"Sura, you stay here and watch the house for a while, I need to go out."

"Where is teacher going?" Anthony raised his head alertly, looking at the teacher's suddenly paused figure.

"Of course, I'm going up there to take a look."

"Teacher, didn't you say someone up there doesn't welcome you?" Sura was somewhat panicked.

"I'm just old, not weak." Anthony stroked his long beard, smiling and said, "Sura, do you think your teacher is no match for them?"

"But..."

"Am I not just one person?"

Anthony laughed heartily: "The day of return is getting closer; they are afraid of getting hurt, but I'm not."

Sura's face changed drastically, and his voice trembled.

"Teacher, let me do it instead."

"I want to meet some old friends I knew on the battlefield; can you do that for me? Just watch the house obediently."

Anthony didn't give Sura a chance to argue and left gracefully.

Sura watched his teacher's back, lips trembling, unable to say a word.

The teacher spoke very tactfully, giving him face.

In reality, he was too inexperienced, unable to handle the complex outside situation, forcing the teacher to take action in his old age.

The teacher easily said he wasn't afraid of getting hurt, but it was actually very difficult.

Powerful mages can use magic tools to replace body organs.

As long as the head isn't blown off, even a damaged heart can be replaced.

However, during the Magic Empire era, there was an unwritten rule.

Once more than 50% of the body is replaced with magic tools, they're no longer considered human.

A wave of hatred surged in Sura's heart.

He hated his own incompetence, unable to help his teacher or take control of the association.

He hated more the ruthless passage of time; he had a blueprint for the revival of the Magic Empire yet couldn't implement it.

He would rather fail in drawing the future than give up directly like this.

But he was helpless.

He could understand his teacher's decision.

Besides feeling a little aggrieved, it was indeed the best choice.

...

Amidst the global uproar, Roland returned to the loyal Governor's Mansion.

Seeing the busy officials at all levels, a smile appeared at the corner of Roland's mouth.

Professional matters should be left to professionals.

He only handled overall strategic planning and never interfered with his subordinates' work, giving them a full stage to play out their initiative.

Under the spur of the performance assessment system, even those who usually slacked off were working frantically.

Dailong freely obtained the title of Imperial Knight, acquiring the fiefdoms of two villages, making others envious.

What they cared for wasn't just two small villages, but more.

Since Dailong could obtain the title of Imperial Knight, they could aim for the Baron and even more.

The income from the two villages wasn't much, not compared to the leftovers of a business deal made over a drink, but it was legitimate and could be inherited by descendants.

Some money comes and goes quickly like a dream, gone when you wake up.

Some money comes slowly but won't be lost, like a house that remains when you wake up.

Having stable assets means having a stable heart.

The Empress and Governor are giving them stable assets, granting wealth for their descendants to share the lifespan of the Empire, something no one can refuse.

In the past, in the Three Overseas Provinces, it was uncertain if you could find government officials during off-hours, only able to find them at luxurious entertainment venues.

In the current Governor's Territory, administrative efficiency during work hours was high, and many voluntarily worked overtime after hours.

Roland brought the era-defining internal competition culture to the Governor's Territory.

Of course, these people's efforts won't be wasted.

Someone is watching them.

With more than thirty thousand people incorporated by Alina, the intelligence network quickly established, making Raikkonen, the Scout Knight's main task supervision of officials.

He and Lady Elaine had separate duties, complementing each other, significantly enhancing Roland's underling's intelligence capabilities.

Roland stood at the door of the Governor's office, just in time to see Sif buried in file reviews.

Maybe sensing someone at the door, Sif didn't look up, just softly said:

"Come in, the door's not closed."

No response came, Sif raised her head in surprise, only to see Roland standing at the door.

She cheerfully stood up and welcomed him.

"You were gone for several days, was everything alright out there, did you encounter any trouble?"

"Why trouble and not danger?" Roland asked with a smile.

"If anyone becomes your enemy, I would only mourn for them."

Sif's gaze drifted around as if looking for something.

Confirming Roland brought no gifts, she seemed slightly disappointed but said nothing, directly letting Roland sit down to start sharing about work.

"Roland, during your absence, Stanley came by once and brought new information."

"New information?" Roland was somewhat curious; he picked up the teacup, sipping slowly, waiting for Sif to share.

"Someone acted faster than us."

Sif said with some annoyance, "Sofia made the first move. This woman gathered merchants for an Imperial Palace banquet, then called out names of the deceased during the banquet. Those named were directly taken away and executed. Several of the targets we marked were also killed at her death feast."

"Damn, those were our marked targets first!"

Roland almost spat out his old tea.

They're even fighting over such matters?

"How many did she hunt?" Roland asked curiously.

"There's no precise count, but according to Stanley's estimate, Empress Sofia reclaimed over five hundred million pounds in cash, with assets approximating a thousand pounds."

"So much?" Roland was a bit surprised.

"It's not that much," Sif sighed lightly, "The business environment of the Vladimir Empire has never been considered good; those daring to do business there aren't top in the business world."

"The biggest few families and conglomerates would never go there."

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