Linlin lowered her head and smiled, "It's good that you know, but thank you for your concern anyway."
Then, Linlin took out a small bottle of white liquor from behind her and tossed it to Roger. "This is a gift as compensation."
Roger reached out and caught it, then opened the bottle and took a light sniff. "Eh! This stuff is really strong! Do you have any more of this?"
Standing to the side, Rayleigh took a deep sniff, his body involuntarily moving closer to Roger as his hands started to get restless.
But the next moment, Roger immediately tucked the bottle into his coat, looking at Rayleigh with a wary expression.
Realizing he couldn't steal the liquor, Rayleigh could only laugh awkwardly.
Looking at the two jokers, Linlin shook her head. "This is called Maotai. It's something our Totto Land just developed. The one in your hand is only the second bottle."
"In that case, I'll just have to buy some more next time I visit." Roger shook the Maotai in his hand. Looking at the liquor, which smelled strongly of alcohol yet looked as clear as water, he couldn't help but swallow.
"If you could stay here for another month or two, you could probably buy it then," Linlin said nonchalantly, taking a sip of tea.
"No thanks, I can't stay that long."
"Also, about what you told me earlier... you want me to spread the word about Milim's deeds, right?" Roger carefully placed the Maotai into his pocket and looked up at Linlin.
Linlin nodded. "That's right, I do want you to spread the word about Milim's deeds. This will also effectively deter the various powers on the seas."
"After all, Milim might not be able to kill everyone in a country, but she can definitely kill until only a few people are left." A chilling killing intent was revealed in Linlin's calm tone.
"I understand. I'll help with this matter."
"But as payment, shouldn't you give me some perks?" A smile appeared on Roger's lips as he spoke in a very relaxed manner.
"What perks? Let me be clear, Maotai is not easy to get right now." Linlin looked at Roger warily. The Maotai was still in the experimental stage; Milim had only provided a general direction, and the purification technology was still immature.
"Hahahaha! That's not necessary. I saw that a hot spring spa just opened over there, right? Just let me and my guys enjoy ourselves there for a few days." Roger laughed heartily, winking and gesturing to his crew behind him as he spoke.
"Long live the captain!" The crew of the Roger Pirates let out a series of howls and cheers.
"Very well!" Linlin stood up and said as she was leaving, "No matter how many days you stay in Totto Land, that hot spring spa will be open to you for free for the duration of your stay."
"Alright, boys, let's go to the hot spring!" Hearing Linlin's reply, Roger couldn't wait and rushed towards the spa.
"Idiot captain! Who goes to a hot spring first thing in the morning?"
"Damn it, Rayleigh! I've never been in one before, how would I know?"
The Roger Pirates were as noisy as ever, but a smile hung on the corners of Linlin's lips.
"Queen Linlin, it seems you quite like the Roger Pirates?" El came to Linlin's side from the crowd and, seeing the smile on her face, couldn't help but ask.
Linlin smiled. "The Roger Pirates... they're truly completely different from ordinary pirate crews."
"I don't see them as being that great. A captain being beaten up by his crew... you can't establish any authority that way." El clearly disliked this kind of team, one without respect for seniority or a clear hierarchy.
Linlin didn't argue. She knew this was El's personality—rigid and meticulous. Although his standards could be low at times, at other times he held himself to a very high standard. For example, ever since Linlin became queen, El had never called her Linlin directly, instead addressing her as Queen Linlin.
Finally, Linlin left him with one last sentence before heading to her office to start work.
"I can feel it. All the crew members of the Roger Pirates trust their captain implicitly. They would even willingly become stepping stones for Roger. That cohesive spirit cannot be faked."
Hearing this, El stood rooted to the spot, quietly pondering the meaning of her words.
...
Meanwhile, Milim arrived at a pet store that had just opened that very day.
The owner never expected that the first person to come to his store would be Milim!
The owner immediately came to Milim's side with a big smile on his face. "Congratulations, Lady Milim! You are the very first customer on our opening day, so you can freely choose any animal in the store to take with you."
"Really?" Milim's eyes shone with delight.
The owner smiled and nodded.
"You're such a good person, owner." Milim, extremely excited, patted the owner on the back and laughed heartily.
Milim was happy, but the owner's face turned red from the pats, and he nearly passed out.
Then, Milim walked over to the little rabbit she had already picked out. She took the rabbit out of its cage, lifting it high as it struggled.
"Owner, I'll take this one."
"Certainly, Lady Milim." As the owner saw Milim out of the pet store, he watched her departing figure with a kind look in his eyes.
"To meet Lady Milim right after opening... I'm really lucky!" Following Milim's departure, the people nearby also began to flock into the pet store.
In the time since Totto Land was founded, all its people had come to know Milim. After all, the country's emblem was modeled after her likeness.
At first, the people of Totto Land were a little afraid of Milim, worried she would be tyrannical like the nobles of the past. But after spending some time with her, everyone came to realize that Milim was just a bit childish and very easy to get along with.
Over time, most of the people of Totto Land grew to like this Milim, who could both protect their country and get along so pleasantly with commoners.
Milim also became a sort of walking advertisement; any shop she visited would often be given priority by the other citizens of Totto Land.
Milim held the rabbit in one arm and a freshly bought roasted rabbit leg in the other. The rabbit in her arms trembled as it stared at the terrifying human before it.
Both her powerful aura and the roasted rabbit leg in her hand terrified the rabbit.
As she was walking, Milim suddenly saw a familiar figure. Her eyes lit up, and she walked towards them.
Roger, who had just come out of the hot spring spa, was stretching lazily and shouting, "So this is a hot spring! They even have massages... it feels so good!"
Rubbing his lower back, Rayleigh also remarked with a look of pure comfort, "The masseuse's strength is incredible. I feel like my bones have turned to jelly."
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Yo, Roger."