How can you become stronger if you don't build up bonds?

That night, Lin Wei, unusually, suffered from insomnia.

The lights in the room were off, and two soft, fragrant bodies, one large and one small, nestled around Lin Wei in the center of the large bed.

Lillian on the left had been asleep for half an hour, while Shulia on the right... had probably been awake the whole time.

Shuliya's sleeplessness and Lin Wei's insomnia are not the same thing.

For high-level superhumans, sleep is an option rather than a necessity; meditation is a more efficient way for them to rest.

Shuliya had long since recovered from her previous sadness and inferiority, and now, as she gently leaned against Lin Wei's arm, she was filled with a sense of satisfaction.

Lin Wei didn't do anything to her; with Lillian around, Lin Wei couldn't do anything more.

A simple verbal promise was enough to make her feel incredibly happy.

As her "Affection Value" rose to 98%, she also leveled up on the spot.

She has now reached the terrifying level 42.

Shuliya is just that naturally innocent and pure.

In contrast, Lin Wei seemed to have more on his mind. In his promise to Shuliya, Lin Wei did not make his intentions too clear.

It's not that Lin Wei dislikes Shuliya; on the contrary, Lin Wei has always had feelings for Shuliya.

Lin Wei is skeptical about whether Shuliya truly understands what "love" is.

Currently, she seems to be driven by a sense of responsibility, and Lin Wei feels that more communication is needed to further develop the relationship.

Having a "baby" first, like Lillian thinks, is absolutely not going to work!

About ten more minutes passed, and Lin Wei still couldn't fall asleep.

"Your Highness, are you troubled?"

Shulia's soft whispers and breaths reached my ears.

With the help of the moonlight reflected from the window, Lin Wei could see Shuliya's pure, lake-like eyes.

"I don't think so."

"Shuliya will share His Highness's burdens tomorrow."

Shuliya's face suddenly moved closer, and Lin Wei could feel the warmth emanating from her cheek.

"Yes, I'm really looking forward to Shuliya's performance."

It was just a simple response, but Shulia seemed to be encouraged. A magical wave appeared, and the surroundings suddenly became extremely quiet, and the air seemed to become fresher and purer.

"What did Shuliya do?"

"This is a purification spell for sleeping in the wild, which will allow Your Highness to get a good night's sleep."

"Does that mean Shuliya will have to maintain this state indefinitely?"

"Shuliya, I'm not tired. I'm very happy to be able to help Your Highness."

Lin Wei saw Shuliya's crescent-shaped smiling eyes.

"Your Highness, is there anything else you need? Shulia is still able to help you with more."

"I'll think about it." Lin Wei was unconsciously influenced by Shuliya's way of punctuating sentences.

"Does Your Highness feel uncomfortable with the pillow?" Shuliya continued to do her best to help Lin Wei.

"It seems so. Does Shuliya have any good ideas?"

"I... Princess Lillian has always liked..."

Lin Wei had assumed that Shuliya would use Green's method to create an energy cluster that could freely adjust its shape out of thin air.

But Shulia did not cast any spells.

She got up immediately.

When she assumed the standard kneeling position at the head of the bed, parting the hem of her thin robe to reveal her warm, smooth thighs, Lin Wei belatedly realized what her so-called "method" was.

So it was a lap pillow!

"Your Highness...I'm ready..."

Lin Wei noticed that Shuliya's speech was slightly more coherent when she was shy.

Now the arrow was on the bowstring and had to be released.

Lin Wei adjusted his sleeping position and gently placed his head on Shuliya's lap.

My goodness, has Lillian been sleeping so well these past few days?

Lin Wei found it difficult to describe the comfort he felt.

It was as if Shuliya's thighs had built-in massagers and hypnotists, instantly relaxing Lin Wei's brain and neck.

But it wasn't over yet. Shuliya gently stroked Lin Wei's hair with her hand, and her sweet voice wove together an unknown ballad.

Lin Wei's eyelids started to droop.

Shuliya seems really suited to be a mother...

With this final thought in mind, Lin Wei fell into a deep sleep.

-----------------

The following morning, Lin Wei met with Duo Si again.

