Great, we're doomed now!

"That is……"

“An ambassador from an Eastern country, I suppose.” The coachman spoke with a calm tone that suggested he was used to big events. “They arrived a few days ago, along with an envoy from the Western elves… They’ve been staying at the official residence in the north of the city. Today should be the day the ‘Free King’ publicly governs, so they’re all going to Kuze Tower to pay their respects to the lord.”

It turns out that Ye Shou doesn't show up every day. He is just efficient at handling affairs, but in the eyes of others, he is not very "diligent in his duties". After all, he "disappears" every once in a while, ostensibly to go on an incognito inspection of the territory.

Only on fixed days would he make a public appearance to process the applications and petitions submitted by his subordinates, much like the court assemblies in feudal times.

Even envoys from other countries had to abide by this rule, which resulted in several groups of people bumping into each other while trying to pay their respects.

Do neighboring countries really give us that much face?

The adventurer opened his mouth in surprise.

Kuse Tower, first floor hall.

Sunlight streamed in through the stained-glass windows on either side, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the floor. The hall floor was made of white marble, each piece polished to a mirror-like smoothness, so smooth that you could even see your reflection as you walked on it.

At the far end of the hall was a high platform, upon which sat a stone throne, the top of which was carved with a cross-shaped pattern. Ye Shou was sitting there, handling various affairs as usual.

When the emissaries from the Western Elves arrived, he simply put down the documents in his hand and received them with utmost calmness and propriety.

He is a very adaptable person. Sitting here, he is neither a hero nor a capitalist, but a "king" who leads the people forward. Therefore, he will do what he should do, just like a real king.

Even if it's very boring for him~

...When we came out of Kuze Tower, the sun was already setting in the west.

The elven ambassador walked ahead at a leisurely pace, his face expressionless. His retinue followed behind; a few couldn't help but glance back at the towering stone tower, but quickly turned away again.

The group crossed the square and walked to the waiting carriage. Just as the ambassador was about to get in, a young attendant behind him finally couldn't help but speak up.

"My lord, I don't understand."

The ambassador stopped what he was doing and glanced at him from the side.

"Why are we so respectful to him?" The young attendant frowned, his voice low but his resentment was obvious. "He was just a short-lived human. His so-called 'kingdom' has been established for less than ten years and doesn't even have a formal name."

"Do you really think that we established diplomatic relations with this territory simply because the 'Free King' helped us retrieve the grimoire, and that's why we're giving him something in return?"

"Isn't that right?"

"Heh~"

The ambassador withdrew his gaze, lifted the curtain of the carriage, and went inside.

"To our great but proud Queen, the achievements of the tall people are meaningless. Even if they theoretically provided assistance, our Elven Kingdom has no reason to humble itself and submit."

There's another reason why Her Majesty the Queen is so 'kind' and even has maintained an embassy here for so long..."

The young attendant was taken aback: "What's the reason?"

“I don’t know either, but the Queen is never wrong… So this matter must be treated with utmost care. Although the ‘Golden Land’ has only been established for a few years, it is no longer a small territory that can be easily manipulated.”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the urban area under construction in the distance.

"Did you see those dwarves?"

"I saw it."

Do you know why so many dwarves gather here?

The young follower thought for a moment: "Because there are ancient dwarf ruins and rich mineral deposits underground?"

“That’s just the surface reason,” the ambassador shook his head. “The real reason is that this ‘Free King’ gave the dwarves something they couldn’t get elsewhere—respect and autonomy.”

Dwarven artisans are not discriminated against here; their skills are fairly compensated; and their guilds can directly participate in the city's management. Have you ever seen anything like this in other human cities?

The young attendant fell silent.

"And then there's the attitude of the human kingdoms," the ambassador continued. "Although those human kings outwardly disdain this 'nouveau riche,' just look at their caravans—aren't they all scrambling to get here?"

The reason is simple: this place has novel products called "ancient technology" that are not found elsewhere.

If there's money to be made, and big money at that, it's natural that all sorts of interest groups would flock to it.

There was one thing the ambassador didn't say: as a confidant, he actually knew the reason behind the Queen's attitude...

That "King of Freedom" actually visited the Elf Kingdom in secret! He met with the Queen and was deemed by her to be a special being "absolutely not to be an enemy of"!

Volume 11: To the Day of Destiny: Chapter 508: The King's Feast - The Last Supper (4K)

It was already dark when the merchants' carriages stopped in front of the mansion.

Leos was the first to jump down. He first turned around to thank the traveling merchant who had given them a ride, then stretched his stiff shoulders, which were cracking from the long journey.

"Finally back..."

Hearing the noise, he turned around and glanced at the carriage. Marushir was helping Farin down the train slowly, her face showing the weariness and relaxation typical of someone who had just finished a long journey.

"Humans and elves really aren't suited to narrow, enclosed spaces." Senxi was the last to get off the vehicle, carrying his ever-present black pot on his back. He took a deep breath, a satisfied expression on his face. "Is this what 'coming home' feels like?"

"You're finally back, sir! Welcome home! You must be tired from your journey!"

The mansion gate opened from the inside, and an elderly man with gray hair but a straight back walked out, followed by a woman wearing an apron.

"Sir, gentlemen, please put down your luggage. Hot water will be ready shortly."

"Hey, old man~" Leos nodded casually, "Is everything alright at home?"

"Everything is fine." The old man straightened up and stepped aside to let the doorway pass. "The rooms of all the gentlemen have been cleaned as usual."

