In the Name of Empress

"Leaving the water for too long makes my skin a bit dry, but I'm adapting well otherwise. Lord Governor has arranged an excellent campsite for us."

Roland nodded with a smile, painting a grand vision for Clan Leader Murak. "Clan Leader Murak, there's no need to be so reserved. Your current station is only temporary housing. I'll send people to build new houses for you."

"Since you can't leave the water for long, there's no need to come to Hansa frequently. If there's anything, have Miss Monina report to me. She can stay away from the water for a long time, and you can handle day-to-day management."

Murak's expression subtly changed.

The implication of Roland's words was clear; he remained the clan leader, but the real authority should gradually be transferred to his daughter.

He knew this was not a negotiation, but an order.

Having witnessed the true power of the Fourth Fleet, he had lingering apprehensions about Roland's might.

The Siren's Song, while effective against humans, was most expertly wielded by his daughter.

The old clan leader glanced at his daughter out of the corner of his eye, feeling a pang of emotion. It was impossible to rely on her—her loyalty to Lord Governor surpassed that to him as her father.

Their familial bonds were already thin, further diminished by Monina's presence.

His daughter even preferred being close to that old man who tinkered with potions.

With these thoughts, Murak felt a sense of melancholy.

He had no grounds to refuse.

He had already offended General Nephropidae; the ocean, vast as it was, offered no place to call home.

The Graham Sea Demon's living space was the land.

In a way, it was for the best. He was old and would eventually have to relinquish power; handing it over to his own daughter was at least keeping it within the family.

Monina wasn't a cold-hearted child; she would always take care of him.

He chuckled awkwardly, replying softly, "Lord Governor is right. I've always liked Monina; I'm glad she's accomplished. I just want to retire early and let my good daughter take over."

Murak's perceptiveness saved Roland a lot of effort.

Roland smiled and said, "Clan Leader Murak, these few lakes are rarely visited by humans. I plan to designate them as your settlements. Don't stay cooped up inside; you should actively interact with surrounding humans and integrate early."

"Although integrating into upper society may be difficult, you can start by becoming part of our community."

Murak looked up, disbelief in his eyes as he gazed at Roland.

Roland's intentions were obvious; aside from temporarily withholding political participation rights, other citizenship rights would be granted.

Thinking about living like humans made Murak's eyes moist, suddenly feeling that retirement and enjoying life wasn't so bad.

He couldn't resist the meticulously prepared human cuisine, not to mention the clean, tidy homes and convenient living conditions.

Of course, none of this came for free.

They had to contribute, such as in this interception operation.

Fortunately, Governor Roland was fair-minded and didn't treat them as cannon fodder.

In this operation, over a thousand warriors went to sea with minimal casualties; only a few unlucky ones were killed by random bombardments.

Their role was merely to intercept and slow down; the actual combat was carried out by the Fourth Fleet.

Under Roland's command, Clan Leader Murak felt valued for the first time.

Even among the Ocean Race, Nephropidae used them as cannon fodder, intending to cover up afterwards; yet the human governor, regarded as an outsider, was reluctant to use them as expendable.

It was a stark contrast.

Murak was no fool; he knew exactly what choice to make.

Sif said nothing, quietly sitting beside and sipping tea, observing Roland's performance.

In just a few words, Roland unobtrusively completed the power transition of the Graham Clan, even without making the old leader too sorrowful about relinquishing power.

You truly are something, Roland.

Sif understood that this was not about the art of conversation; it was simply the crushing force of power.

As long as the power was strong enough, even a blunt way of speaking could be considered elegant.

Just like Sofia, who intimidated nations and dismantled Val City.

With just a few words, Sofia achieved partition with no opposition, not because of her looks or eloquence but due to her strength.

In international relations, all grievances and troubles stem from not being strong enough.

Even though Sif was not directly targeted by Sofia last time, she felt the suffocating pressure.

As an Empress, she had to be like this.

Sif's eyes held no cowardice, only a growing ambition.

Having made a decision, Murak acted wisely, letting his daughter report on the battle situation.

Monina didn't say much, simply introducing the interception position, the actual effect of the second movement of the Siren's Song, and the tribe's losses.

Roland comforted warmly and acknowledged the Sea Demon's contribution.

Although they couldn't obtain official positions and titles in the human kingdom, everything possible was granted.

Seeing his daughter had no intention of leaving, Murak used the excuse of dryness on land, wanting to return quickly to their residence, to depart.

He understood well that his daughter was Roland's confidante, but he was not.

Seeing Monina had no intent to leave, Roland was curious.

"Is there anything else?"

"Lord Governor, I didn't deceive you before. I indeed wanted to see my friend Uranie from the Grim Tribe, and she happened to marry into our tribe."

Monina squinted slightly, speaking softly, "The day we were chased by General Nephropidae's men, in the urgency of escape, I didn't notice Uranie's whereabouts. When I later inquired with tribe members, I unexpectedly found she left the night before the incident."

Roland frowned slightly. Uranie was an important member of the Grim Tribe; her marriage into the Graham Tribe was an alliance to strengthen relations between the two tribes.

According to Monina, Uranie had considerable strength, and even if killed, there should have been some sign of resistance.

Clearly, she hadn't returned after leaving.

"I have no evidence, but I can't shake the feeling that the Grim Tribe might be related to the old Emperor's disappearance."

Monina whispered, "The super-powerful figure of the Sea Palace has been asleep for many years; it's rumored they await a special day to awaken. Currently, the Sea Palace is managed by several generals."

"Only a general would have the capability to take away an entire fleet."

Sif abruptly stood, her teacup falling and smashing to pieces.

While she also hoped her father was safe, she had resigned herself to believing her father and brother had perished. Now, learning they might have been captured, she was naturally emotionally chaotic.

Roland knew her concern clouded her judgment and didn't say much, instead asking Monina, "Where is your hometown approximately located?"

Monina studied the map for a while before saying slowly, "It's about two days and nights' swim west-southwest from where we first met. This is almost the extreme range for our Sea Demons to launch abroad."

Roland silently calculated the Sea Demons' swimming speed, making a rough mark on the map.

"What about the location of the Grim Clan?"

"It's about three days and nights' swim south from our tribe's old location."

Following Monina's guidance, Roland marked the location of the Grim Clan and then drew a circle—this circle represented the Grim Clan's effective operational radius.

Sif's fingertips suddenly trembled.

The rough location of the Emperor's incident was within this circle, precisely the effective control range of the Grim Clan.

Even if the Emperor's disappearance wasn't their doing, they couldn't be unrelated.

Roland signaled to Monina to step back for now.

Monina obediently left.

Once Monina left, Sif could no longer control her emotions, tears streaming down her face.

Fortunately, she was much stronger than before, silently crying without breaking down to wailing.

After an undetermined period, she softly asked, "Roland, is my father still alive?"

"He should be alive."

Roland said calmly, "Adults need a reasonable motive for their actions. There are no benefits in killing His Majesty Edward."

"What should I do?" Sif asked helplessly, her eyes showing confusion.

"Do what needs to be done. You must possess power to have the right to save people."

Sif pondered for a long while before her voice turned cold, whispering, "When Father returns, how should I face him?"

"What do you think?" Roland replied with a question instead.

Gradually closing her eyes, her elegant eyelashes fluttered as Sif's voice grew cold.

"I will arrange for him to retire peacefully in the family territory, not to leave without orders."