You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

……

"what?"

The female military goddess blinked. Her memory hadn't been interrupted, but many inexplicable things appeared in her mind... all sorts of colorful fragments of emotions, as if trying to shove a person into a dye vat, mixed together, making her breathless and inexplicably annoyed.

But she quickly recovered and, after a moment of confusion, instinctively assumed a defensive stance, trying to grab onto some weapon to protect herself, only to find herself grasping at nothing. Only then did she belatedly realize her current awkward situation.

She glanced at Iori, who was naked, blinked, and then looked down at herself.

"Huh! What's wrong!"

Completely devoid of her usual aloof demeanor, the female military goddess suddenly let out an adorable, pitiful cry that was out of character, and hugged herself tightly with both hands.

She quickly got into the bathtub, squatted down and curled up, tightly covering her private parts with her hands, but even so she didn't feel safe. A huge sense of shame attacked her brain like a wave.

"Don't look! Close your eyes!"

"...You're only bringing this up now?"

Iori was slightly speechless.

The embarrassing scene came a little late~

Incidentally, he didn't close his eyes as instructed. After all, with his perception, it didn't really matter whether he closed his eyes or not at such a close distance; Hippolyta's shy appearance would still be reflected in his mind.

That usually calm and composed female military genius was now as flustered as a heroine in a light novel, like a captured little animal...

—What a rare sight!

Since that's the case, and he hasn't done anything wrong anyway, there's no need for him to deliberately look away in order to show his uprightness!

"Damn it, why this kind of feeling... This is not what I wanted!"

Overwhelmed by shame, Hippolyta trembled. Her body was curled up to its limit, yet she still couldn't calm down. Whether it was from the heat or something else, her fair skin gradually turned red, as if it had been scalded by fire.

What she really wants is a more positive and uplifting emotion that can strengthen her resolve—but right now she's only wavering!

She originally thought that even if she were to be sent from heaven to become human, she would definitely be a competent warrior, possessing a yearning for battle and a will to protect others.

However, however...

She forgot she's a woman too!

Realizing that there was only a layer of water between her and Iori, Hippolyta instinctively squeezed her legs together, and then her eyes showed an incredulous light.

"What is this feeling... um... what's with this reaction... could it be that Athena always feels this way? How does she endure it?"

Is that so? So that's why I grit my teeth and mutter your name while touching myself every day..."

Hmm, I think I've overheard some incredible information?

……

Somewhere, the goddess of wisdom, who was competing with Sera in analyzing the blueprints for the jeweled sword, suddenly felt a chill...

Chapter 525 The First Prince's Banquet.

The night passed, and nothing happened.

Iori wasn't a lustful fiend, and he didn't take advantage of the situation to win over Hippolyta. After all, according to his philosophy, such a late-ripening fruit should be left to ripen for a while, until she becomes more flavorful and delicious.

However, having learned a secret about Athena and gained leverage over the goddess of wisdom, it wasn't entirely without gain.

Well, this makes it much easier to... win over Athena.

Even more daringly, it's not impossible to win over both Athena and Hippolyta at the same time!

—Keep this little thought to herself for the time being, and the next day, Iori led her people on another journey.

Their journey was very smooth. The Silver Clan was probably preoccupied with other matters and did not send out more troops to harass the Golden Ship. Taking advantage of the Human Federation's momentum, the planetary transit stations along the way also opened their doors wide.

Thus, the Uranus quickly entered the territory of the Human Federation and soon encountered an envoy from the capital planet.

"Welcome, Lord Aizen."

Captain Augustus of the Belial Fleet asked us to convey his respect and gratitude. The friendship forged in our joint victory over the Silver Race on the border planet is the most treasured gem in the hearts of our Pan-Human Interstellar Federation.

Once again, I express my gratitude to you. You have permissionless passage within the Federation and can enter directly from any port, Your Excellency.

This was a middle-aged man, obese and leaning on a cane, dressed in ornately decorated clothes, clearly belonging to a privileged class. Surprisingly, however, his voice was not unpleasant, and his eyes were not as cloudy as depicted in many works.

The aria-like tone is indeed not decisive enough, but it makes people patiently wait... To be honest, the overall impression is not bad.

