As Twilight fell, Ryan was already at Rhino Horn Mountain. Looking at the fiery sunset overhead, Ryan felt a pang of nostalgia for his old friend, Surtr.
"Just be brave. Give me a response, and I'll find someone to sacrifice for you, and then I'll bring you to the Norris Continent."
"In this way, we can all see whether the great Lord of Dawn, the God of Light, is still watching over this world."
Lord Ryan was living a leisurely life. Perhaps it was because the Dragons cub had been taught a lesson after returning, or perhaps it had described a terrifying monster to the children in the circle. In any case, no Dragons appeared in the human territory in the cracks for the next few days.
However, Surtr, whom Lord Ryan fondly remembers, is living in dire straits.
It was truly a dire situation.
Every time He reached out to capture Dragons and make it His own, He had to leave the world of fire and endure the invasion of the laws of the entire world, as well as the damage from the power of the Great Being. When He withdrew His hand, because He was tainted by the primordial aura of other Great Being, the flames also burned the abnormality in Surtr's body, causing Surtr to howl in pain again and again.
His howls fueled his rage, which made Surtr even stronger. He then reached out to capture Dragons in more distant places, ultimately enduring even more suffering in the cycle of death.
Gradually, the target of His anger and hatred even shifted slightly, and the Giants of flames stared intently at the north.
The other party was constantly targeting him. That damned guy, even though his will hadn't awakened yet, his body's instincts were relentlessly targeting him, this suddenly arrived outsider.
Was Surtr submissive? No, absolutely not. He would retaliate, with terrible retribution fueled by boundless rage.
Surtr finally swung the greatsword of flames, and the blazing light, more crimson than a meteor, streaked across the sky of Nidhogg World, originating from the fiery world of Muspel in the South and crashing into the land of Aesir in the north.
He used his own weapon to tear open a rift in space—or rather, he used his own weapon to create a crack that looked like a fissure.
A frigid wind, in that instant, rushed into the world of Nidhogg through the crack or opening of the crimson portal. The wind swept Eternity, and this was no ordinary force, but the snow and ice of the Northlands. Their arrival froze the surging sea, and a thin layer of ice appeared on the surface of the sea in the far north of the world, visible to the naked eye.
A Dragons plunged into the sea, felt the extreme cold, and sprang to the surface, only to find a thin layer of ice above its head.
It violently unleashed its dragon breath, the pure and extreme energy shattering the ice. As it soared into the sky, it discovered that the world around it was filled with a blizzard.
Surtr is powerful in his rage, but he is also cunning, forcing that great, instinctive force to part with itself to fight against the cold winds from the the North.
He succeeded. The Divine Essence of the Demon Dragon's body began to stop the appearance of the Northlands, allowing Surtr to free up more power to capture the Dragons.
However, this also caused the world to lose its initial stability.
Frozen Earth Territory.
Lord Ryan has already taken the Baroness on a spring outing.
Unbeknownst to him, the Otherworld of Nidhogg had already slowed him down for three months.
" Nidhogg has a large population, but those people cannot be moved to the Frozen Earth Territory for the time being. However, I believe that it won't be long before there are no more voices in the Northlands."
Ryan's voice was clear, and Avril was very sensible, so she didn't ask any more questions. In the end, their relationship was arranged first, then they got married, and then they got to know each other.
Ryan was reluctant to discuss political issues, focusing instead on the future.
" The Sera Kingdom is almost finished. His Your Majesty MacReynolds has reached a good cooperation with us. With the intervention of extraordinary forces, the capital city is also nearly complete. Most importantly, our Northern Kingdom's Braveheart Guild was established very quickly."
"You'll love it there; the adventurers can bring you back lots of precious magical materials."
Speaking of magical crops, Ryan has harvested quite a few recently. After all, the world of Dragons has no shortage of such things. There are even a few magical crops that have prompted Grand Mage Macken, the old scholar, to write to the Magic Academy to inquire whether they have ever appeared in the records of magic.
The destination of this spring outing is the Sera Kingdom. The King of Sera invited Baron Ryan to witness the establishment of the royal city. To avoid political and diplomatic problems, Ryan didn't even bring many Knight Retainer.
