Long Live the Princess

Chapter 175 Long Live the Princess (Part 2)

"Richard, we've won a resounding victory!"

"There are at least 60,000 gold coins here alone, plus silver and copper coins, and all sorts of goods that are about to be traded—I mean, excluding slaves and corpses—all together, it's enough to pay half the garrison in the city!"

Isabella couldn't suppress the smile on her face as she looked at the dimensional bags and boxes that the warriors had found.

Richard, too, curled the corners of his mouth into a wide smile.

There's no way around it; humans just have an innate tendency to be happy when they see gold.

etc----

That sneaky, shameless guy in the back, isn't that Grace? What are you trying to do?

You are not allowed to secretly put the spoils into your own pockets!

Just as Richard ran over to stop the bronze dragon, Clara and Amélie, together—or more accurately, scrambling to lift—a large, dark chest to the front of everyone.

"Your Highness, I've made another new discovery!"

"I was the one who discovered it first—"

"Come on, you don't even recognize that kind of lock, so don't try to take credit!"

Amélie glanced at the defiant Clara, then said to Isabella, "Your Highness, this box is made entirely of obsidian and is secured with triple magic locks. It's definitely full of good stuff!"

"You two—"

Isabella was a little amused and exasperated, so she simply praised both Amelie and Clara at the same time.

She then called over the sorcerer Jon, and together they knelt down to examine the lock on the box.

After looking at it for a long time and feeling unable to solve it, I decided to just destroy the box when I got back.

"Your Highness! We know how to open that box!"

"Hey, take it easy! I don't mean any harm! You can't treat me like this! I know Baron Targaryen! I want to see Baron Targaryen!"

The sudden shout made everyone turn around.

Richard paused for a moment, then walked up to the two people who had spoken.

They discovered it was a middle-aged man with a hooked nose and a thin teenager.

It looks somewhat familiar.

"Baron, I'm Sawyer, the one who sold you the sleeping powder in Phoenix! And this is my nephew!"

Oh ho, I remember now!

Richard slammed his fist down, then asked curiously, "What are you two doing in the Empire?"

Sawyer swallowed hard: "That's a long story—"

It turns out that shortly after Richard left Phoenix, Oliver Phoenix died, and various factions in Phoenix started a chaotic fight over the vacant positions, naturally drawing the local Mafia into the fray.

Sawyer wanted to take the opportunity to advance his career, but he was betrayed by his subordinates and almost lost his life. He had no choice but to slip away from Phoenix.

Later, through an introduction from an acquaintance within the Black Hand, he came to the Empire to start a potion business. Although the Black Hand was loosely organized, it was still a continental organization, so there were cross-border personnel transfers.

As he worked, he ended up in Tieyuan City by chance, and transformed himself into a small-time boss in the black market.

It can be considered a return to my old profession.

Unexpectedly, I ran into Richard here again.

Although Richard had changed his expression when he bought the medicine, Sawyer had done some research on Richard after he became famous and knew what he looked like, which is why he recognized him.

After explaining his past, Sawyer broke free from the knights' restraints and bowed to Richard and Isabella, saying, "This box is a spatial artifact containing money that needs to be supplied to the Gunther family. I know how to open it. All I need is for the Baron and His Highness to agree to release me and my nephew and take us back to the capital, and I will—"

Richard blinked, feeling it was fate to see an old acquaintance, and then turned to look at Isabella.

The princess naturally wouldn't refuse the poet, and said, "Yes, I will ensure your safety."

Sawyer breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped forward to open the box.

The abundance of gold coins and gems dazzled everyone.

Isabella smiled first, then sighed softly.

"Now we have enough money to pay all the troops stationed in the city."

3

"You've actually invested such a large sum of money in the black market, Gareth. Is this how you prioritize things?"

Oh."

"Amélie, go and call Baron Winster. I asked him to take stock of the soldiers' unpaid wages in the city, and then notify Earl Langley and Commander Klein in my name to have them gather everyone in the square."

"Tell everyone that the pay will be distributed in the square; armor is not required."

Amélie immediately agreed and ran out.

