The earpiece was disrupted, and the main departments in Plumera City could no longer receive Elara's orders. Although due to the urgent situation, the major departments could temporarily use certain authorities to ensure the nation's defense and security, most of the remaining matters which did not appear directly related to the Puppet Soldiers assault and normally required the monarch's decision were currently out of their control.
If the departments continued operating this way, their interconnected decisions might easily lead to conflicts and opposing views, causing negative consequences.
Especially now, during the critical stage of the Puppet Soldiers invasion, without a decisive leader recognized by all, the aftermath could be harmful.
But if these issues were allowed to continue unresolved for too long, it would definitely create long-term problems for Plumera Kingdom's future.
Just as all departments were at a loss, a figure in a wheelchair was slowly pushed in by a palace attendant.
It was Commander Shu, who had rarely appeared in public since returning from the Northern Frontier. He sat in the wheelchair, his thin and frail body still wrapped in a thick fox-fur cloak. His pale, handsome face still looked sickly, but compared to when he had first returned, his lips had finally regained a bit of color.
He wheeled himself slowly among the ministers, his clear eyes sweeping across the group. "Since you all cannot contact her for now, why not hear me out?"
His slender pale fingers adjusted the fur draped over his shoulders. Commander Shu gave a soft cough and waited for the ministers to quiet down before he spoke again.
"Petunia Kingdom is very far from Plumera, and the battle with the Puppet Soldiers changes rapidly. There is no telling how long it will last."
"In this situation, all departments within Plumera must prioritize resisting the Puppet Soldiers. All other matters should be postponed. This is something the departments behind you have likely already agreed on."
As the people from the departments looked over, and no one objected, Commander Shu calmly wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, then looked to the current heads of each major department.
"In that case, take this shared understanding as the guiding principle. Each department should organize their required decisions and vote accordingly."
"As for the final seal, let me handle it for now. If anything happens later, or if she returns and has questions, I, Commander Shu, will take full responsibility. Go ahead and act freely."
The departments fell silent, watching Commander Shu sitting in the wheelchair. No one said anything for a while.
To step forward in such a moment, becoming the first and most controversial decision-maker, clearly showed that beneath Commander Shu's frail appearance was the steady confidence and calm he had built over years as a high-ranking leader.
He had once served as the regent prince of Plumera Kingdom, holding the country's strongest military power for over a decade.
Later, upon returning, Elara granted him the title of Prince and gave him residence in the Palace of Tranquil Longevity, a position nearly equal to that of a retired emperor.
By status and power, he truly was the most authoritative person within Plumera's court right now.
And Plumera was indeed in urgent need of a leader.
But although Commander Shu had the background and rank, he had always been stationed alone in the Northern Frontier. Many officials and noble families in the southern regions only knew his name but had little familiarity with him.
Moreover, the current court officials had all been personally selected and promoted by Elara through rigorous examinations. Their first loyalty would always be to Elara, and they did not feel a strong sense of allegiance to this prince who had returned mid-course.
If someone from the Nine Departments had to act in Elara's place, most of them actually preferred Mathias, head of the Science Department.
After all, Mathias had been by the Empress's side for years, even during her time in the inner palace before her reign. Later, he was greatly trusted by her, which helped the declining Pei family regain its status as one of the top aristocratic houses.
The Pei family had long been loyal, and they had a solid reputation among the officials and noble families of Plumera.
So, if the departments had to choose a temporary decision-maker, they would rather it be Mathias.
But unfortunately, not long ago, Mathias had personally led a large group of Science Department officials to a remote city in the Northern Frontier to inspect local academy records. When the Puppet Soldiers erupted, the north was hit hardest by the parasite eggs, and he sent a message saying he would stay to assist Francis, Egbert, and Hector in dealing with the threat. He would not be returning soon.
After Commander Shu finished speaking, the officials remained silent. No one responded, but their expressions and eyes showed a faint sense of caution and evaluation.
Commander Shu noticed this and instead of being annoyed, lightly covered his mouth and chuckled.
"She trained you well."
His voice was so low that not even the palace attendant behind him heard it.
Commander Shu then gave a few soft coughs and lifted his eyes to look at the officials again.
"If you don't believe me, you can go find Prince Benedict and ask Uno, the head of the shadow guards under the Shi family who serves him, to come and take a look."
"In a way, I, Commander Shu, am actually not much different from the Wei Clan members around her or the Shi family members serving Prince Benedict."
