The shadow of war that had always lingered over their heads since they declared war on eleven forces finally dissipated.
Although the Forest Brotherhood and the Divine Court of Light had not given a definitive response, Roland could not wait any longer. It was time to pop the champagne!
He was truly happy.
The change in attitude from giving away land to fiercely protecting his territory was all because of one person, Melannis, who was sipping champagne gracefully.
The elven girl was in an exceptionally good mood at that moment, having drunk a few glasses of wine, which was rare for her.
She would have liked to drink more, but unfortunately, the elves' wine was almost like juice for humans, while human champagne was as strong as vodka to her.
After just three or four glasses, her cheeks were flushed, and her speech became somewhat incoherent.
Unlike Melannis, who was tipsy after three glasses, Granni was a heavy drinker.
She held a whole roasted lamb chop in her hand, chewing it ungracefully and gulping down large glasses of wine.
She had been so on edge these days that she couldn't even enjoy her roast meat with peace of mind.
Although she was simple, she was not dumb.
She was well aware that her happy life of eating meat and drinking wine, chopping wood, and practicing swordsmanship in the castle all came from Roland.
If Roland fell, she would be in trouble too. At the very least, she would lose her comfortable life, and at worst, she might lose her head.
Granni, who was usually optimistic, was constantly anxious during the defense battle of Minhausen.
Fortunately, it was all over now.
Egilina had settled everything, and it was unclear how she had negotiated with others, but she had managed to exchange for the two baronies surrounding Minhausen and merged them into a new viscounty.
The new viscounty was named after Roland's family, the Galaxia Viscounty.
Roland had intended to grant the newly acquired baronies to Melannis and Granni, but they firmly refused.
Melannis's reason was simple; she wanted to protect the northern forests.
Granni's reason was also sufficient; she and Melannis had entered the castle one after the other, and Melannis was a knight, so Granni felt it was inappropriate for her to become a baroness.
Anyway, she liked staying by Roland's side.
Since the loyal subordinates were unwilling to go out as vassals, the new territory had to be directly governed.
Although the new territory was not particularly wealthy, it was much wealthier than Minhausen's barony.
The government officials from both places warmly invited Roland to live with them, but he refused.
Melannis and Granni were here, and he did not want to run around.
At this moment, only Roland, Egilina, Melannis, Granni, and a few old subordinates who had followed the Galaxia family for decades were in the large castle.
Coachman Kaz, tailor Gerard, and guard captain Hulk were all old people who had served Roland's grandfather and father, following the Galaxia family for many years, and also came to this godforsaken place.
Loyal people like them were in the minority. When the Galaxia family relocated, most of the servants and guards sought their own paths.
Of course, they were invited to the celebration banquet.
These old household retainers did not crowd around Roland; they sat at their own table, eating meat and drinking wine, reminiscing about the past. They enjoyed themselves.
Seeing everyone enjoying the victory, Roland approached Egilina and raised his glass.
Egilina lifted her glass, gently clinked it with his, and smiled.
"You didn't want the good land, so I had to find a way to exchange for two pieces of bad land to make up a viscounty. This is not me tricking you, you know."
"Thank you."
Roland did not beat around the bush. Instead, he drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.
After finishing the wine in his glass, he approached Egilina and took out a scroll from his bosom, handing it over.
"While sorting out my parents' belongings yesterday, I accidentally found a scroll that I couldn't quite understand. It seems to be related to astrology. Hopefully it will be useful to you."
Egilina did not flip through the scroll but just smiled at Roland, teasing:
"Is this supposed to be a gift?"
"It will be a gift to you so long as you like it."
Roland shrugged his shoulders and refilled Egilina's cup with juice.
Astrologers needed to keep their minds absolutely clear, and alcohol was taboo. He wouldn’t force her to drink more.
Egilina took the cup. She became somewhat curious and leaned close to the candlestick, turning the pages of the book in the soft candlelight. She took a sip of juice, and her eyes instantly widened.
Melos?!
This name was almost divine in the field of astrology. He, having created countless miracles, was hailed as the person closest to the god of stars.
