The Mythical Path of a Princess from a Destroyed Kingdom

As for being trapped by lava, that's unlikely; even mid- to high-level players can easily break through the stone wall.

In short, as time passed, the warriors who came down to explore on their own returned alone, while a group of professionals came in a team, including spellcasters.

With a spellcaster, things became much simpler. The mage raised his staff and waved it lightly, extending the duration of the spell that had been cast on the group, allowing them to continue following behind Maginus.

Another hour passed, and Maginus suddenly stopped, then plunged downwards. The professionals behind her rushed to follow, only to bump into something.

To see clearly upon entering the lava, everyone cast True Sight spells, making it easy to see what was blocking their way. The warrior stopped those coming from behind to prevent them from crashing into the lava, pointing to the bottom of the bright lava.

An extremely powerful magical field appeared before everyone. The warrior tried to press it with his hand, but there was only a little resistance. If he wanted to go in, he could just crawl through.

After observing for a while, the mages finally determined that it was not too dangerous inside. The warrior took the lead and entered, then extended his hand to make a safe gesture.

"There's a different world."

Maginos, who was the first to break through the seal, landed on the ground. A huge space appeared before her, where she observed the surging magma underground. She was not the first to enter; some high-level professionals turned around in surprise as she entered.

"Who are you? How did you get in?"

These were all outstanding individuals confident in their abilities, and they were not afraid of these high-ranking individuals in front of them. Some of them asked questions on behalf of their companions with great curiosity.

"Something happened in the volcano territory, so I swam over from the lava out of curiosity. Here you are."

Maginus waved her arms, and the remaining lava quickly cooled and fell onto the platform: "As for myself, my name is Tirenie, a traveler who travels around four weeks, and there are a bunch of mid-level professionals behind me."

"It's earlier than I expected, but it's time to gather our forces."

The lead observer was a strong warrior who never turned around, but instead stared at the magma outside the field of force. Maginus could confirm that he was a legend and could sense that something in the scorching magma was trying to accumulate power.

Adventurers entered one after another. Most of them were filled with curiosity when they landed, while a small number held their breath when they saw the warriors and the high-ranking figures around them, clearly recognizing the famous people inside.

Many of the high-ranking individuals who were attracted by the divine abominations are still active. As adventurers, they couldn't possibly not know them, or even grew up listening to their stories.

"Thunder Punishment Lightmill's Butcher Kria's Corpse Collector... They're all celebrities, how come they've all gathered here?"

A soldier asked the priest beside him in a low voice. The priest rolled his eyes at him, knowing that the group on the other side was strong enough to hear him.

“There’s no need to be coy,” a mage stabilizing a magical field replied amicably to the adventurer’s earlier question without turning around. “We’re all here to deal with trouble.”

"The lord who sent you here only wants to use you as a cover to maintain stability in the Volcano Territory, and also to let you ask us how things are if anyone manages to get in."

Simply put, the group of adventurers on the outside have two responsibilities: to deliver messages and to confuse the residents and prevent chaos.

"What exactly is the trouble we're dealing with?"

The mage looked at the legendary warrior gazing out the window, and after the warrior nodded, explained, "At the bottom of the volcano lies an extremely terrifying monster named Fuelson, a divine abomination. If it breaks free..."

As Maginus explained, he approached the edge of the magic platform, where a deep blue flame stood out against the red lava—that was the sealed abomination of the god.

An extremely powerful magical seal, powered by the energy of magma, sealed off Fuelson. Unfortunately, as the cataclysmic disaster approached, the surge of magical energy caused the seal to malfunction.

Having confirmed the situation, Maginus asked, "Volsen is about to break the seal. What should we do next? Although we don't know who you belong to, we can't just let it wreak havoc."

“We came together because we couldn’t bear to see so many lives lost,” the warrior replied. “Next, we either reinforce the seal or wait for Fuelson to break free and then lock him back in.”

Chapter 624 Hard Power, Hard Truth

Mid- to low-level professionals are also useful when dealing with abominations. Abominations with normal human intelligence will not choose to fight alone; most of them can summon servants of the same type as themselves to serve them.

Fuelson can summon ancient fire elemental creatures to help him. At that time, the low and mid-level beings will have to entangle them to ensure that the battle between the high-level beings and legendaries against the divine abominations will not be affected.

Well, that's the worst-case scenario. The first task is for the spellcasters to do it and see if they can repair the original seal. If they can repair it successfully, the best outcome would be to avoid fighting the abomination.

