As a villain, I really don't want to be pursued by the heroine.

However, they are themselves and I am myself.

The path that our predecessors have taken has been completed, and you have to rely on yourself to walk your own path.

Thinking of this, Roy calmed down and began to check his harvest.

[Phoenix's Blessing]:

[Soul Strengthening]: Your soul is greatly strengthened, enough to be an intermediary for extraordinary beings. Your connection with divine power will be smoother in the future!

...That's it?

Roy swiped the panel but didn't find any other improvements. For a moment, he began to doubt his life.

No, what is a soul? Can you eat it? I don’t feel any difference.

Can you give me some tangible arrival?

That old man even said this was the strength I needed most. Isn't that just empty talk?!

Roy tried it and found that his other abilities had not improved. He had no idea what "the connection with divine power will be smoother" meant.

Just when he was disappointed, a fleeting illusory whisper echoed in his ears.

"You...boy..."

"I... am... Wei...!"

It seems like someone is talking?!

Roy was startled and scratched his ears, and the sound disappeared immediately.

Could it be the whispers of a demigod? I'd had a similar feeling before when I took a potion, but after listening to it for a moment, I felt like my head was about to split open, like an ant facing a god.

What I just heard was more like...

Loli's weird cry?

...Maybe it's an illusion.

[False King] cannot be upgraded for the time being, so it is better to prioritize the power of [Iron Blood].

Thanks to the cultists, a life-or-death battle caused the [Iron Blood] bloodline to rise significantly once again, and it was not far from Sequence 6.

If he really encountered a dangerous situation, it might become an opportunity to break through to Sequence 6.

Outside the window, military flags were flying and people were surging. The place was already filled with a lively atmosphere early in the morning, awakening the silent castle.

Today is the Winter Festival, so let’s deal with the current problem first.

----------

The snowflakes were fluttering, but they couldn't stop the enthusiasm of the people.

The Winter Festival is not a festival to commemorate the cold winter, but to commemorate the frontier soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country, to commemorate the compatriots who sacrificed their lives to fight against the demons, and to express gratitude to the current frontier soldiers.

Apart from the Lionheart Kingdom, no other force has such a high enthusiasm for soldiers.

The first thing that greets the Winter Festival is not fireworks or singing and dancing, but a grand military parade.

Warriors clad in heavy armor, riding on white bears and holding double-edged battle axes slowly passed before the eyes of the people and above the castle, under the inspection of countless nobles.

Like the [Gale Knights], the [Winter Guard] is also a pride of the Empire, a chapter composed entirely of extraordinary people.

The difference is that the extraordinary armies of all forces are firmly in his own hands.

Only the Andvis family of the empire was recognized by the first empress and was able to possess an organized extraordinary army second only to the royal family.

The size of the ordinary army is nearly 10,000, which is not inferior to the empress's direct army.

This is just the size of a Snow Wind Castle.

Looking at those winter warriors who were bathed in the cold wind and filled with a murderous aura, Winter's expression was a little stiff.

I really can't understand why the first empress gave up such military power.

I'm afraid any member of the royal family would not be able to laugh when faced with this situation.

A silver-haired girl in a gray wolfskin coat stood in front of the stage. She simply waved and whispered, "Thank you for your hard work, everyone."

This drew cheers from the soldiers and the people.

Even though she has not yet officially inherited the Duke's throne, no one would doubt her prestige in Snowwind Castle and even the entire border of the empire.

This is not only because the former Grand Duke used both kindness and power, governed well, and was deeply loved by the people, but also because Jon Snow had a miserable life, but he did not retreat. When he was young, he continued to fight on the front line of the border as a transcendent.

Perhaps she only wanted revenge on the demons, but those turbulent years have now become her most profound political capital and won her popularity.

After the military parade during the day, a banquet was held in the castle at night.

Being on the border of the Snow Country, there are naturally few beautiful maids, elegant singing and dancing, and the upper-class atmosphere with elegant clothes and beautiful women.

Instead, it was a rugged and passionate atmosphere. In the brown-themed hall, the walls were decorated not with crystals and gems, but with the heads of various ferocious beasts. The endlessly long table was filled with fragrant liquor and juicy meat.

Except for Snow Andrews, Lord of Snowwind Castle, and Winter Rose, the Imperial Prince, who sat at the top of the high table, the rest of the core nobles sat on both sides of them, forming a subtle opposition.

Humph, that kid is here too.

Noticing that the black-haired young man was second only to the Earl and Countess, Winter's eyes showed some displeasure, and he once again secretly cursed the cultists for being so good at talking but so incompetent at doing things.

Chapter 94: Proposal

The young man also looked over and raised his glass to him leisurely. Winter raised his glass in response and smiled lightly, but he snorted in his heart.

Poor clown, laugh while you still can.

You will soon see that your feelings for Jon Snow are meaningless in the face of true power!

There were some unexpected faces at the party.

A grand ceremony inevitably involves inviting dignitaries from other countries.

Of course, unless the festival is particularly important, the various forces will just send some insignificant person to show their respect.

However, this time, the number of participants sent by the Lionheart Kingdom, the Emerald Council, and even the Magicians' Society was much higher than Winter had expected.

In the past, a baron would have been enough, but this time the lowest rank was an earl, so they had to temporarily add a separate table for these dignitaries as a sign of respect.

But that's okay.

After all, the great show of conquering the Silver Wolf is about to begin.

A wonderful performance needs the support of the audience.

Spying on the cool figure of the silver-haired girl, Winter curled up the corners of his lips, imagining that this rose would soon belong to him, and he felt that the wine in the glass became sweeter.

After three rounds of drinks, Winter tapped the table, officially opening the curtain on his script.