He solved many difficult problems in astrology, communicated with the goddess of stars across the void, and left behind three major laws of astrology, which benefited countless peers.
Just when people thought he had the chance to become a god walking among humans, he disappeared.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
No one knew whether he was alive or dead.
There was no more Melos in the world, only his legend and his manuscripts.
Upon seeing this purple-covered scroll, Egilina's first reaction was that it was a forgery, at most a handwritten copy.
But she quickly thought of Roland's mystery.
Perhaps Roland really had Melos's original manuscript?
Egilina's breathing became somewhat difficult; she forcefully pulled open her collar to breathe more smoothly. Her attention was completely captured by the scroll.
She was engrossed.
Roland was also engrossed. However, Roland's fascination was not with knowledge.
Egilina always liked to wear loose robes, making Roland mistakenly believe she was concealing her body curves due to lack of confidence.
Now he understood that Egilina was not lacking in confidence, but rather than attracting boring and greedy gazes, it was better to cover up with loose clothes. Even the highest peaks cannot compete with a wide wizard's robe.
Just as Roland was fully appreciating the semi-concealed beauty, Egilina almost suffocated.
This was definitely an original, Melos's manuscript!
The handwriting could be faked, but the aura left by Melos would not lie.
Melos's strength was very close to that of a deity, and there were rumors that he had crossed the threshold of demigod.
The scroll he left behind carried a special aura.
The peak of mortals, the most powerful sorcerer. His power was only under the gods.
This was how people positioned Melos. Egilina knew this was not a legend.
After the excitement, Egilina's mood gradually calmed down.
The great strong person's manuscript must be read under the starry sky, with a pot of clear tea, savored carefully. The current environment was too noisy, not suitable for reading.
The value of this scroll was simply immeasurable.
Egilina did not want to price it with vulgar gold coins; such behavior was itself a desecration.
This was a gift she could not refuse.
She slowly lifted her head, somewhat embarrassedly saying, "Such a precious gift..."
She saw Roland's lost gaze and his eyes lost in the fair land, coughed lightly.
"Do you like it?"
Roland came back to his senses. Egilina must have been angry.
Just as Roland was somewhat nervous, Egilina leaned close to his ear and softly whispered, "This gift is very important to me, so I will accept it. Thank you for your hospitality, I'm going back to read."
...
The Sanctuary, the Eternal City.
This was a floating city located three thousand meters in the air, said to be left by the gods when they walked among mortals.
The headquarters of the Divine Court of Light was located on the east side of the Eternal City, with the Divine Court of Darkness next door.
The Divine Court of Light and the Divine Court of Darkness were just competitors. Because the Goddess of Light and the Goddess of Darkness were the same deity.
The great goddess bestowed light during the day and brought darkness at night, dominating the alternation of day and night.
The headquarters of the Divine Court of Light was a majestic palace hundreds of meters high.
The palace's interior was complex with corridors and densely packed rooms, making it difficult for first-time visitors not to get lost.
Clerics wearing various colored robes walked among them, their faces filled with peaceful smiles. Being able to feel the breath of the gods in the place closest to the divine realm, they were happy indeed.
In the main prayer room at the center of the palace, a spirited middle-aged man was listening to his subordinate's report.
After listening to his subordinate's report, the middle-aged man asked:
"Are you saying that the new king of Salsen, Geralt, did nothing and just went back?"
"Archbishop, Geralt didn't do nothing; his vanguard troops fought a battle with Baron Minhausen and lost a few hundred men."
The man called the Archbishop pondered for a moment, his fingers rhythmically tapping the table with golden rings, and after a long while, he slowly said, "You may leave, have Yanis come over."
After the subordinate left, the Archbishop slowly stood up, gazing out at the rolling clouds, his face stern.
He held the highest power in the Divine Court of Light. He and the Divine Court of Darkness's Pope together were the goddess's agents on earth.
Their mission was to spread the glory of the great divine spirit.
To fulfill the mission, he had an almost fanatical obsession with expanding the diocese.
Not long ago, he received a declaration of war from Baron Minhausen.
This declaration almost ended up as toilet paper in the trash can, but fortunately, the diligent Bishop Zelin took his responsibilities seriously and presented this almost farcical declaration of war to him in person.
