The Chronicles Of New Havens

"Elizabeth… I suppose I shouldn't say this at this point but are you sure you want to come along?" asked a worried Commander Christina. She was, after all, the only person that could refer to Elizabeth by her given name without disrespect.

Currently, the woman was dressed in her formal military uniform as a Brigade Commander of the Alzar Kingdom! Brigade Commanders were the third highest rank in the military with only Legion Generals and Army Generals above. They oversaw five thousand soldiers, had high status wherever they went, and helped manage important chokepoints or defensive areas in the war. For example, Commander Christina was once the Commander of Fortress Fallinard, Benedict's superior by two levels. She was also the late Master of Strategy's cousin, a proud member of the Highguard Grand Nobility Household, and the heir apparent's 'aunt.' This elevated her position in the upcoming Xingyuu campaign to an unprecedented height, allowing Commander Christina to speak more unreservedly.

"It's what I want to do," Elizabeth shook her head. "Sitting in the castle all day long doesn't seem right to me when there's people fighting out there for my sake. The Imperial Princesses too… If possible, I would like to help them stabilize the situation in the empire, but that might be my one-sided hope."

Conversely, Elizabeth was wearing attire suitable as heir apparent of the Alzar Kingdom, while mixing in elements of a military uniform. It was hard to describe exactly, but she appeared both disciplined and inviolable, while ladylike and gentle. The two opposing aspects merged in a harmonious manner and helped prop Elizabeth's subtle features to a whole other level. Right now, simply by standing outside Castle Reinhard, preparing to depart, she easily became the focal point of the crowd. She was like a phoenix among a flock of chickens, easily setting apart her tremendous and paramount status! That was the power of the heir apparent and the future Royal Army General!

"The inheritance race won't stop because of you," her aunt returned the gesture and shook her head. "This is a very importance decision… It's unknown how long you'll be gone for, and if the race ends then you'll be practically handing over the reigns to someone else. You should be focusing your efforts on succeeding the throne, not the conflict in the Xingyuu Empire."

Elizabeth smiled bitterly. It was a hard decision to make. Previously, she pledged to work hard and strive to become queen, and that was not a lie. She earnestly endured the nightmarish royal training as she absorbed every speck of knowledge or wisdom that her teachers gave. She tried molding herself into the ideal candidate to inherit the throne, plunging deep into the world of aristocracy, politics, and rulership. Learning in the morning, practicing in the afternoon, and reviewing in the evening… Even her meals were precisely timed down to the last minute! To compress all that essential information to a paltry year… Without an abundance of motivation and ambition, even the strongest willed person would have long since surrendered! That showed how serious Elizabeth was towards the crown!

Honoring the late Lord Korogin's wishes was just one part of it, but she mainly wanted to carve out a new home for herself in this new world! Remember that she lived her whole life isolated from the rest of civilization on a flying island called New Havens. The time she spent on the surface was only starting to reach one year so, it was natural for Elizabeth to try planting her roots here. A new life in a new world… The journey to become queen was undoubtedly arduous and challenging. Perhaps it was the most difficult thing in the world! However, she was needed here, and she wanted to be here. For the sake of herself, her friends, and everyone in the world, she was ready to endure, pushing relentlessly towards her goal. That was her driving motivation!

However, with the current situation in the Xingyuu Empire, how could she stay out and watch from afar? The Xingyuu Empire… There was no doubt she had a complex feeling towards it. The empire was the sole reason her family were killed! A person who could gracefully and freely let their hatred go… How could such a magical and virtuous person exist? Anyone who could manage that… probably already disliked their family. Saints and demons were the stuff of legends and the world was far greyer than one could imagine! Of course, Elizabeth thought the same. To the soldiers and generals who gave the order to slaughter her family, she would absolutely return the favor a thousand times over. That was the only way she could bury this overwhelming sensation of revenge, resentment, and regret. That was the only way she could honor her family! Return an eye for an eye, and blood for blood! That was her belief!

And that was precisely why she had such a complex feeling. Nothing was ever purely black and white. Where there was darkness, there was sure to be light! As Elizabeth learned, this world was far more complex than one could imagine. Just like how there were people blinded by hatred and anger towards the Alzar Kingdom, there were also those who yearned for peace and harmony like the Imperial Princesses. Judging everyone based on their heritage or background was nothing short of ignorant. Therefore, Elizabeth could not sit still and allow things to progress. She wanted to help the Xingyuu Empire and hopefully finally end this silly war once and for all!

