Sunlight

A cool night breeze blew gently. In the small garden on the west terrace of the Maple Leaf Palace, the Grand Duke leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant city. It was an excellent viewpoint, offering a panoramic view of half the city.

It was already late, and the city lights twinkled and gathered together.

The so-called night view is a truly man-made landscape.

In the cycle of day and night as the planet rotates, only the fire and light gathered from individual settlements can pierce the eternal darkness and leave their mark. This light can be seen even in outer space. It is proof of Civilization and demonstrates the power of Civilization to raise its light in the wilderness of eternal darkness.

How does it feel, my city?

The shimmering light converged, signifying that the city had regained some vitality and survived the crisis of national annihilation. This epic victory was like a miracle, so how could it not be celebrated with a feast?

Even here, you can hear songs drifting from afar.

"It's beautiful, simple and natural."

Kang De stood beside the Archduke and answered.

The Grand Duke paused for a moment, then touched his face. "Young man, I must admit that because of Tina, I seem to have some prejudice against you, and even feel that your answer is full of subtle sarcasm."

Kang De opened his eyes, his gaze shifting from pure as a spring. "Indeed, very interesting, very beautiful."

"..."

The Grand Duke sighed.

Laughter and singing drifted on the wind.

Two men gazed out at the city.

"It's so lively!"

Kang De sighed.

It's truly rare to see such pure joy on Earth—celebration, excitement, genuine smiles, and countless people sharing the same happiness, sincere and pure.

The last similar scene I can recall dates back to the night the bid to host the Olympics was successful.

However, he could understand the excitement, joy, and even revelry.

The Goth People have been having a blast these past few days; after all, surviving a near-death experience, it's only natural to let loose a bit.

Maple Leaf Palace, however, was quite deserted. The Grand Duke showed no intention of celebrating and did not even hold any grand banquet. Tina's siblings were all busy with various matters, including politics, economics, military affairs, and public sentiment. There were always endless things to do. Officials from various government departments were also working overtime every day. When the war was about to be lost, they were extremely busy, but when they won, they were even busier.

At this moment, the Grand Duke said calmly, "Of course it's lively. You must have received quite a few invitations to the banquet. Why not experience the excitement for yourself?"

Yes, in stark contrast to the quietness of the Maple Leaf Palace, gifts and invitations for Kang De from the outside world piled up like mountains, so much so that the palace even cleared out two rooms to store them. There were all sorts of rare treasures, antiques, and magical artifacts, big and small.

If it weren't for saving face for Teldrassil, there might even be living people among them.

Even now, there are still people asking around day and night, inquiring with the palace servants, and even with Valentan, to find out what Kang De liked, what he enjoyed, and what he was interested in.

This was a much larger scale than what was Valentan.

Moreover, only two or three days have passed, and the intensity has even increased.

Nobles, the wealthy, scholars, artists, monks... people from all walks of life and all fields, with all sorts of motives, showered Kang De with gifts.

His purpose was simply to meet His Highness Prince Kang De.

Kang De, of course, refused.

How uncomfortable it would be to be surrounded by a bunch of strangers who fawn over you and sing your praises in a sickeningly sweet way.

All of them combined are not as good at flattering as Hong San.

He shook his head and said, "I have no interest. I don't understand their joys and sorrows, I don't know them at all, and I don't want to respond to their schemes and thoughts. Besides, once I open a door, it will be even harder to clean up the mess later."

The Grand Duke gave a nonchalant hum. "You handled that matter well."

Kang De paused, startled—that matter?

Then he realized what was happening.

Among the mountain of gifts, what Kang De cared about most were the love letters filled with deep affection and longing. Each letter was written in beautiful handwriting, some even bearing the image of a young girl's passionate lips, or containing dozens of lines of poetry. Clearly, these were young girls who had long admired Kang De and were willing to offer themselves to him.

The court steward who delivered the gifts to him also subtly and implicitly told him the nature of the letters in a low voice... He was annoyed, but Goth People didn't dare to confiscate the love letters written to him.

This is the first time in my life I've received so many love letters from girls.

This is the first time I've realized I'm so popular.

It was truly a dreamlike time.

Having power means girls will chase after you; what a wonderful era!

However, these bold, sincere, and courageous young women overlooked one thing.

The Cathayan, His Highness Kang De, Goth's guardian, the one who intimidates the elves, the Enemy of Twilight Moon, the strongest on the continent, the Sword of Deterrence, the great Forbidden Spell spellcaster, the youngest peerless powerhouse in the world...

He is illiterate.

--Who understands what you're writing?!

