In the Name of Empress-Chapter 388 - 272: What’s the Big Deal if the Stepmother Is Five Years Older Than the Daughter?
Going to the Sea Witch’s undersea city, life or death depends entirely on whether the Sea Witch harbors malice; once she turns hostile, even a quick death would be a luxury for Roland and Sif.
Just like when General Nephropidae jumped onto the deck, fighting on enemy turf with no allies felt like a certain death situation.
Night was deep, yet Sif was still tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
The impulse she felt during the day had vanished, and she began to seriously consider the pros and cons of venturing into the Undersea World.
There were certainly benefits, but the risks were equally great.
If the Sea Witch truly had feelings for her father, her blessing could earn the Sea Witch’s goodwill and also give her father peace of mind to retire, which would have many benefits.
If it was a trap, then her life would end abruptly just as she reached adulthood.
The only reason she insisted on going was illogical to use as a trap.
Her relationship with her father wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly close either.
Even if the relationship was harmonious, what of it? She was now the new Emperor, with no need to take risks.
The Sea Witch, being a dominant force, should at least understand this logic.
She always felt that having her father write to her had some flavor of defiance on the part of the Sea Witch.
"See, your only daughter doesn’t even want to attend your wedding. You’re already a loner, so just live quietly with me under the sea."
Sif imagined the Sea Witch’s appearance, filled with the glow of love, and suddenly shivered, her delicate skin covered in goosebumps.
Ew, being a hopeless romantic is frightening.
Thankfully, she’s not that kind of fool.
She vaguely felt that this was likely the truth.
As she tossed and turned, feeling restless, a gentle voice sounded from her bedside.
"Child, did you break up again?"
The fastest way to infuriate Sif was something the Magic Mirror really understood.
Sif was suddenly furious, sitting up in a huff, staring hard at the Magic Mirror hidden in the darkness, and let out an annoyed huff.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Just because I can’t smash you doesn’t mean you can say whatever you like! I can bury you a few thousand meters underground, banishing you to eternal darkness!"
"So what’s bothering you?" The Magic Mirror, of course, knew that Sif hadn’t broken up with anyone. It was just a way to start a conversation.
If it directly asked what was bothering Sif, she would surely brush it off. By first guessing she had a breakup, she might actually talk about her troubles.
The Magic Mirror understood Sif even more than Roland did.
Sif, of course, knew the Magic Mirror’s little tricks, but she did need an outlet to vent, so she briefly recounted her father’s marriage to the Sea Witch.
After saying it, she couldn’t help but mutter, "He’s already in his forties, marrying a girl in her twenties, it’s just..."
"From my understanding of human males, no matter their age, they all fancy young girls in their teens or twenties, so your father is quite normal."
Sif was countered by the Magic Mirror’s words and couldn’t find anything to rebut.
After all, the Magic Mirror was stating a fact.
She sighed softly, a bit helplessly, and said, "Alright, do you think their feelings are genuine?"
The Magic Mirror’s cool voice came from the darkness, "I don’t know, but I do know that Adina is twenty-three this year, tall, with delicate features, and skin as smooth as ocean water; no man should be able to resist her allure."
"How do you know? Alright, what’s her current ranking?"
The Magic Mirror paused for a moment before providing a comprehensive score, "Seventeenth place."
"Are you kidding? She used to fluctuate between sixth and seventh. Even if love doesn’t boost her ranking, it shouldn’t drop, right?"
"Sif, what you don’t know is that after marriage, a woman’s allure ranking tends to drop. While some have a special preference for others’ wives, most exclude married women from their mate selection. A 5-point deduction is automatically applied to allure scores post-marriage."
After a one-second pause, the Magic Mirror presented precise data, "About a month ago, the Sea Witch Adina’s allure score dropped by 3 points."
This meant that Adina’s true allure score had actually increased by 2 points.
In the high score range of 95 and above, a 2-point change is very noticeable.
Undoubtedly, during this time, the Sea Witch had been glowing with the nourishment of love, beautifully radiant.
Sif lay back on her bed, peacefully resting her head on her soft pillow, and closed her eyes.
"Thank you, Magic Mirror."
The presence of the Magic Mirror always comforted her, and this time was no exception.
Ever since her mother’s passing, the Magic Mirror was her only companion each night.
Keeping her company, cheering her up.
...
Early the next morning, Roland, upon seeing Sif with bloodshot eyes, knew she hadn’t slept all night.
It was clear Sif was deeply conflicted.
Before Sif could speak, Roland smiled and said, "Sif, if I guess right, your father’s letter is genuine. Yesterday, I inquired with the Ranger Guild and heard there’s been trade between the Witch Palace and the Nubian Kingdom. Recently, she ordered a full set of luxurious jewelry from the best Nubian jewelers, and also ordered Sussex-style men’s noble attire."
"If her deception is detailed to such an extent, then we might as well admit defeat."
The Ranger Guild is a magical entity, with information on everything, but it’s not reliable for authenticity.
However, adept information gatherers can discern truth from the smallest clues.
Roland was not an expert in intelligence, he simply conducted a basic analysis.