This is on the bridge of the Uranus. The special envoy and his party of ten are led by a sector admiral with a noble title. Although it is a purely administrative position and he does not have direct command of the fleet, his status is quite high and he is definitely a member of the Federation's core.

However, this nobleman did not have that arrogant problem, or rather, he knew very well how to control his emotions and words and actions, and how to present different images to different people.

He was humble in front of Iori, but not obsequiously, and there was nothing rude about him.

This is all because Iori possesses a super battleship that can rival the Silver Clan!

According to intelligence, this golden warship was even hastily cast within a few months...

If we could master this technology, wouldn't we be able to launch a counterattack on the solar system?!

Of course, it's impossible to just come up and demand things, thinking that because you're of a higher status, others have to listen to you, or to use lofty ideals like "all of humanity" to pressure people—that's a low-level mistake only a clueless kid would make.

People with this kind of thought process are not uncommon among nobles, but it is very difficult for them to survive to adulthood.

As a person in a position of power, one can have a thousand flaws, but one should at least have two strengths:

Assess the situation and ensure everyone benefits.

If you want others to cooperate with you, you need to show corresponding sincerity, especially when the other party has power and status that are no less than yours.

"Nice to meet you."

Iori nodded slightly, but didn't say much, remaining calmly seated in her chair. Instead, Reynolds stepped forward to talk to the envoy.

Reynolds was once a pirate, and in the eyes of the Empire's high command, he was undoubtedly a parasite on humanity, an object of contempt. However, the envoy's smile was like a gentle breeze, and his fat face showed no sign of distress as he happily engaged in in-depth conversation with him.

Is it because of my personality that I dislike these kinds of occasions, or... do you think I'm not high enough in status?

The man secretly pondered this.

If it's the former, that's fine, but if it's a matter of social status...

In diplomatic settings, it is generally required that the two parties directly negotiating be of relatively equal administrative rank to demonstrate their goodwill.

If the ship's "adjutant" is of the same rank as him, the "governor," it means that Iori considers himself to be on par with the federal government.

This is not a reception, but a summit.

Realizing this, the fat man immediately adjusted his mindset, keeping the promise he had received from the prince to himself, lest he displease Iori.

However, this resulted in a lack of substantial information, and the conversation became rather boring and exaggerated. The envoy used his silver tongue to barely keep the atmosphere from cooling down, and finally warmly invited the "Uranus" to the capital star system.

"The First Consul of the Federation, the Leader of Humanity, the Head of the Great Venus Royal Family—"

His Highness Mereagoros awaits you, intending to display the beauty of the earth's surface that cannot be appreciated from space. I hope Lord Aizen and your ship will be able to…”

“No problem, we were planning to go to the capital planet anyway.”

Reynolds smiled indifferently, watching the envoy's performance with an extremely calm expression.

He was originally a military officer, but as for why he later became a pirate... that's a rather boring story, so let's not go into it.

However, his attitude toward the Venusian royal family was very clear: he kept his distance and, if possible, did not want to have any connection with them whatsoever.

If it were the princess herself who summoned him, that would be one thing; that person is wise and intelligent and would certainly not do anything foolish. But her two brothers... Reynolds had met them personally, so he didn't trust them at all.

So when Augustus invited Iori, he was met with a sarcastic remark.

According to him, nothing good would come of Iori meeting the two princes, so it would be better to wait until the princess returned.

But after spending these days together, Reynolds's opinion has changed drastically.

Although Iori remained mysterious in his eyes, he could tell that Iori was not an inexperienced political novice. On the contrary, he had a profound understanding of this matter, just like a seasoned nobleman who had been raised from childhood.

—It's just that the power they wield is so great that they rarely need to use so-called political wisdom.

He had initially worried that Iori might be used by the prince, or that she might clash with the Venus royal family, thereby endangering the entire Federation of Humanity... but now he was not worried at all.

As for those two from the Wang family, no matter what their little schemes are, they're just putting on a show in front of their new captain. There's nothing to worry about.

"Please rest assured, Special Envoy. We are also human. Aizen... Captain once said that he will always stand on the side of humanity. If you want to use his power, he will not hesitate to do so."