Various magical screens displayed the overall structure of the seal. Outside the magical field, mages still approached the seal to observe it, taking turns about once an hour to let other mages observe it. The spellcasters who swam in were also captivated by the seal constructed by many legendary mages.

The Watchers had clearly arrived at the bottom of the volcano quite early to conduct observations, and their understanding of the seal was becoming more complete. The next step was to repair it.

"The legendary spellcasters from back then have not been able to be contacted?"

“There are two, but he made it clear that it would be difficult to repair this kind of collective seal. Even the slightest movement could completely destroy the seal. Instead of thinking about how to repair it, it would be better to just release the divine abomination, kill it, and then reseal it.”

"If the divine abomination were to truly break free from its seal, how many people would come to its aid?"

"At least the legends of Nizmol have to come over. This is their country's territory. It would be terrible if the abominations of the gods climbed up to the capital."

The adventurers of lower and middle ranks asked questions, and some high-ranking warriors who had nothing to do but act as bodyguards here answered them one by one, looking quite happy. The spellcaster did not talk to the warriors, but now someone finally talked to them.

In short, after being brought in, the members of the adventurer team simply stayed there and rested for a whole day to allow the mages to recover their magic power or spell slots before leaving the magic field.

As for Maginus, she naturally stayed here. No one else had any objections; they could all sense the vibrant life force emanating from her, indicating she was definitely a high-level professional.

If someone is worried that they might take this opportunity to break the seal, it certainly won't be the warrior "Tirini" who does it. After all, a seal can't be broken by brute force. Rather than worrying about Tirini, it's better to worry about the other spellcasters present.

Needless to say, killing was another matter. The legendary warriors guarded the platform around the clock, and Maginus was well hidden. They didn't think the avatar was legendary.

Fifteen days passed in the blink of an eye, and there was no sign of the divine abomination emerging immediately. However, more and more people were entering the lava platform, which was also transformed into an observation station. Even if spellcasters could not be cast in an emergency, it would ensure that they would not be burned to death by the lava.

Two more legends appeared, both of whom Maginus had met in the capital of Nizmore. They joined the discussion about the seal, and seeing that there was no sign of the matter being resolved immediately, she shifted most of her attention back to her main body.

The army that went to reclaim the territory set off a few days ago to start a new round of war, and has encountered very strong resistance from other countries. It is estimated to be the most difficult battle to date.

Occupying territory is easy and can be done in a day, but subsequent attacks on other countries' territories are much slower.

It was still a siege, but this time there was no shadow to open the gates for them; they had to launch a full-scale assault. Although the chosen nation was weak, the lord defending the city was a duke who was both loyal and powerful. It was said that he had almost sent a private assassin team to burn down the Dovre army's original supplies.

"It seems the army is in deep trouble. Should we add fuel to the fire and secretly sow discord between the king and the local lords?"

Mira suggested that it was not impossible for framing a powerful and loyal minister to prompt the king to issue twelve urgent decrees and summon the lord back to the capital. Some people are just like that; even if the opponent is a tyrant, they are willing to persist in assisting him until their own death.

If the king of the small country we are attacking is mediocre enough, he will surely listen to his loyal ministers; if he is incompetent enough, he will surely choose to surrender and pay reparations immediately; if he is powerful enough, he will surely lead the army himself or trust his loyal ministers enough.

However, the current king is stuck in this limbo, at the cusp of mediocrity and power. He is of mid-level strength and about to enter the high-level, and his wisdom is also slightly better than that of ordinary people. Therefore, he is very suspicious of his loyal ministers.

Maginus's "shadows" only need to fan the flames to set the rear on fire, making the battles between the current lords and the Nesserian army extremely difficult.

"There's no need for that. Our military needs hard power."

Maginus rejected Mira's proposal. What she needed was for the army to win fair and square. On the continent of Knoil, strength was everything, and the same applied to the army. Winning through underhanded means would not be conducive to the growth of professionals.

"Yes, I understand."

Mira didn't continue on that topic, but instead brought up things back home.

"According to the report from Sister Neko, apart from the few cities that we have complete control over, the other cities are very resistant to Nesery's current policies. They are outwardly obedient but inwardly defiant."

"Some officials in Dover helped cover it up, choosing not to accept bribes immediately, but instead signing contracts with the lords and city chiefs, promising to take the money back in their old age."

It's true what they say, "For every policy, there's a countermeasure." For the sake of profit, they immediately came up with other ways to bribe. After listening, Maginus sighed, "If some people put their wisdom into the right path, they could probably go much further."

