Do you all know the future?

Chapter 144 The Marquis

The damp sea breeze, carrying the salty, pungent smell of decaying wood, swept through the port of Istaya.

Looking down from the tall cruise ship platform where Diane stood, countless sturdy masts pointed towards the gray sky, while several massive ocean-going merchant ships, powered by magic, were moored at their berths, their mooring lines as thick as human arms and taut.

On the dock, workers were using pulleys and cranes to lift wooden crates out of the ship's hold, while seagulls circled overhead, occasionally letting out a cry or two.

"It's too desolate."

Diane was about to compliment the place, saying how nice it was, with so many ships and so many people working, and how lively it was, when she was interrupted by the head maid standing beside her.

The head maid's gaze wasn't fixed on Diane, but rather across the edge of the railing to the moored ships. Her hands, clad in white gloves, rested on the railing; after all, it was her former country, and she felt a pang of emotion.

"Because of the rampant cults and the frequent appearances of evil gods, it is no longer as prosperous as it once was."

Mrs. Terry felt sorry for her. She was wearing a well-tailored dark gray dress, her hair was neatly styled into a bun at the back of her head, and her wheat-colored skin was disguised with a pinkish-white, but it did not hide her heroic spirit and maturity.

Mrs. Terry, now in a position of composure, exudes an almost detached objectivity, but Diane can detect a subtle hint of regret within her.

Diane followed Mrs. Terry's gaze back to the harbor, this time looking more closely.

Many berths were empty, and the fixed bollards were covered with wear and rust. The ships that were unloading cargo had their sails rolled up and tied up, but the edges of the canvas were torn and the colors were faded from sun and rain.

There are few new magical ships; most are old ones, indicating that Ishtar's ocean trade is not doing well, and its commerce is mainly focused on local markets.

There wasn't much cargo piled up at the dock. During breaks from moving things, the workers would lean against the wooden crates and chat, their faces showing a kind of listless weariness.

"Is a skinny camel still bigger than a horse? It has indeed declined."

Besides the smell of the sea, there seemed to be a lingering, indescribable stench in the air, which Diane couldn't help but sniff, finding it hard to get used to.

"Perhaps not long ago, someone was holding a ceremony. The evil god may not have descended, but it left some tentacles behind."

The head maid noticed Diane's movements and explained to him, but Diane's brow furrowed even more.

"There are also more than half of the warehouses in the dock area that are now empty. Ships come only to replenish the most basic fresh water and food. No one dares to stay overnight here. You should know that during Queen Greta's time, this was the largest port in the empire."

Mrs. Terry stretched out her white hand and pointed to the silhouette of an abandoned building on the edge of the city in the distance, which had once been the largest church in the city.

"The most ridiculous thing is this Church of Life. It used to claim to protect all passersby. When there were no demons, they would protect those who didn't need protection. But when demons appeared, they disappeared."

Mrs. Terry couldn't help but laugh. The Church of Life's actions were ridiculous. The previous believers had all become suckers. No one could protect the God of Life. These people had entrusted their faith and money to the wrong people.

So the decline of faith is nobody's fault but someone else's. Of course, the God of Life doesn't care either; he has completely abandoned Ishtar and doesn't care about the people's resentment.

"Are the important figures in the city just going to stand by and watch this happen? Among the nobles of Ishtar, does anyone still remember their noble responsibilities and honors? Giving up like this is nothing short of a slow death."

Diane turned around, his back to the harbor, and looked at Lady Terry helplessly, saying, "They saw it at a glance, and I don't believe the other nobles wouldn't."

"Even if the nobles can't see it, can't the king see it? Isn't there any voice from the capital? Why is the port of the capital being allowed to rot like this?"

Diane was talking to herself. Even though she already knew the answer, she still found it unbelievable.

"Not everyone has the ability to decide everything. The royal palace? It's no different from the nobility. The false king in the palace is busy pointing at maps and fighting with the royal family over which troops to send. Then they argue for a month about who should lead the army. As for solving problems? Nothing is more important than dealing with political enemies."

Lady Terry distinguished herself from those who knew only the insects; she belonged to the group whose methods and paths were wrong, but who remained loyal to Ishtar.