Today, Doss changed her usual glamorous attire, her dark red long hair was tied into a simple high ponytail, and she was wearing a rough linen work outfit suitable for labor.

Next, Lin Wei and Doss will visit Deppin Gavin, the highest-ranking official in Scar Town, at the administrative office.

"Lin, Lord Gavin is actually a good person, please don't be too harsh on him."

"How so?"

"Since taking office, Lord Gavin has never neglected his duties, and the town of Scar has always been well-governed under his rule."

He was also very good at listening to the advice of ordinary people, and most of the time, townspeople could find him directly at the town hall.

"Then why would he allow Hauge to lose to the casino?"

"I think... Lord Gavin must have had no choice. He had received favors from Lord Fugen, and his political career began on Lord Fugen's recommendation."

"Hmm? He's a local from Scar Town?" Lin Wei noticed the blind spot.

In Wallis, a border town, local residents are not permitted to serve as governor.

"Yes, yes, I know what Lin wants to ask. Lord Gavin is an exception; his appointment in his native place of residence was approved by His Majesty the King."

"Yeah?"

Lin Wei roughly recalled Wallis's political structure.

Wallis has never had a system for selecting officials similar to the "imperial examination" system.

On a larger scale, there is no similar system on the entire continent.

In many countries on the continent of Alama, some simply do not have a bottom-up talent selection system, and all official positions are held by nobles.

Alternatively, they could follow a talent selection route similar to the "recommendation system," where nobles would recommend talented individuals to the state.

Reno is the former, Wallis is the latter.

In theory, any registered noble in Wallis has the right to recommend talents. Those recommended by nobles will go to the capital to participate in the selection of officials. Only after passing through one selection process after another will they be qualified to become a royal governor.

Before heading to their governing locations, these prospective governors undergo a lengthy training program in Fengdu.

The most outstanding candidates are also eligible to be received by His Majesty the King or His Highness the Duke.

"You mean Gavin gained His Majesty's favor while studying in Fengdu?"

"Yes, that's what the old mayor said, so it shouldn't be false."

The mayor is also part of Wallis's ruling system, sharing the responsibility of governing the local area with the outside governor.

However, the town mayor is not appointed by the high-ranking rulers, but is elected by the local people themselves.

"I heard that Baron Hauge harasses Lord Gavin every now and then. The casino's closure must have been due to Baron Hauge's persistent pleading and cajoling."

"Let's meet with him first and then talk about it." Lin Wei did not express his opinion for the time being.

Lin Wei and Doss walked to the town hall located in the center of Scar Town. Just as Doss had said, there were no checkpoints around the perimeter, and anyone could enter.

The town hall building is five stories high, and Deppin Gavin's daily office is on the top floor.

The guard on the first floor was one of Doss's friends, and Doss quickly obtained crucial information about Depin Gavin from him.

"You probably won't see Lord Gavin this morning; Baron Haug just went to see him recently."

"Huh?" Doss was quite surprised.

"That's perfect. Please go and inform them. Just give them my name. My name is Lynn Alberta."

Out of respect for Doss, the guard went up to report with some skepticism.

Less than a minute later, the window on the fifth floor opened, and Haug Korow leaned out with a big smile on his face:

"What a coincidence, Your Excellency Alberta! Come on in, come on in! I was just talking about you with Brother Depp!"

Lin Wei also pretended to greet him warmly, but in his heart he was thinking about the words "Brother Depp".

Lin Wei and Duo Si climbed to the fifth floor, where Hauge was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs. The way he looked at Lin Wei was as if he were looking at a pile of walking gold coins, and Lin Wei knew the deeper meaning behind it.

"Your Excellency Alberta, do you have something to discuss with my brother Depp?"

"Yes, I want to do some business in Scar Town, so it's only right that I inform the governor in advance."

Lin Wei quickly convinced Hauge of his words.

"Your Excellency Alberta is quite shrewd, managing to win over Miss Doss, the most famous beauty in our Scar Town. I myself was quite the admirer of Miss Doss back then..."

Hauge's shamelessness once again broadened Lin Wei's horizons, as he spoke so bluntly in front of Doss.

But Doss's reaction made Lin Wei feel gratified.

