Haynf and Rawlint sat on two separate beds, looking at each other in silence.
It was a small wooden hut, but it was still comfortable. The interior was clean and tidy, even carpeted. There were woolen paintings hanging on the walls, depicting abstract scenes of Mount Grahar. The workers had planted lilies of the valley on the windowsill. These tiny white flowers poked out from the windowsill, swaying gently in the night breeze.
These little flowers that were rarely seen in this season were nothing special in the Black Forest. In the Loop of Trade Winds, as long as the 'Long Winter' in the forest had yet to arrive, all kinds of flowers could be seen throughout the year.
Haynf looked out of the window. A stream of light gathered in the darkness far away, like stars falling on the ground, giving people some warmth in the endless darkness. It was the light of the town. The locals called this new town 'Sarnan', which meant 'Gem of Light', to describe its scene in the night.
The town was prosperous because of the mining industry. People from all over the world came here and settled down, forming the scale it was today. But now, there were no longer only refugees here. There were also gold miners and merchants who were attracted here. A market had formed spontaneously in the densely populated settlement. Surrounding Salnan, there were small villages in the Dark Forest. Perhaps in less than ten years, this place would become another Firburh.
However, the ones who restrained this place were still the druids of the Kalanga Mountains. The druids protected the Fire Seed, and at the same time, restrained the humans from overexploiting the forest.
"That guy … where is that wizard planning to take us?" After a moment of silence, Rawlint could not help but ask, "We are nobles. Even if we have offended him, there is no reason to restrict our freedom like this. Besides, what use are we to him? Does he want ransom? That's not a problem, but he has to send someone to deliver the message. "
Haynf turned around and said, "You are the only captive, Rawlint. I am not. I volunteered to travel with this Lord Magus, as I happen to be heading towards Trentheim as well. "
"Can't you see, Haynf? He is taking us in circles in the forest. I have spent weeks trekking in the Black Forest, but the journey from Marloth to Abies Castle will take no more than three days. "
Rawlint said unhappily.
Hain Fu looked at the young man mockingly. This fellow had always been arrogant, and he had finally learned his lesson this time. He took out a drawing board and a charcoal pencil from his backpack and began to scribble in front of the beautiful night view of Salnan. At the same time, he replied, "It's up to the lord. Besides, I don't think this is a waste of time. We saved a beautiful lady, didn't we? From the hands of your evil companions. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have taken so long."
"Besides, Rolant, I'm afraid you're the one who doesn't know what's going on. Our noble identities aren't even worth mentioning in the eyes of that lord. I think you should be careful. You're standing against the princess this time, and I think that person is very concerned about the princess. He might be a member of the Royal Family of Covardo. "
"Nonsense." Rolant frowned.
"It's just a guess, but since when did Aouine have such a powerful wizard? The Buga people don't seem to be worth mentioning in front of him. He was clearly concerned about the princess, and I think that's why those Grey Mages angered him."
"If the Royal Family has such a powerful backer, why would they need the Count's help?" Rolant replied in a low voice.
The charcoal pencil in Hain Fu's hand stopped.
This was what he was worried about. His family relied on the rise of Erouine's royal power, but he himself was an admirer of the Count. Everyone had their own ambitions, and from his standpoint, Hain Fu wanted to see the two become one.
But if the Royal Family and the Count had the same power, where would Erouine go in the future?
He silently sketched out the image of the princess in his heart, but he found that there was no fixed shape. Between reality and ideal, which direction would the daughter of Oberg the Seventh choose?
"This is the city that the Count built himself," Hain Fu said, "He is the last Knight to open up a new territory for Wohnde since the Age of Pioneers. But I heard the nobles in various regions discussing this matter, and all of them were waiting to see a good show. As for the lower ranks of Erouine, they were indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with them. Few people can see the changes the Dark Forest has brought to Tónigel. This nameless southern border is now one of the most prosperous areas after Ampere Seale. "
"The merchants are more sensitive to this. They have followed the Count's footsteps into the Dark Forest. But most people, including these people, think that the Count is lucky, but a person's luck is limited. Just like an investment, it can make money, but it can also lose money. But if those people were here today, they might be speechless about their own thoughts. "
He turned around and said, "Rawlint, why do you think the nobles of Erouine today have such a different vision from the Count?"
