Chapter 854: A Divided Queendom

Leffy Beryl was not the head of the Beryl family.

At the very least, she was not the head of the family at present.

Because Beryl Territory consisted of far more than just the border city of Mitte, there were many other cities within its domain.

And the mayors of those cities were either direct or branch members of the Beryl family or vassals of the family. It was much like Karudia, the Iron City of Mavros Territory, whose governor belonged to the Hadyth family, a vassal of the Mavros family.

Those individuals were granted authority by the lord to govern one of the cities within the territory, effectively making them the lords of those cities.

Leffy had become the mayor of Mitte in exactly that way, taking responsibility for governing the border city.

Her elder brother was the current head of the Beryl family. Although she had already reached middle age, she had remained within the family. Her husband had married into the Beryl family, allowing her to retain her position as one of its direct senior members. As a result, she had been assigned to govern the border city of Mitte.

It was an extremely important mission because Lukais had become increasingly restless over the past few years and might even launch a war against Theresis with the support of the alliance of small nations.

As the border city closest to Lukais’s territory, Mitte had to shoulder the responsibility of resisting Lukais and protecting the land of Theresis due to both its location and its strategic importance.

Leffy had accepted that responsibility without hesitation.

Perhaps she was not the strongest member of the family, being only a second-rate magician, but when it came to administrative ability, she was unquestionably the most capable person in the family. Even her elder brother, the family head, admitted that he could not compare to her.

Unfortunately, Lukais still invaded the territory of Theresis, and their offensive had been carefully prepared and overwhelmingly fierce. Because of that, the troops stationed in Mitte alone had been completely incapable of stopping the sudden assault.

Under those circumstances, Leffy had already prepared herself to perish alongside Mitte. She had already sent away everyone she could, and as for the rest, their fate was no longer in her hands.

With that resolve, she sat quietly inside the mayor’s residence, waiting for the enemy army to reach her, prepared to face death without fear.

Unexpectedly, everything changed at the very last moment.

After receiving Hugh’s report, Leffy hurried to the reception room and immediately welcomed the heroes who had saved Mitte.

"Thank you all once again for saving Mitte and saving us."

Leffy lowered herself completely, bowing again and again.

Clearly, that was no longer the attitude of someone facing heroes but the attitude of someone addressing people who stood far above her own status.

Honestly, she had no choice.

She had already learned that the young man leading the group was a Tactical-Class Magician. At his side stood a Sword Saint attendant, while everyone accompanying him was either obviously wealthy and influential, exceptionally distinguished, or stunningly beautiful.

A group like this clearly came from extraordinary backgrounds and was far beyond what a mere count family like hers could ever hope to stand against.

Therefore, Leffy put aside all pride and sincerely expressed her gratitude.

Her approach proved effective.

At the very least, it left Riezel and the others with a favorable first impression.

"It was nothing more than a convenient favor. No need to be so formal, Mayor."

Riezel shook his head, brushing the matter aside.

However, Leffy was obviously not the type to leave it at that.

"I had already reported what happened in Mitte to my family, and they, in turn, had reported it to the royal palace. I believe the royal family will not ignore your assistance," Leffy said solemnly. "Our country will certainly reward all of you generously. Please stay here for a few days and allow us to properly host you."

"No, there’s no need for that. We don’t need any reward either." Riezel still shook his head before changing the subject. "But we do wanna meet someone from the royal family. If possible, could you set up an introduction for us?"

Hearing that, Leffy’s heart stirred, and a trace of caution immediately rose within her.

"May I ask why you wish to meet someone from the royal family?"

Leffy asked cautiously.

Of course, she could hardly be blamed for reacting that way.

Theresis was currently in a terrible situation, as the royal family had completely split into the Prince Faction and the Princess Faction. The ongoing civil conflict between the two factions had steadily drained the queendom’s strength, exhausting its people, resources, and military, ultimately leaving the nation in the state it now found itself in.

Under such circumstances, it was only natural for Leffy to become wary when Riezel expressed his desire to meet the royal family.

Yes, she knew it was inappropriate, especially considering he had just saved her and the border city, but Theresis simply could not endure any more turmoil when the queendom was already teetering on the brink of collapse, and any unforeseen variable could easily make its already dire situation even worse.

