Lord: Starting with Summoning the Regular Army of Earth

Chapter 90 Top Talents (Please Subscribe)

Just as Matthew was focused on practicing the Mage's Hand, there was a knock at the door, and Conrad's voice came through.

"Your Highness."

"Come in, Conrad," Matthew replied, setting down the metal part he was micro-carving with his mage's hand. The part gently landed on the table covered with a soft cloth.

He looked toward the study door and saw Conrad with an unusually solemn expression, followed by a disheveled "boy," which made Matthew a little curious.

The person Conrad brought to see him alone was definitely not an ordinary vagrant.

Conrad closed the heavy wooden door to his study behind him, shutting out the noise from outside.

He first performed a knightly salute to his horse, then stepped to the side, fully revealing the "boy" behind him, his voice low and clear: "Your Highness, please forgive me for bringing someone back without permission. This matter is of great importance, and I must inform you in person."

Matthew nodded, signaling him to continue, but his gaze returned to the "boy".

Although the other person was hunching over and their face was covered in mud, there seemed to be a completely different temperament hidden beneath that overly deliberate timidity.

Conrad paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

"Your Highness, the lady beside me is—Eleanor Lannister, the only bloodline of House Lannister."

Conrad's words surprised Matthew, who looked at the "boy"—no, the girl—with some astonishment.

He knew the Lannister name all too well; it was a magical family skilled in alchemy and the making of magical artifacts, second only to the Blackwood family in the Kingdom of Augustus.

How did their family's young lady end up like this?

Almost instantly, Matthew guessed the reason.

After all, he was aware of the conflict between the Lannisters and Robert, and of the factional strife within the kingdom.

Having a better understanding of Robert's character, he guessed that the Lannister family had probably been purged.

Conrad recounted in detail what had happened and the fate of the Lannister family.

Finally, he knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and said, "Your Highness, without your permission, I brought Lady Lannister to Emberstone Ridge, an act that could bring unpredictable risks to the territory. This matter carries a heavy responsibility, and Conrad is willing to bear all the consequences and accept any punishment! But—I cannot stand by and watch the hope that my old friend protected with his life be extinguished. Please, Your Highness, decide!"

A brief silence fell over the study. Eleanor's heart was in her throat. She could feel Matthew's gaze on her as if it were real, sharp and calm, as if it could penetrate her clumsy disguise and reach the depths of her soul.

She was so nervous that her nails dug deep into her palms, awaiting the judgment that would decide her fate.

Will it be rejected as a hot potato, or even worse?

still----

Matthew was silent for a moment, then his voice was calm but carried an undeniable power: "Sir Conrad, rise."

Conrad paused slightly, then looked up.

Matthew walked up to him, helped him up personally, and said firmly, "What crime have you committed? Sir Austin is your closest friend. He entrusted you with his life; this was an immense trust in you. You fulfilled his request and upheld this loyalty that transcends life and death. This is one of the highest honors for a knight. How could I blame you?"

He paused, his gaze shifting to Eleanor, who seemed to tremble slightly with nervousness. His tone was complex, a mixture of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion) and a burning desire, as if he had discovered a treasure: "As for the risks—from the moment I set foot on Emberstone Ridge, there was no turning back between Robert and me. He saw me as a thorn in his side, and I never harbored any illusions about him. Adding another charge of being a Lannister to my list" is, to me, simply a case of having more debts than worries.

In truth, Matthew was very grateful to Conrad for bringing Eleanor back to him, and also grateful to Robert, that arrogant and foolish fellow, for the "gift" he had given him.

As the heir to House Lannister, Eleanor is an extremely valuable asset and a treasure to the kingdom.

Although Matthew had never met Eleanor, he had heard of her in the capital. This once-in-a-century genius girl of the Lannister family was already an outstanding alchemist at the young age of sixteen.

This means she already knows how to make magic scrolls, how to enchant weapons and armor, and how to brew potions with magical effects.

This also means that the knowledge she represents can combine magical runes with Earth's technology to create power far beyond what this era can imagine.

She is absolutely invaluable to Jinshiling, the rarest and most outstanding "technical talent".

Matthew's gaze returned to Eleanor, and he said meaningfully, "Moreover, Miss Eleanor of House Lannister is dead," she said on her escape. Standing before me is my subject, Evelyn; therefore, what crime have we committed?

