The girl with white hair and red eyes is serious about revenge

"No... I have learned how to tie it..."

"Then will you tie it for me next time? If you tie it for me, I'll teach you something else!"

"Well...but I..."

Before Sharduo could finish, two gentle knocks on the door were heard, accompanied by a calm figure:

"Your Highness, is this convenient?"

"Well, come in!" Ashlia stood up and adjusted her skirt slightly. Sharduo also stood up hurriedly and stood behind the princess.

The door opened, and an old gentleman walked in. He was wearing a general's uniform and had several medals on his body. Sharduo knew who he was. He was Georgeson Alais, a general of the Kingdom of Grau Yad. Although this old man was getting older, he still had a high prestige in the army, probably at the same level as Rein.

Georgeson bowed slightly to the two of them and spoke in a steady voice:

"Your Highness, the [Sharp Knife Lion] family has already arrived, and now we are waiting for you to go to the banquet hall with the queen."

"Okay, I get it, old Georgeson, let's go."

As Ashlia said this, she took Sharduo's hand and squeezed it gently.

"Don't panic, just stand behind me, and leave the rest to mother."

"Hmm..." Sharduo hummed slightly with a hint of trepidation.

Led by Georgeson, Ashlia and Sharduo walked out of the dressing room and into the corridor. This was the only church in the atrium. After the royal government fled into the La Vatino Cage, this church became their base. Queen Celica and other high-ranking officials of the royal government all lived in this huge church.

Passing through the wide corridor, Ashlia saw Queen Celica. Ryan and a group of armored knights were standing beside her, escorting her.

"Mother!" Ashlia ran to Celica's side and threw herself into her arms, "Well..."

"Eshiliya, you have to be more solemn later," Celica stroked Eshiliya's head and smiled slightly, "This meeting is very important. If you are asked questions, are you confident?"

"Yes! Mother, little Sharduo took me to investigate the city for a long time, and I roughly know the situation here."

Ashlia raised her head from her mother's arms and looked into her eyes.

"We have to take over this city. This can't go on."

"I agree with Georgeson. La Vatino needs strong changes," Celica nodded at Georgeson. "Georgeson, how is the progress on your side?"

"It went very smoothly, Your Highness," Georgeson bowed his head respectfully and said in a steady voice, "Klein has already figured out the details of the [Sharp Knife Lion] family. If we start a war here, they will not be our opponent."

"Very good," Celica nodded, "Then let's go."

After that, the group began to head towards the church hall. Sharduo followed behind Eshilia nervously. To be honest, even if Georgeson thought Leon was not a threat, she was still very nervous about the upcoming match with the [Sharp Knife Lion] family. Since the locker room - no, since earlier, she has been worried about facing those demons.

In Sharduo's impression, the [Sharp Knife Lion] family symbolizes absolute hegemony. When she was a child, she was beaten to a coma by a gangster, just because she looked at that guy for a second. The shadow of her childhood has always shrouded Sharduo's heart, so much so that she is very worried that Eshilia will be treated in the same way.

For some reason, she suddenly felt a desire to protect Ashlia, even though she was also very weak.

After much thought, Sharduo decided to remind Eshilia. During the march, she gently touched Eshilia's hand and spoke softly:

"Your Highness..."

Unexpectedly, Ashlia did not respond to her, but held her hand instead.

"Eh?"

Sharduo was a little surprised, but Ashlia turned around and gave her the same gentle smile as usual.

It's okay, everything will be okay. Sharduo immediately understood the meaning behind the princess' golden eyes.

Yes, if it were Her Royal Highness the Princess, she would be able to deal with those bad guys.

Sharduo took a deep breath and looked determined.

......

Interlude) For whom did the fireworks go out? (Part 2)

"This way, please, Your Highness."

Ryan pushed open the white door at the end of the corridor and stood aside, lowering his head slightly. A group of people led by Queen Celica began to enter the hall of the church.

The hall of the church is very large, almost half the size of a basketball court. The chandelier above the huge dome is engraved with the royal emblem. The stained glass above the dome shines with seven colors, casting light spots on the huge banquet table.

The god believed by the people of Grau Yad is the morning star that is high above. It is the star that represents war and change under the command of the Higheaven, the kingdom where the gods live in legend. The wall carving above the church murals is that star: white flames, divinity and magic coexist.

Ashiliya was looking at the mural, and Sharduo found that her expression was a little complicated. She knew why: the Kingdom Army launched the attack after the Morning Star lit up, but was still destroyed by the Tower of Babel, which made the young princess question the Kingdom's faith.

