Start from Fulilian

"Of course." Ivan nodded in affirmation.

The old king stroked his beard again and said, "The world has suffered from the Demon King for a long time. I beg you, brave man, to set out as soon as possible, take the invincible holy sword, and chop the Demon King to pieces, bringing peace back to the world."

Ivan: “…”

He vaguely felt that the old king had seen through his false hero status.

But in public, Ivan didn't think the old king would expose him. After all, this kind of thing would be a thankless task for him and the disadvantages would outweigh the advantages.

So now is the time to show off our acting skills.

"Alas..." Ivan sighed. "I'd love to reach the Demon King's Castle soon and end his life with the Holy Sword's ultimate move, [EX Curry Stick], but the Goddess' instructions to me when I drew my sword said it's not time to kill the Demon King yet."

"Why?"

"Because the Holy Sword needs to be charged, it takes hundreds of years to absorb enough magic power from heaven and earth, and it will take another five years to fully charge it."

"Five years..." A gleam of light flashed in the old king's cloudy eyes. "We are currently in the midst of a war, and the magical power between heaven and earth is fluctuating greatly, which may delay the recharging time. To be on the safe side, let's say seven years. We have to hold out against the demon army for that long."

He turned his head and looked at several people who were obviously dressed as high-ranking nobles, and asked, "I wonder if the lords are confident that they can tighten their belts and use all the subsidies issued by the kingdom on military affairs for seven years?"

"We will definitely live up to His Majesty the King's expectations!" Those people looked a little embarrassed at first, but after a while they made up their minds and promised in a loud voice.

Ivan on the side seemed to understand what was going on. The old king's questions and answers to him were not meant to make things difficult for him, but to explain to everyone why the devil could not be killed all at once.

At the same time, he was also motivating the nobles under him, telling them that as long as they persisted for seven years, they could continue their extravagant life and give them hope.

The seven-year time limit was something the old king had carefully considered. If it was too long, the nobles would not have the patience and might even give up. If it was too short, he was worried that Ivan would be exposed too early, causing the nobles to wake up prematurely.

"Brave man, what do you think?" The king turned his gaze to Ivan again.

After thinking through the key points, Ivan also felt that the old king was a good candidate, at least in terms of intelligence and vision, he could be a teammate.

Even though he didn't pin his hopes of defeating the Demon King on himself now, as long as he could demonstrate enough value, he would surely be able to attract more investment.

"Your Majesty the King has a far-sighted vision. I believe that under your leadership we will achieve ultimate victory."

"This is not the achievement of me alone, but the result of the concerted efforts of so many noble nobles." The old king, increasingly impressed by Ivan, immediately ordered, "I promised to grant the title of Viscount to whoever pulls out the Holy Sword. Now is the time to fulfill my promise. Come, bring me the ceremonial sword."

The servant quickly handed over an unsharpened gilded sword, and as usual, the old king took it and placed it on Iven's shoulder.

"My lord, you should kneel on one knee to swear allegiance." The guard beside him saw that Ivan did not move, thinking that he did not understand, and hurriedly reminded him.

But Ivan didn't do as he was told. He simply bowed slightly, which caused the nobles behind him to murmur among themselves. Among them, a middle-aged man with a gentleman's mustache came out and scolded him, "Even a brave man must kneel during the knighting ceremony! What's more, you are not even—"

"Charle, step back." The old king didn't even turn his head, but just glanced at the man sideways, and asked him to shut up and step back silently.

"Please forgive my impoliteness, Your Majesty." Ivan explained, not wanting to create an awkward atmosphere, "Because the Holy Sword is the goddess's token, my every move while holding it represents the goddess's face. I cannot kneel down and swear an oath before you."

This is a lie.

The main reason was to take care of the child's mother's feelings. If Celie knew that she received the same treatment as an old man, she would probably be so angry that she would drive the ancient elf tree to kill her immediately.

"I see. Since you represent the goddess, there's no need for those formalities. However, you still have to accept the title of Viscount."

The old king was also a pragmatic man. Seeing that Ivan had come up with such a convincing reason for everyone, he naturally did not pursue anything and handed the ceremonial sword back to the servant.

"As for the territory... Viscount Hicks died for his country, and his heir is still young. This place is not far from the battlefield, so let the Hicks family move to the capital first. We will make other arrangements when the heir comes of age. The territory around Suiye City will be managed by you, Viscount Ivan."

"As you command, Your Majesty the King."

◇

At night, a middle-aged man with a gentleman's mustache came to the king's carriage.

"Char, do you know what you did wrong during the day?" The old king asked without raising his head while drinking the herbs with a spoon.

"Father, I didn't do anything wrong. He accepted the title but didn't kneel down and take the oath. This will damage your prestige!"

"Even the goddess's messenger bowed to me. How has my prestige been damaged?"

"That, that was an excuse he made up later!" Prince Charles still felt that he had done nothing wrong. "After all, he's not the goddess's messenger at all. He's just a fake—"

"If you can't control your mouth, you're not worthy of being the heir to this country." The old king's words made Prince Charles tremble with fear. "Perhaps I can try to train your younger brother."

