Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

“Patrick Cormon, there are only a handful of people who know where Annie is,” Leslaufer waved his hand. “Don’t be afraid. What would I do to you? Maybe that guy does have some concerns about me, but we don’t really have much of a grudge.”

Grandin and Black Arrow breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's just steamed beans from different routes." No one knows how the poet lady came up with such a sentence.

Now, Grandin and his companion could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Don't listen to her nonsense!" Although Mary had never seen the paladin, that didn't stop her from giving Daisy's ear a hard twist, causing the latter to scream exaggeratedly and beg for mercy.

"So, that's all."

After listening, Angelita spoke slowly and calmly, as if it had nothing to do with her.

"But, Sister Grandin, I don't think I heard anything about my obituary?"

The lady-in-waiting was stunned: "But Your Highness! If we just let them run rampant like this, you—"

"Who said I was going to let them have their way?" The girl's tone remained calm, leaving Grandin, who was still trying to persuade her, speechless and frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

“But I’m afraid I can’t do anything on my own,” Angelita said softly. “As you can see, although I’m dressed in armor and armed as if I were something special, we all know the situation in the Empire. I can’t do anything to get involved.”

“But that fake has Verveti, while I have Uncle Leslaufer—what do you say?”

She raised her eyes and stared intently at Raslaufer. Doppler saw no longing or pleading in her gaze; it was as if she were simply asking him about his stance.

What's there to say?

“Don’t worry, give me three days, and I can bring back their heads,” Raslaw grinned. “Since they dared to be so high-profile, now that I have the Nightmare Steed, there’s nothing I can’t do.”

Even the distance between planes is nothing compared to the Nightmare's hooves. What is crossing Inathas? Besides, Raslaufer didn't believe that Velveti, that defeated underling, could possibly stop his new sword from cutting off his "old" head.

However, Raslaufer saw Angelita firmly shake her head: "No, Uncle Raslaufer, it's no use doing this. This precedent has already been set."

“The princess of Vilvith can be fake, but what about the princess of the Duke of Lance? What about the princess of Vilvith? This can’t go on, and... I’m actually a little homesick.”

Looking at Angelita, Leslaufer laughed, as if he were seeing the princess he had met in the tomb again: "So, it seems I'm going to take on another commission?"

“Yes,” Angelita nodded, “but like the journey, the rest of the journey has to be reversed this time—we can’t go back quietly.”

“They will find out who the real imperial princess is,” Skuld laughed along with Raslaufer. “It will definitely be a very interesting journey, especially with the army accompanying them.”

"Don't worry, Annie, I'll stand with you. There's no question about that."

“Of course, I, an old man, also wish to return to my roots,” the old mage sighed. “But Your Highness, you must think this through. If you do this, not only will it be difficult to turn back, but it will also be difficult to change direction.”

“I don’t plan to change anything. I have a clear goal,” Angelita turned to her companions. “Bella, Mary, Daisy, what do you think?”

"There's no need to ask questions that already have answers, is there?" The druid raised an eyebrow. "Or do you think I, your sister, would be a cowardly deserter? My only regret is that I can't persuade the Resisting Frontier to send Esmir to help us again!"

“You should know that my motives have never been entirely pure,” Mary said, bowing to Angelita with typical imperial court etiquette. “At your command, Your Highness.”

The bard watched this scene, clicking his tongue and shaking his head: "Look at you, look at you, you're all so servile! We were teammates in the adventure party just a second ago, and now you're starting to address us by our titles?"

"You're planning to stay here?" Angelita looked at her with a half-smile. "It's alright, it's no big deal."

"Hey, what are you saying!" Daisy immediately became righteous. "I'd like to stay here, but I still owe you money—there's nothing I can do!"

Mary rolled her eyes: "You're not even as good as me!"

“Speaking of money…” Angelita turned her head to look at the head of the Strongman family, who had remained silent the whole time, “Mr. Dieter, you’ve been here all this time, you must have had a plan in mind, right?”

Dieter licked his lips: "Actually, there are two contingency plans, but I'm sure you'll choose... this one. To be honest, when I first met you, I felt that you were probably not just a simple refugee from the Empire, but I really didn't expect you to be... it's really unexpected."

"But rest assured, our previous collaborations have been very pleasant, and I am confident that I can secure sufficient benefits for the family this time as well. Your Highness, I, Dieter, will cover all the expenses for this expedition!"

"Are you sure?" Leslaufer looked at him with amusement. "To be honest, I've never really known how much money your family has, but this time, you'd better think it through before you speak. After all, this is military spending, and we have..."

“You are a brave and fearless warrior, but I am more adept at shrewd calculations,” the merchant said confidently. “Don’t laugh at me, but even if all the nations that follow His Majesty the King mobilize their entire armies this time, my Strongman family can still cover half of it!”

