Chapter 1694: Chapter 1251: Getting On Board
The Sky Gate area is located at the northernmost part of Nabistine, a large vacant area temporarily designated by the Yisu royal family for the Permanent Void Gate. At that time, there was no clear concept of the gate’s features and subsequent impacts, and the Starry Decree merely mentioned "setting up the Permanent Void Gate at the national logistics center." Therefore, Hanna constructed the Permanent Void Gate within Nabistine’s administrative region, which proved to be a somewhat wasteful decision—the Permanent Void Gate brought significant human traffic and regional advantages, adding only a touch of prosperity to Nabistine, but placing it in other less developed areas could have vitalized the surrounding cities.
When Ash and his companions arrived at the Sky Gate area by car, they saw a new city more prosperous than the city center of Nabistine, vibrant and lively. Air trains carrying imported goods from abroad and export goods from the country linked every part of the nation to this location, resembling the country’s blood vessels.
"This will become the Gospel’s new heart," Hanna said, "to remold the Gospel into a new nation."
"That must be quite fulfilling for you?" Ash laughed, "New nobles, new bourgeoisie... It’s troublesome to repaint on an already colorful canvas, but if a new blank canvas extends from the old one, changing the old painting with new colors becomes much easier. You just need to seize this Permanent Void Gate’s throat to rewrite the Gospel’s structure anew."
"You understand well. Want to join me in changing the world?"
"Hey, hey," Diya squeezed between them, with an exasperated expression, "Have you two forgotten there’s an actual reigning Empress here?"
"If you know you’re the Empress, stop wandering around!" Hanna hugged Diya tightly, gritted her teeth in frustration as she said, "Do you realize how exhausting it is for me to manage state affairs and research magic? I discovered yesterday that I lost a strand of hair, and it’s all your fault!"
"Then stop researching magic! Aren’t you already a Legendary Mage?"
"One day I aim to become an Angel. Managing a country that has existed for centuries has too many limitations. I want to try starting from scratch to create a Heavenly Kingdom of my dreams."
"Oh!?" Diya’s eyes gleamed, "Hanna, do you wish to become my Angel?"
Hanna blinked and looked away, "...Maybe."
"Do you want to become Ash’s Angel?" Sonia asked calmly.
"If it means pursuing the Supreme of Magic..." Hanna raised her eyebrows, "There shouldn’t be a girl in this world capable of resisting such temptation."
"It doesn’t just sound like being an Angel."
"Because I want to become an Angel who can help the Master in resolving all his troubles."
Weiser commented leisurely, "But not every Demigod can receive grace to become an Angel. If you ascend to Demigod someday, we’d need to evaluate your qualities, capabilities, and character for managing a Heavenly Kingdom. If you pass them all..."
She held Sonia’s and Vishi’s arms, tilting her head with a smile, "Ultimately, you only need to defeat a female college student or maid to have the privilege of following Ash!"
Female college student—recently sent two Legal Angels back to Heaven.
Maid—a vicious and evil figure from thousands of years ago.
Hanna: "...It seems only the Supreme Star has the privilege of being Ash’s Angel in this world."
Ash: "...Anyway, I myself am unqualified."
"Hanna doesn’t even want to be my Angel?" Diya was shocked, "I thought you’d want to follow me, such a wise Empress, forever."
"Ash," Hanna put a hand to her forehead, "She definitely became so silly because of you! She was still very smart when she was in the Gospel!"
"I’m sorry..." Ash bowed his head apologetically, "I am to blame for poor guidance..."
"Don’t apologize formally like you mean it, Ash!" Diya protested, wrestling free from Hanna’s embrace to hold Ash’s arm, sticking her tongue out at the Chief Witch.
Hanna remembered something, "By the way, now that communication is free within the five realms, I’ll assign some of the governmental affairs to you remotely, since you have the Gospel Divine Being, there shouldn’t be any information gaps, otherwise the Gospel will soon forget you, everyone only knows the Witch, not the Empress."
"No! We are now in our holiday season, work is refused!" Diya shook her head, "It’s terrible to still work while they’re playing when I think about it. Just leave the Gospel to you, try not to mess it up, but if you do, don’t notify me!"
The Chief Witch, somewhat exasperatedly, said, "Diya, you will regret it."
The Witch chuckled, "Hanna, I am the Empress here."
Beside them, Qinna suddenly spoke, "Time is up."
The outline of the Permanent Void Gate at the spacious plaza lit up with aurora gradients, its curtain rippled like a lake, showing the image of the Star Bridge Hall.
Hanna said, "Do a final check on your luggage, haven’t forgotten anything?"
Ash touched his Space Ring, "No, I haven’t."
"Really?"
Hanna placed both hands at the back, bent slightly closer to him, smiled sweetly with radiant glow, her cheeks slightly chubby, "Like a Purple Moth you once exchanged first kisses with?"
The mages around the Sky Gate suddenly shivered, an immense sense of fear clutched their hearts tightly, Magic Power trembled, Technique Spirit knelt, as if numerous unimaginable monsters descended here, the mere malice exposed immersed their rational defenses. Yet the shiver came quickly and went quickly, leaving them in cold sweat without any events.
Hanna stepped back, smiling, "Wish you all a wonderful holiday."
"Hmm," Ash waved, "We’re leaving!"
"Bye Hanna, Qinna, Nona!" Diya waved hard, taking Ash’s arm and walking toward the Sky Gate, everyone politely bid farewell, though the Sword Maidens’ smiles appeared clenched.
Watching this highest combat power team leaving the Gospel, Qinna crossed her arms, leaned closer to her daughter and asked, "Really okay with this? Just letting him leave without anything happening."
"My affairs are none of your concern."
"Next time let Nona and me assist," the Elf Clan Leader licked her lips, smiling softly, "It will surely be fascinating."
"Qinna!" Nona grumbled in protest against her sister. She hesitated, noticing that Hanna surprisingly didn’t object, her speech stammering, "Hanna, y-y-you’re not genuinely considering it, are you!"
"Even if I wanted to, we still have four difficult obstacles to overcome." Hanna squinted her eyes, "Aside from Her Majesty, any of the other three obstacles can stop us. These past days nothing has happened because I can’t even get inside the gate."
"It’s indeed a bit troublesome..." Qinna pondered, "But the key factor remains Ash himself. If the internal decides to surrender, what’s the point of an impregnable fortress outside? And Ash... I feel we could settle everything by slipping in while he’s bathing, the eloquence we possess suffices to defeat him handily."
"Without us!" Nona protested angrily.
"Persuasion isn’t my forte," Hanna said, "Someone like me who looks full of crafty intentions would get shot as a spy outside the fortress, unable to enter the inner city."
"Only a genuine talker could effortlessly dismantle internal resistance."
It was the moment of farewell, so Hanna couldn’t resist making some sarcastic remarks to the Sword Maidens. Yet, over the past half month, Hanna had behaved quite well, not uttered much even if she had no opportunity to contact Ash, for she fully recognized her status—within Ash’s heart, she couldn’t compare to the Sword Maidens.
Engaging in conflict with the Sword Maidens provided no advantage to her, besides Hanna didn’t believe she stood any chance of gaining the upper hand. Although the Sword Maidens seemed to contradict each other, should any newcomer attempt to join in, they instantly united to fend off entrants, akin to people locking the car door soon after getting in.
Hanna knew she couldn’t contend with them, nor did she need to. She simply had to follow the next individual closely to easily board this bus.
However...
I hope when Ash leaves the Blood Moon, he won’t be left in tatters, Hanna mused.
