People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Grey hat path,

"To put it simply, we will win."

Chapter 522 Lavshini: My sister won't blame me

"What the Duke of Caster wants is the breath of kings."

After the man in the grey top hat left, Vina said.

Because of her age, Vina couldn't remember many things, but she still remembered that afternoon that year, and Gawain who appeared beside her, helplessly tossing her the sword and then lazily bending down to carry her on his back.

She carried herself out of the heavily guarded palace, across the solemn Parliament Square, past the towers, through the noble quarter, and finally into the residence of the Duke of Cumberland, the mansion most trusted by every Victorian emperor—a man of eternal integrity.

Her father was waiting for her there.

"The King's Sword is the national sword of Victoria and a symbol of royal power. Its significance is even greater than that of the crown."

Vina explained,

"When Aslan conquered Victoria, the first Aslan King wielded the Breath of Kings in a duel with King Drak. The flames of the red dragon melted the tip of the original sword, and the sword also left an incurable wound on King Drak. After the two races made peace and Victoria entered an era of co-rule, the Drak royal family and the Aslan royal family jointly reforged the sword as a testament to the friendship between the two races."

Vina no longer remembers where the sword was kept. She only remembers that when she appeared at the Duke of Cumberland's mansion, carrying the sword and riding Gawain, her father, the then Duke of Cumberland, and many nobles of Londinium were cheering.

Her father said that she was the hope of Victoria's future and the savior of the Aslan royal family, so the national sword would appear in her hands after it went missing, and the guardians of Aslan would allow her to ride on their backs.

But what happened next proved, in the coldest terms, that Victoria had no savior, never had.

They can only rely on themselves.

By now, Vina has seen many ups and downs, and her experience is incomparable to that of the child she was back then. How could she not understand that it was a political show carefully arranged by her father, a fabricated crisis trick he devised to emphasize the "sacredness of royal power" in order to continue to promote his radical tax policies?

Aslan's guardian, her teacher Gawain, was once ridden by Shahlujah Sargus, the "Eternal King" and "Lord of Time," according to the oldest historical records of Victoria. Its existence, its appearance, and its every move are symbols of the Victorian Empire.

Vina didn't ridicule her father. If she were in his shoes, facing a depleted treasury, a powerful duke, and an imminent schism, she probably wouldn't have been able to think of a better way to boost morale either. Besides, she herself had actually done something similar once...

At the opening ceremony of the World's Fair, she again asked Gawain to ride her onto the stage.

This even earned her a teasing remark from Gao Wen: "You're really getting heavier and heavier!"

Vina was a little embarrassed at the time. When she was in the slums, she had no choice but to eat whatever she could get her hands on. But after coming to Sherag, she had been controlling her diet and even picked up the posture, figure, and etiquette courses that she hadn't been keen on learning before. So she shouldn't be too heavy.

Being criticized by her teacher was quite embarrassing, so she intensified her daily training afterwards, even digging out the vest she wore during her time as a wanderer in Lentinium to wear so she could find time to exercise. She also planned to bring Ernst along, since he did look rather weak, most likely even weaker than her. How could a prime minister be so frail?

Ernst didn't refuse, but he was always so busy that he barely had time to breathe. Every time Vina saw the relieved look on his face after he clocked out, she couldn't bear to tell him that he still had a few kilometers of running left.

Fine, I'll just take the initiative.

I'll do the exercise for you.

Keke, get back to business.

Vina felt that what the person in the grey top hat was mentioning was, without a doubt, the Breath of Kings.

This national sword has always been said to "protect the royal family, protect Victoria, and be able to cleave through storms." Although Vina felt that this legend was probably unreliable, otherwise how could her father have been hanged by rioting citizens and the council's troops, and how could that descendant of [Athelias] have died inexplicably in Lungmen?

Since the Duke of Caesars suddenly wanted this thing, it most likely means that she might have the instruction manual for the national sword or something similar.

This is not surprising, after all, the Duke of Caesar had another identity besides that of a duke.

She was Vina's father's older sister, in other words, Vina's aunt, a genuine old Victorian Lion Banner. Although, apart from the Sarkaz, the probability of children from interracial marriages in Terra following the father's or mother's race was 50/50, which caused her to lose Vina's fluffy and radiant blonde hair, she was still a member of the royal family, and a very high-ranking one at that.

Vina doesn't have an instruction manual. Her father might have one, but he didn't have time to use it. So the remaining manual must be with the Duke of Caesar.

However, Ernst was puzzled: if he wanted to find the national sword, why did he have to go to Longmen?

Before Vina's father died, Victoria had already banished Drak. How did the descendant of the Red Dragon manage to run away with the national sword?

