Chapter 290: Conflict

The fight was long over when Yang Ling finally reached Wissen Town on the back of the unicorn. Atop the city walls, his expression became increasingly solemn as he stared at the bloodstains yet to be cleaned.

According to Murbaqi’s report, the pirates’ sudden attack had caused significant damages, although they failed to invade the Wissen Castle.

Several dozens of skilled smiths in the Sallero Harbor, hundreds of workers and almost a hundred soldiers all lost their lives in this attack. From the harbor to the side of the roads along Wissen Town, many small tribes who just settled in saw their families torn apart by the pirate attack… …

Careless, he was too careless!

The scent of blood still hung in the air, silencing Yang Ling. He knew that he was too careless. He had already withdrawn more than a hundred elite soldiers from the castle, then sent three hundred well-trained soldiers to guard the Chimera Valley. He had lost his usual wariness in the excitement of discovering the Fantasy Crystal Mine!

He was lucky that it was only the pirates this time round. If the Banto Empire suddenly invaded the Magical Beast Realm, it would be a disaster!

“His Lordship, Miss Sofia arrived in the nick of time. The losses of the Magical Beast Realm were not that dire.” the old butler knew how Yang Ling felt as he observed his grim expression and few words. He pondered, then continued, “After we defeated the pirates, I have dispatched some soldiers to search for their whereabouts along the Donau river. I have also stationed a wing of soldiers in the Sallero Harbor.

“Sofia? She led a group of elves back in the nick of time?” Yang Ling was elated to hear about Sofia for the first time in months.

He had lost all news about Sofia ever since she left for her baptism. Although she was escorted by many elves to be baptized in her home camp, Yang Ling still worried about her safety, even though his reason told him that there was nothing to worry about.

After all, she would need to travel tens of thousands of miles from Wissen Town to the camp of the Forest Elves. She would be cutting through forests filled with magical beasts. No one could say for sure that accidents would not happen.

He had intended to fetch Yuna from the Forest Elf base camp once he finished what he had on hand. To think that she would have reached Wissen Town safely and saved the territory, defeating the pirates who suddenly attacked.

“Yes, Miss Sofia led her elves and arrived just in time, but… …” the old butler looked at an excited Yang Ling, then thought about Miss Sofia who left crestfallen after understanding what happened in the realm when she was away. Burmaqi hesitated. He didn’t know where to begin.

“Just say it, hurry up!” Yang Ling’s smile stiffened when he saw how hesitant the old butler was. Instinctively, he felt that something had gone wrong.

“His Lordship, Miss Sofia left her followers and her Royal Elven Guards to us to assist in our defenses, in case the pirates strike again. Then, she… …” the old butler paused. Seeing that Yang Ling had fixed his gaze on him, he knew that there was no way to hid it from him. He shook his head and continued, “upon knowing what happened between you and Yuna, she departed for the Elf Tribe immediately. Before she left, she told me to pass this parchment to you.”

Did she find out about Yuna?

Yang Ling’s heart sank as he heard what the old butler said. He knew that what will come will come. Ever since he went to bed with Yuna under the influence of the potent Flowing Venom of the assassins, he knew that he would one day need to face a devastated Sofia!

Yang Ling, I hate you!

As expected, he saw a short message on the parchment. Sofia’s handwriting was messy, and she almost tore the paper when she wrote those words. It was clear that Sofia was devastated and furious.

The old butler contemplated for a moment, then carefully spoke up when he saw how grim Yang Ling looked, “His Lordship, not only is Miss Sofia kind and intelligent, she is also a rare Moon Priestess of the forest elves. It would be a blessing for the entire Magical Beasts Realm if we could have her as our Lady. If you visited the Elf Tribe personally, she might return to the Wissen Town with you!”

Visiting the Elf Tribe personally?

Yang Ling held tightly onto the parchment Sofia left him and felt tempted at the suggestion. However, he shook his head after thinking it over carefully. He knew what the old butler wanted.

Ever since he announced his relationship to Yuna, everyone had their agendas. Beastmen like the Fox Elder, Ox Chief, and Ashnamov would, of course, prefer Yuna to be the Lady of the Magical Beasts Realm. However, elders like Casey, Argus, and Murbaqi strongly prefer Sofia, an elf who is beautiful and kind. They had expressed their wishes in various occasions, albeit somewhat indirect.

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Yang Ling had pretended not to know anything, but he knew clearly what his subordinates wanted. Despite so, it was a severe issue to settle and was far more complicated than others had imagined.

Yuna was born accommodating, and beastmen, like humans, do not think much about polygamy. He wasn’t worried about Yuna, but the same cannot be said for Sofia.

