Private Conversation

"Master, why do you want to associate with people from these barbaric countries?"

After the commander of the Red Armament Forces and the black-armored warriors had all left, Yi Aier began to complain somewhat discontentedly.

"Such uncultured and impolite barbarians are not worth our attention."

"This is not something you should be saying, Yi Aier."

Standing to the side, Suoxiate quietly rebuked.

"Don't forget, you are one of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. You should maintain a certain level of reserve in your interactions with others. In front of your master, you are not qualified to speak without permission or attempt to influence his decisions."

"I know... I was just complaining."

Faced with Suoxiate's accusations, which were devoid of any anger, Yi Aier's momentum immediately weakened.

"Sister Suoxiate, you saw how rude that barbarian was to his master. He has no idea where he belongs!"

That was a long time ago.

Li Lin began by summarizing the situation.

"After all, our empire has been gone for a thousand years, so it's normal that we don't receive respect from others. Moreover, at the very beginning of the Magic Empire's founding, we didn't have much authority—by the time you were born, the Magic Empire was already very powerful, so you naturally didn't experience what it went through. Back then, we Arcane Mage also engaged in external communication and exchange, and received some less-than-ideal treatment. After all, once you establish a nation, you represent more than just yourself; as the leader of the Magic Empire, your status dictates that our actions cannot be as casual as before."

"I see..."

After hearing Li Lin's words, Yi Aier obediently shut her mouth. She glanced somewhat disapprovingly at Angela, who was still sound asleep in Li Lin. Yi Aier had already been wondering why the little one was acting like a good baby at this moment; she didn't believe Angela was really asleep because she was tired. Now it seemed that her words were completely unnecessary. Angela must have already guessed that this situation would occur and deliberately remained silent to lure her into a trap—she had been completely outmaneuvered.

"We never expected to gain this much. Of course, we can't consider them our friends just because of this; we still don't know how this country acquired these technologies. However, if we can communicate effectively, we might be able to utilize their expertise in the future."

As he spoke, Li Lin stood up, holding Angela in his arms.

"Well then, I'm going to rest. You all keep an eye on things... Yi Aier, remember to activate stealth mode and don't let anyone spot you. Slow down as you head towards the capital of this country. Finally... Suoxiate, be quiet."

"Understood. Sweet dreams, Master."

Suoxiate and Yi Aier quickly bowed in greeting, then watched Li Lin's figure disappear into the darkness.

Then, Yi Aier turned her head, her face somewhat pale.

"Um... Sister Suoxiate? I need to get ready for work now..."

"Before that, aren't there more important things to do?"

Suoxiate maintained her friendly, gentle smile. Then, she flipped her right hand, revealing a long, thin, black leather whip. Upon seeing this whip, Yi Aier's face immediately turned deathly pale. She knew exactly what was about to happen; she had suffered similar torment countless times before for various reasons.

"In such a formal setting, who gave you permission to interrupt? Yi Aier? I should have taught you that as a maid, you are not allowed to speak without permission in front of your master. Or... has a thousand years passed and you've forgotten all my teachings? In such a formal and serious setting, who gave you the right to complain without thinking? Yi Aier?"

"Sor, Sister Suoxiate..."

Gazing at the gleaming black leather whip, Yi Aier's face paled even more. She involuntarily took a step back, her two ponytails swaying slightly from side to side, trembling as if sensing their owner's unease and fear.

"I just did it by accident, and besides, doesn't Angela do that all the time?"

"Miss Angela is the master's familiar, not a maid. The two are different, and we are not talking about Miss Angela right now."

Suoxiate's formulaic smile remained unchanged, but she pulled hard with both hands, making the whip crack loudly.

"Disciplining disobedient maids is also my duty. So, Yi Aier, are you ready? Don't take too long, okay? You still have to carry out your master's orders, don't you? But since your master has already pleaded for you, I'll be gentler. Don't worry."

"Waaaaah..."

There's always a reason why something has its counter.

Even siege engines capable of destroying an army with a mere gesture are no exception.

"An idiot is an idiot."

Angela, curled up in Li Lin, slightly opened her eyes, listened to the almost inaudible screams below, sneered, and then snuggled back into Li Lin's arms, falling into a sweet sleep.

Although they didn't know exactly what kind of punishment Suoxiate had given them, when the two of them woke up the next morning and saw Yi Aier's pitiful face, they could guess pretty much what had happened.