The group then sped up their work and began cleaning up the battlefield.

Sawyer, with his nephew in tow, the two of them, one big and one small, obediently squatted by the roadside.

My nephew exclaimed, "Wow, that's amazing! I never imagined that the poet who used to have to sneak around buying medicine could now lead raids on the black market supported by the Grand Duke of the Empire!"

"yes----"

Sawyer echoed in a low voice.

Normally, he would have said something to reprimand his nephew, but now, looking at Richard's retreating figure, he was only filled with shock.

He had long suspected that the "Robin Hood" would become a legend in Phoenix.

But what I really didn't expect was that the other side would so easily break through the restrictions of the small city-states in the Gulf and come directly to the Empire to stir up trouble!

If this continues, perhaps one day in the future this guy will become a legend across the entire continent?

The thing is, it's only been a short time, not even a year yet!

Can a person really be this amazing?

In the end, he reached out and physically tapped his nephew on the head.

"Look at them, and look at you! You're so unambitious!"

nephew:"?"

at the same time.

In the inner city palace, a few kilometers away.

Gareth was enjoying a lavish dinner with the second prince, Jonas.

"Haha, Your Highness is right!"

The new Grand Duke kept toasting Jonas, having long forgotten his recent confrontation with Richard and Isabella.

In his view, even if the princess and the lousy poet beside her wanted to do something, it wouldn't affect him much.

Iron Abyss City is his territory; he is invincible here!

What's more, there's a prince by his side too.

Compared to a paladin princess, this prince, who understands the art of trade, is much more approachable.

"You flatter me!"

On the other side, Jonas also liked the new Grand Duke very much.

As an ally of the finance minister, he was not good at military affairs or fighting, and his usual strategy was to win over nobles in various places with gold coins.

Gareth just happened to be even more greedy than his brother Queland, and easier to win over.

In this way, Jonas believed that he could easily bring the Grand Duke, who originally favored the Sixth Prince, to his side.

Foolish younger brothers and sisters, watch closely! Doing things the way I do is the right way to be an emperor!

William was also in a good mood, standing behind Jonas.

As a prince's attendant, he naturally wanted to see his boss's power continue to expand.

He even thought that if he couldn't deal with Richard on his own in the end, he could hope that Jonas would defeat Isabella and then, with the support of the new emperor, completely crush the poet!

Just as everyone at the banquet was lost in their fantasies—

"My lord! My lord!"

Not long ago, the new butler of the Gunther family, who had just been personally promoted by Gareth, rushed into the hall in a panic, disregarding etiquette, and whispered something to Gareth.

Gareth had intended to criticize the butler.

But after hearing what was whispered, he seemed even more flustered than the butler!

"What? What did Isabella do? How dare she!"

More than half an hour later.

Gareth, having hastily ended the banquet, went to the city center square with Jonas, William, and others.

At this time, many soldiers had been gathered around the square.

Isabella and Richard stood at the front, personally handing out pre-divided cloth bags filled with gold and silver coins to the soldiers one by one.

"Your Highness Isabella!"

Gareth rushed to Isabella, gesturing wildly and asking, "What are you doing? How could you—"

"Why can't I?"

Isabella smiled, her eyes narrowing.

"What's wrong with giving the soldiers the bounty they deserve?"

"I—that's not what I meant, I meant—"

"What do you mean? Did I take your money? That's strange, all this money was found by the Black Hand Society during their raids."

""

Isabella said, pointing to the other side of the square.

The place was filled with contraband that had been seized.

Including corpses dug out of the cemetery, jars filled with eyeballs, several orcs in shackles, and even a witch slave locked in a cage!

I have no idea which strange madman the buyer is.

In every sense, you can tell at a glance that it's not a good thing.

Isabella continued, "These are all pieces of evidence of the crimes we have discovered, in addition to a dozen or so freed slaves and an equal number of evildoers captured alive."

"Your Excellency, you wouldn't be saying that these things are related to you, would you?"

Some things are fine to talk about behind someone's back, but if you bring them out into the open, it's a disaster.

So now.

