"Dad, do you mean we're going to make friends with them?"
"That's one way to put it. People can become friends, and so can nations.
Sky Island is practically separate from the sea, and taking the conventional route from West Blue to this place is quite easy. Establishing ties with them will be very convenient for us.
You can consider it a form of diplomacy. You're the Princess of Piltover, and you'll have to go through things like this in the future."
There was nothing wrong with Oran's words. It was common across the seas for a princess to represent the King in diplomatic affairs, but Lyliana was somewhat different.
After all, diplomacy involved negotiations with outsiders, with the goal of resolving problems. Yet there would always be problems that could not be resolved.
When that time came, Lyliana could simply and directly deal with whoever had caused the problem.
The trip to Sky Island itself was meant to teach Lyliana, such as how to make use of information gaps, trading things worthless in her own hands for things the other side considered equally "worthless."
Before long, they arrived at Cloud Hidden Village, the current settlement of the Shandia people. Nearly four hundred years had passed, yet they still maintained the living habits of their ancestors.
Their clothing and homes had not changed much. The only thing that had advanced with the times was their weaponry.
After all, they had never stopped fighting over all these years.
"Wait, stop! Who are you people?!"
Cloud Hidden Village meant a village hidden among the clouds. The people of Sky Island normally did not come here, and the Shandia guards stationed around the outskirts spotted Oran and his group as soon as they approached.
"Brother Oran, they don't seem very friendly."
"In an