Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 472 Flowers Bloom After Bitter Cold

In the classic study, the white curtains rippled in the breeze, mirroring the ripples in Florina's heart.

"In a sense, Frena, as the Duke of the North, if you wish to pursue further advancement in the future, the best way is through a political marriage, and it must be through your own marriage." Levi stared at the beautiful woman before him, who seemed undecided, and spoke frankly: "The Wildlands are in the north of the North, and the south of the North is the Gulflands where Gonda is located. No matter how you look at it now, both of these locations will belong to High Cliffs in the future. What do you think the result will be if the North is situated in the middle of High Cliffs?"

"Although High Cliff Fortress doesn't have as many troops as the North, its high-end combat power far surpasses it. It has two giant dragons, nine hundred frost giants, and I myself am a legend. My wife Tiffany is a princess of the sea tribe, and my father-in-law is the king of the sea tribe. When the time comes, we can easily summon tens of thousands of orca warriors and storm octopus sorcerers."

"Perhaps you don't know how strong the Orca Warriors are, Flinna. I can say with certainty that every Orca Warrior is no weaker than the Orlefen Mammoth Warriors of the Orc Empire."

Lord, you're now completely a pig with a green onion stuck in your nose, pretending to be an Olefin.

Although he had long since fallen out with his father-in-law, no one else knew.

At this point, Li Wei smiled shyly: "And you may not know this, but in the Persian Gulf Empire, a legendary Medusa chieftain was eager to become my wife. Her dowry wasn't much, just tens of thousands of Medusa people who could petrify."

Don't think I'm being materialistic; anyone would do the same.

Flina was stunned.

If the other party hadn't said it himself, she would never have imagined that the pioneer knight who had extorted thousands of gold coins from her had now grown into a giant dragon.

"It's not impossible for you not to want a marriage alliance. You can completely subjugate the North to High Cliff Fortress. Considering our past relationship, I wouldn't be so intolerant as to have a Northman lying next to me. However, in that case, the Northman will have to stay put on its own little patch of land and stop thinking about grand goals like making the Northman great again." The lord changed the subject and chuckled. "However, in that case, although I'm not shameless enough to force a duchess to be my wife, to be honest, you'll probably be destined to live a lonely life. After all, even I wouldn't be willing to give such a beautiful woman like you to some lowly nobody."

"You're being shameless right now," Frena rolled her eyes.

She really hadn't expected things to develop this way. Even if she had urged Li Vigonda to make preparations earlier, there would have been earth-shattering changes.

It was supposed to be an alliance between the two of them, but unexpectedly, things have turned around, and now they either have to completely depend on Gaoyabao or get married.

"Since you were so unwilling to give me, such a beautiful woman, to someone else, why did you disagree with our marriage in the first place?" Soon, Frena asked the question that had been hidden in her heart for a long time.

When she was rejected by the lord of High Cliff Fortress, she began to doubt whether she was unattractive.

“Just like you’re hesitating about whether to have a political marriage with me, no matter how beautiful you are, I can’t agree to bring the entire High Cliff Fortress into the North.” Li Wei shrugged.

"I admit I'm being a bit shameless right now, but the 'Flower of the North' is just too beautiful, how could I possibly give it to someone else!"

The more Li Wei thought about it, the more he felt that he was somewhat despicable and shameless.

This is such a despicable way of coercing Frena; it's really unethical.

Frina rolled her eyes, slumped over the table, and sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Her hair, as alluring as red wine, drifted down from her fingertips, making her look incredibly melancholy: "It seems there's no other choice but to take this path now."

She regretted it deeply, regretting that when the Lord of High Cliff Fortress brought Lia to the North, he hadn't just forced himself on her.

It's hard to imagine that the other party has grown to this level in just a few years.

Actually, there was nothing wrong with marrying Li Wei. What Flint couldn't accept the most was that he already had three wives on the surface, and who knew how many more he would have in the future.

As a duke, the fact that she had to share a husband with someone else was something she could not tolerate.

Frena's sigh was particularly clear in the study filled with the faint scent of ink. She raised her head, and her eyes, which seemed to hold the ice and snow of the North and the starry sky, pierced straight into Li Wei.