Man-made towers and divine protection, in the end, man wins.

But is it good or bad for such people to win?

The thirteen people representing the [Sharp Knife Lion] family had already taken their seats. Sharduo caught a glimpse of the guy sitting in the middle: fat and big-eared, obese, wearing a tight formal suit, looking like a nouveau riche.

That should be the Godfather: Leon Kelaster.

"The Queen is here!"

Following the guards' call, Leon stood up first, took off his hat and bowed awkwardly to the queen. But Celica just glanced at Leon and walked straight to the table.

Celica took her seat first, sitting opposite Leon, Eshilia sat on the left of her mother, and Sharduo sat next to the princess. After that, Rein chose the first seat on the right of the queen, and Georgeson sat next to him, sitting on the second seat on the right of the queen. Other executives of the Grau Yad government also took their seats one after another, a total of thirteen people, corresponding to the thirteen people of the [Sharp Knife Lion] family.

Under the dome, this so-called "friendship meeting" began.

"Your Majesty, I have long heard of your name. It is a great honor to meet you today," Leon said in a flattering tone, "I hope our friendship will last forever and we can build La Vatino together."

"Joint construction? Do I have any misunderstanding about the word construction? Kelast," Celica frowned slightly, her tone very disdainful, "The streets of the courtyard are full of hungry poor people. Not only are the streets dirty and messy, but there is also a lot of street violence. Is this the La Vatino you are building?"

"Without any offense, Your Majesty, we are not the ones who caused all this," Leon smiled slightly. "As everyone knows, La Vatino has always been known as the 'Great Cage of the Kingdom'. It was not us who drove all the stowaways and convicted inferiors into this city."

"Criminals deserve to be punished. They should be spared from prison and only live in a big cage. You should be grateful to the royal power." Celica's tone became a little stern.

"Grateful? Haha... That's true. As a person of high position, you certainly haven't seen the jungle on the streets." Leon's expression became a little unfathomable, "But your daughter has probably seen it..."

Leon pointed at Eshilia, and this simple action immediately made the veins on Ryan's forehead bulge:

"You sent someone to follow her?"

"We need to protect the princess in secret, don't we?" Leon waved his hand. "After all, the so-called royal guard is just a coward who fled from the battlefield and fought with gangsters in the alley."

"you!"

"Stop it, Ryan."

Celica gently pressed down Ryan's right hand which was on the hilt of the sword, and her golden eyes stared at Ryan sternly, as if warning him.

Ryan glared at Leon, who was smiling, again, then slowly put his hands back on the table.

"There is no more chance."

"If I have offended you, I apologize. I am only stating the facts that I have seen with my own eyes." Leon smiled meaninglessly and looked at Celica again. "So, Your Majesty, I am just an ant that has climbed to the top of the cage. But even so, if you are in my territory, you still need to cooperate with me."

"Cooperation? Kerast, of course there is no problem with cooperation," Celica said calmly, "My daughter has chosen a La Vatino as her new cupbearer. After arriving here, I have been distributing the kingdom's stored grain to the poor, and have also mobilized a large number of guards to maintain peace on the streets. All of this is the royal power's construction of this area."

The golden eyes suddenly became extremely sharp, which made Leon shrink back subconsciously.

"We alone are enough to give La Vatino a brand new look. If you want to reach the point of so-called cooperation, you need to give up many interests."

"I'm all ears." Leon said in a frivolous tone.

"First, you need to disband your private army and order all gang members who are terrorizing the streets to stop such behavior immediately," Celica said quickly. "Second, you need to hand over all the resources deliberately stored in the upper city and use them to improve people's livelihood and urban construction. After all this, you can keep your mansion and your confidants, but you are not allowed to form a warlord again."

After Celica finished speaking, she just stared at Leon, whose expression was unreadable, with her golden eyes as firm as thunder.

Sharduo listened stupidly to the conversation between Her Majesty the Queen and Leon. She couldn't notice the sparks going on between them at all, but she instinctively felt that what the Queen had just said was not something Leon could accept.

However, what Leon said next surprised Sharduo a little bit.

"Your Highness, have you ever seen fireworks?"

Leon didn't answer Celica, but looked at Eshilia and smiled.

"I have seen it," Aishilia said to Leon without any fear, "but please answer my mother first, you——"

"Now that you have seen it, you should know how beautiful it is."