Sif looked at Roland gratefully and softly said, "It’s true."
She shared the information the Magic Mirror provided along with her analysis.
Roland breathed a sigh of relief. Since it’s not an isolated piece of evidence, there should be no problem.
Relieved, he curiously inquired, "By the way, what’s the basis for the Magic Mirror’s ranking of female allure? I mean, how does it know what the undersea world’s witch looks like?"
"What, are you questioning the authenticity of the allure rankings?"
Sif didn’t like hearing that.
To question the Magic Mirror’s ranking is to question her status as the most beautiful woman in the world.
Absolutely unacceptable.
Roland was stunned for several seconds before he realized why Sif was so excited. He spread his hands and explained with a smile:
"You’re right, the Magic Mirror is a Divine Artifact. The rankings are definitely real and effective. Perhaps it’s a power shared by the Goddess, but that’s not important. What’s important is that you’re ranked first."
Sif gave a soft hum and explained in a low voice, "Although the Magic Mirror doesn’t have a male charm ranking, I’m sure your ranking wouldn’t be low."
Roland chuckled silently.
If there really was a male charm ranking, he wouldn’t care about his own ranking; he’d rather know the ranking of the old Emperor.
Despite being down and out to the point of jumping into the sea, he was still able to charm the young Sea Witch to no end—truly admirable.
Catching a glimpse of Sif’s relieved smile, Roland’s envy for his future father-in-law dissipated.
He’s not bad either.
His future wife is the most beautiful girl in the world.
Although he had never met the old Emperor, he had seen the portrait and knew that the old man’s charm was extraordinary.
Daughters take after their fathers; Sif is so beautiful, how could her father be any less?
All in all, this wedding must be attended.
According to the invitation from the Sea Witch, they could meet with the Witch Palace’s representative at the coast outside Nubia and enter the Witch Palace through the Teleportation Array.
It’s said that the Witch Palace is deep within the Undersea City, and very few humans have been able to enter it.
Roland was also filled with curiosity about this city.
Having decided to go, Roland wasted no time. He arranged all the affairs in the Governor’s Territory, and he and Sif prepared their horses for the long journey, setting out with curiosity and anxiety.
To get from the Governor’s Territory to Nubia, they had to skirt around the White Mountain, a distance of more than two thousand kilometers.
Fortunately, they were riding top-level warhorses, which could be full of vigor after just one night’s rest, so their travel speed was quite fast.
Ten days later, they finally entered Nubia.
Along the way, they encountered three waves of thieves.
These thieves were naturally no match for them and were merely coming to their deaths.
Roland did not strike lethally.
He’s not merciful, but these are thieves in an enemy nation; he would welcome them rather than help eliminate them.
The three waves of thieves knelt to beg for mercy, offering endless thanks and fleeing in panic.
Sif did not interfere with Roland’s handling; she could see that, while the thieves had malice, they had no intent to kill, merely to rob, a crime not worthy of death.
She didn’t quite understand Roland’s detailed questioning and silently pondered beside him.
Unfortunately, this time her clever mind had no answers.
Seeing Sif’s hesitant expression, Roland didn’t keep her in suspense and explained with a smile, "Their backgrounds are quite complex. There are farmers, workers, even bankrupt citizens and factory owners."
"This..."
Sif suddenly realized that Roland was gathering intelligence through interrogating these thieves.
"It seems the internal conflicts within the Tirol Kingdom are quite sharp."
"They are hastening to prepare for war," Roland said bluntly.
Conflicts are always present, but for them to be this pointed, there’s only one possibility: the Tirol Kingdom is militarizing.
As the day of return approaches, who will willingly wait for their demise?
The future of the Rodinia Continent is destined to be bathed in blood.
Everyone has to make a choice, has to face the test.
Even Sofia, seemingly invincible, must face the big test. If she were assured of victory, why would she constantly disappear?
This is also why Roland is willing to go to the Undersea City.
Under normal development, the chances of him and Sif defeating Sofia, while not zero, are very low.
He needs to find an opportunity for a breakthrough.
He is an Inheritor and needs more knowledge.
The knowledge from the Ancient Era he has, the knowledge from another world he has, and the knowledge from the Magic Empire he also has.
This knowledge has allowed him to touch on a unique path, but it is still not enough.
He needs more knowledge.
For instance, the ancient memories from the Ocean.
After all, the Sea Witch is a young girl; judging by her actions, even if she’s not in love, she’s at least hopelessly captivated.
She surely hopes to receive the blessings from her lover’s family.
Getting along well with Adina can only bring benefits.
There is just one thing that Roland finds a bit hard to accept.
Roland is almost twenty-one years old now, only two years younger than Adina.
Is a mere two-year difference enough to create a generation gap?
Looking at Sif’s calm expression, Roland felt a bit of admiration.
True to her status as a well-versed girl from the Imperial Family, she wasn’t bothered in the least that her father was marrying a girl five years older than him as a stepmother.
If Sif knew what Roland was thinking, she would surely laugh out loud.
A stepmother five years older than the daughter is no big deal in the Imperial Family and Nobility.
Not to mention five years older, there are even stepmothers younger than the daughter.
