The gazes of the two Primordial Dragons landed on her at the same time. Their gazes were filled with obvious anticipation. This made Melita, who was used to getting paid for her work, shrink her neck subconsciously. However, she was not the same person as before. After the initial nervousness had passed, she pointed at herself. "Could it be that this candidate is …"
"You are the most suitable," President Andal said in a low voice. "Among the younger generation, you have the most contact with the Lolun Continent, and you have a personal relationship with Gwen Cecil. In terms of personal ability, you are also good at dealing with changes and unexpected situations. Tarlonde has been closed for too many years, and has experienced a devastating war. We can't find many diplomats like you now."
Melita opened her mouth. In fact, she had guessed that things would develop like this when the two leaders were halfway through the conversation. But this time, she could not help but whisper, "But I … have some personal matters to attend to …"
Helagol looked at her curiously and said gently, "Personal matters?"
"I have to go home and hatch the eggs …" Melita said a little awkwardly. "Noretta and I have just claimed a dragon egg."
President Andal immediately recalled and nodded gently. "I seem to have heard Duckmore mention this before. Noretta submitted the application last week."
Melita felt a little ashamed. Tarlonde needed her now. She felt that she should not affect the overall situation because of her personal matters. But she still could not help but mention the matter of going home and hatching the eggs. After all, she would feel bad if she let Noretta take care of the dragon egg by herself. But at this moment, she had made a decision in her heart. The final judgment of this matter would be left to the two leaders. After all … the work of the resident ambassador was more important, and the matter of taking care of the dragon egg was not so urgent.
"Well, I have a suggestion," Helagol suddenly said. "You can take the dragon egg with you to Cecil. If the situation requires, you can also seek help from Gwen Cecil."
"Take the dragon egg to Cecil?" Melita's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean … to let the Young Dragon hatch somewhere other than Tarlonde?"
"I don't think that's a problem." Andal nodded slowly. "In the past, our laws forbade the taking of dragon eggs out of Tarlonde, and we didn't recognize the Young Dragon hatched outside of Tarlonde. But that was because of the Cradle. Now that times have changed, this outdated law should be abandoned along with many other laws of the Old Era. We will open our doors to the outside world, and more and more Dragons will head to the Lorren Continent to work or live there. Allowing the carrying of dragon eggs is a very normal thing."
"Ah, I don't have a problem with that," Melita said immediately. "But Noretta … she just took care of the dragon egg. If I take it away, will she …"
"She can be your liaison officer?
She will be responsible for the communication between Tarlund and Cecil. She can act as a messenger until the communication network is reestablished. What if one day we reestablish the sea channel?
She can also be your diplomatic assistant — of course?
This is a preliminary plan? "
Speaker Andal said. "As a permanent ambassador, you can't go to Cecil alone?
And Noretta was your logistics assistant when she was in the Mithril Vault?
The two of you have a tacit understanding. Do you think this arrangement is suitable? "
Melita blinked and then laughed. "Of course!"
This arrangement was more than suitable — it was far beyond her expectations.
But while she was satisfied, she was a little worried. "No Young Dragon has ever been hatched outside of Tarlonde before?
Is the magic environment of the Lorren Continent different from here?
Can the dragon egg really hatch safely there? "
"You should have more confidence in the vitality of the dragon egg.
It's not as fragile as you think. "
"What did Heragol say?
A strange look appeared on his face.
"And you are going to Cecil … Gwen Cecil can even hatch a God."
Melita couldn't help but remind him. "Actually, it's not really hatched … It was still an egg the last time I saw it."
She had just finished speaking.
She felt that her words were inappropriate. Her choice of words seemed to lack respect for the Dragons of the past. But when she wanted to put it another way, she realized that what she said was the truth. She couldn't help but raise her head awkwardly. But she met the two leaders of the Dragons' equally awkward gazes.
"… Let's change the topic."
Helagol finally broke the silence.
"For example, let's discuss the details of the economic revitalization plan."
