Storm of Gods

Chapter 67 A Rebellious Spirit

"Huh?" Li Xin was a little confused, not knowing where he had said something wrong.

"Duh, you call a car yourself. I need to go back and get dressed up. I can't be so casual. Lao Luo will definitely be going out drinking tonight, and I need to look my best to accompany him." The rich girl said with a fighting spirit. She had just bought a bunch of new battle outfits today, just in time to dazzle Lao Luo's prying eyes.

Looking at Casey, who was dressed in a magnificent and extraordinary manner, Li Xin wondered if she had some misunderstanding about what "casual" meant.
The carriage clattered away, leaving Li Xin bewildered in the Treasure Pavilion. Was it even safe for him to hail a carriage in this area?
In the end, walking is still the most reliable option.

Back at the Order House, looking at the empty dining hall, I thought, "What beasts! Eating is like fighting a war! Are they all reincarnated starving ghosts?"

. . .

Inside the magnificent royal palace of Montcarette, laughter and joy filled the air as a grand court banquet was held, accompanied by flowers, fine wine, and delicious food.

The hostess was Queen Kelly, the queen of the kingdom. She wore a light gold dress, her hair was styled in an updo, her full and lustrous breasts, her neck as white as jade, and her beautiful, fair collarbones. The sparkling diamond necklace was just a small embellishment. With her stunningly beautiful face, a single glance from her could make people submit. This beloved queen was now holding a glass of red wine and carefully examining the young people on the dance floor.

In terms of beauty alone, Estella may have surpassed her, but in terms of mature and noble temperament, Queen Kelly is unparalleled. In particular, her incomparably noble status makes her someone that only men can look up to. This queen has considerable power and authority in Montcarette.

Kelly paid no attention to the various ardent admiring glances around her. Her concern was for her children. Her eldest son, Hawke, was the most worry-free. He was impeccable, not only as a mother but also as an observer. He was mature and steady, focused on military and state affairs. His civil and military achievements were just like his father's, enough to support the kingdom and continue Montcareta's glory and splendor. Moreover, he was already engaged, and the home front was stable. Hawke was already in charge of a considerable part of the state affairs. What worried Kelly were her second son, Aklis, and her youngest daughter, Estella.

Two problematic individuals!

Yes, there's a serious problem. Aklis is quite wild. He was alright when he was a child, since he was around, but he's completely out of control ever since he went to the Fortress.

She was against the event itself, but for the sake of the kingdom, someone had to go. Fortunately, Aklis obtained a great opportunity safely and gained the approval of the sanctuary, which was definitely the best outcome of divine favor. However, the child had also been completely unrestrained. During her time back in the capital, she had heard many rumors, so she needed a suitable woman to help him settle down. Growing up and maturing is a compulsory course for a prince.

Aklis's matter is relatively easy to resolve. Give him some time, and he will gradually get back on track. Rebellion is an inevitable part of a boy's life when he is young. The one who has a headache is Estella, or rather, she herself. Choosing someone who fits the kingdom is easy, and choosing someone that Estella likes might not be difficult either, but choosing someone who fits both is a bit difficult.

Despite Estella's usual gentle and elegant princess demeanor, nothing can be hidden from her mother; in short, she is rebellious by nature.

If she weren't a princess, she would have become an adventurer long ago, perhaps even playing some kind of guild game in the royal court, pretending to be a guild bandit, thinking that I didn't know. I just turned a blind eye to her sneaking out.

In Montcarette, as members of the royal family, while enjoying all royal power, one must also bear royal obligations, without exception. This is the foundation of the kingdom's long-term stability and high level of support. The king also dotes on Estella, but this aspect cannot be shaken in the slightest.

Therefore, we urged Kelly to host more court banquets and learn more. Young people need to have more contact with others, and the harder it is to find someone, the more they should look for them.

Estella was overwhelmed by the fawning faces and felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. But feeling her mother's gaze, she could only deal with them one by one. Nothing could be more agonizing than this. On the other hand, her second brother was in his element, chatting and laughing with the noble ladies and enjoying their adoration. He had danced countless times.

Estella had already declined several dance invitations. To avoid trouble and not wanting to be punished by her mother, she took the initiative to ask for everyone's thoughts on governing the country. Surely that was the right thing to do.

Then Estella regretted it. She had completely opened up the conversation of the group of people, and their high-flown discussions were quite frightening. She had also been taught by a Grand Master and knew very well how empty and idealistic their words were.