"I'll answer that question."

A lazy voice rang out in the room, startling Daphne so much that she sprang up from the sofa, her tail standing straight up like a flagpole.

The source of the sound, of course, was the lion—Gawain—who had been lying on the sofa opposite Daphne for who knows how long.

"teacher."

Vina nodded slightly and gave a curtsy. Ernst, on the other hand, looked at the lion with curiosity for a few moments.

When it carried Vina onto the stage, Ernst nearly died; he didn't even get a chance to see it. Now that he has the chance to examine it closely, this lion—it truly is a lion!

Exactly the same as the creature Ernst saw in the animal world in his previous life, a completely original and authentic Earth creature, with no difference whatsoever except that it could talk.

I wonder if he roams the African savanna, and every spring he wants to reproduce. Does hearing the classic animal world opening BGM "Just Blue" trigger a reaction etched into his DNA?

Hmm... I probably won't get the last one, but it's hard to say about the first two.

The existence of such a lion-like creature, coupled with the greeting "Hello, world!" and the message "The glory of mankind will live on forever" left by the previous civilization, suggests that Terra holds many secrets.

A corrupt empire that has shrunk its territory? Terra was once its colony?

Ernst pondered for a moment, while Gawain, who had suddenly appeared, had already opened his "bloody maw".

It only opened a little bit.

His voice was neither loud nor soft, lacking energy and presence, giving the impression of someone who hadn't had enough sleep and had been dragged out of bed to work.

"What Castle is looking for is the key."

"The national sword was sealed in the slumbering place of the kings. The dukes of Victoria used Aslan's key to open the slumbering place of the kings, lured the steam knights there, and then had the Sarkaz who were lying in ambush kill them."

"Aslan's key was left inside, and now, only Drak's key can be used to open that tomb."

Gao Wen stuck out his tongue.

He had always been puzzled: if the resting place of the kings was a tomb and they did not want anyone to break in, then why were keys made?

Since you've made a key in the hopes that someone can get in, why not make two more?

Aslan left his key inside, so what if Draco lost his key too? What if Edward Atrias didn't take his key with him when he fled to Lungmen?

Does that mean the graves of their ancestors, the Drak and Aslan, will never be opened again? Will no one even offer incense or perform sacrifices for them?

Victorians always place extra emphasis on rituals in these inexplicable places, which only brings them a lot of trouble in the end.

It doesn't really matter. The reason it appeared is simply because it involves Vina, Vina's choice, and whether Gawain will have to go back to work or continue to lie on the snow mountain sunbathing and mingling with the giant beasts.

He undoubtedly wanted Vina to choose the latter, which is one of the reasons why he appeared to explain.

Neither Ernst nor Vina knew what had happened beneath Londinium, how the Victorian dukes had so sanctimoniously signed an agreement to kill the very people who wanted to protect Victoria, and how a bunch of insignificant Sarkaz had brazenly entered Londinium, occupied the city, and developed it to its current state.

Gawain wanted Vina to understand that they didn't deserve sympathy, not even for the little blue cat sitting nervously across from it, trying its best to appear calm in front of this "guardian beast of Victoria." Their current stalemate was of their own making, and there was no need for them to drag themselves into this mess.

If I can keep myself clean, then I will keep myself clean. If the price of keeping myself clean is to harm others, then I will harm others. As long as I am comfortable, I don't care what you think.

This is Gawain. He was never Victoria's guardian beast. The promise he made to the Shah was only to protect "Aslan's bloodline," nothing more.

If the task could be made as simple as possible, such as keeping Vina in Sherag, by Ernst's side, with Yeragand looking after her, then it certainly wouldn't mind doing so, as it would be much easier than following Vina into the den of dragons and tigers in Londinium.

As for the dukes, may they be happy.

Ernst looked at Vina.

Gawain's words were few in number, but they contained a great deal of information. If he wasn't deceiving them, then Victoria's current situation could be summed up in one word—"no zuo no die" (meaning she courted disaster).

Vina was clearly also experiencing a mental breakdown due to excessive information processing in a short period of time.

This is actually a great opportunity for revenge.

She could have avenged her enemy, the Duke of Castells, by doing nothing, and even by adhering to her initial agreement with him to "abandon her status as Crown Prince of Victoria and engage in political activities as a citizen of Sherag," thus thwarting her scheme at its very first step.

After all, who couldn't understand the Duke of Caesar's scheme to acquire the national sword?

Whether she had the instruction manual for the national sword was one thing, and the symbolic meaning of her obtaining it was another. In particular, obtaining the national sword itself from "Vina or Raphsini," "Athlan and Drak," and thus acquiring the sword itself, was yet another matter entirely.