“Li Wei, you keep saying you can’t bear to see me fall into someone else’s hands, yet you blatantly tell me that if I choose to depend on you, I’ll only end up alone. It sounds like you’re giving me a choice, but in reality, you’re only leaving me one path—that is, to climb into your bed, become one of your many wives, and use the North as my dowry…”

She leaned forward slightly, her red hair cascading down like a waterfall, making her skin appear even whiter than snow, but her smile carried a hint of melancholy: "But in the end, which of these two choices you made doesn't require me to completely and unconditionally give you my territory, my family, and even myself?"

Li Wei felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze. He did indeed have this idea, but being exposed so bluntly and mercilessly, especially by Freya looking at him with such a wronged expression, made him uncomfortable.

He subconsciously touched his nose, and just as he was about to say something in his defense, he found himself speechless.

After this incredibly awkward topic, the atmosphere in the study became extremely oppressive.

So Flinna put on her armor, said nothing, bid farewell, and left, intending to return to the Northern Army's garrison outside Gonda.

Watching the figure gradually disappear from sight outside the door, Li Wei suddenly felt a little discouraged for the first time in his life.

Using such coercive political tactics to force a beautiful woman and friend to become his wife is simply too beastly.

Does my current position mean I have to confront these political issues?

Just like Li Wei pretending to be a virtuous woman while being a prostitute, as time goes by, this once idle and bored pioneer lord who spent his days fishing and walking birds in the wilderness shirtless and shouting "The imperial star is swaying and Mars is high" towards the deserted wilderness has to start shouldering the future of the entire Debei.

The destruction of Gonda by the undead has brought not only the problem of its millions of inhabitants turning into the dead, but also the complete destruction of the entire ruling center of Debe.

If one wrong step is taken, Debe will immediately fall apart, and a war among the kings will begin.

It should be noted that the high cliff fortress, which rose suddenly like fireworks, was able to conquer this great land only because it was backed by Debe and had no worries about its rear. Therefore, Li Wei would naturally not stand by and watch Debe fall apart.

However, this raises a problem: for Debe to be stable, there can only be one voice in the whole country. Therefore, Li Wei naturally has to first integrate the north and make High Cliff Fortress and the North united.

The quickest way is naturally through marriage.

But now, Frena's attitude has made Levi wonder if he's been too hasty.

To be honest, the first person who caught the lord's eye was Freya, so naturally his feelings for her were different.

After calming himself down, Li Wei prepared to immerse himself in work to relieve his worries.

Write down all the things you plan to do in the near future on a piece of paper.

The most urgent task is to resolve the issue of these unclaimed treasures in Gonda, and then figure out how to make Aishilu the queen.

As for the frost giants and the Book of the Dead, those are not in a hurry. The lord is just deliberately leaving that old bastard Ragras hanging for a few days.

Since the Titan Diamond was in his hands, he was actually quite eager for the other party to turn against him. The next focus shifted to how to restore the livelihood of the people in Gonda.

Abandoning the city directly is not very realistic. Although the undead calamity has been averted, the building damage rate is at most 30%.

If one wanted to start from scratch and develop a city into what it is today, it would be unrealistic to expect it to take more than a hundred years.

However, it is unlikely that Gonda will be restored to its former prosperity in the short term.

He is now thinking not only about how to put Ashleigh on the throne, but also about where to choose for the coronation and whether the capital should still be located in Gondar.

And most importantly, how to build a new bureaucracy.

Ninety percent of Gonda's officials had long since vanished along with their spirits.

Given Li Wei's administrative abilities and the existing bureaucracy of Gaoyabao, managing the entire Debei would definitely be a mess, which is why he was so eager to have Lavrina invest.

If the officials and institutions of the North were brought over directly, although it would not be enough to manage the countless people of Debe in an orderly manner, it would be enough to prevent Debe from experiencing too much turmoil.

"In the end, it's still a matter of not having enough manpower..." he muttered to himself, his fingertips tapping the table in frustration.

The forces of High Cliff Fortress were more than capable of handling one territory, but taking over the entire Debe, especially Gonda which had just experienced the undead catastrophe and was in dire need of reconstruction, was like a small horse pulling a large cart.