"Oh, oh, oh!"

Although very experienced, the envoy couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, but quickly regained his composure.

"Ahem! I'm sorry, I lost my composure... Lord Aizen truly is a pillar of humanity. We overthought things and even made such a test. I'm so sorry!"

"It doesn't matter."

Iori waved from afar, then turned to look at a green plant placed next to the control panel.

"I am also very interested in the current supreme leader of mankind."

“You won’t be disappointed!”

The envoy puffed out his chest, hesitated slightly, and said, "However, the star system where the capital planet is located does not allow warships of a certain tonnage to enter. Your ship... Of course, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just..."

"There's no need to be so cautious; the Uranus won't enter that system."

Iori, however, seemed unconcerned: "Let the prince come out from there and talk to me."

"……what?"

The envoy's mouth was slightly open, but looking at Iori's nonchalant attitude, he wanted to bargain but couldn't bring himself to say it.

'This unusual majesty...it's even greater than that of the late king...'

"Ok."

The envoy performed the courtesies of a royal audience almost by muscle memory: "I will convey your message, Lord Aizen."

……

As the Golden Ship passed through the capital planet's defense perimeter, all twelve orbital fortresses simultaneously lit up their identification signals. Iori gazed through the bridge at the honeycomb-shaped energy shields, recalling the envoy's boast about it being "the crystallization of human wisdom," and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

The First Prince did not leave his territory, but he also did not forcibly stop Uranus. Instead, he granted Iori the privilege of entering on his own warship. However, Uranus would have to hover in the spaceport and would not be able to enter the atmosphere—which was only natural.

Perhaps they have great confidence in the galactic defense system.

After all, humans had been fighting the Silver Clan and the Bronze Clan for a long time. In their view, although they were weaker, there was not much of a generational gap between them and the Silver Clan.

The Golden Boat Uranus is only slightly better than the Silver Clan's warships, but it still can't compare to a complete planetary fortress.

—They were unaware of Iori's record of defeating and even capturing a "Nordos," so it's understandable that they had this confidence.

wow~

wow~

wow~

The airport's welcoming passage was carpeted in scarlet, with holographic projections on both sides continuously playing the glorious history of the Venus royal family. As Iori stepped onto the automated floating platform surrounded by the welcoming team, she noticed the appearance of the first king in the projection. His attire was still a standard sci-fi military style, but over the generations, it had gradually shifted towards a noble style.

As for the current generation of royal family members...

"Lord Aizen!"

A clear, magnetic male voice rang out from beneath the palace dome, like the voice of an opera singer.

Iori looked up and saw the First Prince, dressed in a platinum suit, walking down the steps with his arms outstretched. The royal crest embroidered on his cuffs shone slightly with his movements, and he wore a perfect smile.

This prince has typical blond hair and blue eyes, and his appearance can be described as handsome and extraordinary. Every word and action of his is textbook aristocratic demeanor. Even the way he shows his teeth seems to have been calculated. It is neither exaggerated nor subtle, and it can clearly express goodwill and joy.

"Nice to meet you, Your Highness Mereagoros."

"I'm finally meeting you. I've imagined countless times what a hero who defeats a great enemy would look like, but I never expected him to be so handsome and young."

Even setting aside formalities, Mereagoros's joy seemed genuine; he warmly grasped Iori's hand, his slight trembling revealing his excitement.

"Lord Aizen must have had a long and arduous journey. It must have been a difficult expedition for you... I hope your time on this planet will soothe your weariness."

Iori narrowed her eyes slightly and put on her signature fake smile, without a trace of artificiality.

"I have long heard of the richness and beauty of the capital planet... Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness."

"Haha, it should have been the three of us siblings who came to welcome the hero, but unfortunately my sister is still on an expedition and hasn't returned yet, and my brother is engrossed in his research on mechanical creations and is not currently on the capital planet... So I can only receive you. I hope I won't neglect you."

"It's alright, you're too kind. I'm just an adventurer and traveler who's free to go anywhere."

"Interstellar travel? How enticing... Perhaps it is precisely because one dares to venture into uncharted territories that one can reap such wondrous creations?"