A scarab was slowly climbing up the smooth surface of the hourglass. The barbs on its feet were useless against the glass. After several attempts, it finally grabbed the wooden support bar of the hourglass and climbed up. But just as it reached the top, it was pushed back down by a white finger. It angrily flapped its wings and made a rustling sound, but it still helplessly fell back onto the walnut table. It spun around twice, turned around, and began to repeat its previous actions.
The window was bright, and green leaves hung down from the edge of the window. Downstairs, Madam Camille was trimming the short rose bushes. The garden in the courtyard was a product left over from the Graudin era, but Madam Camille was a senior nobleman hired by Amandina from Ampere Seale. Madam Camille was not used to the hot climate of Tónigel, but she was full of praise for Amandina's noble character. She believed that Amandina was the real quiet lady within a hundred miles, and her etiquette was not inferior to that of a country's princess. And it was very likely that she had taken a fancy to such a master, that this arrogant madam was willing to agree to come to Abies, a remote and desolate place.
"Brando, you … you really don't blame me, do you?" In the study, Aloz looked at Brando submissively, which was rare, even rare. A tall man with snow-white hair looked at this scene with inexplicable surprise. In his memory, when did this female dragon have such a docile side? Of the three scourges of the dragon race, Aloz was at the top of the list. If he were to tell others about her current appearance, he was afraid that no one would believe him. He felt that this must be an illusion, or that the sun outside was too bright and dazzling his eyes.
Speaking of which, it was strange that after the end of summer, the temperature did not drop but instead rose. Recently, the weather was getting hotter day by day, as if they had returned to the hottest days of summer.
It had been almost two weeks since it rained.
"My Lord, this is not Miss Aloz's fault, it was my negligence." Metisha quickly said softly.
Brando glanced at the Silver Elf princess. He knew that this was most likely the little dragon's negligence. At that time, she used the star-shaped stone as a stool, and then completely forgot about it when she went to save people. And most likely, Metisha did not notice it, and Arreck seized the opportunity. Now that Scarlet was missing in the explosion, the little dragon was anxious all day, but Brando did not expect her to care so much about his attitude, which made him a little less angry. In fact, he was not worried about Scarlet. When the star-shaped stone exploded, the myth of Milos appeared in time to protect everyone present, and the father of the Frost Giants also confirmed that the mountain girl did not die in the explosion.
If the word of a god was not enough to be trusted, then the fact that the Azure Lance was not found in the ruins later proved the same fact. The question now was where Scarlet was missing, but this was not the main problem. Scarlet's current strength was not much of a match for her in Erouine, so Brando was not very worried about the mountain girl's misfortune. If what Milos said was true, she did not die in the big explosion, then she must have been delayed by something. Now, the knights and mercenaries sent out from the territory and Lantonilan to search for her had also set off. The Deadly Frost Forest was only so big, and now that it had been flattened due to the explosion, he believed that there would be news soon.
Although he was still worried about Scarlet's condition, it was not to the extent that he would fly into a rage over this matter.
But what was really bothering him was – Arreck's death.
Now that Arreck was dead, he couldn't hide the fact that he was the Dark Dragon anymore. This matter was always a hidden danger for him. Now, he really wanted to know who was in charge of Arreck, but it was obviously impossible to find that person in the vast sea of people. He glanced at the submissive little female dragon. The man beside Aloz was also a giant dragon, and it was said that he was here to take her back to the dragon clan. Because this guy was suspected of cheating in the exam, she was put in solitary confinement. This was also her own fault, but she was really pitiful.
He could not help but shake his head, and replied softly, "It's nothing, how long will you be back this time?"
If he remembered correctly, the Dragon Clan's confinement lasted for hundreds of years. If Aloz's crime was too serious, she would be confined for hundreds of years. Wouldn't that mean that the relationship he had with the Dragon Clan that he had worked so hard to establish would be completely wasted?
"It's about three hundred years." The little female dragon began to answer with a frown, but she quickly perked up and replied casually, "But it's okay, they can't lock me up, I'll be able to escape soon."
Brando was almost scared to death, he glanced at the white-haired man, fortunately the latter was looking at the sky, as if he did not hear anything. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, although he did not know why this guy was like this, but it most likely had something to do with the little female dragon. He could not help but glare at the latter, and thought to himself, if you want to escape, then escape, don't say it in public. Even if you're not afraid, what if others think that I'm in cahoots with you? If the dragon clan came to punish me, even if Valhalla was ten times stronger than it was now, it would not be enough.
Aloz saw his expression and immediately rolled her eyes, which meant, "I know, really!"
Then, the little female dragon mumbled for a while and said a few words that were neither painful nor ticklish. In short, the general idea was, "You can't forget me!", "I'll be back soon!" and so on. Then, she was finally taken away by the white-haired man. Then Metisha also said goodbye softly, and in her words, she seemed to mention that Veronica wanted to see him or something. Brando knew that the female army commander was probably in a hurry to rush back to the Empire, this mission was completed successfully for her, but strangely, Brando often saw a worried look on her face recently. He nodded in agreement, and soon only the two of them were left in the room.
