Hate Me, Miss Witch!

Sword bearer.

This is an old term.

It is so ancient that the younger generation of the empire, whether nobles or commoners, have never heard of it.

But as an archaeologist who has spent half his life in ancient ruins and large libraries, Xiaya is not unfamiliar with this term.

The Foresta Empire was strong because of the eight sworn families, but it was also hampered by this.

At the beginning of the creation of the empire, the alliance between the eight sworn families and the royal family was relatively strong.

But as time goes by, there may indeed be some sworn families who still stick to their original intentions and remember their original vows——

But more families have still changed.

Regardless of Char's previous life or his current life, the so-called human heart is the most unreliable thing.

Whether it is the desire for profit or the fantasy of immortality.

Or maybe it's the ambition for power, the rebellion of unwillingness to be inferior to others, the bewitchment of foreign forces...

These reasons may be reasonable, or they may simply stem from selfish desires.

But all in all, the seeds for the disintegration of a powerful empire were already planted at the beginning of its establishment.

With the ups and downs of national power and the arrival of foreign enemies, this seed of rebellion began to sprout and grow, and the thick branches cracked the towering building called "Foresta Empire" with cracks one after another.

The imperial royal family also prepared countermeasures in advance.

"The scarlet blood and pure white sword that protects the holy city"

This is a covenant engraved on the walls of Camelot, branded at the moment the empire was founded.

The vermilion blood represents the sworn family, and the pure white sword represents the "sword bearer".

An organization with equal status to the Oath Family.

As the name suggests, he holds a long sword and monitors the entire territory.

No matter how big or small the nobles, powerful ministers, or even the extraordinary forces and secret organizations within the territory, are all within the scope of their authority.

This is the Sword of Damocles hanging high in the sky.

As long as this hanging sword exists for a moment, those seeds of rebellion can only sleep in the dust, unable to truly show their fangs.

But such a sword edge is destined to be disgusting.

So at a certain point in time when a mediocre emperor and a mediocre sword holder appeared at the same time, this term became history forever.

Nowadays, the military headquarters, command bureaus, and even the inspectors who supervise each territory in the empire can be regarded as a partial continuation of the sword bearer... but they are far from being comparable to the original.

…

Char's eyes slowly swept across Isadella's face.

The ambition of this silver-haired princess was greater than he imagined.

Although she looks so young, what she pursues is not just to barely maintain the balance of the empire, but to be a tinker who makes do with things for three years.

What she pursues is to restore the original appearance of the empire.

Even beyond the past.

"First."

Xia Ya raised a finger and spoke slowly.

"Your Highness, you are still just the second princess."

"Although I know that there are indeed many people in the empire who are optimistic that your highness can become the winner of the king's selection ceremony."

"But most of them are civilians, or middle and high-level people in the military and command bureaus. If you only look at their strength, they can indeed be called powerful."

"But when it comes to power and influence in the imperial capital, it is far from being comparable to those of the great nobles in the imperial capital."

Xia's words paused slightly.

"As far as I know, it's because of some of the iron-blooded methods you have shown in the past, Your Highness."

"Nowadays, most of the great nobles in the imperial capital regard you as a thorn in their side and a thorn in their flesh."

"And your ideas will never be recognized by foreign countries and extraordinary forces."

"For them, a divided and turbulent empire is more in their interests."

Xia Ya pointed his finger at Diris beside him, causing the girl to look at him in confusion with her pure eyes.

Of course, after seeing the other party's succubus body, Xia Ya would naturally no longer believe in her usual "innocent" appearance.

"At least, if the identity of President Diris is exposed, then Your Highness will definitely become a hostile target of the Theocracy."

Isadella nodded noncommittally.

What Xia said is indeed true.

Although Isadella has absolute confidence in herself, she is superior to other princes in terms of character, political skills, and even her talent as a beast master.

But it is undeniable that the support she currently receives in the imperial capital is indeed not much.

Several sworn families and big nobles have each chosen their own support targets, and the alliance of princes and the theocracy will never be her help.

"Before the King Selection Ceremony is completed, there is a price to be paid for placing bets in advance——"

Xia Ya waved his hand.

"And the price may be heavy."

"If you are a noble who has followed suit, you won't pay anything even if you lose the bet. After all, there are too many interests involved, and even the winner of the King's Choice will be worried."

"But for a civilian like me, once you make a wrong step, there is no turning back."

Although Xia Ya's words were always respectful, there was a hint of rejection in them.

This was also what Isadella had expected.

As the second princess of the empire, she knew very well how difficult it was to recruit talents.

Judging from the information she knew, Char Egut did not have a strong desire for power and fame.

In other words, Xia does need power, but what he cares about is only the actual benefits that power brings to him, not the pleasure of having power itself.

This also means that the drawing methods used by kings in ancient times to recruit capable people have lost their effect.

"When we conquer this country, you and I will rule the world together."

"But, it seems like it's useless for me to want this world, right?"

So a good story about a wise king and a wise minister ended without any problem.

However, the reason why Isadella came to see Xia in person was naturally due to her own reasons.

Ceylon.

The origin of the opponent "Winter Flower", and the disaster that destroyed Ceylon.

There is also the "Crimson Rose" Borgia family hidden behind the scenes.

Xia Ya has such a past, which means that they have the same position and there is the possibility of cooperation.

After all, the Borgia family itself is one of the biggest enemies Isadella currently faces in the imperial capital.

Of course, even so, Isadella is only 50% sure of whether she will be successful in the end.

For a person with such a grand dream, no one knows how much he cares about his past.

If he is really a perfect saint except for lust, then hatred may not affect his choice.

However, just when Isadella was about to reveal Ceylon's final trump card.

The young man's voice sounded in her ears again.

"So, Your Royal Highness."

"I mean--"

"You have to pay more."

Adjust your work and rest time a little, and post the second update during the day.

It will be on the shelves soon. I will save more manuscripts in the near future.