Chapter 129 The Calm Before the Storm She couldn't be sure of Eleanor's heart. ...

As winter turned to spring, warships sailed away from the islands, while more ships slowly entered the port.

More and more goods were coming and going in the port, and the Norlana people and the merchants of Belai built a huge port along the estuary.

When the third spring finally arrived, some residents who had moved there had already built small brick and stone houses by the port.

The natives were naturally very unhappy at first, believing that this group had occupied their precious land.

However, Princess Eleanor quickly offered a deal that no one could refuse: she taught the natives how to build large ships capable of long-distance voyages and sold them their first one at a low price.

To ensure that her precious people would not perish on the long voyage, she even had her subordinates lead the team and familiarize them with the route from Belai to the archipelago.

After that, the various tribes on the islands were able to sail to a wider world!

If this strategy only impressed the chieftain, the shaman, and the adventurous warriors, then the dissemination of knowledge about medicine and agriculture directly won over all the natives.

Before Princess Eleanor arrived, no one could have imagined a life where one only needed to cultivate enough land to avoid going out hunting.

In the past, forest miasma and parasites could claim countless lives, but now there are herbs that can easily deal with them.

Not to mention that after the arrival of the first cargo ship, the indigenous people were able to wear soft cloth clothing, as well as cheap soap, tools, and insect repellent to improve their lives.

Some of the natives accepted the scholars' free education, while others—sometimes including the former—believed that Princess Eleanor, like their leader Yang, was a descendant or reincarnation of a god.

They built a huge stone statue for Eleanor, which stood majestically in the very center of the island.

"Sister Eleanor."

Little Eliza has grown quite a bit in the past three years and has blossomed into a graceful young woman.

She was wearing a cool summer dress and a sun hat, sitting on a wooden bench in the square, swinging her legs.

After the little princess finished shouting, the shaking of her legs stopped, and her little leather shoes lightly touched the ground with her toes, hovering on the muddy road.

call......

Eliza took a deep breath, nervously clenching her fingers, and looked at Eleanor beside her, saying loudly, "Sister, I want to marry you!"

Eleanor's eyes flickered slightly as she gently helped her put her hat back on, which was askew.

After tying the ribbon, he asked with a hint of teasing, "What's wrong? Don't you like Sister Mysella anymore?"

"Eh..."

Eliza's expression instantly fell.

She wasn't stupid; she naturally knew that with Nolana and Belle now so closely connected, a marriage between them was inevitable.

Herculesera and Eleanor appeared in her mind, occupying the left and right sides of the screen.

Both of her sisters are very beautiful; Myrcella is a bit wild, while Eleanor is very elegant.

The difference in appearance is secondary; when it comes to brains, even a hundred Myrcellas stacked together wouldn't be enough! Not to mention, Eleanor is also incredibly gentle.

The images of "Myrcella" in Eliza's mind fell onto the scales like a pile of rag dolls, but they couldn't budge Eleanor on the right side of the scales.

She nodded vigorously: "If I had to choose, I would definitely choose Eleanor."

At this point, the little princess suddenly slid down the back of her chair as if deflated: "Fine, I know you definitely won't choose me as queen, but... I'd be willing to be a princess."

The mockery in Eleanor's eyes vanished.

She reached out her right hand to support Eliza's shoulder and said softly, "Don't think about things like becoming a princess. Aren't you and Myrcella on good terms? Besides... I won't be making a princess."

Eliza turned to look at Eleanor.

Logically, she should have persisted with her sister; what king wouldn't take a queen? She couldn't even dream of the queen's position, but if there were seventeen or eighteen queens, she could easily have one given her status as Princess Belai.

But she was inexplicably happy, even though this was very bad for her.

My sister is truly my sister. "No princess consort"—only someone like my sister would utter such words and fulfill them as a vow.

Eliza finally began to seriously consider Mysella.

Actually, that older sister wasn't bad either, it's just that Eleanor was such a shining example before her... um.

Seeing Eliza's pensive face, Eleanor chuckled.

She gently ruffled the girl's hair: "This child was just comparing prices at three different stores."

Snap, tap-tap.

Footsteps interrupted their conversation at just the right moment.

Andra emerged leisurely from the woods.

Today she wore studded leather armor, and a fur cape that perfectly accentuated her shoulders, trailing gracefully to her waist.

Her bright appearance caught Eliza's eye, but the child quickly noticed the person behind Andra: the sneaky Mycelia who seemed ready to run away at any moment!

"Hey, you're not practicing your sword properly again today, are you?" The little princess wobbled off the bench and chased after her.

Mysella blushed slightly and scratched her face as she retorted, "What? My swordsmanship is excellent, I don't need to practice every day!"

Really?

"Of course it's true! The most important thing in swordsmanship is agility. When I swing my sword, very few of those people can even see my shadow."

"Oh yeah~ So who got hit on the head by a coconut last time?"

"...I was ambushed by a monkey."

The two walked side by side into the woods. Mysella unconsciously bent down, while the little princess skipped and quickened her pace.

Eleanor smiled slightly as she watched them walk away, then turned to Andra. "Thanks for taking care of Myrcella for me, you've worked hard."

