"Can you take me to the city gate?" Iri casually asked a person who looked like a military officer.
The officer was stunned, then glanced at his Queen, Draudillon, as if seeking her approval. Seeing Draudillon nod in silent consent, the general then led Iri away.
"Oh! My Queen, it's truly a pleasure to see you." Sera Brei immediately approached Draudillon… but was met only with Draudillon's cold gaze.
Iri couldn't be bothered with them anymore. After handling things here, she planned to find an opportunity to return to Nazarick and sound out Xiao Di.
Because while staying in the second city, Iri accidentally overheard soldiers talking about how this was the Beast Kingdom's first large-scale invasion.
Previously, the Beast Kingdom basically used the Dragon Kingdom as a food gathering ground, frequently engaging in small skirmishes in surrounding areas, directly retreating after capturing a certain number of humans. However, this time, they were determined to annihilate the Dragon Kingdom.
This was very strange, so Iri went up to talk to those soldiers and asked about the specific time the Beast Kingdom began its large-scale offensive. The answer made Iri wonder if this might have been arranged by Xiao Di.
Although the original work did not explicitly state that Xiao Di had caused trouble here, Xiao Di's Ranch was located in the Holy Kingdom, next to the Beast Kingdom. And the Ranch contained not only humans… there were quite a few Beastmen as well.
So, Iri was very suspicious if this large-scale Beastman invasion had anything to do with Xiao Di. If this Beast Kingdom invasion was pushed by Xiao Di, then wasn't her current work for the Dragon Kingdom ruining Xiao Di's grand plan?
However, by the time Iri noticed this, it was too late to turn back… After all, in the second city, Iri had done the same as in the first city, starting with Explosion Magic and then encountering a counterattack.
Then Iri began an indiscriminate barrage. Although Skyfall was no longer used, even a three-second Explosion Magic was enough to clear out those suicidal Beastmen. Then, after they lost more than half of their troops, they smoothly chose to retreat.
Of course, it wasn't a temporary retreat, but a complete flight… After all, the first Explosion Magic Iri detonated was in the Beastmen's encampment. The Beastmen's commander still had a brain; if even a distant military camp could be bombed, then a close-range charge would also be bombed. There was no other option but to completely retreat and think of another method.
Therefore, the Beastman army, divided into three routes, had already been driven back on two routes by Iri, and the Beastmen's troop losses were unusually massive. Now, only one place remained. If this Beastman invasion was truly pushed by Xiao Di, then she really wouldn't know how to explain herself.
Things had come to this point; it was impossible to stop now… She had already killed so many before, it would be too strange to suddenly become sentimental and show mercy now. However… she should still try to scare them away while preserving the number of Beastman troops as much as possible.
Just as Iri was contemplating how to scare away these reckless Beastmen this time, the general led Iri to the city gate.
"Open the city gate!" Iri said.
"Huh? Open the city gate?" The general was utterly bewildered. What was this little girl talking about? Open the city gate now? Before she arrived, the Beastmen had just launched a charge and were repelled by a Steel Rank Adventurers team. Scouts had just reported that the Beastmen were preparing to launch a second charge. Was she planning to let the Beastmen in by opening the gate now?
"Yes, open the city gate," Iri repeated.
"If you wish to go out, you can descend from the rock face of the city wall," the general suggested. This was quite normal; the city gate wasn't something that could just be opened. Looking at the various heavy objects braced against the gate to prevent impact, and the iron bolts, it indeed wasn't easy to open.
But were you asking Iri to go up the city wall first and then, like a thief, throw a rope down from the wall? Don't be ridiculous! How low-class is that!
Hmm! In reality, Iri simply wanted to conceal the fact that she couldn't use Flying Magic. She had originally envisioned making a dazzling entrance on the city wall when the Beastmen attacked, then flying down from the wall and single-handedly blocking the Beastman army. Just thinking about it, it would be incredibly cool.
However… she couldn't use Flying Magic, and this city's walls were built into the mountains, much, much higher than the walls of the previous two cities. If she were to jump directly from such a height, while it wouldn't necessarily cause injury, her feet would hurt a lot!
So, pass! Of course, using a teleportation scroll was also an option, but it wasn't cool enough, so still a pass.
"But!" The general still wanted to stop Iri.
"Listen to her, open the gate." Draudillon slowly followed with a group of people and ordered the general. The general nodded in surprise, then signaled his subordinates to begin removing the various heavy objects bracing the gate.
This old loli is quite sensible, Iri thought. Then she saw the old loli turn her head and whisper something to the familiar-looking maid sister beside her. Uh… the distance was a bit far, she couldn't hear what they were saying.
She saw the maid nod, then turn back and say something to the attendants and Adventurers. The old loli herself walked towards Iri. What did she want to do?