"Father...I, I was wrong."

"Oh? Then tell me where the mistake is."

This time, Prince Charles answered without hesitation, "I shouldn't have been so hasty in scolding. A true king should be mature and steady, and should carefully consider important remarks."

"You've suddenly become more sensible." The old king smiled and drank the medicine. "It seems I need to use the right to inherit the throne to teach you a lesson more often."

Prince Charles: "..."

Fulilian (Thousand Years of Past): Chapter 28: Old Grass Eats Tender Cow

"Father, please don't make fun of the succession to the throne. I'm still young and don't want to suffer a heart attack because of this. Why are you so lenient with an outsider, but so harsh with me?"

The old king didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Do you understand why I treated that young man so kindly? You know, the backup plan is for you to pretend to be the brave one drawing the sword, even though there's a high probability you won't be able to do it... well, the probability is only 8%."

"But you said at the beginning that the probability was a full 80%!"

"Nonsense! If I don't ask for a higher price, you'll be reluctant for fear of losing face. I never like to force others—so, have you figured out the reason?"

"Because..." Prince Charles pondered carefully, "He looks good when he smiles?"

The old king raised his head and said coldly, "Although I can't make you laugh beautifully, I can make you cry ugly."

"Father... I really don't know. We haven't seen him before. He's just an ordinary civilian. Why... huh?"

How could an ordinary civilian know how to pull out the carrier without disturbing the world authority left by the goddess?

"The answer is Volame. The relationship between that boy named Ivan and Volame... although it's just speculation, it's likely they were lovers. Volame's teacher was Celie, who lived from the mythological era to the present day, so it's not surprising that the boy would have a sword-drawing technique."

"Hey—Volamei is almost 27, isn't he? Old grass eating young cattle?!" Charles asked in surprise, "And how did you know about their relationship, father?"

"Didn't you notice that Volame had a ring engraved with a Mirror Lotus on her middle finger? She was clearly aware of something fishy about the Holy Sword, but she didn't point it out. And the look she gave him revealed their relationship. So many unusual points, and you didn't notice a single one?"

"I didn't pay attention. Although you, my father, asked me to get along well with her before, I tried to pursue Volame, but she really wasn't my type and she even rejected my invitation to dance. I felt that there was no chance of anything happening with Volame, so I didn't pay much attention to her."

After hearing Charles' outrageous speech, the old king fell silent. He picked up the spoon and stuffed a mouthful of the bitter medicine soup into his mouth even with sugar.

He must survive for a few more years, otherwise this broken country will really be destroyed under Charles' leadership.

"Volamei is more valuable to our country than a fully staffed division. That's why I asked you to establish a good relationship with her. Even if we can't marry, at least we should get along well. You must remember this."

"Yes……"

Although Charles agreed verbally, he didn't take it seriously in his heart and thought the old king was exaggerating.

The old king was well aware of his son's character, so he said earnestly, "You know what? Yesterday afternoon, Volame showed me a scale."

"What's so rare about a scale? Is it a work of art made of pure gold?"

"That scale belonged to the great demon Rimas, known for his absolute obedience. It was a terrifying existence that once annihilated an entire division of ours, yet it was killed by Volame yesterday afternoon. Do you still think it's not valuable enough?"

Charles was completely speechless now.

◇

Volame locked the door from the inside, gathered up her long hair, put it in a hair bun, and unbuttoned her chest one by one. Her movements were always very graceful, with the charm of a mature woman. She slowly and seductively took off her top, skirt and leggings, revealing a large area of ​​fair and delicate skin.

She casually kicked off her shoes and walked into the temporary bathroom built by Ivan. Steam was rising and white mist was lingering. There was a wooden barrel inside that was big enough for two people to take a comfortable bath together.

She lifted her slender legs and stepped into it. The water rippled and the water in the oversized bathtub surged up. Volame moaned comfortably from her nose.

"You really are the one who knows how to enjoy life the most, Ivan. You put in so much effort just to take a bath."

"The point is to soak with you." Ivan was soaking in a large wooden tub filled with hot water, in a state of frankness. "After all, with a space ring, doing this is actually very simple. Magic is essentially a tool. It can be used in battle, but it can also be used to improve life."

"This is why I admire you so much, and it's also something I feel really guilty about. So far, whether it's the Magic Association, the Royal Magic Team, or even Fulilian, all I've taught them is combat magic."

"That's good too." Ivan affirmed her teaching principles. "After all, only those who survive in battle can enjoy life."

"Wait, I seem to have forgotten that you are also my student. Why are you the one who is giving affirmation to my teaching?"

"What does it matter? At this point, we've both already...would you still care about these little things? Should I whisper to you a few times in Teacher Volame's ear at that time?"

"..." Volame didn't know how to answer for a moment, so he stretched out his leg and kicked Ivan.

Amidst the rippling water, her fair shoulders were faintly visible, sometimes revealing her delicate collarbone and half a hint of polar bear. Her figure swayed as her arms twisted, revealing a seductive curve. Perhaps because of the heat or shyness, her face flushed slightly, and her eyes flickered and blurred.