Feudal nobles valued orthodoxy. Her writing to Wei Yanwu to ask for the key was unreasonable; whether Wei Yanwu would give it to her or not was another matter.

Who is she? How does she know about Edward Atrias, the descendant of the Red Dragon, dying at the Dragon Gate?

Indeed, everyone in Victoria's inner circle, unless they're completely stupid, knows about this. But knowing something and telling me that you know something are two different things.

It's like I'm stupid. I know it myself, but I won't say it out loud. If someone says I am, then they're insulting me, being impolite, and they'll be attacked.

But if I say it myself and announce it in public, then what others say is just stating the facts, and I can only suffer in silence, feeling frustrated and laughed at.

The death of the Red Dragon's descendant could not withstand a thorough investigation. It involved a real dragon, Aslan, and a mysterious unicorn. If one were to appear to be involved in the matter, the Duke of Caster might not be in mortal danger, but his reputation and credibility would be affected.

The Duke of Caesar has already led the killing of King Aslan. Do you think she would dare to publicly proclaim that she orchestrated the riot that killed King Aslan?

King Aslan died in a riot in the capital sparked by radical tax policies. This is the official line from Victoria and is considered "common sense."

But if she received the national sword from Vina, Lafsini, or Abrahana...

That's different.

The last descendant of the previous royal family personally handed over the key he had requested in a letter, and presented him with the sword representing the "nation." This was not a treasonous act like regicide or usurpation; it was a legitimate abdication! This is a matter of the virtuous ruling the land. I, the Duke of Castells, am of such high virtue that the Aslan or Drak royal families recognize me and are so eager to hand over the Victorian Empire to me that I cannot refuse!

The difference between the Cao family and the Sima family.

Vina chose to refuse, and no one could find fault with it; Ernst also understood her decision.

But before that, Lavshini spoke first, giving her own answer:

"I will write it."

She had no particular ideas and didn't understand politics very well. She couldn't discern any deeper meaning, any open or covert attacks, or any tense power struggles in the few words exchanged between Grey Hat, Ernst, and Gawain.

But she listened to the letter that Defiance's mother had written to Defiance.

The situation at the front lines in Londinium is dire; people are dying every day. People are dying in Londinium, and the Duke's allied forces are dying. People are dying in Sarkaz, and people are dying in Victoria.

Are people dying in Natara as well?

Her sister wanted to revive Tara, make Tara independent, and become Tara's Gaelic King. Lafshinie neither supported nor opposed this dream; she had always been forced to play the role of "leader" and had never had the opportunity to express her own thoughts.

But when she saw the Sarkaz cheering for Kazdel's independence, she gradually realized how important this event was to the Tara people.

However, people were dying on the front lines of Lentinium, some of them Tara, and their blood was being shed.

A group of Sarkaz remained in Sherag, and even though the Sarkaz of Londinium were all dead, the Sarkaz of Sherag were able to survive under Ernst's protection.

But the Tara people all followed her sister. If Abrahana failed, Tara would have no way out.

Abrahana must succeed, and the situation on the front lines must improve. Lavshini has no intention of stopping Abrahana; in fact, she will help her.

Because Tara didn't have Ernst as a fallback option.

Only in this way can Tara be saved.

She didn't understand politics, but she could understand Ernst's speech and knew what "humanitarianism" meant; she learned from it.

Saving more lives is never a bad thing.

She believed that Abrahana wouldn't blame her after hearing her decision.

Ernst looked at Raphsini with some surprise. She rarely offered her opinions, so this was truly unexpected.

With Rafishini nodding, Vina's choice no longer seemed so important.

Aslan and Draco, one of them is enough.

Vina shook her head in relief, looked at Ernst, and nodded with a smile:

"I will write it."

“However, I think the Duke of Caesar should also pay some price.”

"There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world."

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Chapter 523 Abrahana: She's nothing but Aslan, who's eyeing the Red Dragon's treasure!

Victoria, Duke's allied forces, Duke of Wellington's flagship, HMS Gastrill.

Abrahman was quite satisfied as she read the report from Rafishni in Shelag that Ahmoni had sent her.

Lavshini may seem to have done nothing, but in reality, she has done everything. Ernst's trust in her is beyond expectation; unless it's something important that needs to be discussed in a conference room, or something that requires Lavshini to leave the room, Ernst almost never does anything behind Lavshini's back.

Only someone as brainless as Mandela would think this is "neglect," proof that Ernst disrespected Draco after acquiring Crown Prince Aslan.

Abrahana knew very well that this was an opportunity, a rare one. It was for Rafishini, and it was for Abrahana as well.