Chapter 111: The Lord's Plan
Chapter 111: The Lord's Plan
"Alana, I have a task for you."
In the study, Andre called upon his most trusted student.
At this moment, Alana had fully recovered from her previous injuries sustained in the forest. Standing before Andre, she exuded confidence and vitality.
"Lord Andre, please give me your instructions!" Alana replied with determination.
Andre looked at Alana and nodded in satisfaction, "Do you remember the spider magic beasts that attacked the town a few days ago?"
"Of course I do!" Alana responded immediately.
She had already recovered from her injuries by then, and although she arrived a bit late, she still participated in the counterattack against the Corrupt Venom Spiders, personally slaying one during the battle.
Recalling the events of that day, Alana clenched her fists, her eyes flashing with anger.
Aside from the direct losses the town suffered during the battle, as Andre's student, Alana was also aware that this winter would be a season of food scarcity.
And the culprits behind it all were those damn spiders!
Sensing Alana's anger, Andre's tone shifted, "In fact, just a few days ago, on the same day the first snow fell, there was also a magic beast attack on the mine."
Alana's expression changed, and her voice grew tense, "A magic beast attack? On the mine?"
"I recall Sona was assigned to guard that area..." Alana added, as she had a good relationship with Sona.
Sona was also an Awakened who trained at the Lord's Manor, but his talent was lacking. His War School skills only reached the second stage, and over the years, he hadn't made any further progress.
Assigned to guard the mine, Alana rarely had the chance to meet with him.
Seeing Andre's serious demeanor, Alana naturally assumed the worst.
But Andre quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, fortunately, Lin Sai was there at the time, and he managed to repel the attacking magic beasts, preventing a major disaster."
Alana's expression relaxed.
As he saw his student's tension ease, Andre shared his thoughts, "I believe this attack is not a simple matter."
"Alana, you know that the hunting team that returned this morning also encountered magic beast attacks after the snowfall. Although the Corrupt Venom Spiders were the main pursuers, we must not overlook this detail."
Alana asked tentatively, "Do you think the magic beasts in the forest have undergone some changes?"
Andre nodded, then shook his head, "The early arrival of winter seems to have affected the magic beasts, and they are becoming hostile towards our town."
"However, we haven't fully grasped the situation yet, so it's not wise to jump to conclusions."
Alana, curious, inquired, "Lord Andre, haven't you been busy with the town's defense preparations these days?"
Andre then revealed his plan, "Yes, but we can't just defend; we must take the initiative and launch a cleanup operation against these magic beasts lurking around the town."
"I called you here to ask you to notify the other Awakened in town who are capable of fighting. This matter must be addressed immediately!"
Upon hearing this arrangement, the young Awakened became energized.
She stood tall, making a commitment, and then left the manor to spread the news to the other Awakened in town.
As Andre watched Alana depart, he began organizing other tasks.
He instructed the elderly carpenter Iriel to prepare weapons and equipment, requested Doctor Song An to prepare the necessary medicines for combat, and arranged for food to be allocated from the town's granary.
These were all crucial supplies that would undoubtedly be needed in the event of a magic beast attack.
Only after sending out these people did Andre issue simple commands without patiently explaining the situation to Alana as he had done with Alkin.
"..."
"Alana, it has to be you."
After completing these trivial instructions, Andre had a brief moment of respite.
He stood by the window of his study, gazing up at the sky outside. The pitch-black night sky was adorned with a bright, round moon.
The starry sky before him was different from what he had seen a hundred years ago when he was studying in Narck Bondek.
But the dark night sky made him feel a sense of permanence.
Lin Sai had no intention of inheriting the management of the frontier town.
His student, with skills that were unheard of to Andre, would undoubtedly shine in the vast world beyond if they could break through the blockade of the Black Mountain World.
Andre couldn't force such a promising student like Lin Sai.
That's why, starting today, he decided to groom Alana as the next lord.
This was also the reason he had talked so much with Alana, even explaining the situation to her.
"I hope we can turn the situation around."
Andre sighed.
He subconsciously looked at his empty left sleeve.
Although he had lost an arm.
As a fifth-stage Awakened, Andre's fundamental strength was still unparalleled in the entire town, and he could easily handle the beasts in the forest.
"As long as everything goes according to plan, there will definitely be no problems."
Andre muttered to himself as if trying to convince himself.
But this line of thought brought a necessary issue to the forefront.
Shifting the conflict outward.
It would undoubtedly stabilize the current situation in town and even restore Andre's original control over it.
But what about the future?
This external conflict is ultimately just a temporary decision.
It doesn't solve the fundamental problem.
People's desire to break through the Black Mountain won't disappear; it will only temporarily subside.
As time goes by.
The influence of suppressing the beasts will gradually diminish.
When the time comes, and with the push of public sentiment, the conflicts will inevitably resurface.
How long will this time be? Will it be postponed for a year or half a year? How should we respond then?
After further contemplation.
Andre made another decision.
This time, he didn't summon anyone else to his study.
Instead, he went to his daughter Anna's room alone, knocked on the door, and entered.
It was already late.
Anna, wearing a nightgown, was sitting at the desk, engrossed in transcribing under the flickering candlelight.
The girl saw Andre entering the room.
Her face, illuminated by the candlelight, showed surprise, not understanding why Andre was looking for her so late:
"Father?"
Andre nodded slightly and sat down next to Anna. He spoke with a heavy heart, "Anna, three years ago on Harvest Day, I helped you sort out your body. The next Harvest Day, you will definitely become an Awakened."
Seeing that her father didn't directly state his purpose and seemed hesitant.
Anna naturally understood that something important was about to happen.
She had a premonition, put down the paper and pen in her hand, and her gaze at Andre became serious:
"Yes, I want to become a Life Scholar. Finn Grandpa left some learning materials for Lin Sai."
First, she expressed her attitude towards becoming an Awakened, then Anna asked, "Father, do you have any arrangements?"
Andre nodded, lowering his gaze, unable to even look at his beloved daughter.
He spoke in a low voice, "Anna, I hope you can agree to my request and change your choice for future Transcendence..."
(End of Chapter)
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