After the study was quiet, Brando looked out of the window again.
Separated from the flowerbed by a row of bushes, next to the stable, Kodan was staring at the servants grooming the two tall Arreck horses. The mottled sunlight filtered through the dense oak leaves and fell on the old swordsman's grey military uniform, making him look like a retired colonel. However, the news of the princess's plan to take action against Radner could not be hidden from Brando's subordinates. Brando knew that Kodan might have already known something, and although he did not say it out loud, he was a little disheartened. After all, on one hand, he was loyal to the Kingdom, and on the other hand, he was his old master. His position in the castle was now closer to that of an old butler, and Brando also allowed the old swordsman to have his way, partly because of his relationship with his grandfather, and partly because he regarded Kodan more as Tónigel's guest rather than his subordinate.
Further away was the white walls of Castle Abies. The walls were covered with creepers, giving the place a green shade. There was a staircase that led to the walkway on the walls, where there were a few patrolling guards. There were parapets and battlements outside the walkway, and these defensive facilities were connected to a tall archer tower at the corner. The shining helmets of the archers shone brightly at the entrance of the archer tower, and one of them seemed to be leaning against the door frame as he bragged to his colleagues.
Outside the walls was one of the main streets of Abies, but the thatched huts on both sides of the street had been torn down and replaced with more sturdy and beautiful buildings made of wood and stone. The streets were paved with stone slabs, and it no longer looked as desolate as before. Now, the white streets were filled with people, and they were as small as ants. Further away, there were only patches of red roofs, and the canopy of trees crisscrossed between them, making them look like clusters of parsley in the middle of the city.
Brando looked at this scene, and the frustration in his heart finally dissipated a little, and a sense of accomplishment gradually rose in his heart. If Abies was indeed a run-down village a year ago, it at least had the feeling of a real city now. At the very least, he had been to Bunosson and Magitan. Compared to the big cities in the Southern Border, Firburh was comparable in terms of urban style. Firburh was even more prosperous. And these changes, even in the game, had never happened before. They were all brought about by him. Of course, he also understood that the one who did all of this was not him, but Amandina and Romaine. To be more precise, a certain Romaine who was still a little unconventional in her actions was the one who took the most important part of the credit.
She was the one who came up with the plan to revive Tónigel, and then personally brought about the prosperity of today's business. Today, the link between Port Gris and Ampere Seale connected the entire north, and countless merchant ships sailed through this route every day. Under the watch of the Shining Scale Nagas, this route had become one of the safest in the whole of Erouine in the past half a year, and its reputation had spread far and wide among the various merchant guilds. His agreement with the Winter Dew Queen had not yet revealed its outstanding military and political significance, but the merchants were the first to smell the opportunity. This was not strange, because they were the group of people who had the best sense of smell in human history.
An endless stream of goods was being transported through this route to Abies, and then from Abies to the Loop of Trade Winds. There was no need to worry that these goods would not find a place to go, and the Dark Forest was a truly fertile land waiting to be developed. In just the past two months, the students and subordinates that Grandmaster Bosley had summoned from all over the world had explored two or three areas of the forest. There were silver, gold, copper, and even mithril. There was also the best forest, countless prey, all kinds of precious plants, and fertile soil that had been deposited over thousands of years. In the past, the terrible environment and terrifying monsters in this forest had stopped pioneers, but now, the Flame of Order in the heart of the Loop of Trade Winds had been ignited, and with the entire Kalanga Mountain Range as the center, order was being restored. The druids and tree elves had also joined Brando's war chariot, opening the last door for the people of Erouine.
The goods transported from all over the north were quickly turning these buried treasures into reality. The merchant ships gathered at the port took them back the way they came, and turned them into manpower, technology, and magical resources that Brando desperately needed. It was like a waterway that flowed with gold, and everyone who traveled through it benefited from it. As long as they had the strength or intelligence, they would be able to obtain what they wanted, because they had a generous fiancée.
All of this was due to the Roman's efforts. Even though Amandina, the somewhat muddle-headed merchant girl, might not have been able to organize the spring plowing and autumn planting festivals in Tónigel so well, but at least the current prosperity of the city, the city that was always filled with people, the inns that were filled with merchants, and the shadows of the sails that filled the port were all thanks to her. From the very beginning when she had nothing, to relying on empty words to win the trust of the merchant guilds, to the arrival of a ship at Port Gris, and leaving with a full load of goods, it was all done and accomplished by this little girl who usually did not seem to care much.
Brando did not pay much attention to these matters, but he suddenly felt that he was very lucky. It was as if all of this had suddenly appeared in front of him. He did not have to worry at all, as the merchant girl had already arranged everything for him. Now that everything in Tónigel was on the right track, others thought that he could only wait until he obtained the land of Randner before he could make his grand plans, but they did not know that Erouine's future had already been laid out in front of him.
The little girl who had been by his side since the beginning had already drawn the most important blueprint for him.
