My family runs an adventurer's guild.

Why should a weak woman like me bear all these troublesome and even hopeless problems?

Just a few dozen days ago, she never imagined that she would one day be sitting in her father's seat!

Yeah, and at the same time, he's holding an even worse hand than his deadbeat father...

My title of Queen is nothing short of a cruel joke of fate!

Queen Lana sighed in frustration and looked back at her personal bodyguard, Clem.

In this cold and turbulent world, compared to the cunning old foxes, big foxes, middle foxes, and little foxes around her, as well as her two older sisters who were filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, only this loyal young man could bring her a little warmth.

—As the poor boy abandoned by his parents, whom Princess Lana found when she left the palace, Clem was willing to go through fire and water for Princess Lana, who saved his life, in order to repay her kindness.

Although his aptitude can only be described as average, he has no talent in swordsmanship, no talent in magic, and no special physical abilities.

However, he continued to train little by little, striving to improve himself, wanting to become someone worthy of Princess Lana.

No matter how slim the hope, Clem did not give up. Even at the cost of his own life, he would use his sword to protect his mistress.

This is not only to repay a debt of gratitude, but also because of the love hidden deep in my heart!

As an unwanted child, Clem never even saw what his parents looked like and should have died alone in the mud.

However, Princess Lana pulled him out of darkness and filth, gave him a glimmer of hope, and captivated him deeply.

As a child, it was just a dream, but as I grew up, it gradually turned into love.

But this feeling seemed destined to remain buried forever; the miracles sung by bards were impossible in real life. Clem dared not express his feelings to Princess Lana.

As a princess, she could not possibly belong to someone like Clem, whose origins were unknown and whose status was even lower than that of a commoner.

Meanwhile, Princess Lana secretly liked Clem, liking his simplicity, his admiration, and his unadulterated loyalty... Otherwise, how could the stunningly beautiful and unmarried Princess Lana, despite the disapproval of many traditional nobles, force Clem, a soldier of unknown origin, to become her personal bodyguard?

Ah, it feels just like raising a puppy!

Moreover, it's a well-behaved, obedient, and compliant little dog.

So, she wanted to marry Clem and live together forever... well—and she wanted to keep Clem chained up so he couldn't go anywhere, maybe that would make them happier.

Even when she was a princess, she had no say in her marriage. Now that she is queen, she still cannot choose her own marriage. According to the normal procedure, she will either be forced to marry a high-ranking nobleman to stabilize the situation, or be married into a neighboring country for a political alliance.

The obstacles she faced in trying to overcome to marry Clem, the only man she found agreeable, were even greater than when she was still a princess.

Moreover, given the current chaos and disorder in the kingdom, she needs even greater power to protect herself.

While Clem's loyalty is beyond question, his sword is still too weak.

In stark contrast to her good reputation among the people, Princess Lana has almost no close female friends in the kingdom's aristocratic social circles, which are characterized by extravagance and emphasis on lineage. Naturally, she also has difficulty finding a reliable assistant at present.

The only all-female, steel-rank adventurer party they were on good terms with, [Blue Rose], played a significant role in their past battles against the [Eight Fingers] gang. However, when the arena of conflict expanded to the entire kingdom, the strength of a single adventurer party proved far too weak.

The most powerful adventurers can indeed rival an army, but only on the battlefield in direct confrontation.

Moreover, the enemy side also possesses high-end military forces capable of confronting the [Blue Rose].

Therefore, she needs greater strength to support her precarious situation and more abundant resources to alleviate her current predicament.

Queen Lana thought to herself as she removed her makeup, preparing to rest—a task that should have been done by her maids, but her original noble maids had all been dismissed by Lana after being discovered to be secretly contacting people outside the palace. New maids had not yet been recruited.

Just as she let her hair down, an invisible magical wave suddenly erupted within the palace!

Immediately afterwards, a dark portal, accompanied by boundless terror that almost froze one's mind, slowly appeared in the room.

Queen Lana instinctively tried to scream, but found herself unable to make a sound, as if her throat was being choked.

