Cornflower Witch

Chapter 202 The Turn of History

After a two-week journey, Hiltiya led her team back to the camp, this time bringing with them a large quantity of charcoal, some metal, and a small amount of flint.

With the fuel problem at the base solved, glass refining could finally continue.

Over the next month, Hiltiya, with her increasingly skilled team, began mass-producing glass and building large greenhouses.

After this practice and learning, the students mastered the basic knowledge of the 'Six-Part Glass School', and Siltiia no longer needed to preside over the training.

After the three large greenhouses were completed, construction had to be halted due to the depletion of auxiliary materials.

"The remaining materials can be used to build another building. I wonder which one Lady Hiltiya plans to choose?"

“Currently, the options are a large restaurant, a meditation hall, an indoor training ground, and the association building,” a scholar nearby inquired.

"Let me think about it." Hilti didn't answer immediately, but sat down at the table to think.

Beneath her silver bangs, her blue eyes were exceptionally clear. When this young woman was deep in thought, her earnest and beautiful expression drew the attention of those around her.

She looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old. At first glance, the immaturity between her brows had not yet faded, and her figure had the gentle and charming grace of a young girl. However, when she was thinking, she exuded an aura that inspired trust, which gradually calmed down the restless people around her.

Although Siltia herself was unaware of it, many trainees in the camp regarded this girl as the object of their dreams. However, the camp was not yet settled, and no one confessed or took action at this time.

"Building facilities for exercise and office use isn't urgent right now. Let's build a place for everyone to eat first, so that it can also be used for activities on a regular basis."

Considering that the Dark Mist Mountains where they were located were a dimly lit region where sunlight was scarce, Hilti was worried that everyone would become depressed if they stayed there for too long. She decided to first improve the comfort of their living conditions and also provide more activities to bring some joy and relieve the dull mood caused by the environment.

"As for the second floor of the restaurant, we will first build the framework and use it as an office for the time being. All departments and branches within the site can gather here to discuss and solve problems."

“We understand.” The young scholar nodded in agreement.

After discussing the architectural issues, Hilti also inquired about the 'Candleburg School'.

“I remember that the Candleburg School has branches in many countries, right?”

"Yes." The other party was surprised that Hilti was interested in these things.

"Are you familiar with the Kingdom of Regas?" After Hiltiya came to the woodland, many people did not know where the Kingdom of Regas was, and had only heard of the Kingdom of Antioch.

“I know, that’s the country founded by ‘Knight King’ Regard Bouvier,’ and it’s been established for over 800 years.” The other person nodded; for a scholar well-versed in history, knowing such a past event was just the basics.

"Have you been there before?" Hilti asked again.

“I’ve been to Baiya City and studied there for half a year,” the other person continued in reply.

"Could you tell me about the situation there? Thank you." Hearing the girl's soft voice pleading, the young scholar paused for a few seconds before reacting.

"It's nothing serious." He looked away, no longer looking at the girl in front of him, feeling that if this continued, he would probably embarrass himself today.

"Ahem, let's start from when I first arrived..."

He then recounted his experiences studying in White Cliff City four years prior, including the most prestigious nobleman in the city, the knight who won the championship in the tournament, and several of the most famous men and women in the young noble circle.

"Among His Majesty Grace's children, the eldest prince Leon is tall and strong. He is nearly forty years old, a powerful third-tier knight, the commander of the royal guards, and His Majesty's designated heir."

“Although the eldest prince Leon has no major flaws, he is somewhat mediocre compared to the intelligent and talented second prince. Back in White Cliff City, I heard that several nobles supported the second prince, Sigri, to inherit the throne.” “Among them was a representative of the military, Viscount Karen.” Hearing this name, Hiltiya was slightly startled, thinking of that familiar name.

"The Viscount Cullen family has been the leaders of the Golden Tree Legion for generations. Their ancestors also fought alongside 'Knight King' Regard and were highly trusted by the royal family."

"In this generation, Viscount Karen believes that the southern part of the continent will experience many upheavals and changes in the next ten years or so, and a stronger monarch will be needed to control it so that the Kingdom of Regas can prosper."