"You go help too, General!" Draudillon walked up to Iri and showed a smile that perfectly matched her childlike appearance, speaking to the general. The general immediately stood at attention, saluted, and then eagerly ran off to help the soldiers move things.
"Belu, you go help too." Iri turned to Belu and ordered her. It was clear that this old loli wanted to talk to her alone.
"Ah… I can't do this kind of thing… Eek!! I'm going now!" The extremely reluctant Belu immediately cowered after seeing Iri's fierce gaze, and scurried off to the city gate in a few quick steps.
"So, what else does Your Majesty the Queen have to say?" Iri asked, wondering what she wanted to do by sending everyone away, this old loli.
"Then I'll be direct. What exactly does your Theocracy want to gain from my country this time?" The old loli dropped her pretense, speaking to Iri in a very mature voice.
"I'm just a low-level staff member, how could I possibly know the thoughts of those above? I'm just acting according to instructions, you know!" Iri mimicked the old loli's earlier tone and words, feigning ignorance.
"…" The Dragon Queen frowned, clearly aware that Iri was mocking her, but she still patiently spoke to Iri, not getting angry directly.
"Someone who knows my background shouldn't be just a simple low-level staff member, right? Moreover, you possess such strong combat power. Just tell me what the Theocracy wants… I don't like hiding things, and I certainly don't like being collared by others," the Dragon Queen continued.
This, however, surprised Iri. There wasn't much description of the Dragon Queen in the original work; she only knew that she was a pseudo-loli.
However, with only two encounters, combined with the plot description in the original work where she worried about her people, and adding what she just said, it could be seen that she was indeed a Queen who genuinely cared for her people.
And she also possessed a certain level of intelligence, after all, she was a Dragon Queen who had lived for so many years. It was just a pity… with the Beast Kingdom in front and the Theocracy behind… and Nazarick hidden in the shadows, her life would probably become even more difficult from now on.
But why would she mistakenly think that the Theocracy wanted to take advantage of the Dragon Kingdom? Was she perhaps the same type as the Blood Emperor? It would be best to sound her out first, Iri thought.
"Do I even need to say it? Your Majesty the Queen, you are a clever person. Haven't you always known what the Theocracy desires?" Iri said, using a modified version of the trick Ainz used to trick Xiao Di. "Actually, I know! But I just won't say it, letting you expose yourself."
"…" The Dragon Queen's brow furrowed even deeper, almost twisting together. Iri looked at her conflicted expression, she must know what the Theocracy wanted to do to the Dragon Kingdom, right? As for what they wanted to do? Iri herself didn't know.
"It's almost cleared up. I should do some warm-up exercises first. Your Majesty the Queen, you should retreat to a safe place first," Iri said, seeing her silently struggling and pushing her along.
"Please wait a moment! You Slane Theocracy should also understand the current situation of the Dragon Kingdom. Even if this crisis is resolved, but… but I cannot… treat my people like that," the Dragon Queen said, as if enduring something.
What are you saying? Can you say something I can understand? Iri was baffled. While it was true that she was trying to trick information out of her, what did this mean? How did she want to treat her people? Can you explain it more clearly?
"Hoh… it seems our Queen is quite concerned about her country and its people," Iri, who completely didn't understand what the Dragon Queen was saying, could only rely on rambling to see if she could find another breakthrough.
"Even if the Beast Kingdom's attack is repelled now, it's only temporary. If we continue to do this while the Dragon Kingdom is recovering its strength… at least… can you give us a little more time! Please… I beg you." The Dragon Queen gritted her teeth and squeezed out the last words.
Uh… I can see that you are indeed a good Queen who cares for her country and people, but? I completely don't understand what you're asking for! Can you clever people just speak clearly? Why are you all acting like Xiao Di?
And the people you should be asking are those old fogeys from the Theocracy, not me, a fake Black Scripture member, right? Could it be that this Dragon Queen is already in such despair?
"Ah… ah… I'm sorry! I bumped into you… I'm so sorry!" At this moment, the clumsy Belu apologized loudly to someone, attracting Iri's attention. What had this clumsy girl done now?
Then she saw Belu standing there, carrying something in both hands, continuously bowing and apologizing to a soldier sitting on the ground. Why don't you put down what's in your hands and help him up?! Iri complained helplessly in her mind.
"It's alright, Miss, please don't mind it." The soldier picked up his helmet from the ground, which probably fell when he collided with Belu.
Hmm?? Long ears? Elf? Iri noticed the soldier's ears… An Elf soldier?
Ah! That's right! So that's what the Dragon Queen was talking about! Iri suddenly realized, and at the same time… a new scheme to trick people gradually formed in Iri's mind.
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