I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 504 Secret Fight
The division began the moment the players left the island.

No, it's more accurate to say it started when Almeida, the former governor of Casarina Island, began to rip off the first batch of mercenary players.

Don't forget that "Rise of Empires" is an online PVE game, where players naturally have a foundation of unity. Even when there are internal conflicts, when encountering a troublesome NPC, they will subconsciously unite against the outsider and kill the troublesome NPC first.

The players on and off the island had already complained about the true nature of the Maconians through forum posts, so the departure of the Varangian Legion didn't bother them, and they didn't have any negative feelings about it.

And so, the second group of mercenary players split into two: two hundred members of the Varangian Legion went to the mercenary camp, while the others followed the officers of the Macon Alliance to the town of Casarina.

The former, the Varangian Legion, had a clear objective when they went to the mercenary camp: to take over the camp's defenses and protect the important Serpent People NPCs.

Although it's still unclear what's going on, that special snake-man named Slekmar with human legs is clearly an important NPC driving the main storyline.

The mission of the Varangian Chapter is simple.

First, protect Slekmar and prevent the snake people from returning to take it away or kill it.

Secondly, guard against the Macon Alliance, prevent them from knowing about Slekma, or take her away and wait for the arrival of the Bagnia Kingdom's ships to bring her back home.

Third, if the above goals cannot be achieved, then chop Slex Mare into mincemeat to make sure he is completely dead.

This is one of the main reasons why the Varangian Legion went straight to the mercenary camp after a short rest after disembarking.

The most crucial aspect of these three tasks is that they were not issued by Chris to Olaf, but rather were a consensus spontaneously formed by the players after offline discussions, and then carried out by the most capable veterans of the Varangian Legion among the second batch of mercenaries.

The players' high level of initiative was once again evident.

……

"Ha, this is really interesting..."

Chris shook his head as he browsed through the offline players' posts, which detailed everything that the legged snake-man prophet named Slekmar had said.

Was mainland Greece a refuge?

Yes, that's highly likely. This would explain why the snake-man would go to such lengths to get here. As for more specific details, we'll have to wait until the snake-man is transported to Bagnia to confirm that.

At the same time, it also confirmed to Chris that remnants of the snake people were definitely hiding in the northern region of Minicia.

Chris had previously assigned the Inquisitors to search for the Snake Man, but so far they hadn't found a single trace of him. Now, he thought it was all in vain, like trying to catch the moon's reflection in the water.

In retrospect, it seems the snake-man hid too well, or perhaps those judge players were just being lazy...

No, it's also possible that these snake people weren't actually hiding in northern Minicia, but rather secretly went to hide elsewhere, which would explain why the judges who had been operating in northern Minicia hadn't made any progress.

Whatever the reason, Chris has now decided to increase the manpower and bounty for the search operation, determined to find the remaining members of the Snakemen and then tear them to pieces.

What? You're turning a blind eye and letting these snake people thrive in Greece?
Are you kidding me? This can't be allowed!

Chris didn't care what others thought; he was determined to wipe out all the snake people on the Greek mainland.

With that in mind, Chris found a blank document on his desk, wrote down his thoughts on it, and then called the clerk in to carry it out.

No sooner had the clerk left than there was another knock on Chris's office door, followed by the cold, mechanical voice of an NPC servant reporting from outside.

"Your Majesty, Lady Julie requests an audience."

It was a trap planted by Chris beforehand.

"Yes, please let her in."

"Invite her in."

Soon, the door was pushed open silently, and a figure walked in gracefully.

When Julie entered the study, even the dim light in the room seemed to brighten. She was no longer the girl who kept her head down, wore a simple maid's dress, and was almost invisible in the Queen's shadow.

Today, she is wearing a perfectly tailored dark blue velvet court dress, with intricate yet understated Bagnian iris patterns embroidered in silver thread on the hem, which both highlights her status and avoids being overly ostentatious.

