Queen, You Wouldn’t Want Your Subjects…

In less than a month, Rōran had undergone enormous changes.

The number of outside caravans had suddenly surged, and all the Guards around the Queen had been replaced. The Queen, who had once been very close to her people, had not appeared for nearly a month.

Moreover, all roads leading outside had been tightly guarded. Ordinary people needed a special document personally approved by the Queen before they could leave Rōran; yet when they wanted to request an audience with the Queen, they found that they could not see her at all.

From time to time, a purple pillar of light shot into the sky from the High Tower at the center of Rōran, leaving Rōran’s Civilians deeply uneasy.

If not for the outside caravans selling large quantities of grain, fruits, vegetables, and some novel computer games cheaply to Rōran’s Civilians, the people here would surely have banded together and rebelled.

If a few people managed to escape and went to Sunagakure or Konoha, that would also have been an unexpected complication for the operation to rescue Hyuga Mirai.

Night fell.

Another purple pillar of light shot into the sky from Rōran’s High Tower. Seeing it from the balcony, Queen Sara, who was confined within the palace, could not help feeling worried once more.

There was no need to elaborate on the importance of the Dragon Vein. From the first ancestor of the Rōran royal family to settle here down to her, they had always borne the duty of guarding the Dragon Vein.

But the people who had come to Rōran this time were far too powerful. They had taken control of her country almost effortlessly. It was not as though Queen Sara had not tried to resist, but there had been nothing she could do.

Sara had lost contact with her closest Guards. The only places she could move between were her bedroom and the balcony. No matter how much she planned, powerless as she was, Sara could not carry any of it out.

After that burst of purple light just now, an invisible Magnetic Shockwave instantly spread outward from the Dragon Vein.

Crackle! Crackle!

Under the Magnetic Shockwave, aside from modified humans like Android 18 who incorporated Bio-nanites, the other Mechanical Guards suffered varying degrees of damage.

Fortunately, the Magnetic Shockwave was not especially strong, nor had it been directed at them, so Android 18’s Mechanical Guards had not suffered severe damage.

"Android 18, did you find Lord Mirai this time?"

After looking around, Uzumaki Ayaka still did not see Hyuga Mirai. She could not help anxiously asking Android 18 beside her.

"Ayaka, you should remain calm when something happens in the future. If you had used Mind’s Eye of the Kagura, you would have sensed my location."

A familiar voice came from above. Upon hearing it, Uzumaki Ayaka looked up in delighted surprise and, as expected, spotted that familiar figure.

Hyuga Mirai jumped down from the top of the High Tower. His face was slightly pale as he continued, "Still, thank you, Ayaka."

"N-No, it was nothing. For Lord Mirai, this is what I should do."

Hearing him thank her, Uzumaki Ayaka’s heart immediately pounded like a deer—no, like a wild boar. Clasping her hands together, she moved closer to Hyuga Mirai and giggled.

But after getting close, Uzumaki Ayaka suddenly noticed that Hyuga Mirai’s face was extremely pale. Through Mind’s Eye of the Kagura, she could also sense that his Chakra signature was very weak.

She hurriedly asked, "Lord Mirai, are you hurt? Hurry and bite me. My blood is the best medicine for healing."

"I’m fine, Ayaka. I just used too much Chakra, and there are side effects from Space-Time Travel. Android 18, did anything unusual happen while I was gone?"

There were many Mechanical Guards inside and outside the tower, and Hyuga Mirai did not know how many days he had been away. He urgently needed to learn the current situation.

"Everything is well, sir."

Android 18 spoke, then slowly walked to Hyuga Mirai’s side. Her expression remained calm, though her eyes scanned him from head to toe twice.

As Android 18 explained, Hyuga Mirai gradually learned what had happened while he was away.

Other than Orochimaru encountering Root and being pursued for a while, the Uzumaki Company being attacked by Root with the managers of three branches taken away, Sunagakure noticing that the Yasunori Trading Company had sent too many people and wanting to investigate—only for another transaction to distract Rasa—and Rōran being placed under Android 18’s semi-forced control, there had been little else.

After all, Hyuga Mirai had only been gone for a little over a month. The Ninja World had just emerged from war, and every country was recuperating. Only a small number of battlefields still saw clashes.

Hyuga Mirai rubbed his chin and asked, "Looks like Konoha released its mad dog to bite people once it started rebuilding its strength. Has the Uzumaki Company been affected?"

Seeing Hyuga Mirai look at her, Uzumaki Ayaka immediately glanced around in a fluster and said, "Um… I’m not too sure either. You should ask Android 18."

Android 18 said, "There has not been much impact, sir. Next, we only need to let others handle selling computers. It will be enough for the Uzumaki Company to lay down the data network."

If Danzo continued doing this, he would be offending the other nobles within the Land of Fire. The one who would die would definitely be him.

Hyuga Mirai clapped his hands and said, "Let’s go. Next, we’ll meet the Queen of Roran."

