Strength 99999 but the Holy Sister

"Since she is here, Ryan Forte must have arrived long ago."

Stikia said, stepping into the throne room.

The throne room is where the Queen meets with ministers. The mirror-like floor is crisscrossed with black and white patterns. The huge and luxurious crystal chandelier sparkles brightly. The red velvet curtains, gilded bottom edges, and snow-white carvings, the walls and ceiling windows are all painted with emblems symbolizing the imperial family. Every corner is a masterpiece that the imperial craftsmen are proud of.

On the walls here you can find portraits of empresses from the founding of the empire.

In the center of the throne room, a red carpet was rolled down from the steps. On the steps, majestic griffin carvings stood guard on both sides, and in the middle was a gorgeous golden chair.

Stizia ordered people to prepare seats for Tricia, Aisha and Charlie, right next to the steps. That was the place specially for entertaining distinguished guests. Tricia and Aisha were fine, but Charlie became more and more nervous.

Stikia walked up the stairs and slowly took a seat.

At this time, the door of the hall was pushed open, and Grand Duke Ryanfort saw Elsa and others as soon as he came in. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

Grand Duke Ryanfort was an old man—that's how Stikia described him. In fact, he did have a head full of silver hair and his face was covered with wrinkles, but his old appearance did not make him lose the elegance and dignity of a nobleman. He strode with big strides, his back as straight as a pine tree, his chin held high like a proud lion, and his eagle-like sharp eyes looked deeply and seriously at Stikia, and then turned to Tricia, Elsa, and Charlie.

Behind Ryanfort followed the knight and the brave girl whom he had just met.

"Her Majesty the Queen."

Ryan Fort saluted Stikia, and the others also knelt on one knee. Although Ryan Fort gave people a very strong feeling, his etiquette movements were impeccable, even the movement of a single knuckle was very accurate.

Then he bowed slightly to Tricia.

Obviously, he knew Tricia's identity - after all, Tricia had shown the token after arriving in the imperial city, and Ryan Fort would not have known about Tricia's arrival any later than Stizia.

Tricia nodded slightly without saying anything, indicating that they should continue.

As the empire's arcane sage, Tricia was naturally qualified to listen in on this level of conversation between the monarch and his ministers, and Ryan Fort would not have any objection to this - because everyone knew that the arcane sage was always neutral in his political stance.

Stikia sat high up in the throne and said, "Lord Ryan Fort, the transfer order was issued to you the day before yesterday. The unrest in the Southwestern Federation of the Friendly Alliance has not yet subsided. What brings you here today?"

"I am ready to send brave men to investigate the affairs of the Southwestern Nations. The turmoil in the Federation of Nations will be quelled within a month."

Ryanfort's voice was loud and resonant in the huge hall. The blonde girl beside him raised her chin slightly, pressed her gloved hands firmly under her shoulders, and looked serious.

Stikia looked at the girl, her eyes darkening as she leaned slightly. "Lord Fesmanard is an indispensable force for the Empire's future. However, as far as I know, she has not yet received the full inheritance of the Holy Sword. The current Federation rebellion is fraught with danger, and it would be premature to rush her into training."

The blonde girl pursed her lips slightly, still looking straight ahead.

Ryan Fort said, "Your Majesty, please don't worry about this. Madeleine Fismander has earned the Holy Sword's recognition and the Goddess's blessing. She possesses the fortitude of blood and iron. A sword needs to be honed on the battlefield, and a warrior needs to be forged with blood and sweat. I heard that the Saint of the Holy City has already completed her first training and has now returned to the Holy City to hone herself. As the Saint's sharpest blade, the brave must grow up as quickly as possible."

Such a debate is doomed to be fruitless. The brave Madeleine Fismander currently obeys the orders of Grand Duke Ryanfort. It can be foreseen that the Grand Duke will continue to send brave men to the Southwestern Federation.

"Also, I have heard that there are signs of demonic activity in the Western Province. Your Majesty, I beg you to hand this matter over to me for a thorough investigation."

Stikia didn't answer directly, but asked, "Have you learned about Earl Leonard's collusion with the demons?"

"I have been informed."

Ryan Forte's eyes were cold, and his sonorous voice seemed to contain a sharp sword.

Stikia didn't say anything more.

"Then leave it to you. I will also send someone to assist in the investigation."

……

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336. Although a Saint Nun

The conversations between Ryanfort and Stikia were not easy for Elsa to understand.

It's not that she couldn't understand what they were saying, but even Aisha, who didn't have a keen political sense, could sense the brief confrontations and concessions in their conversation.

The demons in the western province, the unrest in the southern province, and the upcoming winter - the severe cold wave in winter will cause many problems, such as the war in the north that may come at any time, the closure of the northern port, the dispatch of food and disaster relief affairs in response to the cold wave. If the empire does not intervene directly in these matters, it is often difficult for local nobles to coordinate and maintain them properly.

