The doctor suffers from amnesia, but not complete amnesia.

The twins paused for a moment, then realized it was an old friend of Flamont's...

"Witch King?"

"Yes, it seems to be the Witch King—so I was wondering if you could announce that the plot of land in the Tower of Origin is now leased to the Tower of Babel. We need to try to rebuild a new tower there to connect the inside and outside of the two spaces."

"Is this something you mentioned wanting to do before, teacher?"

Qiao Yelan nodded.

"No problem at all."

Herlinmat immediately made the promise.

“No, Hildegard, there’s a question—that tower has stood in the hearts of the residents of Trilintelme for far too long, and so has its shadow. If we were to hand that plot of land over to the teacher directly, and he were to build the tower on it, it would certainly cause a strong reaction from the citizens.”

Ivignad thought calmly.

"So simply handing it over to you and Flamont isn't enough—how about we build our tower there?"

Black Sheep looked at his sister with some confusion.

“If the tower where the people who overthrew the Witch King lived were built on the original site of the Witch King’s tower, it would not only not seem strange, but would give them a greater sense of security. More importantly, we could use this to protect our teacher’s secrets more effectively.”

Liselotte winked at her sister, trying to give her a hint.

"In that case, if you wish to conduct research in Trinitylme, you can stay directly in my and Hildegard's quarters—I mean, in the palace. This way, you can maintain secrecy while also having access to sufficient resources."

Herlinmat's eyes lit up.

"Teacher, what do you think?"

She picked up where Ivignad left off and asked the question calmly.

It seems to be true.

Qiao Yelan thought about it for a moment and felt that Ivignad had indeed taken everything into consideration. Whether it was for the stability of Triinttelme or for the secrecy of her research, building the twin palace towers there was the best choice.

"I have no opinion."

He nodded with satisfaction.

Ivignad is such a student I can be proud of; she's so thoughtful.

“Then it’s decided—we will announce that our tower will be built on the site of the original Witch King’s Tower.”

Ivigna spoke German so fast that even Qiao Yelan almost couldn't understand what she was saying.

Why are you in such a hurry?

He was a little puzzled.

"Then... teacher, will you participate in the negotiations three days from now?"

"Yes, but I won't say anything. It's up to you to talk to them—just think of it as a final exam. If you can get a grade that satisfies me, then you've completely graduated."

Ivignad smiled sweetly.

"Well... once I've graduated, my teacher can't treat me like a little girl anymore, right?"

"Of course, you're already capable of handling things on your own."

Qiao Yelan nodded with a smile.

"And me, teacher—I've grown up too!"

Herlinmat stared intently at Qiao Yelan's face.

"You are all equally important to me, and you have all grown into people I am proud of."

He comforted his two students, a silent chuckle escaping his lips.

Saying you're not a child anymore, isn't that just like a child trying to prove they've grown up?

"Keep up the good work. I look forward to your future and hope you can surpass me."

Qiao Yelan continued spouting motivational platitudes methodically, completely unaware that her two students might have strategically missed a single word in her previous statement.

Chapter 77 Preliminary Work

"Lord Lingguang, did you return from the banquet ahead of schedule?"

Qiao Yelan was somewhat surprised to see an unexpected person at the diplomatic corps' residence.

"Please just call me by my name, Lord Qiao Yelan. I am not yet able to bear the name [Lingguang] like my father did."

The knight shook his head.

“That kind of banquet was not suitable for me, so I left after paying my respects to the two emperors. I returned to deliver a formal document to the emperors of Letania—I sensed something very unsettling there.”

"There?"

"Yes, not far from where the banquet was held, there are ruins. I heard that it used to be the tower of the Witch King Herhunzoron. Although the tower has been destroyed, I can still feel that something exists. I can't see it or touch it, but it definitely exists."

Snitz's words surprised Qiao Yelan. Even Flamont was able to pinpoint the location of the subspace opening only after hundreds of years of research and experimentation. Yet this knight from the Nearl family was able to sense something was wrong there on his first visit.

Are you sure it was your own feeling?

He asked another question.

"...Yes, I am certain that although this may have some diplomatic consequences, and may even be seen as a threat by the other side—as a knight, I will uphold the virtue of integrity."

