Chapter 44

Before setting out for Par Lake this time, Xia Zuoyi planned not only to inspect the castle's construction and the Black Ore mining progress, but also to relax after a long time and take the opportunity to receive 098's gift.

Visas and Komoy Fort were being built without pause, and Par Mountain was gradually changing as well.

Checkpoints had been set up in many places on the mountain, with soldiers assigned to guard them.

The southeastern side of the mountain remained open to nobles, commoners, and slaves, allowing them to enter the mountain to gather firewood, hunt, and so on.

However, the northwestern side, including Par Lake, was off-limits, with a clear boundary separating it from the southeastern side.

In the future, the northwestern side of Par Mountain would become the main residential area for the Lord of Desinia.

Most importantly, Xia Zuoyi intended to establish an overall defense system encompassing Par Mountain. Defense, vigilance, and resistance against potential enemy attacks were all indispensable.

The sun hung high in the sky, bright but not glaring.

The wind swept slowly across the grass-covered mountains and fields, carrying the fresh fragrance unique to plants and making people feel wonderfully comfortable and at ease.

Xia Zuoyi sprawled out leisurely.

Leaning against Coalball, he narrowed his eyes at the emerald lake, the endlessly rolling hills beyond it, and could not help tugging at Coalball's thick, long tail wrapped around his waist.

Coalball, who had been about to fall asleep, lifted his head to look at him.

"Roar?"

Xia Zuoyi muttered softly, "Look, this is the kingdom your dad conquered for you!"

Coalball flicked the tip of his tail and twitched his ears, clearly unable to understand the little lord's mumbling.

But that did not stop a spoiled purr from rumbling out of his throat as he affectionately rubbed Xia Zuoyi down into the soft grass.

Coalball drew in his claws and fangs, trying to bury his increasingly round and enormous head against the little lord's soft belly.

Xia Zuoyi cried out and grabbed Coalball's ear in irritation. "Do you have any idea how big and heavy you are now?!"

"Are you trying to crush me to death?"

He flailed and shoved beneath Coalball's huge head.

Snowball had been strolling by the lakeshore with Walker. Seeing this, he rushed over and swatted Coalball away with one paw, then lowered his head to take Xia Zuoyi's clothes gently between his teeth and helped him back to his feet.

"Roar."

Snowball nudged Xia Zuoyi's arm, his tiger eyes full of gentle warmth.

Walker could not help draping an arm over Ferdinand's shoulder and shaking his head with a sigh. "I've served Snowball good food and drink for so long, yet his true love is still the little lord."

No comparison. No comparison at all.

Ferdinand could not be bothered to respond.

Walker then smiled and tipped his chin toward Coalball. "Of course, you're no better off than I am."

While Snowball was occasionally willing to acknowledge him, Ferdinand also brought fresh meat to feed Coalball.

But every time the black tiger finished eating, he would mercilessly discard him and ignore him without a care. His temperament was even fiercer and more lively, and whenever Ferdinand tried to get close, he would roar at him.

Ferdinand glanced at the huge black tiger, who was once again edging closer to the little lord, then expressionlessly shook Walker's arm from his shoulder. "It's different."

Walker did not understand.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Ferdinand's mouth. "The lord let me groom Coalball's fur all over."

"When?!"

Walker's eyes widened involuntarily, as though he had swallowed an unbearably sour lemon.

Ferdinand said, "When you didn't know."

"..."

Xia Zuoyi found an opportunity to tell Judith that he was taking Coalball and Snowball farther away to have a look. "Don't follow us. I'll be back shortly."

Judith stopped walking. "Please be careful."

"Mm, all right."

With two ferocious beasts protecting him, there was no need to worry about danger.

Xia Zuoyi walked a long way before finding a cliff face that was neither too high nor too low.

Staring at a thick branch jutting diagonally from it, he said inwardly, "098, place the Gyrfalcon egg there."

[All right, Host. Please wait a moment. The gift is being placed... Placement successful. Please receive it promptly.]

Xia Zuoyi rubbed Snowball's ears and said, "Snowball, go bring Walker and Ferdinand over."

Snowball gave a low roar, turned, and ran off.

Before long, he returned with Walker and Ferdinand. Judith followed behind them as well, visibly relieved to see Xia Zuoyi safe and sound.

"Lord, what is it?"

With an innocent expression, Xia Zuoyi pointed to the obvious bird egg on the cliff face and smiled sheepishly. "I want it."

Want it? You shall have it!

Walker decided to climb up and retrieve the egg himself. This height was nothing to him.

On the tree trunk growing from the cliff was a bird's nest woven from dry twigs, grass, and mud. No birds circled overhead, and there was only a single grayish-white egg inside.

After Walker carefully cradled the egg down, Coalball stepped forward curiously to sniff it, then moved his huge head away in disinterest.

Ferdinand asked, "What kind of bird laid this egg?"

Walker shook his head. "I don't know, but since it built its nest on a cliff face, it probably isn't a very small bird. Yet there's only one egg inside. Could it have been abandoned by its parents?"

