Roland observed that Melannis swore to protect him, his descendants not included.

This was the elf's personal sentiment, which Roland understood, but he didn't care.

As long as she abandoned her desire for death, she would eventually be his wife. His descendants would be her descendants. A mother would, undoubtedly, protect her children.

Roland gently held Melannis's hand and responded deeply.

"In the name of Baron Roland Galaxia of Minhausen, I accept the loyalty of the person before me. I will care for her, respect her, accept her, in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in sorrow as in joy, so long as we both shall live."

By the end, Roland's cheeks were slightly warm. He sneakily incorporated wedding vows into his speech. Anyway, the elf from another world wouldn't understand, so he just went with it.

Melannis didn't expect Roland to be so solemn, she murmured the last few lines repeatedly, "I will care for her, respect her, accept her, in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in sorrow as in joy... Roland, you really mean it?"

"Of course, these are my true feelings, my most genuine words."

Melannis bit her lip softly, her voice gentle, "Then I feel the same. Regardless of wealth or poverty, health or illness, I will protect you by your side."

Roland smiled happily.

Upon the establishment of the oath, system text appeared before Roland.

【You have your first guardian knight. You unlocked the achievement 'Together Forever', receiving 100 divine gold coins】

【Your first guardian knight's potential is rated S. You unlocked the hidden achievement 'Genius Girl', activating fifteen second-order magics】

Seeing fifteen powerful magics written into the magic book, Roland was overjoyed, almost humming a tune from his hometown. He had never seen such a wonderful twist. Originally, he just sent Melannis to wander in the forest to clear her mind, but her attitude changed 180 degrees, bringing additional rewards. He was curious about what magical things existed in the forest.

Sensing Roland's curiosity, Melannis bit her lip, whispering softly, "Roland, there's something very important to me in the forest, a secret of the elf race. I must hide it from others. Of course, you're an exception."

"Well, since it's a secret, it belongs only to you."

Roland waved his hand very generously, smiling, "You are the forest knight, the northern forest is your territory..."

He suddenly remembered something, his expression changing, and his voice abruptly stopped.

He couldn't surrender now.

If he surrendered, he would likely be transferred to another territory, giving up the Minhausen Barony.

The Minhausen Barony wasn't important, nor was the northern forest, but Melannis was.

He couldn't lose his beloved guardian knight.

Melannis softly reminded, "Please ensure the territory is kept. It's very important to me."

"I understand, don't worry, leave it to me."

Roland hurried to the study, taking out paper and pen to write letters to the lords he had declared war on.

"Respected Viscount Bloom:

Seeing this letter as seeing me, I have admired your reputation for a long time, unfortunately without a chance to meet. You may have received a declaration of war falsely issued in my name before, please do not believe it, it definitely wasn't my doing, surely it was a villain causing trouble! If this forged document has offended you, I will personally visit to apologize and clear up the misunderstanding.

Your faithful admirer—Baron Roland Galaxia of Minhausen."

"Respected Count Grul:

Seeing this letter as seeing me, I admire your reputation..."

"The Great King of Lower Sarsen:

Seeing your letter is as if seeing you in person, and I admire your renown..."

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"The Brotherhood of Nature and Balance: I am here to apologize for a mistake I made..."

"The Holy and Merciful Church of Light: I am guilty, and I wish to confess to the Goddess of Light..."

Roland hastily wrote letters of submission, assigning Granni and the others to deliver them separately.

He prayed silently, hoping it was not too late.

He only hoped they would treat him as a jest and laugh it off.

The day after, Egilina arrived.

The astrolabe stargazer was curious about Roland's fate. Since her debut, she had never encountered someone whose future she could not glimpse through the mist.

She was as restless as if a cat was scratching her heart; was it not for the need to recuperate and prepare, she would have arrived sooner.

When Egilina arrived at the castle, with Granni and the others out delivering letters, only Roland, Melannis, and Julie, who was busy in the kitchen, were present.

"Welcome, Egilina. Please come in!"

Roland personally greeted her at the door, inviting Egilina into the castle, with Melannis, her face covered by a black veil, accompanying her.

Egilina glanced at Melannis, her pupils shrinking sharply; her breathing became erratic.

This was the aura of the Elf royalty!

Even with ten layers of black veils, it would not obstruct her destiny-penetrating eyes.

Why would a princess of high standing come to this remote baronial territory?

Looking at Roland, Egilina's eyes filled with a mix of reverence.

