Chapter 134: Next Stop

A week passed after that.

The festive atmosphere surrounding the new king’s ascension gradually faded, and the impacts of that significant upheaval were swiftly calming down under the efficient management of the royal government.

The City of Courage was returning to its normal routine, and cities across the kingdom expressed their loyalty and recognition of the status of the twenty-second queen, Liliya Meikailande.

Although there were still remnants of the chaos caused by the leftover factions from Ban running wild, without a strong leader, they really couldn’t make much of an impact. Surely, they’d be completely suppressed soon enough.

Over the past few days, Liliya had been busier than ever.

She had to reorganize the noble factions that had been divided among several princes and rebuild the government institutions that lay in shambles after the old king’s death, all while establishing new national policies according to the queen’s… oh, now it’s Your Majesty’s ideas.

Additionally, many neighboring countries sent envoys to formally congratulate the new monarch of the United Human Kingdom.

This was not only a sign of acknowledgment of Liliya’s rightful claim to the throne but also a way to test the new queen’s capabilities to determine future policies towards the United Kingdom.

An avalanche of various chaotic affairs came crashing down, heavier than the atmosphere before the upheaval.

Fortunately, Liliya had already promoted and trained a group of young, capable aides during her time as a princess, and with the full support of the old ministers, they alleviated some of the pressure.

Your Majesty’s shadow guard deputy leader, Miss Emily, had also been found. That Ninth Throne Chromans actually didn’t kill her; instead, they knocked the poor Miss Emily out and stuffed her in a sack, hiding her in a deserted shed for reasons unknown.

However, it was a stroke of good luck amidst the misfortune, and upon hearing the news, Liliya breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ah… I’m dead tired! Vilyric, do you know? Today, I had meetings with envoys from 12 different countries! They brought gifts and flattery until my facial muscles are about to collapse!”

Lying in an exaggeratedly luxurious bath, the newly crowned Your Majesty loudly complained to the black-haired girl beside her, whose head had been completely submerged in water, blowing bubbles.

Since she had become queen, the former Mingluan Palace no longer suited Liliya’s status. After several days of massive relocation, this former base of the queen had been moved inside the royal palace, from the architecture itself to the decorations.

Even all the flowers and plants had been magically transferred without a hitch.

Though it might sound unbelievable for something to be accomplished in just a few days in Blue Star, it was not uncommon in this magical other world.

During these days, Vilyric had mostly stayed out of Liliya’s way. Aside from visiting the palace to enjoy desserts and tea with the queen at night, she spent her time wandering with a pet dragon and two free-range winged companions, or chatting with some lazy Guardian girl.

“Gurgle… Ha! Well done, Liliya, but the workload is just heavier at this time after your coronation. You should hold on for a while longer.”

After holding her breath in the water for a full five minutes, the Priestess burst to the surface, slicking back her wet black hair, leaning back against a cushion without a hint of redness in her face, grabbing a drink the maids had already placed on the shelf.

The life of the rich really is enjoyable.

“How could that be? Things keep coming one after another. Vilyric, you don’t know how many matters I have to deal with every day sitting in my position. A massive country with over a thousand cities stacked with paperwork; I could drown in it!”

The blue-haired beauty wore a face full of despair and conveniently snuggled into the Priestess’s warm embrace, rubbing against her smooth skin like a desperate little kitten begging for affection.

“You’re the one who decided to take on these responsibilities. It’s too late to regret now! Come on, stop it.”

The queen’s moist blue hair tickled Vilyric’s nose, making her feel slightly embarrassed from the skin-to-skin contact and the heat radiating off each other.

Though this was not their first close encounter and they were both women, Vilyric, who had lived in another world just months ago, hadn’t quite gotten used to it yet.

Gently pushing the persistent blue-haired queen away from her chest, the black-haired girl leaned back a bit, tightened her bath towel, and pondered.

“Actually, you could find more people to handle the less important national affairs. As queen, you can’t do everything yourself. Of course, I don’t know anything about politics, so just take that as a suggestion…”

“We’re already doing that, but even so, there are still a lot of important matters. After all, the United Kingdom is just too vast…”

After being pushed away from her gently curving softness, Liliya first showed a slightly dissatisfied expression but quickly shook her head and brought up another topic.

“Speaking of which, Vilyric, you’re probably about to leave the City of Courage and continue your travels, right?”

“Hmm? Well, yes, I do have plans along those lines. After all, I’m not a citizen of the United Kingdom, so I can’t just stay here forever. What, are you going to miss me, Liliya?”

Seeing the Priestess speak about her future travel plans without hesitation, the newly crowned queen appeared a bit melancholic, but she had already prepared herself and didn’t feel too down. Instead, she threw out a bait.

“I’ll definitely miss you, but I can’t just tie you up and refuse to let you leave. Besides, you won’t be gone forever… However, have you thought about where you’ll go next on your travels?”

This genuinely caught Vilyric off guard.

After a brief moment of consideration, the black-haired girl shook her head.

“Not yet, but I’ll probably leave the kingdom’s borders and check out a nearby country. I should experience some different customs and cultures.”

This answer was entirely in line with what the queen, who had already conducted thorough research, expected.

She immediately smiled brightly.

“In that case, how about hearing my recommendation?”

Though she suspected the queen might have ulterior motives, Vilyric believed Liliya wouldn’t have bad intentions, so she smiled and nodded.

“Let’s hear it?”

“Have you heard of the far southern Winged Nation, the Kingdom of Azure?”

Of course, she had heard of it. Not only that, but she was currently accompanied by two winged companions.

Though she thought that, the Priestess just said, “I’ve heard of it.”

Liliya instantly smiled even wider.

“Since you’ve heard of it, I plan to send an envoy group to visit the Wing Emperor of the Kingdom of Azure soon. Vilyric, would you be interested in joining? It won’t be considered a royal mission but simply traveling together, like many travelers do when they hitch a ride with merchant caravans. Plus, you can meet some of the high-ranking individuals there.”

“The Wing Emperor, huh…”

The Priestess was certainly intrigued.

The Kingdom of Azure was indeed one of her planned targets.

It was convenient that she had two local guides with her. Going there should be relatively easy.

However, she didn’t immediately agree.

“Can I ask what the real purpose of the envoy group is?”

“Hmm…”

Liliya didn’t hide her intentions from the Priestess. She pondered for a moment, organizing her words.

“Since you know of the Kingdom of Azure, Vilyric, you must have heard of the Abyss, right?”

   

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