He could not help but look at the Roman. The merchant girl was retracting her fingers that were as white as onions and holding her face. Her dark eyes were staring straight at the scarab that had climbed up again with interest. When it climbed up to the top again, she mischievously brought it down again, and repeated this several times as if she did not get tired of it. The merchant girl was wearing a noble's dress, but her back was bent as she sat on the bench, causing the dress to become wrinkled. She even rolled up her sleeves, successfully making her look like a country girl.
If Madam Camille saw her like this, she would probably sigh and shake her head again. In fact, Brando knew that she once thought that Amandina was his fiancée, but fortunately, Amandina personally went to resolve this misunderstanding. He still remembered the strange look in Madam Camille's eyes. Even though Brando did not feel the slightest bit of fear when facing a real god, that old-fashioned old lady's surprised look made him shrink back and flee at the last minute. It was said that it was the first time in this world that he retreated without a fight.
Brando and the merchant girl sat side by side. Because they sat so close to each other, he could almost feel her body temperature, and his nose could faintly smell the fragrance of a young girl. He was a little flustered, as if he was thinking about something, and subconsciously put his hand around the Roman's waist. The merchant girl's waist was so light that it could be held with one hand. She seemed to feel Brando's sudden feelings, and turned to look at him with a slight smile. She did not expose him, but instead, she very comfortably kicked her feet, and then turned back to play with the poor scarab.
Brando's mind was in a mess, but he suddenly realized that even though the Roman liked to haggle over every penny when dealing with merchants, she was not stingy with the money in her hands. In fact, other than when she was seriously discussing business, she was unbelievably generous to everyone. He turned back to ask this question, and the merchant girl was plucking the scarab out of the hourglass for the umpteenth time, and answered matter-of-factly, "War is like war.
"Doing business is like going to the battlefield. You have to haggle over every detail, but when it comes to investing, you have to look at the long-term. Haggling over every detail won't bring you a good harvest."
Brando was stunned, and seemed to be a little surprised, "Who told you this? Was it your aunt?"
"No, my aunt doesn't do business. I came up with it myself. What do you think? Isn't it amazing?"
Brando could only sigh. This was probably the so-called talent. However, the Roman's eyes suddenly flashed, and just as she was feeling proud, she suddenly felt a little disappointed, "Speaking of which, I haven't seen my aunt for a long time. Brando, you said that you would help me find my aunt, but there's still no news."
It would have been better if the Roman did not mention it, but once she did, Brando's face became hot. It was not that there was no news, it was that he did not put in the effort to look for her. In fact, before the Roman mentioned it, he had almost forgotten about her. After all, Aunt Jenny was like Brando's family in this world to him. There was always a layer of estrangement, and he felt that she was like a character in the background. Even though he sent people to Bucce to inquire about her, it was just a mention. In fact, he did not even tell Amandina. Later on, Bucce replied that there were no clues, and this matter was left unsettled.
After all, there were too many things that he had to do. Half a year ago, he was almost wholeheartedly focused on pulling Erouine back from the path of certain destruction. Time was so tight that he did not even have time to breathe, let alone find her.
But now that he thought about it, and thought about what the Roman had done for him, he looked at the merchant girl's innocent face in front of him and felt ashamed.
"There will be news soon. Erouine is only so old, and your aunt will definitely be looking for your whereabouts. Now that you are so famous, we just need to be a little more careful and we will be able to find her." He pinched the Roman's face and comforted her.
The Roman giggled and narrowed her eyes, smiling like a little fox.
"Hehehe, Brando, you're guilty."
"Ahem," Brando's face turned red. He almost forgot that although the merchant girl was innocent, her intuition was terrifyingly sharp. And the key point was that she did not give him any face at all. He could not help but look at her in annoyance. But he did not expect her to look up seriously and shake her head vigorously: "It's actually nothing. Brando has a great goal, and the Roman also has a great goal. In the past, when I talked about my goal, even Freya would giggle, but only you, Brando, believe that I can do it. You have never laughed at me —"
"Brando can tolerate the Roman's goal, so the Roman can also tolerate Brando's goal."
"Brando, did you know? Auntie said that a mortal's goal is like the stars in the summer night. It seems unreachable and dazzling, but as long as we dare to reach out, then we will definitely grasp the starlight in our hands. Because the stars in the summer night belong to everyone who looks up at the starry sky."
Brando stared blankly at the Roman's eyes, as if those bright eyes really reflected the starry sky in Bucce. He used to think that this little girl had been following him since Bucce and did all these things for him because she liked it. This was because it was like the Roman's personality. She did not care about the right or wrong of the people she was close to. But he never thought that she would really believe that he could do it. Just like she said, the stars in the summer night sky, but as long as he reached out, then he would definitely grasp the great starlight in his hands.
Even if the star he wanted was the most dazzling one in the night sky.
"Do you know what I want to do, little Roman?" He suddenly asked.
Roman nodded seriously and answered word by word.
"I know, Brando, you want to marry Princess Gryphine and become the real King of Erouine."
"Pfff —"
… …
(PS: It's a bit late, I'll give you a few hundred more words.)
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