Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God
Chapter 352 - 292 Loyalty_1

Chapter 352: Chapter 292 Loyalty_1

"No," a loud response came from beside him.

The ones answering Gaven weren’t General Kopofiel, but rather the soldiers led by his son Kregi, all of whom looked at him with shining eyes.

Feeling their gaze, Gaven couldn’t help but elaborate, "Don’t look at me, I can’t possibly become that kind of person. If I wanted to become that kind of person, I would have stayed in Thacel instead of being here. But there is already someone who is becoming that person, Zalanda. Have you heard this name before?"

"The Zalanda of the people? The just Zalanda? The new City Lord of Darama, the female general who has won ten out of ten battles?" a questioning voice emerged from the crowd.

Ten out of ten victories?

That’s impressive.

The last time I got news, it was seven out of seven victories.

The frequency of warfare in Thacel is too high.

Or rather, Zalanda has changed her strategy, from being on the defensive to taking the offensive, actively seeking battle.

It’s good you know, lest you have been living abroad for too long and are unaware of Thacel’s latest situation. If I have to explain it myself, Zalanda’s fame would seem much less significant, and the strength I could borrow from it much lesser.

"Yes, Thacel now has only this Zalanda," Gaven replied loudly, "Since you know her name, you should also know her background. She is a guardian knight of the Nort Family, while I am the only legitimate heir of the Nort Family, Gaven Nort. We grew up together; I know Zalanda’s character very well.

Given the chance, she would surely exert all her strength to protect, she is Thacel’s future hope, she is our hope.

If you wish to return to Thacel in the future, I can help contact Ms. Zalanda to provide you with asylum."

General Kopofiel, I won’t stop you if you want to return to Thacel, but it’s not now, it’s in the future, when you have your own warship, even your own fleet, then you may go back to Thacel.

Especially since we need to connect with such a just force as Lord Zalanda, the people’s strength.

By then, whether facing those pirates or the reproaches of the noble lords, you will have the strength to resist."

"So it’s him; no wonder the name Nort felt familiar when I heard it earlier. It turns out he’s from the family to which Ms. Zalanda formerly pledged loyalty. I heard Ms. Zalanda has been looking for this heir of the Nort Family, who was said to have come to the Northern Lands with a trade caravan and unexpectedly ended up in the Valley."

"If he’s the heir to the Baron, the object of Ms. Zalanda’s loyalty, why didn’t he stay in Thacel but ran off to the Valley instead?"

"I heard it’s because of his own carelessness that caused his brother’s death, burdened by guilt, he embarked on a quest for the killer, vowing not to return home until he found the murderer."

"How come I heard that it was fratricide? He fled due to the fear of his crime?"

"Don’t speak nonsense, this is about a person’s reputation. Does Mr. Gaven look like such a villain to you?"

"He doesn’t; Mr. Gaven helps us strangers with all his might, even in the face of a powerful vampire, he’s fearless. How could he commit such a heinous act?"

"If we could live in the city guarded by Zalanda, it really might be worth trying to return."

"Are you insane, even if Zalanda is just, the situation in Thacel is unstable, and it’s still those great noble lords who have the final say. They just need Zalanda’s strength to drive away those monsters from the Marching Mountains. Once she’s no longer useful to them, just watch how they’ll treat her."

"It’s the way they’ve always done things, to cook the hare once the chase is done, to hide away the bow once the birds are gone. That’s how they treated the General in the past."

"Rumors will still be rumors. The title ’Zalanda of the people,’ it’s uncertain how much is true and how much is fabricated. You can’t be sure. Rather than that, this Mr. Gaven we see before us seems much more real."

The Thacel refugees below were engaging in a buzzing discussion.

Among them were quite a few who had just fled from Thacel, quite well-informed about the latest news there.

Especially about this rapidly rising Zalanda.

Not just because of her brilliant military record, but also because of her actions that differ from those of the typical noble lord, she’s won extremely high praise among the common folks.

In Thacel, which had been darkened for nearly fifty years, she had ignited a bright flame.

Though the light of this flame was so faint,

Still, countless people chose to trust her, knowing full well that their behavior was like moths to a flame, and they didn’t care.

For they were willing to serve as the kindling for this bright fire, to let it burn even brighter, to draw more people to it, to utterly tear apart the darkness of Thacel.

Gaven’s gaze was mainly on Kopofiel. If he could persuade him, then this matter would be halfway to success.

"Father, I think what Mr. Gaven says makes a lot of sense. We’ve already missed one opportunity; we can’t keep walking down the wrong path. We should change our way of thinking, find a new path, and the path Mr. Gaven is pointing to seems very appropriate."

"Captain, I’ve said it before, those noble masters can’t be trusted, they’re not even worth protecting, because they are the biggest parasites, the largest pirates. Once we have a chance to return to Thacel, our first task should be to clear away these internal pirates so I can truly protect the people."

"General, I know you’re concerned about Thacel’s seafarers, but you have to be aware of your own strength. With just these men we have now, we’re barely enough to operate a warship, far from being able to bring out its greatest battle capability, so how can we deal with those pirates?"