Elves are a race that is dreamy yet stubborn. In addition, Sofia was not mentally prepared for the news. It is certainly not an easy task to convince her to accept reality. Even if he went own to the Elf Tribe personally and explained that he was forced to be with Yuna after the poisoning incident, he’s afraid that it would not be of much use.

“His Lordship, I heard that for both the elves and the human royalty, the young ones would need to marry the person their elders decided for them.” said the old butler, who tried again, “Why not we’ll prepare a lavish gift and visit the Elf Elder? We’ll ask for Sofia’s hand directly from him.”

Murbaqi observed Yang Ling’s expression and saw that he was still in turmoil. The old butler immediately understood his reasons. If you put him on the battlefield, even a female servant would fare better than him; however, if you need to guess what others were thinking, he was far more experienced than a normal man. After all, he had been a butler for several decades. Especially so when you have worked as a butler for a renowned family like the Harribell. It was not a job for just about anybody!

To the old butler, as compared to convincing Sofia, it might be better to visit the Elf Elder directly. Yang Ling descended from a line of noble blood, and his strength was immeasurably deep. The influence of the Magical Beast Realm will increase with time. For the sake of the future of the Elf Tribe, the Elf elder would never reject a marriage proposal that ties them together.

“All right, Murbaqi, I’ll leave this to you. I must redraw the defense plan of the territory over these few days!”

After he instructed the old butler, Yang Ling left in wide strides. Directly asking for Sofia’s hand from the Elf Elder wasn’t such a bad idea. He could marry Sophia first, and when the deed is done, he could slowly explain to her what exactly happened back then.

Sofia’s matter is crucial, but it wasn’t something he could rush. Yang Ling shook his head as he prepared to seize whatever time he had to redraw the territory defense plan. It was important so that they could avoid a second attack form the pirates.

For the mainland, they have the Aila Mountain Pass that is easily defendable yet difficult to invade. With Casey holding the fort, no one could invade them easily, no matter which faction they were from. The biggest problem with the Magical Beasts Realm was the threat that would come from the sea.

The Magical Beasts Realm rests southeast of the Tailun Continent. On the south, there is a borderless sea with a long coastline. Sticking to old school defense methods would only serve to wear the troops down!

Attack is the best defense!

The best way to resolve the threat from the sea is to build a strong navy. To test and draw a nautical chart and keep control over the waters in a tight grasp. Then, annihilate the pirates that roam the seas, nipping any potential threats in the bud.

With robust cash flow and a big Merchants’ Association that everyone would flock to, there should be no problems with the boats. Ashnamov is an experienced and genius commander who once defeated the Sea Tribe. With him on his side, he needn’t worry about the issue of generals. What’s left was to recruit a large number of warriors who can swim well.

The Galapagos Tortoisemen are undoubtedly born to be navy men, but Ashnamov does not have that many people from his tribe on his side. The Pythonmen from Black Water City are exceptional warriors who can fight both on land and in water, but they are too few. Even if they brought their whole tribe into the navy, there would only be a little more than 200 of them.

The territory is expanding at an unprecedented pace. More and more people are settling into town, where many of them were young, strong warriors. Recruiting several hundred men from them should not be difficult, but it is unrealistic to train them into a formidable navy within the span of a few weeks.

Could he then recruit a large batch of fishermen through the Merchants’ Association? They would be good swimmers since they lived by the sea since young.

A gust of cold wind seemed to tingle Yang Ling’s heart. As compared to ordinary people, fishermen who grew up by the sea definitely has an overwhelming advantage. Tailun continent has a massive population and a coastline littered with multiple famous coastal cities. Within a short time, it might just be possible to recruit enough fishermen that can swim well through Harribell’s Boulade Merchant’s Association.

Lost in thought as he walked out of the Wissen Castle, Yang Ling subconsciously followed a neat little path that led to the busy streets. Even though the weather is chilly, there were still some people out having fun. They gathered in bars for a drink or two and complained loudly about their day.

During this time, a large number of merchants moved to the territory with the large influx of newcomers. The area could look very different in a matter of days. Within a short month, more than a dozen bars sprawled out along the town, and the competition was fiercer than ever. However, business was good as the population grew. Wissen Town might become Wissen City shortly!

“Hmph, useless bum. How dare you fight over a seat with us droids? Get lost!”

“You… …I dare you to say that again!”

Just as Yang Ling rubbed his temples and was about to return to the Wissen Castle, a sudden commotion broke out in the bar a stone throw’s away. Then, he heard a bellow and a scream, as though a severe conflict had taken place.