Pastor's Tantra

When Isabel gave her clear opinion, the Chief Justice, who had been quite insistent before, unexpectedly chose to obey.

After everyone agreed, the matter was finalized.

Public opinion issues that may be faced in the future, as well as plans for various emergencies, were handed over to the Grand Justice Arius. Let him go back to discuss with Mycroft and come up with several options.

But after the Great Guardian and the Great Justice left, Ligeia did not choose to follow them.

She just looked at Isabel with relief - although Ligeia looked a little awkward in her current little girl's appearance, it was surprisingly not against the norm.

She came over with a smile, jumped into Isabel's arms, and gently touched Isabel's head.

"Grow up, little Isa."

Like a little adult, Ligeia gently stroked Isabel's silky pale golden hair, and gently touched Isabel's forehead with her own: "Now I finally look like a monarch."

Isabel lowered her head slightly and hugged Ligeia's waist with her backhand.

Feeling the senior's dragon tail gently sweeping and slapping her calf, Isabel's eyes also became nostalgic: "Yes..."

If she had put it a year ago...no, even just half a year ago, she would not have imagined that she would have grown to this extent.

She still clearly remembers what she looked like before meeting Aiwass.

——I have not experienced any unforgettable tragedy, nor have I felt any heart-wrenching torture. In this way, in a few months, I grew to a level that I could not even imagine in the past.

"...Perhaps, love and hope can make people progress more than suffering."

Isabel spoke softly.

She is the person with the most authority to say this - because she has long been accustomed to running away and enduring. If there was any painful experience that forced her to choose to change herself, I'm afraid that by the time she made up her mind to act, she would have been tortured until she was covered in bruises and had no strength.

"Not everyone is born strong, little Isa. Only steel can be reborn in fire, and even the strongest wood can only be destroyed by fire."

Ligeia comforted her softly, turning her head slightly like a grandmother, and gently touched Isabel's forehead with her forehead.

In a soft voice, as if she was telling a story to a child, she said something that she had not told Isabel: "But wood is not worth less than steel. There are always things that metal cannot do but wood can do." of."

"...You've never told me anything like this before."

Isabel said half-complainingly, half-coquettishly.

But Ligeia's childlike voice sounded mature, steady and kind: "Because you were too confused at that time. People who are lost cannot understand or remember these great principles. Great principles never These are not for confused people who just want to know how to take the next step.

"It is precisely because you have grown that I am telling you this. I am just telling you why you have become so powerful... to let you know that this is not an accident, let alone a miracle. I just want to tell you... You're great, Isabelle. You've come out stronger."

I'm really great...

Hearing this, Isabel's eyes were filled with tears subconsciously.

That's not a grievance, nor is it sadness. Instead, there is an extremely refreshing feeling of relief.

Just like the crisp autumn air, blue sky and white clouds. Opening your arms to the sky and shouting loudly, the sun is shining like a cool rain on your body.

Isabel quietly shed a few tears, but did not sob or cry. She just lowered her head mischievously, wiped away her tears with Ligeia's shoulder, and then showed a coquettish and innocent smile to the elder.

She said with some nostalgia: "Actually, I just... experienced a nightmare.

"In another possible development of the world, I saw Avalon falling apart. A fake took my place, and I could only escape overseas with Aiwass.

"The 'authority' that people emphasize as if it is useless without it can protect nothing in that level of chaos. The glass island turned into a sea of ​​fire, and the knights fought each other. No one can protect the people, just as no one can Protect Avalon.

"So, I thought...'authority' is too fragile. Only when everyone believes in it can it have irreplaceable value.

"But if a person really falls into a desperate situation one day, and the day comes when he can only believe in 'authority', it will not be able to protect him."

Isabel's eyes were clear and bright, and the eyes that had just cried were as bright as polished emeralds.

"Only you can trust yourself - only by making Avalon strong can all kinds of disasters be avoided. And if Avalon is strong enough, then what's the need for the 'authoritarian' way? If Avalon can only How can it become stronger by promoting authoritarianism?”

"……I see."

Ligeia nodded slightly and sighed: "You understand it so well."

"Of course," Isabel added with a smile, "it's mainly Aiwass."

"That little fox?"

"Because I don't want to disappoint him, because I don't want to become a puppet and be used against him..."

Isabelle whispered, looking down at her fingers.

It is slender and white, and is a good pair of piano playing hands. But it is so fragile, but it has great power to control the entire kingdom, and even multiple kingdoms - just signing a name can change the fate of tens of thousands, or even millions of people.