I never expected you to have such an interest.

As Angela gracefully took the pastries from the plate, she glanced at Yi Aier was standing not far away beside her.

"I didn't..."

Yi Aier clenched her small fists in anger, but upon seeing the gaze directed at her by Suoxiate, she immediately lowered her head obediently. After all, the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys not ordinary humans; their bodies were essentially indestructible. Unless their physical bodies were damaged, even the most severe injuries would heal quickly. Suoxiate herself didn't possess any formidable martial prowess; as she herself said, she only had strength roughly equivalent to that of a human girl her age—and precisely because of this, the methods Suoxiate used to train her maids far surpassed anything unimaginable to ordinary humans. In any case, she couldn't possibly destroy other weapons with her own strength. But inflicting pain and punishment...

"So, Master, what are your plans regarding that country?"

Seeing that Yi Aier was temporarily subdued and showed no intention of resisting her, Angela had no choice but to change the subject. Judging from her current state, it was hard to say whether she had slept at all last night.

"If you wish, I can also turn that country's king into a slave, wouldn't that be faster?"

"No need."

Li Lin shook his head and patted the little guy's head.

"We can use any means necessary to deal with the Five-Nation Alliance, but we will maintain certain diplomatic principles with these smaller countries—besides, they are not even a threat and are not worth dealing with by any means necessary."

"Since you put it that way, then I will say nothing more."

As she spoke, Angela winked smugly at Yi Aier, clearly showing off that she was better at reading people than the clumsy maid.

Noticing Angela's gaze, Yi Aier clenched her fists in anger, but... for now, she could only endure it.

"Hmph, he's just a brat, what's so great about him?"

"Oh? Is that how a maid should speak, Sister Suoxiate? That's clearly impolite. If she does that, it will only bring shame to her master."

"That's not right, Miss Angela."

This time, however, Suoxiate showed absolutely no anger in the face of Angela's "complaint."

"As a maid, it's perfectly normal to act naturally in front of those close to you. We are the face of our master, but in situations with family, there's no need to be so reserved. As a maid, the most important thing is not to embarrass your master. Anything else is insignificant. Besides, aren't you also your master's familiar? We're colleagues, so there's no need to treat us like outsiders, is there? As your master's familiar, I believe you, like your master, won't get angry over such minor offenses, right?"

"Waaah..."

Faced with Suoxiate's answer, Angela surprisingly remained silent. She glanced at Yi Aier, who was beginning to gloat, then at Suoxiate. Li Lin, on the other hand, had clearly adopted a detached attitude, watching with anticipation and curiosity how she would handle the situation. Although Angela would "self-regulate" in front of Li Lin, frankly speaking, she still abided by the rules she had set for herself. The little girl had never accepted being forced into any behavior by others.

"This... As a high-ranking Vampire Species, I naturally wouldn't bother with such a trivial matter."

Finally, faced with Suoxiate's seemingly harmless smile, Angela could only offer this response.

It seems that even someone as formidable as Angela always has a nemesis.

The magic ship moved slowly through the air, its hull enveloped in white clouds under the influence of magic, appearing merely as ordinary clouds from below.

At that moment, in the city that Li Lin was about to visit, the young commander of the Red Armament Forces was kneeling before his king, his expression solemn.

After Li Lin let him go, the commander immediately summoned the Red Armament Forces and rushed back to his country's capital overnight. He then urgently reported the matter to his superiors and was soon summoned. He then gave a full account of the entire incident.

"... You mean to say that the other side can not only sense our magical beacons, but also control our weapons?"

A cold yet authoritative and beautiful voice rang out.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The young commander knelt with a serious expression, staring at the ground before him. Although the voice was enough to make most men want to peek at its owner, he didn't have the courage.

"To be honest, although we've suspected the possibility of an internal intelligence leak, given the strength of the other side, it doesn't seem like that. After all, even we don't currently possess a magical ship capable of flying."

You make a good point.

The woman paused for a moment after saying this.

"So, what are his demands?"

"Yes, that man asked me to tell you that he will come here to have a meeting with you the day after tomorrow evening, but he didn't specify the details."

A magic ship that appeared out of thin air?

The woman's voice lingered on the words with a hint of doubt before she finally asked a question.

So, everyone, what are your thoughts?

A hushed exchange was heard around the commander, and then another man stepped out.

