My exclusive card pool

Chapter 165 What Reward Do You Want?

"Hmm?" Lillian stopped and turned to look at Godariel, calmly asking, "Why?"

Cinderella met the witch's gaze without fear.

Although she was merely a nature witch in the Flower Kingdom, strictly speaking, a subordinate of a witch... her attitude was exceptionally firm when it came to Kai.

“Gai is not your subordinate or servant, Witch. He is my hero and a prince of the kingdom. His fate is up to him.”

Godaril refused to back down.

Lillian was not angry; she simply remained silent for a moment before turning to look at the young man.

“Miss Lillian, I do need to return to the palace first to report to Her Majesty Queen Siana.”

Wang Xi smiled.

"But please rest assured, I will visit the Forest of Magic again once I have finished my business."

He pointed to the windmill on the fire giant's back, looking interested: "May I sit on it sometime?"

“Okay.” Lillian’s lips curled into a smile. She smiled more often than usual today. “I’ll wait for you.”

...

...

That same day, Wang Xi, Godariel, and Pinocchio led the puppet army back to Daphne.

After more than two months, they returned to the capital.

Of the two hundred mechs taken out, only one hundred and forty or one hundred and fifty remain, a loss of nearly 30%, but the results achieved can be described as brilliant.

The northern tribes were utterly defeated, and a century-old problem was eradicated in one fell swoop. Even the most stubborn nobles in the capital had to admit that this was the most exhilarating victory for the Mulu Kingdom in nearly fifty years.

Just as predicted in the "Seclusion Preview".

After learning that Prince Gai Farrell, the "Queen's Sword," had led his army to sweep across the North and conquer the lands, the entire city of Daphne was in a state of high spirits.

The early spring sunshine gilded the gray stone walls of Daphneel, and when Wang Xi led his puppet army onto the stone bridge, the watchtowers on the city walls immediately sounded a deep horn.

Duwu——

"It's Prince Xue! Our hero has returned!"

The city gate immediately erupted in excitement.

The flower-selling girl squeezed through the crowd, tiptoeing as she tossed freshly picked bluebells into the middle of the road.

Several women wearing aprons stood on tiptoe to peer inside, whispering excitedly, "I heard that Lord Kai froze tens of thousands of northerners with ice magic, and the northern border is full of ice sculptures of those barbarians!"

"Thanks to the gods."

"If you ask me, Lord Gai is the one who deserves Her Majesty the Queen. What is that Calvin from out of town? He's a toad who can't even hold a sword properly, yet he dares to rebel!"

"You deserve to die!"

"Her Majesty should choose a true hero!"

As they were talking, a cheer suddenly erupted from the crowd—the honor guard had approached, and Prince Gai sat astride a tall black horse, sunlight shining on his upright figure, his black hair and cloak fluttering gently.

As dazzling as a mythical hero.

The women immediately forgot their discussion and, like everyone else, waved their colorful handkerchiefs and shouted the name "Prince Xue," their eyes filled with reverence and longing.

Godaril rode a pure white horse, her long flaxen hair fluttering in the spring breeze. A smile bloomed on her face as she gazed at the flowers being tossed to her from both sides of the road.

She was just an ordinary farm girl before, and had never received such adoration.

Even though she possessed extraordinary powers, the title "witch" didn't have a good reputation in the kingdom... but by following Kai, she enjoyed the treatment of a hero.

"Big brother! This is for you!"

Children cheered and shouted at Pinocchio.

The puppet boy bent down from the horse's back, curiously reached out, caught a wisteria wreath, and clumsily put it around his neck, eliciting good-natured laughter from the children.

As Wang Xi passed each street corner, cheers rose like waves. He gripped the reins, a smile always on his face.

He would wave to the crowd from time to time.

If anyone were to say now that Lord Gai Farrell is a bloodthirsty, brain-eating, and indiscriminately spewing water wizard, they would surely incite public outrage and be beaten in the street.

At the end of the main street.

On the only road leading to the palace, Queen Siana stood there in a long, gilded gown, with a group of court ministers and nobles standing behind her.

The grand procession, with its horns and drums, was flanked by dense crowds, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

"Your Majesty." Wang Xi dismounted and stepped forward to bow. "You have lived up to expectations; your sword has returned victorious."

He turned his head again and winked at Pinocchio.

The boy understood and dragged several large iron boxes out of the puppet army camp, bringing them one by one to the Queen and the ministers.

Amidst the curious gazes of the crowd.

Bang!

The lid was opened, revealing a dazzling array of jewels, gold, and coins.

"These are spoils of war obtained from the various tribes in the North, some from the gold mines in the North, and others from the wealth they plundered in their territories in the North."

Wang Xi explained.

“Gai Farrell is here to present all the spoils of war to His Majesty.”

"?!" Queen Xiana covered her mouth, overjoyed, her face flushed with excitement. "Prince Kai, you...you did a great job!"

She dressed up especially for today, wearing a gorgeous gold-plated long dress, a red velvet cape, her hair styled in an updo, and her crown shining brightly.