--No matter how much you write, it's useless! Why not just be direct and show us some colorful pictures!

Even if Kang De had the thickest skin, he wouldn't have let someone read his love letters to him. In other words, before he learned the grammar of this other world, these love letters were practically worthless.

After some thought, Kang De made a decisive move, reluctantly deciding to make use of these love letters.

They were all sent to Tina.

--Since we have no use for the eggs, let's at least use them to boost Tina's favorability.

The palace steward, who had previously delivered "love letters from the wild woman outside to her son-in-law" to him with a worried expression, was now overjoyed and ran off to deliver the good news.

Now, hearing the Duke say this, Kang De suddenly understood.

Despicable, truly despicable.

It seems he not only won over Tina's favor, but also his father-in-law's.

The Grand Duke still seemed a little displeased, and said sarcastically, "Aren't you even a little bit tempted? These beautiful, elegant, innocent, and lovely young ladies from prominent families admire you very much."

Kang De declared righteously, "They don't love me at all; they're clearly lusting after my Forbidden Spell. They're despicable!"

"Well said!"

These words suited the Grand Duke's temperament perfectly. He pounded on the railing and roared, "Remember this! No matter how many women fawn over you, profess their love, or seduce you, they all have ulterior motives, coveting your power, influence, and status. They are all despicable! In this world, the only one who will love you is my daughter! Do you understand?"

"..."

What the hell do you mean?

What do you mean by saying that only your daughter would like me as a person?

Are you insulting me or your daughter?

Kang De turned his head as if to say something, but then he smelled a faint scent of alcohol.

... Grass.

Only then did I notice that my father-in-law was holding a wine bottle on his left arm, I don't know where it came from.

Reknos picked up a bottle of liquor and waved it at Kang De: "Want some?"

"No, thank you."

"Why?"

"It tastes awful."

"Nonsense! The wine is so delicious! Are you saying you can't hold your liquor? How can a man not be able to!"

"I... I think my alcohol tolerance is alright."

"Then let's have a competition!"

"No, thank you."

"Why?"

I'm afraid you'll drink yourself to death.

It 'Extraction as soon as it enters your mouth; even Duan Yu would die from drinking it, let alone the Grand Duke.

This statement is extremely provocative, especially for men. When they get together to brag and show off, they often compare strange and unusual things.

The most frequently compared parameters are length, diameter, and time.

Next, it's all about drinking capacity.

As for physical strength, wife, car, house, etc., those all have to come later.

The Grand Duke, upon hearing this, was indignant and shouted, "Come on! You come on! Let's have a contest! Let's go to the palace wine cellar! The fine wines that our ancestors have collected and accumulated over generations! Let's see who drinks themselves to death first!"

Kang De sighed and helped the Grand Duke up, "You're drunk."

"Of course I'm... drunk!"

Grand Duke Reknos tossed his hand aside, pointed at him, and with a slightly tipsy, silly grin on his face, muttered, "There are some things... I'll only dare to tell you after I've had a drink!"

Seeing his expression, Kang De seemed to understand something and gave a calm smile.

He leaned against the railing, chuckled, and nodded. "Okay, go ahead, I'm listening."

He casually slipped one hand into his pocket, activated his phone, turned on camera mode, then took it out and nonchalantly placed it in his breast pocket.

The Grand Duke was completely unaware of this.

A wild, even arrogant smile spread across his face as he pointed at Kang De with a hint of provocation, "You, Kang De of Cathayan, you saved my country, you saved my daughter, you saved me, and I am grateful to you! I am truly grateful to you! But I... am not afraid of you!"

Kang De nodded and said, "Yes, yes, yes."

"I won't fawn over you like those dogs outside. I need your help, I want to rely on your strength—that's a fact. In exchange, whether it's money, property, or other valuables, I will pay you the appropriate price. But it must be a fair trade, not begging!"

"I would never sell my daughter!"

He was holding the bottle, shouting and yelling.

Kang De nodded again. "Yes, of course you wouldn't do that."

"Nonsense!"

The Grand Duke took a large gulp of wine, the liquid sliding from his mouth down his neck and staining his clothes.

"On the day of the siege, I was ready, ready to face the end of Teldrassil, ready to surrender to the elves, even to retain my position and power. But I would rather die than kneel before the elves in exchange for the continuation of this humiliating nation—tell me, if I don't kneel before the elves, would I kneel before you?"

Kang De shook his head and said, "Of course not."

"Tell me, I wouldn't even bend my own knees, would I betray my beloved daughter!"

Although the logic is subtle and comical, it is quite convincing when combined with the Grand Duke's tone and expression.

