CH 479

At the Gabriel Empire’s capital, Gabriels City’s (Sword Capital) royal palace, Emperor Alfred the Third sat on his throne with a downcast look on his face. The ministers in front of him had their heads bowed, not daring to even breathe too loudly. Everyone knew that the Gabriel Empire was currently facing an unprecedented crisis. If the emperor took one wrong step, the empire could very well fall apart. The emperor was not blind; he knew about the troops stationed right outside the imperial city. In fact, he had known long ago, but there just weren’t many cards in his hands that he could play.

Emperor Alfred the Third had his own army, but Prince Daniel lost most of his troops in the crusade against the new Beastman autonomous region. The alleged elite prince in military school was actually unable to defeat the miscellaneous troops commanded by a few Beastman princesses. He himself was almost captured alive for the second time. It really was a disgrace for the emperor.

Among the four forces surrounding the empire, the emperor’s father-in-law in the northern region supporting Prince Daniel was on his side. Prince Brad, the emperor’s older brother in the western region, and Prince Frauer, his younger brother in the southern region, were aiming for the throne. As expected of his “brothers”, they definitely wouldn’t show him any mercy.

As for the east, those forces were under the control of the largest family in the empire, the Renald family. The Renald patriarch’s son, Leonard, was supposed to be Princess Kriss’s fiancee. If Bella had not appeared in this political marriage, things would have gone smoothly. The problem was, Kriss wasn’t willing to accept those arrangements anymore after Bella appeared. Without the political marriage as a guarantee, the emperor’s son-in-law-to-be, Young Master Leonard, would likely not support him. He would just sit on his mountain while watching the tigers duke it out.

The Gabriel Empire’s three major families were the Ignaz family, the Renald family, and the Johnston family, the strongest being the Renald family. The other two families were unable to compete with them. In these critical times, not even a single member of the three families came over, which disappointed the emperor. The Renald family didn’t make an appearance because they were watching the situation unfold. There was a chance that the throne might change hands, so it was too early to pick sides.

The young mistress of the Ignaz family, “Darkness Swordsman” Ivy, originally had a political marriage with the young master of the Johnson family, Gavin. However, that was completely destroyed by the demoness Bella in the Olsylvia Academy. Gavin was later taught a lesson by the academy’s top power society, the Fraternity, which awakened some strange attributes in him. It was said that he had joined the ranks of the “philosophers” and voluntarily gave up on the political marriage to find a man instead.

This was a great disgrace for the Johnston family. However, due to the terrifying power behind the Fraternity, they dared not protest and could only swallow down this loss. After that, the Johnston family rarely showed up in the palace. No one knew if it was due to shame or some other reason.

The Ignaz family was in an even stranger situation. At first, their patriarch strongly opposed Ivy interacting with a no-name noble-in-title like Grand Duchess Bellina (Bella). There were weird rumors coming out between the two girls, and they even threatened to expel Ivy from the family once.

However, with the development of the current situation, Grand Duchess Bellina (Bella) had now become the hegemon of the south, controlling the granary of the Gabriel Empire. Under the management of the politically gifted Netherworld Demon King Cornice, the Sarnia Duchy had annexed several large and small duchies in less than a few months. Along with their economic contracts with the new Beastman autonomous region, they acquired an abundance of resources.

If not for the fact that Grand Duchess Bellina (Bella) had certain issues with her orientation and was only interested in girls, the nobles who wanted to propose marriage with her would have crowded her door. Right now, the Ignaz family’s attitude towards Bella had changed dramatically. First, they withdrew all their accusations against Ivy, then changed their tone to praise Grand Duchess Bellina as the empire’s heroine. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell they were just trying to ease their previous tensions.

Emperor Alfred the Third was also counting on the princesses’ return so that he could settle Princess Kriss and the Renald family’s Young Master Leonard’s marriage contract. After stabilizing these two nobles, Prince Frauer and Prince Brad would also retreat on their own. They wouldn’t do anything that would hurt themselves since they wanted to retain their strength to stage a comeback later.

But who knew that Kriss and the girls’ journey would be so rocky. There was a horrific incident in Brusk city where a mutant demonic dragon attacked the city, preventing the princesses from returning and interfering with the matchmaking activity. The main reason was Prince Brad, as Emperor Alfred the Third’s brother, did not want his little tricks to succeed.

Prince Brad secretly had the empire west of the human continent, the Kristoff Empire, on his side. In addition to Prince Brad, there was a fifth force moving about in the shadows, who also wished to interfere in Emperor Alfred the Third’s matchmaking activities. The identity of this force was unknown. The strongest possibility right now was that they were some commoner prince abandoned by the emperor long ago and came to stir trouble with the support of mysterious forces.

“Your Majesty, Princess Kriss and the others have returned to the palace. The two young mistresses from Prince Brad’s family have also arrived and returned to the prince’s residence.”