Upon hearing Matthew's words, Conrad and Eleanor exchanged a glance. Although Conrad had long guessed that with Matthew's wisdom and vision, he would understand Eleanor's value and be able to comprehend and tolerate his choice.

But after receiving a positive reply, he finally felt relieved.

"Evelyn greets Your Majesty!" Eleanor knelt on the ground, her heart filled with gratitude and joy, finally having a place to stay.

Matthew stepped forward and helped Eleanor up, smiling as he said, "Welcome to Emberstone Ridge, Evelyn."

"Thank you for your acceptance, my lord." A faint smile finally appeared on Eleanor's face, which was covered in mud.

"Conrad, prepare hot water and clean clothes," Matthew instructed, then spoke gently to Eleanor, "Go and wash up and change your clothes. From now on, you will live in this manor. Once you are settled, we can discuss your work in detail. Emberstone Ridge needs your wisdom, and you also need a place where you can study in peace and display your talents."

Conrad accepted the order and left.

When Evelyn finished washing up and changed into a simple but clean and well-fitting linen dress, and stood in front of Matthew again, even Matthew's eyes flashed with a hint of barely perceptible amazement.

After washing away the grime, a fair and delicate oval face was revealed.

Despite her uneven haircut, it didn't detract from her delicate facial features.

Those light blue eyes were like the clear sky after the rain, clear and bright, sparkling with the light of wisdom.

Although she was only sixteen years old, she had already developed very well. She was no longer as thin as she had looked before. Instead, she was curvaceous and graceful. Even when she wore the most ordinary clothes, she could not hide the unique temperament that came from her aristocratic upbringing and inner knowledge. She was quiet and resilient, like a snow lotus blooming in the wind and snow.

She curtsied slightly, giving the horse a proper noblewoman's bow: "My lord!"

Looking at the transformed young woman before him, Matthew was filled with emotion and anticipation. Although he had seen many noble ladies in the capital, Eleanor's appearance and temperament were definitely among the best.

More importantly, she is not only beautiful, but her talent is absolutely top-notch.

"Evelyn, there are no outsiders here, so I won't beat around the bush." ​​Matthew got straight to the point, his expression becoming focused and pragmatic. "Emberstone Ridge needs talent, especially talent like you. Your alchemy skills are crucial to us. Therefore, I officially appoint you as the Chief Alchemy Advisor of Emberstone Ridge," and establish a dedicated department for you—the Alchemy and Materials Research Institute—which you will be fully responsible for. Feel free to ask for any support you need.

Eleanor's eyes lit up, and a warm feeling of being valued and a heavy sense of responsibility welled up in her heart.

She also knew that the way she could repay Matthew for taking her in was to use her abilities to help Emberstone Ridge.

She bowed slightly, her gaze earnest and solemn: "Thank you for your trust, Your Highness. Evelyn will do her utmost."

However, I need to understand the current situation at Emberstone Ridge first, so I can figure out where to start.

"Okay, no problem, but your task right now is to rest. I'll arrange for someone to prepare a room for you later. You can also wander around the territory. We can talk about work tomorrow after you've rested." Matthew knew that Eleanor must be very tired from her escape, and he could see the weariness on her face.

Outside the lord's manor, Will, with the help of Conrad and old Sam, led the newly arrived residents to the resettlement area.

They also attracted the attention of the indigenous people along the way, who couldn't help but look at them curiously.

At first, everyone thought it was another human unit summoned by the lord, but later they found that it was not. After all, the humans summoned by the lord were calm and composed, with firm and sharp eyes, completely different from the people in front of them.

Upon closer inspection, these people were sallow and emaciated, dressed in tattered clothes, and there were many women and children among them. Clearly, they were also people from the Kingdom of Augustus, just like them.

-

"Looks like they're new residents!"

"It should be, because the adults once said they would bring in more people to build Jinshi Ridge."

"This brings in a lot of labor!"

"Carl, look, look! Lots of young girls have arrived!" Bob put down his work, his eyes shining as he stared at the girls in the crowd.

"That girl is really pretty."

"Tsk tsk, long live the lord! Our Emberstone Ridge finally has young girls."

"There are too many wolves and not enough meat! Hurry up and save up some work points so you can get a wife later!"

"Haha, we have to work hard to increase the population of Jinshi Ridge." The young people discussed excitedly, suddenly feeling more hopeful for life and full of energy.

[Thanks to LuLuSi for the 1500 Qidian Coins reward, and thank you for the monthly tickets, bosses!]

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