7. Stay Tonight (Vote Please~)
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I hope this captures the essence of the original text!
Because the previous engagement had been offline for several days, Ke Fei’er finally “woke up” just before we were about to reach the forbidden land of the Rodema Empire. Naturally, I could no longer indulge in things like giving the little loli a knee pillow, fanning her, or letting her cuddle up to sleep. After coming online, Ke Fei’er was quite jealous.
But this was fine; I no longer had to rely on my noble qualities to endure Letty’s unintentional copper-smelting attacks on me from time to time.
Soon, our journey came to an end amidst Ke Fei’er’s vigilance and Letty’s complaints. We finally arrived at the central part of the forbidden land, which could truly be considered the realm of the “Rodema Empire.”
As the queen had reminded us, the secrets of the forbidden land were indeed numerous. The very existence of the Rodema Empire was one of them: it was located at the center of the forbidden land, hidden behind the chaotic “facade” of the outer circle. When we arrived, we discovered that this newly established royal authority, the Rodema Empire, possessed territory and a main city that were no less impressive than those of any other nation. Where was the slightest hint of the forbidden land’s “thieves and bandits everywhere” appearance!?
Orderly and full of potential, even Ke Fei’er, who was leaning beside me, couldn’t help but murmur.
“This doesn’t look like a place that has just established a monarchy; it seems well-prepared…”
“Yes. And the one in power here must be Nilu; we need to be cautious.”
Ke Fei’er’s intuition was correct, as the script indicated the same.
[Nilu had prepared everything for Oujili to immediately claim the throne.]
Furrowing my brow, I thought for a moment but decided not to voice any words that might disturb Ke Fei’er’s good mood after her engagement was interrupted.
Next, what Ke Fei’er and I needed to do was settle down with the members of the Great Ying Empire’s patrol team in the Rodema Empire and wait for further instructions from the queen. This was only for the queen’s side; for me, once we stabilized, I would also have to start searching tirelessly for treasures within the Rodema Empire that could help Ke Fei’er level up or acquire new abilities. After all, this was Nilu’s territory, and it was quite dangerous for Ke Fei’er.
Before that, I should first deal with Letty, this little bomb.
Turning around, I saw Letty finally jumping out of the carriage with an air of dominance after putting on her clothes. Although Ke Fei’er had prevented her from getting close to me for several days due to jealousy, did she really think that the domineering and unreasonable empress of the Rosia Empire would give up just like that? Not a chance!
Letty completely disregarded Ke Fei’er, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward her.
“Big brother, stop listening to that annoying woman.”
After a remark that almost made Ke Fei’er draw her sword, Letty proudly pointed to a tall and spacious building ahead, and I finally understood why Letty had the convoy bring us here.
“This is the place we Rosia have… ahem! Purchased in advance.”
[Letty had preemptively bought a hotel in the Rodema Empire with money.]
According to the script, it seemed this was the “base” Letty referred to. As for the word “purchase,” considering Letty’s identity and the Rosia people’s style, I could only pretend I hadn’t seen it.
“The owner of this place suddenly had some urgent matters at home, so we kindly bought it from them~”
Saying this, Letty tugged at my arm and ran into the store, with Ke Fei’er and the others following suit. Saying “robbed” might be a bit excessive; it was likely that Letty had acquired it through her usual “strong-arm tactics.” After all, the first floor, which served as a restaurant, looked clean and orderly, with no signs of any brawls or destruction. As long as the ingredients were prepared, they could start operating immediately.
Looking at it this way, the Rosia people were just a bit “brash,” but definitely not foolish; Letty’s little head was quite clever.
“The first floor is an ordinary storefront; we plan to use it as a disguise in the form of a restaurant. Of course, we will take cooking seriously, letting those who lack taste experience the flavors of Rosia~”
Without any pretense, Letty blurted out her thoughts, “And the other floors will be our secret operation base. When we first came here, Rasputin was so shocked; the situation in the forbidden land is much more complicated than we thought, so we need to investigate it little by little.”
“So, big brother, you…”
I was about to say something, but Rasputin, standing next to Letty, leaned earnestly in and whispered a few words. Her loud voice made sure I heard everything clearly.
“Lady Letty, you shouldn’t say too much to this ungrateful man! Don’t forget, we’re just investigating together, not living together. If we say too much, it might expose…”
“Blabber! I don’t need you to tell me that!”
Letty kicked Rasputin’s backside, but from her hesitant expression, it was clear that this little furball had just thought of that point. Then, with a complex gaze, she stared at me, hesitating whether to reveal more.
Rasputin’s words were correct; indeed, according to our initial plan, we had arrived in the Rodema Empire together. While we could investigate together, Letty was from the Rosia Empire, and Ke Fei’er and I were on the queen’s side. It would be normal for us to each do our own thing from here on out.
This should have been the case, but… as Sister Rasputin reminded me, the script about the Rosia Empire that appeared on my side made me hesitate.
【Letty encountered obstacles in the Rodma Empire, which affected the acquisition of Kephir’s treasure!】
This… should be referring to Letty and how it is closely related to my upcoming search for Kephir’s “main storyline”! Rather than sticking to the original plan with Kephir to work for the queen in the Rodma Empire and end up with nothing, Randomly searching for Kephir’s upgrade storyline like a headless fly, it would be better to follow the script’s hints and wait with Letty for the “new script” for Kephir to appear.
To take a step back, there seems to be some trouble for Letty in the script, so I might as well stay here to handle it, which could also serve to appease this domineering little fluff and build a good relationship with her, to avoid any future “stab me” scripts from Letty. Of course, before doing this, I definitely need to consult my dear Miss Kephir.
Understanding Kephir quickly cast me a glance, carrying the usual hint of jealousy, yet also clearly telling me: do whatever you want.
That made things much simpler.
I looked at the somewhat dejected Letty.
“Empress Letty, my arrangement with Kephir is different from that of the Great Yng Empire’s investigation team. Even if we don’t act together, that’s fine. For the sake of convenience in communication and cooperation, can I stay here with Kephir?”
I didn’t mention that it was to comfort Letty; after all, when dealing with this overbearing fluff, one must find ways to give her face, so as not to be zapped by her electric shocks.
As for the result? Obvious.
【Letty is very happy!】
“I knew big brother would stay! Rasputin! Go prepare a room for me!”
Letty suddenly threw herself into my arms, then… hugging my waist, she made a silly face at Kephir beside us.
Empress, please take it easy; you should thank your slightly silly Kephir for me being able to stay.
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A new week has begun; everyone remember to like this book and vote for it!
PS: Lin Ke’s character design is almost done, and the back projection is also.