"I see. If you don't mind, you can dictate the document, and I will draft the wording and phrasing for you, and then we can submit it together."

Qiao Yelan extended an invitation with a smile.

The knight was taken aback and quickly waved his hand.

"No, no, Your Excellency Qiao Yelan, this matter is only my own business. It's best if you don't get involved. Please rest assured, I will choose my words carefully to avoid any misunderstandings on Letania's side."

"No, Your Excellency Snitz, what I mean is that this document will be submitted as a joint document by the Business Federation and the Supervisory Council."

The man chuckled as he explained the mystery to the young knight.

"Regardless of how Letania ultimately reacts to this document, the Business Federation will criticize you, deeming your actions 'dictatorial.' And if this triggers an even worse reaction, then all the problems in this diplomatic effort will be pinned on you."

"Of course, as a Silver Spear Pegasus, these impeachments and difficulties will not affect you, but they will be like bullets fired at your father—dirty politics is different from bloody battles. There is no bloodshed here, but it is far more brutal than the clash of swords."

Having said that, Snitz could find no reason to object. Moreover, before coming here, his father had instructed him to do less, talk less, and cooperate more with Qiao Yelan.

"I understand, Lord Qiao Yelan—thank you very much."

Qiao Yelan smiled and nodded.

This eldest son of the Lin Guang family actually has such extraordinary talent; we can't let him get away—we have to find a way to lure him up the mountain.

-------------------------------------------------- ------

The atmosphere at the meeting three days later was extremely harmonious.

The war blackmail orchestrated by Qiao Yelan and Nikolai targeted not only the nobles of the Haydenschwell region but also the rulers of Kazimir.

Both sides have what the other wants. Trinity needs a lot of resources and funds, while the Supervisory Council hopes to have a comrade-in-arms. Meanwhile, the Business Federation also hopes to open up commercial channels in Letania.

Therefore, both the treaties in writing and the deals in secret progressed extremely smoothly.

Snitz Nearl secured a defensive alliance, the Meshko Group won a large construction contract, Bain's Rose Newspaper obtained a franchise for hiring, and other business groups also secured many seemingly "promising" investment opportunities.

Qiao Yelan also got what she wanted.

The trade routes to Ursus, Letania, and Kazimierz have all been opened, and the trade route he favored is halfway connected. The planning for Lungmen Dollars can now be officially put on the agenda.

After Snitz was bewilderedly appointed as Kazimir's ambassador to Letania, Qiao Yelan had already begun preparing for the next big show.

However, before that, he had to block out a viewer who didn't know the inside story.

"You're going to Da Yan?"

"Yes, the New Year is just around the corner. It is the most important festival of the year in the Great Yan Dynasty, and people from all over the country visit each other during this time. These past two years have been the first two years since the new emperor was enthroned, so I must go there in person."

Qiao Yelan's face was full of apology.

Kashina nodded silently. She knew why Qiao Yelan was telling her this—unlike going to other countries, she dared not venture deep into the Great Yan territory.

Heaven knows why any country would build a mobile city-level fortress just to hunt giant beasts. It's the epitome of extravagance!

She remembered that the city was called [Yumen], and besides the mobile city, there were even more troublesome things in the Great Yan Dynasty.

Celestial Master.

The existence of the Celestial Masters predates the establishment of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion in the Northern Territory by the Great Yan Dynasty. From government officials to commoners, everyone treats these highly respected and exceptionally powerful individuals with utmost respect.

More importantly, many of these celestial masters were immortals.

Therefore, even the Black Serpent dared not say how many Celestial Masters it could handle. After all, the longer one lives, the more knowledge one acquires and the stronger one becomes. And the more knowledge and power one possesses, the more awe one feels towards knowledge and power.

"Perfect timing. I need to digest what you taught me and also try out some new methods myself. When you return from Da Yan, send someone to my Grand Duke's residence with a letter. I will come back to find you."

"It's a word."

Qiao Yelan nodded with a smile.

Do you have any life support devices here?

"Hmm... Babel Tower should have two outposts in Trilintelme. Do you want to use them?"

“Well, I want to leave this body here. After all, it’s easier for me to move around in the form of a black snake, and I can get here faster. Also, I don’t want to expose this body, since I’ll be staying by your side later.”