Novalia was stunned for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
She had always thought of Ning Busan as a gentle person, but she never expected to hear the word “usurp” come out of his mouth.
Ning Busan did not think it was funny at all.
“You are the eldest daughter. Your succession is perfectly justified.”
“The Thorns Legion is loyal to you; you have troops.”
“The commoners respect and love you; you have the people's hearts.”
“Novalia, if you want to change all of this, you must seize power. Otherwise, you will only find your hands tied at every turn.”
Ning Busan had chosen Novalia. He believed she would become a king who cherished her subjects, bringing about a profound transformation to the Dawn Empire.
However, Novalia shook her head. “You are too naive, Ning Busan.”
“There are thirteen dukes in the Dawn Empire. They possess their own territories and command their own combat knights.”
“Trust me, the moment their interests are threatened, they will band together and retaliate like hungry wolves, locking their jaws onto your throat until you draw your last breath.”
“If I were to usurp the throne, the empire would surely be drenched in rivers of blood.”
“Change requires bloodshed,” Ning Busan said, his voice gentle yet carrying a distinct coldness.
“Ten thousand years ago, during the same Xeno Invasion on the Landia Continent, Emperor Leo and General Louis killed no fewer humans than xenos in order to establish the Dawn Empire.”
“Novalia, only by cutting out the rotten flesh can the wound truly heal.”
Novalia scrutinized the young man before her. Having not seen him for five years, he seemed to have barely changed physically, yet he felt entirely different.
She suddenly felt a bit dazed, feeling as though Ning Busan's face was overlapping with another's.
If it were General Louis, would he have made the same choice as Ning Busan?
Novalia's voice lowered:
“I am unwilling to let the Thorns Legion, which I raised with my own hands, perish in internal strife. But if things truly reach an irreversible point, I will consider your words.”
Ning Busan fell into deep thought.
If they pushed for reform step by step, they could minimize unnecessary sacrifices.
He could understand Novalia's thoughts and respect her choices, but that did not stop him from giving things a little nudge from the shadows.
...
The royal palace.
William's face was contorted with rage. “What did you say? You didn't kill Novalia?”
Striking a deal with a demon was the fastest and most reliable way Prince William could think of to eliminate Novalia.
He had not expected that even a demon would fail to kill her.
Baphomet roared in extreme annoyance, “You never told me there was an archangel by her side!”
William frowned. “You must have been tricked! She has a contract with the Demon King of Greed. How could there possibly be an archangel by her side?”
“What did you say?” Baphomet narrowed his eyes. “She has a contract with the Demon King of Greed? Why didn't you mention such an important detail sooner?”
No wonder he had detected Mammon's scent on that woman. So that was why.
But he had discovered that on his own, rather than William telling him beforehand.
This human had sent him to kill someone without informing him of her contract with Mammon.
This was utterly unforgivable!
Still unaware of the severity of the situation, William spoke arrogantly:
“We have established a contract, and I have already paid the reward upfront. Therefore, you must accomplish what I demanded of you.”
“You cannot violate the contract, or you will suffer the backlash!”
Baphomet curled his lips into a cunning smile. “Has no one ever told you that when dealing with a demon, you must never pay the reward upfront?”
“Do not try to bind a demon with a contract! Hell has its own laws, and no one can bypass Satan to punish us—not even the God of Light!”
“The demons of Hell only believe in Satan—”
As he spoke those final words, his tone was devout and filled with fanaticism.
In truth, besides William and Baphomet, there was another person in the corner of the palace hall.
Phil.
At this moment, his face was incredibly pale, because Prince William had forced him to summon this demon.
If the contract held no power over the demon, then this creature could kill him at any moment.
Discerning the fear in Phil's eyes, Baphomet sneered, “I won't kill you for now.”
“Because I am also very curious. Why would an archangel suddenly appear in the Dawn Empire?”
Due to the existence of the God of Light in Heaven, the world's light attribute had always suppressed the dark attribute. Consequently, life in Hell had never been easy, and they did not even dare to spread their faith in the human world.
But right at that juncture, Satan appeared.
No one knew where he came from; they only knew that he led the seven Demon Kings under his command, sweeping through all obstacles and remaining undefeated, ultimately becoming the King of Hell.
When Satan ruled Hell, he sent demons to the human world to aggressively propagate the faith of Hell. As a result, during that period, there were far more humans who believed in darkness than those who believed in light.
Humans referred to that period as—the Dark Era.
However, since Satan's disappearance, Hell had lost its core leader, and the Dark Era came to a complete end.
The God of Light could have taken that opportunity to launch a crusade against Hell, but he did not. Instead, he intentionally had the angels seclude themselves from the world, maintaining the balance between Heaven and Hell.
What did an archangel suddenly appearing in the Dawn Empire intend to do?
Could the God of Light be planning something?
The more Baphomet thought about it, the more alarmed he became, sensing that the waters here were incredibly deep.
No, he had to investigate this matter thoroughly!
...
Meanwhile, Novalia had safely returned to the empire.
Colorful flags fluttered upon the empire's city walls, and the sound of horns echoed, stirring and solemn.
Clad in silver armor, Novalia rode a majestic white horse, leading her army of brave soldiers slowly toward the imperial gates.
The soldiers wore matching battle surcoats, their steps uniform and powerful. The clashing of armor and the trampling of hooves intertwined into a triumphant symphony.
As the procession neared the gates, waves of welcoming cheers surged like a tide. The eyes of the citizens atop the city walls were filled with admiration and reverence, their cheers resounding through the clouds.
A faint smile curled at the corner of Novalia's lips.
At this moment, she realized with absolute clarity the true weight of Ning Busan's words.
“Those who win the hearts of the people win the world.”
No matter how much those nobles tried to slander her reputation, it was all in vain now. She had led the Thorns Legion to defend weak territories against the xenos, achieving illustrious military exploits.
Both within and outside the empire, people supported and loved her.
At the center of the city gates, the nobles stood dressed in solemn ceremonial robes, holding scepters and swords.
As the princess had returned in triumph, it was mandatory for them as ministers to come out and welcome her. This was the custom of the Dawn Empire.
However, Novalia did not stop at the city gates at all, riding her horse straight toward the royal palace.
The nobles' faces turned livid.
They had given Novalia ample face, yet she did not show them any respect whatsoever.
This princess truly loathed them, just as they loathed her.
Rate on N.U.