Farin smiled and thanked her. The woman quickly took the bundle from her hands, while Marushir yawned and walked by, mumbling, "Then I'll go take a bath first..." The group went into the house one after another and dispersed.

Although they have now gained a certain status, they clearly still maintain the style of their adventurer days. Their so-called stewards and servants are just an old couple and a few orphans... Sometimes it's hard to tell who is taking care of whom.

Leos didn't rush to take a shower. He stood in the living room for a while, looking at the map of the Golden Country and its surrounding area hanging on the wall. It marked the places they had already explored, but there were still a few places circled in red that they hadn't had time to visit yet.

Shaking his head, Leos put his work aside for the time being and waited until everyone else had finished showering before slowly walking over.

The bathroom was renovated later, and a sauna room was specially partitioned off for him to use almost exclusively.

scoff~~~

The wooden walls were yellowed like bread from the heat, and in the corner there was a pot of hot stones. Leos scooped up a ladle of water and poured it on, and with a hiss, white steam rose and the temperature suddenly increased.

He sat on the wooden plank, leaning against the wall, and let out a long breath.

Steam enveloped my body, my muscles slowly relaxed, and the fatigue accumulated during the journey melted away like ice, seeping out from my pores with sweat.

He had only tried it once by chance, but he inexplicably fell in love with this bathing culture, which was his most relaxing moment.

Without realizing it, Leorus closed his eyes, and images from the past few years began to flash through his mind.

When Ye Shougang first took over the position of lord, they thought it was just a temporary help and that he would leave once things settled down. But Ye Shougang didn't give them a chance at all and kept them on the job.

Kabul was the first to be recruited as an administrative officer, buried in various documents every day. When they occasionally met, the dark-skinned guy's smile had a resigned air about him.

He himself had political ambitions or life ideals, so he should have enjoyed it, but he still couldn't keep up with Ye Shou's pace... After all, it's rare to find someone with a natural talent for part-time work like that maid.

Chilchak fared much better, being directly appointed as the halflings' civil officer, dealing with his fellow halflings daily and handling all sorts of trivial disputes. However, for halflings, he was already a very mature man, just about to retire from his adventurer career. Becoming a civil official was extremely lucky, and he later brought his family over, seemingly intending to settle there for generations.

As for Leos and his group, they are really not suited to sitting in an office.

Ye Shou was a good judge of character and found them a job they were capable of doing.

That was to explore undiscovered natural labyrinths or ruins in and around the territory, investigate the distribution of low-level monsters within the territory, and compile a safety guide or travelogue. Leos agreed at the time.

Because Ye Shou allowed him to use this as an excuse to include content about monster cuisine in his travelogue, so that he could openly collect monster ingredients, and even Marusir couldn't stop him.

Isn't this exactly what he's always wanted to do?

In addition, Ye Shou gave them a considerable amount of money, enough for them to live a decent life.

Over the years, they have indeed discovered several small natural mazes. He would carefully record the ecology, habits, and edible parts of the monsters each time, and then compile these notes into a book.

Of course, there are no large mazes like the ones from back then, and the variety of monsters, especially the number of high-level monsters, is even more scarce, which inevitably makes the game a bit boring after a while.

But what truly kept him from leaving the Golden Land and leading him to adventure in other places was something else entirely...

"Fuck!"

He swallowed unconsciously, then opened his eyes, his gaze becoming somewhat unfocused.

"I wonder if Ye Shou has returned yet..."

He had to admit, he was completely captivated by the ultimate experience that man provided, yearning for him day and night like a young girl experiencing first love, to the point of sleeplessness.

The next morning, Marushir was awakened by a knock on the door—

"Fallen! Marushir! Get up!" Leos's voice came from outside the door, filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Old John just delivered an invitation from the palace! Get up and let's go!"

"So annoying!"

Marushir rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head.

“Marusir!” Leos knocked twice more. “Did you hear me?”

"I heard you, I heard you!" The elven mage threw off the covers, his hair disheveled and hanging over his shoulders, his face full of morning grumpiness. "It's just going to the palace for dinner, why are you making such a fuss?"

"I'm entrusting Farine to you!"

Hurried footsteps came from outside the door; it was clear that Leos had run off to find Sensi.

Marushir sat on the bed in a daze, then sighed.

Ever since Ye Shou became the lord, they have been invited to the palace for a feast every now and then. Ostensibly, it's to catch up, but in reality, Ye Shou brings out all sorts of strange and unusual ingredients and has Senxi and him cook a lavish meal together.

Ye Shou claimed that he collected those ingredients during his travels, but even the learned Marusir couldn't recognize what they were... and she instinctively didn't want to know.

As for the taste...

"Fuck!"

Marushir turned and went next door to wake Farin: "Don't sleep anymore~"

"……what?"

Sensi never cared about anything and went to the palace early, while Leos and the other two changed into more formal attire and then cleaned the carriage that hadn't been used for a long time.

Marushir was the last to get ready. When she was about to leave, she wore a light green dress with a thin silver chain around her waist, and her hair was tied up with a ribbon of the same color, revealing her slender neck.

She wore light makeup and a thin layer of rosy lipstick, making her look completely different from her usual self.

Maruhiel noticed the puzzled expressions on Farin and Leios's faces and blushed slightly.

"What are you looking at? I'm going to become a court magician, you know... This is the royal palace, how can I not dress up properly?"

It seems that due to her family upbringing, Maru tends to take these kinds of activities quite seriously.