"...But these are not the reasons why I am so tough today."

Isabel said: "It's just 'don't want', it's my 'fear'. But what really makes me strong is 'hope'.

"——I hope that one day, Avalon will not encounter the disaster I encountered in my nightmare.

"——I hope that one day, Avalonians can hold their chests and heads high and say that they are Avalonians without being discriminated against, disgusted or feared by people from other countries.

"——I hope that when people call Aiwass, they can call him Isabel's partner; instead of calling me Aiwass's wife.

"-I hope my grandmother can be proud of me, and I hope Avalon becomes better from me instead of worse.

"——I hope I can also protect Aiwass, share his worries, and become his protector. Not just as a warm harbor, not as a drag on him and as a girl protected by him.

"I hope I can be a good monarch, a good wife, a good mother, a good artist. And, a good, good person."

The young queen's eyes sparkled.

Ligeia could feel that Isabel slowly clenched her fists. She exerted a little force on her forearms and gradually sat upright.

"As a monarch, I should have the capacity to accommodate all my subjects. As a good monarch, it is not enough to just 'follow conventions' and 'maintain the status quo' - I have to make the decision and I will be responsible. .

"If the Silver Crowned Dragon disagrees, I will do my best to convince him. If the people do not understand this, I will also let them understand me. If other countries intend to take this opportunity to launch an attack, I will never back down.

"Avalon deserves change——"

When Isabel said this, she couldn't help but sit up straight. This caused Ligeia to slip off her body and hit the desk.

In the corner of the desk, there was a vase that was shaking and about to fall over.

Ligeia jumped to the opposite side of the desk with a light backflip, and picked up the vase before it hit the ground.

She cast her gaze to the table.

The vase seemed to have been placed on a book with an uneven cover, which was why it was about to fall due to such a degree of collision.

""The Elf's Diplomacy"..."

Ligeia murmured to herself and picked up the book: "Is there something in it?"

Isabel didn't react at first - until she saw the cover of the book Ligeia picked up.

The sparkling aura on her body suddenly stagnated.

"Hey...hey? Wait, wait...that doesn't work! Don't look at it!"

But it was too late when Isabel reacted - by the time she spoke, Ligeia had already taken out the book.

She glanced at Isabel with a strange expression, and obeyed Isabel's order without opening the book. Just put it on the table and pushed it back gently.

Isabel was in a hurry as if she was electrocuted. In the end, she couldn't find a place to put it, so she could only throw it into the drawer with a blushing face.

"...How should I put it, Your Majesty. I don't really recommend getting this kind of book mat and vase."

Ligeia coughed lightly and reminded her seriously: "When your grandmother, the late Queen, was on the throne, she would put the books in the mezzanine under the desk when faced with this situation."

"……Eh?"

Isabel was stunned for a moment, lowered her head and searched for it but still couldn't find it, so she could only look up and ask for help: "Where?"

Ligeia walked over skillfully, turned a ruby ​​handle on the side of the desk, and lowered an empty folding shelf under the Queen's desk: "Here, do you see it? Twist it back and it will be hidden under the desk. . You can’t see this book when you touch it under the desk or open the drawer, because it’s on the side of the drawer, but a few books are fine.”

"so amazing!"

Isabel exclaimed: "Is this the secret grid?"

"This can probably only be said to be a relatively hidden storage rack."

Ligeia said casually.

She smiled and saluted Isabel: "If nothing goes wrong, I will take my leave - by the way, Your Majesty. You can ask the ritualist to check the suitability of the path. I think you should have the authoritative path now. ’s adaptability.”

Isabel naturally believed in Ligeia.

She is the person who has gone the furthest on the road to authoritarianism in the world.

——What an irony.

As a monarch who has no adaptability to the authoritarian path, when he finally gained the approval of the ministers and planned to eliminate the concept of "illegal path", he suddenly gained the adaptability to the authoritarian path...

"Even so, it will never shake my resolve."

Isabel said affirmatively.

Ligeia nodded happily: "That's good."

When she walked to the door, she smiled and said hello to the Queen's guard at the door. After opening the door, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he turned back and added: "By the way, Your Majesty. I have actually read that book - it's quite boring.

"If you like this, I have a collector's edition that is not available on the market. I will bring it to you tonight."

After saying that, Ligeia quickly closed the door and left.

Leaving behind were the low laughter of the queen's guards and Isabel who was covering her face and whimpering.