The Cornflower Witch Chapter 214

When Reginson’s transport team departed, Lantern Town once again returned to peace.

Currently, 60 people reside in the town, each with assigned tasks and areas of responsibility. Life isn’t easy, but there’s an unexpected sense of fulfillment. Perhaps it’s seeing the tangible impact every task has on the outpost, and while this arrangement brings responsibility, it also grants considerable autonomy, allowing students to freely apply their ideas to improve and perfect things.

“This is much more comfortable than just foolishly following the teacher’s arrangements and working,” a student remarked to a companion during a meal.

“Before, I just worked mindlessly, not knowing why I was doing it. Now that I’m doing it myself, I realize some processes are indeed necessary, but some things are actually not very useful.” Only true feedback can lead to genuine improvement and growth.

Over the past six months, a large number of students have made significant progress and greatly improved in their respective fields.

This busyness not only didn’t tire everyone out but instead gave them a feeling of exhilarating satisfaction.

…

By the end of November, the Fourth Continent had entered deep autumn.

The Regas Duchy—no, it should now be called the Anti Kingdom—had Burntstone City in its southern region under martial law.

Teams of Anti Cavalry, riding tall warhorses and wearing dark red inner linings with bright silver armor covering their chests and shoulder blades, entered the city.

Facing the Anti Kingdom’s army, the local nobles who had initially resisted began to surrender en masse after a series of initial defeats. Viscount Xuefeng, the former lord of Burntstone City, after a difficult struggle and hesitation, negotiated terms with the Anti Kingdom’s envoy and eventually surrendered.

Although their property could not be kept, the personal safety of their families was guaranteed.

“This Burntstone City isn’t bad. How about I apply to His Majesty to make it your fiefdom in the future?” The leading general teased his adjutant.

He rode a tall black horse with splendid red barding, leading the vanguard and standing out prominently.

“My Lord, this…” The adjutant was actually very tempted but found it difficult to express, fearing it was just a joke from the general.

“Haha, it seems you want it.” As his subordinate, the general could easily discern the other’s thoughts.

He patted the adjutant’s shoulder, indicating that he remembered his merits over the years.

“Just wait to become the Lord of Burntstone City.”

He had his own motives for requesting a fiefdom for his subordinate. Due to this military campaign, he had also acquired many fiefdoms in the Regas Duchy. While this was good for now, whether he could keep them in the future depended on involving a group of colleagues. This would form a collective, ensuring His Majesty wouldn’t easily discard them or reclaim their fiefdoms.

The conversation between the two was overheard by the red-clad knights accompanying them, stirring their own ambitions. Currently, all land within the Anti Kingdom had owners, and even as knights, they lacked their own exclusive fiefdoms. Now that Regas had been conquered, if their superiors were granted fiefdoms, they too could benefit, perhaps receiving a small town, which would be quite a good thing.

The group arrived at the city’s castle, dismounted, handed their warhorses to the attendants, and entered the castle’s main hall.

The knight captain in charge of the area stepped forward to report.

“Lord Beert, we have thoroughly inspected the castle and sealed off the warehouses and cellars within.”

“Oh, that Viscount Xuefeng, he couldn’t have transferred much property, could he?” Beert sat at the head, his armored fingers tapping the table, making rhythmic thudding sounds.

“Viscount Xuefeng is currently residing temporarily in a mansion in the west of the city, under our surveillance. Even if he took his valuables, he wouldn’t get far,” the knight captain reported.

“This fellow…” Beert felt like directly apprehending Viscount Xuefeng. He knew the man must have hidden a lot of things in the mansion.

However, considering the terms of their previous negotiation, he couldn’t act too overtly, lest political rivals or those aspiring to power find fault.

Though the King currently favored him, there were some concerns. Beert had made a fortune from the successful conquest of Regas, and his officers and soldiers had reaped significant rewards. Such a proud and formidable army had become a bit too powerful to control, making the Anti King wary. “Don’t act against Viscount Xuefeng for now,” Beert instructed after a moment’s thought.

“But don’t let him live too comfortably. Give him some trouble occasionally, pressure him to cough up some goods.”

“Yes, my Lord.” The knight captain’s lips curled into a smile, as if numerous ideas had just popped into his head.

“By the way, besides Viscount Xuefeng, are there any other notable individuals in the city?” General Beert asked, suddenly remembering something.

“Well… apart from Viscount Xuefeng, there is the president of the ‘Oak Barrel Merchant Guild’ and the presidents of several other guilds. Although they have some influence, none of them have reached the Third Rank, so they pose no threat.”

These people could be arrested and squeezed for resources, but if Burntstone City was to be maintained in the future, they were indispensable. Otherwise, who would build, hunt, cultivate flowers, or trade for them?

“I’ll leave these people for you to handle,” the general said, handing over the authority to his adjutant, thus allowing him to experience a taste of power and further secure his loyalty.

“The only somewhat special one is a Third Rank Gardener in the city. She cultivates a large number of sunflowers and is quite powerful. We have only surrounded her residence for now and haven’t taken any action,” the knight captain continued to report.

“Gardener?” Beert was unfamiliar with this profession.

“Isn’t she just a Third Rank? Just send a few knights, rush in, and arrest her. Why the formal report?” He was somewhat displeased with his subordinate.

“This…” The knight captain recalled the scene of preparing to storm in and make the arrest that day. The hot air currents swirling around made him and his teammates uneasy, causing them to halt.

“Her strength is indeed formidable. If we attempt to apprehend her, there might be casualties,” the knight captain explained through gritted teeth.

“Casualties, you say?”

Beert felt like laughing in anger. He commanded a powerful army that had conquered most of Regas Duchy. Could they truly be stopped by a mere gardener?

He scolded the knight captain, ordering him to organize his men and bring the gardener in within the day.

“General, please wait,” an accompanying scholar interjected at that moment.

“Now what? Do you also think we can’t defeat her?” The general turned back, slightly annoyed.

“I’m not suggesting that your general’s elite warriors are inferior to that gardener. Rather, such gardeners are rare, and introducing her to His Majesty would yield greater benefits, and besides…” He whispered a detailed explanation into the general’s ear.

As he spoke, Beert frowned slightly and sat down. Seeing this, the knight captain didn’t leave but waited for the general’s second command.

“So, she’s a member of the ‘Four Seasons Alliance’…” Beert muttered under his breath.

“In that case, let’s leave that ‘Gardener’ alone, as long as she knows her place.”

“Understood, my Lord.” The knight captain also breathed a sigh of relief. Although he believed taking her down wouldn’t be a major issue, he also didn’t want his team members to get injured unnecessarily.

After finally earning merit on the battlefield and overcoming the most difficult stages, this was a time for expansion. Getting injured here would be too much of a loss. After arranging all matters, the general and his troops set up camp in the castle. He ordered his men to bring out the precious old wine that Viscount Xuefeng had hidden in his cellar for years, and they celebrated with a host of subordinates. Various delicacies and fine foods were continuously supplied by the city’s restaurants. The army that conquered Burntstone City would revel here for several days, indulging in pleasures.