The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

On the way back, Nora repeatedly examined the treaty signed with the North, wearing out every copy of it. She even lit an oil lamp to review it repeatedly while resting at night.

Most of the treaties have been altered beyond recognition, but all for the better. They have changed from the North unilaterally exploiting the capital to a cooperative and mutually beneficial partnership between the North and the capital.

However, how the capital side wins and who wins is entirely up to His Majesty.

To be honest, there were some pitfalls hidden in these treaties. The large-scale population migration stipulated in the treaties, as well as the relaxation of restrictions on population movement, could easily lead to a massive loss of population in territories near the northern border.

However, compared to the benefits brought by these treaties, this loss is negligible. After all, it's impossible to expect the Governor of the North to be doing charity and not take a single penny.

Nora couldn't understand why the Governor of the North's attitude had suddenly changed so drastically, but in the end, she gave up trying to figure it out. At least it meant that the Governor of the North now supported Her Majesty the Queen.

By this time, Lilith's guards had all changed their weapons and, after the negotiations ended, stayed at the checkpoint to receive basic training. They are now proficient in using the Melt-Slice Sword and the Ray Gun.

The guards, having received their new weapons, were even somewhat different in their demeanor, especially the noble knights, whose eyes gleamed with anticipation as if no one dared to attack Her Majesty the Queen.

Unfortunately, the convoy returned to the capital smoothly, and the capital's gates were wide open, showing no signs of a coup at all.

Lilith's carriage slowly entered the city gates. The wide streets were already packed with enthusiastic crowds, waving flags and cheering. Women and children stood at the front, holding bouquets of flowers, which they tossed to the procession. The men raised their fists excitedly, shouting "Her Majesty!"

Even the knights around Lilith seemed to be deeply affected. Although they could still maintain their formation, many of the bolder knights were already waving in greeting.

However, Lilith, who was inside the carriage, found the lively scene outside the window rather strange.

News of what was discussed in the negotiations should not have reached the capital yet.

After all, the capital city is now a trap waiting for certain people to step into. In order to lure out the hidden guys, Lilith has transferred all of her main forces in the capital city, hoping that something will happen in the capital city so that Lilith will have a reason to launch a purge.

Therefore, no matter how the talks with the North go, the results will not be reported back to the capital. Lilith has even controlled the people around her, making some officials who are in contact with the capital report only bad news and not good news. The capital should be in a very pessimistic state right now.

Sensing something was amiss, Lilith calmed down and listened carefully to the voices of the people. She discovered that most of them were praising Her Majesty the Queen for negotiating many very favorable conditions and policies with the North, and that the capital's glory would soon be restored!

At first, Lilith was taken aback, wondering who had leaked the information.

But Lilith looked closely at the street and discovered that even the swill and garbage that used to be outside every household in the outer city had been cleaned up, which clearly indicated that someone had organized this welcoming ceremony.

Listen to the wonderful policies that the people are talking about; they are very unrealistic, such as the North providing weapons free of charge, the North having completely submitted to the Queen, and the North opening up trade. It is obvious that someone is trying to stir up trouble.

To put it simply, it's a case of "praising someone to death." They've elevated Lilith to a very high position, and if she can't come up with policies that meet the public's expectations, it will be a major blow to her popularity no matter what.

In a sense, Lilith's transmission of false information to the capital was not entirely useless. It seems that although the enemy in the shadows is very cautious, they are still becoming somewhat impatient.

Having figured things out, Lilith decided to play along. After a brief conversation with Judith, she took precautions, stepped out of the carriage, and waved to the crowd from the small platform in front of it.

Those who wanted to flatter Lilith to their detriment probably never imagined that Lilith would actually negotiate a similar treaty with the North.

Upon seeing Lilith's response, the already swayed crowd became even more fervent. After all, according to rumors of unknown origin, the North had completely submitted to His Majesty and would cooperate with the capital in the future, making the capital's future even brighter.

Even some minor nobles were misled and took to the streets to welcome Her Majesty the Queen's victorious return.

When the common people saw that even the noble lord had come forward, how could it be fake? After all, these people couldn't distinguish between the major and minor nobles. They just felt that if the noble lord believed it to be true, it couldn't be fake. How could anyone dare to deceive the noble lord?

As for the Church, the old Pope had already realized the situation and kept instructing the monks and nuns to emphasize to the faithful that the North was no longer what it used to be, urging them to lower their expectations.

Unfortunately, this was far from enough to quell public opinion in the capital. Even though the church repeatedly emphasized it, there were still people who hoped deep down that it was all true.

At this moment, Lilith's carriage finally entered the inner city. Compared with the outer city, the welcome in the inner city was much more solemn. Claire, on behalf of the Augustinian family, welcomed Lilith back to the royal capital she was loyal to.

Looking out at the enthusiastic crowd in the outer city who were already popping champagne, Claire couldn't help but admire the Demon King's skill in manipulating public opinion, managing to put Her Majesty the Queen in such a simple position.

Lilith couldn't even trace the source of the rumors, since no matter what, the rumors were about the capital and the kingdom's well-being. It was just that someone "accidentally" took this beautiful vision as reality. Who could she blame?

This was truly wicked. Claire became even more wary of this demon king, and she resolved that once she ascended the throne, she would definitely have to control speech.

As for whether the North will genuinely adopt a friendly attitude and discuss cooperation with Lilith? Unless that Governor of the North has lost his mind.

The actions of that previous governor showed that while seeking stability, he also pursued maximizing his own interests; a half-dead capital was what suited his interests.

The nobles who followed Claire to greet Lilith in the inner city were much calmer, even somewhat pessimistic, especially the nobles of the New Party, since they had received the information from Lilith.

Moreover, no matter how you look at it, it's impossible for the governor of the North to have such a deep cooperation with the capital, unless that governor has really lost his mind.