Chapter 135: Beneath the Abyss

Leaning against the waterproof soft pad behind her, the ample front of the Princess quivered “pooh-yo pooh-yo,” and Vilyric couldn’t shake the feeling that… ever since Liliya became the queen, her aura and style seemed to have surged along with it, and even her bust began to take on a hint of Edith’s essence.

Is this the immediate feeling that comes with status? Princess and Queen, just flipping the words around changes the entire vibe…

Reluctantly tearing her gaze away from those distracting curves in the bathrobe, Vilyric pretended to be nonchalant and picked up on Liliya’s topic.

“It’s the Kingdom of Azure, the bottomless abyss beneath the hundred thousand floating islands, right? I’ve heard of it. What’s going on?”

“If you already know, explaining it will be easy.”

The Princess took a sip of the drink beside her, her expression growing somewhat serious.

“According to reliable information, the so-called ‘Abyss’ that is said to go on forever has, in recent months, been crawling out strange magical beasts from within.”

“I’m not quite sure of the specifics, but I heard these creatures harbor a strong hostility against various beings in the upper world. They attack on sight without mercy. Currently, they have clashed violently with the Winged People under the Wing Emperor, and there seems to be fighting on the Sky King’s side as well.”

“The situation beneath the ‘Abyss’ has always been one of the greatest mysteries in this world. This is the first time in thousands of years something has crawled out from there, which has sparked high attention from all major nations and races.”

Seemingly parched from talking, the blue-haired girl took a big gulp of her drink, stretched comfortably, revealing her wonderful body curves, and then continued the previous topic under Vilyric’s helpless gaze.

“I first heard about this when I returned from the Western Region, but the domestic situation was unclear, the struggle for the throne was escalating, and I had no time to consider those matters. But now that I have risen to power, we must send someone to investigate.”

“After all, our country is located in the southwest of the continent, and the southern region is merely separated from the Kingdom of Azure by a Wasteland. If anything major happens over there, we will soon be affected here as well, so we need to prepare in advance.”

“Mm…”

The information Liliya mentioned reminded Vilyric of what she heard earlier from Leila and Renée, about a red beam of light rising from the bottom of the Abyss, piercing through the floating island they were on during their trial.

Monsters crawling out from the Abyss and the massive beam of light emitted from its depths; Vilyric didn’t believe these two were completely unrelated.

How interesting…

“Just so you know, I can’t guarantee I will stay in the envoy group the whole time. In special situations, I might leave at any moment and certainly won’t take on any leader duties.”

“Of course, I don’t plan to have you overly exposed, Vilyric. You don’t like those public formalities, right? I’ll arrange for someone else to take the position of envoy leader. Just do what you want, treat it as a public-funded trip.”

Saying that, the Princess smirked mischievously.

“Of course, if something major happens and you happen to be in the party, just lend a hand and don’t let them all die outside. That should be easy for you, right?”

As if afraid the Priestess would take offense, Liliya quickly placed her finger on her cherry lips in a shushing gesture and added,

“Just to clarify, I’m not forcing you to do anything. For this mission, I’ll provide adequate protection and strong personnel for the envoy, so under normal circumstances, it shouldn’t be a problem. I really just want to give you a convenient identity and hitch a ride.”

“You can make any requests you want to them; I’ll give them a heads-up. Just in case of the worst-case scenario…”

“Alright, alright, I understand. I’ll keep this in mind. And don’t think of me as that cold, Liliya.”

Seeing the blue-haired girl flustered and eager to explain herself, Vilyric smiled and waved her hand, indicating she wasn’t bothered.

Vilyric wasn’t the type to nitpick or weigh things heavily; as long as no ill intentions were aimed at her, she usually wouldn’t get too upset.

She had enough background to manage all this.

Rather, the Priestess was already considering how to travel to the Kingdom of Azure, to explore the hundred thousand floating islands and the Abyss that piqued her interest. Liliya’s proposal just happened to align perfectly with her plans, making it a timely surprise, if not a lifeline.

The journey didn’t necessarily have to be done on her own two legs; hitching a ride was an efficient option too.

For an ordinary person, this might seem like Her Majesty the Queen was using her power, but Vilyric understood that Liliya’s action was a genuine consideration of her preferences, leading to this decision.

With that in mind, helping out a little wouldn’t hurt.

“Huff… That’s good. So when does Vilyric plan to set out?”

“I’m not in a hurry. Didn’t Liliya make any reservations?”

“Uh…”

The Princess choked a bit.

She couldn’t exactly just say that the main reason for deciding to form this envoy to visit the Kingdom of Azure was to indirectly figure out Vilyric’s movements, to avoid losing track of this important yet elusive friend in the vast sea of people…

As for the abyss, monsters, and protecting the envoy, while that was part of the consideration, it was secondary compared to Her Majesty’s true intention.

But since Vilyric had already brought it up…

The blue-haired girl gritted her teeth and squeezed out a number as if quoting a price.

“How about a month? We set out in a month?”

Though mixed with a bit of personal desire, Liliya meant what she said; the kingdom had just recovered from several years of chaos, and many parts still needed adjustment and correction, making it a crucial time for manpower.

Sending a large number of administrative talents abroad now was truly not a wise choice; what she said earlier was merely her idea, the personnel hadn’t been decided yet.

“A month… That’s a bit long, but it’s fine. Just think of it as a few extra days of fun in the City of Courage. Liliya won’t mind me dropping by to mooch off food every day, right? Hehe…”

Saying this, the black-haired girl awkwardly glanced around at the luxurious setup that could be described as extravagant.

Back on the Blue Star, her baths were just small rooms with a shower; there was nothing like this.

“No, no, no! Of course not! Vilyric can stay as long as she wants! Yay!!”

Seeing that the Priestess had not declined but instead agreed wholeheartedly, the Princess’s eyes sparkled, cheering as she directly pounced over!

“Wait, hold on!”

Thump ~

Bathrobes flying, both of their white and delicate bodies tumbled into the bath at the same time, splashing out a beautiful spray of water.

Before the new journey begins, a little rest certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Volume 2: The Renewed Journey and the Disorder in the Capital

   

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