"They probably think that as long as the meeting minutes are thick enough, the evil god will be crushed by the documents. Delaying is their best tactic. So many cities have been attacked by cultists, and I haven't seen them do anything."

Lady Terry straightened her wrists, making sure the lining edges were perfectly aligned with the cuffs, and her lips curled up very slightly, mocking the infighting in Ishtar.

"That's right. Instead of relying on them, we should hope that seagulls can carry away the cultists."

Faced with the swarm of insects, Diane was helpless and felt immense pressure during the operation.

"In this city, are there still people like you who remember Queen Greta and are willing to fight for this country?"

However, Diane did not give up. She silently watched the passengers disembarking. She was not in a hurry and could leave last.

"Your Highness, the word 'loyalty' may be a bit of a luxury here. Many people admire Her Majesty the Queen, but very few are willing to sacrifice their lives for her."

The more the diary was updated, the more desperate Mrs. Terry became. She originally thought that many people genuinely supported Diane, but after reading the diary, she found that they were all traitors. The diary revealed that Diane had already been killing people in Ishtar.

“There are very few people like me. Most people are only loyal to their own interests. However, they will respect their own interests when we return, because Your Highness’s ascension to the throne is beneficial to them.”

"First is the city's garrison commander, Count de la Mann, who holds military power, but is said to have some unclear connections with cultists."

"Then there's the Valentine family, old-established merchants. The port's decline has cost them dearly, so perhaps they'd like to see change. They're also intelligence brokers for the capital."

"Finally, there is Earl Fogel, an old stubborn man with little real power but high prestige, who has always been hostile to cults and hopes the kingdom will take action."

Lady Terry spoke at a steady pace, as if she were simply reciting a text she knew by heart. Her diary had already revealed all the information about these people. There were very few people as noble as her, but none of them were in the capital.

"One is suspicious, one is profit-driven, and one is stubborn; none of them sound like easy targets."

Diane made her assessment, her gaze falling on the head maid, who was still looking at the city, perhaps moved by the sight.

"We came here to see them clearly, to see whose boat can carry us across the river, and if we dismantle it after we cross, so be it."

Diane felt a little disappointed that there was no one like Lady Thaly, but she also felt it was perfectly normal. Most nobles acted in their own self-interest, and it was rare to see someone like Thaly who betrayed her class. "Don't be polite, just tear it down. They're all bad news. Some of them might even defect from Ishtar in the future. They're just accumulating wealth for their escape now."

Lady Terry nodded slightly in agreement. She looked up at the sun, which was beginning to slant. The sunlight was no longer so dazzling, but rather cast a weak halo through the clouds. The true sun of Ishtar was about to arrive.

"In that case, we need to meet with those merchants who lost a lot of money because of the port and find out about the situation in the capital. Don't contact your friends for now; let's observe first!"

Diane's purpose in coming to Istia was twofold: firstly, to use Lady Terry to find a truly patriotic and loyal person to Queen Greta, so that she could be used for the subsequent restoration of the kingdom.

The second objective was to use Lady Terry's connections to seize as many treasures as possible from Ishtar and prevent the false king Murak from transferring and squandering them, such as the Shield of Radiance and the Holy Lance Valentin.

Diane had considered using brute force to overpower the enemy and have the maids slaughter everyone, but she realized that this wouldn't solve the problem quickly and easily, and might even lead to the loss of the artifact that controlled the Great Barrier of Ishtar. So she had to suppress her bloodlust.

"I will do as Your Highness says. Oh, and there is still someone in the capital who is loyal to Her Majesty the Queen."

The wind ruffled the head maid's hair again, and Diane reached out to tidy it up for her. The scene was so beautiful that Lady Terry thought of Her Majesty's former ardent suitors.

"what happened?"

Diane withdrew his hand and asked softly, noticing that Mrs. Terry had momentarily lost her focus.

Mrs. Terry blinked, her gaze refocusing on Diane's face, as if trying to find traces of Queen Greta in Diane's features; they really did look somewhat alike (a couple's resemblance).

"It's nothing, it's just that the way you looked just now reminded me of a crazy woman, a woman who used to chase after your mother so much that the whole city knew about it."

Mrs. Terry's body stiffened slightly, and her gaze instantly lost focus. Diane's movements were so natural that they reminded her of someone else from long ago, and another similar scene.

