you didn’t do anything stupid. You are at an age where you should start giving me some peace of mind.”
“I’m sorry, Father. She is just too beautiful; I couldn’t help myself.”
“Idiot. Any man can see she is beautiful, but making a scene like that will only bring me trouble. If you truly like her, wait until she visits next time and pursue her properly. Don’t ruin a good thing.”
...
“Let’s go.”
Sitting inside the carriage, Xia Jin waved to the knight commander.
“Understood... Um, Princess, that young master didn’t take advantage of you, did he?” The knight commander looked a bit worried.
“What, do you think I’m someone who would let myself be bullied?” Xia Jin looked out the window and gave a soft laugh.
“Erm... to be honest, Your Highness, even though you are very powerful, it is still easy for people to worry about you,” the knight commander could not help but sigh.
Petite and seemingly powerless—a very delicate young girl. That was indeed the impression Xia Jin gave people.
However, as her strength grew, the Queen’s aura had gradually begun to influence her. This contradictory beauty of fragility and arrogance was enough to drive countless people mad.
The transaction had brought in thousands of gold coins. Under the escort of the local town guards, the caravan soon departed.
Watching the convoy disappear into the distance, several of the soldiers who had seen them off could not help but mutter, “That direction leads to the forest, right? Won’t they run into trouble going that way?”
“With over twenty people, as long as they stick to the edge of the forest, they shouldn’t run into any magic beasts,” a nearby officer speculated.
...
The caravan returned to the vicinity of the Hive, marking the successful completion of this trade mission.
“I probably won’t have to go out in person next time.”
Xia Jin jumped off the carriage and happily gave her projection a hug.
“Uh, hugging myself... why does this feel so weird?”
Considering the projection was actually Zerg in construction, it felt even stranger.
But she really was beautiful.
Xia Jin looked at her own face, momentarily lost in thought.
She seriously suspected that her subordinates’ loyalty was due in no small part to her appearance.
After all, in this world, many people followed their hearts based on what their eyes saw. A beautiful face, whether male or female, was a great boon to one’s personal charisma. When paired with a corresponding status, success naturally came more easily.
And as someone whose soul had once been male, she found it very hard not to be moved by her current appearance.
“If only this girl were my wife.”
“Too bad she’s me.”
Her feelings were complicated.
Every time she saw her own reflection, her heart fluttered, let alone anyone else’s.
The most terrifying part was that she had completely grown used to wearing skirts... Well, strictly speaking, she had been so focused on developing the Zerg that she hadn’t even considered other clothing.
Looking at herself in the mirror during a quiet moment, she saw the elegantly curved figure, the soft patterns of her long dress, and those incredibly alluring legs in black silks. She actually felt that... it wasn’t bad at all.
“Even though I’m a girl now, there really are no flaws to be found in this identity and appearance.”
Rate on N.U.