Kang De echoed him, "Of course not."

The Grand Duke pointed at him and shouted, "Then why did you say those things about me before! Especially in front of Tina!"

"..."

Kang De had no choice but to say, "I was wrong, I misunderstood you."

"Tell me! Would I wag my tail and beg for your protection?"

"Of course not, you're a man of steel."

"Absolutely right! Why would I kneel before you! You're the one who should be kneeling before me!"

The Grand Duke covered his face and muttered, "You should be kneeling down and begging me to marry your daughter to you. Damn it, I don't want to agree, but I..."

He turned to the side. "Damn it, I'm neither a good monarch nor a good father. My country is a mess, bullied by foreign enemies, forced to seek protection from the strong. I am both a monarch and a father, and you are both a protector and a son-in-law. I want to separate these two things, but it's actually very difficult. I can't protect my country, and I can't even let my daughter have pure love..."

As the Grand Duke spoke, he tried to turn his head to the other side.

No matter his status, he could not shed tears in front of this man.

Then, he felt a few gentle pats on his shoulder.

"OK."

The Duke turned his head slightly, wiped his face haphazardly, and stared blankly at Kang De.

Kang De raised his hand, making a grasping motion in the air.

"Look, this is a sword, the sword I'm holding in my hand."

"It can destroy the massive army of a world superpower with a single blow, it can end a localized high-intensity war, it can deter any country in the world, it can change the course of a global war, it can keep a powerful nation under the Shadow of terror day and night, it can change the world, it saved Goth, and it can do so much more in the future..."

He looked at the Grand Duke and smiled, "In your words, someone who possesses such a sword can change the heavens and earth and silence the world. How could they not obtain a pure and simple love?"

Kang De blinked. "Old man, if you don't have confidence in yourself, at least have confidence in your son-in-law."

The Grand Duke stared at Kang De in a daze, remaining silent for a long time.

Only then did he slowly turn his head back.

"... Arrogant brat, rude, impolite, ill-mannered, barbarian."

He took something from the inside pocket of his robe, and without turning around, handed it to Kang De: "Take it, you little rascal, but don't think you can take my daughter away so easily as you have this time!"

The moment Kang De saw it, he knew what it was.

The treasure, the treasure Tina was talking about.

The Crimson Scroll, held by the Taidariel Family, one of the Seven Heroes.

A gift from the gods...

He slowly took it.

The Crimson Scroll, found on the Holy Seal Archipelago, bears the mark of the power of Akatum, the Dragon of Space and Time. He gained the approval of the chief of the gods and acquired its power.

So, whose is this one...?

They touched the ancient scroll made of this strange material, but nothing happened.

When Kang De holds Akatum's Crimson Scroll, the scroll spontaneously bursts into golden flames, but nothing happens with Teldrassil's.

But you can tell it's not a fake...

Is it because I've already joined Brother Tu's group that this guy is ignoring me?

Or is it...?

Kang De's mind raced, wanting to ask the Grand Duke for more details about the scroll, but he saw Reknos, who had handed over the scroll, staring blankly at the night view of Danfeng Lucerne.

Let's do it another day.

Kang De was about to call for someone to take the drunkard back when he suddenly heard the Archduke say, "Kang De."

"Um?"

"Look, listen."

The Grand Duke pointed to the distant cityscape and asked, "What do you see? What do you hear?"

Kang De said, "I saw a bustling night scene, heard laughter and singing; everyone was celebrating the end of the war, feasting and singing... What's going on?"

Is this all you've seen and heard?

"... What do you mean?"

Do you want to know what I heard and saw?

"Please speak."

"Me...?"

The Grand Duke's tone became calm, no longer as arrogant as before.

"I heard cries, I saw people forcing smiles, even those with blank expressions. Kang De, victory is not all joy. War always involves sacrifice, there are always people whose sorrow outweighs their joy. Their cries are drowned out by the songs of victory, their grief is concealed by the smiles of many others. But we cannot ignore them, nor can we disregard their sorrow and suffering... This is the duty of the Grand Duke."

"Tell me, how can I possibly feast and celebrate? I hear no laughter, see no praise or joy from the nobles; all I hear are the cries of many, their sorrowful faces..."

Reknos leaned against the railing, his voice growing softer and softer as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

He was still muttering to himself, saying softly, "After all, the brighter the sun shines on the earth, the more we should care for and cherish those who are still enduring darkness..."

Kang De seemed lost in thought.

Even he himself didn't notice that at that moment, the Crimson Scroll in his hand seemed to glow slightly.

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: It's a bit early today, time for bed, goodnight.