"Your Majesty, while not entirely certain, I believe some of the intelligence we 'Black Mist' have gathered previously may be helpful in assessing the situation."

"Oh?"

"I think you've all heard that the Five-Nation Alliance hasn't been very peaceful lately."

The moment these words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent. For these small, underdeveloped coastal nations with relatively small territories, the Five-Nation Alliance had always been a thorn in their side. Even the princes and nobles of these countries were not as prestigious as a single city lord among the five nations. Territory, population, and resources—all of these factors suppressed these small nations. For many years, they had been suppressed by the Five-Nation Alliance. Although these small nations were unwilling to accept their current status, anyone could understand that truly building their own country into a powerful nation comparable to the Five-Nation Alliance was no easy task. Moreover, to curb the development of these countries, the Five-Nation Alliance imposed strict restrictions on their exports of necessities. Even if these small nations could smuggle goods at exorbitant prices, it wouldn't be enough to meet their own needs.

Therefore, any topic concerning the Five-Nation Alliance immediately attracts attention in these small countries. They have always wanted to strengthen their own power while curbing the influence of the Five-Nation Alliance. However, the Five-Nation Alliance is simply too powerful; even if these small countries form an alliance, they are no match for it. Historically, these small countries have indeed done similar things, but that time they paid a heavy price—several leading small countries were completely annihilated and annexed by the Five-Nation Alliance, and most of the other allied forces were also wiped out. For a long time afterward, these small countries no longer had the ability or confidence to fight against the Five-Nation Alliance. They could only live their lives in silence. They lived in constant fear of displeasing the Five-Nation Alliance and facing annihilation. Afterwards, some smaller nations, out of desperation, voluntarily requested to be incorporated into the Five-Nation Alliance's territory. These developments had a significant impact on these smaller nations. Therefore, much of what had happened within the Five-Nation Alliance recently had already reached the ears of the elites in these smaller countries. While they were gloating, they didn't see this as an opportunity for their own rise. After all, their limited territory and resources meant they posed no threat to the Five-Nation Alliance; otherwise, the Five-Nation Alliance wouldn't have allowed these smaller nations to exist for so long.

"Lalia has launched a war against Kudel, and a rift has formed in the Temple of Dideyasi and their worshipped God of Justice. Moreover... according to our intelligence, Casablanca City, located within the Xialuo Kingdom, was suddenly attacked by an unidentified army. According to our information, apart from a few lucky individuals who managed to escape, all the residents of Casablanca City perished. After that, the army of 100,000 men dispatched by the Xialuo Kingdom vanished without a trace, completely disappearing from the face of the earth."

"How could this be? The Five-Nation Alliance is already the most powerful nation on this continent. Even if something has happened to them, it shouldn't have come to this. Moreover, an army of 100,000 is no small number. What kind of enemy could have wiped out 100,000 people without even sending a messenger?"

"Regarding this matter, we actually received a rumor from our subordinates who were 'working' within the Vila Federation... Just days before the attack on Casablanca City, the Speaker of the Vila Federation Council received a declaration of war from someone claiming to be an envoy of the Magic Empire, announcing the start of war between the Magic Empire and the Five-Nation Alliance."

"What did you say!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was startled, and the woman's voice became even louder and sharper, filled with anger.

"Why wasn't this important matter reported immediately, instead of being delayed until now!"

"I'm very sorry, Your Majesty! Although we did conduct our investigation, the Five-Nation Alliance remained tight-lipped, and furthermore... there is no evidence of the actual existence of the Magic Empire..."

"... never mind."

Upon hearing this, the woman's voice regained its composure.

"This is a very important matter. Go and inform our allies immediately. Although we don't know if it's true or not, it's certain that there are problems within the Five-Nation Alliance, which might be to our advantage. Moreover... as you said, there is currently no concrete evidence of the existence of the Magic Empire. Let's leave it at that... You may all leave."

"Yes!"

A flurry of footsteps sounded, then silence returned.

Only the commander of the Red Armament remained kneeling there, not leaving.

Your Majesty...

"There are no outsiders here now, so you don't need to be so reserved."

"Yes, then... Mother."

Only then did the commander raise his head for the first time and gaze at the queen before him.

What are your plans?

"I haven't decided yet."

The woman's voice became much lower.

"However, it seems that if what you said is true, then we... are very likely standing at a crossroads with no turning back, and we have to make a choice."