A Single Person's Infinite Wonderful Life

Lisia was puzzled precisely because she knew Hobra's true nature.

Li Wei said, "This war will start fiercely, but as it goes on, both sides will want to find a way to back down."

Lisia nodded. She knew that Li Wei probably knew something, but she wouldn't ask unless Li Wei brought it up. After all, sometimes knowing too much isn't a good thing.

Li Wei arrived at Raphtalia's room, where Raphtalia was still sleeping with her chubby little bird, Filo. The two little ones were sleeping in rather terrible positions.

Li Wei leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, a fatherly smile on his face. It is said that little girls can heal hearts, especially sensible little girls.

Raphtalia kicked off the blanket and pulled Filo into her arms. The fluffy bird feathers were excellent at keeping her warm, but since Filo was only the size of a volleyball, this warmth wasn't enough for Raphtalia, who had kicked off the blanket. So, she hugged Filo even tighter.

Meanwhile, the chubby little bird Filo, who was feeling a bit uncomfortable from being constricted, kept fidgeting. The two little creatures, even while asleep, were engaged in a battle of wits.

Li Wei walked over, picked up the blanket that had been kicked to the ground, and covered the two little ones with it. It was only a little past 1 a.m., and Li Wei didn't plan to wake them at this time. Children need sleep; it's a privilege that children have over adults, and Li Wei didn't intend to take that away from them.

........................

Around 1 a.m., it's the kingdom's morning court session.

The Queen sat on her throne, while Ottocre looked somewhat uncomfortable. Below her stood various local nobles, as well as court nobles handling state affairs, all arranged in neat rows.

The previously sparsely attended staff is now fully staffed. Upon hearing the news of the Queen's return, military and noble families from all over the country have rushed back to participate in the first morning court session since the Queen's return.

Rejuvenated by the rain, Mirelia's complexion was radiant, and even the crow's feet around her eyes disappeared completely. She looked more than ten years younger, and her mature and voluptuous figure combined with youthful vitality made her exceptionally charming.

With Li Wei backing her up, she now has the confidence to face the upcoming war. Her restlessness has subsided, and she appears even more dignified and elegant.

A court lady brought over a tray with a dull-colored pendant on it.

The Queen picked up the pendant and said, "Originally, I was in Hobra's territory discussing matters concerning the hero with the council, but Hobra's ambitions against our country have never waned. This time, they even tried to detain me to demoralize our nation, but unfortunately, they failed."

The nobles below the stage who already knew about the matter remained composed, while those who were unaware exchanged glances, hoping to glean more information from their colleagues. After all, not being informed of such a significant event immediately was unsettling.

Mirelia said, "Thanks to the special teleportation gem inherited from our ancestors, I led the Royal Guard and the embassy personnel back. Gentlemen, the war has already begun. When Hobra sent troops to detain me, war was inevitable. Since they want war, I will make sure they get nothing!"

The nobles were stunned by the news. Due to the country's isolationist policies, many nobles knew very little about the outside world. After all, decades passed quickly by as they lived a secluded life behind closed doors. With the retirement of the older generation of nobles, their heirs grew up in a relatively peaceful environment. Apart from a small number of border military nobles, the vast majority of nobles had been corrupted by the peaceful lifestyle.

So now, when people hear that war is about to break out, and that the opponent is that terrifying industrial monster, they panic instantly.

Seeing the nobles below looking like panicked chickens, Mirelia was very disappointed. She had always felt that the traditional noble system was outdated, and even if a noble system were to be implemented, it shouldn't be like this.

Those panicked nobles below are useless products of the traditional aristocratic system. They're fine most of the time, but they panic like this at crucial moments. She doesn't expect these nobles to be of any help; they're not her core support base.

"Quiet!" Mirelia's voice unconsciously rose. If it were before, she would have been just as uneasy as these nobles, but her position did not allow her to do so.

Originally, Li Wei had only dispatched a skilled expert to oversee the capital, but thanks to her influence, she now has more support, which gives her more confidence.

In the early stages of traditional feudal kingdoms, the nobility was highly militarily virtuous due to the tangible benefits brought by the feudal system. Apart from a few survivors of the old era, most of these nobles were military elites who rose to power during that time; each was exceptionally skilled in combat and unwavering in their loyalty.

But history repeats itself. With the passing of the older generation of nobles, the decline of the entire aristocratic system was an inevitable result, and Mirelia was well aware of this.

Chapter 1. Announcement of Important Matters

The Queen looked at the nobles below, who were gradually quieting down. She could tell from their expressions how capable each noble was. This time, the only noble force she could rely on was the military merit nobles, who made up less than 10% of the total number of nobles. These nobles had risen through the ranks through military achievements, and their territories were relatively small and not in very good locations. Therefore, their desire to expand their territory was the strongest.

In her heart, she could only apologize. After this war, she would pave the way for the next queen, and all the lands of the nobles would be taken back. These military nobles would be "betrayed" by her.