"You can all rest assured, even if any of you change your mind in the future or develop rebellious thoughts, I, Commander Shu, would never betray her."
"After all, if she wanted to, I could die at any moment."
Over two months of an extremely long journey were forcefully compressed into just thirty days by Elara.
After a month of nonstop, frantic travel, Elara led the main force and finally saw the eastern border checkpoint of Plumera City.
The border guards were very excited to see them return. After confirming their identities, they immediately activated the city wall's mechanism-mounted repeating crossbows. These swept through the dense swarm of Puppet Soldiers below the city, clearing a path straight to the gate. While opening the gate to welcome the Empress back, they continued operating the crossbows to suppress and eliminate the Puppet Soldiers that tried to surround them again.
From a distance, Elara saw the situation on the wall. Though there were many Puppet Soldiers below, the reinforced checkpoint and gate were mostly undamaged. The guards atop the wall looked sharp, disciplined and fully alert, showing no sign of being attacked earlier, which made her feel quietly relieved inside.
The faint golden barrier of the Eternal Tower shielded them, pushing away the Puppet Soldiers trying to invade again and protecting Elara and her team as they entered the checkpoint.
Once the last soldier had entered, the guards on the wall quickly closed the gate and raised the drawbridge. The repeating crossbows fired a heavy rain of arrows, suppressing and clearing out the swarm of Puppet Soldiers rushing at the gate again.
After entering, Elara continued heading toward Plumera City while instructing the checkpoint officers to follow her and report what had happened during the past month.
The checkpoint general arrived quickly with a deeply respectful attitude. His bright eyes looking at Elara reminded her, without meaning to, of employees secretly following celebrities at work in her past life.
"Your Majesty, thanks to your foresight and orders, every major department stood firm, responded swiftly, and when the Puppet Soldiers emerged, all major border cities adjusted immediately and prevented even one from invading Plumera Kingdom territory."
"The Ministry of Works and the Medical Department had already, following your orders from a month ago, released a large amount of special pills and disinfecting powder made by Oswyn into all the major rivers within our borders."
"The medical officials also sent out multiple small squads to guard the key river areas, constantly monitoring for Puppet Soldier eggs inside and around the water. Currently, most water sources flowing into Plumera Kingdom have already been sterilized, and are no longer infectious."
"In addition, the special pills made by the medical department had already been widely distributed to the military and civilians. At this point, injuries or deaths caused by Puppet Soldier eggs within Plumera Kingdom are almost nonexistent."
The checkpoint general reported the past month's developments with clear speech and a logical tone.
Confirming that all departments had handled the crisis well and that no Puppet Soldier eggs had broken through, Elara relaxed again. She felt comforted, like a caretaker seeing the child she raised finally able to survive alone and perform well.
When she heard that Commander Shu had stepped up as decision-maker in her absence, her expression changed slightly, but she said nothing.
As she listened to the general's report, she also dismissed the Eternal Tower and looked around at the nearby scenery within the country.
The land inside Plumera Kingdom looked nearly unchanged from when she left. Fewer foreign merchants were seen on the roads, but the green farmlands on both sides were still vibrant. Now and then, farmers could be seen working in the fields, while locals passed by with carts pulled by oxen or horses.
Most of their faces showed smiles, their expressions relaxed. Children on the carts were cheerful, clearly unaffected by the Puppet Soldier invasion from outside the border.
The checkpoint general followed her gaze. Seeing the peaceful life of the people on the roadside, his face also revealed pride and satisfaction.
"Your Majesty, when the Puppet Soldiers first appeared, some citizens near the checkpoints did witness the invasion, so there was some brief panic in the beginning."
"But it only lasted a short time. General Qi, head of the military, personally led the troops to fight and suppress the foreign Puppet Soldiers."
"The Medical and Works Departments followed closely, bringing large supplies of medicine and powerful defense weapons like repeating crossbows. Other key departments, such as the Science and Administration Ministries, also sent officials to each border city to calm and reassure the people."
"Now, seeing those strange things held firmly outside the country, unable to step even a foot inside, the people have mostly adapted over this past month."
"They're not afraid anymore. After all, Plumera Kingdom has such a powerful army and all kinds of mechanical weapons. We, the gate soldiers, are still standing strong on the walls, guarding the gates, and protecting them."
The checkpoint general finished speaking and gave Elara a wide grin. His smile was bright and cloudless, his eyes full of confidence and hope for victory in the future.