"Oh? Is there such a thing?"

Diane's face showed a hint of curiosity. She had no doubt about the head maid's charm, and it didn't seem strange for a woman to pursue another woman.

"Yes, her name is Fiona, a marquis."

Mrs. Terry stood up straight, a smile playing on her lips, tinged with the joy of reminiscing about the past.

"Well, that guy is a fanatical worshipper of His Majesty. Whatever color dress your mother wears today, he'll make sure to wear the exact same one the next day."

"At the banquet, she was a guard, and she clung to your mother like a shadow. Queen Greta was clear that she would not marry, and everyone treated her as a joke, but she herself didn't care at all."

Terri chuckled. They respected Queen Greta because she was strong and a leader, but Marquis Fiona was clearly not like that.

"Will she just keep imitating like this?"

Diane imagined the scene and felt a chill. She glanced at the head maid, who hadn't told her anything.

The head maid's gaze darted around; how could she possibly tell Diane about something so shameful and insignificant?

“Yes, but His Majesty wasn’t angry, so he probably didn’t care. What you did just now really reminded me of what His Majesty did to that guy. Back then, Fiona was His Majesty’s chief bodyguard, following him around all day. Once, she was probably training too hard, so His Majesty just gave her a quick haircut.”

Lady Terry recalled the scene, which resembled the interaction between Diane and the head maid, but while Diane and the head maid were clearly mutually attracted, Marquis Fiona was somewhat infatuated.

"and after?"

Diane's fingertips unconsciously tapped the railing behind her, producing a dull thud. She didn't speak, but listened quietly.

"The Queen, being a shrewd person, could easily understand her thoughts, so Her Majesty said to her, 'I accept your loyalty, but I cannot accept your heart.'"

"After hearing this, Fiona didn't say a word. She knelt on one knee, took off her sword and placed it in front of His Majesty. The next day, she disappeared without a trace. Later, we learned that she went to the Spirit Realm, saying that she was going to hone herself and would return to serve His Majesty when she felt strong enough."

"It's a pity. By the time she came out of the Spirit Realm, she had broken through to the Angel Realm, but His Majesty had already fallen. She is currently serving as the captain of the Royal Palace Guard Knights."

Mrs. Terry lowered her voice. This position was exactly the one that Diane needed to cultivate a good relationship with. She hadn't wanted to say it, but if she didn't explain it clearly now, Diane would find out anyway.

"Responsible for guarding the treasure vault, right?"

Diane leaned forward slightly, his hands bracing against the railing behind him. He didn't press Mrs. Terry for why she was only speaking now, but instead grasped the core of her words.

"Yes, it seems necessary to be on good terms with Fiona right now. She's in charge of the guards. If we can bring her to our side, we can perfectly obtain the artifact that guards the Great Barrier of Ishtar."

Mrs. Terry reached out and smoothed the wrinkles in her skirt to make sure she wouldn't look disrespectful when disembarking. Most of the people had already left, and it was time for them to disembark as well.

"What do you think of Captain Fiona? Will she give me a second glance, or will she not want to see my face at all?"

Diane looked up and met Mrs. Terry's gaze. Mrs. Terry's serious expression relaxed, and she nodded slightly to Diane.

"Heaven knows what that madwoman is thinking. She's doing this for your mother's sake, but you're not your mother after all. You might even be disrespecting the sacredness in her heart. If she sees you, she might be reminded of painful memories, which would only make things more complicated."

Mrs. Terry wasn't sure either, so she hadn't said anything. When Diane asked her, she immediately looked distressed.

"So Your Highness, do not meet her by your real name yet. Just pretend you know nothing. When you approach her, mention your mother and yourself, and see how she reacts. Does she see you as the Queen's heir, or as someone who tarnishes the Queen's reputation? Let her choose for herself."

After Mrs. Terry finished speaking, she gave Diane no further chance to ask questions. She turned away briskly, unsure how to answer, so she chose not to and disembarked.

“Interesting. This is going to be quite a show. Let’s meet with the merchant first to gather some information, so we don’t end up completely clueless. I have no idea how to get close to this Marquis.”

Diane nodded. Seeing that fewer people were disembarking, he stood up and prepared to disembark as well, stepping onto Istaya.

(End of this chapter)