“What? Wonderful! Let Kriss and the others rest for now. Notify all the nobles that the Hundred Flowers Festival will begin according to the schedule. By the way, where is that Bellina? Who sent the princesses back to the capital?”

“Your Majesty, this… I do not know, but several princesses have said that they returned by hiring mercenaries. Grand Duchess Bellina should still be in the Olsylvia Academy.”

The soldier, who came in to report, finally brought good news to Alfred the Third. However, the joy didn’t last for long before it was shattered by bad news. Based on the latest information, the Sarnia Duchy had captured the Norlander Duchy’s capital, forcing Duke Brandon and his son, Blanc, to flee to a foreign country. Miss Emily, who skipped through the imperial administration and took over as the new lord without permission, had also reconciled with Bella.

The Norlander Duchy, the empire’s last pawn in the south to restrain the Sarnia Duchy, was now done for. The new lord, “Aquamarine Swordsman” Emily, might be the daughter of the original lord, Duke Brandon, but she shared a close relationship with Bella. The alliance between the two sides could not be stopped. Since then, the Sarnia Duchy controlled a large region of food production areas in the south. Compared to the ones trying to besiege the capital, Bella already had the capital to pick a fight with Emperor Alfred the Third.

The strength of the Sarnia Duchy was now comparable to that of the empire, and this was without counting the Demonic Beings in the Darkness Sacred Region. After Bella took control of the Manasvir Empire, Empress Manya Felan had sent mountains of money and equipment to the Sarnia Duchy with the help of the ultra-long-range teleportation magic array created by Time Space Demon Noesha, sponsoring them for free.

With money and equipment, as well as their original food reserves, Netherworld Demon King Cornice, who had been managing the politics in the Sarnia Duchy, was able to help train 2.6 million troops in just a few months’ time. She called them the “Southern Confederate Army”. The Southern Alliance was a grand alliance of the empire’s southern duchies led by the Sarnia Duchy, and their true leader was Grand Duchess Bellina.

Emperor Alfred the Third did not dare to make a move against the “Southern Alliance” and could only leave them be for the time being. In addition to the financial and equipment assistance from the Manasvir Empire, the northern Octavia Empire had also secretly transferred a large number of high-quality war horses to them through the Manasvir Empire. Bella could build her own cavalry now.

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The warhorses of the Octavia Empire were given out for free. The Manasvir Empire, as the middleman in the gifting process, also took nothing. The two empires’ support for Grand Duchess Bellina was already obvious, just short of an official statement. Compared to the other forces, the most dangerous one was Grand Duchess Bellina, who was silently transferring her troops in the outer region.

After the Sarnia Duchy left around a hundred thousand people to guard the duchy, more than two million troops were now heading for the capital, Gabriels City. Once they arrived, the situation would only grow more chaotic. Unlike the armies of the other nobles that consisted only of infantry, Bella had airships, musketeers, cavalry, and all sorts. If they really clashed, there was no way for any of them to defeat Grand Duchess Bellina. Each force only had around one and a half a million men per side. 

As soon as Emperor Alfred the Third mentioned Bella, many of the ministers below had strange looks in their eyes, as if they did not want to talk about Bella. Even though she was a woman, her strength was still there for everyone to see, and many of the ministers privately called her the “Queen of the South”. With the support of two empires plus her own enormous resources, she also had an alliance with the new Beastman Continent autonomous region.

If Bella really wished to rebel, she could amass an army of at least three million. They had a base camp in the Beastman Continent’s new autonomous region, where they could retreat in case of failure. Emperor Alfred the Third’s most terrifying opponent was, without a doubt, Bella. Since she was a grand duchess, Emperor Alfred the Third could not make any pre-emptive moves because of nobility etiquette. He could only wait for her to make the first move.

“Your Majesty, Grand Duchess Bellina must have arrived at the capital. I do not know why, but she did not visit the palace with Princess Kriss and the others. According to the watchful eyes of our family, she seems to be hiding in Prince Brad’s mansion.”

“Big Sister, I think that Grand Duchess Bellina wants to rebel and is avoiding the palace on purpose. Let’s use our family’s power to arrest her!”

“Sister, you need to watch your temper a little. I’ve never seen Grand Duchess Bellina before but based on the reports I received, her strength is immeasurable. Her power may be even more perverse than the old men in our family!”

After Emperor Alfred the Third dismissed his ministers, two beautiful young swordsmen walked out from behind the throne. They were wearing veils, hiding their appearance, but to be able to chat so unconcernedly in front of the emperor, their identity must be extraordinary. They were from the biggest family of the Gabriel Empire, the oldest young mistresses of the Hilikas family, a pair of twins.

Within the five empires of the human continent, excluding the Manasvir Empire that lacked power due to the emperor’s origins as a merchant, some old and powerful families silently guarded their respective empires. They would only appear when the empire was truly in a crisis.

