When Duke Calvin walked into the Jade Forest Castle, Edith was already waiting for him in the hall.
"My Sweet Daughter"
"Why did you come?" she interrupted mercilessly, "I wrote you a letter a month ago to fully cooperate with the First Army's assembly and preparations, and to meet their requirements as much as possible. ."
The duke's open arm stopped in mid-air, "I informed Earl Hale of Yougu Town at that time, and I also sent a housekeeper to supervise this matter. Isn't that not a full cooperation?"
"Of course," Edith folded her hands on her chest in dissatisfaction, "you can better demonstrate the sincerity of the North by visiting the town in person, and the war with the Church is of great importance, so it cannot be overemphasized."
"But this is Earl Hale's territory after all"
"Please, father, the nobles are gone. Are you still thinking about the vassal's territory? I thought you would be a little more decisive after the rebellion of Hoth and the Lista family."
Duke Calvin felt a little overwhelmed on his face. "I thought my daughter would at least give me a hug after not seeing me for a few months, to express a moment of miss, instead of starting to talk about business before sitting down."
"Really," Edith laughed, "I don't know who was in a rage in the study, shouting that this bastard daughter is a wolf cub who has eaten inside and out? If I guessed correctly, what else did you want to smash at that time? something, but I can't bear it."
The Duke couldn't help but suffocate, "I..."
Heck, what bastard leaked this!
Before she could figure out how to respond, Edith had already walked over and held him in her arms, "Welcome to Yougu Town, father. Is that enough?"
The resentment in his heart disappeared immediately, he touched his daughter's long blue hair, and he had mixed feelings for a while.
Although she was born by the first wife, her personality was very different from her biological mother, and even completely different from herself. Sometimes even he didn't understand how Edith grew into what she is today. There is no shortage of appearance, intelligence, and talent. If it weren't for the fact that she could still see some of the young lady's appearance on her face, he would almost doubt whether Edith was his biological daughter.
However, when the two embraced, the Duke felt that blood-connected intimacy again. She was still the pearl of the North that she had raised by herself.
After a while, Edith pushed him away in disgust, "It smells like sweat, you'd better go take a bath first. I brought some soaps from Neverwinter City, and I tried one of them. The cleaning effect is good. Much better than saponins."
"This kind of thing can be slowed down for a while," Calvin looked around. "By the way, what about Earl Hale? Why didn't he greet me in the hall?"
"I drove him back to the Earl's House on the outskirts."
"What?" The Duke looked at his daughter in surprise.
"He doesn't agree with His Majesty's will, and he didn't take your order seriously. If I hadn't arrived in time, he might have angered the vanguard." Edith shrugged, "Not everyone can see it. They know the road under their feet, and some don’t even have the courage to open their eyes. I won’t say a word about this kind of person. Driving away is the most convenient option.”
"Will he obediently give up the castle and town?"
"He won't, but I have the First Army in my hands," she smiled. "This army conquered the capital in one day. What do you think a dozen knights can do?"
I don't know if it's an illusion, but in just over two months, Edith has become a little different from before. Her smile is more natural, rather than the aristocratic smile that she deliberately pretended to be in social situations. And there was a hint of ease in her eyes, Calvin thought, this look had disappeared long after she became an adult.
She liked her life now, he realized, at least happier than in Northland.
This made him a little jealous, but also quite emotional.
Probably just as the daughter said, after stripping away the noble status, you will indeed lose some rights, but it will also unlock the shackles that are fixed on the fief.
Now she is heading to a wider field.
When he came to the castle study, Calvin drank two cups of black tea in one gulp, and asked after a long breath, "What we have to do now is to wait for His Majesty to come?"
"There is still a lot of work to do," Edith opened the notepad. "Food, horses, cloth, herbs, and the materials needed for the war will be transported to Rivendell Town. By the way, I received a new secret from Your Majesty earlier. Letter, iron ingots and copper ingots will also be shipped, the more the better."
"He's trying to evacuate the entire Northland," the Duke muttered to himself, "Do you really think His Majesty Roland can defeat the Church?"
"He may not be able to invade the Holy City of Hermes and completely eradicate the church, but it is not too difficult to prevent the church from entering the kingdom below the Cold Wind Ridge." She paused. "The most important thing your majesty lacks is time."
"time?"
"You haven't seen his factory, so it's hard to understand the power of Neverwinter." Edith looked at her father, "Whether it's a knight, a mercenary, a judge army or a fanatical believer, they are no different in front of bullets. And these Bullets with amazing power are continuously produced in the factory like running water. Any civilian can kill the enemy with firearms and bullets after only half an hour of teaching. If they train for a month, they can get a Soldiers who went into battle to kill the enemy, and three months later, they were the invincible First Army."
"What are you... trying to say?"
"The growth rate of man is far less than that of bullets, father. It is different from sword armor. A blacksmith and a dozen apprentices can make ten sets of armor and thirty swords in a year, but a factory can produce thousands of them in a day. After the remaining bullets grind the knights armed with swords to powder, there are hundreds more to be distributed to those who want to become knights; by the next day, these bullets can be given to city dwellers and newborns; After a month, enough bullets were produced to turn the city into an empty, dead city."
Calvin opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"It's normal if you don't believe it. After all, these things sound a bit subversive, but I have followed the First Army and participated in the tooth extraction operation, and I have seen with my own eyes how they dealt with the enemy." Edith said slowly, "So the first As long as the army defends the line of defense, His Majesty will sooner or later get the victory he wants. After three months, Neverwinter City will be able to train an army of several thousand people and corresponding weapons, and this time is not enough for the new Judgment Army. Learn to hold a sword."
"..." The Duke was dumbfounded for a while before spreading his hands. "Okay, just pretend you are right. Since you are so optimistic about His Majesty Roland, why didn't you reply to my letter? I mean... about the marriage with His Majesty." (., Your support is my biggest motivation.) 17-02-25 05:17:28