"Miss Jon Snow, your prestige in Snowwind Castle is truly extraordinary. It is quite like the style of Grand Duke Andrew when he was alive. I dare to toast you a glass." A thin, brown-haired earl with a smile on his face suddenly stood up and raised his glass to Jon Snow.

"Lord Laka, you are too kind. I just did what I should do." Jon Snow responded lightly and took a sip of milk tea.

Not drinking on important occasions is a habit passed down from my father.

"That being said, Miss Snow, it seems you've gone beyond your original duties." Earl Raka narrowed his eyes and said maliciously, "Isn't the burden of Snowwind Castle a bit too much for you?"

The noisy party quieted down.

The next moment, Britney was the first to slam her hands on the table and shouted coldly, "Lakka, what the hell do you mean?"

"Oh, Mrs. Kumar, please calm down. I'm just being considerate of Miss Snow."

Count Raka analyzed lightly, "She's the only one left in the Andvis family. Miss Snow is too young and unmarried to take on the responsibility of ruling the territory. It would be a good thing for her to be freed as soon as possible."

Britney's eyes darkened instantly.

Not only Britney, but the border nobles all looked unhappy.

He said it nicely, but he implied that Jon Snow was not suitable for the position of lord, and advised her to step back and hand over the foundation of the Andrews family.

Especially when they thought about the fact that it was the lack of support from the royal family that led to the decline of the Andves family, all the border nobles were enraged.

In that battle, not only did the Andvis family suffer heavy losses, but all the border nobles paid a price to varying degrees.

On the contrary, the nobles from the interior of the empire all had sneers and disdain on their faces, like a group of arrogant and greedy jackals.

In their eyes, the border nobles were just a bunch of country folk united under Jon Snow, who had occupied a large amount of territory for nothing.

It should be their territory.

But at this moment, Winter put down his glass and said in a low voice: "Lakka, that's enough."

"I understand your concerns. My cousin is indeed inexperienced, and the Andvis family is indeed not as strong as before. I can't bear to let her bear the burden of the border." The imperial prince had a sad face, and seemed to be very conflicted and helpless as he sighed.

But he quickly changed the subject, speaking righteously, "But Snowwind Castle and border military power have belonged to the Andvis family since ancient times! Generations of border dukes have shed so much blood, even the Empress shouldn't take away their homes and rights!"

"So, I have a proposal."

Winter looked at the silver-haired girl beside him and smiled softly.

"How about you and I immediately fulfill the engagement made between Mother and the Modern Grand Duke and help each other. From now on, let the royal family be your backer!"

As soon as these words came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

Both the border nobles and the imperial nobles were somewhat at a loss as to what to do with this compromise plan, but they couldn't help but think it was a good thing.

Compared to large-scale political struggles, isn’t a marriage between a talented man and a beautiful woman much more beautiful?

However, the core nobles of both sides on the stage saw through the true intention and their expressions changed.

Britney and the others looked gloomy, while Laka and the others were secretly laughing.

Everything is going according to the prince's script.

Marriage seems to be about mutual concessions and helping each other.

But as long as the royal family is allowed to intervene in the border, it is only a matter of time before the entire border is encroached upon. And once they get married, Jon Snow will be tied down and unable to move, and the future dukedom will be divided in two.

Jon Snow knew this very well, but his expression did not change.

"Your Highness is overthinking."

The silver-haired girl looked back at the prince beside her, completely indifferent and unintelligible: "Be it a title or an engagement, it's too early to discuss these things now. Besides, my father has passed away, and the engagement is a thing of the past. Your Highness should find true love elsewhere instead of me."

The old Earl Barry, standing nearby, immediately stood up and chimed in, revealing a nobleman's smirk: "That's exactly right."

"Miss Snow has no intention of inheriting the title at the moment, so there's no need to rush. As for the engagement, haha, it was just a temporary agreement between the previous Grand Duke and the Empress. Your Highness really doesn't need to be too concerned about it and ruin your own happiness."

"Everyone in the mainland, please don't worry too much. The border operations are normal, and you just need to take care of your own affairs." Barry glanced at Laka and others, his tone getting heavier.

"Tsk..." Laka's face twitched, feeling a little unhappy.

"The Duke's throne cannot be left vacant for a single day. What kind of a place would it be without a lord's castle?! Or are some people trying to take over their brothers' lives?!"

"But in fact, Snowwind Castle is still operating normally. I respect the name of the previous Grand Duke and fully assist the Duke's heir. Do you think there is anything wrong with that?"

The inland nobles all started to speak up, but the old earl alone defused them. The situation remained deadlocked.

Jon Snow couldn't help feeling upset, but he was also secretly relieved.

After all, the prince had no legitimate reason to interfere in border affairs. As for the engagement, it would be difficult to break it, but it was okay to drag it out.

However, Winter raised the corners of his lips, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

Jon Snow's refusal, the old earl's rebuttal, every previous pressure had ended in nothing.

But today, he is going to take the decisive step.

The prince suddenly stood up, attracting the attention of everyone present.

"You all have a point."

"Yes, with Count Kuma attached to her, I believe my cousin can also protect the border. But the Duke's throne has been vacant, and my cousin can't get what she deserves. I really can't bear it."

"As for the engagement, it was ultimately a previous agreement, so it's hard to declare it, and it's really hard to express my sincerity."

"I should have said it another way."

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the prince of the empire half-knelt on the ground in front of the silver-haired girl like a gentleman and said affectionately: "What I value is never the engagement, but you, my cousin."

"I can't bear to see you suffer, so I want to help you. I can't bear to see you lonely, so I want to be by your side."

"Will you marry me? Snow Andrews."

Chapter 95: The Trap of Choosing One or the Other