Chapter 1079: Chapter 258: War Without Smoke (Part 2)
This is the helplessness brought about by war, as well as the reality that this world must accept. As Brand, having half the knowledge of a modern human, received this knowledge, all he could do was remain silent. In the past, he never paid attention to these backgrounds in the game. It seemed that Vorn only had those grand myths, but the NPCs were living out the brutal reality of this world, with no one paying attention.
"...One issue is that these refugees have been partially taken in by the local nobles, but the nobles only need strong laborers and women who can bear children. The rest mostly consist of the elderly and children..."
At this point, Antitina paused and turned back to look at Brand with her black eyes that seemed to speak. In the girl’s gaze was a deep sorrow; she spoke of the homeless as if she felt their pain. If not for Brand, she too would be among the lowest rung of the food chain in this survival-of-the-fittest world. Yet, on the other hand, Antitina had difficult and unspeakable conflicts in her heart.
"It’s okay; the elderly possess experience young people can’t reach. As for the children, Tonyger needs children. Children represent the future of the territory. Having experienced the hardships of war, they would understand how precious the hard-won peaceful life is. Tonyger can take them in." Brand quietly took a breath.
He is now a lord, with many standing behind him, which means he needs to maturely judge issues. But maturing doesn’t mean he has to join forces with the nobles of this world. Brand always believed that even if one day the civilized world turned into desolation, the noble and beautiful culture created by humans in history wouldn’t decay. On the contrary, humans would be the first to walk out of the wilderness, relying on the light of humanity.
This was merely his personal opinion, but as Brand looked at the others, there was respect in their eyes. The face of the young Antitina showed an indescribable complexity. She hoped Brand could calmly refuse her, but such an action would destinedly disappoint her. However, he reassured her—even though she knew it was a childish and impulsive decision, it was filled with inspiring strength.
At that moment, she felt as if she saw a young knight raising a shining banner in the endless darkness, advancing against the current. That unyielding spirit almost melted her whole heart, and for a moment, she wished she could help the young man step forward a little more so that this gentle light could exist for just a moment longer before the dawn of Erune.
"Not all elderly have experience, and how many elders are really needed..." the noble girl mumbled to herself and then unconsciously smiled gently.
"Never seen such a fool, fine, I’ll help you all the way..." Among all the people below, Master Buru shook his head in the crowd, but his eyes were forgiving and gratified. After experiencing an exiled life, he finally understood how far the lower class of Erune had fallen. Who can save Erune? The passionate feelings he once had as a Royalist party member had cooled off. He wasn’t sure anymore if the Royalist party could help Erune, and his support for the Princess’s side stemmed more from an inertia of his past.
It was only when he saw Brand make a decision today that he realized perhaps this young man had something that was currently missing in the nobles of Erune. He suddenly made up his mind to write to his few proud students and old friends, asking them to come to Tonyger and see everything here.
After finishing the refugee issue, Antitina briefly mentioned the development of the territory. In fact, there wasn’t much to say. The White-maned Guard wasn’t even in sight yet, primarily because the troop source was far from sufficient. The armor and weapon workshops were also understaffed, unable to go into full production for an entire army. The old dwarf Odem’s ’Majestic Giant City’ is still on paper. As he puts it, he’s running around like a rabbit digging holes every day, building fortresses and tunnels on several mountains—ridiculous.
The Shafren Silver Mine is operating steadily, serving as the main source of funds for the territory. As for the future financial growth of the territory, Brand primarily had his eyes on the Black Forest. With the help of the Druids, he could easily develop the border areas of the Black Forest. Moreover, the most important thing at present is the rich crystal mine he discovered. Although the output isn’t very high yet, the monthly income is already showing signs of surpassing that of the silver mine.