The Andara Kingdom was not on the agenda for this trip, as it was at the invitation of Sera King. The relationship between the two kingdoms was deteriorating, and Andara Kingdom was still embroiled in war, making it not a good choice for a spring outing.
" The Sera Royal House has many Griffin, which are beloved companions of Mages. I'll get you a cub later."
Adult Griffin are not as affectionate, and after all, they are Magical Beast Magical Beast are difficult to tame. Even with Griffin, which are known as the easiest Magical Beast to tame, adult Griffin are still a challenge.
Who knows how Brock's Griffin came to approve of him? Ryan asked him this question, and Master Brock scratched his head and answered a question he himself didn't know the answer to.
There's nothing wrong with that. Brock just hammers away all day long; he doesn't have any taming experience. You should ask Borgeld about the relationship between him and the Armored Bear.
"A good beating will do the trick."
Borgeld said that proud young girls always have a pure way of doing things and a high probability of success.
Ryan told many stories in the carriage, recounting his experiences in Pegasus times, which naturally delighted Avril.
After a long while, Ryan opened the curtains and said to Sven outside:
"Mr. Sven, you have tried to approach the carriage several times. As Bard, I understand your curiosity about these stories, but I think Brandt will soon have that sword to your throat."
"To make things easier for my Guardian Knight, please state your request first."
Ryan laughed. Sven, who was following behind, was a Bard Lordship, did not care about the still unfinished manor or the wealth he had acquired. He squandered it on treating many people to drinks. The Viscountess's father, Baronet Azur, had been grinning from ear to ear lately. He controlled all the taverns in the Frozen Earth Territory.
" Lord Ryan."
Sven leaned closer and said:
"Merciful Lord Ryan, may I exchange the Lordship's reward for one condition?"
"I've heard that you've spent all your money at the tavern. The people of Gam in Winter City rave about you, and some berserkers even turned into beasts to help you collect the first dew from the mountain."
"You've already spent the money, now you want to change it?"
Sven scratched his head awkwardly; he didn't care about so many things.
"Tell me, what would you like to change it to?"
Ryan already had the answer in his heart; Sven's presence in the team was a test in itself.
"I would like to ask you, Baron, to help Milly expel the power of the Dragon Essence within her."
"That would turn her into a monster."
"That little girl."
Ryan remembered: the Nidhogg Natives girl following Sven, a follower of the Dragon Chosen; Winsor and she had a good relationship; and the executioner. The dull Natives were not their own fault, but rather the result of the mental oppression brought about by the rule of the world's Dragon Monarch.
" Lordship don't come cheap."
Beside her, Avril said that Sven's answer did not surprise Ryan, but rather puzzled Avril.
Sven did not deny that he had come happily before, otherwise he would not have gone out to show off. However, the Bard's yearning for freedom and the wind allowed him to see his own heart.
Without careful consideration after finishing the wine, the Bard would not have made such a choice.
" Sven, do you know? Sacrificing to Dragon Monarch is not actually a bad thing, it's just that those Dragon Monarch never take their essence."
"Human beings' worship and sacrifice to the Dragon Monarch is actually an expression of loyalty to the Monarch and a belief in the Great Being behind the Monarch who has already fallen."
"I have inherited this power, and I can make this blessing of the Dragon Spirit complete. I think you should know what I mean."
"So far, only Brandt has received this blessing and turned it into his own power."
"You're being too dismissive. It seems that the Dragon Monarch Drummond has left you with quite a bad impression. As a human, I think he was a very respectable Dragon Chosen."
Sven couldn't see Drummond as a person like Ryan did.
However, he understood what Ryan was saying: currently, only Brandt Legion has achieved this feat.
He was somewhat frustrated, but remained steadfast in his demands.
"I can't help her, or rather, I'm the only one who can't help her."
"This blessing already exists. As a follower of the Dragon Chosen, she is much luckier than you. At least if she were to try, she could bear the blessing I bestow upon her. But you..."
Ryan shook his head, while Sven, still confused, asked directly.
" Lord Ryan, is there any way to help Milly?"