"Having the power, but doing nothing… I can't do that. I'll have to see what I can do to help. After all, I did make a promise to the Imperial Princesses."

Lady Christina sighed inwardly. Of course, she knew that would be Elizabeth's response. To be perfectly honest, the situation already went past the point of no-return. Queen Bethnal approved of Elizabeth's actions and the Royal Assembly supplemented it. Being granted an official title and position as the Royal Army General cemented it in stone. And to make matters worse, news of her participation reached the far corners of the human world! Now, everyone knew that the elusive 'commoner' princess heir apparent, who almost never appeared in public, was leading the war! If Elizabeth decided to take a step back, her reputation would take a massive hit. It would irreversibly cripple her chances in ascending to the throne. Nevertheless… Lady Christina believed it would be better than entering the battlefield. Reputation was one thing, but it could be recovered. Life though… once lost would never come back!

Perhaps my concerns are unfounded, the woman tried to console herself. It was not like Elizabeth would enter the battlefield anyways. Lord Korogin's case was an exception above exceptions. She should be safe in the commanding headquarters.

"That said, I'll have to apologize for troubling you, Lord Archibon," Elizabeth said. "I'm putting a lot of pressure on you to maintain my faction."

Standing to the side was a skinny and fair-skinned young man with a refined air, eyes sparkling with intellectual l.u.s.ter. One could tell from a glance that he stood above his peers as someone truly gifted! It was Lord Archibon Lannisail, the current patriarch of the now fallen Lannisail Household, currently with an unreadable expression. After months of interacting with Elizabeth, he developed a certain level of immunity to her strange quirks. His companions, two leading figures from the Lannisail Household, were less composed and revealed traces of contempt and irritation. They might have been spared from execution by Elizabeth's hand, but… in their minds, they were being kept as slaves! What should have been a great honor and opportunity to fall under the heir apparent's banner was tainted by Elizabeth's 'commoner stench'. It was disgraceful for them! Of course, they did not dare act out of line, only burying their resentment deep into their hearts.

Thankfully, Lord Archibon was more open-minded and cared little about the so-called 'commoner's stench'. He preferred to look at things objectively and if one viewed Elizabeth that way, then they would discover that she was truly a special individual! Not special in a bad way, but her unique tenacity, stubbornness, and courageousness to plow through all adversity… It was rare to see someone like that on their level of royalty or nobility. There were so many schemes and conspiracies that it was akin to a breath of fresh air being around her. She might not achieve the pinnacle seat of power in the Alzar Kingdom, but that was fine. Lord Archibon firmly believed that… if she could grow, then she could absolutely stand at the apex one day! Hence, he did not mind lending a hand, not just to repay the debt of being saved, but also to witness her journey to the top!

Be that as it may, the state of her faction was pitiful. There was nothing to say about the Lannisail Household's support. The household may have rallied under her banner, but they were a hollow shell of their former glory. The political power they wielded was worth less than dirt. And although Lady Christina, her adoptive aunt, was a descendant of the mighty Highguard Household, she was not a part of the main family. At best, less than a third of the family supported Elizabeth, and that was purely out of respect for the late Lord Korogin Highguard. As for Benedict's family, the Hawken Household? Sir Roland remained impartial throughout the inheritance race! There was no room for friendsh.i.p.s in politics, only sufficient benefits could sway these Grand Nobility Households!

Not to mention, the current situation reeked of a conspiracy. Both Lady Christina and Lord Archibon were sharp enough to realize this, though they dared not speak a word of it aloud, not even in private. Why? Because it involved the matriarch of the Royal Family, Queen Bethnal Etuvel Reindel! She was the one who initially approved of Elizabeth's plan to head to the Xingyuu Empire. She was the one who set off the current chain of events! It just made no sense. Queen Bethnal was not someone who succ.u.mbed to external pressure, no matter how great it was. There was a reason why she could reign as queen for almost thirty years! She was calm and collected, logical and cold-hearted, and the perfect embodiment of what a queen should be! Yet, she was willing to 'sacrifice' Elizabeth, the heir apparent that they were waiting for all this time. No matter what, it made no sense!