In the Name of the Queen

The Fourth Fleet has returned to the port.

At the Emre Port Pier, Her Majesty the Queen, played by the Magic Mirror, came to greet them in person, giving the highest courtesy to the sailing fleet.

Officials from the Province of Brooke, the Emre City Government, and the Port Authority lined up on the shore to greet them.

The military band played a triumphal hymn, and 17 salutes were fired.

21 salutes are for welcoming the head of state, and 19 salutes are for welcoming the head of government. With Roland's level, even 17 salutes are a bit over the standard, but at Sif's insistence, they were still greeted according to the rules for the deputy head of government.

Sif's reason was simple.

Not only Roland returned, but also the entire Fourth Fleet that fought bloody battles outside.

What surprised people was that the Sovereign was nowhere to be seen.

Sif, standing on the pier, had a slightly changed complexion and a little short of breath.

The Sovereign was the flagship, and the Sovereign was gone, which showed how fierce the battle was.

Her heart was a little confused, and she almost couldn't help but rush up to grab Roland and ask him for clarification. Fortunately, Roland looked in good spirits, so she held back.

After the grand welcome ceremony, the sailors of the Fourth Fleet went ashore in batches, and the ships of the Fourth Fleet also anchored in Emre Port, and the officers and soldiers began to take leave one after another.

The bodies of the sailors who died in several naval battles were not brought back, but returned to the sea in accordance with tradition.

The Warriors Cemetery has their resting place, but only their relics are buried.

After enduring the long welcome ceremony and attending the reception dinner, Sif, who always maintained an elegant and calm demeanor, finally waited until the banquet was over.

She closed the door and looked at Roland's slightly tired expression. All her doubts were left with only a greeting.

"Is the journey okay?"

"It's okay, but something happened."

Roland smiled and said, "If you want to know the story of the Sovereign, sit down and listen to me."

He knew that Sif's curiosity was about to reach its limit, so he stopped teasing her and told the story without any exaggeration.

"It's a pity that the glorious Junquan was buried with this big turtle. Fortunately, you are fine, otherwise it would be too much of a loss."

Roland shook his head slowly, "If we take the old Junquan back to the imperial capital, we will lose a great opportunity for publicity."

Sif's heart moved, and she began to think about the meaning behind Roland's words.

After a moment, her eyes suddenly lit up, "You mean, the new Junquan represents the new emperor, and it also represents a brand new style?"

"That's right. In fact, the new flagship was built before going to sea. This is a very unique large ship."

Roland said unique, so it must be very unusual. Sif didn't say anything, but her eyes seemed to grab Roland's hand and say, "I'm curious!"

Facing the curious baby Sif, Roland didn't keep her in suspense, and said directly:

"It's a semi-ironclad ship wrapped in iron armor."

"Wrapped in iron armor?" Sif was confused.

She hesitated again and again, thinking that even the smartest people can make mistakes, so she stammered and reminded him: "Roland, the same volume of iron is much heavier than water, and it can't float at all. Are you sure it's an ironclad ship?"

"Of course."

Roland continued to tell the story, "The density of iron is greater than that of water. You are right. A solid iron ball can't float in water, but what if it is a hollow iron ball?"

Sif almost said "Even if it is hollow, it is still iron, and it can't float at all", but she held back when the words came to her lips.

Seeing Sif thinking seriously, Roland didn't say anything nonsense, but took out a book "Common Sense of Physics" and handed it to her.

This is the collection of the Elf Library.

It is much more advanced than the physics research of humans in this era.

After taking the book, Sif didn't rush to read it. Although the ironclad ship was a little strange, since Roland said it was okay, it must be okay.

She was more concerned about another thing.

Did General Haiao give any useful information, such as the whereabouts of his father?

Seeing Sif's nervous expression, Roland didn't tease her, and said in a deep voice:

"You have to be mentally prepared for what I'm going to say next."

Sif's fingertips trembled slightly, her eyes were red, and tears almost fell.

She knew very well that her father's return would only harm the country and cause trouble to her. Under Roland's words and deeds, she was already a qualified politician and would not be childish again.

She also knew that her father must die.

She knew everything.

But it was still difficult to control her emotions when the time came, after all, it was her father.

Sif asked tremblingly: "Father, he..."

"The late emperor unfortunately encountered a shipwreck and is confirmed to have passed away."

Sif's breathing stopped instantly, she bit her lip and asked softly: "Who killed him? Was it General Haiao?"

"It was the sea witch Adina, she was a cold and cruel guy. The late emperor, he..."

"Father is not dead." Sif said decisively.

"The Sea Witch is one of the four generals of the ocean. Her strength and status are far higher than that of the sea. As long as she is in a high position by her own ability, she has good political literacy. She will not waste time doing stupid things. There is no benefit in killing my father. I think my father is probably under house arrest."

"Roland, we..."

"He is dead. The late emperor passed away. This is a sure thing!" Roland did not give in. Although he lowered his voice, his attitude was firm.

Sif's eyes were red. She bit her lip and asked, "Based on my understanding of my father, he is not a tenacious strong man, but an ordinary person with a fragile heart. Is it really not possible to save my father and let him abdicate and return to the family territory to retire?"

Roland wanted to agree, but he still said nothing.

Silence is also an attitude.

Edward may be able to let go of power and not compete with his own daughter for power, but what about his old ministers?

They were loyal to the emperor and did a good job.

As a result, an accident made them old ministers of the previous dynasty.

In the foreseeable future, these old ministers will gradually fade out of politics and stay away from the center of power.

Will they accept it? Of course not, they just can't resist.

They have no backing, no backbone, like a group of headless flies.

But it will be different when Edward comes back.

These old ministers will definitely gather around Edward and try to restore the throne.

Whether they succeed or not, this is a damage to the interests of the country.

Some people will cause great harm even if they do nothing when they are alive.

Of course, Sif understood this truth. She finally couldn't hold back her tears, sobbing, murmuring, and her voice became smaller and smaller.

"I know, I know everything, but he is my father after all, my only relative. Is there really no way to let him live without hindering us?"

Sif cried and laughed at herself.

There is really no such thing.

Just like she wanted to return the crown but couldn't, as long as her father is alive, he will have great political appeal. Even if he doesn't want to, someone will put a crown on his head.

Looking at Sif's grief-stricken look, Roland suddenly thought that he might be the only elder who would bless them in the future, and suddenly changed his mind.

"It's not that there is no way. He can live in the sea for the rest of his life."