Chapter 470 470-The Naga Queen's Reward
In front of the Naga Faction Queen's palace, John, Adam, and Blue Sea patiently awaited their audience with Her Majesty.
While they were known for their patience, the waiting time was starting to stretch unusually long.
Shatras had been inside the palace for over an hour.
Just as John's patience was nearing its limit, Shatras finally emerged from the palace.
John couldn't hide his irritation, "Her Majesty's way of showing gratitude is indeed surprising. She had us waiting at the entrance of her palace for nearly two hours. Even if the Queen's time is more precious and she had other matters to attend to, it's not appropriate to make us wait this long. Do you have any explanation for this? If not, I won't accept it lightly. You should be well aware that, even though I'm an adventurer, my abilities deserve your respect."
John's frustration was evident.
He felt the Naga Faction might be showing a lack of respect towards players like them.
While it might not be a big deal for NPCs to disrespect players, John was not just any player.
He was among the top echelon, possessing divine-like powers.
Shatras, noticing John's displeasure, quickly began to explain, hoping to ease the situation and maintain the newly formed alliance between John and the Naga Faction.
The Queen's response to John's success was crucial, not only as a reward but also as a gesture of respect and recognition of his abilities and contributions.
Shatras's expression carried a hint of guilt, understanding that John's anger was justified.
She offered an explanation, "Her Majesty was overly excited and chose to share the good news with other nobles. They then discussed the Naga Faction's defense plans with her. I wanted to remind Her Majesty about your waiting, but as you know, our defense plans are of utmost importance. After some hesitation, I decided not to interrupt. Once the discussion with the nobles was over, I immediately brought up the matter, and Her Majesty then instructed me to bring you in."
Although Shatras's explanation didn't entirely convince John, he felt somewhat resigned.
Walking away now would mean forfeiting the Queen's reward for their efforts.
To John, this task was akin to an unofficial quest, and naturally, the quest's rewards were to be claimed.
"Don't say any more; just take us in. Her Majesty should be ready with our rewards, right? They better be satisfying. Otherwise, I will cease any cooperation with your Naga Faction. It seems like you don't really consider us significant," John stated, his words carrying a veiled threat.
Normally, Shatras would have retorted to such a statement, as she typically disliked such talk.
However, given the circumstances and John's evident abilities and contributions, Shatras refrained from arguing.
Instead, she led John, Adam, and Blue Sea into the palace to meet the Naga Queen and receive their much-awaited rewards.
The tension of the moment was palpable, as the outcome of this meeting could significantly influence their future relations with the Naga Faction.
Under the current circumstances, Shatras didn't dare to contradict John, realizing that the Naga Queen was somewhat at fault.
Given the significant assistance John had previously provided to the Naga Faction, Shatras understood that it wasn't her place to criticize him.
Thus, she promptly led John to meet with the Naga Queen.
Upon meeting the Queen, John spoke bluntly: "Your Majesty, you once said that if I could help resolve the Naga Faction's greatest trouble, you would reward me generously and cooperate with my plan. Why, then, did you make me wait outside your palace for such a long time? Is this your way of showing gratitude, or do you believe that I don't deserve an equal conversation with you?"
John's direct approach was intended to test the Naga Queen's sincerity in cooperating.
If the Queen lacked genuine intent to collaborate, there was no point for John to continue wasting time there.
Although leaving the Naga Faction might mean losing a lead on the Mystery forces, John's stance made it clear that he expected respect and fair treatment.
The Queen's response to these probing questions would reveal much about her intentions and the future dynamics between John and the Naga Faction.
The tension in the room was palpable, as everyone awaited her reply.
John understood that regardless of the outcome here, he could always seek assistance in Storm City.
If he couldn't find sufficient clues in the Naga Faction, he could return to Storm City and reassess his strategy.
Hearing John's words, the Naga Queen promptly offered an apology: "I must indeed apologize to you. You have provided significant help to our Naga Faction and to me personally.
But, I must admit, I somewhat overlooked your presence, perhaps because you have never appeared in the Naga Faction before. Regardless, it was my oversight.
To make amends for my previous lapse and to demonstrate my sincerity in cooperating with you, I have decided to give you a substantial reward."
The Naga Queen then instructed her guards to bring out several boxes. "In these boxes are the rewards I am offering you. You helped our Naga Faction save a considerable amount of Ocean Gems. Therefore, I have decided to give each of the three adventurers among you 20 Ocean Gems."
Upon hearing this, John, Adam, and Blue Sea were stunned.
They hadn't expected the Naga Queen to be so generous.
Ocean Gems were incredibly valuable, and ordinary players could hardly ever obtain even one.
Even low-quality Ocean Gems could fetch more than 300 gold coins in auctions or trading centers.
The prospect of obtaining high-quality Ocean Gems from the Naga Faction was even more remarkable, as these could potentially sell for over 500 gold coins each in auctions and trading centers.
With 20 Ocean Gems per person, this meant they were essentially receiving around 10,000 gold coins each – a rough estimate, given that no player had ever acquired so many Ocean Gems before.
Even the Northern Myst Empire might not possess so many Ocean Gems, considering their merely cooperative relationship with the Naga Faction.
The Naga Queen was pleased with their astonished expressions. "I trust you find this reward satisfactory. But this is just the first of three rewards I have for you," she said, signaling the guards to open the second box.
It was filled with spell scrolls of orange quality.
"These spell scrolls might not completely satisfy such powerful adventurers as yourselves, but it's the best our Naga Faction can offer. The god-tier spell scrolls are reserved for times of great peril for our Faction. I hope you can accept these as a modest gesture," the Queen explained.
While John was indifferent to the scrolls, Adam and Blue Sea valued them highly.
These scrolls could significantly aid the members of their guild, enhancing their abilities, especially when Adam and Blue Sea were not around to assist.
Their main concern had always been their guild members' ability to complete challenging quests in their absence.
With these spell scrolls, that worry was alleviated.
Although John claimed he wasn't concerned about spell scrolls, he was still eagerly awaiting what the Naga Queen would reveal from the third chest.
He had a feeling that the contents of that chest would be the most precious.
After all, if he were in the Naga Queen's position, he would definitely save the most valuable reward for last.
The Naga Queen could tell that John wasn't particularly interested in the scrolls, so she didn't linger on them for too long.
"The reward in the final chest is a set of weapons that I am offering you," she explained.
"These weapons aren't of the highest tier, as I've mentioned before, since god-tier weapons must be reserved to ensure the safety of the Naga Faction.
However, these weapons are certainly something all adventurers need. With them, you'll receive the Sea God's blessing. Moreover, you can use these weapons to tame the mighty creatures of the sea."
As the last chest was opened, the Naga Queen introduced the unique weapons of the Naga Faction contained within.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)webnovel