Seeing the little lord eagerly hold out both hands, his eyes full of anticipation, Walker gently placed the grayish-white egg in his palms and smiled. "Does the lord want to raise it?"

Xia Zuoyi nodded. "Mm. Once it hatches, we'll know what kind of bird it is."

098 spoke up at that moment. [Host, the Gyrfalcon will hatch in two days. 098 recommends that you carry the egg with you, because hatchlings display imprinting behavior when they break out of their shells.]

"All right."

After leaving Par Mountain and returning to the castle,

Xia Zuoyi placed the Gyrfalcon egg beside his pillow. Two mornings later, he woke to 098's calls.

[Host, Host, the Gyrfalcon is about to hatch.]

Xia Zuoyi's drowsiness vanished at once.

He lay on the bed and widened his eyes, staring at the egg from close up. A faint cracking sound rang out as the egg began to hatch.

The shell at the top slowly fell away first, followed by cracks gradually spreading across the middle of the egg...

In the blink of an eye, a tiny chick, red all over and covered in wet egg fluid, tumbled onto the soft bed and let out a tender cry.

Xia Zuoyi could not help holding his breath as he carefully leaned closer. Just then, he met the newly opened eyes of the chick and froze. "098, are a Gyrfalcon's eyes... supposed to be this color?"

Bird irises came in many colors. Black and brown were common, while gray, red, and orange-yellow were less so.

Yet the Gyrfalcon chick before him had extraordinarily beautiful azure-gold irises, rare and unusual indeed.

098 said, [Host, this Gyrfalcon has the bloodline of a divine eagle. It's perfectly normal for it to take after its father.]

Xia Zuoyi was somewhat puzzled. "098, when you brought it back... didn't it stay with its father?"

[It's a poor little bird without a father's love. Because its bloodline was impure, its father abandoned it.]

"Chirp."

The chick gave a tiny, soft cry at that moment and tried to move its still fragile little body closer to Xia Zuoyi.

Xia Zuoyi slowly reached out to touch it, stroking the chick's back with his fingertips. "From today onward, I'll raise you properly. What should I name you?"

A matchstick figure popped its head out within the system interface. [Host, the Chuunibyou System and I have each given it a nice name.]

[Host can choose one of them.]

"What are they?" Xia Zuoyi asked curiously.

[The Chuunibyou System named the little eagle Overlord.]

"...And you?"

[Uranus, the god of the sky.]

"Both names are lovely. I like them both."

Xia Zuoyi lay on the bed and carefully cupped the chick between his hands. Perched on one of his fingers, it seemed too tired to move anymore, its tiny belly only rising and falling slowly in a steady rhythm.

Afraid of waking the still-delicate chick, he spoke softly. "The Gyrfalcon is the undisputed king of the sky."

"It should soar freely through the vast heavens, unshackled and unrestrained. It has a pair of one-of-a-kind azure-gold eyes... I know what to call it now."

[What?]

Xia Zuoyi solemnly said, "Its name will be Qing Tuan Uranus Overlord."

The matchstick figure was clearly stunned for a moment, then clapped like a little seal. [Host, that name is wonderful!]

Xia Zuoyi pursed his lips shyly. "You flatter me. Thank you for the praise."

Vina had great confidence in his written examination.

Not long after returning home, he received notice from the soldiers stationed in the city.

He had passed the written examination with excellent results and would return to Visas in one month for an interview.

Viscount Lauren could not help rejoicing for his son. "I heard that soldier say just now that fewer than a hundred candidates passed the written examination. The interview will even be conducted by the lord himself... Vina, you must not be nervous..."

Vina nodded. After remembering Viscount Lauren's advice, he set off once more for Visas with two servants.

His friend Nat had also passed the written examination.

The two began preparing for the interview in advance.

One month later.

The interviews for selecting mayors and other officials were held in the same examination hall.

This time, however, they needed to enter the room one at a time, where the Lord of Desinia, the two knight commanders, Reverend Grove, and the others would take turns asking questions.

Vina entered with a tense and apprehensive heart, then came out feeling as though the dust had finally settled.

The interview results would be announced three days later, so they needed to remain in Visas for the time being.

Inside the interview room.

Xia Zuoyi watched the last candidate leave. On the table before him lay papers that had already been graded.

Just as he was about to pick them up, he suddenly felt something move against his chest. Then, a fluffy little head poked out.

"Chirp chirp."

The Gyrfalcon named Qing Tuan Uranus Overlord was no longer a bare little chick. Dense white down had long since grown all over his body, with brown markings at the ends of his head and wings. His chest and tail were pure white, while his thick, long beak and sharp little claws were both the color of iron-gold.

The chick rubbed against Xia Zuoyi's extended finger, his azure-gold eyes brimming with affection.

Walker could not help leaning over from the side. "Overlord is awake. Does he want meat?"

The chick would only eat meat fed to him by Xia Zuoyi.

Xia Zuoyi said, "Mm, Qing Tuan should be hungry now. I'll feed him meat once we return to the castle..."

He reached out and tapped the chick's fluffy little head with his finger, then looked up. "Judith, organize the list and bring it to me later."

"Yes, my lord."