NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 85 (S2) : Igrasian Empire Princess meets The White Goddess
Throne Room of Azaroth, Great Castle of Azaroth, Abyssal Forest, Greater Azaroth.
Princess Ivy's entourage was now standing outside the throne room doors. They were all quite tense but tried to maintain a calm demeanor, as they were high-ranking officials of the Igrasian Empire, one of the most influential empires on the Western continent.
The details of Princess Ivy's entourage and the nobles supporting her are as follows:
1. Princess Ivy Scarlet Andelfingen Lynch von Igrasian
2. Marchionness Valentine Wilde Farrel Lerence
3. Marquess Reginald Cambel Gilks Crawford
4. Marquess Heinz Bertolt von Knoll
5. Marquess Michael Wust Severin Fieter
6. Viscount Marx Reineke vo Haffner
7. Count Egidius Jonas von Gerwig
The details of Princess Ciel's entourage and the nobles supporting her are as follows:
1. Princess Ciel Serena Bathory Lynch von Igrasian
2. Viscount Hermann Cordt von Swartzbach
3. Viscount Isaac Isadore von Gregmour
4. Count Royce William Rowan Kahler
5. Count Barnabus Quinn von Kirkland
Before heading to Arclens City, Princess Ciel also invited all the nobles supporting her to join her, as did Princess Ivy. Both of them were truly daring to wager that the White Goddess spoken of by the White Hero was indeed real.
Additionally, several elite guards and assistants accompanied this entourage, including Mikami, Rufus, Clara, and Ellie, who were among Princess Ivy's most trusted subordinates.
"Ivy-sama, please reconsider. This is very dangerous," Clara whispered to Princess Ivy.
Princess Ivy then looked at her subordinates with a very serious expression, signaling just how grave she considered this meeting to be.
"Alright, these doors will open soon. Prepare yourselves."
The two massive doors of the throne room began to open slowly, and the creaking of the doors sent chills down everyone's spines. Furthermore, the paintings on the throne room doors, which the nobles found quite terrifying, added to the eerie atmosphere.
"PRINCESS IVY AND PRINCESS CIEL OF THE IGRASIAN EMPIRE HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!!"
The throne room doors opened, and Princess Ivy was so shocked she almost jumped, but she managed to keep her composure. Inside the room, numerous fearsome creatures had already gathered, and at the far end of the room sat someone with white hair on a throne.
(Is that the White Goddess?)
To her right, Princess Ivy saw many humanoid yet terrifying creatures, likely high-ranking demons, and there were many of them. She could feel the overwhelming aura emanating from these demons on the right.
(Some of them seem powerful enough to destroy a nation.)
(They are likely on the same level as the Ten Imperial Guards.)
Princess Ivy then glanced to her left and saw many horrifying monsters, one of which was quite large with the head of an elephant.
(Demons, monsters, terrifying power.)
(In my estimation, such power is no longer of a mere nation, but far beyond it.)
(Could this White Goddess be a Goddess of Evil? Or is she somehow connected to the Lunarian Goddess worshipped by the Lunarian Theocracy?)
(If I had come here a few years ago, I would have fainted immediately, perhaps even fallen into a coma just from seeing them.)
Princess Ivy then turned to her younger sister, Princess Ciel, who appeared to be smiling as she observed the demons and monsters in the room.
(Is Ciel impressed by all this?)
(If I were the White Goddess, I might immediately use such an army to conquer this world. It wouldn't be impossible.)
Princess Ivy then considered the superpower that might be able to resist such a force.
(The Navian Empire... If they were to battle, I wonder if this army could conquer the Navian Empire, which is called the Eternal Nation because it cannot be invaded.)
(Even the Lunarian Goddess and her angels stopped at the Navian Empire’s borders and chose not to continue their invasion.)
After that, Princess Ivy gazed at the white-haired woman seated on the throne. Princess Ivy’s expression was serious, and this time, she was determined to ally with the White Goddess.
(White Goddess, I hope we can work together. With this power, seizing the throne should not be impossible.)
When they reached the White Goddess’s throne, everyone showed deep respect towards her, though they did not kneel.
The White Hero immediately knelt before the White Goddess.
"Goddess-sama, I have brought representatives from the Igrasian Empire to meet with you," said the White Hero.
It should be noted that the White Hero was currently Brain’s Doppelganger, and Alice had exchanged roles with Brain’s Doppelganger when teleporting the noble entourage to Azaroth.
