stjorthotic Chapter 303 Stars Shine
Chapter 303 Stars Shine
Chapter 307 Stars Shine
The atmosphere at the dinner was very relaxed.
Everyone tacitly left those sensitive topics on the stone table in the garden, as if the solemn conversation in the pavilion was just a chill in the autumn wind.
The conversation returned to the areas most familiar to the nobles: anecdotes, taxes, trade routes, marriage, and so on.
Richard handled the situation with ease.
He chatted with Earl Lark about territory taxes for a while, and then discussed with Earl Redwood the trend of grain price fluctuations in the South.
Finally, he patiently listened to Viscount Golden Oak recount the glorious deeds of his daughter, Emily, for a full ten minutes.
"Last year, she hunted a wild boar all by herself in the woods! It weighed over 300 kilograms! And she shot it in the eye with an arrow!"
Viscount Golden Oak spoke with such fervor, gesturing wildly as if he had shot the wild boar himself.
Richard expressed his sincere admiration.
A sixteen-year-old girl who can kill a wild boar with a single arrow must not be a burly, muscular woman.
Of course, he didn't say these words aloud; he just raised his glass and smiled.
But an image inappropriately popped into my mind: a female version of the Viscount Gold Oak, carrying a wild boar as she walked out of the forest.
As the drinking progressed, Earl Lark told a joke about the Baroness of Moorish Town catching her husband cheating.
The description was so vivid that it even included details like the two barons writhing naked on the bed.
This caused everyone to burst into laughter.
Taxation is the most boring topic, but no one can avoid it.
When Marquis Amethyst casually mentioned that he planned to adjust commercial taxes next year, several viscounts immediately perked up their ears, and the scene briefly resembled a budget meeting at the city hall.
After the meal, Golden Lion Castle arranged some entertainment.
Amidst the magnificent strains of a symphony, several elven dancers made a dazzling entrance.
They wore silver-white gauze dresses, their long hair flowing freely. Their dance was graceful yet restrained, each spin like a leaf lifted by the wind, so elegant it seemed otherworldly.
Richard was very curious.
The elves have always been proud. Apart from the Darkmoon and the Wolf race, other elves are reluctant to exchange more than a few words with humans. Now, they actually came to perform at the Golden Lion Castle.
Lawrence leaned closer and whispered, "This was specially invited by the Marquis of Amethyst; it cost him a lot of money and connections."
Richard suddenly realized.
Oh...
It wasn't kidnapped!
Throughout the entire dinner, Daly stayed by Richard's side.
She didn't talk much, only occasionally pouring him wine. She was incredibly gentle, and her upbringing was impeccable. She was a perfect candidate for a wife.
It's not hard to imagine how much effort Marquis Amethyst put into nurturing her.
Richard liked her quite a bit.
If Lucy is a red rose blooming in the cold wind, then Daly is like a white rose grown in a greenhouse.
After a few rounds of drinks, Richard, slightly tipsy, extended an invitation to Daly.
"Winter in the far north is cold, but my Chiffon Castle is warm. I can show you the sunrise over the sea of clouds and the snowscape."
.
Daisy's eyes lit up for a moment, then she quickly regained her gentle demeanor, nodded slightly, and said okay.
Richard was very happy.
If she's willing to...
cough!
If she's willing to stay at the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, then we'll assign her a radish hut so she can specialize in studying the unicorn's napping habits, and then have Lord Richard study her at night.
love?
After several in-depth discussions, we can guarantee that it will be as unstoppable as a flood.
Richard had a pleasant night at Golden Lion Castle, and the next day he returned to Chiffon, but as soon as he got back, he had to prepare for another long trip.
It's estimated that it will snow in two months, so we must make proper arrangements for Chisha Territory.
Lawrence has already sent people to make arrangements. He will take care of the specific replacement process, and even saves the steps of mutual fiefdoms and reporting to Frostfollicle.