No wonder she could not see through his fate; with an elf princess as a side character, how terrifying must Roland, the protagonist, be?

Roland, unaware of the astrolabe sorceress's wild conjectures, naturally invited his distinguished guest to the banquet hall for a grand meal.

The Galaxia family, having been barons in a commercial city for three generations, though demoted to a remote area, had amassed considerable wealth over the years, most of which had been spent on smoothing over relationships. Still, their remaining wealth was substantial.

Being frugal was a personal matter; it was not appropriate to skimp on a distinguished guest.

When Roland declared war, he went all out and declared against the stargazers as well. At that time, he wished nothing but quickly leaving Baron Minhausen's land. But now, things were different.

He did not want to leave; he had changed his mind.

Improving relations with Egilina could at least mean one less formidable enemy.

Finally, as Julie cleared the tableware, both Roland and Egilina were eager, almost simultaneously saying:

"Miss Egilina, there's a favor I would like to ask of you."

"Mr. Roland, there's a favor I would like to ask of you."

After speaking, they both paused, somewhat embarrassed, then gestured for the other to proceed.

"After you."

"No, after you."

As the atmosphere turned even more embarassing, Melannis smiled and helped them out of the predicament.

"Let our esteemed guest speak first."

"Alright, then I'll take the liberty. Mr. Galaxia, I would like to stay here for a while to observe your fate, which will be a test for my astrology."

"It's my honor." Roland said with a smile, then coughed slightly, explaining, "About a month ago, there was a small misunderstanding between me and the Stargazers. You know, not many under my command can read, and those fools actually sent the declaration of war intended for other powers to your society. I absolutely have no intention of being enemies with the Stargazers, please help me clarify this, Egilina."

"A mistake? I doubt that."

Egilina couldn't help but laugh.

"Baron Minhausen, do you know how much of a stir your declaration of war caused at the headquarters of the Stargazers?"

"Well, is everyone laughing at my overestimation of myself?"

Roland, shameless as he was, wouldn't be embarrassed over such a trivial matter.

Egilina slowly shook her head, "Of course not. Your little schemes might deceive others, but they definitely can't fool the star mages proficient in astrology."

"Back then, two star mages were arguing so fiercely they almost came to blows, but your declaration of war made them laugh so hard they realized how silly their dispute was and ended the conflict."

"So, I inadvertently helped you?" Roland unapologetically took credit.

"Sort of, at least the star mages aren't planning to punish your transgression."

"Oh? What were you originally planning to do to me?" Roland was curious.

"Well, we were just planning to establish a new barony for you on a deserted island three thousand miles away from the mainland in the Endless Sea and transfer you there."

Roland's smile froze on his lips.

He was too rash. This time he escaped a miserable fate because of good luck, but next time he probably would not. He must learn from this lesson.

Roland's expression changed slightly but quickly returned to calm. He said solemnly, "Well, thank you for not taking it seriously."

Egilina observed Roland's expression and eyes with some surprise. Under such circumstances, Roland was neither ashamed nor angry, even seriously contemplating.

Though alone and weak, his unflustered demeanor alone is commendable. Some star mages possess immense personal strength but have the mentality of a three-year-old child. Given time, Roland will achieve what those arrogant ones cannot.

Egilina was startled by her own judgment. She thought mockingly that her teacher would probably laugh at her for not knowing people well if he knew. But intuition told her she was right.

A woman's sixth sense is a more profound existence than astrology, trust yourself! Egilina took a deep breath, her expression slightly stern.

She made a decision that she would stay and observe Roland closely.

She initially intended to recruit Roland into the Stargazers, but now seeing that this guy shows no signs of servitude, she let go of that thought. Regardless, it's essential to maintain a good relationship with him. The sooner you invest in a potential stock, the better!

It’s always better to help in time of need than to add an icing on the cake.

The growth and expansion of the Stargazers, while undeniably reliant on their efforts, also owe much to successful investments. The Stargazers had been angle investors in two emperors and five kings, with countless dukes and marquises succeeding in their investments.

Although there have been ungrateful investees, as long as one-third are willing to return the favor, it's a huge profit.

The Stargazers excels in divination; their investments were practically cheating.

Roland and Egilina quickly agreed on a cooperation. Egilina became a distinguished guest of Minhausen Barony, free to enter and leave Roland's territory and castle. In return, Egilina helped adjust the "misunderstanding" between the two sides and convinced the Stargazers to invest in Roland.

Egilina's report to the Stargazers rated this investment as S-level. This is a win-win investment!