"Captain..."

"General..."

Kopofiel remained unpersuaded.

The young sailors led by Kregi were the first to be persuaded.

They themselves were opposed to the idea of General Kopofiel wanting to return to Thacel.

Now, they were simply instigated by Gaven, seizing the opportunity to erupt.

In the eyes of these young people, General Kopofiel was obviously burdened by the title of the last Watcher, a bit too detached from reality when considering matters related to Thacel.

Finding himself alone, Kopofiel could not help but sigh, "It seems that I, as a captain, am no longer qualified. Even if the Watcher’s Call were here, I could not bring out its greatest fighting strength. If I continue to be obstinate, I will inevitably become increasingly distant from you all."

"Father..."

"Captain..."

"General..."

The group of young soldiers hurriedly tried to object.

But they were interrupted by Kopofiel, who waved his hand and said, "I know that was not your intention. It is my dereliction of duty as a captain to only consider my own thoughts. In this regard, I lacked communication with you all and failed to understand your thoughts in time. Now I understand."

Pausing for a moment, Kopofiel turned to Gaven and said, "I can swear allegiance to Mr. Gaven, but only outside of Thacel. One day, when the homeland calls, when Thacel needs me, needs us, I hope Mr. Gaven can let us go back and give us the opportunity to fight for our homeland, for our people."

Gaven laughed heartily, "The General seems to have forgotten that Thacel is also my homeland, my eternal home. When that time comes, you won’t need it to summon you; I will send you into battle proactively. Trust me, that time won’t be long in coming."

He had never given up on his designs for Thacel, just taking a roundabout path.

Even without his intervention, Thacel would reunify within a decade.

Yet, such a reunification would be achieved through various political trades and compromises.

However, that would lead Thacel back on its old path, and the fundamental domestic problem—the feudal fragmentation by the nobility—would not be overturned completely.

The biggest hidden danger still existed; should royal power decline slightly, Thacel would fall back into the current state of warlord chaos.

For the internal force of Zalanda alone to break free from shackles and smash the cage would be fraught with difficulty.

If an external force like his own were to intervene, then everything would become possible.

According to Gaven’s initial estimates, in order to re-engage in Thacel’s situation, he would have to wait until next year, participate in the Yasan Kingdom Expeditionary Force to drive away the Tukan Army, and take the opportunity to make a substantial profit, obtaining the title of the Rockland Duke from the Komeer Royal Family.

But he hadn’t expected his development to be much faster than he had anticipated.

Some plans, therefore, could be appropriately moved up.

Such as re-establishing contact with Zalanda.

Not just to rekindle relations, as they now have many points of mutual interest where both can get what they need.

Having heard Gaven’s promise, Kopofiel no longer hesitated, immediately knelt on one knee, and loudly declared, "I, Kopofiel Gehasen, am willing to follow Lord Gaven Nort to create a new homeland. I swear on the name of the Gehasen family, I will use my life and blood to protect Lord Gaven, to protect our common home."

No sooner had Kopofiel knelt down than those young soldiers, particularly those with darkened faces, clearly sailors by trade, immediately knelt down and swore allegiance to Gaven.

Those young soldiers not from the Watcher’s Call hesitated briefly before also kneeling.

Soon many Thacel refugees followed suit.

Seeing such an opportune moment, Gaven wouldn’t miss out on ascending directly into the sky; this time not using Energy Dragon Wings, but rather being lifted by Thornspike, he proclaimed loudly, "Here, I, Gaven Nort, as owner of Gryphon Hill and master of Weizemay Manor, formally invite everyone present to go to the Three Rivers Region, to Gryphon Hill, to build our new home there. I solemnly promise that I will protect your safety, will not let any evil force harm you, and I will ensure that you have enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, the dignity to stand tall, and the freedom to come and go as you please."

A majestic aura naturally emanated.

This aura did not stem from communication with the Dragon Oak Mother Tree or the Weizemay Manor, as ordinary people are relatively insensitive to such oppressive things.

Rather, it came from the massive body of Thornspike, the pressure created by the disparity in size, which, to them, the physical presence that can be seen with the naked eye, had a more visual impact.

Instantly another group of Thacel refugees knelt down.

This group did not believe in empty promises but trusted in strength, especially after the ordeal with the vampires, which deepened their understanding of the dangers of this world.

Compared to the scourge of war, those creatures might be more dreadful, more beyond the measure of normal reason.

Regina, plucking the strings of her lyre, lent her voice to Gaven, "The title of Lord Gaven to Gryphon Hill has been recognized by Lord Ilmet, and he has signed a cooperation agreement with us to jointly develop the Weizemay wine industry. We are very optimistic about this place and Lord Gaven; we believe that he will create his brilliance here."

After hearing her words, another portion of the Thacel refugees followed suit in kneeling.

This group, typically those who had been in Battle Valley for some time, knew Lord Ilmet and Regina well, were acquainted with their temperaments.

If Regina could step forward to provide such assurance, it indicated a harmonious relationship between them, and it was highly likely they were jointly developing the Three Rivers Region.

The involvement of a domain made many things much simpler.