However, in order for the kingdom to exist for a long time, she had to do this. Melty was still young and had neither enough prestige nor her own power base. If she did not carry out reforms while she was still in power, Melty would not be able to touch the interests of those nobles at all, and might even be overthrown by the nobles.

Seeing that the nobles had finally quieted down, the Queen said, "I hereby declare that the war against the Republic of Hobra has now begun."

As the Queen finished speaking, the military nobles stood at attention in perfect unison, each giving a perfectly executed military salute. Compared to the disciplined military nobles, the other ordinary nobles looked rather pathetic; they were even taken aback by the salutes of the military nobles.

The Queen nodded and said, "I'll leave the command of the front line to you all. Now, I have something important to announce: I'm going to expand the royal city."

Upon hearing the Queen's words, the ordinary nobles immediately erupted in uproar.

"Your Majesty, this is a special time of war. Such actions are a waste of resources and manpower!" a court noble official in charge of finances said loudly.

"Yes, yes!" the ordinary nobles echoed in agreement.

The Queen said loudly, "Quiet! Ladies and gentlemen, please listen to my explanation. I have my reasons for doing this, and I will explain them to you in detail. Please be patient."

Seeing the curious and puzzled looks on the faces of the nobles below, the Queen didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "The kingdom has a secret weapon. This secret weapon possesses conceptual-level abilities. Anything within the royal city's boundaries will receive its protection. It doesn't matter whether the protected area has walls or not; as long as it's considered within the royal city's boundaries by the secret weapon, it counts. Therefore, even when fighting monsters like Hobra, we don't need to worry about the royal city being captured!"

The court was in uproar; no one had expected the kingdom to possess such a powerful secret weapon. Meanwhile, on the upper floor of the throne room, Maddie, upon hearing the news, looked rather grim. She hadn't realized her mother had kept this a secret; she had been completely unaware of it.

Maddie realized that this was likely a secret passed down through generations of queens. She hadn't even been the heir to the throne before, so it was normal that she didn't know such a secret.

But she wouldn't give up for such a reason. This war was a great opportunity for her to seize the throne. If she missed this opportunity, she would have to wait for the moment when power would be transferred between two generations of queens. This meant that she would have to wait even longer. Although she had the patience, it was always better to achieve her goal faster.

However, what Maddie didn't know was that Levi, this "pleasure monster," was involved in a three-way bet: she, her mother Mirelia, and the Republic of Hobra all received support; she wasn't a special being.

The Queen raised her right hand and said, "The capital will become our super fortress, where invaders will be unable to set foot. What we need to do is to move as many of the kingdom's citizens as possible here, within the range of our secret weapons. Only here can we protect our property and personal safety, and only here can we become the core of our defense and counterattack!"

Upon hearing the Queen's words, some nobles breathed a sigh of relief, while others wore thoughtful expressions. A few nobles, however, looked at the Queen with wary eyes.

The high and mighty Mirelia took in the behavior of the nobles below. After receiving Li Wei's nurturing, the bottleneck in her long-standing strength improvement had been broken. She was now stronger than before, and the keen perception that came with this strength allowed her to remember all the actions of those below.

She could discern many things from the subtle expressions of the nobles below—who believed her, who didn't, and who had other ideas.

Of course, these nobles are all shrewd people, and their outward expressions are likely just a disguise. They can only be used as a reference. To truly see through their thoughts, one must have enough time.

On the floor of the throne room, besides Maddie, there were a few other people standing there. The other three heroes, apart from Levi, looked at the queen who had inspired everyone's morale, and their expressions were all different.

Kawasumi said, "I intend to participate in this war. Any war of invasion is unjust, and I will fight against those invaders."

Although Kawasumi Itsuki lacks ability and has a relatively narrow range of knowledge, he is a person with a strong sense of justice, so he has already made his decision.

Kawasumi Itsuki looked at Amaki Ren and Kitamura Motoyasu and said, "And you two?"

Amaki Ren shook his head and said, "I plan to continue investigating the church's affairs. I have a bad feeling that the church is hiding something from us. Participating in the war means seeking the limelight, which is a huge obstacle to the investigation."

Kitamura Motoyasu said, "My mission is to fight against the waves, and right now I am the lowest level among the four of us. In order to prepare for the next wave, I must raise my level during this period."

Kawasumi Itsuki said nothing more. Both Amaki Ren and Kitamura Motoyasu's reasons for not participating in the war were quite valid. The church had been making suspicious moves lately, so it was reasonable for Amaki Ren to investigate. As for Kitamura Motoyasu, having lost two teammates, his level was now far behind the others; it was the right thing to do to catch up now.

After all, the tide doesn't care whether the two countries are at war. Once the countdown is over, it will strike again immediately. Kitamura Motoyasu's level-up is a good thing for everyone.

Chapter 4. The Showdown Between the Two Kings

After the morning court session ended, only the Queen, Ottocre, and a few of the Queen's trusted court ladies remained in the throne room.

