80: 100 million gold coins! The epic chapter begins! (1)

“What?”

Lin Ye was sure he understood every single word, but he just couldn't quite grasp the meaning.

“There are many things, and it’s very rushed, but this King believes you are fully capable of handling it.”

Facing the Queen’s sincere, fervent, and somewhat expectant gaze,

Lin Ye truly couldn't refuse, so he could only accept it.

Ding~

You have become the Chief Advisor of the Moon Shadow Kingdom’s Privy Council.

You have become the Moon Shadow Kingdom’s Grand Councillor (Acting).

You have been conferred the title of ‘Star Glory Marquis’ of the Moon Shadow Kingdom.

You have gained the right to move freely within Star Moon Palace, unrestricted by the defensive magic arrays.

You have been granted a thousand li of fertile land near Hercynian as your fief.

“Good~”

The Queen looked at him deeply, a satisfied smile appearing on her lips:

“Next month’s Star Glory Day happens to be Yi Yi’s 18th birthday. Shall your ennoblement ceremony be held together with her engagement ceremony?”

Isolde’s face flushed slightly, and she took half a step back, elegantly curtsying, “Thank you, Mother~”

Pfft!

Lin Ye now wanted to vomit blood and back out. Was it still too late?

Is there any possibility?

I just came to do a quest and get rewards.

But...

Is this a reward?!

Do you call this a reward?

Lin Ye was silent for a moment, then finally spoke, “Chief Advisor, is there a salary?”

“Advisory positions do not have a salary, but there is a certain monthly subsidy,” Minister of Internal Affairs Iris, who was by the Queen’s side, replied.

“Then the Grand Councillor should have a salary, right?” Lin Ye frowned.

“Ministers holding positions above Count are making selfless contributions to the Kingdom; they do not receive a salary or subsidies,” Minister of Internal Affairs Iris adjusted her magical spectacles on her nose bridge, stating calmly.

Alright, alright, alright!

Lin Ye understood, and couldn't help but grit his teeth secretly.

So, you two, mother and daughter, planned this out, intending to exploit me for free today, right?!

“Knight Brother, um... esteemed Star Glory Marquis, you have a fief! Hercynian, right next to the Royal Capital, is the most fertile land in the Kingdom~” Isolde explained.

“Yes.”

Minister of Internal Affairs Iris flipped through the booklet in her hand: “Hercynian was originally a reserved royal fief, a thousand li of grain and medicinal herb producing areas, three mineral sites, capable of producing 10 million gold coins annually. The territory also has a royal palace, a city with a population of a million, and subordinate villages and towns. The annual trade tax revenue is also around 10 million gold coins.”

20 million gold coins?

How much is that?

About four billion... annually?!

Hmm.

If the territory's income doubles, that's four hundred billion a year.

Tsk~

Not bad!

Lin Ye felt a little more comfortable, barely able to accept this ‘arduous’ job.

However.

Lin Ye always had a feeling that this money might not be easy to earn.

Minister of Internal Affairs Iris turned to the Queen, respectfully saying, “Your Majesty, if there are no issues, I will proceed to announce it to the Kingdom.”

“Go ahead.”

The Queen assented, “Also, you should familiarize Star Glory Marquis with the Cabinet and the duties of the Grand Councillor.”

“Marquis, please follow me,” Iris turned and invited.

On the other side.

Isolde was already having trouble standing still; it was clear she also wanted to follow.

“Yi Yi, you two will be married next month. For this period, stay in the palace obediently and learn your etiquette well,” Her Majesty the Queen ordered directly, not giving her a chance to retort.

Lin Ye thought to himself.

So the Princess had already foreseen this fate?

No wonder she didn't want to come back.

You should have said so earlier!

If you had said so earlier, I wouldn't have come either.

Sigh~

Lin Ye sighed inwardly, then gave the Princess a reassuring look... Don't be afraid, be ready to run at any time!

Mm-hmm~

Isolde instantly understood Lin Ye’s gaze and happily stood on her tiptoes.

Bidding farewell to the Queen.

Leaving the main hall.

Iris took Lin Ye on a tour of Star Moon Palace, familiarizing him with the palace’s layout.

The largest island in Star Moon Lake was where the Royal Palace was located, serving as the Queen’s residence and where she handled state affairs. The princesses resided in independent palaces on the nine surrounding smaller islands.

Lin Ye frowned upon hearing this: “The Queen has nine princesses?”

“Yes.”

“However, currently only three princesses remain in the Royal Capital. I will introduce them to you at the banquet later.”

Iris continued to explain.

In addition to the Queen's daily residence, the Royal Palace also served as the office for core functions such as the Internal Affairs Department, the Military Affairs Department, and the Privy Council. It was also the location of the Kingdom's treasury and library, among other confidential areas.

Regarding security.

Aside from the magic arrays passed down through generations, all guards were provided by the Blue Moon Legion.

“Marquis, the security of the Royal Palace will be your responsibility from now on. Please be sure to dedicate yourself to protecting Her Majesty and the princesses.”

Lin Ye was very busy and not in the mood to deal with these matters, so he casually responded:

“What about the previous Grand Councillor?”

Iris: “Dead.”

Lin Ye suddenly became interested and pressed, “When?”

Iris: “Yesterday.”

Huh?

Lin Ye knew this task wasn't that safe: “How did he die? Suicide?”

Iris was slightly surprised: “How did you know?”

Heh heh!

For such a crucial position as Grand Councillor, if there's a sudden death, it must be suicide.

It’s a rule, understand?!

Lin Ye didn't ask further, because there was no need.

If she knew who killed the Grand Councillor, the Queen wouldn't have been in such a hurry to find someone to take his place.

Although.

Friendship played a significant role in this.

However.

With a full 3000 points of friendship, there was no reason for the Queen to put herself in a suicidal position.

One could only say.

The Queen herself wasn't safe.

If they were to die, everyone would probably truly die together.

Completely fulfilling this relationship.

Friends for life and death!

Wait.

A 3000-point relationship, it should be this, right?

Lin Ye opened the interaction interface and found Queen Shadow Moon Yao.

Relationship: Three-Life Bond

Hmm.

I can see it.

I owe you from my past life!

Lin Ye sighed inwardly.

If it were truly 1000 points, like Avinia, she definitely wouldn't let herself take risks.

Now at 3000 points, the relationship has indeed upgraded.

But the Queen, on the contrary, was not polite with him at all.

Perhaps.

She really thought he owed her from a past life?

Half an hour later.

The two had toured the entire Royal Palace.

Lin Ye had a general understanding of the current situation and suddenly remembered that he still had important business to attend to.

“You are the Minister of Internal Affairs; please settle the bounty for the wanted criminals for me.”

Iris looked at the kill certificate in Lin Ye’s hand.

“Shadow Group, so many?”

“Not many, just a little bit,” Lin Ye chuckled, offering, “From now on, whoever you want to kill, just give me the bounty order. In this area, you have to trust the experts: guaranteed kill, burial, and aftermath, a one-stop service.”

Iris was deeply shocked.

“The Shadow Group is not that easy to kill; many bounty hunters now dare not touch this organization because the death rate is too high.”

“It seems.”

“Her Majesty the Queen truly made the right choice in entrusting the Grand Councillor position to you. At least... you won’t die from an assassination by the Shadow Group.”

Ding~

Minister of Internal Affairs Iris, your friendship with her has increased by 1000 points!