Clem struggled to draw his sword and shielded his mistress behind him.

"……who?!"

Although his face was deathly pale and his teeth were chattering, he still managed to hold up his sword and shout in a low voice with difficulty.

"...Please don't be afraid, little one, I mean you and your master no harm!"

Accompanied by a melodious yet imposing female voice, a silver-haired beauty wearing a pointed hat and a magic robe slowly walked out of the portal. On her shoulder, a fluffy orange cat was curiously observing Queen Lana and Clem.

"...My name is Lulutia, and I come representing the Sorcerer King of the Kingdom of Nazarick, Your Majesty. Before we begin negotiations, do you agree with the view that the war between our two nations has long been decided and it is time to end?"

The mysterious silver-haired beauty spoke these words in a nonchalant tone, subtly revealing the arrogance of a victor.

This made Clem feel somewhat uncomfortable, but he had nothing to say.

"...So, you've come to persuade me to surrender and hand over this country to your Sorcerer King?" Queen Lana calmly retorted. "...Judging from how freely you move in and out of the palace, I suppose there's no one in our country capable of stopping your invasion?"

"...No, please rest assured, Your Majesty, this kingdom is still yours, and we have no intention of taking your throne."

Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia shrugged. "...Of course, as the defeated one, you must also pay a reasonable price..."

Chapter 192, The Blue Rose's Frustration

About three months after the Battle of Sand Sculpture Hills ended, a bombshell message spread throughout the human nations of the northwest continent.

The Kingdom of Riyestej made peace with the Kingdom of Nazarick in exchange for ceding the fortress city of Ye-Lantir and its surrounding territory!

This news left many "international observers" completely baffled—not because the Kingdom of Riyestej was willing to cede territory to sue for peace—as ceding territory to cut losses after a defeat is a normal practice—but because why did the Kingdom of Nazarick only want such a small piece of land?

In fact, when Ainz Ooal Gown had just stepped out of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and raised his banner on the southeastern border of the Kingdom of Reyestil, the surrounding countries were just watching the show. In medieval feudal countries, noble rebellions, peasant uprisings, and royal civil wars were common occurrences, basically breaking out every ten or eight years, even in the most powerful and prosperous nations.

Following Ainz Ooal Gown's overnight conquest of the fortress city of E-Rantir and the capture of the southeastern border of the Kingdom of Ri-Estize, the Baharus Empire, other neighboring countries, and various secret organizations also sent their forces to the war zone, attempting to take advantage of the chaos.

However, when news arrived that Ainz Ooal Gown had defeated the 200,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Riyestege in a battle at Sand Sculpture Hills with a mere thousand-odd ragtag followers, the surrounding countries and secret organizations dared not make any rash moves. How could this so-called "Sorcerer King" of the Kingdom of Nazarick, who claimed to have slept in his tomb for a thousand years, be so powerful? He could just casually unleash a couple of spells and 200,000 people would be wiped out?

This should no longer be an existence in this world, but a demigod or celestial being with the power of the mythological realm!

The 200,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Ri. Estize could not withstand such a crushing defeat, and neither could our own strength!

Next, the Kingdom of Riyestej, having lost its king and two princes, along with a large number of nobles, officials, and a large army, soon unsurprisingly descended into chaos. Nobles, commoners, and bandits fought each other, with clear signs that the Kingdom of Nazarick was instigating the conflict behind the scenes.

In the minds of political figures from neighboring countries, they originally thought that with the prestige and strength of the Kingdom of Nazarick, killing hundreds of thousands of people would be as easy as playing a game. Even if they were not ready to take over the capital city of Riyestege and change the dynasty of Riyestege, they thought that swallowing half of Riyestege in one go should not be a problem.

Who would have thought that this Sorcerer King, who rose from his grave, boasted so much, but actually had such a small appetite? He only asked for the fortress city of Ye-Lantir, which he had already captured, and was satisfied enough to make peace with the Kingdom of Ri-Estize!