Rawlint was silent. He worshipped the Count because of his outstanding martial arts and military prowess, as well as his powerful strength and legendary personal experience. All of these made the blood of the young people of this era boil. But more importantly, he was neither servile nor overbearing in front of Cruz. He was completely in line with the image of a hero in the hearts of the young people of Erouine.
But no one was perfect, and the same was true for heroes. The Count's legendary rise was due to his good luck in the Dark Forest. This was understandable, and there was a sense of mystery that was predestined. Perhaps it was Lady Martha who sent this hero to Erouine to save this ancient and fallen kingdom. This feeling of destiny was more in line with the nobles' aesthetic.
But today, all of his previous views had been overturned. A local merchant had personally done the math for them. It was Salnan's profit and investment in maintaining the Pyro Company within a single season. These were two astronomical figures that were equally unimaginable.
It was an inconceivable plan in the eyes of the nobles. To them, most of the wealth that the count had plundered from the Dark Forest had been reinvested into the maintenance of his territory. It was simply a laughable arithmetic problem.
But in fact, Rawlint saw the scattered towns in the Dark Forest taking root in the forest step by step. They were like giant trees that were sprouting, absorbing nutrients from the ground and feeding back to the land. And one day, this place would become Erouine's territory.
Since the Pioneer Era, this was the slimmest hope in the darkness, but it was so real here.
At that moment, Rawlint truly felt a great sense of mission that breathed in the future and destiny of a common future. It was a long-term vision that made one's soul tremble. It would take decades, or even hundreds of years, a generation, or even several generations of effort to complete all of this.
A long-term plan about the future of the kingdom, and even the future of civilization and order of the world. It was just a small step in Tónigel, but it was like opening the door to a vast world for people. The infighting of the people of Erouine in the small land, and even the conflicts in the entire Wohnde, were extremely laughable behind this door.
Rawlint seemed to have gotten to know Hainf all over again. "Hainf, I didn't expect you to care about this too."
"It's not profound. It's just that some people don't want to understand it." Hainf used a charcoal pencil to draw a long ridge on a piece of paper as he replied.
"Since you have seen all of this," Rawlint replied in a deep voice, "I believe you have the intention to change it, and this is exactly what we are doing. After the Count left, Her Highness did all kinds of things to erode the strongest power in the kingdom. If Tónigel falls apart because of this, everything that we have seen in the Dark Forest will one day become a bubble. "
He paused for a moment. "If you are still bothered by what happened before, I can apologize to you for it. Hainf, I think we have the same ideals. Why don't you join the Royal Faction with me?"
Hainf turned around and looked at him mockingly. "Do you really think the Royal Faction can change Erouine, Rawlint? The Royal Faction only hopes to turn Erouine back into the Erouine of the past. They are immersed in the so-called prosperous period before the War of Frost, where the royal family and nobles ruled together. But in that so-called best era, how much has Erouine changed? "
"It hasn't changed," Haynf replied. "Because the nobles actually don't want to change. They just want to maintain the status quo. In that era, we had outstanding figures like Sword Saint Darius and Tulman. But in fact, the so-called resurgence is only because of people and also because of people."
"Rawlint, it's the same today. In Erouine where the nobles rule, Tónigel's miracle is only a flash in the pan. The lessons of Lord Tulman and Lord Darius have been deliberately ignored by some people."
"Preposterous. Nonsense." The young man frowned. He was struggling in his heart. It was as if there was a voice in his head telling him that Hainf's words were correct. But everything he saw and heard since he was young, his class, his family, and his birth made him have a good impression of Erouine.
"You know very well, Rawlint. The Count has already given us the answer."
"…?"
… …
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