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Dieter had calculated clearly that if Angelita's goal was indeed as he suspected, the Strongman family could very well rise to become the most powerful family in the world, second only to the Matt royal family!

It's just going bankrupt, it's worth it!

Along the way, Grandin and Black Arrow had heard of the Kingmaker's reputation, and they were certain that this would indeed eliminate the imposter. However, seeing this, a sense of unease welled up in Grandin's heart, causing her to struggle to approach Angrita: "Your Highness, you..."

“Don’t worry, Grandine. The Empire has been in chaos for so many years, I don’t want to add fuel to the fire,” Angelita said, placing her hand on her shoulder. “Since they insist on bringing me into this, let’s just end it all.”

Chapter 757 Visitors

Recruiting soldiers is not uncommon in any of Inassus.

What's unusual is that the person recruited this time is different from those in the past. This distinguished person is not a count, a king or queen, a wealthy mage or merchant, nor a bishop or priest preparing for a holy war.

She wasn't even the Kingmaker. She claimed to be the princess of the empire, the real princess.

The residents of Zebrech then realized that they had been neighbors with such a distinguished person for many years, and that the Kingmaker's friend had such a status.

No one questioned it. Less than a month after Angelita decided to reveal her identity, the residents of Inasas, the three regions, and the East Sea all believed that she was the real princess, and that the one in the Empire who was supported by Vilveti was definitely an imposter.

The reason is simple: the Kings believe she is real, the kings of the kingdoms large and small believe she is real, and even the dwarves of the East Sea acknowledge her as real—so how could she be fake?

As for the one within the empire? If all the above figures claim she's fake, how can she possibly be real?

As for the opinions of the princess's real family members, not many people care. After all, it is common knowledge that Richard VII is the Mad King himself, and his opinions are not very convincing. Not to mention, he has not even expressed any opinions to this day.

However, what puzzled everyone was: now that the truth has been determined, the matter should be settled as soon as possible. After all, the empire has been fighting for so many years, and dragging it out will only make things more chaotic. But why is this princess in Eastern Inassassin still not moving?

“Don’t rush. Since you’ve decided to go back, don’t give them any chance,” Raslaufer said, standing at the doorway, looking at the sunset on the horizon as if he were looking at the recruits from nearby. “Don’t forget why you escaped in the first place.”

Angelita's coming and going was not a casual visit. If she wanted to go back, she had to be prepared that her father, the Mad King Richard VII, would not approve. And the Emperor's rival, the Archduke of Lance, was also unlikely to become their ally—after all, he had originally intended to capture Angelita and use her as a puppet and a flag.

Even her two brothers cannot be complacent. If a fake princess can gather a group of people to cause trouble in the western border of the empire, the waves that Angelita herself can cause will only be bigger, not smaller.

and so……

“I think I’ve figured it out. You two were aiming to kill everyone from the very beginning,” Daisy said, still with her usual nonchalant attitude. Unlike most people, she showed no fear of Raslaw and the others’ intention to overthrow an emperor. On the contrary, she was quite looking forward to it. “That’s true. As the saying goes, when luck is on your side, the will to kill arises. If it’s just to bring Annie home for a visit, I’m afraid I’ll become a nihilist just by looking at it.”

“You seem to be talking a lot more nonsense these days,” Angelita glanced at her helplessly, about to say something, when suddenly, she unconsciously placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. “Who goes there?”

Things are different now. Before, she lived in seclusion, and anyone could enter this courtyard as they pleased. But now that she has revealed her status, she has to be wary of someone trying to use her for their own purposes.

This is, after all, her Uncle Leslaufer's home. Ordinary people would never dare to offend the king. Those who dare to come here are either acquaintances or have considerable confidence and strength, so one can't help but be wary.

Just as she caught Shouzhi's long poem, the courtyard gate was knocked three times, twice heavily and once lightly. The next moment, a hand slowly opened it a crack from the outside.

“For those who want to be mercenaries, please go find Duncan,” Raslaw’s ears twitched, but he remained standing. He recognized the pattern of the knocking as a common coded signal used by mercenaries. “We are only recruiting militiamen here now.”

The gate paused for a moment, and the newcomer's hoarse voice rang out: "I am not an ordinary mercenary; I am here to join the Cold Iron Guard."

The Cold Iron Guard, formerly Skadi's personal guard as lord of Ironforge, now had an imperial princess above her, and this power naturally transferred to Angelita's command. Ironjaw and his men were indeed in Zebrech at the moment, and Reislaufer was certain that if the other party had only come for this reason, he would never have appeared here.

Especially... how did he bypass the Cold Iron Guard's sentries?

“Then go find Ironjaw or Ed,” Raslaw narrowed his eyes, but remained standing, waiting for the other to continue, “if you didn’t see the notices posted on the road we came from.”