This bizarre practice left some people feeling bewildered and impressed, while others felt a chill run down their spines.

—This Sorcerer King clearly possesses terrifying combat power capable of destroying a country single-handedly, yet he doesn't seem particularly interested in the territory of the Kingdom of Re. Estize.

So, which country's territory does he actually want more?

Or rather, where will this Sorcerer King's arrow of invasion be pointed next?

It's truly terrifying to think about! Absolutely terrifying to think about!

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On the other hand, after signing such a humiliating agreement that allowed her father's killer to establish a kingdom on the territory that had been taken from her, the former "Golden Princess," now Queen Lana, naturally faced a certain degree of criticism within the Kingdom of Riyestege.

However, most reasonable people understood and acquiesced to the treaty.

After all, this didn't cause the Kingdom of Riyestege to lose anything more; it was merely an acknowledgment of the harsh reality.

It could even be said that, given Queen Lana's pitiful amount of leverage, it was already incredibly fortunate and successful that she was able to negotiate such a ceasefire agreement in front of the Sorcerer King, who was capable of destroying a country single-handedly.

Although the exact combat strength of the "Kingdom of Nazarick" that emerged from the tomb remains unknown, the terrifying power of the Sorcerer King alone, capable of destroying the entire kingdom, is a well-known fact after the Battle of Sand Sculpture Hills.

The fortress city of Ye-Lantir, lost to the Sorcerer King, was not recaptured even by King Lambusa III, who mobilized an army of 200,000. Instead, he himself perished on the battlefield, his body never recovered, plunging the entire kingdom into turmoil. To expect Queen Lana, destitute, without money, soldiers, or supplies, to turn the tide is simply unrealistic.

However, those nobles who oppose the monarchy will certainly never agree with this, and they never reason with anyone, which is the crux of the problem.

In the Battle of Sand Sculpture Hills and the ensuing domestic turmoil, the nobles of the Kingdom of Riyestege suffered enormous losses, and everyone was seething with resentment. True to their nature, they never reflected on their actions or blamed themselves; instead, they only resented and condemned others.

Therefore, these nobles were looking for victims to vent their discontent, and Queen Lana was the most conspicuous target.

—That Sorcerer King who can destroy a country by himself seems to be no match for you. You, a mere weak woman, do you think I can't even suppress you?

Many nobles were already conceiving and imagining the scene of "the Golden Princess's cruel and ruthless suffering"!

Therefore, after ceding the fortress city of Ye-Lantir and acknowledging the birth of the "Kingdom of Nazarick" on the southeastern border of the Kingdom of Ri-Estize, many noble lords of the Kingdom of Ri-Estize immediately united to form an allied army and declared their intention to punish Queen Lana for "humiliating" the country.

—Although Queen Lana only ceded the fortress city of Ye-Lantir, a territory directly under the royal family, and did not give any noble's territory to the Sorcerer King, in other words, apart from the royal family, no noble suffered any loss because of this treaty.

However, in an aristocratic society that outwardly advocates loyalty but in reality lacks it the most, the decline of the royal family is a sufficient reason for aristocratic rebellion!

Queen Lana, temporarily freed from the threat of the Sorcerer King, was simultaneously mobilizing her troops, organizing a suppression army led by Royalist General Gerzef, and launching an attack on the castles and armies of the rebellious nobles. After several clashes, both sides experienced victories and defeats.

Meanwhile, in order to fill the empty treasury, Queen Lana also confiscated some of the nobles' property to fund the military expenses.

Meanwhile, peasant uprisings, urban rebellions, and bandit attacks on cities continued to escalate in various places.

Thus, although the war between the Kingdom of Riyestej and the Kingdom of Nazarick ended, the chaotic flames of war between noble rebels, royalist armies, peasant uprisings, and various bandits continued to burn, and even intensified.

Even the monsters from remote wildernesses seized the opportunity to invade the prosperous heartland of the Kingdom of Ri. Estize, wreaking havoc and looting. Game players, always eager for chaos, joined the fray, intensifying the flames of war.

