You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 424 The Right Path

Count Felin had already sent an envoy to contact Tasina.

The location for this invitation was clearly visible: a lush green meadow dotted with valerian and wildflowers.

More than ten golden lion knights escorted Earl Felin as he arrived.

Princess Stainless Steel had already arrived.

She stood there in a white dress in this bleak spring.

Everyone knows that she is strong and resilient, beautiful and cold, and worthy of the blood of Ionus.

So Count Felin smiled and declared his allegiance to her, to the royal blood within her.

He brought with him the banner of the Lion's Territory—a majestic golden lion leaping on a black background, a symbol of unwavering loyalty.

Tashina did not agree; her figure remained silent like a statue, her features were striking, and her long hair flowed like the Red River.

The banner of the legitimate Iron Throne fluttered behind her.

"Your Highness?" the count called softly.

He believed she should be excited, delighted, and even arrogantly scrutinize his qualifications to be loyal.

She would eventually agree, because it would be entirely beneficial to her.

But not silence.

The count thought to himself, his smile vanished, and he grew increasingly uneasy.

"Your Excellency, please return." A group of men appeared hastily, their iron hooves trampling the wild grass. Jet and Dick arrived with the Silver Moon Knights.

The cold wind tore at the banner of thorny iron rings, each spike sharp and menacing.

Deputy Commander Dick said calmly, "No one will accept your loyalty."

“Your Highness, I only invited you, no one else!” The count felt as if his heart had fallen into an abyss, suspecting that he had been betrayed.

The moment the Silver Moon Knights appeared, the Golden Lion Knights felt intense unease. They steered their warhorses close to the Earl, hoping to escort him back to the castle should a major upheaval occur.

Tashina spoke up: "No one will resort to violence during negotiations."

She made her promise with unwavering certainty, which reassured the Earl somewhat.

With a stern face, he said to the two captains and the Silver Moon Knight, "This is an overstepping of your bounds!"

The count accused the Valley side of interfering in his negotiations with Iotahina, saying that all the nobles would abide by their sacred agreement with one another.

Jet replied, "Her Highness the Princess has entrusted my lord with the task of governing Lion Territory."

The count's chest heaved violently as he asked in a sinister tone, "Will my land belong to the princess or Roman in the future? Only one person can make the decision!"

Jett said, "Of course, it's the former."

The count's face grew even more somber: "Then shouldn't our esteemed princess answer?"

Jet moved his lips, but couldn't refute it.

Upon receiving the news, he quickly led his men to the scene.

He worried that the princess might agree to the count's allegiance for short-term gain.

That's highly likely!
Having followed Roman for seven years, he knew all too well Roman's deep hatred for the old forces.

His Highness believes that the old forces are reactionary.

This group opposes both progress and social change; they are a cancer on humanity and must not be treated with leniency!
The purge of the old forces was an inevitable process in Roman's conquest of the land, and the blood shed was merely the growing pains of the times.

If Iotashina agrees, they will surely become enemies!
Jett wanted to stop it all.

But did this behavior cross the line? Did it constitute a de facto offense against the royal princess?
They were completely unaware.

Tashina coldly surveyed her surroundings.

She had her own judgment and had already made a decision before receiving the news.

But now the Golden Lion Knight and the Silver Moon Knight have appeared together. The clash between gold and silver truly opened her eyes!

She proclaimed herself the Queen of the Black Iron, but no one acknowledged it.

To this day, they still call her princess.

Her useless younger brother was placed on the Iron Throne by Grand Duke Rage in Blackhold, and could command an army of hundreds of thousands. With the Cracked Armor Expedition and Oak's self-imposed confinement, Rage stood behind the Iron Throne, ruling over all.

What about her?
She now wants to strengthen herself at all costs!
Among the bloodlines of kings, a savior will be born—a prophecy that still lingers in her throat.

The legendary, never-ending night is coming, and darkness will completely engulf humanity.

In the boiling depths of the ocean, at the edge of the desolate icy plains... terrifying alien enemies will be born...

'Tana, you have the eyes of a king.' Her father's words echoed in her ears. 'Wear your crown, raise the sword of light…'

She never asked, yet she was asked.

The White Knight who eventually followed Ionus taught her this from a young age.

They honed her into a qualified queen, believing she would rise again from adversity.

Even now, the White Knights still stand behind her, silently watching all her decisions, following her through life and death.

Tashina gently closed her eyes.

Everything vanished like a phantom, leaving only the path forward beneath one's feet...

“Count, let’s go back.” She had already given her answer.

Count Felin's face was filled with astonishment, fear, and terror, bordering on hysteria!

"Do you know what you're saying! Who do you think you're rejecting? You're rejecting the prestige that the Philin family has cultivated in Lion Territory for hundreds of years! Even the conquerors of yesteryear had to rely on our power!"

Tashina opened and closed her eyes, coldly saying, "Therefore, I don't need to repeat the mistakes of my ancestors; I have my own path to walk!"

She was spirited and sharp, her words cutting and incisive.

For a fleeting moment, white flames danced on her forehead, like a dazzling crown, but vanished in an instant.

Count Felin took a step back in shock.

But soon, he became enraged and shouted, "You'll regret this!"

"I am the ruler of the earth! How dare you disrespect me!" Tashina's eyes flashed with dazzling light, radiating an imposing aura.

The White Knights, responding to the king's wrath, drew their swords in unison and held them in their hands.

This is a legendary unit; even the Storm Riders are no match for it.

Count Felin was horrified. His warhorse went berserk as if startled. He gripped the reins and fled in panic.

Tashina did not give chase; instead, she turned her gaze to Jett and the others.

“I didn’t choose Roman; I simply chose the right path,” she said. “Don’t try to teach me anything, swordsman. There won’t be a second chance, unless Roman chooses to be my enemy!”

She turned and left, leaving Jet speechless.

……

Roman received the report that same day.

"Ignore it, quickly pacify Lion Territory." He replied, rolling up the letter and placing it in the letterbox on the crow's foot.

Roman felt that Tashina no longer trusted the aristocratic forces.

First, in the Battle of Tianma Plains, Blackburg was subjected to a fierce attack by the Papacy's forces.

At that time, most nobles were opportunists, neither helping the Papacy nor Éolien, but only daring to take sides after the dust had settled, behaving very cowardly.

Who can guarantee that this situation won't happen a second time?
With Tashina fighting on the front lines, who can guarantee that Count Felin will remain loyal to the death and not turn against them?

Secondly, Roman also believes that Tasina did not choose him, but rather chose higher productivity.

While the valley system does not advocate democracy, freedom, harmony, or equality, it can only ensure that workers are rewarded for their labor.

However, compared to the utterly vile feudal slavery system, it was essentially a complete and utter defeat.

Tasina should have realized this long ago.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to entrust Roman with the management of Lion Territory.

Trusting those you employ is a fundamental principle for rulers.

(End of this chapter)