"Recently, the kingdom has been influenced by foreign ideas, and a small group of people actually want to establish a monarchical system. The crimes of these people are comparable to those of a cult, and they should be hanged!"

"These are all heretical doctrines from the Lilong United Kingdom, and Hextech is absolutely evil magic. Flying machines and cheap Hextech guns are just cheap tricks. If it were me, I would definitely ban them!"

"Hextech guns are low-quality and have little combat power. They are only used by those who are not favored by the gods. Cultivating psionic energy is the right path. Luther is actually suspected of being a heretic, and in the end, he was still abandoned by the gods. He can only appear in a barbaric place like Lilong!"

"Of course! That's what makes our great Montcareta so powerful. I think this is a foreign conspiracy, trying to corrupt us with these crooked ideas." "Those things do offer some convenience, that can't be completely denied, but it's not as exaggerated as it sounds. It won't hurt for us to learn about them, but if we put too much effort into it, we'll be putting the cart before the horse and fall into the enemy's trap."

Parliamentary monarchy?
Estella had heard that this was a system implemented in the United Kingdom of Lilong, which was why the constantly warring Lilong was united. The king was the symbol of power of a country, but the exercise of most powers was carried out by the cabinet and the parliament. The cabinet was formed by the Grand Consul, and the parliament was divided into the upper house and the lower house, composed of members, who were elite representatives from all walks of life.

Well, whether to rely solely on princes and princesses, or to choose the best from a wider pool of people, Estella surprisingly felt the latter was more reasonable.
But she had also heard her elder brother say that, though it sounded nice, this was a tactic used by nobles to undermine the royal family and seize power. It was a new form of struggle that was extremely dangerous, but it had no place in Montcarette.

The Aura royal family holds absolute prestige in Montaleta. Hextech can be introduced, but other heresies will be resisted. Montaleta is relatively open in academia and art, and does not close itself off from the world. In some respects, the royal family's succession has always been of a high standard. Perhaps some are a little ordinary, but they are definitely not incompetent.

"Why did this system succeed in the Kingdom of Lilong?" Estella asked curiously.

Upon hearing the princess's question, the group of outstanding young talents from Montaleta were all energized, eagerly displaying their knowledge. Their general arguments included that Lilong was a barbaric land, lacking true royal blood and divine favor. The martial god worshipped by the locals was illusory, without any divine position. The arrival of the Moon God's Church had exacerbated the confusion in their faith, leading to this strange system and severe internal strife and power struggles…

In terms of eloquence, almost everyone present had no problem speaking fluently and could even come up with a self-consistent logic. But what Estella knew was that none of them had even been to Lilong; everything they knew was just hearsay.

Estella was getting a little tired of listening. If Chris had successfully completed her mission, she should already be on her way back. She always got home faster than she got there.

She longed to return to her palace, to feel the sea breeze, to gaze at the night sky over the ocean, and to wait for Chris to come back.

"Beautiful princess, would you be so kind as to dance for me?" a cheerful voice rang out.

This instantly aroused the dissatisfaction of the noble men. Who was so presumptuous, so disrespectful, and so unwilling to queue? They had gone to great lengths to attract the princess's attention and gain the right to dance.

But upon seeing who it was, everyone's expressions turned friendly again.

...Oh, it's Prince Akris. Then it's alright.

Estelle stretched out her hand and gladly accepted.

"Well, shouldn't you thank me for saving you from this predicament?" Aklis laughed.

“Second brother, for you to think of me at this time, you must have encountered some trouble. Could it be that one of your lovers is forcing you to abdicate?” Estella said, her eyes full of mischievous glint.

Aklis rubbed his nose. "Sigh, Duke Kara's daughter is here too. It was so long ago, I almost forgot. She actually wants me to take her to see the Queen Mother. I don't want to die."

"Really? It seems like it's your fault. But I'm good at handling these kinds of things. Take me to the Holy Land again, and I'll help you resolve it, with absolutely no lingering problems," Estella said charmingly.

"Heh, thanks. I can tell the difference between being half-dead and being completely dead." Aklis decisively refused.

After the dance ended, Princess Estella took her leave, while Aklis, who wanted to slip away, was left behind. Kelly felt that there were no suitable young men in this group, so they could replace them with another group. Besides, getting to know the girls could be done slowly, but Aklis had to be taught a lesson. Standing next to the Queen was a woman with an exceptionally stunning figure and captivating eyes.

Seeing Aklis's pleading eyes, Estella walked away, her long dress billowing in the wind.

(End of this chapter)