The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Most of the nobles opposed this proposal.

The capital city no longer has the power to keep the dukes of the four borders obediently in the capital, and it can't even get the governor of the North to come to the capital to negotiate with the Queen. The reason why the three dukes of the Southwest and East are still willing to stay in the capital is purely because they are worried about what might happen to the capital again.

Just like Judith, she could have returned to the Southern Territory to command the battle without Lilith's request, but that would have had a very serious impact on Lilith's authority, and unrest would have begun to occur throughout the kingdom.

The dukes' control over their subordinates was even less than that of Grand Duke Lars in the past.

Although the Kingdom of Capet is currently suffering from severe internal strife, it is far from time to split up. The dukes must at least maintain Her Majesty the Queen's authority on the surface.

Moreover, the capital city is far from being beyond repair. At least under Lilith's reforms, the mess in the Kingdom of Capet seems to be barely being maintained.

However, it was indeed impossible to control a governor who had unified the North. Even though the territory of the North was somewhat smaller than it had been at its peak, judging from the weapons in the battle reports, its strength had not diminished; on the contrary, it had become even more troublesome.

How could a governor like this possibly obediently come to the capital and chat idly with the nobles?

It would be even more unwise for Her Majesty to personally go to the North to speak with this governor. She has never even faced those weapon kings before. If the governor has any ulterior motives, Her Majesty's chances of survival are slim, and the situation would become even more chaotic.

Nora immediately objected, "No! Your Majesty, your safety is of utmost importance right now. You must not leave the capital so easily!"

The new party nobles also strongly opposed it. To them, Lilith's life was more important than anything else. Although Lilith was nominally Governor Lind's adopted sister, everyone knew that this was just a symbolic alliance formed by the other side to stabilize the situation in the capital. But now the situation was different. The North had been unified, and this alliance was no longer of any use to the other side.

"Your Majesty, you can send someone to discuss this with the governor. You don't need to meet with him in person, neither in terms of etiquette nor in terms of status."

The nobles of the New Party began to speak out.

Nora, on the other hand, volunteered, saying, "Your Majesty, let me do it for you."

But at this moment, Judith's eyes lit up. Others might not know what was going on, but in Judith's guess, Her Majesty the Queen and Governor Lind were in cahoots. And now, Her Majesty the Queen was going to meet with Governor Lind. Could it be that the time was ripe?

"I think it's necessary to meet in person."

Judith stepped forward and said, "Some things cannot be clarified by letters or by sending people to negotiate. His Majesty must meet with them in person. Only in this way can misunderstandings be avoided to the greatest extent possible."

"Have you ever considered that many wars in history may have originated from a small misunderstanding, and now we are going to put an end to these misunderstandings?"

Judith turned and bowed to Lilith, saying, "Your Majesty, if you are going to the North, I am willing to serve as your guard and accompany you."

Judith gave her old partner Scott a look, and Scott stood up helplessly, saying, "Gentlemen, the North has just experienced a war. Although the war reports say that the North's weapons are terrifying, the North has also suffered heavy losses. Isn't this the best time for us to improve relations with the North and exchange ideas with each other?"

"As Sir Judith said, the North is at its weakest point, but also its most sensitive. If the letters or messengers do not convey the Queen's message correctly, and someone stirs things up, wouldn't it just benefit outsiders if a conflict were to break out?"

"Now, it is time for Her Majesty to take action. If Her Majesty goes to the North, she can not only appease the North but also dispel some rumors. It would not be unreasonable to then promote technical exchanges."

Scott's words do make some sense. Although Nora believes she can perfectly convey Lilith's meaning, if someone stirs up trouble and damages the relationship between the capital and the North, such as Anjou on the southwestern border or the demons north of the North, then it would be a catastrophe for both sides.

At this moment, a church representative stepped forward and said, "There is no need to worry about security; we will protect His Majesty."

"There's no need to set foot in the North; we can negotiate in the area where the North and the Central Region meet."

Having said all that, the New Party nobles, though still worried about Lilith's safety, had no choice but to nod in agreement.

The main reason is that this governor has always had a good reputation, and at least he has not been lacking in public respect.

It would be good for Lilith to personally inquire about the governor's future plans.

Lilith's proposal was quickly approved, and many details were finalized at the meeting, resulting in a concrete plan.

Lilith wrote a letter by hand and had it delivered to Lind by a special messenger.

Besides wanting to understand Governor Linde's future plans, Lilith also wanted to ask her fellow countryman what his thoughts were on future development.

Judith, on the other hand, genuinely intended to accompany Lilith as her bodyguard to meet this descendant of the empire.

This is the first time Lilith has prepared to leave the capital since taking power, so it is very important who will stay behind to guard it.

Everyone initially thought that since Judith was going to leave with Lilith, then at least Nora, as the prime minister, would stay. However, Lilith unexpectedly changed the plan, asking Nora to leave with her as well, because Lilith needed to consult Prime Minister Nora's opinion on some important matters.

There's no problem with that, but in doing so, the core strength of the New Party has been almost completely emptied, leaving behind a group of leaderless New Party nobles.

Claire's heart skipped a beat when she heard the news.

With the Queen and the Chancellor absent, and one duke who had always supported the Queen missing, only Monroe's own men remain, and Scott is not a staunch supporter of the Queen either. Claire's deputy has also been suspended, and now the palace guards are entirely under Claire's responsibility. This is simply the perfect opportunity to launch a coup.

But Claire quickly calmed down. The timing was just too perfect, so perfect that it frightened her. Wouldn't Lilith see through her stirring up trouble at the meeting? And taking Nora away was practically like waiting for someone in the capital to stage a coup.

This person may not necessarily be Claire, but more likely one of Claire's restless Augustines.

Lilith's authority has not been damaged. Even if the coup succeeds now, it will definitely not last long. In fact, if someone else were to stage a coup, Lilith could legitimately ask the North for help.

Claire shook her head, got up and went inside the palace to appease the Augustins. The time was not yet right, and she still had to proceed according to her original plan.

Even so, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity must be seized. Lilith can contact the governor of the North, and Claire can also proceed with the plan to have a detailed discussion with the demons.