Chapter 738

After finishing the conversation with Ophelia, I went up to the reception room and found that the group had already gathered.

“Welcome, Hashel.”

“Long time no see! Are you hurt anywhere?”

Damien looked a bit tired, while Milia, in contrast, seemed full of energy.

“Sister!”

“Has the lady arrived? Why is Ophelia alone?”

Rana was delighted, while Leonor glanced behind me and tilted her head in confusion.

“Alcohol… give me alcohol…”

“Please give it up… Hashel-sama said no alcohol until the discussion is over.”

Ferne, looking like a terminal alcoholic, was scolded by Hersh.

“Don’t underestimate the Sword of Landenburg…!”

“Do you think I’ll lose…! The Paladin of the Grasslands never yields…!”

Nigel and Jahan, with serious expressions and red faces, were arm-wrestling. It was the same as always.

“Why are they like that?”

“It’s their usual thing. They were arguing about who’s stronger between a master and a paladin under the same conditions, and Nigel provoked Jahan to settle it with strength.”

“And Jahan accepted it?”

“Good job, these guys. They’re not ten-year-olds, what’s with this?”

“Jahan tried to refuse, saying it was childish, but then Nigel said something like, ‘Are you scared?'”

“Ah, then there’s no choice.”

Any man who hears that and doesn’t react is either a Buddha or a eunuch. There’s no Buddha in this world, and Jahan isn’t a eunuch, so he had no choice but to take the bait. Though if he loses, it’ll be a total disgrace.

“Who do you think will win, miss?”

Leonor, sitting on the sofa, asked me in a subtle tone while watching the arm-wrestling.

…Who do I think will win?

[Of course, it’s Jahan. Look at the difference in physique. No matter how much of a training addict your knight is, without the help of karma, how can he overcome that difference?]

Hersela declared Jahan’s victory with absolute certainty. Well, from my perspective, Nigel doesn’t seem like a pushover either…

“I don’t know. How would I know who will win?”

I chuckled and dodged the question. If I took sides here, it would only lead to more chaos.

“How boring.”

Leonor clicked her tongue in disappointment and shrugged. As expected, this woman was hoping for a spectacle. Good thing I didn’t take the bait.

—

The arm-wrestling match between the East and West, a battle of pride, ended in a mess when the table couldn’t withstand the pressure and split in two.

Neither of them had the decency to continue their prideful fight after splitting the table, which was worth its price, as it was a piece of furniture left by Isabella.

“Next time, for sure…!”

Both Nigel and Jahan, dissatisfied with the inconclusive match, gritted their teeth and dreamed of the next opportunity.

Anyway, thanks to that, I was finally able to explain the reason I gathered them all.

The conflict between races over the subjugation of Nidhogg and the story of becoming queen.

“Queen?”

“What kind of crazy talk is that?”

Nigel and Leonor exclaimed in shock.

The others also had expressions of disbelief, so I explained the whole story to them.

“That’s how it is. It’s still just a plan, though.”

“Queen… come to think of it, Hashel was a princess, right?”

Milia nodded in understanding.

Princess, indeed. I was something like that before. Though I abandoned that status when I fled to the Empire.

“So, we’ll become ‘the queen’s knights’? It’s like a fairy tale I read as a child.”

Damien smiled slightly, though it was probably a fake smile.

He looked like he was fulfilling a childhood dream… but that was probably just a mask mimicking others’ emotions.

In his mind, there was probably only the simple information that ‘Hashel’s status has risen. My status has also risen.’

“I like it.”

…Or not?

I don’t know. Lately, Damien’s acting has improved, or maybe he’s slowly developing emotions. I can’t tell if it’s acting or genuine anymore.

“Then Hashel-sama will finally ascend to the position of Khan! Congratulations.”

“It’s not Khan, it’s Queen. Landenburg and Median are territories of the Westerners, aren’t they?”

Jahan, unable to contain his excitement, clenched his fist and congratulated me, while Nigel calmly pointed out.

“What are you talking about? Hashel-sama, who is Ai-shan Gi-or, will rule over all people, so of course, she should be called Khan!”

“Her Majesty the Queen of Median. Or Her Majesty the Queen of Landenburg. Since she fled to the Empire, it’s customary to follow Western laws. ‘Former’ Ka’har Paladin, Jahan.”

These guys are going to fight again. Whether it’s Khan or Queen, what’s the big deal? They’re just words with the same meaning in different languages.

“That’s enough. What’s important is that I’m founding a country, not the title.”

I stopped their argument before it turned into an emotional fight and continued the discussion.

—

Only Ferne showed interest in the Insect-Dragon matter.

For the rest of the group, the fact that I was planning to establish a country and become queen was dozens of times more shocking than having to face the Fairy Guardians.

“Guardians… this is going to be a headache. Or maybe it’s a good thing…?”

Ferne, forgetting about her alcohol cravings, muttered with a complicated expression. She seemed more bewildered than happy about the opportunity to fight Alvheim’s fairies.

Well, I understand. Unlike before, she can’t even stand against the Fairy Guardians now, let alone fight them.

The Ferne I met after a long time, who once rivaled heroic knights, had weakened to almost Minea’s level.

Probably because she lost most of her power after the Blessing of the World Tree was taken away.

After summoning high-level spirits and fighting Nidhogg in the Imperial Capital, Alvheim’s Council of Elders must have realized she betrayed the fairies and sided with the Empire.

So, Ferne could no longer be a force to be reckoned with. At least not in the fairies’ way.

No wonder she’s bewildered. The chance for revenge against Alvheim, which betrayed her, has finally come, but she no longer has the strength to take revenge.

The only paths left for her are to learn human magic and grow as a magician or to seek external means to compensate for her weakened physical abilities.

…Should I ask Asha for help?

It’s taboo to leak the core technology of the dwarves to other races… but fairies who want to burn the World Tree might be of great interest to the dwarves.

Enough to consider helping her achieve her wish.

Imagining a fairy in mechanical armor wielding a sniper rifle, I decided to discuss this matter with Asha the next time we met.

—

After finishing all the discussions, I dismissed the group, who were still in shock and deep in thought, and went up to my room with Rana.

“Sister, if you become queen, where will we live?”

“Well, probably in the Landenburg Territory. Leopold wouldn’t want me to neglect border defense.”

Median Territory is good land, but it’s unsuitable as the capital of a country.

Unlike the Landenburg Territory, which maintained a semi-independent governance structure as a border lord’s territory and an electorate, the Median Territory is just a vast, ordinary noble territory.

There’s nothing there to serve as the foundation for a country. There’s not even a need for private soldiers, so the only military presence is the Rose Cross Knight Order.

So, the new kingdom’s capital is likely to be Landenburg. Leopold also subtly hinted at this.

Well, it’s a good thing for me too. Since it borders Ka’har, I can respond immediately if they try anything crazy again.

“I see…”

“Why, are you reluctant to leave the Imperial Capital?”

I chuckled and patted Rana’s shoulder. She’s grown a bit, so it’s awkward to pat her head now.

“Of course not. I don’t have any close friends here anyway. Landenburg is better. There are many sisters from the Shaulite Church Order there.”

“Ah… that’s good.”

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. Should I feel sorry that she has no friends in the Imperial Capital, or be glad that she can leave for the East without any emotional burden? It was an answer that left me unsure.

—

Three days passed like that.