“No, I won’t go to them,” the courtyard gate was pushed open halfway, and a tall figure in a gray-black hooded cloak stood in the doorway. The newcomer had a smooth, beardless chin, and when he raised his voice, his Imperial accent was clearly discernible. “I came here specifically to see you—”

Before the newcomer could finish speaking, Raslaufer had already appeared in front of him in an instant, throwing a punch straight at his face. Even without armor and a sword at home, this single punch was enough to shatter any bone into dust!

However, the newcomer was unfazed. The instant Raslaufer attacked, he reacted instantly. His hood swayed slightly in the wind, and he moved with the lightness of a dancer, dodging Doppler's fatal blow. Raslaufer immediately closed in and continued throwing punches, but even touching the hem of his opponent's clothing was difficult. What surprised everyone in the courtyard even more was that in the limited exchanges, Raslaufer's brute force seemed to have little effect, easily neutralized by his opponent!

Just who is this person?!

"I believe that with my abilities, I am at least qualified to be the commander of the so-called Cold Iron Guard. That is something that the orc and the human hunter certainly cannot decide."

With a "crack," Raslaufer's palm strike collided with the newcomer's forearm. Judging from the feel, the other man's frame was much thinner and weaker than his, but it was as hard as refined gold. The huge impact forced the man to retreat to the outside of the courtyard gate, but Raslaufer also took half a step back.

“Show me your weapon,” Raslaufer narrowed his eyes and beckoned behind him. Without hesitation, Angelita released the Long Poem of Wisdom, which fell into Raslaufer’s grasp. The emerald green blade reflected an eerie color in the setting sun, mirroring the man’s brown eyes. “Let me see what you’re capable of.”

"The Long Poem of Guardian Spirit..." The visitor did not respond to Raslaufer, but only praised the legendary longsword, "Even after so many years, this king's sword has not lost its sharpness and spirit. It seems that it has found its new master."

“But,” the cloak lifted, revealing a longsword made of fine steel drawn from slender, pale fingers, who casually twirled it, “its master is not you, Raslaufer. How much skill can you actually wield with this sword?”

Chapter 758 A Friend Comes from Afar

The half-sword and the ornate longsword clashed immediately. Leslaufer recognized it as a weapon crafted by elves, and judging from the user's posture and the exposed hand, the other party should also be an elf.

“Eastern Inathas is far too far for an elf,” Leslaufer sneered, deliberately falling into the opening the other had created. But the elf didn’t fall for it, easily switching to a different sword style to dodge the trap. Instead, he slashed diagonally, forcing Leslaufer to parry. “Did the Emperor send you? Or that so-called Grand Duke? It couldn’t be Velveti, could it?”

“I can go wherever I want,” the elf’s voice finally softened, to the point where its gender was discernible. “On the contrary, you, Leslaufer, seem to lack that freedom.”

The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but the other person was clearly a master swordsman. Without intending to destroy his own home, Raslaufer didn't have much energy to think about the other person's identity.

“Elf mercenaries, though rare, I do know a few,” Leslaufer snorted, then suddenly stepped back, his wrist twisting as the blade circled back outwards, aiming straight for the face of the elf who was pressing forward. “Stop hiding your face, let me see who you really are!”

"Based on this—" The elf subconsciously made a judgment and response, but the moment she changed her move, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. With her movement, the four variations that Leslaufer originally had immediately converged into one, and the hilt of the sword reversed and smashed into her shoulder like a hammer, causing her to stagger. The next moment, the blade had already returned, tearing open the fabric of the hood as the elf hurriedly turned around.

At the same time, a strand of gray-gold hair shimmered and danced in the wind, landing on the snow in front of Raslaufer.

and many more……

Leslaufer did not immediately give chase. He frowned as he looked at the broken hair. The next moment, he looked up sharply and saw that the elf's half-hood had been lifted, revealing that ear!

The most distinctive feature that sets elves apart from humans is their pointed ears. However, this elf's left ear is different; its upper part is flat and smooth, as if a section had been cut off by a sharp weapon. And in Leslaufer's memory, only one elf had this appearance!

"Amansa?!" He stared wide-eyed at the other person in disbelief. "One-Eared, is that you?!"

“Well, if you know another elf who is also missing an ear, please introduce me to him,” the elf’s voice finally broke free, flowing lightly as he lifted his hood. “Leslaufer, old friend, I thought you would no longer recognize me now that you’ve become a big shot.”

“She is…Amansa?” Angelita, stunned, quickly walked to Leslaufer’s side, took the longsword, and couldn’t help but scrutinize the elven woman who had always lived in Leslaufer’s words.

She seemed even better than Leslaufer described—not in terms of skill, but from another perspective.

Putting aside her flat figure...

They truly are elves.

“Yes, this is Amansa,” Leslaufer said cheerfully, nothing is more delightful than seeing an old friend again. “What brings you to my hometown?”