The ceasefire agreement signed by Ainz Ooal Gown merely meant that he would not use the direct forces of the Great Tomb of Nazarick to continue his invasion of the Kingdom of Rei Estize. As for the players who descended into this world, they were beings even Ainz Ooal Gown couldn't and wouldn't be able to control…

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The most luxurious inn in the fortress city of Ye-Lantir is the [Golden Glitter Pavilion].

"...What on earth is going on?! We finally made it to this city, and now they're saying there's no more fighting?"

A rough, loud female voice suddenly rang out in the restaurant, accompanied by the crisp sound of cutlery clattering.

Several people in the restaurant focused their attention on the loud and noisy woman, then quickly and timidly looked away.

Because the woman who made the roar was so burly that the word "boulder" would instantly come to mind.

Those strong, powerful arms immediately brought to mind logs. The neck supporting his head was about as thick as a woman's thighs. His head, atop that neck, was a sharply defined square shape due to its well-developed muscles. His clenched jaw, taut to project power, stretched horizontally along with the solid muscles, and his eyes, scanning the surroundings, resembled those of a predatory beast. His long, golden hair stood on end like steel spears.

The chest, concealed by clothing, protrudes forward as if to flaunt its size, but it only evokes images of well-developed pectoral muscles rather than a woman's soft breasts.

In short, she is a super-muscular woman who would intimidate most ordinary men.

This tough woman's name is Gagran, a member of the famous all-female steel-class adventure group "Blue Rose" in the Kingdom of Riyestege.

"...Shh! Keep your voice down, Gegrand!"

Seeing that this muscular woman, Gegran, was shouting so loudly in public, the other members of [Blue Rose] sitting at the same table were immediately shocked and quickly set up soundproofing magic before they could breathe a sigh of relief.

On the table before them, a wicker basket held several freshly baked, soft white loaves of bread, steaming slightly. A plate held thick slices of lightly roasted, juicy red meat, accompanied by sweet corn and creamy mashed potatoes, a truly appetizing combination. The salad, made with fresh vegetables, retained its crispness, its flavor evident in the dressing and the refreshing aroma of citrus.

These are all dishes prepared using the Preservation magic to maintain the freshness of the ingredients, cooked by exclusive top-tier chefs, and usually only available to royalty, nobles, and wealthy merchants—the highest-class cuisine, like works of art.

However, the female adventurers of the Blue Rose had little appetite for these luxurious and expensive delicacies.

—As one of the few friends, confidants, and capable assistants of Princess Lana, the [Blue Rose] Adventurer Group repeatedly skirted the rules of "adventurers must not interfere in national politics" during the period from the death of King Lambusa to Princess Lana's ascension to the throne, thwarting numerous assassination and riot plots for Princess Lana and helping her through the most difficult period.

After Princess Lana finally ascended from "Golden Princess" to "Golden Queen" and temporarily secured her throne, the hardworking and meritorious [Blue Rose] adventure team was dispatched by Queen Lana, who was short of manpower, from the capital city of Riyestej. She was ordered to infiltrate the fortress city of Ye-Lantir, which had been occupied by the Kingdom of Nazarick, to gather intelligence on this unfamiliar and powerful enemy, as well as the actual situation of the people and the military in the border areas that had fallen.

In peaceful times of the past, the journey from the capital city of Riyestege to the fortified city of Ye-Lantir would have taken only seven or eight days, whether by carriage or on foot. The route was well-maintained, with ample inns and post stations for travelers to rest.

However, the Kingdom of Riyestege is now in the midst of a full-blown war. Less than half a day's journey from the capital leads to a lawless and chaotic land. Therefore, [Blue Rose] has suffered greatly on her journey.

First, it was very difficult to find inns where food could be replenished—because of their proximity to major transportation routes, most inns had been looted and burned by marauding soldiers and mobs. Even if one occasionally encountered a village where food could be replenished, the villagers would often demand several times the usual price for grain.