Many local nobles have their own little calculations. In this regard, Stizia and Ryanfort are rare issues on which they can reach a consensus - when dealing with indisputable imperial affairs, there will be no disagreements between the two monarchs and their ministers.

After waiting for at least half an hour, the conversation finally ended. As the queen, Stikia stood up first and left from the back. Everyone else, except Tricia, bowed slightly and waited for her to leave.

When Stikia's figure disappeared from everyone's sight, Duke Ryanfort suddenly stepped forward.

"It's been a long time since we last met, Duke Ryanfort."

Tricia nodded to him, and a slight smile appeared on the Duke's cold face.

Although it seems a bit strange, Tricia is actually much older than Ryan Forte, and Ryan Forte becomes a junior in front of her.

"Greetings, esteemed Master of Mystic Laws—it's touching that you remain so young and beautiful."

The Arcane Sage—this title immediately stunned the knights and the blonde girl behind him.

The Sage of the Empire, there is only one person on this continent who deserves this title. Tricia's identity is already obvious. They probably didn't expect that Tricia, a sage, would appear in front of them in such an image - the legendary sage is dressed in black and has black hair, elegant and majestic, while Tricia at this time looks like just an ordinary adventurer.

However, they all knew that Tricia had been sitting next to the Queen, which also confirmed Tricia's identity.

"Greetings, respected Master of Mystic Magic!"

The blonde girl took the lead in giving a standard military salute to Tricia, and the other knights followed suit with their heads held high and their chests puffed out - they seemed to be working even harder than when they faced Stizia.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, the brave men of this generation, and the valiant knights."

Tricia also smiled slightly and greeted the blonde girl. Aisha saw the girl pursed her lips and subconsciously raised her chin, with light in her eyes.

It was a great honor for them to be able to talk to Tricia.

This also made Elsa and Charlie once again realize what kind of existence Tricia is to the empire.

"Some time ago, I heard that the Dammas Fortress was attacked by demons. Fortunately, thanks to your presence, those demons were defeated. However, I wonder what brings you to the capital today, sage? If possible, please allow me to serve you."

"Nothing, just stopping by to check it out. I haven't been here in a while."

"Yes, the last time I saw you was about four or five years ago..."

After a few simple greetings, Duke Ryanfort's old but still sharp gaze passed over Xia Li and turned to Elsa. His eagle-like eyes revealed a hint of scrutiny, which was then replaced by enthusiasm.

"Oh, yes, I guess this is Her Excellency the Saint Sister?"

The knights' gazes shifted again, and the blonde girl also looked towards Elsa.

Aren’t the Saint Sisters still being selected? They all wondered at the same time.

However, compared to the Sage Tricia, Elsa's identity as a Holy Nun was much dimmer - moreover, Elsa was only wearing a simple swordsman's coat at the moment, which seemed a bit inconsistent with the title of "Holy Nun".

But only Ryanfort's eyes were unusually deep, waiting for Elsa's answer.

Obviously, Ryan Fort knew about Elsa's affairs - it seemed that he did have a lot of information. This was not surprising. Almost all the senior officials in Dammas City knew Elsa's identity and had witnessed Elsa's strength. Although Dammas City deliberately embellished everything that happened under the Queen's decree and rejected "visits" from other regions, all of this was just a thin veil for the powerful Ryan Fort.

If Ryanfort wanted to know what happened in Dammas, it would only take a word for him, and someone would naturally be at his service.

"Hello, Mr. Duke of Laneford, my name is Elsa Faris."

Elsa nodded politely, expressing her gratitude with the proper etiquette of a clergyman.

"I've heard of your great name for a long time. Lately, your name has been circulating among some princes and nobles."

"You are too kind. I am grateful for your care, sage."

Although it was just a polite remark, it was actually the truth. However, when Tricia heard Aisha say this...

She really wanted to pinch Elsa's waist.

"Oh, you're so modest."

Ryan Forte let out a laugh from his throat. He wanted to say something, but when he saw Tricia's indifferent look, he shut his mouth.

The blonde girl beside her looked at Elsa with a little curiosity.

She knew exactly who Grand Duke Ryanfort was. She could tell he valued the "Saint Sister" before him. Could someone so young be so important to the Grand Duke?

……

It seemed that Ryanfort just came up to chat, or perhaps he just came to bring the brave Madeleine Fishmand to make himself familiar with her.

"In that case, I'll take my leave."

Duke Ryanfort left from the main gate with the brave warriors and knights, while Tricia left from the side door. As soon as she went out, she saw Stikia rubbing her shoulders lazily while waiting.

"It's so tiring. This old man has become more difficult to deal with than before."

Although she said this, Stikia still had a relaxed expression on her face.

"That guy just now... was he the father of the previous hero? I suddenly feel that the previous hero must have had a hard time..."

Charlie whispered beside Elsa.

"In fact, the relationship between the previous generation of heroes and her father has always been harmonious." Tricia shook her head and sighed, "Grand Duke Ryanfort was not like this before, but some things can no longer be undone."