"It's simple, just have her follow..."
Ryan pointed at Borgeld, then withdrew his finger and pointed at Eteria.
"Let her train with Eteria. When her body is strong enough, I will bless her and help her gain full power. After that, she will be very strong."
Ahead, Borgeld grew impatient, and the Armored Bear beneath him slowed down. The carriage overtook the standard-bearer, and the standard-bearer at the front fell beside the carriage. The massive body of the Armored Bear Volibear roughly pushed Sven aside. Ryan turned his head and saw the fat, metallic belly, then looked at Borgeld without saying a word, his head raised, always outside the window.
" Borgeld is a very powerful warrior."
Avril said with a smile, which made Borgeld look at her with much more satisfaction.
This is not easy.
"If we train under her, won't the Frozen Territory end up with a second Captain Bogeld? Who will we entrust the Armored Bear Legion to then?"
Ryan pretended to ponder, and Borgeld stared at him with wide eyes. Then, without saying a word, he grabbed the Armored Bear Armored Bear and made it run to the front of the group once again.
On the Northwind Avenue, the number of caravans has increased due to the arrival of spring, thanks to the contributions made by Lord Ryan.
After all, with Lord Ryan's protection, the caravans had a much smoother journey in and out of the eastern kingdoms. This was the border, and smooth sailing meant a steady stream of wealth.
Therefore, on this Northwind Avenue, the caravans tacitly avoided thinking about sensitive topics such as why the Northern Baron of the Empire had left the Empire for the Kingdom again.
It's best to ignore anything that affects their ability to make money.
The flag of Rhino Horn Mountain slowly sailed into the land of the Sera Kingdom. The road finally became easier. After a year of changes, not many ferocious beasts were seen along the way. This transnational road was beginning to gain the trust of various lands.
From empire to kingdom, the most visible change is the surrounding environment. The Sera Kingdom is no different from other kingdoms, filled with the atmosphere of the Wilds. Only after passing through the Forest and canyons can one see the inhabited noble territories, and then the roads become deserted again. Here, let alone maintaining the beauty of the environment, even the movement of people is a huge problem.
The exchange and movement of people between the nobles' territories were strictly prohibited; otherwise, the imperial merchant guilds would not have been able to so easily seize the trade share of this land.
Ryan guessed that the Northern Kingdom's Braveheart Guild he brought might change the kingdom's environment, allowing the historical development of this land to keep pace with the empire.
The nobles might not see it, but Ryan saw it clearly: in the Empire, a portion of the population could move around, and this seemingly insignificant detail alone made the Empire's development efficiency surpass that of all other kingdoms.
In short, the scenery in the kingdom was no better than that in the empire. It wasn't until they got close to the royal city, where the bustling traffic finally added a bit of curiosity to Avril's eyes.
"These people are loyal to those Wandering Nobles. I gave them a suggestion: the royal city of the Sera Kingdom is the center of the entire kingdom, and it needs a lot of manpower, whether for the royal family's Griffin or for the various problems of the royal city itself."
"It now appears that they seized the opportunity."
Before the advent of machines, the wealth generated by human labor was the greatest. The extraordinary world has no affairs of ordinary people, and similarly, the extraordinary will not interfere with the civilization of ordinary people.
This makes the labor force here particularly attractive.
Of course, Ryan also has a part in this.
His wealth in the kingdom was mostly indirect.
" Count Ryan, you've finally arrived. You have no idea how volatile the Carlos family has been lately, like a rhinoceros in heat, relentlessly pursuing and attacking anyone they find."
"Count Fragoso."
With impeccable noble manners, Ryan smiled and addressed Count Fragoso:
"The angrier they are, the more you, Count Fragoso, gain, doesn't it? It seems that a part of this royal city belongs to you."
"Hahaha, Count Ryan, you're right. But it's not just me and His Your Majesty. Your Northern Kingdom's Braveheart Guild is quite magnificent, and His Your Majesty has even built an arena for you."
"He needs to select warriors to become knights of the Griffin Legion."
"I also want to see what the difference is between adventurers from the Sera Kingdom and adventurers from the Empire."
(End of this chapter)