Speaker Andal immediately nodded. "I agree."
…
The bright and warm sunlight shone on the paths and flowerbeds of the Long Branch Manor.
To make the little river that flowed through the manor shimmer with light?
Ferdinand Wendell stood in front of the French windows in the manor's hall. A flower vine that hung down from the balcony on the second floor swayed gently outside the French windows. The leaves on the vine were lush.
Flowers adorned it.
After the harsh and long winter ended, the cold and wet spring came. Summer had finally arrived in the Oldenheim Plains. The lush summer unfolded its magnificent scroll on this land. The lush foliage in the wilderness was a good omen for everyone. The people in the manor and the town often said that the second half of the year would most likely be better.
To Archduke Ferdinand, who was gradually getting old, this was indeed a good day. The most difficult time was over, and his precious family members had returned to his side. Since returning from the Winter Castle battlefield, this was the happiest day for him.
The Wendell family was loyal to the Empire and had made outstanding contributions. However, their numbers had dwindled over the years. He could not afford to lose another granddaughter.
"The Oldenheim side is building momentum for your return. In the military's propaganda, you will be a hero who saved the Winter Wolf elites and prevented the border from going completely out of control. His Majesty will personally award you and hold a welcoming ceremony for you. The parliament has basically been taken care of, and no one will make things difficult for you and your subordinates." The old man did not turn around. He knew that Andesha was standing behind him. "As for now, the news announced to the public is that you have not recovered from your injuries and will need to continue recuperating in the Long Branch Manor. You can use this time to adjust your condition and learn more about the changes in the country. However, it's best not to meet with anyone other than those you can trust."
Andesha could not help but think that her grandfather had not taught her about this for a long time.
She was no longer a young girl who had just entered the military and political circle. There were many things that she did not need to be taught. However, at this moment, she still listened attentively until the old duke finished speaking.
After that, she broke the silence. "So His Majesty asked me to leave the imperial capital temporarily and recuperate in the Long Branch Manor. This is essentially a form of protection. Will I still return to the position of Wolf General?"
"Of course it's a form of protection." The old duke nodded. "As for the position of 'Wolf General', Andesha, your title has never been taken away. You will return to the army, and soon, you will return to Winter Wolf Fort. His Majesty trusts you. He knows what you have done to protect the interests of the Empire. In the northwestern border of the Empire, there is no one more suitable than you. And … "
The old duke paused for a moment. Andesha could not help but ask, "And what?"
"After the Battle of Winter Wolf Fort, the Empire suffered a great loss. The Mad God's attack on us was much more severe than what the outside world thought. I will not tell you the specific data here. You can slowly understand it later. You only need to know that many famous legions were wiped out after the battle, including several National Knight Regiments. A large number of officers were also killed, and many of them were high-ranking generals. The Winterwolf Legion that you fought so hard to protect and the entire command system of the Empire will assume the role of the mainstay of the Empire. To a certain extent, the Winterwolf Legion is the only one in the northwestern border of the Empire that is still intact.
The entire elite force of the Empire is gone. "
Andesha did not say anything, but her breath caught in her throat.
"Now, you should understand why His Majesty spent so much effort to create the identity of a meritorious official for you, so that you can smoothly and steadily return to the Empire and regain control of the military."
"No generals to use, huh …" Andesha muttered to herself with a complicated expression. She then sighed softly. "No matter what, it's a good thing that the Empire has passed the most dangerous stage. Now that the Alliance has been established, we don't have to worry about external wars for the time being. As long as the Empire's internal situation can be stabilized for a period of time, most of the pressure will be alleviated with the economic recovery brought by international trade …"
Duke Ferdinand turned around and looked at Andesha in surprise. "I didn't expect you to start paying attention to these things. The Andesha I remember was a child who never cared about business and internal affairs."