The Gabriel Empire’s guardian was the Hilikas family. This family had produced six sword gods and were nicknamed The Sword. Compared to the three families on the empire’s surface, the Ignaz family, the Renald family, and the Johnston family, they were much stronger. If things hadn’t gone out of hand this time, the Hilikas family would not have sent anyone out.

“Guardians, the empire is truly in crisis. Could your elders lend a hand? I can’t ask for much else, but is it possible for you to stop the Octavia Empire from supporting Grand Duchess Bellina?”

“That’s unlikely. The Manasvir Empire in the center has already fallen in the hands of Grand Duchess Bellina, and they have cut our path to the north. We are unable to come in contact with the Octavia Empire.”

Just as Emperor Alfred the Third was feeling troubled over various matters, Bella had already entered the Gabriel Empire’s capital, Gabriels City. She indeed did not report back to the palace with Princess Kriss and the girls. Since Emperor Alfred the Third himself did not invite her to the matchmaking activity, she couldn’t be bothered to greet him either.

The temporary stop Bella chose was the emperor’s brother, Prince Brad’s residence. Prince Brad had gone out to preside over the army. With the help of Young Mistress Cathy and Sarah, Bella brought the four lolis, Demon God Angel, and the others into Prince Brad’s residence.

Gabriels City was divided into two parts by the Claudine River that traversed through the city, splitting it into north and south. The southern portion was where the commoners and nobles lived, whereas the royal family got to enjoy the northern section. The only transport hub between the two regions was the “Bridge in the City”, Burt Bridge, built over the Claudine River.

The Burt Bridge was like an overpass on the roads back on earth that connected the north and south of the city. This design was so that the imperial city could cut off the bridge at the first sign of a coup, then wait outside for the rebel forces. The control of Burt Bridge had always been the responsibility of Emperor Alfred the Third’s most trusted ministers.

The southern region of the city was divided into noble factions according to their own sphere of influence. There were a total of six forces: Prince Frauer’s mansion, Prince Angus’s mansion, and Prince Brad’s mansion, also known as the “Zone of the Three Kings”, while the remaining three areas were controlled by the Ignaz family, the Renald family, and the Johnston family.

Bella was currently located in Prince Brad’s sphere of influence. She was in no rush to shower her face on the streets. When she had entered the city, their carriage was flying Prince Brad’s banner. They had split up with Princess Kriss and the others at a relatively less crowded place. Bella’s Sarnia Duchy had sent over two million “Southern Alliance” troops, as well as one and a half million Beastmen from the new Beastman autonomous region.

The Manasvir Empire also used a magical teleportation array to transfer more than five hundred thousand Royal Secret Guards. They had removed their emblems so that they could support the Sarnia Duchy. On top of that, more than ten million various demon troops from the Darkness Sacred Region were also included. This five million plus army in the vanguard alone was able to put up a good fight with the six million plus troops from the four other forces surrounding Gabriels City. Not to mention, there were more than ten million demons from the Darkness Sacred Region waiting to pick up the slack behind them.

From the beginning, there was no way Bella would fail. Though, she only wanted to find a suitable reason to have Emperor Alfred the Third personally betroth Princess Kriss to her. As long as she could successfully marry Kriss, when she returned to the northern Octavia Empire, the hometown of her surrogate body Princess Felia, then her emperor father would be able to cut off his thoughts of wanting to marry her off to someone else if he saw that she had married the princess of another country.

“Mistress Bella, what are you thinking about?”

“Mistress Bella, is the food not to your liking? Or are we two sisters not entertaining you well enough? Please tell us directly; we are willing to accept any punishment from you.”

“It’s nothing. Entertain me on the chair instead. I can’t touch your body on the floor.”

In the hall of Prince Brad’s residence, Cathy and Sarah, the two young mistresses, dismissed the maids. They locked the doors and windows to personally attend to Bella during the meal. After finding out about Bella’s strange interests, they did not need her to say anything. They stripped naked before kneeling on both sides of her seat. While eating, Bella was able to take advantage of them to her liking.

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If Prince Brad were to see his two granddaughters serving Bella like maids, he would definitely die of anger right on the spot. Especially Cathy, the granddaughter he admired the most, was just like Sarah, reduced to Bella’s personal maid. After obtaining Bella’s permission, Cathy and Sarah climbed back onto the seat, which was large to begin with.

While kneading Sarah’s chest, Bella buried her face directly into Cathy’s chest, sucking at the sensitive cherry on top. Nowadays, Bella liked thinking in this erotic way.

Most of Prince Brad’s family members had moved to the military camp outside the city. During this sensitive period, the prince’s residence was not the safest place. The other two princes had done the same. Without any other family members in, everything was left up to the two young mistresses, Cathy and Sarah, so Bella could do whatever she wanted.

“Mistress Bella, we found the stalker you mentioned.”

“Angel, come back later!”