"...All right."
The Saintess answered with a blush on her face. Her head was down, so he couldn't see her expression. However, she was holding onto her white skirt with all her strength between her fingers as if she were embarrassed.
Sigh.
The captain swallowed a sigh and was satisfied that he had received a positive answer.
"Those, those ignorant things dare to attack the Saintess-!"
"Your Eminence, do not open the window."
The Knight Commander closed the spear of the rampaging Paul.
"Let's go quickly! Let's go!"
They left Valdina in a hurry as if being chased. The majestic appearance they had when they entered the palace was nowhere to be found.
"Your Highness the Princess."
The trustworthy voice of Neril, who had come to find Medea, was heard. Medea stood on the spire and looked at the chariot of the Holy Kingdom.
'You and I will see each other again soon.'
It was a sense of foreboding, but somehow she felt instinctively that Rachel wouldn't give up like this.
Medea didn't take her eyes off the carriage until it disappeared behind the horizon.
Like a beast watching its prey.
***
Paul ran away and took Rachel with him.
The small commotion caused by the newly awakened Saintess in Valdina was buried once again in the hectic daily life.
Time passed quickly, and the day finally arrived for the proclamation of Valdina's empire.
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor Peleus!"
Peleus waved outside the palace after the coronation. The Emperor's crown glittered above his silver hair that sparkled like moonlight.
The mantle with golden tassel decorations fluttered, and the Valdina imperial emblem embroidered on his chest exuded a subtle majesty.
In his other hand, he held a sharp, intricately crafted sword.
The people who filled the streets of the royal palace cheered at the appearance of the strong yet handsome young Emperor.
The small kingdom of Valdina in the north became the second empire on the continent in name and reality...
"I can't believe a day like this will come in my lifetime..."
Tears fell and disappeared between Gilliforth's gray beard.
"Marquis, here you are."
Mrs. Pinatelli handed over him handkerchief.
"Madam's eyes aren't red either."
"I wonder how moved Her Majesty the Queen would be if she saw this sight..."
She too wiped away her tears.
The Queen Dowager, who would have been happier than anyone else about the growth of her country, which bore the title of an empire like Katzen, was not here at the moment.
"If it weren't for Duke Claudio, she wouldn't have been so heartbroken."
Mrs. Pinatelli bit her lip in resentment.
The Queen Dowager was shocked. to learn that her own son was not only threatening her and trying to take the lives of her grandchildren but was also colluding with the enemy country Katzen.
She barely recovered from the wound that stabbed her chest on behalf of Medea, but she never regained her former health.
"Pinatelli, the ancestors are calling this old woman. How can I raise my face in shame..."
"Your Majesty..."
"You take my place and protect that child. Please take care of this poor old woman's share as well..."
Not long after she was laid down in bed, the Queen Dowager passed away.
It seems like only yesterday that black curtains were drawn everywhere and the kingdom was plunged into deep sorrow.
"Long live Valdina! For the great empire Valdina that will last forever!"
Celebrations and cheers erupted everywhere.
On the streets, in addition to the Valdinians, there were often people with very different appearances.
They were the indigenous people of the Strait of El Amuz.
“Long live Emperor Peleus! Long live Valdina!”
They too were cheering.
The foreign traders who first set foot here tilted their heads in confusion at the proclamation of Valdina's empire.
"Aren't they the El Amuzians? Why are they celebrating when Valdina takes their land and declares it an empire?"
"Hey, you. If you want to know something, you have to know it properly. What If you only know half of it?"
The native merchant clicked his tongue.
"Now this strait is the most active trading area on the continent."
Peleus and Agemas, who had taken over ownership of the strait from Katzen, soon occupied the territory.
"El Amuz is also Valdina's territory, and they are also my people."
However, unlike the Katzen people who had been subjugated by fear, Valdina treated them favorably.
It recognized the status of the indigenous people and allowed them to continue their livelihood. It even opened the strait to create a place for exchange.
In addition to the locals, outsiders came and went from various business places, so the borders naturally became blurred.
As a result, coexistence as it is today has become possible.
"If you go through El Amuz, you don't have to go back by sea. And since there's a military stationed here, you don't have to worry about corruption or public safety. So, wouldn't all the people who sell things on the continent gather here?"
The merchant shrugged.
"It won't be long before Valdina becomes the heir to the continent. There's no need to worry about monster waves outside, and even domestic demand is now healthy."
"That's right. And didn't a Saintess awaken in the land of Valdina not long ago? The Goddess is bestowing her protection on Valdina."
"Look, that's something we'll have to wait and see."
The people around him clapped their hands in agreement, but surprisingly, the merchant from the palace shook his head.
"Do you think Katzen will just sit by and let the new empire rise? The Holy Nation pretends to support us, but behind the scenes, they're trying to steal our maps through the Holy Nation."
He told the story, without any exaggeration, that he had overheard while delivering goods to the palace.
"Princess, no, now Her Highness the Princess. Anyway, that Saintess framed Her Highness the Princess and tried to sow discord and find out the geography of Valdina."
"Really? How could a Saintess! I can't believe it. Even the Holy Nation is not on Valdina's side..."
"In this hectic time, where can you find favor? It's just that those who are doing well are on my side. The Holy Land is no different. You should also brace yourself. For a while, there will be constant checks on Valdina all over the continent."
The foreign trader frowned at the merchant's warning. He felt that he had picked the wrong time.
Then another merchant said,
He was a man who had been running a store on the mainland of Valdina for a long time.
"Even though I am subject to all kinds of restrictions. I am still alive now. Three years ago, I was starving and didn't even have enough bread to eat tomorrow."
As supplies ran out due to the long war, the people's resentment grew louder day by day.
Those were truly anxious and sad days. Just thinking about how he managed to endure them makes his eyes dizzy.
"If Valdina could be like this, I wouldn't want anything more. Really."
"Yes, that's true. I can't believe we're having such a full day."
"I hope things work out well and this momentum continues..."
The sunset on the day of the declaration, each with its own expectations and worries.
***
The celebration of the proclamation of the Valdina Empire was unusually held not in the royal castle, but in a villa built on the Strait of El Amuz.
The Continental Festival of St. Augustine, hosted by the Holy See, was also scheduled to be held in El Amuz this year.
So, congratulatory delegations from various countries and hundreds of continental people gathered here.
On a dusky evening, colorful carriages lined up in front of the villa.
Attendees dressed in splendid banquet attire began to appear one by one.
The carriages that dropped off their masters circled the large white fountain and headed back.
The villa where the celebration was held was a huge hall.
"Oh my God..."
The attendees let out small exclamations as they looked around the banquet hall, which was adorned with sparkling chandeliers.
The interior of the villa generously displayed the status of the new empire.
The floors were of gleaming marble, and the walls were lined with mosaic quilts depicting the founding myths of Valdina.
On the left side of the wall was a statue of a goddess carved from white marble, with her hands outstretched in a benevolent manner.
And as if to signify that she would bestow salvation upon today's attendees, a huge circular mirror erected behind the statue of the goddess reflected the banquet hall.
"Valdina's fame is amazing. I didn't know it would rise so quickly..."
"The Republic of Les and the Kingdom of Serses also sent envoys. Aren't those two long-time allies of Katzen? The Katzen people must be quite annoyed to see them rushing here so quickly."
The endless stream of envoys attracted people's attention.
Medea welcomed the delegation at her brother's side.
When Peleus was proclaimed Emperor, his sister Medea was also elevated to the rank of Princess.
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