@me474 that probably got explained better in the LN as in the comic, her nation looks on par with the Empire in terms of territory. If that isn't the case, the artist bombed that. 🤦♂️😭 Gotta explain details like that because from my vantage point, it looks like she leads a nation of relatively equal size as that of the "Empire", which for those who know their histories, know that the size of an "empire" can be deceptive. A "kingdom" can be far larger in territory & population, though this isn't always true. Empires tend to hold retroactive value, but when used outside of the notion of the imperial vassal state model, colonialism, and slave/debtor culture with a massive standing military designed to maintain the power of the
Empire in question, the
term itself can be misleading. This was why I extrapolated as I did given how the comic presents the two rival nations as equally powered, locked in an ongoing stalemate. That stalemate was the rationale for my commentary.
The Queen didn't strike me as being the ruler of some oppressed small nation state that due to territorial boundaries (like a big ass mountain range and other natural fortifications—see Switzerland & WWII/tactical reasons for why Hitler/Germany chose not to invade Switzerland) has been able to keep the Big-Bad at Bay. Instead, they came across as an equivalent rival power that would dominate as an Imperial power if given the opportunity to wipe out their rival power. In other words, the Queen comes acrossed as no better (or, not much better) than the Empire, and at best an "ally of convenience" (e.g.,
Mine Enemy is Your Enemy. While normally we would be enemies, because of circumstances, thy enemies of mine enemy may be mine allies temporarily.).