Mirelia leaned back on her throne, silent, only looking at the empty hall below. Because of her silence, the atmosphere in the hall seemed somewhat heavy.

“Mirelia…you’ve worked hard,” Ottocre said tentatively.

Ottocre was feeling a little uneasy because Mirelia's return had been so sudden, and he hadn't finished many of the clean-up tasks.

If Mirelia were to begin investigating at this point, he would easily expose his true colors. That is why he was always cautious and somewhat guilty when facing Mirelia.

Mirelia looked at Ottocre and said, "Come to the conference room with me. You don't need to bring anyone else. What I'm about to say is not something that should be heard by outsiders."

Ottocre nodded and followed Mirelia. The two left the throne room, with Mirelia leading the way at a moderate pace. It took them a few minutes to reach the relatively secluded meeting room.

There were no other followers on the road. Ottocre said, "This invasion by the Republic of Hobra is extremely dangerous for the kingdom. Does that secret weapon you mentioned really exist?"

Mirelia suppressed her disgust and said, "Of course it exists. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had my people move as many people and assets as possible here. After all, given the Hobra Republic's military mobility, once the war starts, there won't be any safe place in the kingdom except for the capital."

Ottocre remained silent. He was aware of his own actions, and all the problems stemmed from him. It was fortunate that Mirelia hadn't directly held him accountable during the morning court session.

Everyone has their own ambitions, and Ottocre was no exception. After being king for more than ten years, he realized that he did not truly control the kingdom. He was only the king in name only. The real king was Queen Mirelia.

That is why he schemes for himself in every way, with the aim of truly seizing the highest power in the kingdom. However, he finds that Mirelia is not someone who can be easily fooled. As shrewd as she is, he cannot carry out his plans as long as she is in the country.

That's why he violated the rules by summoning the Four Holy Warriors, not only to give the kingdom a powerful strategic force, but also to send the Queen out to socialize and engage in diplomatic rhetoric.

His plan could only proceed smoothly if Mirelia was not in the country, but now, because of Hobra's sudden outburst, his plan has completely fallen through.

Faced with this situation, Ottocre could only sigh inwardly. Man proposes, God disposes. Too many conspiracies and schemes were intertwined, exceeding the limits of his control. This mishap was the best proof of that.

Ottocre said, "But how many nobles will actually answer the call is an unknown. The kingdom's cohesion has declined sharply, and frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if those nobles turned against the tide today."

Mirelia said, "I spent some time in Hobray. The desire of the wealthy people there for noble titles is a fanaticism that the people of the kingdom cannot understand. They are all proud to have noble titles. So, when they actually invade the kingdom, they will not directly eliminate those noble families. They will most likely use marriage alliances to legally put on the skin of nobility for themselves."

Ottocre said, "What they want is our submission, not our complete annihilation. This is a condition we can use, and it's a last resort if things get out of hand."

Mirelia could barely contain her disgust. Ottocre, the one who started all this, was here spouting nonsense, which disgusted her.

The two entered the conference room one after the other. There was no one else in the room besides the two of them, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense. When Mirelia turned around, Ottocre noticed that the expression on her face was so cold.

This froze the smile on Ottocre's face, and he had a bad feeling.

Mirelia said, "I once had high hopes for you. I thought you could become a wise monarch. In the first few years, you did very well, but as you grew older, you became more and more senile."

Ottocre didn't know how to answer Mirelia, after all, he felt guilty.

Mirelia said, "Now I am completely disappointed in you, Ottocre. Do you think I don't know about your little tricks? Nothing in the palace, big or small, can escape my eyes. Am I not good enough to you? Is that why you want to overthrow me?"

Ottocre had a bitter expression on his face; he hadn't expected to face such a situation.

Ottocre said, "Can you give me a chance? This is a time of war, and if I go down, the situation at home may become unstable."

Mirelia frowned slightly, her delicate eyebrows furrowing, and said, "Are you threatening me?"

Ottocre knew he had no way out now. When Mirelia chose to reveal her hand, he could only use the cards he had left to deal with the current situation.

Ottocre's expression also turned serious. He said, "I'm not threatening you, I'm just stating a fact. Your base consists of those peasant military nobles from the frontier, while my base consists of the inland nobles who have an absolute numerical advantage. To win this war, we must work together."

Mirelia sighed and said, "Ottocre, don't you still understand why you were abandoned by the 'Staff'? Because now you can't see even a trace of the Staff Hero you once were."

Ottocre, whose sore spot had been touched by Mirelia, had a somewhat ferocious expression.

"What do you know?! It's not like you lost the most important person!" Ottocre's face twisted even more.

Mirelia said, "This is no excuse for your depravity! If you were merely obsessed with power, I would have no problem with it, but being abandoned by the 'Staff' means you have lost its core spirit: fairness and justice, mercy and compassion. Until now, the people of the kingdom have believed you to be the Staff's hero, and I haven't exposed you. But you have repeatedly challenged my bottom line, and now, I will no longer tolerate you!"

Chapter 1. Autocrat's Trump Card