Amber Sword
Chapter 91: Scene 37 Awakening_2

Chapter 91: Scene 37 Awakening_2

This aligned with Madara’s thoughts; external invasions were merely an outward manifestation of the internal upheaval within this kingdom. However, Madara did not wish to provoke the entire Light Camp, thus retreat was inevitable. Since neither side desired an enduring conflict on the battlefield, peace negotiations were certain. Yet, it felt more like farce to Brand, who knew that the Erune he was willing to fight for was not the Erune of now.

He was waiting for the Regent Princess to ascend the throne.

Of course, he couldn’t just do nothing. He thought that after the war, the Royal Family would surely reward some people to set heroes and ease the public. Perhaps there would be a recommendation quota for the Bastia Royal Cavalry Academy, just like in history. However, Brand wasn’t interested in that quota. Frankly, he had no interest in entering the outdated system of Erune, but letting Frey further her studies seemed like a good idea.

So what should he do? Brand couldn’t help but think. Before him was the beginning of a turbulent era; one man’s strength was ultimately limited. He needed a territory, to gather people to support his ideals. He knew that with his knowledge of history and the world, he could quickly grow his territory, but where should he begin?

Should he go through the internal system of Erune? Not to mention the time constraint, he also didn’t want to be drawn into the war too early. He must keep a low profile to avoid being noticed by the truly powerful forces.

As for becoming a mountain king, there was no need to consider it; the reasons were the same. Another route was to follow the path of the Pioneer. Just like in the game, the reality also had Pioneers. In this dark world, not all territories were under the control of the nobles. At the borders of the kingdom, at the intersections of civilization and barbarism, there were many undeveloped virgin lands. From the time of the An Yin Dynasty, Erune had a decree that any new lands discovered by Pioneers could be legally claimed immediately, and the kingdom would grant titles based on the size of the territory.

These titles were not hereditary, and most of the land would be reclaimed by the Royal Family and the Holy Temple after three generations. Yet, many still sought opportunities to stand out from this path. Among them were risk-taking gamblers, adventurers, mercenaries, illegal merchants, and even legitimate Templars and clergy. Here, there were no differences.

Speaking of these virgin lands, Brand couldn’t help but get excited. He knew quite a few at the border of Erune. Although their sizes varied, they were at least options. But when it came to selection, our protagonist couldn’t help but be indecisive.

His requirements for developmental advantages and geographical location were not significant; the key was concealment. It would be best to start with one of the territories that later held ’ruins.’ After all, being alone, he lacked manpower and resources, and using the city’s ruins from the game could save him a lot of effort.

He thought for a moment and finally recalled a place. That place was known in the game as the most legendary territory but was later destroyed by its owner’s mistake and set ablaze by his enemy. However, the forum’s long-standing fascination with the place never waned.

He remembered seeing countless comments saying, "If ’Valhalla’ were still around, it would be a different scene by now, surely?"

Just thinking about this made Brand uncontrollably excited. He had also imagined if that legendary territory had not been destroyed, its final development would have been beyond anyone’s expectations. Little did he expect that this daydream could actually be realized in his hands.

He was daydreaming when suddenly he felt a slight movement from the person beside him. Then Frey opened her eyes. She saw Brand with a hand on her forehead and was startled momentarily. But soon, the future Valkyrie’s eyes were clear of confusion like the tide receding. She woke abruptly, drawing back her body and looking at Brand with a flushed face.

Even without speaking, Brand could clearly read what was written on her face: Shameless scoundrel, what are you doing!

He shook his head, about to explain, but Frey seemed to remember something first. Her reddened cheeks deepened as she said, "Sorry, I..."

"It’s okay. Now, quickly go and set an alarm for Little Roman, tell her it’s time to get up," Brand answered, feigning lightheartedness.

"An alarm?"

Brand coughed, realizing his slip. He then explained the origin and purpose of infusing belief, thinking it was a simple matter. However, he didn’t expect Frey’s face to change upon hearing it.

"Why didn’t you use it on Little Roman first?" she stood up nervously and asked.

Hmm? Brand was stunned, thinking that it was obviously Frey who was more mentally fragile, Miss Valkyrie. But before he could finish his thought, Frey hurriedly ran over and helped Little Roman up from the ground.

Miss Merchant still bore a pale face and a calm expression. But Brand was surprised to see two lines of tears sliding down her eyelashes as Frey supported the limp merchant girl up—

"What’s going on!" He could hardly believe Little Roman was actually crying.

"I’ll tell you later." Frey took a deep breath, placing a hand on Little Roman’s forehead but got no response. She was momentarily stunned, then immediately said, "Turn your head away!"

"Why?"

"Turn away, quickly, don’t look!"

Brand was puzzled but nodded. Though his curiosity was no less than the clear-headed Miss Merchant’s, it wasn’t long before he couldn’t resist peeking. He saw Frey turning Little Roman sideways, holding her, and pressing their foreheads together as she murmured anxiously, "Little Roman, wake up, did you forget our promise?"

Brand was taken aback. He knew Frey and Little Roman were close, but he didn’t expect the straightforward merchant girl to have her own little secrets.

He didn’t have time to fully process his surprise before Frey glared at him fiercely.

"Sorry, he’s the one who looked himself," Brand diverted.

"You... shameful!" Frey blushed and scolded.

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry."

...

(PS. The power was out in the morning, so it’s a bit late.

Regarding the deletion of posts in the Book Review Area, some posts were deleted by mistake due to inappropriate language. Please understand, there will be no random deletions.)