In this world, "money", "fame", "happiness", and "joy" could be obtained through hard work, but "time" was the only thing that could not be grasped no matter how hard one tried.
The scene of her father walking through the city gate dressed in silver armor was still vivid in her mind. More than ten years had passed, and although the scenery of Hollier had not changed much, her father had entered his twilight years and was about to step into the terrifying darkness.
Sally had once thought that she was so strong that she could ignore everything. However, in the face of "time", she was so weak that she couldn't even withstand a single blow.
"It's good to accompany me. What important matter could 'Rose Cross' have to look for you?" Angmar smiled and gently wiped away Sally's tears. "Something big happened in the territory during this time … Well, I remember when you were a child, you liked to listen to stories told by bards. What's your favorite part?"
"It's called 'Nibelungen', father."
Sally held Angmar's cold hands and answered obediently.
"Yes, I still remember that you always asked me if I could defeat a dragon." Angmar closed his eyes slightly and recalled the scene of his daughter pestering him when she was a child. He smiled and said, "You were only four years old at that time, and you said that you would marry whoever could defeat a dragon, right?"
"At that time, I didn't know what a dragon was. I just thought it was a little more powerful than the wild wolves in the forest."
Sally still remembered these scenes. She wiped away the tears on her face and replied with a smile, "Father, don't keep me guessing. What happened in the territory?"
"Someone really … killed a dragon."
"How is that possible?" Sally did not believe it at all, but then she saw that her father's expression was not joking. She asked hesitantly, "R-really? Who could be so powerful? I've never heard of Dragons in the territory … not even a sub-dragon. "
"The whereabouts of Dragons are not something we can spy on. But the result is right here, I have nothing to say. The dragon's body is now in Elsa Village."
"Elsa Village? Then the one who killed the dragon is … is … "
Sally's smile suddenly froze on her face.
"Who else?" Duke did not notice his daughter's expression. He gently hammered his thigh and said in a low voice, "Count how many great things he has done in the past year and how many enemies he has defeated. It seems like it's nothing surprising for him to be able to slay a dragon. "
"Right. Roddy stayed with you in the 'temple' for a while, didn't he?"
"Mn. However, he had something urgent to take care of and left."
Sally tried to keep her tone calm, but her heart was in a dilemma … Her father knew that she liked Roddy, and he had never objected to this kind of relationship. But how was she going to explain to him about the quarrel between her and Roddy?
After Roddy left like that, would he still forgive him?
Such a crack in their relationship couldn't be repaired with just a few words. For the first time, Sally didn't have any confidence in herself. Facing Angmar, she didn't want him to feel disappointed or sad.
So she chose to hide it in the end. "He told me that he was going to Elsen City and that he would come to me when he was done."
"Young people are always busy. The city he found is really good, but …"
Angmar then sighed softly. "Logically speaking, there shouldn't be an anomaly like him in the kingdom."
"If it was fifteen years earlier, I would be the first to want to eradicate him. But now — the times have changed, and the stability of the kingdom is no longer there because of internal and external troubles. I must give him my full support, because if I don't, Efta may only become a ruin. "
Sally never thought that her father would say this about Roddy, but then she also understood the reason: a "rookie" with military power, resources, and an important city was extremely dangerous to the old rulers, because no one knew if such a guy would choose to annex everything.
"The Lucifron family can't just decline like this …" Angmar looked at Sally and sighed softly. "The biggest regret in my life is that I didn't see the birth of a new member of the family."
Sally held her breath. She understood what her father meant — the older generation most wanted to see their descendants carry forward the family business, but Angmar had lost this opportunity forever.
He had no chance to see the next generation of the family.
The atmosphere between father and daughter was slightly silent. After a few seconds, Angmar tentatively asked, "Do you … think Roddy is suitable?"
In the end, he still asked.
Sally felt a little pain in her heart, but her face showed a little shyness. "I, I don't think it's useful even if he's suitable …"
"Can't you just call him and ask him? Roddy the Dragon Slayer, heh, this guy is destined to be a legend in the future. "
Angmar didn't notice his daughter's strangeness. His laughter was very hearty. Although he couldn't see the scene of children and grandchildren, everything was developing in the direction he expected. That was enough.
*****
June 30th.
To the "Viper Cross", although the battle in Brill Forest was a complete victory, they undoubtedly became the side that suffered the greatest loss in this battle.