As for the high-ranking officials in other cities being outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, she wasn't surprised. She knew the policies she had set herself well; for city lords and lords, it would mean losing some benefits, but those losses would allow ordinary people to live better lives.

Even so, they still managed to make a profit, but they held onto the idea that "making a small profit is a loss," and were never satisfied, always wanting more.

"Let Neko kill a few more people to intimidate them, and at the same time give the Church of the Endless Light some oversight. The policies I set must be implemented."

Throughout history, religious groups based on benevolent gods have never been favored by high-ranking officials and nobles. They may appear respectful on the surface, but in reality keep their distance and do not want priests or paladins to do anything beneficial for the people, fearing that their power will be taken away.

Maginos was not afraid; she was strong enough and, being a god herself, was fully capable of making the decision.

There's a saying that goes something like this: because she's different—she's both a goddess and a king—some things are much easier to handle.

"Yes, I'll go tell Sister Neikou as soon as I pull out my IAIIO skirt."

Chapter 625 Delegation of Authority, Relying Entirely on the Church

Noah's territory.

At the banquet that night, nobles mingled and drank, with young men and women in their arms, having a great time. In the private rooms on the top floor of the banquet hall, the lord of Noah, his officials, and some high-ranking nobles discussed important matters of their territory while holding their favorite types of women.

The treasurer, slightly worried, opened his mouth to bite into the fresh, small fruit offered by the maid, and asked indistinctly as he chewed, "Your Grace, is it really alright if we use the relief funds issued by Dover to fill the gap in our territory?"

"Don't worry, Doflamingo is currently at war, and our Emperor Imperius is probably busy building the Maze. He doesn't have time to care about us. Besides, he didn't take all the relief funds. He left some for those lowly people and the lackeys of the Endless Light."

"My main concern is the rumored secret force His Majesty possesses. What if His Majesty really has some kind of intelligence agency? Wouldn't we be in danger?"

“Even if it’s dangerous, it’s not us. Noah’s territory is a bit of a distance from Dovrek, they wouldn’t come all the way here. Besides, it’s questionable whether such a secret force even exists; no one has ever seen it.”

Lord Noah was quite casual, his strong body embracing two mature women, completely unconcerned about the potential crisis.

In his view, he had already given Maginus enough face, as he had surrendered with his territory when she was still fighting in the Windward Territory, and had been of great help.

As king, Maginus only needed to collect taxes; he didn't need to care about the plight of the common people. Since he did care, he naturally used the relief money to help himself. After all, the king was far away, and Lord Noah didn't think that the young king could control him.

As the banquet ended, the lord lay on his large bed to rest. The nobles were completely unaware of the changes that had taken place in the city of Noah. By tomorrow, everything would be turned upside down.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go find the Church of the Three Gods now."

Hearing Maginus's command, he nodded vigorously, turned off the communication, opened the window, and jumped onto the windowsill.

“Minions, it’s time to act. You go and gather evidence of the crimes committed by the various nobles. I will inform the church. If there is any danger, do not worry. Just pray to the great goddess of death.”

The cat-girl's voice was very soft. Wearing a gorgeous cloak, she flicked her tail and looked around. In the shadows and places where the eaves were not visible, several girls appeared, bowed inwards, and then disappeared into the shadows again.

He jumped from the hotel and arrived at the temple late at night. He bowed to the statue of the Endless Light to show his respect and drew two metal scimitars from his waist, clashing them lightly.

The original weapons have been replaced, and the two new weapons are much more powerful, in addition to having other attack methods.

She wasn't here to fight, so there was no need for her to take out any other weapons. As the scimitars clashed, a subtle current carrying psionic energy spread outwards. Having detected the situation inside the temple, Neko skipped away and arrived at the bishop's study, raising her hand to knock on the door.

"Come in."

Pushing open the door, the church bishop sensed something was amiss. Upon discovering the visitor was a cat-like girl, he instantly recognized her identity, his tense mood relaxing, though he also felt some doubt:

"Ms. Neko, are you here on the Queen's orders?"

“That’s right, we came after receiving your report,” the cat sat down to the side, picked up some fruit from the table and stuffed it into its mouth. “We have found solid evidence that the lord has indeed embezzled some money.”

The reason they came to Noah's territory was because some members of the Church of the Three Gods realized something was wrong, so they reported it to the Church of Dover. The pastor of Dover then used the guise of a church exchange to tell Melu about it.

In short, the matter was passed around through various channels until it reached Maginus, who was then asked to make a decision. She was also very fortunate that she had asked the Triune Church for help in advance, which made it much easier to handle important national affairs.