The key point is that this is an urgent matter that cannot be delayed, and it is best to deal with it quickly and decisively.

Otherwise, if the other dukes knew about Gonda's situation, and the expeditionary force knew that Debe was now a mere shell of its former self, morale would inevitably collapse.

……

On the second day, before the crescent moon had completely faded, the faint light of dawn began to outline the dilapidated shape of Gonda.

At this tranquil moment of day and night transition, a massive silver shadow tore through the dawn sky, carrying with it immense dragon might and howling winds, and landed precisely on the square outside the lord's temporary residence, stirring up a cloud of dust.

As the smoke and dust cleared, the elegant yet powerful creature was revealed—a silver dragon.

It folded its wings, lowered its proud head, and its dragon eyes gleamed with wisdom and power as it gracefully leaped down from its back.

Walking in front was a beautiful young woman wearing a light blue dress, her hair styled in an updo. Her long, silver hair, like the purest white snow, swayed gently in the morning breeze.

Behind them followed a young girl carrying a small bag, with two exquisite dragon horns on her head, looking left and right.

The two complement each other, like two beautiful landscapes.

Their arrival instantly shattered the lingering stillness of the morning in Gonda and alerted the orc guards inside and outside the mansion. However, upon recognizing the newcomers, they immediately bowed and continued their duties as if nothing had happened.

Li Wei sensed the dragon's might almost as soon as it descended, and just as he stepped out, he saw Tina and Sophia land.

When Tina saw Li Wei, a gentle smile appeared in her pure, snow-white eyes. She quickly stepped forward and threw herself into Li Wei's arms: "Darling, after receiving your letter, Sophia and I came over first. Elder Tang Jin is still behind us, and he should arrive soon."

"Sister!" Mir popped out from the side with a look of surprise.

Then he let out a scream.

Tina grabbed his ear, a rare hint of anger appearing on her usually warm and gentle face: "Mir! You've got some nerve! Gonda's in this state, and you're still here. What would I do if your brother-in-law hadn't come back?"

"Ouch! Sis! Be gentle! My ear's going to fall off!" Mir winced in pain, bending over and begging for mercy.

"I was wrong, I was wrong! Sister...brother-in-law! Help!"

As the force grew stronger, Mil looked at Levi with teary eyes, seeking refuge.

Li Wei looked at the two clowns and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He quickly stepped forward and gently grasped Tina's wrist: "Alright, alright, Tina, let go of him first. This isn't Mir's fault; who could have imagined that Gonda would be possessed by the undead?"

Tina snorted coldly, still not giving Mir a friendly look, but anyone could see the worry in her eyes.

The group then went into the cafeteria, intending to eat and talk at the same time.

Li Wei briefly recounted everything that had happened in Gonda to the two of them, only stopping when he mentioned the marriage alliance with Freyna.

Tina is his wife and has the right to know these things, and there's no way to hide it from her.

Tina listened quietly, her silver eyelashes trembling slightly.

He pursed his lips slightly during the conversation, but said nothing.

She didn't speak until Li Wei finished, then she said softly, "Darling, you really are a bit of a jerk."

Li Wei smiled wryly: "I know."

“But from the perspective of the Lord of High Cliff Fortress, and from the perspective of those who may need to support the entire Debe in the future, your choice is correct, even necessary.” Tina’s words surprised Levi, and he looked at Tina.

Tina met his gaze, her eyes filled with the tenderness of spring blossoms. "I understand Duke Frena. If it were me, I probably wouldn't be able to accept it immediately either. She needs time, and she needs a reason that can convince herself and the Northern nobles. If you push her too hard, it will only make her bristle like a frightened direwolf."

"So we need to give her time. I believe the final result will not change, because smart women know how to choose."

"Aren't you angry at all?" Even with his thick skin, Li Wei felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected Tina to be so understanding.

"Tiffany, Heather, and Ashleigh... If I get angry at every one of them, I might die of anger from all of you." Tina shrugged and sighed, mimicking the lord's manner.

"Lia is right, you are an incurable lecherous lord!"

(End of this chapter)