Chapter 434: Cooperation

At dusk, the royal knights brought Ronin and Sophia the results of Faslei's examination—Jesus was completely normal.

"Ronin, what do you plan to do?"

Rulance had been busy these past two days purchasing a new estate in Golden Feather City to serve as the Wushan Fief's outpost, and upon his return, he came straight to Ronin to inquire about the situation.

"Moonlight Valley lies right against Riverside City. Next, to prevent the infiltration of the Witch Soul Clan, we must reinforce our defenses there."

Rulance nodded. "Riverside City itself is manageable, but the main issue is that the surrounding villages and towns are quite scattered. If we disperse our knight squads to every little town, we risk being picked off one by one."

Ronin said, "Then we establish a buffer zone directly at the border, sever all contact with Moonlight Valley, and push the defensive line outward."

In any case, this was not an era of globalization; the connections between regions were not that tight.

Cutting off ties with Moonlight Valley might cause some trouble for Riverside City, but they could still draw supplies from other regions.

Furthermore, according to Ryder's reports, the merchant caravans coming from Moonlight Valley had been growing fewer and fewer lately.

Rulance nodded and smiled. "The young mind certainly turns faster. Back then, Toru always said you had excellent decision-making skills; today, I finally experienced it firsthand."

Though he said this, he had actually thought of the same solution himself.

However, establishing a defensive line outside required more effort; he was more inclined to have the peasants from the outlying villages abandon their fields and retreat entirely into Riverside City.

The difference between the two methods lay in the fact that the former considered the survival of the village peasants, while the latter did not give it much thought.

Rulance was a born noble, whereas Ronin possessed a soul from modern times; it was only natural that they viewed problems from different angles.

"The defensive line is only the first step. The existence of Moonlight Valley remains a massive hidden peril to us."

"The critical part is His Majesty's attitude. He actually suppressed this matter by force. If he allows Jesus to return to Moonlight Valley, he is suspected of using the latter to deter us."

Rulance sighed. Having just recovered, he was already thrust back into the machinations of court politics; when would these days ever end?

Ronin felt a slight urge to laugh.

This king, on one hand, married his daughter to him to strengthen the bond between their houses, yet on the other hand, he feared the Wushan Fief and placed a bomb right beside him.

Though this maneuver seemed contradictory, it was nonetheless one of the ways to balance factions and maintain his rule.

Yet Ronin firmly believed that associating with a tiger would only lead to being devoured in the end. He only hoped the kingdom would not destabilize due to this cooperation with the Witch Soul Clan.

"I can already hear the footsteps of chaos, Grandfather. I fear the days of peace will not last much longer. The Wushan Fief must develop, hoarding enough grain and materials to cope with the coming turmoil."

"Mm!"

Rulance nodded. "Now that the three major granaries of the Wushan Fief are in our hands, food is not an issue. As for strategic materials, we possess several iron and copper mines; we must increase their production capacity!"

The Wushan Fief was large enough and relatively rich in resources, so self-sufficiency was not an issue.

Ronin only hoped that the period of peace would last a bit longer so he could achieve better development.

"If possible, I would like to go to the front lines—to what you call Riverside City."

Sophia made her decision. "We have fought the demon gods for many years and possess much practical experience. Moreover, I can craft sensors that react to the power of the Witch Soul Clan, sounding a warning within a hundred meters, which will help prevent infiltration."

Ronin was taken aback, then said with joy, "To have your aid is our honor! I believe that with the reactors you mentioned, our defense against Moonlight Valley will become even more secure."

Beside them, Rulance watched his grandson and Sophia converse with a beaming smile.

Seeing that Bruno had failed to make the right choice, the lady had changed her mind and decided to help Ronin.

With Sophia making her choice, the other four who followed her would naturally pledge their support as well.

This meant that the Wushan Fief had gained the powerful partnership of another Archmage, a Silver Moon Knight, and three Meteor Knights.

"A while ago, I stationed two newly formed knight orders in Riverside City, but I have not found suitable commanders for them."

Rulance said, "Lady Sophia, if you are interested, I can appoint you or one of your followers to serve as the commander of a knight order. Relying on your experience, you can train them into an army capable of battling the minions of the demon gods!"

"That would be my honor, Your Excellency Marquis!"

Sophia offered a charming smile. "This is also what we excel at."

Ronin stood up and shook Sophia's hand. "Welcome to our ranks, Sophia. Rest assured, I shall keep my promise. Once I possess sufficient strength, I will absolutely lead an expedition across the Storm Sea to aid the Crescent Continent!"

Sophia's slender, delicate hand clasped Ronin's. "I look forward to that day arriving as soon as possible!"

...

In the luxurious count's manor, Jesus returned directly to his residence after leaving the Golden Feather Palace.

This was a property he had owned since he was a prince.

"My dear brother, can you tell your older brother what exactly is going on with you?"

Ference came to visit under the moonlight, offering a warm embrace upon their meeting, followed immediately by these words.

Jesus deliberately feigned ignorance.

"What do you mean, what's going on?"

Ference chuckled. "The accusation made by that woman in the grand hall was true, wasn't it? You are no longer my brother?"

"Of course!"

Jesus said, "Of course I am your brother!"

Ference wiped the smile from his face, reverting to the attitude an older brother usually held toward a younger one.

He slumped onto the adjacent sofa and crossed his legs. "Stop hiding it from me, Jesus. You and Bruno—your little tricks are completely naked before my eyes."

Ference had once been the most powerful prince; when Bruno fell gravely ill, there had been faint signs that he would be elevated to the throne.

Although he did not ascend in the end, the matter had been rooted in his heart ever since.

Though he was later enfeoffed as a duke by his father, Alduin IV, and given a vast territory, his ambition had never died out because of it.

Especially as his own strength grew, he increasingly felt that Bruno was inferior to him in every aspect.

That was why he had come today.

"Very well, my dear brother, what do you want me to do for you this time?"

Jesus sat down as well. "You know that between you and Bruno, I prefer playing with you."

A cold gleam flashed in Ference's eyes. "Whether it is the Wushan Fief or the other nobles surrounding Moonlight Valley, I need you to create chaos, or even instigate a war."

He paused, then continued, "I will support you!"

"Chaos is a treasure; it is my absolute favorite thing!"

Jesus flashed his pearly white teeth. "Rest assured, I would do so even if you did not mention it. Naturally, the more support you provide, the better I shall perform!"

For a fleeting moment, Ference felt as though he were not speaking to Jesus.

He could not discern whether the being before him was truly his brother, or if a completely different person had taken over, merely retaining his brother's memories.

"Good!"

Ference stood up. "Then I shall watch your performance!"

He gave Jesus a deep look, then strode away; he still needed to pay a visit to Andrea's manor.

"Wonderful!"

Jesus picked up a crystal goblet from the side, swirling the sweet wine within before draining it in a single gulp.

Garrett believed that Jesus could only survive by relying on the support of the royal family, but that carried a prerequisite—that Jesus actually wanted to live.

Indeed, Mephisto had come to the kingdom of Alduin to sow chaos; he sacrificed his subordinates Blackwound and the Madman without even blinking, and he cared no more for Hesuz's life.

Thus, Garrett was still trying to comprehend the Sorcerer Clan through human reasoning, a presumption born of his own fancy. (End of this chapter)