He greatly appreciated Bishop Zelin's approach. Even the smallest diplomatic event was a diplomatic event and could not be decided by a few novice priests.
Even if the declarer was a mere baron.
He was somewhat curious about what kind of person this Baron Minhausen was, whether he was a madman or a fool, to challenge the agents of the great divine spirit on earth.
In the past, there were also secular powers challenging the Divine Court of Light, but they all ended in failure.
The Goddess of Light and Darkness might not be the most powerful god, but she was the most generous to her followers, sparing no divine gifts or miracles, making their followers numerous and spread all over the world.
The last time someone used war to challenge the dignity of the Divine Court of Light was five hundred years ago.
Perhaps the previous Archbishops were too kind, or perhaps the last Divine Punishment War was too long ago, so much so that people forgot that challenging the Court must pay a price, forgetting that there were once four empires on the continent.
He needed to send a capable officer to see what kind of person Baron Minhausen really was and what price he should pay.
If he really was challenging the Divine Court of Light, challenging the dignity of the servants of the gods, then let him pay the price.
Soon, a young female priest appeared behind him.
"Archbishop Eugene, you called for me?"
The female priest bowed her head, her face unclear, but her fair skin and the shape of her body barely concealed by the priest's robe still exuded a charming feminine aura.
Archbishop Eugene slowly turned around, looking at Yanis's innocent eyes, and sighed inwardly.
Not a few people were deceived by Yanis's pure gaze and impressive figure, thinking she was an innocent little priest.
All these fools paid with their lives.
The title "Bloody Yanis" was not for fun.
Her real identity was a Holy Knight of the Tribunal, a nearly fifth-order combat priest, one of the most promising young people in the Church in nearly a hundred years.
Looking at Yanis's determined face, Archbishop Eugene nodded reassuringly.
No matter the opponent's identity, strength, or purpose, as long as Yanis went to the scene, all disputes would end.
If Baron Minhausen was willing to surrender gracefully, the glory of the goddess could still shine on his territory. If he was unwilling to surrender gracefully, then the price to be paid would be much higher.
He concisely conveyed the mission to Yanis.
Sending out three hundred temple knights and two hundred combat priests just to fight a barony?
If this order came from someone else, Yanis would definitely think he was crazy.
But this was Archbishop Eugene, and she calmly accepted the order.
She was just somewhat puzzled, sending the most outstanding young generation like her to lead a force capable of flattening most earldoms to subdue a barony, what kind of baron was this?
She was somewhat curious.
...
In the lush primeval jungle, at the top of trees thousands of meters high, sat a huge treehouse, inside which several people dressed in bark clothing with ancient designs sat together, singing a melodious song.
The song was like a spring breeze blowing through the forest. It refreshed souls.
After singing, the faces of the people who had been immersed in the song became somewhat solemn.
The elderly "Ent" asked in a deep voice, "Famas, brother, what do you think we should do?"
A tall "Ent" stood up and said loudly, "Leon, my good brother, our Brotherhood loves peace, but weak methods cannot beg for peace. The great prophet once said that peace can only be secured through struggle. We haven't had conflicts with humans for over a hundred years, so much so that people have forgotten...the power of Forest!"
Famas's words were very straightforward. The other "Ents" nodded in agreement with his viewpoint.
The Forest Brotherhood was a powerful druidic religious organization. They lived in the sacred lands deep in the forest, advocating nature, and members called each other brothers, never initiating conflicts with people.
Such a peace-loving organization was actually declared war upon, and the opponent was a mere baron.
After a period of discussion, the Brotherhood made a decision.
To accept the challenge from Baron Minhausen.
They sent out five combat druids, led by the nearly fifth-tier strongman Luet, to Baron Minhausen's territory.
They went with the intention of peace, but if Baron Minhausen did not recognize their good intentions, they would uproot trees and heavily smash them onto the enemy.
The weakest combat druid of the Forest Brotherhood was nearly fourth-tier. The real combat strength of this team was no inferior to Yanis's team.
As Roland raised his glass to drink with Granni, the two teams set off one after the other.
Their destination was the same:
Minhausen.