At the same time, Julie's waist was cinched tightly, accentuating her already impressive bust and slender waist. The petticoat supported the skirt perfectly, and she walked with a steady and confident stride, the velvet rustling softly against each other.

Her hair was no longer simply tied back, but was carefully braided into an intricate bun, with a few deliberately left golden-brown strands hanging smoothly down her neck and forehead, adding a touch of charm.

A thin layer of makeup was applied to her face, outlining her increasingly delicate features, especially her eyes. They used to be lowered and evasive, but now they were bright and spirited, with a sharp insight and a hint of languid allure in their gaze.

Her demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation.

As Chris entered the room, he could see that Julie's back was straight, her chin slightly raised, exuding a perfect balance of reserve and confidence. She held a roll of parchment documents in her hands, her movements elegant and composed, each step measured just right, neither appearing hurried nor disrespectful.

Seeing this, Chris couldn't help but sigh with admiration.

Power and status are truly the most magical nourishment; in a very short time, they can nurture and polish a previously buried pearl to become dazzling, even giving it a dangerous and alluring luster.

Julie walked to a suitable spot on Chris's desk before stopping, then gracefully curtsied, her voice clear, steady, and perfectly respectful.

"Good day, your majesty."

Chris put down his quill, his gaze lingering on her for a moment, a subtle, almost imperceptible apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"Officer Julie".

Chris nodded slightly, his tone indifferent.

"I hope the news you bring is worth interrupting my work this morning."

"Of course, my dear Your Majesty."

Julie winked playfully at Chris, puffing out her chest and skillfully employing a woman's most powerful weapon.

There are two things.

She answered gracefully, her voice carrying just the right amount of sweetness without sounding frivolous.

"At around eight o'clock in the morning, Queen Elena, accompanied by her personal maid, had a chance encounter with Sir Bruno, the captain of the royal guard, in the palace gardens."

Julie's voice remained steady in her reporting tone, but her alluring eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in them.

"Her Majesty the Queen expressed her deep concern for Sir Bruno's recent diligent guarding work. She mentioned that the gardens of his estate outside the city did not seem to be well maintained, which was unbecoming of a nobleman. She also mentioned that she happened to know several skilled Miniserian gardeners and would be happy to introduce them to Sir Bruno."

Julie paused briefly, seemingly organizing her thoughts for more precise wording.

"The Queen's wording was very elegant and subtle. At the same time, the topic also touched on Sir Bruno's marriage. Queen Elena believed that the Sir's current spouse was not up to par in terms of etiquette and was not worthy of him. She suggested that he could hire an etiquette teacher or introduce a proper noblewoman to him."

Upon hearing this, Chris laughed.

Elena's intentions couldn't be clearer. It was obvious that Chris's wife was using the aristocratic maneuvering she had learned, though she wasn't very adept at it. Or perhaps, Elena was taking Bruno's background into account, so her actions were quite obvious, afraid that if she were too subtle, he wouldn't notice.

What was Bruno's reaction?

Chris was a little curious about the question, but not really, because he had already guessed Bruno's likely reaction.

When Julie heard Chris ask her question, a smile immediately appeared on her face.

"Your Majesty, Sir Bruno's initial reaction was somewhat awkward. He expressed his gratitude for the Queen's kindness, but when the Queen mentioned his wife, he became somewhat angry."

Chris laughed; he knew this would happen.

What was Bruno's answer?

Julie bowed slightly, her voice carrying a perfectly timed imitation, as if recreating the scene in the garden:

"Your Majesty, Sir Bruno's face first turned red, and then turned somewhat ashen."

He took a step back, his right hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword… Of course, he immediately realized this was inappropriate and quickly released it.

She continued, her tone calm yet clearly conveying Bruno's anger and restraint at the time.

"The knight's voice was much lower and hoarser than usual. He said, 'Thank you for your concern, Her Majesty. But the state of my estate is my family matter, and my wife...'"