He had to take control of Rōran. Leaving aside the vast energy within the Dragon Vein, the possibility that the magnetic field here could trigger Space-Time Travel alone gave Hyuga Mirai sufficient reason.

Afterward, Hyuga Mirai and the others arrived outside Queen Sara’s room. They did not conceal their footsteps, so Sara knew that quite a few people had come for her.

Knock, knock!

The knocking made Queen Sara’s heart jump. She lightly gripped the Chakra Blade at her waist, then forced herself to remain calm and called out, "Come in."

Hyuga Mirai, Android 18, and Uzumaki Ayaka then pushed open the door and entered.

"Queen Sara, this has caused Rōran a very negative impact. I am deeply sorry for that."

After entering, Hyuga Mirai first smiled and apologized to Sara before taking a seat across from Queen Sara.

"Out of curiosity, I was careless and got drawn into the Dragon Vein. In order to find me, my subordinates caused quite a disturbance in Rōran. I will offer sufficient compensation to Rōran’s people and to Your Majesty."

After the Anrokuzan incident, this Queen held considerable prestige in Rōran. If he could persuade her, it would greatly aid Hyuga Mirai in taking control of the Dragon Vein peacefully.

Hyuga Mirai began by assigning responsibility to himself and admitting fault, then offered compensation. His attitude was sincere, and his expression gentle, causing Sara to relax somewhat. She no longer gripped the Chakra Blade, and after thinking it over carefully, she felt that this man, who could admit fault and take responsibility when she had no power to resist at all, should be a good person.

If he had been a bad person, he could simply have killed her and taken over all of Rōran.

"There was nothing that could be done about it. A qualified subordinate worrying about their leader is only natural. Since you know your mistake, then I can treat this matter as though it never happened."

Sara was not foolish. The Dragon Vein was the real issue, but the other side was far too strong for Rōran to contend with. For now, she could only probe cautiously.

"Then, since you have returned safely, regarding Rōran…"

"Of course, that can be discussed. Queen Sara, if you are willing, I can withdraw all my subordinates tonight."

Looking at the young and tentative Queen Sara before him, Hyuga Mirai could not help chuckling.

"We can even conduct more comprehensive exchanges. I have also learned a little about the ancient nation of Rōran. To avoid war, you have lived in near isolation. Your only source of information from the outside world is passing caravans, correct?"

"That is because…"

"It was the decision of the previous Queens of Rōran. I do not mean to criticize them, Queen Sara. On the contrary, in order to protect Rōran’s people from becoming collateral damage of war, they made decisions that might cause future generations of Rōran’s royal family to bear an unfavorable reputation. Such conduct instead earns my deepest admiration."

After admitting fault and offering compensation, Hyuga Mirai now sincerely expressed great approval of the previous Queens of Rōran. This alone increased Sara’s favorable impression of him.

"But Queen Sara, the great war outside has already ended. Shouldn’t we make some appropriate changes for the sake of the people? For example, letting Rōran’s people live better lives, letting Rōran’s young people learn about the interesting things and changes in the outside world."

"Fish and shrimp from the sea, fruits from the Land of Fire, even the most advanced computer games—things that many Rōran people have never seen in their entire lives. Queen Sara, for the people who have always loved and supported you, it should be easy to decide to make a small change to the decisions of your ancestors."

After Hyuga Mirai’s series of punches, Queen Sara’s thoughts were continuously led along by him. As she listened, Sara kept thinking: in order to guard the Dragon Vein, was it truly right to make the people who loved her suffer like this? Could she really be considered a qualified Queen?

"When you decide to ask Rōran’s people for their own wishes, they will surely support your decision for the sake of Queen Sara, whom they sincerely love. Whether they choose to continue living as before or overturn the decisions of their ancestors and let Rōran’s people live a completely new kind of life, they will support your choice. Because you are Rōran’s Queen, the Queen Sara they have always loved."

So, would she truly choose to let down her people for the responsibility of guarding the Dragon Vein that her ancestors had left her?

That was the meaning implied in Hyuga Mirai’s words.

"Th-Then what should I do?" Queen Sara was already somewhat dazed. Between her people and her ancestors’ decisions, she began to waver, unable to make a choice in her heart.

At this point, Sara did not even care that Hyuga Mirai stood before her—the very person who had just bewitched her through both words and reality. Queen Sara only wanted to place a weight heavy enough to tip one side onto the scales swaying endlessly in her heart, allowing her to make a choice.

Seeing this, the corners of Hyuga Mirai’s mouth rose slightly as he said again, "Your Majesty, according to my observations, in less than ten years, Sandstorm Erosion will spread across all of Rōran. I believe you have noticed the changes in the desert as well. We have many ways to solve the problem of Sandstorm Erosion."

Then Hyuga Mirai leaned in slightly and said slowly, "Queen Sara, you wouldn’t want Rōran’s people to be forced to leave their homeland because of Sandstorm Erosion, would you?"

Second update!

I won’t write nonsense anymore. I’m really sorry!