Secondly, they constantly encounter attacks from bandits and soldiers. As an all-female adventure group, the members of the [Blue Rose] group include several beautiful women, who at first glance seem like suitable targets for bandits who indulge their desires.

In addition, all sorts of monsters have joined in the fun: goblins, ogres, evil hounds, ghouls, blue maggots... As human power declines in the flames of war, these creatures, which originally only operated on the periphery of human territory, have begun to gradually infiltrate the heart of the kingdom!

And so, the Blue Rose had no choice but to advance, fighting their way through the city of Ye-Lantir with immense difficulty. Needless to say, they endured hardships like sleeping in the open and suffering from hunger, and the various unexpected and chaotic battles gradually left them physically and mentally exhausted.

If they encounter critical roads and bridges that are damaged, they have to wade through water or take detours, which further increases their fatigue.

On the contrary, after arriving at the outskirts of the fortress city of Ye-Lantir and entering the controlled territory of the Kingdom of Nazarick, the [Blue Rose] adventure team found that the rest of the journey began to be easier - the roads had obviously been maintained, and many sections were paved with stone slabs and cobblestones.

The previously almost completely vanished wilderness inns have reappeared by the roadside, and the prices of food and drinks are reasonably priced. However, the goblins that occasionally appear in the inns, acting as servants, fetching water and chopping wood, always give the female adventurers an irresistible urge to draw their swords…

Next, they finally arrived at the fortress city of Ye-Lantir and easily slipped past the guards' checkpoints to enter the city... But just then, news came that Queen Lana had signed a peace treaty with the Kingdom of Nazarick, officially ceding the fortress city of Ye-Lantir!

This naturally made the entire [Blue Rose] adventure team feel that they had made a wasted trip, and they were immediately deeply frustrated.

—The outspoken and tomboyish Gegelan shouted it out on the spot, while the other members kept their resentment to themselves.

Chapter 193, The Young Pharmacist's Wedding

"...Gegran, although I also felt bad after hearing this news, I still have to say that Her Highness, no, Her Majesty the Queen, made the right decision. We all know what the situation is like in the capital right now. Her Majesty the Queen has too many troubles to face. Temporarily ceding land to the Sorcerer King to seek peace is the only option."

It is an age-old practice for the weak to submit to the strong after defeat; what is wrong with that? And who has the right to criticize them?

Seeing her teammates, whose faces were brimming with complaints and resentment, as if they felt "abandoned," the female captain of the [Blue Rose] Steel-class adventure team, Miss Lajus-Albein-Til-Eindra, could only smile wryly and try to smooth things over.

If the muscular Gagran is the epitome of a tomboy, capable of extinguishing the desires of any ordinary man, then Captain Rajos, with her flowing blonde hair, appears at first glance to be the epitome of a sophisticated upper-class lady. Her green eyes, pink lips, healthy-looking face, and beautiful blonde hair exude youthful charm, making men unable to resist becoming deeply intoxicated by her allure.

Moreover, unlike her female teammates who were dressed in full military attire, including cloaks, leather armor, and metal armor, Lajus, the captain of the [Blue Rose] adventure team, wore a gorgeous evening gown. The pale pink satin fabric was adorned with exquisite lace and embroidery, making her look like a protected young lady.

In fact, Lajus was indeed born into an upper-class noble family in the Kingdom of Riyestege. She was a genuine noble lady with a noble title, which is why she was able to enter and leave the palace and become a close confidante of "Golden Princess" Lana.

Of course, Rajus's talent as an adventurer is also outstanding. At only nineteen years old, he has become a famous faith-based magic chanter (equivalent to a wild priest who is not under the jurisdiction of an organization), a new generation of outstanding swordsman second only to the Kingdom Warrior Captain Gazef, and an outstanding commander in small group battles. In just a few years, he has achieved many legendary feats, thus rightfully ascending to the status of adamantite-class.

In a sense, Lajus should be considered one of the few outstanding members of the kingdom's nobility, a pawn used to infiltrate the adventurer force.