Julie paused briefly here to emphasize what Bruno was about to say.

"...She may not understand the intricate etiquette of the court, but she married me when I was penniless and shared my joys and sorrows. Her courage and loyalty far surpass any fancy formalities."

I believe she is worthy of me, and that is enough. Your Majesty need not trouble yourself with this.

Julie paused for a moment, then added,

After Sir Bruno finished speaking, he gave a stiff bow and took his leave, citing the need to inspect the sentry posts. Queen Elena's smile at that moment... well, it seemed a little frozen on her face.

Chris's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile after hearing this.

Bruno was his old subordinate. The reason Chris chose him as his chief bodyguard was not only because of his strength, but also because of his honest and loyal character, but he was by no means stupid.

"It seems that Her Majesty the Queen has encountered some problems with her investigation of Sir Bruno."

Chris's smile faded, and he turned his gaze to the window. He knew where the problem lay. When Elena investigated Bruno, she must have had her personal maid question the palace maids and guards, and then…

Julie clearly did something behind the scenes to make Elena's methods of winning over Bruno so simple and brutal.

Who else has she been in contact with recently?

Chris continued asking questions with great interest.

"Besides Sir Bruno, the Queen has also frequently summoned several representatives of Minisian merchants in recent days to inquire about details of trade between the Kingdom and the Macon Union, and has also summoned officials from the Kingdom's Ministry of Commerce. She seems to want to make business investments."

Chris knew about this matter, because everyone who entered or left the palace and what they did there would be recorded, although such records did not contain many details.

Julie's addition would allow Chris to know about this overlooked information.

Clearly, Julie's court intelligence network was already operating efficiently, capturing and transmitting even the slightest fluctuations around Elena.

Chris remained silent for a moment.

Elena's movements were faster and more discreet than he had anticipated.

No longer content with the prestige of queen, she began to attempt to build her own network of power, cautiously probing everything from military to financial authority. Winning over Bruno was undoubtedly the boldest and most crucial move of hers; though it failed, she suffered little loss.

As for financial attempts...

"Continue to observe."

Chris finally spoke, his tone calm and even.

"But for the Queen, do nothing more than observe her."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

Julie bowed slightly to indicate that she had accepted the order.

“You did a great job, Julie.”

Chris's gaze returned to her, tinged with admiration.

"Keep that sharpness in mind, and now let's talk about the second thing."

At this point, Julie straightened up, raised her head and puffed out her chest, emphasizing her cleavage to the maximum extent, making her dark blue velvet court dress taut, and showing it to him for his appreciation.

"His Majesty……"

Julie's eyes were alluring.

"I miss you."

Julie's actions and tone clearly told Chris what she was thinking.

She is consolidating her position and power, and trying to go further.

Men and women are different, not only physiologically but also psychologically.

Excluding the possibility of being born into wealth, most men achieve their status and wealth through their own hard work and talent.

Most women, however, rely on their natural beauty and the men they depend on to obtain these things.

Chris granted Julie the status of a court lady and the authority of an intelligence chief because it was a countermeasure against Elena's probing and an investment in Julie's own value.

But perhaps Julie's intelligence and understanding are flawed; she seems to believe that she deserves her current status and rights for other reasons... such as now.

Chris's gaze fell on Julie's deliberately protruding chest; the curves beneath the deep blue velvet were truly breathtaking. He didn't immediately look away, but instead examined her calmly and carefully for a moment, as if admiring a fine work of art.

The air in the study seemed to thicken and become ambiguous because of this silent gaze. Julie's breathing quickened slightly, and a hint of smugness and anticipation flashed in her eyes.

Then, as if oiled, Julie's long dress slid off her body, revealing her alabaster-white assets to Chris.

Then, Julie walked with deliberate cat-like steps toward Chris, who was sitting in the chair, then knelt down, bent over, looked up, and smiled sweetly.

(End of this chapter)