"This idea was supported by many nobles, and the second prince, who was more talented and intelligent, was thus supported by them."

"Furthermore, Viscount Karen's daughter is engaged to the second prince, which makes the alliance even stronger."

“I remember Viscount Karen’s daughter, her name is Iona, right?” Hiltiya was filled with mixed emotions.

“That’s right, that blonde young lady is a socialite in White Cliff City, extremely popular, sometimes even overshadowing Princess Musa.”

"Since the eldest princess, Mattia, married far away, the only remaining princess of the royal family, Musa, should be the most eye-catching noble girl in White Cliff City. However, during my studies, I often heard that Miss Iona held banquets and dinners, excluding Princess Musa."

"Why is that? There's no conflict of interest between them, is there?" Hiltiya asked, puzzled.

"I don't know the specific details, but I've heard that before Princess Mattia married far away, she was highly regarded by many noble ladies as the eldest princess. At that time, in order to get closer to the royal family and their families, many nobles would send their children to the palace to serve as attendants or maids to the princes or princesses and accompany them in their studies. Iona was also a maid of the eldest princess Mattia at that time."

"But during that period, Miss Iona seemed to have been reprimanded by Princess Mattia, which made her feel humiliated and uncomfortable, and she later had to leave the palace ahead of schedule."

"So, if Iona can't find Princess Matia to avenge her past grievances, she can only transfer her anger to Princess Musa?" Hilti recalled the time she spent with Iona. Although the other party was somewhat proud, she was not the kind of person who was petty or unreasonable.

"At the time, many people in the aristocratic circle made this guess, and I was just hearing it from others."

"However, this good fortune did not last long. Later, when the Kingdom of Anti and the Kingdom of Regas were at war, Viscount Karen's campaign failed, resulting in the loss of more than forty knights and tens of thousands of regular troops in the Kingdom of Regas. This crushing defeat ruined his reputation and subjected him to the angry accusations of the Duke of Regas and a group of nobles. In the end, he was stripped of his title."

"How did that battle end in defeat?" Hilti asked curiously.

"At that time, the military strength of the Kingdom of Legas and the Kingdom of Anti was roughly equal, and the two sides fought over the Windmill Plain, which was the granary and important territory of the Kingdom of Legas in the north."

"In the early stages of the campaign, Viscount Karen gained a certain advantage through his superb military command. However, in a subsequent major battle, the Kingdom of Antioch sent a surprise attack force that circled around to the rear, cut off the supply line, and suddenly charged out during the battle. This left Viscount Karen's army in a pincer movement, and many soldiers panicked and fled, ultimately leading to the failure of the entire campaign."

"Is that unit very strong?" Hilti asked.

"They are not locals, but foreign troops hired by the Kingdom of Antiy. They are said to be tribes from Lionbite Mountain. If we investigate their origins further, some in the Candleburg School speculate that they may be the mountain tribes that were driven out by 'Knight King' Regard."

"During the battle, they sacrificed huge casualties to kill the defeated knights of the Kingdom of Regas, which directly led to a significant reduction in the core strength of the Kingdom of Regas and a decline in its national power."

"If it weren't for blood feuds, these alien races wouldn't have fought so desperately. Later, after scholars verified that their ancestors were indeed mountain tribes who fled from the Kingdom of Regas."

"I understand."

Is it a spiral of history? She recalled the history of the founding of the Kingdom of Regas that she had once read. Although such an event had a sense of destiny turning around, what Hiltiya couldn't understand was how the tribes that lived in seclusion in the mountains possessed the fighting power to rival the regular army of the Kingdom of Regas.

Unfortunately, few people know anything about that tribe; the scholar had only heard a few words about it from others.

The resurgence of a mountain tribe led to the defeat of the Kingdom of Regas in a crucial battle, resulting in the fall of Viscount Karen and the arrival of Iona in the remote city of Scorched Stone, where she later encountered him again.

Everything is like a domino effect; a small change eventually leads to a large-scale impact.

(End of this chapter)