He was neither overly angry at being offended, nor did he feel intimidated by Hauge because he had Lin Wei as his backer.

She simply bit her lip in silence, shrinking closer to Lin Wei, perfectly conveying her sense of frustration and need for protection.

Lin Wei also pretended not to care about the woman's life or death, and continued to feign politeness with Hauge.

Soon, the three entered Deppin Gavin's office.

Deppin Gavin was in his early forties, wore thick-lensed glasses, had very square features, and some signs of hair loss.

Even though Haug enthusiastically introduced him to the wealthy Mr. Alberta, Depp remained lukewarm, refusing to put down his pen during the handshake and immediately picking it up again with his left hand to continue reviewing the piles of documents on the table.

"Your Excellency Albert, please don't mind. My brother has always been like this. Work in town comes first to him, so I come to check on him every now and then to see if he's taking good care of himself."

"Alright, Hauge, I appreciate your kindness, but you must take these scrolls with you. Also, I've emphasized to you repeatedly, don't call me 'brother' in the government office."

And Mr. Alberta, if you have any questions about business, just go down to the fourth floor and talk to the business inspectors. They are much more professional in this area than I am.”

Less than ten minutes into the meeting, the highest-ranking official of Scar Town ordered Lin Wei and Hauge to leave.

"Look at this..."

Haug shrugged at Lin Wei, then turned to Depp and said:

"Alright, alright, my lord, I'll be leaving right away, but I must leave these scrolls behind. You know I know nothing about beast taming magic, so these are the scrolls I collected specifically for you."

You don't think I'm bribing you, do you? You're really wronging me. I don't have any requests today; I just wanted to come and see you.

Besides, we're family, and today is your birthday. It's perfectly normal for me, as your younger brother, to give you a gift. Why make it seem so formal?

"How many times do I have to tell you? A principle is a principle, and I can't..."

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving. If you don't want them, just throw them away. They're just first and second-tier scrolls anyway, they're not worth much."

Haug and Depp started acting like scoundrels. Before Depp could get up and shove the reel back at him, Haug had already stormed out the door.

Depp wanted to catch up, but when he saw the mountain of work piled up on the table, he had to stop.

After letting out a deep sigh, he narrowed his eyes and looked again at Lin Wei and Duo Si, who were standing against the wall.

"Does Your Excellency require me to personally escort you to the fourth floor?"

Depp's tone was colder than ever before.

"Doss." Lin Wei gave Doss a look, and Doss understood immediately, going to check if Hauge had really left.

After Doss left, Lin Wei's expression gradually became serious.

He took a scroll out of his pocket and poured his mana into it.

Depp, realizing what Lin Wei was doing, changed his expression and immediately rushed forward to interrupt Lin Wei's spellcasting:

"What are you doing? Guards—!"

"His alertness is okay, but his reaction time is slow."

Lin Wei has successfully activated the spell on the scroll.

"Don't panic, it's just an isolation spell."

The third-tier isolation spell is an advanced version of the first and second-tier soundproof spells. It can not only completely block sound, but also block all information transmission magic.

"Who are you? What do you want?!"

"Don't be nervous, I just wanted to chat with you. I used the isolation spell just to be safe, in case someone has set up a surveillance spell in this room?"

You don't need to delve into my identity; just know that I come from Fengdu, from His Majesty the King's side.

"Your Majesty... How could that be? You were clearly the gambler who was with Hauge yesterday!"

What exactly are you plotting? It's not too late to surrender now, and I promise I won't hurt you!

Depp had somehow completed the preliminary casting of the fireball spell, and the flames in his hands made the entire room slightly warmer.

He was now on high alert, ready to attack immediately should Lin Wei make any rash moves.

"Spellcaster aptitude? Not bad, but I don't have time to waste with you right now."

Lin Wei activated his magical shield, easily blocking the fireball thrown by Depp.

Depp did not give up the fight, and several low-level spells were continuously thrown from his hands.

Lin Wei walked through the spell to the window and extended his right hand to block the spell's range.

The next second, a pair of huge blue wings appeared in Deppin's line of sight.

Behind them, Depp's exclamation rang out at just the right moment:

"This is... a giant wind eagle—!?"