'Ahem, let's get back to the topic.'
Coughing twice to ease the awkwardness, Cerydra immediately rose from the bathwater, breaking free from the two cute girls hugging her thighs.
The expression on Esdeath's face was slightly regretful; after all, she hadn't held on for very long and hadn't had any time to feel Her Majesty the Empress's body.
Fortunately, Hysilens noticed Esdeath's regret and swam directly to her side, pulling the Blue Fish along with her as they submerged into the deep area of the bath... After all, they were of the Siren race, so they could naturally breathe underwater!
As for Meela and the others, after watching the two mermaids disappear into the water, they turned their gaze toward Cerydra, who was walking onto the shore.
'How do you, the resistance, feel about the Northern Territory Empire I have created?'
Once these words were spoken, the previous awkwardness vanished without a trace, and the four of them wore serious expressions.
They had been distracted by other things just now, but thinking about it carefully now, wasn't this judging the Empress's country right in front of her? If they said the wrong thing, wouldn't they lose their heads?
Serving a monarch is like serving a tiger; no matter how benevolent a ruler is, they could not let such a disrespectful person go.
However, the resistance's intelligence indicated that Cerydra was the type of person who could not be judged by conventional logic; perhaps she was looking for some different answers?
Barbara and Meela exchanged a look, then planned to let Meela answer, as she was just a child and would have an excuse if she said something wrong... but their plan would not come to fruition.
'What is that?'
Just as Meela tried to stand up from the water, she discovered that she couldn't move at all, as if something was wrapped around her feet.
In fact, it wasn't just Meela; Taeko and Chelsea were exactly the same, completely restrained.
'In the Northern Country, hot spring water is very rare, so let's have some fun together!'
'Meela, we still have a score to settle!'
The two mermaids that had suddenly appeared seemed to understand the current situation, so Hysilens hugged the two cuties, while Esdeath sought out her old nemesis, Meela, and dragged them both into the water.
Seeing this, Barbara knew she couldn't stop it and couldn't avoid the question, so she had to answer in person.
'I have traveled across the continent, visited the West, and lived within the Empire for a long time... I can assure you that the Northern Territory Empire is the country I have seen with my own eyes that I yearn for the most.'
'If I were not an Assassin, I would certainly want to live under your rule.'
This was the absolute truth in Barbara's heart; even if Cerydra possessed the ability to read minds, she wouldn't be able to find any issues.
Barbara had completely figured it out; when facing a powerhouse of this level, sincerity was her greatest guarantee of safety.
'Hehe, don't be nervous. I don't intend to harm you; I just want to understand a little... the attitude of the resistance.'
'You are not lying; I can feel your honesty, but this answer is not what I wanted. My question was... the resistance's opinion, not your opinion!'
Although the Assassination Society was ostensibly part of the resistance, it could not fully represent the resistance, and it was even possible that they could be used as cannon fodder at a critical moment.
As the saying goes, the reason people haven't betrayed you is simply because the price offered isn't high enough... Conversely, if the benefits are large enough, the resistance could just as easily betray her!
After living through this period, Cerydra had fully realized that the upper echelons of most factions in this world were dirty.
You cannot reason with them; you can only use force!
From the perspective of the anime and the original work, Cerydra actually thought the resistance was decent; after all, they were the protagonists of the original work and were certainly better than the Empire.
But now, Cerydra herself had become a character in the story, so she could no longer consider problems from a god's-eye view.
Therefore, Cerydra urgently wanted to know if the resistance's attitude toward her would change after she had made such a big commotion in the North.
'...'
'They think you are a decent ally... but also possess a massive threat.'
The pressure in the surroundings grew stronger and stronger. Barbara knew she couldn't keep hiding it and had to reveal the truth.
Strangely enough, she had been an Assassin for decades; controlling her heartbeat, or even lying without changing her expression, had long since become second nature to her.
But now, in front of Cerydra, she couldn't do it at all, as if she were being influenced by something...
Moreover, she felt somewhat empty, as if she had forgotten something.
Barbara subconsciously covered her head, her expression dazed. Beside her, Cerydra cast her gaze toward the golden bath.
There, bits of singing were drifting out from the water... The two mermaids were singing happily, and the three girls playing in the water were similarly filled with emptiness.
'Very well, it seems I will have to guard against the resistance in the future.'
'Being sent over at this time, they must be pawns, right? But that doesn't matter; I'll find a time to take them under my wing!'
Having obtained the intelligence she wanted, Cerydra did not stay in place, but instead flicked her sleeves and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, she was still muttering to herself...
'Sirens, huh? This ability is really quite good!'
'Could I build a 'Mermaid Army'? A 'Flying Fish Army' would also work...'
As Her Majesty the Empress left, the strange, bewitching feeling that permeated the surroundings gradually vanished, and the Siren's singing also slowly faded away.
'Well done, Blue Fish. You have made great progress during this time! I am proud of you!'
As a Siren, Hysilens was able to pass on most of her skills to Esdeath, so she could be considered to have a good successor...
For Cerydra and Hysilens, this cute blue-haired girl was equivalent to Aglaea of Amphoreus; both of them were taking care of her as older sisters and teaching her knowledge and skills.
If one day, Cerydra and Hysilens were to leave this world, then the Northern Territory Empire... would likely only have her!
'Es-death, what are you doing?'
As the singing ended, Meela struggled and jumped out of the water; anyone with a discerning eye could see that her expression was very dissatisfied.
But Esdeath wouldn't indulge her; after all, the relationship between the two couldn't exactly be called good.
'You were broken through by me in an instant, yet you dare to speak in such a tone?'
'Isn't it normal to have back-and-forth in a battle? I haven't lost yet!'
Hysilens witnessed the playful fighting between the two, and the ocean-like girl just smiled slightly before walking in the direction Cerydra had left.
'Having good friends, I believe your path in the future will be much easier... But before leaving, let us take the lead!'
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