Kingdom Building Game: Starting Out With A Million Upgrade Points! Chapter 92: From Mirrors to Mythril

The gentle glow of the morning sun filtered through the tall, arched windows of Empress Illena's chambers.

The light landed on the beautiful patterns of the embroidered curtains and the soft sheen of the marbled floor.

Illena stood before a gilded mirror, her hands loosely clasped behind her as two elven maids adjusted the fabric of her dress, ensuring every fold and detail was immaculate.

Her reflection bead back at her with a playful smile, and she couldn't help but twirl a lock of her silver and green hair between her fingers.

"Careful, Your Majesty," ca the voice of her head maid, Selvia, standing behind her with a comb in hand.

Selvia's golden brown hair was tied back neatly, and her sharp green eyes watched Illena with a warm smile.

"If you keep fiddling with your hair, I'll have to start all over again."

Illena pouted, her lips forming an exaggerated frown.

"Oh, Selvia, must you always ruin my fun? It's just hair! It likes to be played with, don't you think?"

She let out a playful hum, turning her head slightly, though she remained obedient as Selvia began combing her hair.

Selvia's brow arched slightly.

"I hardly think your hair has preferences, Your Majesty. Though I must admit, it is as lively as its owner."

"Now hold still, or it'll tangle."

Illena giggled, as she leaned back slightly, her gaze drifting to Selvia's reflection in the mirror.

"Tell , Selvia, how do you think things are progressing with and the emperor?"

The question caught Selvia slightly off guard, and her hands paused montarily before resuming combing her hair.

"With His Majesty?" Selvia said calmly, but she was curious.

"I imagine you're doing well, Your Majesty. You've spent more ti together these past weeks. Or are you not pleased?"

Illena tilted her head, her smile growing mischievous. "Oh, I'm pleased. But I want to be closer to him."

Selvia blinked, her hands stilling again. She t eyes with Illena in the mirror, her expression a touch of confusion and curiosity.

"Closer? What do you an, Your Majesty?"

Illena turned slightly. "Oh, Selvia," she said, teasing.

"Do you truly not understand?" She leaned in conspiratorially, lowering her voice just enough to add a touch of drama.

"I an the kind of romantic closeness that leads to... well, love making."

Selvia's face imdiately flushed, her fair complexion turning a soft shade of pink. She took a sharp step back, clutching the comb as though it were a shield.

"Your Majesty!"

"That is no way for an empress to speak!"

Illena burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling with delight. She waved a hand dismissively, her joy infectious despite Selvia's scandalized expression.

"Co now, Selvia! I'm simply a maiden in love. Is it so much to admit that I wish to be pleased by the presence of my Emperor?"

She placed her finger on her lip as she gazed at her mischievously.

Selvia's lips parted, though no words ca out at first. She finally managed to compose herself, though her cheeks still burned with embarrassnt.

"Your Majesty," she said calmly, "you are an empress, a symbol of dignity and grace. Speaking of such matters so freely… it is most unbecoming."

Illena grinned. "And yet, here I am, saying it. Now," she twirled a strand of her hair again, her expression turning thoughtful, "how do you suggest I achieve this... closeness?"

Selvia's shoulders stiffened, and she glanced at the other maids, who were now intently focused on their tasks, pretending not to overhear.

'You taitors!' Selvia thought as she gazed at them.

"I don't think it is my place to advise you on such... intimate matters, Your Majesty," Selvia said, her voice almost strained.

"But you must!" Illena dais, turning around to grab her by her shoulders. "You're my head maid, Selvia. If I can't ask you, who else can I turn to? Co now, don't be so shy."

Selvia sighed, her resolve weakening under Illena's persistence. She gazed at her empress, and couldn't help but notice her gaze was similar to that of a child asking favour from her mother.

She looked so cute.

This was obviously an emotional attack!

She sighed and turned Illena around again as she began to comb her hair, more as a distraction than anything.

"V-Very well," she said reluctantly.

"Perhaps... you could spend more ti in his study? Bring him tea or sothing of the sort. It would give you a chance to converse more deeply."

Illena wrinkled her nose. "Tea? Too predictable. What else?"

