The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

"Although we have captured quite a few Avars, their routes are all based on the premise of being escorted by dragons, so it is difficult for them to guide you."

Linde actually had a good impression of Rosalyn. He didn't dislike people with a simple sense of justice. Although he couldn't completely believe what the grey-robed man said, at least the little princess was really trying to resist the Avars and even had the courage to embark on a journey with no chance of survival.

"You came here simply because the Sea of ​​Impermanence is in a good mood, but that doesn't mean you can go back unscathed, understand?"

After Lind finished his warning, Rosalind said, "But Your Majesty, I have already persuaded a dragon to help us with our escort, and now on the continent of Mu, the Avars have been completely defeated. I think I should go back and bring this news to my father."

"Dragon?"

Upon hearing this, Linde finally put down the report in his hand and asked, "Who is it?"

"Regus is a blue dragon who represents wisdom, and he is very interested in the continent of Soron."

Upon hearing the name, Lind had some recollection of it. Margaret's younger brother, Regus, was somewhat eccentric in his actions. Unlike ordinary dragons who liked gold coins, Regus particularly enjoyed tinkering with human weapons.

"It's still too dangerous."

Linde still chose to refuse. After all, as long as Rosalind was alive, she was useful. There was no need to let her take risks. They could wait until the new ships came out before sending Rosalind back and remotely control the situation on the Solon continent.

"His Majesty!"

Rosalind knelt on one knee, her eyes filled with a resolute desire to join the Church of the Goddess, and said, "The people of Castile are still suffering terribly, and the entire kingdom is begging for your mercy. Please have compassion on us."

Rosalind was initially reluctant to leave, as she was still essentially a child at heart. However, as the latest news brought back by the Avar prisoners began to circulate among the officials, even though the Grey Robe was concealing the domestic situation in Castile from Rosalind, she still learned some information intentionally or unintentionally through those officials.

Rosalind originally came to the continent of Mu to seek help, but those rumors reminded her of her mission. She found an opportunity to meet with Lind, hoping to return to the continent of Solon.

Seeing Rosalind's persistence and the fact that she had made all the preparations and was just waiting for Lind's approval, Lind hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, since you can persuade the dragon, I will give you a ship by yourself. You can set sail with those merchants who are preparing to go to sea recently, and I will also have Regus escort them."

Upon receiving Lind's approval, Rosalind immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!"

Clearly, the little princess was getting ahead of herself. Linde continued, "But the situation on the continent of Solon is currently chaotic. Although I've approved those merchants to possess weapons, to be honest..."

Linde looked at Rosalind: "Do you have any weapons? I can provide you with some Imperial weapons, even stronger protective gear than those merchants, as well as some defensive enchantments, but do you have the money to buy them?"

Upon hearing this rather direct and blunt question, Rosalyn looked troubled and hesitated before saying, "I...I...I'll figure something out!"

Seeing the foreign princess hesitating in place, Linde shook his head and said, "You didn't discuss this matter with the grey-robed man at all, did you?"

Seeing that her thoughts had been exposed, Rosalyn nodded awkwardly: "The Grand Preceptor will not agree to my return; he wants to go back on his own."

Linde didn't intend to trick the child, but said, "I will persuade Grey Robe to let you go back, but I still need to talk to Grey Robe about serious matters."

Upon receiving the news, Grey Robe quickly arrived at Linde's study. Seeing Rosalind sitting on the sofa, awkwardly fiddling with her fingers, Grey Robe was slightly annoyed, but this annoyance eventually turned into a long sigh.

"Your Majesty the Supreme Emperor, the Grand Preceptor of Castile extends his respectful greetings to you."

The man in the grey robe bowed respectfully, while Linde simply pushed a document onto the table.

Large ships capable of crossing the sea are not cheap. Castile's original ships can still be used with difficulty after repair, but even if the Grey Robe wanted to save money, he probably wouldn't dare let Rosalind and himself ride on the same ship they came from. However, the ocean-going ships of the captured Avars could be modified and sold to Castile and his party at a low price.

