118: The Empress Trying to Get Back Her Place

Chapter 118: The Empress Attempts to Reclaim Her Standing

An hour later, Dick, Xiao Nai, and Alice sat in a carriage heading to the Royal Palace.

Alice was well-traveled and knowledgeable, and she wasn't nervous about the upcoming meeting with the Empress; after all, she had attended many noble banquets since childhood.

But Xiao Nai was different. Her family was a declining Earl's family from the northern Amyria region, and she had barely experienced the life of the upper nobility since childhood.

Let alone meeting with the Empress, she had never even seen Elizabeth before. At this moment, she was incredibly nervous, hugging Dick's arm, at a loss.

"Dick, are we really going to the Royal Palace to meet the Empress later?"

Hearing this, Dick was somewhat speechless and said slowly, "Yes, yes. Since getting into the carriage, you've asked five times. Is there anything else you're unsure about?"

"Then, what should I call the Empress? Should I call her Your Majesty, or..."

"Just call her Sister Elizabeth. Although you're both nineteen, you were born in December, a few months younger than her."

"Dir- Directly call the Empress by her name?!"

Xiao Nai exclaimed, swallowed, and said, "Won't I be beheaded?"

*Thump!*

Dick tapped Xiao Nai's forehead and said calmly, "Elizabeth doesn't like boring formalities. Besides being an Earl's daughter, you're also her teammate from now on. It's fine to be more familiar."

"Is that so? But my father told me that when dealing with these important figures, you must be cautious in your words and actions, or you won't even know how you died..."

In Xiao Nai's view, those important figures were terrifying. On the surface, they would smile and laugh with you, but turn around and arrange for you to be eliminated.

In the political circles of the Royal Capital, everyone had to tread on thin ice and be smooth in their dealings.

"Come on, we're not going to court later. Just relax. Elizabeth is very easy to talk to, like an older sister next door..."

Listening to Dick's description, Xiao Nai nodded slightly, but still felt a bit nervous inside.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the west gate of the Royal Palace. Cecilia had been waiting there for a long time and immediately led everyone to find Elizabeth.

To Dick's surprise, the meeting place arranged was not a warm chamber, but a rather solemn and formal reception hall.

This was clearly a bit strange. After all, this was where the Empress received distinguished guests, not a suitable place to receive friends.

Moreover, Elizabeth was only secretly participating in the Underground City Championship, which was not something that could be brought into the open.

Before entering the hall, Cecilia quietly tugged at Dick's sleeve and whispered a reminder, "Your Majesty is a bit... strange today. Be careful later!"

Hearing this, Dick couldn't help but frown, but Cecilia didn't explain further and directly pushed open the door to the reception hall.

Soon, everyone saw Elizabeth. She was seated upright in the main seat, wearing a crown and formal attire, with a serious expression.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Nai immediately became extremely nervous, almost unable to walk properly.

Anyone with a discerning eye could sense that Elizabeth was exuding imperial majesty, cold and distant, without any trace of the liveliness and cuteness she showed on the training ground before.

Alice also felt that something was off. At this moment, she subconsciously restrained her casualness, and her address changed from Elizabeth to Your Majesty.

The only one who remained unchanged was Dick. He was still fearless, sat down next to Elizabeth on his own, and spoke casually.

At close range, Dick could clearly feel Elizabeth's heart pounding violently, even though she appeared cold on the surface.

"Tomorrow, the Championship will begin. As an Adventurer's Guild team, I propose we first establish command authority, which means electing a captain!"

Dick stood up and confidently nominated himself, listing his advantages one by one, believing that the position of captain was already within his grasp.

However, Elizabeth crossed her arms and said coldly, "I disagree!"

"Elizabeth, you should be clear that I am the most capable of leading the team as captain..."

"No. I am the Empress of a nation. No matter where I am, I must hold the highest authority. I will never be subservient to others, so I will be the captain."

Elizabeth particularly emphasized the words "subservient to others," seemingly implying something.

"But..."

Dick was somewhat speechless. Wasn't it just that he suppressed her for a little while the night before last? Was it necessary to seek revenge for a personal grudge?

"There's no room for discussion on this matter, Dick Grudia. Understand your position. You are merely an advisor under my command, not a leader!"

"The decision rests with me, not you!"

Listening to Elizabeth's unquestionable words, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat heavy. Dick frowned tightly, and the other three women dared not speak.

The situation was deadlocked for a moment.

Dick would never give command authority to Elizabeth. This point could not be conceded, as it concerned whether the "Underground City Championship" mission could proceed smoothly.

Thinking carefully, the matter was actually not that complicated. The "Empresss Honored Guest" mission had been completed, and he didn't need to worry about Elizabeth's reaction anymore.

The Championship was not under the jurisdiction of the Aimiya Empire. The Adventurers Guild was the organizer, and the dozens of countries in the west were merely sponsors and could not influence the rules at all.

At this stage, all missions related to the Aimiya Empire had been completed. After completing the Championship mission, he could leave directly without any further concerns.

Having figured this out, Dick stood up directly and said, "Since Your Majesty and I have differing opinions, we might as well part ways here. Both sides can form teams separately."

This was the same as the original plan. His four teammates were Mina, Alice, Xiao Nai, and Beyonce, all obedient little ones.

Elizabeth's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She bit her lip and looked at Dick without speaking. Seeing this, Cecilia on the side quickly said, "Dick, don't be so impulsive. Just let Your Majesty be the captain..."

"No," Dick shook his head gently, ignoring Cecilia, and looked directly at Elizabeth, saying, "I'm aiming for the Youth Group Championship. If Your Majesty just wants to simply experience the Championship, there's no need to be with me."

To put it bluntly, Dick's team was a competitive team, too intense, and not suitable for leisurely play.

And Elizabeth's original intention was just to experience the Championship. It was the best choice for them to separate; there was no need to stay together and cause unpleasantness.

Seeing that Elizabeth remained silent, Cecilia was at a loss on the side. Dick smiled, bowed, and left the reception hall with Alice and Xiao Nai.

In the carriage back to the Academy, Alice said with a strange expression, "Dick, is this really okay? You've offended Your Majesty. Will she..."

"Yeah, Dick, you just refused Your Majesty! Will she take revenge for a personal grudge and get rid of us?!" Xiao Nai said somewhat fearfully.

Hearing this, Dick shook his head and chuckled softly, showing no fear on his face.

No matter how great Elizabeth's power was, she couldn't influence the Underground City Championship. This wasn't a domestic competition, but an international one.

Moreover, Dick was very clear that this tsundere Empress would never do anything detrimental to him, simply because he was an important talent in the Ancestral Emperor's prophecy!

However, logically speaking, Elizabeth should have yielded to him in everything. But why was she so... strong-willed today, almost as if she was deliberately going against him?

After just a few seconds of thought, Dick understood everything.

Heh heh, Elizabeth just wanted to reclaim her standing from before.

After all, she was so disheveled and lacked any imperial majesty at that time, just like an ordinary pure girl.

Elizabeth wanted to use today's matter to be firm with him once, so even though she knew who was most suitable to be the captain, she insisted on being stubborn.

But Dick wasn't going to humor her. The mission was the highest priority. As for other things... like accommodating a certain tsundere Empress, he had no interest at all.

Either be frank and obedient, or part ways.

"Dick, should we go to the Adventurers Guild now to register the personnel changes? The deadline is midnight tonight..."

Listening to Alice's suggestion, Dick waved his hand and said casually, "Probably not needed. I have a feeling our lineup won't change."