Furthermore, Riezel and his companions were far too mysterious for her not to be suspicious of them, no matter how grateful she was for everything they had done.

"Don’t worry. I’m not really interested in this country itself."

Seeing that Leffy was testing him, Riezel didn’t mind, and his tone just got a whole lot more direct.

"You don’t have to worry about us trying to take advantage of all this chaos to do something to the royal family or this country. I just wanna meet some members of the royal family and ask them a few questions."

’Ask them questions? About what?’

Leffy wanted to ask, but she stopped herself in time.

Testing him was one thing, but she still understood which questions were appropriate and which were not. From her observation, this clearly involved his privacy, so continuing to ask would have been rude.

Suppressing her curiosity, Leffy smiled at Riezel.

"Of course, I’m not doubting you. It’s just that, as you know, Theresis is in a very unstable situation. Although the Beryl family is only a count family, we’re still one of the queendom’s major noble families. It’s only natural for us to be a little sensitive."

It was evidently a polished diplomatic remark.

Riezel felt that the mayor of Mitte was exceptionally skilled at saying such things, as she never made others feel uncomfortable. On the contrary, she made people feel genuinely appreciated.

More importantly, her words never came across as obvious flattery or sycophancy because she blended sincere honesty into them, making others feel at ease rather than irritated.

"As long as you’ve got it figured out that way, Mayor..." Riezel let out a soft chuckle. "So, would you be willing to set up an introduction?"

"...I can report the matter to those above me. As for whether your wish will be granted, that depends on the royal family’s decision."

After thinking for a moment, Leffy ultimately chose not to speak too definitively and replied with great caution.

"Logically speaking, you saved Mitte, helped our country repel an illegal foreign invasion, and prevented us from losing part of our territory. No matter how you look at it, the royal family should publicly commend and thank you."

"Arranging a personal introduction will probably be very difficult. But if your goal is simply to receive a royal summons, then under the current circumstances, that will actually be quite easy."

"It’s just..."

At this point, Leffy hesitated.

"Just what?"

Riezel prompted her to continue.

Leffy let out a sigh.

"It’s just that the person summoning you probably won’t be Her Majesty the Queen. And if you enter the royal palace because of that summons, you may end up getting caught up in some troublesome matters."

Leffy’s words caused Riezel to narrow his eyes.

He had already learned about the situation in Theresis beforehand, so he naturally understood what she meant. Even Jinas knew about Theresis’s internal conflict, and Yuri had already explained everything to him.

As a result, he knew that Theresis was now nothing more than a loose collection of competing forces. Not only had the royal family split into two factions that were constantly at odds with each other, but the nobles themselves had also aligned with different sides.

Meanwhile, the queen had refused to intervene, acting as though none of it existed. She no longer handled state affairs and, according to rumor, had not left the royal palace for a very long time. She had not even stepped outside her own chambers, remaining secluded within the palace and rarely appearing before anyone.

Because of that, the queendom’s internal governance had effectively been divided into two parts, one controlled by the Princess Faction and the other by the Prince Faction.

Regardless, the biggest problem was that neither side remained within the bounds of its own responsibilities. Instead, both insisted on interfering in everything, resulting in endless power struggles day after day.

In Riezel’s case, no matter how one looked at it, the royal family had to publicly commend and thank him. The problem, however, was which side would appear on behalf of the queendom.

Both factions undoubtedly wanted to represent the entire nation and publicly honor Riezel, thereby proving to everyone that they were the country’s true authority.

That was why Leffy said the summons would not come from the queen. Since the queen herself no longer involved herself in governing, it was as though she intended to let Theresis fend for itself.

For that reason, if Riezel accepted the summons and entered the royal palace, he would inevitably be forced to follow the political situation and choose, under everyone’s watchful eyes, which faction he would meet.

Would he meet with the Princess Faction?

Or the Prince Faction?

If he accepted the Princess Faction’s summons, would the Prince Faction really sit quietly and watch from the shadows?

And what if he did the opposite?

Needless to say, that was the trouble Leffy had been referring to.

In Riezel’s eyes, however, Leffy had clearly overthought things, so he had only one thing to say.

"You’re worrying too much, Mayor."

Riezel spoke calmly, sounding completely unbothered.