The merchants had been preparing ships for their voyage for some time. These ships were all invested in by Linde, making them semi-official in nature. Giving up one of them wouldn't be cheap, not to mention the fully armed weapons and enchantments on board. Even the Avar ships had been modified, and the cannons and enchantments on them were quite expensive.

With the meager salary he earns now, Grey Robe might not be able to repay Lin De even if he worked for him for the rest of his life, not to mention the debt of gratitude he owes Lin De.

So in the end, Grey Robe decided to go all in and accept Lind's full sponsorship to help Rosalind return to power and become Queen of Castile.

Grey Robe understood that these sponsorships were not free; His Majesty the Great Emperor would one day collect interest on these sponsorships—not just the interest written on paper. But Grey Robe believed that as long as His Highness ascended the throne and Castile could unite, this portion of the interest would be repaid.

Castile had a significant advantage over smaller nations annexed by the empire: it was located overseas.

His Majesty the Emperor is benevolent, and the Empire has its pride. As long as Rosalind's Castile remains loyal to the Empire, the Empire will not deploy his terrifying army.

The grey-robed man finally signed his name on the agreement and waved for Rosalind to come over. Rosalind didn't read the contents of the agreement carefully, only glanced at it. She was confused to see that His Majesty the Great Emperor was willing to help her return to Castile. She then signed her name on the agreement without fully understanding what was going on.

The gifts of fate have always come with a price tag, and Gray Robe is not unaware of this, but at least in Gray Robe's current view, the price is still within his acceptable range.

The fleet that was going to the continent of Solon was soon ready to set sail. Regus, in human form, was looking around curiously in the harbor. The blue dragon, which symbolized wisdom, did not seem to be very wise at this moment. Margaret lowered her head and covered her face helplessly, as if she did not recognize her younger brother.

The dragons were originally against Regus going to sea to escort the ships, but they had no choice. Maritime trade was too profitable, and Regus volunteered, so Margaret had to agree.

The fleet's personnel had changed compared to the original. In addition to the original skilled sailors and the guides from the Avars, there were also many adventurers from the continent of Mu, soldiers from the Empire, bards, and priests and nuns from the Church.

Linde didn't like those adventurers, so they had to find other ways to make a living, and going to sea was a very good option. In fact, as long as they went to sea, His Majesty the Emperor would commend them, praising them for having the true spirit of adventure. Therefore, there were a lot of adventurers who chose to go to sea.

The number of soldiers and bards was not large, mainly to protect Rosalind, or rather, to both protect and monitor her, but for the Grey Robes, these soldiers and bards were far more reliable than the Castilian delegation they had brought.

The priests and nuns of the church were not all there to preach. More often, they were there to ensure safety at sea, prevent disease, and try to establish a connection with the goddess on the continent of Solon, as well as to conduct some magical experiments. Even the leader was Bernice of the Lantern Dream, a representative figure of technical nuns.

It was rumored that among the soldiers and Rosalind's female guards were Knight Lars and members of the Sisters of the Order, but the grey-robed man dared not ask and even hoped that these rumors were true.

Looking at the magnificent transoceanic ships, the gray-robed man sighed deeply. In his opinion, the sheer number of ships, along with the weapons and enchantments they carried, was enough to make them invincible on the Sea of ​​Unpredictability. The trained merchants and adventurers were far more skilled than Castile's so-called regular army. Yet, the emperor of that empire was still not satisfied and continued to build transoceanic ships. It was said that the emperor even planned to turn them into ironclad warships like armored trains.

With a resounding horn call, the fleet slowly set sail. Rosalyn stood at the bow, the sea breeze ruffling her hair, her eyes filled with determination and anticipation.

I wonder what the situation is like in Castile now, and whether my father and brothers are alright.

The little princess embarked on her journey home with a glimmer of hope.