"Ralph seems to have a favorable impression of Mr. Echel. Maybe you, as someone who has gone through this, could give him some advice,"

Verlet was the person Lyle thought most suitable for Ralph. And perhaps, she was the only solution; where else could one find a lady who could see Ralph’s shining points and not be frightened away by him?

Echel glanced at the letter, tucked it into his chest, and patted his chest, promising, "Leave this matter to me, rest assured, as the Protector of the Nation of Liveser, I will definitely repay Mr. Ralph’s kindness properly."

Echel turned and followed the troops of Liveser back into the forest, "Oh, and don’t forget the upcoming banquet," his face wore a proud smile, "Repelling the Legion of Holy Light is indeed something to be proud of."

After discussing some matters with Mr. Irene, Lyle started heading towards the City of Wandering in Liveser Kingdom again.

With Mr. Irene’s environmental remodeling before he left, the wasteland was still as it was before, all the scars left by war on the ground had been smoothed over. Except for an extra protrusion in the distant mountains, that was where the star had fallen. It had formed a new peak.

As the sun moved across the sky, the shadows of the mountains were like footsteps walking across the earth, progressing together with Lyle’s leisurely pace.

With the war over and no signs of the Legion of Holy Light making a comeback, Lyle was in no rush. In fact, he was thinking, he needed time to prepare how to meet Queen Lia, how to use the resources and promises he had in hand to persuade her.

Having experienced Queen Lina Dreya’s dream, Lyle felt he had come to understand the actual queen; perhaps the current him could indeed adjust the grandmother-granddaughter relationship within Dreya.

Dreya was currently in a state of disturbance, a controlled disturbance. Queen Lina had returned to her city with the Defender Legion, declared the betrayal of the Legion of Holy Light to her citizens, and immediately ordered the expulsion of the Church Forces and other related personnel from the city.

The foreigners had never seen a scene where knights threatened priests with lances; with the thought that this country had gone mad, they fled as if escaping from disaster.

Rationally speaking, this was a Crippling act; Dreya’s loss of friendly diplomatic relations with neighboring countries meant they had to return to the precarious life of raiding they had lived before. But this was something Lina had to do, to give an account to her army, to her people.

"Spiritual freedom requires enduring material hardships," looking at the knights standing under the central tower, their Defender armor fused with rock, much more worn than before, the elemental magical attacks had left indelible cracks on them. It also made these knights look much more valiant.

"I hope I can help them,"

With the token left by the nation’s founder Reed, Lyle passed unhindered amid the respect of the Dreya knights.

He gently knocked on the door, and the conversation inside came to an abrupt halt.

It was Dreya Knight Benjamin comforting his queen’s little mood.

"Little Lina, you must understand the painstaking efforts of His Majesty Reed. We kept you in the dark to ensure the plan was foolproof,"

"I am your king! Benjamin, you all kept this from me together! This is a crime of deceiving the sovereign!"

"I am very sorry, Little Lina... We have a visitor," hearing the sound outside the door, Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief, having narrowly escaped censure.

Maintaining the dignity of a king, Lina composed herself, then looked at the newcomer with a murderous gaze. The next moment, her expression turned to one of surprise.

"Lyle... Mr.?"

The queen, who thought it was their first meeting, accurately called out his name, and Lyle was pleasantly surprised while he took off his hat and bowed with a modest smile.

"I am honored to meet you, Queen Lina Dreya. I am Lyle Butler, currently serving as the joint envoy from the Liveser Kingdom and the City of Wandering, and I bring you greetings,"

"Envoy?" Lina hadn’t taken off her armor from the war, and Lyle could smell the bloodstained air, "Not long ago, I also had an envoy sitting in my room. That one... made me quite uncomfortable."

Her Majesty the Queen had the demeanor of an angry dragon gathering her fury, and Lyle felt things were about to get worse, perhaps because she had discovered her desire to reconcile with her grandson.

"Mr. Messenger, letting a guest stand at the door is not the way of Dreya to welcome visitors. Come in, come closer to me."

Can I not go?

Muttering in his heart, Lyle forced an ugly smile and slowly walked towards Lina.

At that moment, only a table and the distance of a Benjamin separated him and Lina.

"Is that all right, Queen Li..."

The great lance, twirling with a whistling sound, fiercely struck the wall, creating a human-shaped hole in it.

Now only the table remained.

Lyle, sweating cold beads, listened to the sound of heavy objects falling outside and the exclamations of the patrolling knights.

"He’s not harmed, is he?"

"The Defender’s Awakening has given us new strength; I know my limits—that was just punishment for him." Queen Lina rose from her seat, hung the lance back on the wall, and slowly approached Lyle.

"Forget that fool, let’s talk about you, Mr. Lyle."

Facing Lina’s aggressive gaze, Lyle took a small step back. "I understand that after expelling the Holy Light, Dreya might face a shortage of supplies, so I’ve brought the friendship of Liveser and the City of Wandering—the magical city that exists as the ’Twilight Memories.’ With permission obtained, if Dreya is willing, both cities could commence trade relations. I’ve heard from Mr. Reed that the forging skills of Dreya’s people are second to none, so perhaps our trade will be fruitful, a mutual exchange of needs."

Lyle awaited Lina’s response, the proposal seemingly beneficial for Dreya without any drawback, and it might even mend Mr. Reed’s strained relations.

However, Lina appeared quite composed; she didn’t immediately inquire about the details of the trade.

"Do you know? Once someone told me you are like a docile stag."

"Ah?"

Lina covered her mouth and chuckled, a feminine gesture appearing on her face for the first time.

"She was wrong, you are not a stag. You are a rabbit," Lina’s face showed a complex expression filled with excitement, "Do you know the look you had when I suddenly punished Benjamin? Your expression froze, then you trembled, like a rabbit startled and ready to hide in its burrow."

"Even if you hold absolute advantage in negotiations, your personality still makes you unconsciously passive."

"A strong exterior can’t cover the softness within your heart... and the gentleman in you?"

"Whether in dreams or in reality..."

"You remain quite an interesting character, Demon God."

Although Queen Lina was smaller in stature and height than Lyle, the pressure felt immense when she stood in front of him and grabbed his collar as if to straighten it.

She had discovered herself.