If you want to understand the true situation in various places, you don't only have to go through officials and nobles. Various benevolent churches and shadow organizations that extend from her body can guarantee the authenticity of the information she obtains.

"Great."

The bishop, who was still handling state affairs in the middle of the night, beamed with joy and stood up, supporting himself on the table with both hands: "Then what does Your Majesty intend to do?"

"Of course, kill them. After killing them, we will elect other nobles to take the throne. His Majesty intends to gradually take back control of the various territories and concentrate power in the central government. The national system will also change in the future. Changing the lords now is a preparatory step."

Neko relayed Maginus's order, and when she saw the bishop's expression change slightly, she reminded him, "Your Excellency, you don't feel sorry for their lives, do you? They were all men who didn't deserve to die."

“No, that’s not the reason,” the bishop said, more concerned about the lives of the residents. “I’m worried that the reshuffling of power by the higher-ups might affect the activities of the common people at the bottom.”

"This relates to another order."

Nei Ke took out the parchment prepared in his dimensional bag, looked around, directly took the pen from the bishop's hand, wrote some words on it casually, and then picked up the parchment and read aloud:

"Her Majesty the Great Queen Imperius has decided to strengthen cooperation with the Church of the Endless Light, the Church of the Sufferers, and the Church of the Faithful in the future, and to grant the Church of the Triune Gods more administrative power."

He tossed the parchment onto the table, and explained to the incredulous bishop in simpler language: “Your warriors and priests are needed to help govern the Noah territory during this period. Once things are completely stable, some powers will be taken back, and some will not.”

The bishop, who was probably in his sixties, remained speechless, as nothing like this had ever happened in his life.

Every person in power fears being directed by the church and is unwilling to share their power with them. The Church of the Endless Light originally thought that Maginus was willing to give enough power, but they did not expect that there would be even more.

“Tsk,” seeing the bishop’s expression, Neco curled his lip. “How many times do I have to explain? My master is not just a king, but also a god! That’s it. Quickly get people ready to deal with the evil nobles. We’re about to start killing. You all come and help. Be good at distinguishing between good and evil.”

The cat hurriedly left to inform the other two churches. Bishop Endless Light, having recovered, couldn't help but exclaim, "How magnanimous, Queen Imperius!"

He raised his hand and rang the bell beside the study. The paladin on night watch rushed over, looking completely bewildered, and was given the order by the bishop to wake up all the combat personnel and assemble them in the church garden.

"His Majesty Imperius's messenger approached me earlier, asking us to help them deal with the wicked nobles who had taken the relief funds that should have been handed over to us for the people's livelihood..."

Chapter 626 A Bright New World Emerges

The next morning, the lord woke up in his large bed, dressed with the help of a maid, and went to the dining room for breakfast. His first wife had a cold face; the two hadn't slept together for a long time and had been doing their own thing.

After their son died, the couple fell into a complete cold war. The reason they didn't divorce was because Lord Noah was wary of his wife's father.

She was the only daughter of another lord who had also been among the first to surrender to Maginus and thus survived, allowing him to help his daughter.

After finishing their meal, neither of them exchanged a word and they left one after the other to attend to their own business. Lord Noah had just settled into a chair in his study when an official rushed over, his face filled with terror: "Lord, something terrible has happened! Her Majesty and Her Majesty the Queen have sent people to investigate corruption!"

"What did you say!?"

Noah's eyes widened. He had just finished chatting and discussing things with the treasurer yesterday, and he never expected the boomerang to hit him so quickly.

Fortunately, he still possessed the judgment and qualities expected of a lord. He immediately summoned his hired mage advisor and had the mage cast a communication spell to contact the general in the army, ordering him to immediately lead the troops to the vicinity of the town to await orders.

At the same time, numerous messengers were sent to inform other nobles, urging them to make plans as well.

On this day, the Lord of Noah recalled the terror of Maginus once again, nervously patted his clothes, and told everyone to prepare to welcome His Majesty's envoy.

As for whether the welcoming ceremony is a matter of courtesy or force, that depends on the other side. Problems that can be solved with money are not problems. What Lord Noah fears most is that the envoy is an incorruptible and powerful individual.

Upon arriving at the gate, the lord sat on his throne, awaiting the arrival of the envoy. Soon after, a soldier reported, "Sir, the envoy has arrived. She is wearing a black robe, so we cannot see what she looks like, but she certainly bears the insignia bestowed by His Majesty."

The gates opened, and a cloaked girl entered the hall. Her gaze swept across the interior of the castle, and upon seeing the lord, she showed no respect or courtesy, instead letting out a cold snort: