V2: Chapter 111: The Beginning of a Nightmare
"They're really taking a trivial matter too seriously! No one from the royal family has ever inspected this place before, yet they still adhere to this ridiculous, ignored rule. These people are truly out of their minds," Miranda cursed inwardly.
However, outwardly, she couldn't afford to break off relations. Although in her eyes, these soldiers were all inferior, people lower than herself, people she could command to kneel and lick her shoes at the slightest beckoning.
But now, she still needed their help. As a weak woman, she certainly couldn't force her way in; she had to speak politely, or… bribe them with gold coins.
"Of course I understand your hardships, spending all your time in this wretched place, in the middle of nowhere," Miranda gave what she thought was a gentle smile, but in reality, it carried the disdain and pity of someone in a superior position. "So, I don't want to make things too difficult for you."
Hearing this, the surrounding soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that this noblewoman was about to enter the walled area. The result.
Thud~
A heavy bag was thrown to the ground.
The fabric looked very luxurious, made of expensive silk, embroidered with beautiful patterns, clearly very valuable.
"This is..."
The soldiers looked up in astonishment, glancing at Miranda, then at the bag on the ground.
Miranda spoke with unparalleled superiority, "Pick it up and weigh it, see how heavy it is. It's full of gold coins! You could guard the seashore your whole life and not get this much, um... not just one life, maybe two, three, enough for ten lifetimes."
Although this was insulting, the surrounding soldiers all revealed greedy eyes.
The soldier leader initially pretended to be humble and continued to refuse Miranda. Until one young soldier, unable to contain his desire any longer, reached out and ripped the rope binding the bag.
Clatter!
Golden coins spilled from the bag, scattering onto the table.
Almost instantly, all the soldiers' eyes were drawn to it. No one looked at Miranda anymore; everyone stared greedily at the gold coins on the table.
"So much!" someone exclaimed, their voice trembling slightly.
Miranda smiled smugly, nodding, and then reached up to touch her waist.
"And I didn't tell you I only brought this one bag. Maybe there's a second, a third, a fourth. Hmm… anyway, my back hurts. These coins are so heavy, hanging from my waist, it's making it hard to breathe."
All the surrounding soldiers gasped, their eyes gleaming with increasing greed.
Finally, a soldier tugged at his captain's sleeve and whispered, "Boss, let this lady in for a couple of walks. Nothing should happen, right? We've been guarding this place for so long, and we haven't seen anything unusual inside."
This was a veteran, having stood guard on this beach for seven or eight years.
In reality, it wasn't that they hadn't noticed anything amiss inside the walls; rather, those who had noticed had their memories erased by the Magic Tower.
Of course, not everyone's memories could be erased. Some hadn't been found. These were ordinary people who, after such a profound shock, had essentially gone mad, rambling incoherently, and no one believed them.
"Do you know? I saw something incredibly terrifying."
"It was a fear beyond our human comprehension!"
"I can't describe its appearance in words. It doesn't belong to this world; it's a god, a god!"
Basically, all the madmen repeated this phrase until they were found by the Magic Tower, their memories erased, and they might return to normalcy.
The soldier leader, after hearing his soldier's words, blinked and seemed to be pondering. His eyes kept glancing at the gold coins in the bag.
So much money—it would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted.
But…
Gulp~
He swallowed hard.
If his superiors found out, he'd probably lose his head, wouldn't he?
"Madam..." The soldier's face darkened further. He swayed from side to side. "This concerns our lives. If the people in the capital find out..."
Miranda flashed her insignia again. "Have you forgotten something? I am a nobleman from the capital."
Her tone remained arrogant.
"But..."
The soldier struggled even more fiercely.
"Heh."
Miranda smiled disdainfully, her hand reaching for her waist.
If they were still hesitating, then the money wasn't enough. Maintaining her status as a generous benefactor, Miranda tossed another bag of money onto the ground.
She gestured with her chin, indicating for the soldiers to look at the bag of money on the ground.
"Is this enough?"
Before the soldiers could react...
Thud!
Another large bag of money was tossed with a heavy thud.
"How about this? That should be enough, right?"
The soldier's eyes gleamed with gold; his mind was completely consumed by the glittering coins. He was almost delirious, staring intently at the money bag on the table.
Men die for wealth, birds die for food.
With just a little risk, he could get so many coins, move to another empire, buy a new house, and he wasn't even married yet. Once he married, he could live a life of luxury.
"I..."
The soldier gritted his teeth, but finally relented.
"Madam, please go in. However, for your safety, you must not venture into the deep sea. Then, I will send a few soldiers with you to ensure your safety."
Miranda frowned. Doris had told her it was best to go in alone, but if any soldiers insisted on following, that was fine.
Never mind then. It's better to avoid unnecessary conflict and waste time.
The Queen added that it should be done as soon as possible.
"Alright," Miranda nodded in agreement.
After she nodded, all the soldiers around her erupted in cheers, their eyes glued to the bag of gold. They were all dreaming of a future of abundance, free from this godforsaken place, free from the hardships of poverty.
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