Submission, is that truly her objective? She spoke of ideals and friendship… but in the end, isn't it all just this?
Draudillon desperately suppressed her trembling body.
"I can understand that, but at least it's much better than the human-supremacist ideology of the Slane Theocracy." Clementine shrugged, not caring in the slightest.
"Then… Princess Clementine, can your nation's citizens accept those man-eating demi-humans?" Draudillon asked timidly.
There was almost no intelligence on the Ainz Ooal Gown Magic Kingdom at present. To be honest, she completely disbelieved that humans living in the Central Continent, who had always been indoctrinated with human-supremacism, could accept the ideology Clementine proposed.
Her Dragon Kingdom was already considered a very friendly nation towards demi-humans. Demi-humans in the neighboring Empire were treated as slaves, and there was even less to say about Theocracy and the Holy Kingdom; they were almost completely exclusionary.
"Of course, do you know E-Rantel? Everyone there lives in harmony now. Goblins, Ogres, and Undead all live together joyfully. However, it's still in the initial stage, so there are still some who are exclusionary, but I believe it won't be long before they understand." Clementine said with a smile.
E-Rantel? Isn't that a city in the Yestijia Kingdom? Why would she bring up that city? Could it be? Has that city already been occupied by them? This is bad! Extremely bad!
It should be known that E-Rantel is located on the edge of the Katz Plains, a strategic point in the Central Continent. If one were to infer from Clementine's words?
Could it be that the ownership of the Katz Plains has already fallen into the hands of the Ainz Ooal Gown Magic Kingdom? That area is even troublesome for the Slane Theocracy, a region where the Undead run rampant!
Moreover, she just mentioned the word Undead in E-Rantel's coexistence. Could it be that the Magic Kingdom sent all the Undead from the Katz Plains into the city?
This… this…
Draudillon dared not think further. Perhaps E-Rantel was already a dead city controlled by the Undead. So, what she meant by 'they will understand' was to convert the living into Undead?
Hehe! What a truly "cooperative" method! And now, has this nation set its sights on the weakest nation in the Central Continent, the Dragon Kingdom?
No… as long as she lives, she will never allow such a thing to happen in the Dragon Kingdom! Even… even if it means sacrificing most of her citizens to activate Original Magic, she will not hesitate!
"I say, Her Majesty the Queen… have you misunderstood something?" Clementine asked, staring at Draudillon.
"No, I haven't…" Draudillon quickly replied, afraid that she might discover something.
"Those people are living well." Clementine said, as if she had seen through Draudillon's inner thoughts.
"Huh? Those people are still alive?" Draudillon regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth. Didn't this directly admit that she was indeed thinking those things just now?
"Of course, they are all citizens of the Ainz Ooal Gown Magic Kingdom. As long as they obey us, nothing will be done to them." Clementine replied with her usual indifferent expression.
"Then, do you mean that if the Dragon Kingdom also shows a submissive attitude towards the Ainz Ooal Gown Magic Kingdom, we can also be accepted?" Draudillon asked.
Draudillon knew that directly asking such a sharp question was indeed very inappropriate, but given the current lack of intelligence on the Magic Kingdom, understanding its true intentions was the most important thing.
Sending their Princess to rescue them without any apparent purpose was already very strange in inter-state diplomacy. What was even stranger was that this Princess came secretly under the guise of Theocracy. Therefore, the true purpose of the Magic Kingdom must first be confirmed!
... Clementine did not answer immediately as she had before. This time, the smile that always adorned her face disappeared.
Her intentions were seen through, right? Draudillon thought. As expected, their goal was still to make the Dragon Kingdom submit to them.
"Why would Her Majesty the Queen think that?" Clementine, with a half-smile, threw the question back, which greatly surprised Draudillon.
"That is… that is because your nation and mine have had no prior communication… and I even directly discarded your nation's founding declaration. I cannot think of any reason why your nation would help mine. The only thing I can think of is this." Draudillon said timidly.
There was no benefit, no benefit at all, for the Magic Kingdom to help them. It might even offend the Beast Kingdom. It should be known that some of the Beast Kingdom's border territories are also close to the Katz Plains. If the Beast Kingdom were angered, they might be the next to suffer.
Under such circumstances, the Magic Kingdom still sent its Princess to offer assistance. No one would believe that there was no purpose behind it.
"Hmph, hehehe haha, just as my father said, Your Majesty the Queen of the Dragon Kingdom, there is nothing more expensive in this world than something free. Having clear interests and goals is what makes people feel at ease, isn't it?" Clementine suddenly burst into laughter, then stood up and regained her former confident, boundless smile as she looked at her.
"I will ask you a few questions first. Please answer me truthfully, Your Majesty the Queen… Based on your answers, I will consider whether or not to tell you the true purpose of my visit." Clementine said, then she once again moved aside the eye patch covering her left eye, revealing her red eyes that glowed with an eerie red light.
True Magic Eye, huh… Draudillon nodded involuntarily.
"First, after you knew that the Ainz Ooal Gown Magic Kingdom is a nation composed of demi-humans that you humans look down upon, would you actively establish diplomatic relations and make friends with the Magic Kingdom?" Clementine asked.
Draudillon was stunned. If this question were asked in a formal setting, she would definitely blurt out "yes." But now, Clementine's True Magic Eye was staring at her, so lying was certainly not an option.
"No…" Draudillon could only answer truthfully.
"Hehe! Very good. Then, under this premise, what if you learned that the Magic Kingdom is actually a bloodthirsty nation that turns everywhere it goes into a dead zone, and now this nation has come for you, would you submit to the Magic Kingdom?" Clementine continued to ask.
"No, I will resist to the end…" Draudillon replied.
"Even if you won't win? Even if your decision will plunge your nation and its citizens into a great disaster?" Clementine asked, glaring at Draudillon with a half-smile. The red light emanating from her red eyes sent shivers down Draudillon's spine.
"Yes, because if ruled by such a nation, the ultimate fate of my nation and its citizens would not be good. Rather…" Draudillon replied.
"Very good. Then, what if the Magic Kingdom is actually a nation that loves peace and advocates harmonious coexistence among all races?" Clementine continued to ask.
"I would consider it… but such a nation wouldn't use force to compel other nations to submit, would it?" Draudillon countered.
"Hmph hahaha… Very good, Your Majesty the Queen, you have passed! Just as you said, the Ainz Ooal Gown Magic Kingdom will not use force against nations that show no hostility, nor will it force such nations to submit. So, Your Majesty the Queen of the Dragon Kingdom? After you know that the Magic Kingdom is a nation built on the harmonious coexistence of various demi-humans, will you bear hostility towards the Magic Kingdom?" Clementine asked, the red glow in her deep red eyes appearing even more enchanting.
"No, at least… not until the Magic Kingdom shows clear hostility towards my nation." Draudillon replied, looking at her red eyes. Draudillon shivered involuntarily, as if she were afraid of something.
"Hehe! Then, Your Majesty the Queen, please forgive my rudeness just now." Clementine said, then moved her eye patch back over her left eye. The chill instantly dissipated, and Draudillon couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
"Then I shall tell you the purpose of my visit." Clementine sat down and said something even more surprising to Draudillon with great ease.
"Are you, the Dragon Kingdom, willing to become the second allied nation of the Ainz Ooal Gown Magic Kingdom? Oh! And by the way, the first allied nation is the Bahaus Empire."
"Huh!?" Draudillon couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
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