Chapter 193: Understanding the Details (2)

Surrounded by guards, the King’s carriage slowly rolled out of the palace gates.

When the people saw the carriage, they all knelt in unison.

Through the window, one could see the thin, haggard citizens.

Mia didn’t much like being knelt to by thousands on the street; if it were in private, she wouldn’t mind.

She preferred lively streets where people walked to and fro for their own lives.

However, there weren’t actually many people on the entire street.

Carefully observing the city outside, it appeared that if all the buildings were intact, they could accommodate more than ten times the current population of Stormveil.

“Godrick, how many people are left in the city?”

The desolation on the streets was not unexpected, but Mia still wanted to ask.

“At the last census, there were only about nine thousand people.”

“Only that many?” Mia was slightly surprised. “What about during its peak? How many people were in the whole city?”

“…” Godrick was silent for a while, then shook his head. “I’m not sure either.”

When he arrived at Stormveil, the city was already in decline.

No, to be precise, the city’s decay began after Godfrey defeated the Stormlord.

“Then what was the city like when you first took over?”

“At that time, Godefroy was managing the city.”

Godrick answered.

The implication was that he didn’t know either.

Sigh.

Mia sighed in her heart.

Oh, Godrick.

Just how many people have been looking after him for him to survive until now?

There was a long silence.

Unsure of what he had done wrong, Godrick stared at Mia with a guilty conscience.

“Did I do a terrible job?”

Mia shook her head. “No, you did well, but we need to make it even better.”

At least in terms of maintaining the loyalty of his soldiers,

Godrick was capable.

Not everyone is willing to follow a king who is comparatively weaker.

“In some areas, you’ve done as well as Radahn.”

“Radahn? You mean General Radahn, the Starscourge?”

Godrick asked.

“Yes, he… should be considered your step-uncle.”

Mia took a few seconds to try and untangle the relationship.

On the surface, Radahn and Godrick shared no blood relation.

“He is the mightiest of the demigods…” Godrick hesitated, asking incredulously, “Do you think I can stand equal to him?”

“Physical strength is not the only measure of a Soldier’s power, Godrick.”

Godwyn had said similar things to him as well.

“I… I understand.” Godrick lowered his head.

“Tell me about the surrounding buildings, Godrick,” Mia said, changing the subject.

“Alright,” Godrick nodded.

Under the protection of the knights, the massive carriage wound its way through the city streets.

However, unnoticed by anyone, a cloaked Tarnished was quietly watching the carriage from a narrow alleyway it passed.

“This is the barracks and the headquarters of the knight order.”

As the carriage arrived beneath a certain building, Godrick explained to Mia.

It was a castle built within the city itself.

Stepping off the carriage and passing through the somewhat narrow gate, a few scattered soldiers could be seen on the training grounds.

On the castle walls, there were protruding wooden beams where several giant eagles stood, turning their sharp heads to watch the city from their high vantage point.

Some were bending their necks to preen their feathers.

“What are we doing here?” Mia asked.

“To find my Knight Commander. He manages almost everything in this city.”

When the soldiers in the castle saw Godrick and Mia, they all bowed respectfully and cleared a path.

“Where is Gregor?”

“The Knight Commander is in his office, Your Majesty.”

Godrick received the Knight Commander’s location from a knight.

Mia keenly noted the Knight Commander’s name from Godrick’s inquiry.

If she wasn’t mistaken,

Gregor was just like Grelia and Gotok.

It was a name bestowed by Godrick.

Handymen, maids, and knights.

He could practically form a ‘God-Family Village’ at this rate.

Mia didn’t believe those three were the only ones Godrick had named.

He led Mia to Gregor’s office door.

The door was a bit small for Godrick.

He knocked on the door.

“Come in!” a gruff but clear voice called from inside.

Godrick pushed open the door and entered sideways.

“Your Ma—Your Majesty?”

When Knight Gregor saw Godrick appearing outside the door, he hurried over, smoothing down his surcoat. “Your Majesty, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“Address her as Your Majesty; you may simply call me Lord.”

