Wizard: I crush legends with martial arts.

Although Mrs. Mary felt sad, she also knew that her son had grown up and that she should not be a burden to him or hinder his progress.

Besides, Alphonse was going to help his teacher.

His teacher is so incredibly capable, his son's safety should be guaranteed.

At their very first meeting, Mrs. Mary developed complete trust in Edson.

If it weren't for him, his son would still be a dissolute young man addicted to alcohol and pleasure, and would never have become a qualified lord.

It is a simple belief of Mrs. Mary that one should repay the kindness shown to them.

Therefore, they were particularly enthusiastic about Edson.

Alphonse arranged a fairly spacious room for Master Godin deep inside the castle.

After the magic array for spatial teleportation is constructed, this place will become a forbidden area, and the maids will not be allowed to enter easily.

Oates, of course, had to stay as an assistant.

The materials were provided by the wealthy Edson; a few mithril and magic crystal cores were nothing compared to his collection.

The appearance of the puppet butler Oates surprised both Mrs. Mary and Mia.

Mia had already guessed that Alphonse possessed a spatial artifact when she saw him pull out a bracelet out of thin air.

Unexpectedly, the ring he gave away was also the same, a magical artifact that could open a different dimension for storing items.

When Alphonse explained how to use it, Mia was both surprised and delighted.

The spatial ring was also a very precious item for Mia. She had always wanted one, but she had no way of finding a way to obtain it.

She gently stroked the ring on her middle finger, the one that Alphonse had personally placed on her finger.

But thinking about the woman he brought back, Mia couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

After spending so much time together, it would be a lie to say that Mia had no feelings for Alphonse at all.

Alphonse had already knocked a crack into the door to her tightly locked heart.

However, she also understood that as a half-elf, she was born with a defect and could not bear children for Alphonse, making her not a good match for him.

That's why I kept this thought buried in my heart.

Despite her extremely complex emotions, Mia did not forget her responsibilities. "During this time, I served as the acting lord of Coldwind Territory and carried out the town's expansion. Her Majesty the Queen also provided us with a sum of aid funds. The ongoing railway construction is also in response to Her Majesty the Queen's call. After the magic train opens, Coldwind Territory will be able to receive a share of the ticket revenue."

"You can handle these things yourselves," Alphonse interrupted. "Didn't you do a good job while I was away?"

Even after being away for more than half a year, the construction of Coldwind Territory is still proceeding in an orderly manner, and it looks much better than when I left.

Alphonse intended to be a hands-off manager, making good use of his subordinates' talents, rather than doing everything himself.

"Most of the administrative affairs are actually handled by Simon as his assistant. I haven't been of much help. The guard has now been expanded to two thousand men. He is no longer the captain of the guard. Now, Jeru and Mahaya are in charge of the Coldwind Territory Guard," Mia said.

"I've always felt that making Uncle Simon a captain of the guard is a waste of his talents. He's more suited to be the governor of Coldwind Territory. It's a pity he doesn't have the power to suppress everything; that's where your value lies." Alphonse smiled. "Speaking of which, why did that pretty boy call me Earl? Can that title be promoted?"

As far as I can remember, the nobility system did not seem to have any provisions for promotion.

"After you disappeared, Her Majesty the Queen personally visited Coldwind Territory and issued a decree. Steel Sand Territory and Five-Colored Flower Territory, which suffered from the beast plague and whose towns were destroyed, were both incorporated into Coldwind Territory. Therefore, Coldwind Territory was upgraded to a count's territory, and you naturally became Count Tartarus," Mia explained.

Alphonse then understood what was going on.

Mia continued, "Furthermore, a fortress has been built on the site of the former Five-Colored Flower Territory town. Five thousand soldiers from the Northern Legion are stationed there. Her Majesty the Queen intended to put you in command of that army after you returned, but I did not agree to it for you. Her Majesty also instructed that as soon as you return to Coldwind Territory, you must immediately use magical communication to tell her this news, as she has some things to tell you."

Alphonse was taken aback. What kind of arduous task was his queen sister planning to assign him this time?

Such things should be avoided if possible.

However, what agreement did Queen Junon reach with the Duke of the North to grant his second son a count's title? It must not be enough to simply send a detachment of the Northern Legion to garrison this fortress.

Alphonse had no desire to be a fortress general; he preferred the comfort of being a small lord, free from the hassle of various affairs.

Moreover, those were the troops of the Northern Duke. Duke Kablev had been entrenched in the northern region for so long. Even if that army outwardly obeyed him, they might immediately defect if Duke Kablev raised his arm and gave the order.

It's better to avoid trouble!

Of course, we should reject them all!

Mia summoned a maid and asked her to inform the territory's magic advisor, Halt, that the lord had returned and to bring the communication crystal ball to the castle.

Alphonse learned from his inquiry that Hart was a mage sent by the Violet Academy to guard the Frostwind Territory on the orders of Queen Junon. He was here to provide assistance to the Frostwind Territory.

But in reality, he didn't play a very important role. The only time he was allowed to do so was when Simon used earth magic to reinforce the city walls. He wasn't involved in any other matters.

Sera and Vitina heard everything she said.

They could also tell that Alphonse was not just a minor lord in a remote region as he claimed, but seemed to be deeply trusted by the Queen of Bastien.

Having the title of Earl, one could barely be considered a high-ranking nobleman.

Sera didn't care at all how big Alphonse's territory was.

Sera knew perfectly well that if Alphonse wanted, all of Vantalia's vast lands could be his. His brother fully supported him, and that old fox Hernot dared to question it in any way.

Fantalia is only somewhat harsh in terms of environment. In terms of land area, it is no smaller than the Kingdom of Bastian. What it cannot compare with is its population size.

"There is one more important thing. After Tethys went to look for your whereabouts, he never sent back any news. The armor and weapons we obtained in the Emerald Territory ruins were all cursed by the demons and would forcibly baptize and transform the holders."

That ruin was a trap set by the demons. As a result, Emerald Territory suffered a demonic calamity, and the city was completely destroyed. Mercenaries who had explored the ruin were all transformed into half-demons, who indiscriminately attacked people. There were almost no survivors. I was only able to purify the curse with the help of the priests of the Church of Light. I'm worried that Tessie is already..."

Mia stopped there, too afraid to think about Tessie's fate.

Given Taixi's strength, he most likely wouldn't be able to withstand the demon's curse. (End of Chapter)