It is hard to imagine that Duke Ryanfort is now over eighty years old, but he is still active in the political arena of the empire with his tyrannical tactics, and is becoming more and more powerful and shrewd - he has not always been like this. As the father of the brave man, Tricia had visited his territory in her early years and was received by him. He used to be a gentle person who was easy to get along with, until his daughter, the previous generation of brave man, died. That incident led to a drastic change in his character.

This is no secret.

"Yes, I've often heard my mother say that the Duke wasn't like this before." Stikia squinted her eyes and smiled slightly, a hint of coldness and sadness flashing in her eyes. "But so what? If one day in the future I were asked to kill him with my own hands, I would never hesitate."

To this day, it remains unclear how much the Grand Duke had to do with the coup d'état two years ago. He even took the initiative to use soul-searching magic to verify, but naturally found nothing. But as the leader of the royal faction, how could he be completely unaware of what happened at the time?

Because the assassins who assassinated the empress at that time and the ministers who pulled the guards from the inside, from the planners to the beneficiaries, were indeed members of the royal faction.

Later, when investigating, all the clues pointed to the Wang Zheng faction, and a lot of evidence was indeed found, but almost all the clues were quickly cut off.

The Queen's death took away too many secrets. With the Queen's passing, a number of ministers and nobles were beheaded and buried in the soil. Now there is no way to investigate the matter later. Both the royal faction and the queen's faction paid a heavy price in that silent struggle. This also paved the way for Stikia, so the imperial capital remained peaceful.

But until now, Stizia has not tried to send anyone to assassinate Duke Ryanfort. On the one hand, she has to put the overall situation first. On the other hand, she wants to know who the real murderer is. Obviously, Grand Duke Ryanfort is the person most likely to know the truth.

Stikia has been secretly investigating her mother's death. She has always believed that nothing in this world is absolutely perfect.

No one continued the topic.

"Speaking of which, what happened in Southern Xinjiang?"

"It's just a small matter—you know, the people from the Federation of Nations and those nobles often have disputes."

Stikia said.

"Do you need help?"

Stikia looked at Tricia in surprise, as if she didn't understand why Tricia, who never cared about worldly affairs, would take the initiative to make such a suggestion.

"Thank you for your kindness, sage, but it's not necessary. The Empire has its own way of doing things. Besides, since this matter has been handed over to the Duke, it's not for me to interfere."

Ryan Fort came here mainly for two things. One was that there had been recent internal unrest in the Southwestern Federation of Countries in the southeast of the empire, and two major nobles from the southern border of the empire were involved. Some unpleasant things had happened with two small countries within the federation, so the empire naturally had to send people to investigate the matter thoroughly.

In terms of diplomacy, Grand Duke Ryanfort himself will naturally be responsible for mediation, while the unrest will be suppressed by the new hero Madeleine Fismander and his soldiers - Ryanfort's move is to build momentum for the new hero and also to give the hero experience. The new hero is still growing and needs the tempering of blood and iron, as well as a military achievement to highlight his reputation.

"The Grand Duke has already mobilized a significant number of troops for the Federation's war effort. He's determined to secure victory, including his own 9th Infantry Division and West Wind Brigade. The situation in the Imperial Capital has always maintained a delicate balance, with forces vying for control. Now that he's taking action, I have the opportunity to further develop myself. On the other hand, if I hold on, I'll be giving him another opportunity. This is an overt conspiracy. He's using some of the power in the Imperial Capital to gain the Hero's reputation, seemingly intent on promoting the Hero to power. He holds the Hero as a powerful card, and indeed has more options than I do, so I'll simply do as he wishes."

Stikia said.

Another thing about the Duke is about Earl Leonard.

Ever since his daughter's death, the Duke has hated all demons to the core. Earl Leonard colluded with the demons, and his fate in the hands of the Duke was predictable.

However, in order to prevent the Duke from going too far in matters involving the demons, Stikia will still send people to keep an eye on him.

……

Elsa didn't plan to stay in the imperial capital for long.

Elsa was also very happy to see Stikia again, but the change of identity from the little girl Tia who was chased by the "bandits" at that time to the queen Stikia who was above everyone else was destined to make it impossible for Elsa to still regard the queen in front of her as the little girl who could talk and laugh and touch her head casually.

And Elsa and Tricia had to go back to Seavis to continue their unfinished investigation.

After hearing about their arrangements, Stikia did not force them to stay. She just took out a badge with the royal emblem and gave it to Elsa and Charlie. It was a similar token to the one Tricia presented when she entered the city. Charlie was immediately flattered.

"Nobles in the North can be a bit stubborn sometimes. I hope you find this useful."

Stikia smiled and said, turning her slightly rosy eyes to Elsa.

"Elsa, will we meet again?"

This time she didn't call Aisha sister.

Elsa nodded.

……

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337. Grand Canyon

When Elsa returned to the territory of Seyavis again, the sun had not yet set.