Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 119 - 115: Melia’s Desire

Chapter 119: Chapter 115: Melia’s Desire

"Luo’er, what’s wrong with you?" Tangmo couldn’t help but ask in concern, noticing Luo’er’s unusual expression.

"It’s nothing, perhaps I had some bad food." Luo’er responded with a slightly haggard expression. He shook his head, choosing not to think about his troubling thoughts any longer.

The caravan had been traveling for about three days, and, just as the knights were on the verge of exhaustion, they arrived at a town within the Masaya Kingdom’s inland territory. Even though this region was a frontline in the war, it was still under the control of the kingdom.

Upon reaching the town, they began to seize horses and other animal-powered tools to replenish their forces. The common folk who had their horses taken received nothing in return, forced to watch helplessly as their animals were taken by the knights.

Seeing all this, Luo’er could only shake his head helplessly. These nobles had no idea about the roots of the rebellion. They didn’t understand that these people, stripped of their horses, were humans too and had every right to be angry. Considering the operations of the nobles, Luo’er estimated that it wouldn’t be long before this place was occupied by the rebels, with the people gleefully welcoming the rebel forces and seeing off the troops of the kingdom.

Fortunately, Princess Melia took out some of her own precious jewelry and bestowed them upon the common people who had their horses taken. This managed to placate their anger. Witnessing her actions, Tangmo praised Melia’s charity and his affection for her grew considerably. But Luo’er saw something else entirely.

In her, Luo’er saw the qualities that a young politician should possess. Luo’er believed that if the King of Masya were to pass the throne to Princess Melia, quelling the rebellion would be just a matter of time.

But clearly, this was unrealistic as there already existed a crown prince in Masya. He was the king’s firstborn and half-brother to Princess Melia. Unless anything unforeseen occurred, the prince would inevitably become the next king after their father’s death.

Luo’er thought, if he was the crown prince, the first thing he would do upon his succession would be to marry Melia, his half-sister, to a foreign country. Leaving her at one’s side was too risky for her presence threatened to usurp the power one day.

Of course, this was purely hypothetical - if the prince was a fool, he might not even notice when he was being manipulated by Melia. By that time, Melia would inevitably become the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Masya.

Melia, to merely let her be a figurehead princess, would indeed be underestimating her abilities.

After a full day of chaos, the convoy rested for the night in the small town. The former front line, the town housed about 500 kingdom soldiers. These were lower-level troops, clinging to their old-fashioned muzzle-loaded rifles, staring blankly as the knights passed in front of them.

To these traditionally minded knights, they looked down on these soldiers using Earth weapons. Even when the highest-ranking officer in the army came to visit, they left him waiting outside for quite some time.

In truth, if the goal was to escort the convoy, getting them to the town was already considered a job well done. But Princess Melia clearly hoped they would follow her to Galan. They didn’t know what she was up to, but since they made it this far, they had no choice but to press on one step at a time.

The knights commandeered the town’s most lavish houses, forcing the homeowners and their families into a warehouse. Although Luo’er and the others could stay in two rooms, they found it hard to escape the discomforting feeling and, therefore, slept uneasily that night.

The next day, they were summoned by Princess Melia. Sitting in the main hall of the house, separated by a long dining table, she awaited their arrival.

"Princess!" Immediately upon entering, Luo’er performed the traditional greeting unique to Masya Kingdom, showing respect.

"You’re here, take a seat!" Seeing Luo’er and his team, Melia immediately wore an enchanting smile.

The team sat down opposite Melia, surrounding Luo’er, regarding him as the center of their group. Melia, with a beaming smile on her face, asked them: "How come none of your comrades are talking? Are they shy?"

"I apologize, my comrades tend to be cautious around strangers. Please pardon their rudeness, Your Highness." With a smile, Luo’er explained. He, of course, knew why his team members were keeping silence, without his command, Hu Daoke would certainly have started quarrelling by now.

"No worries, let’s dine!" Melia said, gesturing elegantly. The waitstaff immediately began to serve the exquisite food.

The servants were from the household which had been taken over; the knights had clearly driven the family out but kept the servants. It made Luo’er wonder how they had managed the previous night.

Seeing the delicious food in front of them, his teammates could barely hide their salivating anticipation. But, they naturally glanced at Luo’er before dipping in. Only after he had waved his hand in concession, did they begin to eat with an appetite that showed no trace of the refinement expected of nobility.