Compared to being completely uncovered, this half-covered look is even more irresistible.

"How does it feel to be a noble?" Volame asked, changing the subject.

"Nothing special. I just feel like I'm one step closer to chopping the devil to death with my sword."

Ivan has a complete plan in his mind. Although it is hard to imagine that he can defeat the devil by his own strength, there is still hope to win through a righteous beating.

However, compared to the general light novels and anime where people rush forward with the help of a few friends while shouting "bonds of friendship", Ivan has a more realistic way of thinking. He wants to crush his opponents with the help of the general trend of mankind.

"Speaking of which, is it really possible for you to directly manage such a large territory? Viscount Hicks and his family might not be so willing to set off for the capital so easily. Such a large foundation cannot be abandoned all at once. Those loyal to their former master might try to hinder you."

"I've prepared for all of this. I'll just deal with it as the time comes. As for management, oftentimes, not having too much management is the best management. For a city, the number of officials doesn't actually need to be too many."

As long as the people under their rule can have enough food to eat, many problems that plague feudal lords can actually be solved.

Of course, the prerequisite is that the lords are willing to let something slip through their fingers.

Fulilian (A Thousand Years of Past): Chapter 29: Actions Instead of Words

"Well, let's stop here for the discussion of how to govern the territory. What are your plans for the future?"

"Why? Do you want me to go to Suiye City to help you?"

The steam rising from the bathroom condensed into water droplets on the white marble wall, falling down in lines. Volame leaned back comfortably on the edge of the bathtub, and did not mind Ivan seeing more of her beautiful peak.

"One more person means more strength." Ivan picked up the towel beside him and said, "Turn around. I'll wipe your back."

"Ah."

Volame did as she was told, and Ivan moved closer to her. Because their movements were so large, the water in the bathtub started to ripple, and a lot of it even rippled outside.

"The Magic Association and the Royal Magic Corps are just getting started. We must rely on the power of the country to quickly expand their influence, so I must stay in the capital... Ugh, don't go anywhere strange!"

"Sorry, my hand slipped."

Ivan continued to wipe Volame's smooth and white back with a towel, his movements were extremely gentle, and it was this soothing movement that aroused a tingling electric shock sensation, making her sensitive body tremble slightly with comfort.

"If you can't leave the capital... then what about Fulilian? She should be able to stay and help me, right?"

"You...don't have any bad thoughts towards her. She's still a child who knows nothing."

"Yes, that's right. A child over five hundred years old, right? Are you just jealous?"

"Okay, you can let Fulilian stay and help you. After all, seeing more of the wickedness of human nature is also a kind of growth."

Volame agreed to Ivan's request after just a brief thought. After all, she had strengthened Frellen's mental resistance, and aphrodisiacs, brainwashing and the like had no effect on Frellen at all.

And given the elves' indifference to reproduction, their threat to the opposite sex is almost zero.

Moreover, Freellian had already mastered the magic of the electromagnetic cannon in the last practice, so it didn't matter if he was not with her when practicing the remaining combat magic.

Moreover, compared to the royal capital, Suiye City, which is adjacent to the battlefield, has more opportunities to fight against the demons.

Volame stopped worrying about Fulilian and his thoughts returned to the present.

"Ivan, I'm leaving for the capital tomorrow. We won't see each other for a long time. Don't you have anything you want to say to me specifically?"

"Of course, but I prefer to express my feelings through actions rather than words." Ivan held Volame in his arms. "I've finished scrubbing her back. Now it's time to scrub her front..."

◇

The next day, after watching the king's convoy go away, Ivan began to plan his own appointment.

The first is the issue of manpower. Taking on the job alone sounds cool, but there will definitely be a lot of trouble. You must first build your own team.

The village chief's daughter, Winry, who had a good talent for internal affairs, was taken in first. No matter whether she was a hero or a viscount of the territory, she could not disobey her orders.

Then came the hunters in the village. After explaining the situation, twelve of them were willing to follow him.

Eleven of them were young hunters who had not yet married or widowers who had lost their families. Only Linton, an older man with a family, came with his family. Of course, in addition to repaying the life-saving grace, his daughter Martina was also recruited by Ivan for one of the reasons.

Because of last night's performance, Volame deeply understood Ivan's feelings. She spent a lot of time testing the magical talents of the people in the Sword Village before leaving. Among them, Martina stood out among a large number of ordinary bones. Ivan, who was very short of manpower, naturally would not let her go.

In addition to these villagers, the adventurer team is also Ivan's target. He came to the blond captain.

"Good, have you discussed it with your teammates? Do you want to continue this unknown adventure, or follow me and try your luck? You know, opportunities always come to those who are smart and decisive."

"The unknown adventure is indeed tempting enough, but we are no longer rookies. Moreover, if we aim to defeat the Demon King, it is clear that following you, who have drawn the Holy Sword, is more promising."

Good knelt on one knee to show his loyalty, and the other adventurers did the same. After all, this was an opportunity that came to their doorstep, and if they missed it, they would never get it again.

At this point, Ivan had five more warriors who had learned fighting spirit, three magicians with medium combat power, and two remarkable priests.