"… I had nothing to do in Solin Castle, after all." Andesha looked a little awkward as she began to reflect on whether she had neglected this' homework 'in the past. "When I was free, I would read some books, newspapers, and radio. In my opinion, Cecil's newspapers and radio are very useful. Even though the format is simple, the content is all-encompassing. Whether it's a commoner, a scholar, or a politician, everyone has the opportunity to find something to think about. This is different from what we have been promoting all this time."
Duke Ferdinand's gaze turned deep for a moment. As he listened to Andesha's words, he could not help but think of the long conversation he had with Emperor Rosetta after he returned to Oldenheim not long ago, and the matter mentioned in the conversation — the right to think, regardless of class, identity, or status.
In Oldenheim, many nobles questioned this. The foolish ones dismissed it as meaningless, while the smart ones realized that this would further shake the foundation of the nobles. However, Ferdinand knew that with the disclosure of several internal documents of the Theocratic Council, these voices of doubt would soon disappear like words on the beach before the next wave came.
He shook his head and threw the irrelevant thoughts to the back of his mind for the time being. He sized Andesha up. "It sounds like your attitude towards Cecil has changed a lot. In the past, you would almost never make any positive comments about the people and things in that land."
"Will this change in attitude affect the evaluation of me by the upper class of Oldenheim?"
"Yes, especially when you've just returned to the Empire from Cecil. Countless pairs of eyes have been waiting for you to say something about this. Although the alliance has been established, and peace has become the consensus of everyone, there are still many people who are nervous. Furthermore, in the long run, we do need a group of people who are nervous," Ferdinand said straightforwardly. "So, you need to control your words in public. Of course, I also know that you're definitely able to handle this problem by yourself."
At this point, the old man paused for a moment before looking at his granddaughter curiously. "Then, can you tell me now? What made you change your view of that land? Are you no longer holding a grudge about what happened back then? "
"Gwen Cecil is indeed a respectable person, and there are many things in that land that we can learn from. Also …" Andesha deliberated over her words, but she couldn't help but hesitate when she reached the second half of the sentence. She hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind. "Also, father is still alive."
Duke Ferdinand's expression froze instantly, and he lost his reaction as if he had been petrified. After a full ten seconds, the old man suddenly remembered how to breathe and took a deep breath. He stared at Andesha's face with his eyes wide open. "What did you say?! You said Bard, he … he's still alive? "
"Yes, father is still alive." Andesha inhaled softly. She finally organized her words, and the second half of the sentence was exceptionally smooth. "He's in Cecil."
"He's in Cecil?!" Duke Ferdinand's jaw dropped. Countless thoughts flashed through the old man's mind. His thoughts were in a mess like never before, and it took him a lot of effort to maintain the ability to think. "You mean, he's been captured? Was he captured by the Ansu back then? Is he now Cecil's captive? Or … "
"Calm down, Grandfather." Andesha couldn't help but step forward and grab her grandfather's arm. She didn't expect this powerful, calm, and dignified old man to lose his composure like this one day. However, when she thought of the day when she had just reunited with her father, she knew that her situation then wasn't any better than Ferdinand's. "I know what you're thinking, but things are much more complicated than you think. Father wasn't captured by Cecil, and he wasn't captured by the Ansu back then either. He … he's been through a lot, and he's no longer the person you know. However, he's still a reliable and righteous person."
"He …" Ferdinand opened his mouth. He thought of Andesha's personality. With her personality, there was only one possibility for her to use such a tongue-twisting way to describe something — the situation was truly unimaginably complicated. "What is he doing now?"
"He's a researcher in the Cecil Empire."
"Researcher? You mean the kind of person who studies books … A general who's now a scholar? "
"Yes."
"Then what is he researching?"
"I don't really understand, but it seems like he's researching how to monitor some kind of … signal from afar. It's not a secret there, but even if it's discussed openly, very few people can figure it out. "
"So he even became a very … high-level scholar?"
"It seems so."
"Oh, the ancestors of the family." Duke Ferdinand couldn't help but hold his forehead. "What … What happened?"
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