"It's alright." Andra looked away, she had just breathed a sigh of relief.

They stood in the gentle breeze, speechless for a moment.

This square is built on high ground, and when you look up from it, you can see the vast sea.

The port was bustling with ships sailing from afar. Andra gazed at this prosperous scene and said softly without turning his head, "We can continue our journey to Belé."

"Um."

Eleanor responded calmly.

Belle must be brought under our control.

She relied on the power of the prophet to pre-position many pieces in Baelai—the King of Baelai could die according to the established history, or he could continue to live; the important thing was that the "King of Baelai" had to be loyal to Norlana.

Her next step is to gain complete control of the port of Belé and extract even more wealth from the prosperous city of Féli and the various merchant guilds.

This wealth must flow into the middle class, or be used to subsidize orphanages, schools, hospitals, and farmers; it cannot be embezzled by the Belai aristocracy.

"Heh." Andra chuckled, his eyes sparkling with joy. "No wonder you befriended those natives and wanted to incorporate them into the army?"

Having stayed here for several years, Andra also discovered that the natives of this archipelago were somewhat mystical.

Their physical fitness was excellent, surpassing the average level of ordinary soldiers, and Yang was only slightly inferior to her and Eleanor.

"Well, I have no intention of enlisting them all in the army..."

Eleanor suddenly chuckled; the person being talked about was indeed likely to appear.

No sooner had Mysella and Eliza left than Yang and the new witch, Yu, arrived together.

"Your Highness, I heard you are leaving tomorrow?"

The seemingly rugged young man is actually quite meticulous, having learned Norana over the years.

Eleanor smiled gently, raised her hand to bump fists with the other person, and replied in the native language, "Yes, we're going to Belai. Would you like to come with us?"

Yang withdrew his fist, his smile slightly distorted.

She released Xiaoyu's hand and solemnly bowed to Eleanor in the manner of a local, which meant she had a request.

“Your Highness, I know you are a noble person from a great nation, and you are full of wisdom that we cannot understand.”

Yang seemed to be simply stating a fact before making a request: "May I ask you to leave your bloodline here, so that you may give birth to our next generation of witches with Yu?"

Eleanor wasn't angry. She had been here for several years and knew, of course, that walking marriage was a popular practice among the islanders.

The islanders tend to form families with their childhood sweethearts within their own tribe, but they also like to traditionally row small boats to other islands to find suitable partners.

She could even guess Yang's deeper calculations: if this attempt succeeded, "Ellino," the "princess" from a strange country who led a fleet to transport a large amount of supplies and soldiers, would not be in so much danger.

Indigenous people who don't value blood ties can obtain a wise shaman and a guarantee of peace, while Nolana people who value blood ties will also lower their guard around them.

This scheme was both simple and clever, and Yang knew she wouldn't be angry about it.

...Unfortunately, Yang missed a little.

Eleanor's lips twitched: The heat behind her was almost burning, and Andra must be holding a grudge to death!

If we don't comfort her quickly, she might have to use up another bloodstain at some point.

Eleanor shook her head firmly: "I'm sorry, I will only have one child in my life."

Yang and Yu behind him exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

They bowed to the princess again to apologize and presented her with parting gifts: a wreath woven from fresh vines and fruits, and some dried herbs.

As Yang and Yu Pianran departed, Andra finally lost his composure and said fiercely, "That guy really dares to think... How could the royal family of Nolana possibly be with the natives!"

Her second half of the sentence was spoken lightly, as if she were trying to make amends.

Eleanor chuckled silently and teased, "Yes, but the royal family of Hertuya has indeed proposed to natives."

"You...that's a misunderstanding!" Andra's lips curled into a smile, then fell back down.

When she first arrived on the island, she saw Eleanor and Yang gazing at each other affectionately, which naturally made her unhappy. Fine, then she'd just defeat Yang in front of the fire to vent her anger.

They won, but who knew that "reaching out to help someone who has fallen to the ground after a gladiatorial contest" was actually a marriage proposal ritual here!

She was ridiculed for half a year because of this blunder, and now just mentioning it makes her anger disappear.

......

At dawn, the thin mist dissipated early, and the treasure ship drifted on the shimmering waves.

As the ship set sail, Andra took Eleanor's hand, wanting to talk to her about marriage—about the future.

Their relationship has been lukewarm over the years. She is often attracted by the princess's demeanor, language and wisdom, but when she sees her appearance clearly, she feels a sense of incongruity that is close to heartache.

How exactly do I view Eleanor?

Do I like it or not?

After much deliberation, these two questions finally have definitive answers.

But she couldn't be sure of Eleanor's heart.

Even remaining on a small archipelago with two competitors, Eliza and Yang, means that if things aren't explained properly soon, it might be too late.

Andra opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her pupils suddenly contracted: just like years ago, the water surface once again churned with eddies!

"Eleanor, it's probably that sea monster!"

Eleanor gripped the hilt of her sword, glanced at the vortex, and then looked up: dark clouds gathered in the sky, stirring up a strange storm.

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Author's Note: A dragon has come for revenge! But the one capable of "avenging" is not a dragon...