The casualties of the soldiers were not a concern, but the loss of the scepter "Viper's Kiss" made the Pope furious — the scepter that he had spent countless manpower and resources to awaken was actually taken away by a group of nameless people in battle, and then returned to the "Holy Cathedral" safely.
Such a matter, when spoken of, was like a loud slap to the Pope's face.
The scepter placed in the "Holy Cathedral" was very difficult to retrieve, even the Pope of the "Viper Cross" had given up hope. But today, a confidant of the "Rose Cross" who was undercover sent a piece of news that reignited the Pope's hope …
The "Viper's Kiss" scepter had been "activated" by an unknown priest.
To the Pope who understood the "Viper's Kiss", a sentient artifact would "choose" its user. Even someone as strong as Cardinal Goethe, without the artifact's approval, he would not be able to use his power.
And from the recorded history of the "Viper Cross", every user who was approved by the "Viper's Kiss" would be a "savior" who pushed the Church to the peak.
But when the scepter approved a priest of the "Rose Cross" Church, what did it mean?
While most people felt that it was "ridiculous", the Pope believed that this was an "opportunity" — an opportunity to truly destroy or severely damage the "Rose Cross".
So after the news was confirmed, the "Viper Cross" who had already gone into hibernation finally made a new move.
With the Pope's order, a small team of ten left the eastern border of the kingdom and headed towards Efta in the northwest.
*****
June 31st, Elsen City, Pasha Magic Tower.
"Internal temperature control of the building? There is indeed such a magic circle, but … I don't think it is necessary. "
Inside the Pasha Magic Tower, Camilla, who had already adapted to the role of an "advisor", looked at Roddy in surprise and said with a face full of doubt, "I think the first batch of crystals would be more suitable to activate the building magic circle for equipment production. As for the temperature control … for an empty city, isn't it a complete waste of energy? "
Dressed in a red robe, she gave off the aura of a 'strong woman'. It made Rody feel as if he had met a 'strong female colleague' in the office. Although he was the Castellan in name and Camilla was his subordinate, whenever there was an objection, Camilla would always argue for what was right. She was very imposing.
"It is indeed a waste without people living here, but if there are people living here, this energy source will save lives."
"Save lives? I don't understand what you mean. "
Camilla frowned, as if she wanted Roddy to explain clearly, "Will this place be full of people this winter? Unless there is a mass migration in Efta, this situation will not happen. "
"You have hit the nail on the head."
Roddy handed over a plan that he had written in advance. "The specific reasons are all here. If there is anything you don't understand, feel free to tell me. Before winter comes, it is best to make these preparations … whether our city can develop quickly depends on this."
"This …" After quickly skimming through the plan, Camilla showed a look of surprise, but shook her head, "This is not something that can be confirmed at all. How can we plan as if it is a given?"
"Did you forget what I gave you?"
Roddy could not explain his ability to predict the future, so he said, "It was that Shadow Dragon who told me. She would not be so bored as to lie."
Although this explanation was far-fetched, Camilla reluctantly accepted it after thinking about it. Then the two of them began discussing other issues. As a genius in Arcana and a knowledgeable researcher of High Elf culture, Camilla got to know Roddy again in these few days.
This was because she had never seen anyone with such a "strange" idea as Roddy did.
Ordinary lords would never vigorously develop their armies, because that would mean that they would be "militaristic" and starve themselves to death in no time. Nor would they suddenly have the idea to create an "expedition team", because the rate of return on that kind of thing was too low.
If a lord did both of these things, no matter how you looked at it, he would be digging his own grave.
However, this was Roddy's idea for the development of his territory in the future: to use "PVE" to boost the growth of resources and wealth, to build a good foundation for "PVP", and to use the chaos in the future to increase the speed of development.
For PVP, with Sodelor as the core, he would lead troops and carry out basic training in Paarl, and provide equipment, advanced training, and class-change matters from Elsen City. His goal was to create the most powerful fighting force, and he would not have to worry about anything else.
PVE, on the other hand, was slightly more complicated, but to put it bluntly, it was like "mining". With Roddy as the core, the PVE team would specialize in some dungeons or areas with scarce resources, and build a trade hub similar to Elsa's Village, earning large amounts of resources and funds by "investing less and getting more returns". They would focus all their efforts on improving the level and strength of the top team, building a solid foundation for overall development.
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