"You could complint his work," Selvia offered sounding hesitant, her cheeks blushed. "Show interest in his plans for the empire. n like to feel appreciated."

Illena tapped her chin, considering the suggestion before shaking her head lightly.

"Hmm, not bad, but it's still missing sothing."

Selvia exhaled deeply, clearly at the end of her wits.

"Then, Your Majesty, what do you think would work?"

Illena's eyes lit up as an idea struck her. She turned around to look at her again with that cute look on her face.

"What about cooking for him?" she asked, her voice almost a squeal.

"I could prepare his favorite dish! Oh, Selvia, don't you think he'd love that? I rember sister Tila said the best way to a man's heart is trough his stomach."

Selvia stared at her, her composure slipping for a mont. "Cooking, Your Majesty? You've never even set foot in the kitchen before... What in the na of the gods are you going to cook?"

Illena's grin widened. "Exactly! It'll be a surprise! Don't you think it's romantic?"

'Romantic? More like a disaster waiting to happen!'

Selvia placed a hand on her forehead, sighing. "Romantic, perhaps. Practical… not so much. But if this is what you wish, I will make the arrangents."

Illena clapped her hands together, her energy infectious. "Wonderful! Oh, Selvia, you're the best!"

Selvia could only shake her head, muttering under her breath, "The things I do for this empress."

....

....

The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the rugged terrain of the Whispering Vale, a desolate expanse of rocky outcroppings and sparse vegetation.

Captain Utilia and her squad of Berserk Knights had been traveling with a group of dwarven miners since yesterday, their mission to escort the miners to the Ironspine Mountains to extract mythril—a rare and valuable resource for the empire's train engin.

The Ironspine Mountains were still two days away, given their current pace using carriages and horses.

They had set up camp for the night in the Whispering Vale and now pressed forward.

One of the Berserk Knights, a bulky man nad Daric, held the reins to the carriage carrying the miners and supplies.

His blue eyes looked around the horizon for any sign of danger, though the quiet journey so far had lulled him into a sense of cautious boredom.

Captain Utilia rode slightly ahead of the group, her sharp gaze never missing anything.

The captain was known for her unmatched discipline and keen senses, making her the ideal leader for missions like this.

Her, braided hair swung behind her as her steed trotted steadily forward.

anwhile, the dwarves riding in the carriage were hunched over a large, tattered map spread across their laps.

They were debating where best to mine, their gruff voices overlapping as they argued.

The map was marked with red and blue crosses, indicating previous mining sites.

"I'm tellin' ye, we've exhausted this site before," one dwarf, with a thick beard streaked with gray, said as he jabbed a finger at a mark on the map. "Ain't no point in diggin' there again."

Another dwarf, younger and fiery-eyed dwarf, Gram, yelled back.

"And I'm tellin' ye that we might've missed sothin'! Mythril veins don't always run straight—sotis they branch out! We could've overlooked a fortune."

"Bah," grumbled a third, Thoran, waving a hand dismissively. "We'd be better off scouting for a new site. Risky, aye, but the rewards could be greater."

"Enough bickerin'," the eldest dwarf, Dorin, interjected. "The Emperor gave us this here magic trinket to locate mythril. If it works, we won't need to rely on guesswork."

Gram crossed his arms. "With all due respect, I doubt it'll be that simple. If tools like this existed, we'd have stopped usin' maps centuries ago."

As the dwarves continued their heated discussion, Daric, the knight holding the reins, called out to Captain Utilia.

"Captain, do you sense anything out there? Feels too quiet for my liking."

Utilia reined in her horse slightly, closing her eyes and focusing her senses.

Her breathing slowed as she reached out with her heightened awareness, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of movent or blood lust.

For a mont, the group fell silent, their eyes on her as they waited for a response.

Finally, she opened her eyes and shook her head. "Nothing."

Daric let out a sigh, slumping slightly in his saddle. "Guess it's going to be another dull day."

Without turning, Utilia replied with a firm but cold tone. "You would do well not to wish for excitent, Daric. A smooth mission is a successful one. The Emperor's orders are absolute, and our role is to see them carried out without delay. Anything else is irrelevant."

Daric straightened at her words, nodding quickly. "Of course, Captain. You're right."