"No matter who summons me, none of the stuff you’re worried about is gonna end up involving me. And if it does end up involving me, then all I can say is whoever made that call seriously lacks judgment."

"If they end up making things worse for themselves, then they really can’t blame me for whatever happens after that. Don’t you think?"

His words first left Leffy stunned, but then her expression shifted slightly as she understood what he meant.

Not only did she understand, but Hugh, who was standing nearby, understood as well. He even glanced at Lilith behind Riezel and couldn’t help imagining what would happen if either the Prince Faction or the Princess Faction decided to cause trouble for Riezel simply to satisfy their own political ambitions.

Needless to say, the consequences would be severe.

After all, these were not ordinary people the royal family could casually pressure or manipulate. They were an extraordinary group led by a Tactical-Class Magician, with a Sword Saint serving as his attendant.

Would they fear the royal family’s attempts to make things difficult for them?

Obviously not.

And would the royal family be foolish enough to provoke a group with such mysterious origins, especially one accompanied by a Sword Saint?

Obviously not.

If they were that foolish, they might as well give up fighting for power and return home to farm for the rest of their lives.

Someone with that little sense simply was not suited for political struggles.

At this moment, neither Leffy nor Hugh was worried that Riezel and his group might run into trouble. Instead, they were worried that the royal family—and perhaps even the entire country—might be the ones to invite disaster upon themselves.

If Theresis offended mysterious powerhouses of unknown origin during such a fragile period, especially a group of extraordinary youngsters like these, the consequences would truly be disastrous.

With that thought in mind, Hugh remained silent, while Leffy found herself no longer wanting Riezel and his companions to travel to Urvashi, enter the royal palace, and answer a summons from the royal family.

Unfortunately, it was obvious that they had not come without a purpose, so trying to stop them now would only be inappropriate.

Left with no other choice, Leffy forced a bitter smile.

"I will report your situation to the royal family as accurately as possible. If they decide to summon you, they should send someone to escort you."

For the sake of her country, Leffy truly worried herself sick.

She had already decided that she would emphasize just how extraordinary Riezel’s group was when reporting to those above her. They had to take these people seriously and make absolutely certain they did not accidentally offend someone they should never provoke, because the current Theresis simply could not withstand another major crisis.

Unfortunately, Leffy would soon have even more to worry about.

"How long do you think it’d take before someone from the royal family got here?"

Riezel frowned as he asked the question.

Reporting the matter itself would not have been difficult. Given that this world had communication magic crystals, he believed that once the royal family learned about his group, they would not neglect them and would certainly arrange a summons immediately.

But if he had to wait for someone to come and escort them, how much time would the round trip take?

In Jinas, even with the Grand Canal, a round trip between the royal capital, Yeluvia, and the border of Mavros Territory still took nearly half a month.

Theresis had no Grand Canal, and its environment was far harsher than Jinas’s. If a blizzard delayed the journey, the round trip would probably take at least a month.

For Riezel, that was far too long.

As it turned out, his concern was well-founded.

"The royal family possesses the finest means of transportation available, equipped with the highest-grade configuration. Even with blizzards along the way, they can reach Beryl Territory in less than ten days. Even traveling all the way to Mitte, the border city at the edge of Beryl Territory, takes only about ten days."

Leffy explained the situation to Riezel.

"So even then, a round trip would still take at least twenty days..." Riezel shook his head. "Forget it. That’s way too long. We’ll just head to Urvashi ourselves."

"Your group will travel there on your own?" Leffy froze for a moment before hurriedly continuing. "Mitte does have transportation capable of crossing the frozen wilderness, but its speed is nowhere near the royal family’s finest vehicles. If you use those, it may take even longer to reach Urvashi."

"It’s fine. I’ll take care of that myself." Riezel didn’t sound worried at all. "Mayor, all you gotta do is contact the royal family, let them know about our request, and get a map, some food, and water ready for us."

Hearing those words and seeing the expression on Riezel’s face, Leffy knew there was no persuading the young man.

’Hahh, there goes my chance to buy some time and think of a solution...’

Leffy sighed inwardly once again.

However...

’With people like them... perhaps I can entrust that person to them as well...’

A thoughtful glimmer flashed across Leffy’s eyes, and a short while later, she made up her mind.

’I’ll talk to her first.’

===

[A bonus Chapter for reaching 300 Power Stones]

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