"What do you want?" The Queen stepped forward, took his arm affectionately, and said excitedly, "Just tell me, and I'll give you whatever you want!"

Can all of these be satisfied?
Wang Xi glanced at the Queen in surprise.

Siana is still too young.

They don't understand the principle that one shouldn't speak too definitively.

If she were asked to sing a soprano song that could annihilate the entire world right now, how would she respond...?

"Your Majesty, it is my honor to share your burdens; I need no reward."

Wang Xi lowered his head slightly and said gently.

"More than gold and spoils, what I want to bring back is... your smile."

Upon hearing this, Xiana stared blankly at the young man.

Kai was dressed in a black, elegant suit with a cape, and the sunlight shone on his silhouette, outlining a dazzling golden edge.

For some reason, the Queen's heart skipped a beat. "Ahem!" Xiana's cheeks flushed, and she dared not lose her composure in front of the noble ministers and the people of the capital. She took a deep breath and smiled, "You have done it."

"Let's go back to the palace first..."

Before the other party could respond, the Queen hurriedly said.

As for the prepared remarks, appearance, procedures, etc., they were all forgotten at this moment, and all they wanted to do was escape as quickly as possible.

...

...

Royal Palace Council Chamber.

Sunlight streamed through the stained glass, casting dappled shadows on the council chamber's floor tiles. Queen Sienna dismissed everyone, leaving only the court scribe and two personal maids.

She sat on the throne, while Prince Gai sat on a slightly lower, high-backed chair, with Godaril and Pinocchio standing on either side of him.

“Gai,” Xiana called the young man’s name softly. “You really… don’t want anything?”

The quill rustled across the parchment as the scribe faithfully recorded every word the Queen spoke.

Xiana, however, found the sound extremely grating.

She was actually quite troubled.

The fiefdoms, titles, and treasures that he could offer seemed insignificant compared to the young man's achievements in pacifying the northern border.

unless……

The Queen's fingers tightened, gripping the armrests of the throne. The sudden thought made her breath catch in her throat.

If that's the case, it makes perfect sense, and there's no question of rewarding or not rewarding.

To be honest, she wasn't against it.

There was even a faint sense of anticipation.

After all, compared to Calvin, Kai is far, far superior. A man like that is enough to win her heart.

However, she should never be the one to bring it up.

"Your Majesty is being too enthusiastic."

Wang Xi's voice startled her awake.

The young man leaned forward slightly, looked at the Queen, and smiled, "If I really had to choose a reward..."

"Yes, what is it?"

Theina's heart was pounding wildly.

"I want the monster materials, magical tomes, and research manuscripts left behind by the court sorcerers."

Wang Xi said softly.

The Queen was stunned.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a secret sense of loss.

"No problem, those are safely stored in the royal treasury, they're all yours..."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wang Xi was very satisfied with this.

He seized the opportunity to advise the Queen: "Your Majesty, the combat value of the Puppet Legion in this Northern War far exceeded expectations. I suggest expanding the production scale."

"In addition, the research data left by Calvin shows that those magic crossbows and magic cannons can also be mass-produced."

Siana was surprised.

She did not refuse outright.

The royal family isn't so short of money now.

Gai brought back a great deal of spoils, and the lords of the North also sent messengers with a considerable amount of wealth to express their loyalty and gratitude.

It is sufficient to cover production expenses.

"But why? Now that the threat from the north has been eliminated, and the Magic Forest has formed an alliance with the kingdom..."

She hesitated, her eyes filled with doubt.

With the kingdom's two biggest threats gone, there's really no need to invest too much manpower and resources in military development.

"Your Majesty, the Black Lake is a hundred times more dangerous than the North!"

Wang Xi said in a deep voice.

He knew very well that in a month and a half, the Black Lake in the Magic Forest would go berserk and trigger a great disaster.

"The reason why those northerners are attacking the northern border like madmen is because they have been corrupted by similar blackening."

He then recounted some of the more crucial aspects of his journey to the North to the Queen, such as the Black Apple Tree, the corrupted skeleton of the "ancestral spirit," and the various mad behaviors of the Northerners.

Upon hearing this, Xiana was startled.

"If pollution were to occur in the Black Lake, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Wang Xi said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, we must not let our guard down. We should be prepared at all times, otherwise it will be too late when disaster strikes."

"..."

After a moment of deep thought, Xiana nodded solemnly.

“Very well!” she said. “We will do as you say. I will summon the Minister of Craftsmen tomorrow.”

"I will fill the walls of Daphneel with magic cannons and equip the puppet legion with magic crossbows, making this place impregnable."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xi nodded in satisfaction.

Although the queen is young, she is fortunate to listen to advice.

Regarding the Black Lake rampage, he had actually considered many countermeasures, but none of them were as simple and brutal as massing troops.

After all, the puppet army is just too useful.

Two hundred armored automatons are enough to sweep across the North. If more can be produced, the threat of the Black Lake rampage will be greatly reduced.

Wang Xi wanted to rewrite the future trajectory, and this was his first step in preparation.

As for the second option, we'll have to go back to Lillian.

(End of this chapter)