Melia watched them in silence, a faint smile gracing her features. Luo’er was fully aware that she was observing them, but luckily, none of them did anything too inappropriate in their actions.

"How did you find last night, Lord Luo’er?" Melia asked, noticing Luo’er wasn’t eating.

"Living in someone else’s home, it’s a bit uncomfortable," Luo’er laughed and said.

Melia knew he was joking about the knights’ occupation of the people’s homes. She chuckled, then said, "Don’t worry, no matter how long we stay, the homeowners will not object. They will never forsake the embrace of the kingdom to join the rebels."

"How so?" asked Luo’er.

"Has Mister Luo’er ever been to the territories occupied by the rebels?" Melia leaned her chin on her hand, and turned around to ask.

"No, ever since we entered Masya, we have remained in the territories under royal control," Luo’er candidly replied.

"Then have you seen the state of the towns and villages under rebel control?" Melia turned back around and quietly looked at him.

"I haven’t!" Luo’er answered truthfully.

"I’ve seen!" Melia raised her eyebrows, then her face gradually grew serious, "In the villages occupied by the rebels, all the houses have been burned down, all property plundered, all the weak and sick have been harmed, and all women..."

Melia looked at him, continued to speak, "The rebels pride themselves as the new working class resisting the aristocracy, but they commit acts worthy of bandits and plunderers. In the villages they occupy, you cannot hear the laughter of the common people; only helpless wails. Their so-called achievements are not calculated by how many nobles they overthrow, but by how many innocent heads they take. I once saw a small hill made of human heads, fresh blood dyed the muddy road red, it also dyed the hem of my dress."

"So," Melia looked around the room and spread her hands out, "Mister Luo’er, do you still think these people will make a fuss with us just for occupying their homes for a few days?"

Melia’s words made the atmosphere instantly heavy. Luo’er paused for a moment, then said, "I apologize, we come from Odelanqi and do not know about the situation in Masya."

"Sure enough, this is our own matter, I’m sorry for troubling you," Melia spoke, her warm smile once again lit up her face.

"Considering how dedicated Your Highness is to the kingdom, if the day comes when the princess leads the entire country, exterminating the rebels is a matter of time," Luo’er joked.

Because of Luo’er’s comment, Melia’s expression froze instantly. After a moment, she gathered herself, her smile reappeared, then, looking meaningfully at Luo’er, she said, "Mister Luo’er, your comment is somewhat inappropriate."

"I apologize, I just speak my mind. If I have caused any offense, I hope the Princess will forgive me," Luo’er said, bowing his head slightly, no sign of regret on his face.

"It’s okay," Melia waved her hand and laughed self-deprecatingly, "Everyone knows Oliver is the next king. I’m just a princess, a woman. How dare I entertain such overreaching thoughts."

"Indeed, Masya has never had a queen," Luo’er nodded, comforting her.

"Yes, never had," Melia stared at the exquisite tableware, smiling quietly. In her eyes, Luo’er could see a hint of desolation.

Luo’er was certain that Melia was indeed attempting to seize power in the Kingdom of Masya. Otherwise, how could the King of Masya entrust her, a teenager, to seek assistance from Odelanqi?

High-level communication between the countries of another world can be achieved through magical messengers, not unlike Earth’s email. The King of Masya could have sought help from Gudelv through a magical messenger, but chose to send an envoy instead. On the one hand, to show sincerity, and on the other hand, he probably had other plans.

Luo’er looked at Melia’s melancholy expression, and a word flashed in his mind— marriage alliance. If the King of Masya was not so dim-witted, he would probably have removed all obstacles to the Crown Prince’s succession, including Princess Melia, before his son ascended the throne.

As Melia’s father, the King of Masya would have no reason not to be aware of Melia’s aspirations and ambitions. Even though she was only seventeen or eighteen, once she comes into her own, she will surely seize power from her brother’s hands.

Thus, the reason Melia was sent to Odelanqi was likely not only to seek reinforcements, but also potentially to negotiate marriage alliance with the royal family of Odelanqi and marry off this ambitious daughter early.

Of course, all of these are just Luo’er’s guesses. Just as Melia was observing them, Luo’er was also watching her, analyzing her actions and thoughts.

In a certain sense, they were of the same kind, both able to ignite sparks upon meeting. Although it’s dangerous, their political aspirations were entirely different, so they wouldn’t naturally become enemies. This was the only thing Luo’er could be assured of.

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