"Greetings, Goddess-sama, I am Ivy Scarlet Andelfingen Lynch von Igrasian, First Princess of the Igrasian Empire."
"Greetings, Goddess-sama, I am Ciel Serena Bathory Lynch von Igrasian, Second Princess of the Igrasian Empire."
At this moment, Princess Ivy and Princess Ciel were extremely tense and nervous, for they were standing before an entity that could wipe them out at any moment.
"Oh? I welcome you, those from the Igrasian Empire."
Princess Ivy, Princess Ciel, and the entire entourage then bowed in unison. They needed to show the utmost respect to the White Goddess.
"We are deeply grateful to have this audience with the Great White Goddess."
"Great White Goddess? Hahaha, you’ve truly piqued my interest. Now, what is the reason for your visit?"
Princess Ivy swallowed hard, and a cold sweat began to trickle down her body, but she forced herself to remain calm.
(Calm down... Calm down... I must stay calm! I must secure an alliance with her!)
(They have power, wealth…)
In Princess Ivy's eyes, the design of the throne room was incredibly lavish, and she could confidently say that the White Goddess’s throne room was dozens of times more opulent than that of the Igrasian Empire.
Princess Ivy then glanced at several women near the White Goddess, all of whom were extremely beautiful, especially one wearing a white gown with brown hair.
(Even women... It seems this negotiation will be difficult.)
On the other hand, all of Alice’s Servants were currently positioned on her right and left as she sat in the throne room. However, Aurelle and Exypno wore special white masks to conceal their identities.
On the left side of the throne room were the seven Demon Commanders and the Primordial Demons, while on the right side were the Pure Primordial Demons. Naturally, Alice had gathered them as part of her plan, to showcase her power to the representatives of the Igrasian Empire.
"I have come to meet Goddess-sama to propose an alliance, one that will surely benefit Goddess-sama."
(What benefit could that be... I can't find any leverage to offer the White Goddess—damn!)
Princess Ivy was visibly frustrated. Although she had said she could offer benefits, she didn’t know what she could provide.
Alice, on the other hand, was somewhat surprised that Princess Ivy claimed she could offer something of value.
{I wonder what benefit Princess Ivy has in mind. According to the information I've gathered, Ivy has made it this far through cunning, which is why she's nicknamed *The Wolf Princess*.}
{Knowing she could never obtain the throne of the Igrasian Empire by conventional means, she successfully convinced the Emperor to implement the Praexa Treaty, so the succession to the throne would be determined by the competence of his three children.}
{Then she manipulated the son of a Duke into becoming her fiancé, though the details on that are sparse.}
{Even though I used to skip my lessons in my previous life, I need to make sure I don’t fall victim to any tricks.}
Alice remained cautious toward Princess Ivy, determined to avoid any undesirable outcomes. The atmosphere was growing increasingly tense, especially for Princess Ivy's side.
"A benefit, you say? And this cooperation—what is it for?"
(Good, this is my chance to buy some time!)
Princess Ivy smiled despite her cold sweat. Meanwhile, Princess Ciel whispered to her.
"Onee-sama, are you sure about revealing such important information?"
"Don't worry."
"I will explain, but first, does Goddess-sama know about the Praexa Treaty?"
"The Praexa Treaty... No, I do not. Can you explain it?"
"The Praexa Treaty is an agreement stating that the next heir to the imperial throne will not be determined by birth order but by competency in managing territories. Thus, I, Princess Ciel, and Prince Philips have each been granted territories by the Emperor to develop and manage."
"But... The situation has changed. The Emperor’s illness has worsened, and it’s likely the Praexa Treaty will no longer be honored. This could lead to a civil war between my faction and Prince Philips' faction, which is backed by the eastern nations."
After hearing Princess Ivy’s words, Alice glanced at her Servants, who stood calmly, observing the situation.
{It seems I can’t consult Arina or Exypno.}
{Wait... So Princess Ivy is in need of allies? This is getting interesting...}
"In other words, you are in need of allies. Am I correct?"
"Yes, Goddess-sama, I am in great need of allies to seize the throne."
Alice felt relieved, as she now held the upper hand in this negotiation. Princess Ivy couldn’t resort to underhanded tricks when she was so desperate for an alliance.
{Time to squeeze every drop out of this one.}
Alice’s eyes gleamed a bright red with excitement.