Faced with the gaze of a large crowd in the square, Gareth trembled slightly; how could he dare to admit it?

He could only glance at Jonas out of the corner of his eye, only to find that the latter, realizing what had happened, quietly took a few steps back and distanced himself from him.

Oh shit!

Finally, he could only force a smile through gritted teeth and said to Isabella, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. Of course, these things have nothing to do with me! I—I thank you for your help in clearing away the darkness from Iron Abyss City! I also fully support your use of the spoils to pay the soldiers! These are what the soldiers deserve—"

"Then everything's alright~"

Isabella smiled and turned back to continue personally distributing wages to the soldiers in the square.

Richard peeked out from behind the princess and smiled at Gareth, "Your Excellency, if there's nothing else, you may leave. These are not matters for a duke like you to concern yourself with."

Upon hearing this familiar phrase, Gareth's face flushed red and then turned purple, and he was speechless for a long time.

At this moment, Bob, who was the guide for the group, stood behind Isabella.

Seeing Gareth's humiliation and then looking at his brothers who were getting money all over the square, an indescribable surge of intense emotion welled up inside him, driving him to raise his hand and shout to the sky, "Long live!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the conscripts, mercenaries, adventurers, knights, and many onlookers in the square all followed his example, raising their hands and shouting, "Long live!"

"Long live!!!"

"Long live Her Highness the Princess! Long live the Empire!"

In an instant, Isabella and everyone around her were bathed in the deafening cheers.

Isabella smiled and waved to the people in the square.

Then, she turned her head slightly and cast a gentle yet ardent gaze, filled with joy and gratitude, at Richard beside her.

The poet, a slight smile playing on his lips, met the princess's gaze, sharing in the glory of the moment.

Until Grace couldn't take it anymore and covered the poet's eyes with her paws, well, that was a different story—

As we all know, a smile is constant.

When Gareth heard the cheers and saw the gleaming gold that was rightfully his being given to the soldiers, he felt as if his heart had been stabbed a hundred times.

He could no longer bear it, so he quickly closed his eyes and waved for his servants to help him away.

Jonas and William on the other side weren't doing much better.

The two, one looking at Isabella and the other at Richard, their eyes practically spitting fire.

But they are not dragons, they cannot breathe fire, they can only weep in the wind.

In the end, he could only leave the square in disgrace, just like Gareth.

The matter of distributing military pay lasted all night.

With this, Isabella completely resolved the hidden dangers in the city, kept the empire's promise to its people, and incidentally gained a huge boost in prestige for herself.

Noon the next day.

Gareth backed down and brought out Marcus, who had been engrossed in the ruins for days, asking the neutral sixth prince to help mediate.

Isabella didn't really intend to eliminate all the nobles in Iron Abyss City involved in the black market. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she knew that now was not the time, so she accepted the mediation.

After some attempts to smooth things over, the princess said she would not raid the black market again, and the duke promised to give more money to the disabled soldiers and to severely punish those bastards who dared to trade with the orcs.

What do you mean by this result?

It's a win-win situation, I suppose.

Just as the conflict within the palace was temporarily eased.

In a secluded corner of Iron Abyss City, a group of people were secretly discussing something.

"The old man in charge of the negotiations, along with his bodyguard, were all killed—"

"Tsk, what bad luck."

"Who could have imagined that this princess would suddenly go mad?"

"To be fair, these few imperialists are quite capable. With what they've done, many people who originally agreed to take action have gone back on their word."

"What should we do then? Should we postpone the operation?"

"How could that be? The lord is very confident. Anyway, these soldiers in the city are just extras. It doesn't matter whether they are here or not. However, in order to prevent them from leaking information, we have to do something."

"Understood----"

That night.

The mercenaries happily returned to their rented house with the money they had just received.

Upon entering, one would find a man in black robes standing inside.

The lead mercenary's expression changed, and he whispered, "What are you doing here? Didn't we say we were quitting? We've already got the money, and we have no interest in risking our lives for you anymore—uh!"

Before the words were even finished, a crossbow bolt shot out from the black-robed man's sleeve and pierced the old mercenary's left eye.

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