“This…” Knight Gregor looked at Mia.

He had, of course, attended yesterday’s banquet.

“You are my true Majesty,” the Knight Commander said stubbornly to Godrick.

“Do not be rude, Gregor. Mia is my aunt.”

“It’s fine, Godrick.” Mia reached out and patted Godrick’s leg—the only place she could reach. “You are entitled to call yourself Majesty. How many years have you ruled this city? Hmm? These are your achievements; accept them. You have the ability.”

Godrick felt as though he had received more praise in the last two days than he had in the past thousand years.

He felt a surge of joy and nodded with a beaming smile.

Mia continued, “Gregor, you are free to call me whatever you wish, as long as you can assist me.”

“As long as His Majesty Godrick has no objections, I am willing to serve you, Lady Mia.”

“Good, good,” Mia nodded.

Godrick, standing nearby, clearly didn’t look like he had any objections.

“Mia has the authority to make decisions on my behalf.” Godrick seemed quite happy.

He showed none of the resentment one might expect after having their power shared.

Mia was thoughtful.

Was Godrick actually the type who was unexpectedly easy to handle?

She hadn’t even started any manipulation yet, and he was already being so protective of his little aunt.

The future looks promising (nods).

After that, Mia began to examine the room.

It was a very standard office layout, with a heavy wooden desk in the center.

One wall was covered in bookshelves, while the other held a map of Stormveil.

Mia paid particular attention to that map.

Certain locations on the map were marked.

Mia stood with her hands behind her back, looking at the highly detailed map. The script on it wasn’t any language she recognized from her past life, yet she understood it perfectly.

Just like when she read the magic textbooks Sellen gave her, even without having learned the script of The Lands Between, she could understand it.

“Are you responsible for all the affairs in the city?” Mia turned and asked Knight Commander Gregor.

“Yes,” Gregor replied.

The Knight Commander was not wearing armor at the moment.

For some reason, Mia could actually see an overworked expression on Gregor’s haggard face.

Mia remembered that Gregor had appeared at yesterday’s banquet, though only for a very short time.

“What is that place?” Mia pointed to a large building in the southeastern part of Stormveil.

“That is the bridgehead leading to the Divine Tower, and it is also the base for the Banished Knights and the Banished Knights.”

“What is the relationship between the Banished Knights and your forces?”

“We both owe our loyalty to His Majesty Godrick. The Banished Knights are few in number and are primarily responsible for the defenses and security of Stormveil Castle. We hold the other castles and outposts in Stormhill and Limgrave.”

“They only take orders from Godrick?”

“They used to,” Godrick chimed in. “But now, if you wish, they can take orders from you as well.”

“I see.” Mia responded with a smile.

“Let’s go visit the Banished Knights next,” she said afterward.

Upon becoming the de facto co-ruler of Stormveil, she needed to get a good understanding of her forces first.

After bidding farewell to Gregor along with Godrick, they left the castle and returned to the carriage.

The Troll Bob began to pull the carriage once more.

On the winding downhill road, they could see the Gothic spires of the Church of Marika.

“And there?” Mia noticed a rather unique building.

It leaned against the Stormveil walls and was surrounded by its own enclosure.

“The dungeons, and the Altar of Grafting.”

Mia nodded.

She would stop by on the way back.

The things inside would surely put one in a foul mood.

Mia withdrew her gaze.

The oversized carriage made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

To Mia, a carriage two stories high could practically be used as an RV.

‘What’s that?’

The moment she looked away, Mia saw someone standing on a roadside rooftop.

A petite figure—a Tarnished.

The Soldier was cloaked, making it hard to see clearly.

A Tarnished?

Mia immediately recalled the news she had heard recently about a Tarnished intruding into the city.

“Godrick, stop the carriage.”

The girl suddenly spoke out.

In the next instant, the Tarnished standing on the roof suddenly leaped up, casting off their cloak in mid-air.

Twin axes wreathed in storms smashed down toward the carriage.