“Of course it’s your whirlwind,” Amansa chuckled. “You humans’ polite words are really nothing new. Besides the now famous you, what else could possibly make me come here?”

She looked at Angelita and warmly took the girl's hand, bowing deeply in a knightly salute: "You must be Princess Angelita. I must say, you look almost like an elf. That imposter is no match for you at all."

"Not to mention, you have also gained the favor of the Long Poem of the Guardian. If I hadn't sworn allegiance to our Elf Queen two hundred and thirty years ago, I would have been a hundred times more willing to serve under you as a knight."

The beauty of elves is a consensus in most worlds, and such praise made Angrita feel flattered: "Amantha... my lady, Uncle Leslaufer has mentioned your deeds to me many times. You are—"

“Hehe, he just loves to brag,” Amansa listened to Angelita’s polite words with a smile, as if she enjoyed it. After a moment, she laughed and said, “But it’s no wonder. In our world, it’s not easy to know an elven mercenary, let alone fight alongside him many times.”

“You’ve never liked being a leader, have you?” The elf released Angrita and turned to Leslaufer. “But it looks like this time it’s my turn to be your subordinate.”

“What goes around comes around,” Raslaufer nodded to her. “But are you really sure? Although we do have a great philanthropist willing to sponsor and fund us, the compensation is far less than what the Empire is offering.”

“But which sounds more worthwhile to join: the Imperial Civil War or Inathas’s ‘invasion’ of the Empire? Don’t tell me you’re delaying your departure because you’re always sleeping in,” Amansa said casually. “I’ve come all this way to seek refuge, and you’re testing an old friend? That’s not appropriate, is it?”

Raslaw smiled slightly upon hearing this, but did not budge: "It is indeed not appropriate, but you have to forgive me, Amansa, this is not a small matter, both for me and for Anne."

If it were any other acquaintance coming to seek refuge, Leslaufer would certainly welcome them warmly, but Amansa... she is an old friend, yes, but Leslaufer must be wary.

The reason is simple: if this elf is determined to infiltrate and then stab us in the back at a crucial moment... Leslaufer has no confidence that he can protect Angreta in her hands.

Even today, he still can't fathom Amansa's true strength. For elves who can live for hundreds of years, just a century or even half a century of hard work is enough to achieve something that surpasses most humans in a particular field—who knows just how many fields Amansa has tried?

Perhaps the vast majority of these are literature, art, mathematics, or philosophy, as elves have always done, but as long as even a tiny bit of effort—for elves, even a tiny bit—is put into some darker aspects, it's enough to make Raslaufer and Angelita's defeat justifiable.

“I understand your concerns,” Amansa saw through Raslaufer’s thoughts. “If you were me, I might do the same. But it’s good that we can be frank: part of the reason I came here is because of you, Raslaufer, and another part is because of Her Highness the Princess and her sword.”

As Amansa spoke, she produced a magical artifact resembling a pocket watch, its hands trembling as they pointed towards Angrita, or more precisely, towards the long poem of remembrance in Angrita's hand: "The elves' lineage didn't succumb as severely as the dwarves', but some elven traditions were still lost for a long time, such as in Riha Forest and Korathond. I've come here to confirm the location of these lost traditions. If possible, our queen would prefer to cooperate with those who are respected, rather than madmen or ambitious schemers... Wait a minute?"

A flicker of disorientation crossed Amansa's brown eyes. She turned to the side, holding her pocket watch, and took a large step.

Then, all three of them saw at the same time that the hands of the pocket watch trembled even more violently, sometimes pointing to Angelita, and sometimes pointing to the house behind Raslaufer.

"No, this can't be... can it?" The elf looked at Angelita in disbelief. "Your Highness, you... possess two relics of the Elf King of Korazund?!"

Chapter 759 The Army Marches South

If it weren't for the fact that this girl was clearly a pure human, Amansa would almost have suspected that Angrita was the reincarnation of that king. Even if...

"Forest traveler, it's a pleasure to meet you here."

The elf turned her head somewhat stiffly. Behind the house, a magical creature she had only ever heard of slowly revealed itself with elegant steps. It nodded to Amansa, indicating its presence, along with the pointed horn on its head.

A... unicorn?!

The elf involuntarily closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, they were imbued with a faint magical light. Perhaps this would help her see more clearly and avoid being misled by illusory appearances.

But no, she could see it clearly; the creature was still standing there, undeniably present from any perspective—real, magical, or otherwise.

“Velunara, once the mount of that king,” the unicorn said calmly, words that astonished Amansa even more. “Whatever the reason, we have indeed gathered here, surrounding her.”

“I thought it was already too much for Raslaufer to become the Kingmaker,” Amansa opened her mouth, then hesitated before looking at Angelita. “Your Highness, may I have the honor of seeing another relic of your inheritance? I have no ulterior motives, it is simply my duty.”