Leon stood up suddenly, and Ryan stood up as well, with the sword at his waist half-broken instantly. The guards behind the Queen and the gang members of [Sharp Knife Lion] almost simultaneously drew their weapons, and the situation became tense.

In such a bad atmosphere, Leon just took out a cigar from his waist and lit it nonchalantly.

"However, for fireworks to bloom, they need gunpowder and sparks," Leon took a deep puff of his cigar, his face intoxicated, "and even with these, they can only bloom for a short moment, which is fleeting. What a pity..."

"What about you? Leon Kelast," Queen Celica said in a cold tone, "How long can you survive in front of the kingdom?"

"Kingdom? What kingdom?" Leon smiled. "Attack King, like countless fireworks exploding in the sky, has long since burned out, and the kingdom has perished with it. You are just the remnants of a defeated army."

"It is enough to crush your defeated troops." Ryan said fiercely.

"Crush me? No, Royal Guard, you are totally wrong." Leon exhaled a puff of smoke arrogantly, "You are the burning gunpowder, and behind me is the eternally burning spark."

Leon spread his arms and bowed deeply towards the west.

"The Tower of Babel is the eternal spark that will guide all living beings like a beacon, unlike your king who is only a flash in the pan."

"Enough of your nonsense," Celica said grimly, "So you don't plan to cooperate?"

"What? Are you going to fight me here?"

"That's not the case. The royal government will not do such a despicable thing." Celica stood up, "Please go back. We will see you on the battlefield."

"Haha, you keep saying you want to build La Vatino, but you want to turn this place into a battlefield... Your Majesty is so noble and flawless..."

"War is a means to an end. If you want to remove a tumor, some bleeding is inevitable."

"Ha, whatever you like, Your Highness."

Leon broke the cigar, threw it on the ground, stepped on it, and left the table. He waved his hand lightly, and all the members of the Sharp Knife Lion family stood up with him.

Ryan wanted to step forward to stop him, but Celica stopped him directly—

"Your Highness, it's our best chance to wipe them out here all at once," Ryan whispered in Celica's ear, very quickly, "If we let them go, then..."

"If it was Rosedes, he would be disgusted by this behavior," Celica's tone remained calm, but her eyes flickered slightly, "We will still defeat them, but not here..."

"But..."

Ryan wanted to say something, but Celica gave him another look. Leon had already walked to the door of the church. After pushing open the door, he turned around for the last time:

"Oh, by the way, Your Majesty, I have one last gift for you."

As Leon spoke, there was a burst of explosions. Ryan instantly stood in front of the Queen and her group, but found that it was just fireworks.

"Bam—"

Incomparably beautiful fireworks bloomed in the night sky, lighting up one after another and dissipating one after another. Under the sky bursting with fireworks, Leon bowed deeply to Celica, lowered his head slightly, and stared at the queen with his small eyes proudly:

"Your Majesty, please enjoy this final fireworks display."

The fireworks high in the sky overlooked the kingdom of men. In the night sky of the only remaining city of sin in the kingdom, the fireworks gradually died out and turned into burnt ashes.

......

Interlude) For whom did the fireworks go out? (Part 3)

"Your Highness, do you really not need me—"

"You are my trump card, Ryan. You must lead this battle."

Above the church, Celica stared sternly at the half-kneeling Ryan, her golden eyes flickering.

Under the colorful dome, Ryan raised his head with a worried look on his face.

"But if I'm not here, you..."

"Don't worry, Ryan. Georgeson will be in charge of the church's security. He is not much worse than you," Celica said calmly. "He will definitely win this battle for me. This is related to the future of the Kingdom of Grau Yad."

Ryan's eyes suddenly became a little dazed. He lowered his head as if he had made a great decision, then he raised it again with a more resolute look on his face.

"I understand, Your Highness. I will come to you with Leon's head."

"There's no need for heads. We're not barbarians." Celica gave a forced smile and pushed her hand away. "Stand up, my hero (kingdom language)."

Ryan stood up, and under the majestic gaze of the goddess, he drew out his silver sword and pointed it at the dome.

"Royal Guard, Rein Tyras, go to war with the wish of the Morning Star (Kingdom language)."

"Take the Morning Star as your mark (Wang Guoyu)." Ryan nodded slightly.

After receiving the Queen's decree, Rein turned around and gave a pre-war speech to the Kingdom's army, which was ready to go. Under the light of the dome, the morale of the Kingdom's army was greatly boosted, as if they had regained the determination they had in the battle of Aston Plains.