Richard only needed to bring the land deeds and documents of Cold Mountain Territory to make the handover; that's the benefit of having connections.
However, before leaving, I need to make sure to explain the chiffon cake situation clearly.
First, there's Carl. Richard gave him an order: the Skeleton Cave must be breached by mid-October.
This way, he can break the seal on the [Volcano Dungeon] before the heavy snow closes the mountain and connect the city to the hot water network.
Carl slapped his chest loudly.
It's mid-August now, two months before the date set by the lord. Even advancing two or three levels a day would be enough.
He left all political matters to Wendy.
Besides coordinating the Chiffon merchants and the allocation of supplies in various places, Richard only gave her one specific task: to renovate the first five floors of the Skull Cave as a backup warehouse.
Once he arrives at Red Sand Territory, he will open a portal in the ordinary mine to transport manpower and supplies there.
The food produced during this period can only be temporarily stored in the Skull Cave.
Wendy noted them down without asking any questions; she was already used to these sudden instructions.
Everything is arranged properly.
The following morning, forty unicorns rose from the south gate of Chiffon City and silently disappeared into the clouds.
This long journey must be kept low-key. Taking an army to a godforsaken place like Chisha Territory would be too conspicuous.
So he didn't bring any luck, but only twenty Chiffon Guards to accompany him. Once they arrived at the destination, he quickly handed over the land deeds, set up the teleportation portal, and everything was settled.
Each person is equipped with two unicorns, taking turns to ride and rest, traveling the entire way on the "sky road" at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
Although the wind is biting cold at this altitude, it can keep out many low-flying monsters.
The team doesn't go into the city; instead, they find sheltered mountain hollows to camp in the wild at night. The tents are specially made, lightweight, and warm.
On the third day of their journey, the group crossed the northern border and entered the area connecting to the capital.
Several massive city gates, hundreds of meters high, rose from the ground, stretching across the wasteland like a row of silent giants guarding the way.
The city gate was built of huge, bluish-gray stones, the surface of which was covered with pits and cracks of varying depths, marks left by arrows, magic, and the passage of time.
Some sections of the wall are clearly not made at the same time, with varying shades of color, like scars that have been repeatedly broken and repaired.
—This was once the border of the empire.
Not only the stars, but also the dozens of dynasties that have been lost in the long river of history.
On this land, humanity has fought against the Eldar, against the dwarves, against the trolls, and against the Titans, each time mobilizing all its forces and causing rivers of blood to flow.
The city gate was smashed to pieces, then rebuilt on the ruins, smashed again, and rebuilt again. In the end, the cracks in the city walls were filled with the blood and corpse fluid of different races.
Until the stars shine!
Under the leadership of the first Star Emperor, the empire officially stepped out of the shackles that had bound countless dynasties and began to conquer all directions, pushing its territory to its current borders and adding four major realms: east, west, south, and north.
These city gates have transformed from "prisons" into "monuments of starlight and achievement".
Although Richard really wanted to visit his second sister and third brother in the capital, he simply didn't have the time and could only wait until his return trip.
Moreover, entering and leaving the capital city area is not so easy.
Without these border passes issued by the border towns, even nobles would be executed for treason if they were caught within the territory.
On the fourth day, the group entered the eastern border along the capital's border.
The terrain began to change.
The hills and wheat fields were replaced by an endless desert, the green becoming paler and the yellow becoming more intense.
The air became dry, and the wind carried the smell of sand and grit, feeling like fine sandpaper rubbing against my face.
At noon on the sixth day, the Red Sand Territory came into view.
From the air, there are continuous sand dunes to the north, several dried-up riverbeds to the south, and the only greenery is in the southeast corner.
A tiny oasis, no bigger than the palm of your hand, is nestled alone in the yellow sand, with dozens of low stone houses on its edge.
This is Chisha Territory.
A place even Baron Red Sand himself wanted to abandon, but Richard will open the gate to the Demon Spirit Empire here.
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