Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1161 - 1154: Gaining Recognition

Chapter 1161: Chapter 1154: Gaining Recognition

Princess Melia still made her appearance in full regalia, donning a magnificent and heavy gown with a hem diameter that was exaggeratedly more than one meter. Her face had been carefully made-up, concealing the original flaws and lending an even softer and fairer look to her countenance.

The moment she stepped down from the carriage, Luo’er heard a simultaneous gasp of admiration from the crowd. Those sub-humans who saw Princess Melia for the first time were utterly overwhelmed by her presence.

Apart from her beauty, what attracted people the most was the noble aura of elegance that she naturally carried, something no one else could emulate no matter how hard they tried. Although she had been leading armies in battle for several years, she had not forgotten her noble demeanor, still carrying herself with utmost propriety.

As her feet touched the ground, she immediately caught sight of Luo’er, who had been waiting for some time. A charming smile quickly spread across her lovely face—a smile that radiated genuine charm, inevitably intoxicating those around her.

Under the envious gaze of the onlookers, Melia slowly walked toward Luo’er, her maids closely following behind, holding the heavy fabric of her gown.

When she arrived in front of Luo’er, Melia squinted at him and then said with a smile, "I heard you would come to meet me, so I spent some time getting ready. You don’t mind, do you?"

"Not at all..." Luo’er seemed somewhat bewildered by the encounter, so he gave a somewhat wooden nod.

"Hehe," Melia laughed joyfully, then said in a low voice, "Seeing you all return safely really is wonderful."

"Seeing the carriage safely handed over to you also makes me very happy," Luo’er said, not sure what else to say, and lowered his head awkwardly.

"Didn’t I tell you that I was giving it to you?" Melia asked.

"You were serious?" Luo’er asked with a wry smile.

"Of course, what else would you think?" Melia once again lifted her head and gazed at him affectionately.

"Princess Melia, on behalf of all the people of Lipei and the headquarters, I welcome your visit," Li Si stepped forward, taking the initiative to relieve Luo’er from his awkwardness.

"Oh, Mr. Li Si, your reception honors us greatly. We are truly unworthy," Melia replied respectfully.

"Please, don’t say that. The fact that Princess Melia could take time from her busy schedule to lead her troops to assist Lipei’s defense work – we couldn’t be more grateful," Li Si said politely.

"It’s just a little effort. The defense work of Lipei is also crucial to the safety of my territory. Sending troops is also based on considerations for our own interests," Melia explained.

"Princess Melia, we have prepared a banquet on Earth in your honor, please follow us to Earth to attend the feast," Li Si gestured invitingly.

"I appreciate your kindness. Please lead the way." Melia nodded slightly, then followed toward the Otherworld Gate, not forgetting to throw a suggestive look back at Luo’er as she departed.

"Luo’er," Luo’er had just breathed a sigh of relief when Cheng Ziang dragged him by the arm as he dismounted. He looked around and then whispered, "No matter what private issues you have with Princess Melia, don’t show it in front of so many people for fear of rumors, but feel free to sort it out in private."

"What do you mean by ’sort it out however you want’..." Luo’er rolled his eyes and said.

"You figure it out. I have to arrange accommodations for these thousand-plus people. Just take care of yourself," Cheng Ziang patted his shoulder, then remounted and led Melia’s troops towards the prearranged camp.

The thousand men were a mixed unit composed mainly of Aud people and Marsyan mountain troops, and there was even a cavalry unit of nearly fifty men. It seemed that Melia hadn’t treated the task lightly but instead dispatched an elite force to assist with Lipei’s defense.

A group of people arrived in front of the Otherworld Gate, and for Princess Melia, it was her first time passing through. After swallowing an inhibitive capsule, she took a deep breath and bravely stepped forward, crossing through the Otherworld Gate to Earth.

At that moment on Earth, an even grander welcome ceremony awaited Princess Melia. Not only was Lin Wei personally present, but leaders from the Ministry of Defense also attended the reception. Such a lavish scale sent a powerful signal to Melia, indicating that the headquarters had essentially recognized her existence and wouldn’t easily give her up to collaborate with the royal family, but rather firmly stand by her side.

The stance of the headquarters finally put Melia’s mind at ease, as she had always harbored one concern, that if the Marsyan royal family took the initiative to contact headquarters, the headquarters might abandon her to cooperate with the royal family and thus take control of Marsya.

Now it seemed that the headquarters had made it clear through their actions that they would steadfastly stand by Princess Melia, no matter whether the royal family would offer an olive branch, they would not easily give her up. The most likely scenario was that they would support Princess Melia to become the monarch of Marsya, securing the headquarters’ interests in the east, and then focus on dealing with the rebels.

After several instances of cooperation, Princess Melia had earned the trust and support of headquarters with her concrete actions. From then on, she could finally sleep peacefully without the fear of being abandoned upon opening her eyes.

For her, the results she had obtained today were a reward for all her efforts. So, when meeting with the leaders of the Ministry of Defense, she was moved to the point of nearly crying.

Princess Melia was acutely aware that the situation in Marsya was essentially a chess game. The reason the royal family hadn’t been able to completely eradicate the rebels over the years was due to the support from Earth nations, led by NATO, the so-called chess players, behind the rebels.

Therefore, she knew very well that there was no point in the pawns fighting each other. If she wanted to defeat the royal family and the rebels and aspire to the Marsyan throne, the best option was to find herself a chess player, to have one player confront another, whilst she would be a pawn.

Clearly, she was both fortunate and astute. She had sharply identified the unique aspects of the Advance Team and followed up on the opportunity to connect with headquarters through Luo’er. She had found herself a steadfast mountain for support, her chess player.

Now that the chess player had declared they would not change their pawn, it undoubtedly gave Princess Melia confidence. After lying low for years, she could finally make her move and begin her attempt to claim the throne of Marsya.

The banquet was tedious and lengthy, yet Princess Melia immerged herself in it with joy, as her mood had been quite good for the past few days due to her achievements.

After the banquet concluded, headquarters arranged for Princess Melia to temporarily reside in the guest apartment of Shenghua Academy. They also arranged for Luo to accompany her on tours around Earth, allowing her to experience Earth’s advancement and prosperity.

At night, Luo took a slightly tipsy Melia up in a flying vehicle, rising to a hundred meters in the air to have an aerial view of the brightly lit Shenghua Academy and the distant cityscape at night. Gazing at this splendid scene, Melia expressed her admiration for the first time, "When will our world ever become like yours?"

"As long as the Otherworld Gate is not closed, one day you will enjoy the same nightscape," Luo comforted her.

"That day... truth be told, sometimes I really think, can I give up the throne of Marsya and live on Earth instead? Here you have technology that is even more advanced than magic, such a bustling nightscape, and..." Melia didn’t finish her sentence, instead, she gave Luo a meaningful look.

"You’re drunk..." Luo said calmly.

"That’s why I’m spouting such nonsense," Melia laughed, and then said self-deprecatingly, "I know I could never give up the throne; it is my lifelong pursuit. I might be mesmerized by the sights before me, but I would never give up my pursuit because of it."

"You haven’t changed at all, I was just worried about you..." Luo let out a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile.

"Are you concerned about me?" Melia fixed her gaze on Luo and asked.

"What else..." Luo looked back at her.

Melia squinted her eyes without saying a word, but reached out her hand. Luo looked at her fair and delicate hand, took a deep breath, and finally mustered the courage to take it.

Feeling Luo’s warmth, Melia’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head into a long silence. Eventually, she looked up again, made up her mind, and declared, "Indeed, I still crave power!"